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Getting married wasn’t “on the books” for London couple Craig Pollard and Alex Herd for a long time. But that changed when Alex got diagnosed with motor neurone disease (MND) in 2021, aged 30. “We decided to get married as a bit of a consequence of Alex’s diagnosis,” explains Pollard, 35. “It wasn’t something that was on the books for us before, especially as being gay, marriage wasn’t available to us when we were younger, so wasn’t necessarily something we’d aspired to. “But then thinking about the legacy we wanted and how much time we had together, we saw it as a good way of bringing our families together and celebrating something really positive in our life.” MND affects nerves in the brain and spinal cord which send signals to muscles. There is currently no cure, so as muscle loss gets worse over time – affecting movement, speech, swallowing and breathing – it eventually leads to death. It’s uncommon and mostly affects people in their 60s and 70s, although as Herd’s diagnosis shows, MND can occur in younger adults too. The charity Challenging MND, which helps people with MND, has the ‘opportunity to create amazing memories’, funded the couple’s big day last year – a fabulous festival-inspired party officiated by drag queen Just May from RuPaul’s Drag Race UK Season 4. They had already been together for a decade, so the wedding was a “celebration of all the things we’ve enjoyed together over the last 10 years”, Pollard notes (plus “lots of glitter and sparkle – it was perfect”). It was also the last time Herd went a full day without using a wheelchair. “So it was the very last moment we possibly could have done that,” adds Herd, now 32. “And we can look back at that as a really special day.” He first started noticing symptoms in early 2021 – muscle twitching then weakness in his hands and arms, before his legs became increasingly affected. Herd used a manual wheelchair for a while but recently switched to an electric one. “That’s changed my life quite a lot,” says Herd. “While I was in the manual wheelchair and Craig was pushing around, I sort of felt like I didn’t really exist anymore, because everyone would interact with him, and I wasn’t responsible for where I was. But now I’m in control of my movement, I feel like I’m more interacting with people myself.” The diagnosis has been challenging on multiple levels, individually and as a couple. MND doesn’t present with exactly the same patterns for everyone – so there is no guidebook as such, and navigating support services relies on a lot of self-advocating. Things such as specialist physiotherapy and occupational therapy can be helpful, along with home adaptations. “Having MND, you have to get used to things changing,” says Herd. “I mean, I can’t necessarily relate at this point to someone who’s been in their wheelchair for their whole life, but because things keep changing, you can’t really get used to it properly. So it’s very difficult for me to kind of keep hold of my identity.” In a recent survey, Challenging MND found 63% of people living with the MND had felt marginalised or ‘othered’ because of their condition, while 51% felt others see MND as their identity. In addition, 80% said they felt isolated, and 69% worry about being a burden to their family. Feeling ‘othered’ is something Alex found himself thinking about while attending Pride London recently. “It’s almost more like something I’m doing, than something other people are doing – because I’m seeing people doing what I would’ve been doing a year ago, it’s still fairly fresh for me, so I’m still comparing the before and after,” he reflects. “At Pride, lots of people get to see themselves represented in the crowds, and that’s nice. But then I realised how much more of a minority people in wheelchairs are. It made us realise how different our situation is now, our priorities and expectations in general.” Music has been an important way for him to stay connected with his identity. “I’ve been making music for over 10 years, so it’s nice I’m still able to do that. I think as much as possible, people in a situation like this need to try and keep doing the things that made them happy before,” he says. While he can no longer play his guitar, Herd made voice recordings to use an instrument and creates tracks on his computer, using foot pedals as he can no longer click the mouse. Since his diagnosis, he’s actually been finishing a lot more songs. “I have less distractions now!” Herd quips. “But using music as a communication tool, that’s definitely become more important to me.” Challenging MND also supported the couple with a trip to Eurovision – “which was really touching and we made great memories”, says Pollard. They’re also grateful to support from the Motor Neurone Disease Association, who provides a local area liaison, and their local St Christopher’s Hospice has been “really helpful”. These things make a huge difference. “Something I’m very conscious of as an able-bodied person is watching Alex have to come to terms with first of all being disabled, then being visibly disabled, and then being disabled in public – there’s been a lot of different elements we’ve had to really tackle,” Pollard reflects, citing navigating public transport as one of the main everyday challenges. There’s an emotional toll too. “My energy levels are a lot lower than they used to be, and my capacity for stress. I feel like I already have this much higher baseline of anxiety about various things, so it feels much easier to become overwhelmed,” says Herd. “I think the only thing we can really do is just try and focus on the next thing, rather than worrying about everything.” As members of the LGBTQ+ community, there are sometimes other nuances to their experiences. They’ve noticed LGBTQ+ events are doing well with accessibility, but representation can be a more subtle matter. “There’s definitely an element of the community who are very mindful of others and very empathetic, which I think has been where I’ve learned a lot about different people’s experiences in my life,” says Pollard. “But when it comes to the overall society of the community, I think there’s still a large proportion of it based on image, based around being cool and trendy. So it’s quite easy for people with accessible requirements to be kind of ignored in that space.” As for their experiences in public, Craig says: “We have struggled to feel like we can take up space. First of all being LGBT, we often don’t feel that safe in certain spaces, public transport we’ve had trouble on once or twice in the past, so you’re always a bit uneasy. With moving into being more visibly disabled and needing more accessible requirements, that’s something we’ve to discuss and manage.” Thanks to Challenging MND, the couple are banking up the joyful times. “They offered to support our wedding, which was really special, and without them we probably wouldn’t have had it,” says Pollard. “That isn’t just a memory for us, it’s a memory for our families and friends too. It was really special.” Challenging MND aims to support and empower those living with MND to create lasting memories for themselves and their families. To date they’ve granted in excess of £1.1million and supported over 100 families.

Currys Plc shares fell after the UK electronics retailer canceled its final dividend and lowered pension contributions in

When you want to make your space feel beach beautiful, creating a coastal feel not only adds character – but everything feels that much more chilled. Inspired by summer’s seaside vibes, sunshine and the relaxing sound of ocean waves, think cool blues, natural elements and decor with some rugged flair… 1. ProCook Melamine Tableware Serving Bowl, £8.99; Dinner Plate, £4.99, Side Plate, £3.99, ProCook Summer salads will love this Mediterranean-inspired tableware, which pair well with seashells scattered along your tablescape. 2. Seaview Organic Cotton Table Runner, £45, XV Stripes This nautical print is tailor-made for seafood appetisers. 3. Blue Stripe Tufted Seat Pads, £15 each (was £25), The White Company Whether you’re perching on a patio seat wall or revamping your garden furniture, these trendy tufted seat pads will cushion you in style. 4. Flock of Seagulls Wall Art, £140, The Coastal Lifestyle Company This coastal inspired wall art with white metal seagulls brings home the sound of gulls, crashing waves and thoughts of clifftop walks. 5. Eat Drink Relax Napkins – Set of 4, £19.60 (was £28) rest of items from a selection, The White Company When you want to say it with words, these embroidered napkins make a stylish statement. 6. FlipFlop Beach Bag, £40, Basket Basket A great styling tool, raffia baskets can be hung from hooks – and they always look chic when placed nonchalantly around the house. 7. Desenio The Summer Coast Gallery Wall: 3 Posters, 3 Frames, £109.14, (was £138.65), Desenio When it’s time to settle down with a sundowner, these posters are right on point with their mood-boosting images to inspire a Riviera lifestyle. 8. White Conch Shell Vase, £24, Bon Bon Fistral Conch vases are particularly trendy right now, and this one is especially fetching with its matt white finish. Fresh or faux white flowers – such as creamy-white gardenias – will up its fabulousness. 9. St Eval Scented Coastal Collection: Tin Candles in Sea Salt, Samphire & Sage and Sea Mist, £13.85 each, St Eval A scented candle will bring you to the Cornish coast and the therapeutic effects of the sea. 10. Coral Wall Art: Marine Blue Coral Art Prints, Unframed, from £18 each, Beach House Art Looking to create a beautiful backdrop with coral and marine blues? These eye-catching prints will make a modish addition to any scheme. 11. Beach Text Cushion, £21, The Coastal Lifestyle Company Whether it’s a waterfront property or urban living, this denim-look scatter cushion will elevate any space.

Malaysia left its benchmark interest rate unchanged on Thursday, maintaining support for the economy amid slowing exports and

More than a quarter of UK adults have never boiled an egg and do not know how to, fewer than a fifth have made a salad dressing and just 45 per cent have baked a Victoria sponge cake, according to a report by Waitrose. While more than a third of people (35 per cent) rate themselves as ‘very good’ or ‘excellent cooks’, some 27 per cent have never boiled an egg, a survey for the supermarket’s annual Cooking Report found. Nearly two-fifths (39 per cent) wish they could spend more time in the kitchen than they actually do, while one-fifth (20 per cent) say they are entertaining more at home due to the cost-of-living crisis – although 34 per cent now think the term ‘dinner party’ is old fashioned. Four in 10 (40 per cent) are happy to choose cheaper cuts of meat and more affordable ingredients to economise when entertaining and seven per cent will ask friends to bring a dish or course. Meanwhile, despite the soaring popularity of air fryers, microwaves have topped a list of 24 kitchen gadgets that most adults said they could not live without. Almost three times as many people said they could not live without their microwave as those who said the same about air fryers, at 32 per cent and 12 per cent respectively. Waitrose said searches for ‘microwave meals’ were up 71 per cent on waitrose.com compared with the same time last year, while sales of microwaves were up 13 per cent at John Lewis. Martyn Lee, executive chef for Waitrose, said: “Food is a daily joy and the cost-of-living crisis has hastened a change in how we cook. “For too long we’ve been looking down on microwaves. You can do so much more in them than heat a cup of coffee. I make a great sponge in mine. I think it’s time to remember the enjoyment we get from the anticipation of their pinging. “When you reheat a stew, or a slice of lasagne in your microwave after the flavours have had time to develop, you enjoy what’s known as the sixth taste sensation ‘kokumi’ – which is lesser known than the other five tastes – sweet, salty, sour, bitter and umami.” The survey also found 46 per cent of people ignore the sell-by dates on packaging, 38 per cent use the ‘five-second rule’ for picking up food that has dropped on the floor, and 16 per cent are happy to scrape mould off food to eat or cook with it. One-third get their ideas on what to cook from TV programmes and five per cent have turned to Chat GPT for recipe inspiration. OnePoll surveyed 4,000 UK adults between 10-16 May and 24-30 May. Read More The dish that defines me: Eddie Huang’s Taiwanese beef noodle soup Woman exits plane after tirade about passenger who is ‘not real’: ‘Final Destination vibes’ Fans mistake Jennifer Garner and Ben Affleck’s daughter Violet, 17, for her mother in new photos Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live

Hong Kong police have arrested four people on suspicion of financially aiding activists abroad, just days after they offered bounties for information leading to the arrest of eight pro-democracy figures living in self-imposed exile.

Australian retailers are in for a sombre period this fiscal year as high interest rates squeeze household budgets,

US drugmaker Moderna has signed a deal to make mRNA medicines in China as part of its first major investment in the country, despite escalating trade and political tension between Washington and Beijing.

A recession is coming, and ESG investors may be among those who stand to lose the most. That’s

(Reuters) -German industrial orders rose significantly more than expected in May, due to large scale orders of ships, spacecraft and

European banks which rely on deposits supplied by third-party platforms should face tougher liquidity requirements to stem the

German factory orders rebounded in May, a sign the manufacturing slump may be easing as Europe’s biggest economy