Teddy bears, a Yorkshire garden and Top Gear returns

The Queen will today get a preview of the Chelsea Flower Show, which opens to the public tomorrow. This year’s show includes a Garden for Yorkshire, which showcases the county’s famous scenery, iconic heritage and skilled craftsmen.

Matthew Wilson’s design is inspired by the medieval Great East Window at York Minster and features a panel of stained glass made using the same methods employed in making the original in 1405.. The planting on the upper level celebrates Yorkshire’s woodland gardens, while the central perennial planting is inspired by, and designed to echo, the stained glass at the Minster.

SHOWING SOME STEEL

Hundreds of steelworkers from across the country are to march past Downing Street and Parliament tomorrow to keep pressure on the Government to help secure the future of their crisis-hit industry.

Those taking part work for several companies, including Tata, which is selling its loss-making UK assets, including the huge plant at Port Talbot in south Wales. The steelworkers will demand that the Government works to ensure a responsible sale of Tata Steel and deliver a proper industrial strategy to support the entire steel sector.

RULING THE WAVES?

They have cost nearly double their projected £3.5bn price tag, but Britain’s newest pair of aircraft carriers will finally be handed over to their commanding officers tomorrow. The new Queen Elizabeth Class carriers are longer than the Houses of Parliament and able to launch up to 108 air sorties per day.

But some have questioned whether they’re a good use of public funds. One unnamed senior military figure claimed the carrier programme was a toxic “combination of naval vanity and pork-barrel politics.”

COURT DATE

Racehorse trainer David “Dandy” Nicholls is due to appear in court on Friday charged with sexually assaulting a woman. The 59-year-old, from Thirsk, will appear before Northallerton Magistrates’ Court on May 27. Nicholls runs a yard with 100 horses and has been dubbed the Sprint King for his know-how in training winners.

The same day will see the former owners of Bowood Farms abattoir and three slaughtermen appear at the court charged with animal cruelty following an undercover investigation by Animal Aid into practices at their premises in Thirsk.

RETURN OF TOP GEAR

We’ve been hearing all the disaster stories for months, and on Saturday night we’ll finally get to see if it’s as doomed as some have been suggesting when the new series of Top Gear finally gets under way.

The motoring show returns to BBC Two with new hosts Chris Evans and Matt LeBlanc, who have come in for a fair amount of flak, replacing Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May.

But don’t expect to see Brad Pitt in the ‘Star in a Reasonably Priced Car’ segment. According to newspaper reports he pulled out and has been replaced by actor Jesse Eisenberg.

BEAR NECESSITIES

One of the largest collections of teddy bears in the world goes on display in Yorkshire from Saturday. The collection of around 1,000 bears has been gifted to Newby Hall, in Ripon, by broadcaster Gyles Brandreth.

It includes the original star of the Paddington 1970s TV series, Harry Corbett’s Sooty from the 1950s and The Muppet Show’s Fozzie Bear, given to Brandreth by Jim Henson.

The exhibition will be housed in a purpose-built Bear House constructed in the grounds of the stately home.