When Matthew King was paralysed from the neck down playing rugby (top right) in his teens, the list of things he could not do seemed endless and insurmountable. He could not move, breathe without a ventilator or go anywhere unattended by his support workers. He had to be washed, dressed, fed and trussed up in a corset each morning to stop his back from crumpling. For three months he could not even speak. It seemed like things would never change but then Matt (bottom right), 28, confounded everyone's expectations - even his own - and forged a new life rich in incident, achievement and purpose. Now, he speaks to the Daily Mail alongside his fiancée Ilona-Roza Kubica (pictured together left).

Futuristic images have emerged of the intimidatingly named Dreadnought 2050, designed by a group of leading British naval experts to push current science and engineering boundaries to the limit. Engineers further believe the warship could be manned by a crew of just 50, compared to the 200 required by current vessels, and features a new-style operations room (inset). The images, released by a group of leading British naval electronics systems companies working with experts Startpoint, offer an insight into the future of naval engineering.

A crowd of confused onlookers is gathering to watch. Am I doing some sort of interpretive dance? Or perhaps I am recreating Usain Bolt's infamous tumble with a cameraman on a Segway scooter last week? Well, not quite, says SARAH RAINEY. The reason for my erratic movements is actually under my feet. I'm standing on a 'megaboard', a two-wheeled, battery-powered scooter said to be the newest and trendiest mode of transport.
It's also the latest celebrity obsession. Last month, singer Lily Allen (inset) was spotted zipping her way along the streets of Chelsea on one. Cheryl Fernandez-Versini, Nicole Scherzinger and Brooklyn Beckham have all tried it, too. So, is it worth it?

Those hoping for some reprieve following days of wind and rain will have to contend with yet more wet weather misery, as thundery showers continue to paint a 'wet picture' across south eastern England, London and parts of East Anglia. In keeping with a disappointing summer of cool temperatures and drizzle, forecasters have warned that up to two inches (50mm) of rain could fall across London, Sussex, Kent and Surrey today, with the mercury creeping into the high teens 'if you are lucky'. In Essex, more than half an inch (22mm) of rain is expected to fall within an hour - the equivalent to two weeks of average rainfall. Families were today pictured huddling under umbrellas as they visited the dozens of festivals taking place across the UK. Revellers at Jamie Oliver's and Alex James's Big Festival in Kingham, Oxfordshire (inset) donned wellies and ponchos to ward off the soggy weather, while in Weston-Super-Mare, a lone family were pictured enjoying a picnic on an otherwise empty beach (main image).

The fiancee of a Shoreham air crash victim has revealed his final words to her before he died in the disaster as police today named two more of those killed. Mark Trussler, 54, told Giovanna Chirico (pictured together left) 'I love you too, forever' in a text message he sent before a Hawker Hunter jet plummeted on to the A27 in West Sussex, killing 11 people. It comes as Sussex Police today named two more of those killed as friends Dylan Archer (inset left), 42, and Richard Smith (inset right), 26, who were heading on a cycle ride in the South Downs. Meanwhile, the A27 near Shoreham was partially reopened today (right) for the first time since the crash.

Hungary has been stepping up efforts to stem the influx of migrants from Serbia, but extending its barbed-wire barrier along the border and building a 13ft high fence. The current razor-wire stretches along the entire 110-mile border with Serbia and is patrolled by border police, but despite this, some 3,080 migrants crossed over on Saturday, the second-highest daily total.

Cherish Peterson, 27 from Gilbert, Arizona, said she was rushing around a Fry's grocery store trying to buy her nephew candy on Monday when she became absent-minded. The mom-of-four says she had three of  her children with her and in a rush she completely forgot her two-month-old baby boy in the shopping cart in the front of  the store.

She has endured a tricky few months. But professional dancer Kristina Rihanoff was all smiles when she was pictured at an old-school Essex railway station, recently - where she was spotted filming a retro segment for the return of BBC1's Strictly Come Dancing. The blonde beauty, who was embroiled in rumours about her personal life, seemed carefree again as she wore a peach-coloured dress for the colourful scene alongside Craig Revel-Horwood, Janette Manrara, Brendan Cole and Natalie Lowe. 

The actor (pictured left in 1990) is said to have pulled her aside at the glamorous event in Los Angeles and made the offer in an effort to get to know her better. But the princess (pictured right in 1970) declined and spent much of the night drinking and dancing with John Travolta (pictured inset as Danny Zuko in Grease) instead. The anecdote is recounted in a new biography of top Hollywood agent Sue Mengers, who hosted the party for the princess in 1979. After turning down Nicholson's offer, Margaret stayed at the party until 12.30am, dancing repeatedly with Travolta until her friend Prince Rupert Loewenstein - the Rolling Stones' financial adviser - took her home. Miss Mengers was then angry at Nicholson because she felt he had blown her chance to earn an invitation to Buckingham Palace.

Guy Burgess (all three pictures) became an agent for the Soviet Union after leaving Cambridge University in 1935. It was well known that he exploited the blackout in wartime London to pounce on and pick up young servicemen for his own pleasure and locked in the drawer of his desk was evidence of his twin vices: a bottle of gin and a book on flagellation. The dangerous flaws in his character were obvious to all, yet his job in the news department, briefing the Press, meant he was privy to almost all material produced by the Foreign Office, including top secret telegraphic communications, along with the keys for decrypting them.

Two Shell oil workers who filmed themselves having sex in a hotel have been fired after the video was found by the man's angry wife and posted online. Despite being married to other people, Lee Hanlon (pictured top left with his wife Charon), 32, and Amy Maxwell (right), 33, recorded the video during a night spent together at the Premier Inn. However, when it was discovered by Mrs Hanlon, she posted it on messaging service Whatsapp. Mrs Maxwell has said she is still with her husband, but they are moving away from their £465,000 home (bottom left) in Banchory, Abderdeenshire.

Denise O'Niell, 52, from Belfast, furthest right, had no support when she went grey. She reached to other women online and found many women who were making the change - and met four new friends along the way. From left to right, Ros Johnstone, 50, Vanessa Mills, 52, Sharon Rogers, 51 and Rachel Tromans, 44, share their stories about taking the plunge and ditching the dye.

A new bizarre fashion trend suggests you may have been overlooking the ultimate clothing item. People are stripping naked and posting photos of themselves wearing nothing but a plastic bag, as part of the latest social media sensation in Taiwan. Men and women alike are thrilled with their latest garment, although the transparent bags leave absolutely nothing to the imagination. It is particularly 'cool' to be seen flaunting a grocery bag from convenience store 7-Eleven, which seems to be a popular brand among plastic bag fans.

Marianne Power, above, thinks she could do with lightening up so she signs up for a laughter class where eight strangers chuckle for an hour at absolutely nothing. Laughter therapy is said to relieve stress and improve confidence, and can equal to 30 minutes in the gym. Marianne finds out if laughter really is the best medicine.

The photos, which were taken over the August bank holiday weekend of 1954, show holidaymakers relaxing in Blackpool - then one of the most popular and successful British seaside resorts. But within 10 years of the photos being taken, the resort had gone into decline thanks to the advent of cheap air travel and the beginning of package tourism to France and Spain. In recent years, Blackpool has enjoyed a minor renaissance and its star is in the ascendant once more.

A picture from 1940 (main image), which was unearthed from the archives at Red House museum in Christchurch, shows a stark landscape, with metal sea defences lining the beach in case of a Nazi invasion. Now, Mudeford Spit, in Dorset, is home to 350 exclusive beach huts (inset) that change hands for more than £200,000 at a time. The new 15ft by 10ft timber chalets have no running water, toilets or mains electricity - but estate agents say the property boom shows no sign of slowing down.

Hundreds of thousands of revellers have descended on the streets of west London for the Notting Hill Carnival, today and tomorrow. Despite grey skies overhead, spirits refused to be dampened. Britain will be lashed with a fortnight's worth of rain tomorrow with a Bank Holiday washout firmly on the cards. Dismal weather warnings are predicting an impending downpour, which will see an inch of rainfall in some parts of the South East. Weather warnings have been issued across London, the east, south east and south west of England as forecasters predicted raging thunderstorms.

These adorable pictures show youngsters who have fallen asleep in some very unorthodox places - and seemingly uncomfortable positions. One young girl has passed out on top of her sandwich, while another stopped mid-chew for a nap. Many of them appear to have found the toilet a perfect resting place, while one baby has been put to bed on top of a television.

French Prime Minister Manuel Valls was pictured today sweating uncontrollably while facing down hecklers during a speech in which he promised to stick to his party's pro-business reforms. Despite managing to complete his comments without major disruption, at the end of his presentation Valls needed to wipe himself down with a towel as his white shirt clung to his body.

The manager of Taroni's in Aston, Birmingham, asked his nephew Wesley Topham to take a few pictures of the building for the company's website. But Chris Ward was shocked when saw the ethereal face appear in the window - and is now considering calling in a medium for help. His hardened, five-strong workforce have admitted being scared to enter the 'cold, dank' room the 'ghost' is believed to haunt. They report documents have been mysteriously moved, have heard echoing bangs and felt the temperature plummet for no apparent reason.

Dressed in typical Swinging Sixties and mod-fashions, fans could be seen cruising on Lambretta and Vespa scooters down the seafront on August Bank Holiday Sunday. Brighton is seen as the 'spiritual home' of the mods culture, and the Mod Weekender event, which has been running for eleven years, will see mods enjoy food, live music, and the annual scooter competition near Brighton Pier followed by a cruise to Beachy Head.

Isaiah Chute was with his mother Sherry when he walked up to the enclosure housing Kamoli at Columbus Zoo and Aquarium in Ohio. When the youngster approached the glass, he started banging his chest and caught the gorilla's attention. The mischievous animal quickly runs behind a tree, and the game begins. The boy follows but, as the gorilla pokes his head around the trunk, he switches direction. The playful pair then go back and forth until the gorilla stops just inches away from the glass.

The barrier reef surrounding Kivalina, Alaska (pictured right in 2007), a coastal village located on an island that separates the Chukchi Sea, is getting smaller with every storm. The town of 403 residents, located 83 miles above the Arctic Circle, where beaches are disappearing and ice is melting, could be underwater by 2025, according to the Army Corps of Engineers (one of Kivalina's main drags shown top left and the town's school bottom left). Once protected from early winter storms by a natural barrier of sea ice, Kivalina has been ravaged in recent decades by erosion because climate warming prevents ice from forming until later in the winter.