Wearside stories you might have missed this week

Emma, George and Leonnie Downes have their arms around each other and are smiling at the camera. Emma has blonde hair, tied back, and is wearing a white and blue England shirt. George has short brown hair and Leonnie has brown hair which is also tied back. Emma Downes

Emma, George and Leonnie Downes attended every England game in Switzerland

A new footbridge's temporary reopening, a family who went to all Lionesses games in Switzerland and a woman's 11 hour swim for charity - here are some of the stories that made headlines in Wearside this week.

Lionesses glory

Crowds of hundreds gather outside Buckingham Palace, ready for the parade. Many are wearing or holding items with the red and white England flag on them. Emma Downes

The Downes family attended all England games as well as the victory parade

A family travelled more than 700 miles (1,127km) to follow England's Lionesses through their Euro 2025 campaign and eventual win in Switzerland.

Emma Downes and her wife Leonnie and son George, from Durham, took the whole month off and attended every game in Basel.

She said the experience had been "very intense" with dramatic penalty shootouts and the family had been through "every emotion on the spectrum".

They also drove home via London to go to the open-top bus parade celebrations.

First pedestrians to cross footbridge

An aerial view of the footbridge. It is a long white structure crossing the River Wear and connecting Keel Square on the right to the Stadium of Light, with cranes next to it on both shores. Wearmouth Bridge and the North Sea are also visible in the distance. Sunderland City Council

Keel Crossing links Keel Square with Sheepfolds and the Stadium of Light

Sunderland's new footbridge will temporarily open for the first day of the Women's Rugby World Cup before shutting again for final cosmetic work.

The Keel Crossing will welcome pedestrians for the first time on 22 August, including fans travelling to the Stadium of Light for the tournament's opening match between England and the USA.

More than 40,000 people are expected in the city for the game.

The crossing will close at the end of the day so the final phase of works can be completed before it is officially opened for permanent use.

Mum's round island swim

Marie-Helene Sanderson in the water. She is wearing goggles and a yellow swim hat and is waving at the camera while smiling broadly. Her other hand is on a stone sea wall. Helen Liddle

Marie-Helene Sanderson said her arms "felt like lead" during the 11-hour swim

A woman has swum 55km (34 miles) around the island of Jersey to raise money for a charity that once supported her.

Marie-Helene Sanderson, who lives in Stanley in County Durham, raised £2,255 for Just For Women, topping her initial target of £500.

The organisation helps people affected by poverty, unemployment, domestic abuse and mental health issues.

She swam for 11 hours straight and said she got "such a boost" from her support boat team shouting out the increasing fundraising total during the swim.

Library's one day opening

Ancient looking wood-panelled library with rows and rows of books and stained glass window in background. Ushaw

The library is usually reserved for researchers

A library which holds historic books such as Sir Isaac Newton's Principia Mathematica will open to the public for the first time – but just for a single day.

Ushaw Historic House, near Durham, will open its 50,000-item collection to the public on 9 August as part of its first ever book festival.

The library at the former Roman Catholic seminary is usually reserved for researchers, Ushaw official Sanjay Gidda said.

Looking forward to welcoming a wider audience, Mr Gidda said: "This is one of the most exciting cultural days Ushaw has ever hosted."

Gym 'penalised' by parking rules

Micky Donkin is standing in front to the Evolution Fitness Gym which has a red painted exterior with various stickers in the window, including one that says it is a 24-hour gym. Mr Donkin has a black beard and is wearing a black cap, hoody and shorts. Supplied

Micky Donkin uses the parking bay outside his gym to unload heavy equipment

A gym director says he is being penalised because of loading bay parking rules outside his business, as he does not own a van.

Micky Donkin, from Evolution Fitness in Newbottle Street, Houghton-le-Spring, has received multiple fines for parking his work car in a "goods vehicle only" bay outside his business to safely unload heavy gym equipment.

During work hours, only goods vehicles which are designated as "constructed or adapted for the conveyance of goods or products" are allowed to use the spot.

Sunderland City Council said restrictions were in the interests of all highways users, and claimed it was "not possible" to provide an exemption.

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