In 1665, amid one of the last major outbreaks of the plague, a merchant returned from London to an isolated village in Derbyshire Dales called Eyam. The cloths he carried were most likely infested with the bacteria-carrying fleas that spread the bubonic plague – the intermittent scourge that had laid waste to Europe for the three centuries since the Black Death. But instead of the disease creeping onwards to the surrounding towns and cities of the north – Buxton, Manchester, Sheffield – it stayed confined to Eyam because the small village self-isolated.
For 14 months, from September 1665 to November 1666, the village cut itself off from the outside world. No one was allowed in or out, and all residents stayed inside their own homes – a situation that might feel familiar today. Food and medical supplies were passed on to the inhabitants by nearby villagers, who would leave them near the boundary stones at the edges of the village. After they had left, the inhabitants of Eyam would then venture out and fetch them. When they had the money to do so, they would leave coins for the goods, dropped into holes bored into the stones that were filled with vinegar, which was believed to kill the plague.
The people were a very faithful flock, and believed it was their Christian duty to protect those outside Eyam from getting the plague. They agreed to the measures, even though they were really signing their death warrant. They thought they'd all get it
“It was a voluntary quarantine,” says Francine Clifford, a former schoolteacher who has become the town’s historian. “The people were a very faithful flock, and believed it was their Christian duty to protect those outside Eyam from getting the plague. They agreed to the measures, even though they were really signing their death warrant. They thought they’d all get it.”
Entire families were wiped out, across households: mothers went to help one daughter with her children, then returned to other children and passed on the sickness. A third of the village of 750 people died, a death rate of about twice that in London, where it was 17 per cent. “They paid the price, but they saved thousands of lives from villages and towns [nearby],” says Clifford.
The plan for Eyam was drawn up by reverend William Mompesson, a pastor for the Church of England who had been at his post in the town for only a few months when the plague struck. This bout of plague came on the heels of the English Civil War, a religious conflict, and he had been deputised to return the established church to Eyam, which had formerly been served by the Puritan pastor reverend Thomas Stanley. Despite their differences in belief, Mompesson and Stanley worked together to institute a plan that was far-sighted in its understanding of disease transmission. Crucially, they limited cross-infection within the village both by quarantine and by what we would now call social distancing: villagers were instructed to keep at least 12 feet (3.6 metres) away from each other.
In practice, this meant banning both church services and funerals, which had serious consequences on the people’s belief system. “Closing the church was a big thing for them because the services and prayer were their only way of salvation,” says Clifford. “The villagers thought plague was a God-sent punishment for sins that they’d committed – that it was a cloud in the heavens. If you’d been very sinful, God would send the cloud down and you would breathe in the miasma – the bad air. So the only way they thought they could avoid getting the plague was by prayer and repentance.”
Church services ended up being held outside, with households standing 3.6 metres apart, but funerals were prohibited entirely. The typical practice in those days was a procession through the town, with villagers following what would have been the infected body on its way to the local graveyard. During the period of self-isolation, all households had to bury their dead in their gardens or fields. “They were horrified,” says Clifford. “But they agreed.”
Clifford describes herself as a "newcomer" to Eyam, having moved there 36 years ago, from Sheffield, 20 kilometres away. She and her late husband, John, were both schoolteachers, and took on the role of town historians, co-founding the popular Eyam Museum and researching Victorian-era accounts by going through local government and church registers. Eyam's sacrifices were as well known in the area then as they are today. A local nobleman, the Earl of Devonshire, donated food to the village, being inspired by its "brave resolve" – as a London newspaper put it, reporting on the events in 1665. A number of books, plays and paintings have drawn on Eyam's story, and researchers into infectious diseases such as Ebola have looked to the village as a case study for effective quarantine measures.
The pair found that many of the stories had been romanticised – and that the real stories were often equally as heartbreaking. One tale involves the Siddalls, a family that was almost entirely wiped out because of one member who met her lover in secret. The Victorian account has the mother of the family, the sole survivor, going mad and living like a wild woman on the moors.
In reality, Elizabeth Siddall lived and remarried a fellow plague widower – a marriage that did not last long. He too died of the plague, and she followed within a few months. On her deathbed, she entrusted the care of her son to another family who themselves had lost eight children. The scrap of paper on which she scrawled this last will and testament had been lost to history, before Clifford and her husband found it.
What happened to us in the past is virtually being repeated now
Clifford, herself, is a testament to the stoicism associated with northern England. At 85 years of age, she compares this pandemic to the Second World War. “I was evacuated two or three times from London. That was almost better because you knew if it got bad, you had somewhere to go.” And she says she accepts help from her neighbours only because she would not want to pass on the coronavirus herself, should she become sick.
“What happened to us in the past is virtually being repeated now,” she says. “People putting themselves at risk to save the greater community. For someone as old as me, it is quite overwhelming, the care and the love that’s going around in the community. I wonder if Eyam feels we have to maintain the same community spirit we had 350 years ago.”
Clifford adds that life goes on. She became a great-grandmother on the first day of the UK lockdown, although she has, of course, yet to see the baby.
Set-jetting on the Emerald Isle
Other shows filmed in Ireland include: Vikings (County Wicklow), The Fall (Belfast), Line of Duty (Belfast), Penny Dreadful (Dublin), Ripper Street (Dublin), Krypton (Belfast)
More Expo 2020 Dubai pavilions:
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Brief scores:
Toss: Kerala Knights, opted to fielf
Pakhtoons 109-5 (10 ov)
Fletcher 32; Lamichhane 3-17
Kerala Knights 110-2 (7.5 ov)
Morgan 46 not out, Stirling 40
Our legal consultants
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Results
4pm: Al Bastakiya – Listed (TB) $150,000 (Dirt) 1,900m; Winner: Panadol, Mickael Barzalona (jockey), Salem bin Ghadayer (trainer)
4.35pm: Dubai City Of Gold – Group 2 (TB) $228,000 (Turf) 2,410m; Winner: Walton Street, William Buick, Charlie Appleby
5.10pm: Mahab Al Shimaal – Group 3 (TB) $228,000 (D) 1,200m; Winner: Canvassed, Pat Dobbs, Doug Watson
5.45pm: Burj Nahaar – Group 3 (TB) $228,000 (D) 1,600m; Winner: Midnight Sands, Pat Dobbs, Doug Watson
6.20pm: Jebel Hatta – Group 1 (TB) $260,000 (T) 1,800m; Winner: Lord Glitters, Daniel Tudhope, David O’Meara
6.55pm: Al Maktoum Challenge Round-1 – Group 1 (TB) $390,000 (D) 2,000m; Winner: Salute The Soldier, Adrie de Vries, Fawzi Nass
7.30pm: Nad Al Sheba – Group 3 (TB) $228,000 (T) 1,200m; Winner: Final Song, Frankie Dettori, Saeed bin Suroor
WHAT%20IS%20THE%20LICENSING%20PROCESS%20FOR%20VARA%3F
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match info
Southampton 2 (Ings 32' & pen 89') Tottenham Hotspur 5 (Son 45', 47', 64', & 73', Kane 82')
Man of the match Son Heung-min (Tottenham)
Company%20profile
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COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Almnssa
Started: August 2020
Founder: Areej Selmi
Based: Gaza
Sectors: Internet, e-commerce
Investments: Grants/private funding
MATCH INFO
France 3
Umtiti (8'), Griezmann (29' pen), Dembele (63')
Italy 1
Bonucci (36')
What can victims do?
Always use only regulated platforms
Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion
Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)
Report to local authorities
Warn others to prevent further harm
Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence
The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
What are the influencer academy modules?
- Mastery of audio-visual content creation.
- Cinematography, shots and movement.
- All aspects of post-production.
- Emerging technologies and VFX with AI and CGI.
- Understanding of marketing objectives and audience engagement.
- Tourism industry knowledge.
- Professional ethics.
The%20specs%20
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UAE squad
Esha Oza (captain), Al Maseera Jahangir, Emily Thomas, Heena Hotchandani, Indhuja Nandakumar, Katie Thompson, Lavanya Keny, Mehak Thakur, Michelle Botha, Rinitha Rajith, Samaira Dharnidharka, Siya Gokhale, Sashikala Silva, Suraksha Kotte, Theertha Satish (wicketkeeper) Udeni Kuruppuarachchige, Vaishnave Mahesh.
UAE tour of Zimbabwe
All matches in Bulawayo
Friday, Sept 26 – First ODI
Sunday, Sept 28 – Second ODI
Tuesday, Sept 30 – Third ODI
Thursday, Oct 2 – Fourth ODI
Sunday, Oct 5 – First T20I
Monday, Oct 6 – Second T20I
How to apply for a drone permit
- Individuals must register on UAE Drone app or website using their UAE Pass
- Add all their personal details, including name, nationality, passport number, Emiratis ID, email and phone number
- Upload the training certificate from a centre accredited by the GCAA
- Submit their request
What are the regulations?
- Fly it within visual line of sight
- Never over populated areas
- Ensure maximum flying height of 400 feet (122 metres) above ground level is not crossed
- Users must avoid flying over restricted areas listed on the UAE Drone app
- Only fly the drone during the day, and never at night
- Should have a live feed of the drone flight
- Drones must weigh 5 kg or less
In numbers: PKK’s money network in Europe
Germany: PKK collectors typically bring in $18 million in cash a year – amount has trebled since 2010
Revolutionary tax: Investigators say about $2 million a year raised from ‘tax collection’ around Marseille
Extortion: Gunman convicted in 2023 of demanding $10,000 from Kurdish businessman in Stockholm
Drug trade: PKK income claimed by Turkish anti-drugs force in 2024 to be as high as $500 million a year
Denmark: PKK one of two terrorist groups along with Iranian separatists ASMLA to raise “two-digit million amounts”
Contributions: Hundreds of euros expected from typical Kurdish families and thousands from business owners
TV channel: Kurdish Roj TV accounts frozen and went bankrupt after Denmark fined it more than $1 million over PKK links in 2013
The specs: 2018 Nissan Altima
Price, base / as tested: Dh78,000 / Dh97,650
Engine: 2.5-litre in-line four-cylinder
Power: 182hp @ 6,000rpm
Torque: 244Nm @ 4,000rpm
Transmission: Continuously variable tranmission
Fuel consumption, combined: 7.6L / 100km
German intelligence warnings
- 2002: "Hezbollah supporters feared becoming a target of security services because of the effects of [9/11] ... discussions on Hezbollah policy moved from mosques into smaller circles in private homes." Supporters in Germany: 800
- 2013: "Financial and logistical support from Germany for Hezbollah in Lebanon supports the armed struggle against Israel ... Hezbollah supporters in Germany hold back from actions that would gain publicity." Supporters in Germany: 950
- 2023: "It must be reckoned with that Hezbollah will continue to plan terrorist actions outside the Middle East against Israel or Israeli interests." Supporters in Germany: 1,250
Source: Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution
MATCH INFO
Serie A
Juventus v Fiorentina, Saturday, 8pm (UAE)
Match is on BeIN Sports
Abu Dhabi GP schedule
Friday: First practice - 1pm; Second practice - 5pm
Saturday: Final practice - 2pm; Qualifying - 5pm
Sunday: Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix (55 laps) - 5.10pm
Jetour T1 specs
Engine: 2-litre turbocharged
Power: 254hp
Torque: 390Nm
Price: From Dh126,000
Available: Now
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
The years Ramadan fell in May
The Cairo Statement
1: Commit to countering all types of terrorism and extremism in all their manifestations
2: Denounce violence and the rhetoric of hatred
3: Adhere to the full compliance with the Riyadh accord of 2014 and the subsequent meeting and executive procedures approved in 2014 by the GCC
4: Comply with all recommendations of the Summit between the US and Muslim countries held in May 2017 in Saudi Arabia.
5: Refrain from interfering in the internal affairs of countries and of supporting rogue entities.
6: Carry out the responsibility of all the countries with the international community to counter all manifestations of extremism and terrorism that threaten international peace and security
More on Quran memorisation:
Inside%20Out%202
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PRISCILLA
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Drivers’ championship standings after Singapore:
1. Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes - 263
2. Sebastian Vettel, Ferrari - 235
3. Valtteri Bottas, Mercedes - 212
4. Daniel Ricciardo, Red Bull - 162
5. Kimi Raikkonen, Ferrari - 138
6. Sergio Perez, Force India - 68
Winners
Ballon d’Or (Men’s)
Ousmane Dembélé (Paris Saint-Germain / France)
Ballon d’Or Féminin (Women’s)
Aitana Bonmatí (Barcelona / Spain)
Kopa Trophy (Best player under 21 – Men’s)
Lamine Yamal (Barcelona / Spain)
Best Young Women’s Player
Vicky López (Barcelona / Spain)
Yashin Trophy (Best Goalkeeper – Men’s)
Gianluigi Donnarumma (Paris Saint-Germain and Manchester City / Italy)
Best Women’s Goalkeeper
Hannah Hampton (England / Aston Villa and Chelsea)
Men’s Coach of the Year
Luis Enrique (Paris Saint-Germain)
Women’s Coach of the Year
Sarina Wiegman (England)
