and they all lived happily ever after. Thrillingly enjoyable as this entire tournament has been, one worry nagged away as the days, hours, minutes dwindled before the final kick-off. All memories could be spoiled, or at least slightly taintedâ should Spain somehow contrive, yet again, not to triumph.  Today Austria is the centre of the worldâ , proclaims one of Viennaâ s front-page headlines â and it feels easy to forgive any whiff of Habsburg nostalgia.

Should Manchester United, as expected, play a weakened team against Hull on Sunday and lose there will be an almighty uproar from Tyneside. Sir Alex Fergusons team selection could well see Newcastle relegated but the United managers responsibility lies with his own club and fans - and the Magpies will have no right to bleat. But how could Fergie justify playing Ronaldo, Rooney or Vidic? And forget about any punishment should Fergie .

See these alternative restaurant awards. We get Hardens, we get Zagat, we get Tatler, and we get the Restaurant Mags awards and annual ratings. But these accolades by Olive Magazine, are an intriguing bunch. Ed, Christine Hayes and her team have rustled up a playful treat of places to visit. The place that says â local produceâ and means it.

Lockwood calls for more from Bees. MATT LOCKWOOD has insisted Barnet have more than enough to avoid relegation - but admits the season has been a disappointment for the Bees. Lockwood, 33, rejoined Ian Hendons men on loan from Colchester last month and has played in the clubs last five matches. However, Barnet find themselves 18th in League Two - 12 points off the drop zone - after Tuesdays 2-0 defeat at Shrewsbury.

Iâ m not sure if this is some form of madness or genius, but the City Central BID group of businesses has seen fit to put 300 tonnes of sand in Williamson Square. The Urban Beach, which opened today, features deck chairs so you can sit out and enjoy the light drizzle in your lunch time. To mark the 40th anniversary of Woodstock The Arts Organisation. And Zombina And The Skeletones.

The dog self-barking video recursion.

From fully-fledged steel bands through to half-drunk destroyers of Bob Dylanâ s back catalogue, Newcastleâ s Greyâ s Monument has long been synonymous with public performances. Northern Art Prize long-list revealed. A 23-strong long-list for this yearâ s Northern Art Prize.

In an era where extra charges rule the roost and Ryanair think its appropriate to charge more to fly your luggage then they do to fly you, its nice to see a little innovation from Thomson that allows you to calculate some of the extra costs of a holiday. Whatsmore, you dont even need to have booked your holiday through Thomson to use the website. Are you pulling my finger? It has always struck me that - .