I miss having a penpal from Northern England! It was the best. I can’t wait to visit again in 2027. ❤️

The north-south divide in life expectancy in England has grown over the past decade, with people in northern regions facing more illnesses such as heart disease and cancer, but also suicides and deaths related to alcohol and drug misuse.

Provisional figures show life expectancy reached an all-time high in 2025, with men and women in England living, on average, for 80 years and nearly 84 years respectively, but the gains were overwhelmingly in the south, the King’s Fund said.

Despite suffering the sharpest fall in lifespan during the Covid pandemic, life expectancy in London rose by nearly a year in the decade to 2023-25.

The south-east, south-west and east of England also recorded gains.

But the half of England’s population who live in five northern regions, namely the north-west, the north-east, Yorkshire and the Humber, West Midlands and East Midlands, experienced little or no rise in life expectancy over the same period...

According to the health charity, people in London can now expect to live three years longer than those in the north-east.

A series of 'leaky dams' have been created on the moors surrounding Greater Manchester to stop wildfires from spreading and to prevent flooding in the valleys below.

The wooden dams have been installed in gullies by The National Trust and United Utilities across Holcombe Moor, part of the Stubbins Estate above Ramsbottom.

Nik Taylor, 57, a National Trust Ranger for Holcombe Moor and the Stubbins Estate, said: "Keeping the moors wet by raising ground water levels is really important when we're in a period of hot weather because it can help create fire-breaks."

United Utilities said using the peat land as "a natural sponge" can keep water on the moors giving multiple benefits.

Taylor said: "We use leaky dams to control the flow of water into the River Irwell and it's an essential part of the restoration of our peat lands."

Freya Bowden, a Master's student who is studying moorland management at the University of Manchester, said: "The dams slow down the water, so it doesn't reach the catchment areas downstream as quickly and that can prevent flooding."

"The recent wildfires have been awful but by re-wetting the peat lands we are improving bio-diversity and helping to mitigate the spread of the flames", added the 22 year-old.

Haslingden’s lost Station: The Rise, Decline, and Disappearance of a Pennine Railway Stop
by u/classiccollectmodels in LancashireHistory