TRAVEL

This huge playground is said to be ‘better than Disneyland’ and is easy for Brits to get to in a day – and it has over 350 different attractions for all ages to enjoy

With more than 350 attractions, this mega playground is bigger than Disneyland – and it takes under an hour to get there. Located in Linnaeushof, in the Netherlands, it’s the biggest in Europe and you can visit it in a day.

Brits can travel to Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport, and it’s then just a 20 minute drive to the park, making it an epic day trip for adventure seekers.

With three main sections – an indoor playground, an outdoor playground and a water playground, there is so much to do. The outdoor area is the main attraction including the Pirate Island in the middle of the pedalo lake, which can only be reached by rope bridge which also has paddle boats for both kids and adults.

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There are views from the Cool Tower, where you lift yourself to 30ft in the air via pull rope, as well as an obstacle course, cable car, driving traffic garden and mini golf too.

The Playground Express runs every day throughout the park amd there is also the Oasis water playground, which has fountains, climbing structures and splash pools.

There is also a separate toddler playground with a sandpit, bouncy castle and Toddlerland playpark and the indoor playground has everything from bumper cars and air karts, as well as a play castle. The park is open from March to October with tickets ranging from €15 to €18, although the go karts cost an extra €7.

It comes as one of Europe’s top-rated theme parks, which happens to have no rides, is planning a UK site. Puy du Fou is the creator of award-winning history-themed destinations in France and Spain of the same name. It welcomes in 2.8 million visitors a year and shows them a good time not via the medium of rides, but through its historical attractions.

At its Toledo and Les Epesses bases, Puy du Fou puts on dozens of action-packed shows in which gladiators, Vikings, warriors from the Middle Ages, and many others besides clash swords, ride horses, and set off pyrotechnics. The two sites are often rated as among the best theme parks in the world, delivering as they do a history-spanning live-action role-player’s dream.

Now, Puy du Fou has unveiled plans to move to the UK. It has submitted an outline planning application to Cherwell District Council for a £600 million park near Bicester, which is best known for housing a discount fashion retail park beloved by Chinese tourists.

If approved, the new park will open in phases beginning in 2029. By the time the park is fully developed it will directly employ around 2,000 people, support a further 6,000 jobs in hotels, restaurants, suppliers and other local businesses, and deliver a £500m a year boost to the local and regional economy, Puy du Fou has claimed in a press release.

As Europe’s leading low-cost airline Ryanair plans to do away with printed boarding passes in the next few months, we’ve rounded up the boarding pass rules for other budget airlines

Ryanair plans to scrap paper boarding passes by November 2025, but what does this mean for other budget airlines?

While digital boarding passes are a popular option for passengers already, Ryanair – Europe’s largest budget airline – has become the first to completely do away with paper boarding passes as part of a move towards sustainability and a simpler boarding process.

However, with the upcoming change raising questions for many passengers around what kind of boarding passes they can travel with, The Mirror has put together a list of rules for some of the UK’s most popular low-cost carriers.

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Ryanair

At present, Ryanair accepts both printed boarding passes and those on a mobile phone. Passengers can download digital passes on its website or app, or print off paper passes at home on a single page of A4.

You can also get your boarding card printed at the desk for a fee of £55. However, this will change on November 3, after the airline announced that printed passes will no longer be accepted. Instead, passengers will have to download a digital boarding pass on the Ryanair app.

Ryanair has stated that the change is expected to save 300 tonnes of paper each year, while the airline’s CMO Dara Brady said the move would allow for a streamlined boarding experience.

In case of a customer’s phone battery dying or if a customer loses their phone, Ryanair CEO Michael O’Leary said that staff will still be able to allow them onto a flight. However, in this event they should make sure to check in online no later than two hours before getting to the airport.

It is also important to note that there are some exceptions to the digital-only rule. Passengers flying out of airports in Morocco or Turkey (with the exception of Dalaman) will continue to require a printed pass.

Meanwhile, Tirana airport in Albania will also require paper boarding cards after November 3 – but this is set to change in March 2026.

easyJet

EasyJet accepts both digital and physical boarding passes and has not announced any plans to ban printed passengers. Passengers can arrive at the airport with their boarding cards already printed or have these printed at the check-in desk at no extra cost.

If opting for a digital boarding pass, note that these should be downloaded from the mobile app. You cannot use a PDF scan of your boarding pass on your mobile device as these won’t scan properly.

While the majority of easyJet airports accept mobile boarding passes, there are a number of exceptions which require printed boarding passes.

Jet2

Jet2 is another budget carrier that allows both mobile and printed boarding passes. Passengers are able to check in on the Jet2 app to download their boarding pass up to six hours before departure time.

If you miss this window, you will have to check in at the desk, a service Jet2 offers free of charge. It’s important to note that Jet2 also flies out of locations in Turkey and Morocco which require physical boarding passes.

Wizz Air

The low cost airline will generally accept printed and mobile boarding passes. However, it also flies from some airports that require printed documents. If you’re unsure, their website has a tool to help check which airports will require a physical boarding card.

If you are unable to print your boarding pass yourself, Wizz Air can do it for you at the check-in desk for a fee of €40 (around £35). Otherwise, you can pre-book the printing service online for €13 (around £11).

However, the two exceptions are if you are travelling Agadir in Morocco or Zaragoza in Spain. Online check-in is not available for these airports, so they offer full desk check-in which includes printing boarding passes for free.

One person determined to get away despite the cost is Lauren Wright. The 20-year-old from Essex started working at 15 purely to fund her travels, juggling several jobs at the same time

A woman worked five jobs to save up to travel the world.

Going on holiday is not cheap. Research commissioned by travel insurance provider Staysure showed that families have had to slash their holiday budgets by an average of £941 in recent years, with the cost of a holiday now just over £2,800. As a result, 44% are now more likely to opt for a staycation than a trip abroad.

The desire to travel is still incredibly strong despite the costs going up. Holiday bookings have risen by about 10% in the UK this year, according to the Advantage Travel Partnership, despite overall growth hanging around close to zero.

One person determined to get away despite the cost is Lauren Wright. The 20-year-old from Essex started working at 15 purely to fund her travels.

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“I am very fortunate to have such supportive and loving parents who made my saving process easier than most. I had very minimal outgoings, and therefore, every penny I made, I was able to save for my trip. I reached out to friends who had taken very similar trips and asked how much they had saved, setting myself a goal of around £14,000 as I never wanted to run out of money or feel like I couldn’t participate in a once-in-a-lifetime activity while I was away. I have always been good at saving my money, saving more than spending, from the time I started working at 15,” Lauren told Omeo.

“I combined the money I had been saving since the age of 15 with the money I made during the six months I spent working various jobs, in order to make sure I had the money I needed in the pot. I worked as a lifeguard, duty manager, team leader, receptionist and recreational assistant in various roles, most of them being zero-hour contracts, which allowed me to work as much or as little as I wanted. I jam-packed those six months, sometimes working 60-hour weeks and 18-hour shifts, going straight from one job to another throughout the day.”

Saving to travel didn’t come without sacrifices, either. Lauren cut back on a number of things she considered luxuries in order to keep her savings pot growing.

“I stopped eating out as much, reduced the amount of takeout coffee I would buy whilst out and about and started making more at home to save money. I also reduced the number of pub trips I went on with friends. Most importantly, I stopped all unessential shopping unless I was buying something that I was going to be able to take on my travels,” she continued.

Lauren’s best advice for those wanting to save money to travel the world is to research other people’s journeys on social media, especially TikTok.

“I did a lot of TikTok research, watching videos on how much money people spent per location and for their entire trip. I used all these figures to set a budget for myself. I budgeted around £30 a day while I was in the more ‘budget-friendly’ countries such as Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Malaysia and Laos. This £30 a day would include my hostel or hotel, food, activities and basic fees such as my SIM card and laundry. I had a separate budget for activities, which was definitely needed to make the most of my trip,” Lauren added.

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“In the more expensive countries like Singapore, Indonesia, New Zealand and Australia, I would attempt to budget by seeing how much I was spending daily and trying to stick to that average, like £60 a day, which also included accommodation, which was much more expensive in these countries. I also didn’t eat out as much in Australia and New Zealand, and often opted for grocery shopping and cooking in the hostel’s kitchen.

Thanks to her savvy saving, Lauren has managed to visit many countries around the world.

“I have backpacked to Dubai, the Philippines, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Australia and New Zealand, as well as being lucky enough to travel a huge chunk of Europe, too. I initially started travelling with my boyfriend, but we broke up on the trip, causing me to travel solo, which taught me so many lessons and helped me to meet amazing people I may not have met otherwise. I wouldn’t change my travels for the world, and I can’t wait to see even more of the world as I continue to grow,” she said.

A COMPETITOR who was shoved by Tommy Fury in the Great North Run has challenged him to a race.

Diarmaid Warner, 38, was on the last bend when he felt a hand on his arm.

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He recognised the boxer and reality star and later told his wife: “You’ll never guess what — Tommy Fury’s pushed me out of the way.”

The plumber said yesterday: “I was a bit upset and thought, ‘That’s not on’.”

The dad from Dumbarton, who raises money for muscular dystrophy research, is up for a race with him.

But he added: “Not a boxing match, unless he has one hand tied behind his back.”

Fury, 26, was mocked after nearly colliding with an elderly woman at a run in Cheshire in January.

He also allegedly failed to complete a triathlon last month.

Diarmaid told The Sun yesterday: “As you get to the end you think the finish line is straight in front of you.

“It’s only at the last few metres you realise you’ve got one more right turn to make.

“It was as I was going around it that I felt this hand on my shoulder which pushed me to the side for him to run through.

“I was a bit upset and thought that’s not on – it’s not really race etiquette.

“I started with thousands of people who were slower than me but you just weave your way around them.

“You don’t push them out of the way.”

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THIS is the shocking moment a train slams into a double decker bus in Mexico – leaving ten dead and dozens injured.

A speeding freight train T-boned a coach full of people at a grade crossing in Atlacomulco, 80 miles northwest of Mexico City.

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Footage shows the bus in a line of traffic on the Maravatío-Atlacomulco highway.

Cars in either direction have stopped at the train tracks – though a motorbike scoots across at the last moment.

The bus, from company Herradura de Plata, is at first stationary at the front of the queue.

But then it suddenly decides to move forward, as if trying to reach the other side before the train passes.

Just as it reaches the middle of the tracks, the train ploughs into the centre of the coach.

The entire bus folds and is carried along by the train, which continued for hundreds of metres.

Emergency teams rushed to the scene and were met by chaos and devastation.

A photo taken soon after the catastrophe shows the rear end of the bus with the roof totally blown off.

Passengers can be seen cowering in the open air.

Ambulance crews from multiple regions as well as the Red Cross worked on the injured and helped extract survivors from the wreckage.

Despite their best efforts, ten people died and another 45 were injured.

The authorities have launched an investigation into what happened.

The bus, marked number 6002, was travelling from San Felipe del Progreso to Mexico City.

Its driver’s decision to move onto the tracks seem inexplicable from the footage.

Canadian Pacific Kansas City of Mexico, the train line, confirmed the accident and sent its condolences to the families of the victims.

City officials in Atlacomulco asked residents to refrain from going to the site of the collision and offered their condolences to the families of the victims who died.

A statement posted to social media read: “We express our sincere solidarity to the families affected at this time.”

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Last week, at least 15 people were killed after a packed tourist bus plunged off a mountain road in Sri Lanka.

The bus crashed into another vehicle before smashing through guardrails.

The fatal accident took place near the town of Wellawaya in the mountainous Ella region which sits just 174 miles east of the capital Colombo.

Sixteen others, including five children, on board were injured but managed to escape the wreckage.

Police confirmed the group was made up of local tourists who had been visiting lush tea plantation hill towns in the area.

Pictures show the smashed up bus on the ground after the horror fall.

PRET A Manger is set to launch meal deals in a bid to take on major supermarkets, which have been offering them for years.

The high street sandwich chain’s move comes after Tesco and Sainsbury’s hiked their prices on lunchtime meal deals.

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Pret plans to trial the meal deal format in the final three months of the year.

Boss Pano Christou said the chain’s focus is on “offering great value for money” as part of its medium-term strategy to grow and return to sustainable profits.

Details on pricing and locations for the trial have yet to be revealed.

While major supermarkets have long offered meal deals – typically including a sandwich, snack and drink – Tesco recently hiked its price by 25p, blaming ongoing food inflation.

Pret’s latest accounts showed a pre-tax loss of £525.2 million for the year to January 2 – largely due to a £552.9 million write-down after a reassessment by owner JAB, which bought the chain in 2018.

This followed a £61.7 million loss the year before.

Despite the losses, Pret said its earnings before adjustments rose 36 per cent to £98 million for the year.

Meanwhile, total revenue dipped 4.2 per cent to £868.4 million compared to the previous year.

Like-for-like sales grew by 2.8 per cent, helped by an 11 per cent expansion to 717 shops as the business continued to grow internationally.

Pret said it is keen to expand further in the US, especially around city centres and travel hubs.

Christou, Pret’s CEO, said: “2024 was another year of growth for Pret, where we took disciplined decisions to protect sales, despite intense strains on the hospitality industry.

“Going forward our priority will be to drive transactions and sustainable growth by offering great value for money for Pret customers.

“Our focus will be on growing Pret’s market share in the UK and internationally, prioritising city centres and travel hubs, backed by the experience and expertise of additional world-class board members and a strengthened management team.”

Pret opened its first shop in London in 1986 and now employs 12,500 staff across over 700 locations in 21 countries.

Christou, who has been the chain’s CEO since 2019, started out as an assistant manager at a central London branch aged 22.

The minicab driver’s son, now 45, grew up in Tooting, South London – and earns over £400,000 a year.

The Luxembourg-based firm JAB Holding – which also owns Krispy Kreme doughnuts and Keurig Dr Pepper – bought Pret for £1.5 billion in 2018.

But the pandemic hit hard, with the chain posting a £343 million loss in 2020 as its key customers – office workers and commuters – stayed home.

To win them back, Pret launched cut-priced food and coffee subscription services, which helped sales jump 20 per cent in 2023.

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AN OAP tried to smuggle £640,000 of cocaine into the UK by stashing it in his mobility scooter.

Canadian Ronald Lord, 71, said he had been on holiday in Barbados and was here for sightseeing when stopped at Gatwick.

Border Force officers put his scooter through an X-ray machine and found 8kg of the Class A drug hidden within the back-panel of his seat.

He denied knowing how the coke got there, but a screw from the panel was discovered in his pocket in the February search.

Lord admitted drug smuggling at Croydon crown court and was jailed for six years.

Richard Wickham, from the National Crime Agency, said: “Organised crime groups need smugglers like Lord to bring class A drugs into the UK.

“They are sold for huge profit by gangs who deal in violence and exploitation.

“He obviously thought that because he was a pensioner he would be less of a target for law enforcement.

“He was wrong.

“I hope this case sends out a message to anyone who would consider doing the same.”

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GIANLUIGI DONNARUMMA was spared his blushes by the referee following an awful clanger while playing for Italy tonight.

The Manchester City new boy, 26, is in line to make his debut against rivals United this Sunday.

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The 6ft 5in stopper will be hoping to shake off his blunder from tonight, having nearly gifted Israel a shocking opener.

Barely five minutes into tonight’s contest Manor Solomon, who recently joined Villarreal on loan from Tottenham, swung in a corner.

The situation seemed harmless enough, with the ball looking likely to sail into Donnarumma’s grasp.

Inexplicably, however, the former Paris Saint-Germain star punched the ball into his own net.

Donnarumma was bailed out by the referee, however, who deemed Israel defender Stav Lemkin to have fouled him, despite contact appearing to be minimal.

Seeing the incident on social media, one fan branded City’s new boy: “the new Onana of the EPL”.

While a second claimed: “In these situations here in the Premier League, they’ll eat Donnarumma alive.”

A third claimed: “Donarumma doing what Donnarumma does.”

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And another added: “Donnarumma in the premier league will make hatewatching man city 10x funnier.”

Following their let off, Italy did go behind via Manuel Locatelli‘s own goal on 16 minutes.

Gennaro Gattuso’s side levelled through Moise Kean just before half-time, only for Dor Peretz to reclaim Israel’s lead seven minutes after the break.

Italy subsequently turned the game on its head in the following six minutes, courtesy of a second for Kean and a Matteo Politano strike.

City signed Donnarumma in a £26million deal on transfer deadline day.

The giant keeper is set to replace James Trafford as No1, following the ex-Burnley ace’s difficult start to the campaign.

After Donnarumma’s arrival, City allowed long-term stalwart Ederson to depart for Fenerbahce.

The Etihad new boy is set to make his debut against Man Utd this weekend.

Ruben Amorim‘s side could also have a new man between the sticks, following Senne Lammens’ £18m arrival from Royal Antwerp.

Andre Onana is set to join Turkish side Trabzonspor on loan, although Altay Bayindir could potentially keep his place ahead of Lammens this weekend.

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This pretty market town, with its high street bursting with boutiques, is delightful even on a rainy day

If there was any doubt that the town we’d stopped in during our long drive was more upmarket than most, it was dispelled as we walked past a shop front for ‘wealth management services’. A fancy patisserie, an antique store and a few wine merchants’ later, our suspicions were confirmed: Topsham in Devon is really posh.

That’s just the uneducated impression of a first-time visitor, but don’t just take my word for it. For years it has been hailed as home to Devon’s poshest pub crawl, while in 2023 it was reported to be home to one of the UK’s most prestigious residential streets, reports Bristol Live.

The market town on the outskirts of Exeter has an enviable position, overlooking the estuary of the River Exe. The boats bobbing along Topsham Quay looked picture-perfect as we arrived, even on a rainy Monday.

Huddled under umbrellas, we searched for somewhere to take shelter from the unexpected downpour, and shuffled into The Boathouse Café just behind the ferry landing. This cosy cafe is apparently known for its crepes, but we discovered it also does a perfect flat white coffee, which was a reasonable (by Bristol standards anyway) £3.50 and set us up for the day nicely.

A break in the clouds tempted us outside again in no time, and we even considered a boat trip as the sun made a brief appearance. You can get a ferry ride for £9 return, with hourly departures listed on the blackboard during the day we visited, although it seems frequency varies from day to day.

It goes back and forth between Topsham Quay and the Turf Hotel, which pitches itself as an “idyllic” spot in an “extraordinary waterside location”. We decided to give that a miss given another turn in the weather, setting out instead for a spot of shopping.

The high street is a short stroll from the water’s edge, though we took a scenic route past some impressive historic buildings along the way and even more jaw-dropping houses – detached homes here sell for an average of £756,042, according to Rightmove. The high street is lined with luxurious-looking boutiques, gift shops and lunch spots, including two that have made it into the Michelin guide.

That said, there are still bargains to be had if you’re shopping on a budget. I can’t resist a charity shop and found three that were open in Topsham, including Estuary League Of Friends where there was an incredible £1 sale rail. Devon Air Ambulance also has a specialist ‘vintage and variety shop’, which was a treasure trove of retro clothing, antiques and homeware.

On a Saturday there is a weekly market at Matthews Hall, described by organisers as having a “glorious mix of stalls” including food, gifts, clothes, vintage and home items. It’s an indoor market, making it another ideal spot for a rainy day.

Elsewhere we loved the look of Country Cheeses cheesemonger, but it wasn’t open on a Monday. The vibrant painted exterior of the Squid and The Kid meant I couldn’t give that a miss, where I could have spent a small fortune on adorable toys and clothing for my toddler.

I was a bit hesitant about finding somewhere family-friendly for lunch, but we had a lovely bite to eat at Route 2 cafe, where there were plenty of high chairs as well as a baby change facility. For something sweet there were bakeries, coffee shops and delis with mouth-watering displays in the window, but we ended up trying Sara’s Petite Cuisine as it has such great reviews online.

After stepping through the pastel-pink entrance I was slightly alarmed to realise there were no prices displayed on the counter, but I felt too embarrassed to check as there were a few customers already seated in the tiny cafe within earshot.

Preparing for a shock to my bank account, I decided on the delicious-looking banoffee cake and was pleasantly surprised by the £4 fee for such a generous portion – I’ve paid more for a cookie at some of Bristol’s trendy bakeries.

We did have a bit of a battle to get the pushchair back out the door past a rather impatient waiting customer who felt no obligation to step aside, but otherwise everyone we encountered was incredibly friendly and welcoming of the obvious imposters in their midst.

How to get there

Topsham is easily accessible from anywhere along the M5, as it’s just 10 minutes from Junction 30. From there it’s straight along the A376 and into the town, where there are a couple of council car parks. We opted for the Holman Way Car Park as it’s bigger than Topsham Quay and a short walk away.

LADY GAGA dominated the MTV VMAs – winning four gongs out of 12 nominations and performing her new single The Dead Dance on stage for the first time.

She is now the third most awarded artist in the ceremony’s history with 22 gongs — one more than Madonna.

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Gaga is now just behind Beyonce and Taylor Swift who are tied on 30 awards each.

Despite putting on the best performance of the night, Bizarre can reveal the superstar wasn’t actually inside the UBS Arena in Elmont, New York, when she appeared on stage.

In fact Gaga secretly recorded her performance across town at Madison Square Garden, where she was performing on her Mayhem Ball tour, and shot it four times to make sure they had the perfect take.

Gaga pushed back her performance there by 90 minutes in order to walk the red carpet at the VMAs before racing back across town to get on stage.

A source said: “Gaga was adamant she wanted to be involved in the VMAs but obviously cancelling her show at MSG was never an option.

She and her team worked with MTV for weeks in order to get in two places at once.

“As soon as she won Artist of the Year she raced backstage for pictures and then drove to MSG. It was full on but if anyone could pull it off it’s Gaga.

“During her show she performed with some of her Moonmen — she’s so proud to be still winging awards.

“It was a really special moment, especially as her mum and dad were in the crowd.”

As she picked up the Artist of the Year gong, Gaga gave a shout-out to her fiance Michael Polansky and said: “To my partner in all things, Michael.

“Creating this year with you was a beautiful, beautiful dream, and you have been my partner every step of the way.

“I dedicate this to you too, my love. I wish I could stay and watch all these amazing performances, but I have to go back to Madison Square Garden.”

Feeling reflective the superstar went on to admit she wants to be performing until 2045 and feels like New York has shaped her into the artist she is today.

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Gaga said: “I hope in 20 years when I have written lots more albums that I will still be back here. I can’t tell you how fortunate I feel that this is where I grew up because it made me so much of who I am.

“I think about what [my music] would have sounded like if I hadn’t grown up here.

“I feel like when you are from New York it kind of grows roots in your veins. You have this understanding of life and community, it’s very strong. It’s a feeling. I can’t quite describe it as it’s a feeling.”

Now Gaga is on a roll, the wheels are in motion for her to come to the UK for four headline shows at London’s O2 Arena.

The gigs, along with two more in Manchester’s Co-op Live arena, sold out in seconds.

And if her performance in New York was anything to go by, us British fans are in for a treat.

IT’S RAINING MEN FOR SABRINA

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SABRINA CARPENTER wowed fans with a seriously sexy and rain-soaked  rendition of her new single Tears.

And there was something for everyone, as she was surrounded by a troupe of very attractive male dancers dressed as policemen as well as drag queens.

During the evening, Sabrina won three MTV VMAs and used her performance to call for the advancement of trans rights.

Speaking on stage, the Manchild singer said: “This world, as we all know, can be so full of criticism and discrimination and negativity.

“So to get to be part of something that can make you smile, make you dance, and make you feel like the world is your f***ing oyster, I’m so grateful to do that.”

NIGHT’S YUNG FOR AEROSMITH

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HOMEGROWN star Yungblud led a special tribute to the late Ozzy Osbourne after his death in July.

The punk rocker was joined by Aerosmith legends Steven Tyler and Joe Perry for a medley of the Black Sabbath singer’s hit singles Crazy Train, Changes and Mama, I’m Coming Home.

Speaking on the carpet, Yungblud  revealed he was wearing Ozzy’s cross necklace (which Ozzy had given him, inset above) as a mark of respect.

He added: “It’s a big moment to honour someone you love.

“I’m wearing his cross tonight. I love him and always have. I hope he’s up there with a drink watching tonight.”

Teasing his future plans, Yungblud, whose real name is Dominic Harrison, added: “There is a new project coming in two weeks… I’ve not said that yet.”

As the cameras cut away from the singer, to Steven Tyler’s impressive guitar solo, Bizarre watched as Yungblud turned his back on the audience and sipped an alcoholic drink, looking up to the emotional montage of the late rock legend.

Over the past few years Yungblud had grown close to Ozzy and his family. He was one of the star acts at Black Sabbath’s homecoming gig in Birmingham earlier this summer.

Yungblud revealed to Bizarre that he learned of Ozzy’s passing via a text from the heavy metal legend’s son Jack Osbourne. The singer said: “You get to know someone personally, who you love and then they leave.

“I was texting him, then his son Jack texted me and said, ‘He’s gone’.

“Being around the family and being at the funeral, the amount of love there. That family are real as f***.

“The dream is to have kids and a family like that. There’s no gimmicks. It’s authentic.”

TATE’S IN TRAINING TO WED

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TATE McRAE appeared to be using the VMAs as a dry run for her own wedding.

The singer wore a sheer white dress with a statement train that was so long she needed two members of staff to carry it like bridesmaids.

Tate is thought to be single at the moment, but after watching her red-hot performance of Revolving Door and Sports Car in this two-piece we imagine she won’t be short of offers.

ARI: MIC’S TUTU TALL

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ARIANA GRANDE may be small but she took home some of the biggest gongs of the night.

She picked up the award for Best Pop and Video of the Year for her Brighter Days Ahead.

Despite not being a performer, Ari was given her own dressing room backstage to cater for her three wardrobe changes.

The superstar arrived in a fitted polka dot number and ended things in a white ballerina tutu.

During her time on stage, Ari seemed overcome with emotion at her wins, before joking that the height of the mic got taller each time she took to the stage.

MARIAH’S MEDLEY

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MARIAH CAREY returned to the VMAs stage for the first time in two decades to pick up the Video Vanguard Award and to perform a medley of her hits.

And, naturally, the notorious diva made sure the luxuries were laid on before she even stepped foot in the Big Apple.

Insiders said Mariah flew in via private jet, which had been decked out with white roses and cashmere blankets.

After laying low for a couple days at her sprawling £16million penthouse in Tribeca, Mariah and her glam squad then spent most of Sunday getting her red carpet-ready.

MTV bosses were on alert for the infamous diva to be hard work, but I’m told everything went smoothly . . . even if she did keep a wide berth from almost every other star.

Mimi opted to swerve both the red carpet and on stage VIP seats, instead zipping in and out via the backdoor.

She was handed her gong by Ariana Grande. Mariah told Ari: “I love you. I’m so grateful for you and I’m beyond proud of everything you’ve achieved, girl.”

It marked the first time the We Belong Together singer has ever won a coveted Moonman.

RICKY WINS LATIN ICON

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RICKY MARTIN proved he’s still got it with a hip-thrusting medley of his biggest hits.

The Latin pop king belted out Livin’ La Vida Loca, Shake Your Bon Bon, Maria, The Cup Of Life along with two Spanish tracks.

Ricky, who also picked up the first ever Latin Icon award, was hoisted high above the crowd to kick off his medley before an outfit change mid performance.

A beaming Ricky told fans: “I’m addicted to your applause that’s why I keep coming back.”

Later this year he will tour Australia with support from Rita Ora. It’s been a long time since he played the UK so hopefully dates over here are not far off.

IAN BOTHAM’S glamorous granddaughter delighted fans with her latest Instagram post.

Imani-Jayne, 24, has English cricket royalty for a grandad.

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And she has begun to build a fanbase of her own, boasting more than 8,000 followers on Instagram.

In her latest post, Imani-Jayne showcased a stunning blue dress.

Giving a shout out to where she got her outfit, she tagged Stonnington Hire.

Imani-Jayne’s post received several gushing comments.

One fan wrote: “You’ve outdone yourself here!!”

While a second called her “absolutely stunning”.

A third swooned: “Wow absolutely beautiful.”

And another added: “Wowza.”

Imani-Jayne is a former Miss Yorkshire and has competed for Miss England.

The Yorkshire lass has enjoyed some brilliant holidays of late.

Last month she visited Mallorca.

And more recently Imani-Jayne headed to Portugal.

See more of Imani-Jayne’s glamorous life below…

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A flight attendant immediately took action when she heard the rude passenger, and confronted the woman before kicking her off the flight, which was travelling to Dallas

A passenger has learnt the hard way what happens when you tell a flight attendant to “shut up”.

A traveller on American Airlines got into an argument with a flight attendant during a safety demonstration. In a video shared to social media, a woman could be heard telling the flight attendant “she should shut up” during the flight from Costa Rica to Dallas, Texas.

The flight attendant can be approaching the passenger and bluntly asking: “Do you want to get off the plane?” while directing her peers to turn off the address system. She continued: “Because I don’t feel comfortable with you if you’re not going to follow instructions.”

In response, the passenger tries to claim, “I can’t hear” – but the flight attendant shut her down by saying: “You’re not on my list as someone who can’t hear. So I’m going to ask the pilot to remove you because you’re not complying. You know what you did, right?”

READ MORE: ‘I’m a flight attendant – you should avoid one thing if you want a first class upgrade’READ MORE: ‘I’ve never paid for a flight upgrade and neither has my partner – here’s how we do it’

The footage, uploaded to Instagram with the caption “ever wonder what happens if you tell a flight attendant to shut up?”, also showed the passenger being called out for not switching her phone off. The clip then cuts out when the passenger agrees to comply with orders, but resumes to show the woman claiming she is being harassed by the airline employee.

The woman was escorted from the plane, according to the footage and her seatmate, who filmed and posted the video with the caption: “empty middle seat is a win for me”.

Jay Crenshaw, who had been sitting next to the woman and saw the ordeal unfold, told The New York Post: “She was having a bad morning and was obviously disturbed or irritated about something she was on the phone talking about.

READ MORE: ‘Drunk’ Brit woman forces Jet2 flight to Cyprus to land early after ‘attacking crew’

“The flight attendant might have caught a stray. I think the passenger knows she was wrong. She mentioned that she also lost her phone and had to borrow one.

He continued: “I’m definitely not excusing her behavior [but] we’ve all had bad days and have said bad things because of it, but we weren’t filmed. I hope people can remember this and give her a bit of grace.”

The Mirror has contacted American Airlines for comment.

It comes after a man revealed how a family attempted to lie to a flight attendant so that they could take his plane seat from him – until he scuppered their plans.

In a post on Reddit , the man explained he decided to book business class on a recent flight because he could bag himself a window seat while guaranteeing that the middle seat remained vacant, meaning he’d have a bit more room.

READ MORE: Pilot explains what uncomfortable ‘sinking’ feeling really means during take-off

After boarding his flight, he took his seat across from an older man sitting in the aisle seat on the other side of him. Moments later, however, the other man’s wife and son came in and asked if he would switch seats with them to allow the family to sit together.

But there was one problem – the wife and child were in economy class, so swapping seats would have meant a downgrade.

The man refused this unfavourable offer, and the family made a counteroffer in which the son would sit in the free middle seat with his dad while the mum went back to economy. It turned out they lied to flight attendants on board the plane to make this deal happen.

In his Reddit post, he wrote: “His wife and son came in, asking me to switch (business for economy) so they could all sit there. Then, [they] told me that if I didn’t switch with the wife, the son would sit in the middle at least. [The dad] reasoned that I didn’t need an empty seat next to me and claimed the stewardess allowed it.

“Turned out, [the flight attendant] said it was possible if the other passenger agreed, to which they replied that I was family, so I would 100% agree.”

The man refused to move and told the flight attendants the truth, and the family were eventually made to go back to the seats they had been assigned.

He added: “I didn’t budge. The son and wife had to stay in the economy, and his father spent almost four hours muttering passive-aggressive comments. Whenever I took off my headphones, he was still going…”

Important recommendation for parents who are planning to take young children on a trip to Gran Canaria, Lanzarote, Tenerife and Fuerteventura have been issued by one mum

A British mum has shared important crucial guidance for all parents with young children planning a getaway to one of a number of popular Spanish islands. Mother-of-one Melissa O’Donnell praised a firm that assisted her baby during a recent family break to Gran Canaria.

“If you are taking a baby abroad to one of these locations – Gran Canaria, Lanzarote, Tenerife and Fuerteventura – you need to listen to this,” she began in a TikTok video. Confirming that the firm in question played no part in creating her clip, Melissa stated: “I’m doing this off my own back – I just want people to know how helpful it is.” She went on, revealing that Travel 4 Baby provides parents with the chance to rent “anything you could possibly need” for your baby whilst you are away.

“Cots, bath seats, sterilising machines, buggies, car seats – even down to potties – they have everything you’d want to put it in your suitcase but aren’t able to bring,” Melissa raved. “They are priced really fairly too.”

To highlight her point, she revealed she paid €20 [£17.34] for a snooze shade “for as long as we wanted it”. Melissa added: “They drop the item off at the hotel wherever you are staying and come and pick it up the day that you leave.”

Scores of others rushed to commend Travel 4 Baby as well, sharing their own holiday experiences with the firm.

“We used them when we went to Lanzarote!” one TikTok user wrote. “They have no idea how much it helped us!”

A second satisfied customer shared: “We used them for Lanzarote when baby was only 12 weeks old. When we arrived at hotel the steriliser, bottle, formula and water were all there when we arrived at check in. Definitely recommend them.”

A third added: “We hired so much from them in Tenerife last month. Made life so much easier and they were brilliant to deal with. Everything waiting for us at the hotel.”

Whilst a fourth person praised: “They are fab. We used them back in 2022 for our little one’s first holiday. Walker (so he can mooch about tiled rooms safely) and travel cot. But they have so much more – even bottle safe water – fab company.”

Travel 4 Baby also caters for those holidaying to several destinations across Spain and Portugal including major cities, and plans to extend its services to further hotspots including Benidorm in the near future.

The company offers further advice online, listing its top tips for a stress free trip with baby – which are:

• On the plane, babies under two years old can sit on your knee or some airlines let you book and pay for an extra seat for more space and comfort
• Change your babies nappy or take them to the toilet just before you board the aircraft
• Try keep them awake at the airport so they will sleep on the plane (fingers crossed!)
• Feed them when you get on the plane rather than before. The combination of feeding and the rocking and noise of the plane, will often send your baby to sleep.
• Take extra formula, snacks, nappies etc just in case of a delay.
• Always remember, if you don’t want to be traveling with too much luggage and baby items, check with us before you travel as most baby items can be hired and delivered to you in resort. Travel 4 baby has everything you will need and the less luggage you have to bring the better.

We have been holidaying in the UK for the past few years, and recently returned for a break in Norfolk – which is a brilliant spot for family holidays, especially when you go to the free kids play park

“My kids are running with glee into a huge woodland playpark, with castle-like forts, giant sand pit, zip lines and water tower offering a dizzying choice of things to play on, as far as the eye can see,” shared Lifestyle editor Dianne Bourne, who visited a “magical spot” with her family this summer – and the best part of all, it’s completely FREE.

This isn’t your average playground either; it boasts a Royal endorsement. Nestled within King Charles III’s Sandringham Estate in Norfolk, this Woodland Playground is part of the rural retreat that the Royal Family have used as their holiday home for the past 150 years, reports the Manchester Evening News.

You’d typically expect to pay an entrance fee for a playground of this size, but here, you only need to cover the cost of parking. Additionally, there’s access to lovely woodland walks and bike rides across the estate’s 20,000 acres, which are open and free to the public all year round.

Dianne wrote, “It makes it one of the special things about this part of the world which makes it a brilliant spot for family holidays, as I have found with my two young boys over the past few years. We returned to Norfolk for our holidays this year, and struck gold with the weather in the ongoing heatwave.

“The base for our stay was a lovely holiday cottage booked with Norfolk Hideaways close to the Sandringham Estate, in the village of Tattersett. It made for the perfect location for exploring brilliant family attractions both inland and by the sea in North Norfolk.

“Sandringham made for a great day out during our stay, with the kids running off lots of energy in the Woodland Playground, and then a lovely stop off at the Sandringham coffee shop for snacks and ice cream.”

The free play area is open for as long as you wish. It features main equipment like wooden play forts, slides, and obstacle courses, suitable for five—to 12-year-olds. There’s also a dedicated woodland play spot suitable for younger children, along with a sandpit that toddlers particularly adore.

For those intrigued by the site’s Royal history, you can also pay to explore the Royal house and gardens on selected dates throughout the year.

Other activities for kids

What’s brilliant about this part of the world is the sheer number of things you can do with young children, many of which are free. Not least the fact that there is just one stunning beach after another along the North Norfolk coast, and here are some of our favourites.

Dianne went on to say, “We love Hunstanton as the more traditional seaside resort with funfair, chippies and ice cream, while neighbouring Old Hunstanton has a stunning stretch of sand and lots of starfish and crabs to find in the sea.

“Brancaster is another beautiful stretch of sand, owned by the National Trust, with a car park right next to the beach, which is handy for those not keen or able to walk all that far. Holkham is the most spectacular and epic beach you’re ever likely to see, but be prepared for the half an hour walk down to it, which in itself I personally find to be a really special experience.”

This is the beach adored by the Royal Family, likely due to its vast expanse and abundant sand dunes, giving you the feeling of having your own private beach even in the peak of summer. Cromer is another quintessential seaside resort, this one boasting a pier made famous in the Alan Partridge film.

She added, “We loved wandering along there where many people are crabbing. The beach is impressive, although does get very busy, and there’s also some pretty fabulous ice creams to be had, with a Mr Whippy shop right by the pier selling multi-coloured and even chocolate-dipped creations.

“Away from beach activities, we also discovered close to where we stayed an absolutely brilliant garden attraction called Pensthorpe at Fakenham. You have to pay for entry, but once inside, there’s a huge outdoor play area for kids, as well as an indoor playbarn that you can book a timeslot for on arrival.

“The gardens themselves were utterly stunning, with a rather comical ‘poo trail’ during the school holidays for kids to find, which, as you can imagine, the youngsters found hilarious.”

Where we stayed

Having previously lodged in a self-catering cottage in Norfolk, Dianne found this option more favourable when travelling with young children – it provides ample space for play and everyday living during a week-long getaway, complete with your own kitchen and washing machine.

Her family were guests of Norfolk Hideaways, which boasts over 550 properties scattered across Norfolk, ranging from cosy cottages for couples to larger accommodations suitable for big groups and multi-generational families.

For Dianne’s holiday this year, her family chose Mallard Cottage in the quaint village of Tattersett. It was an ideal location, featuring bunk beds that the kids adored upstairs, as well as a comfortable living area downstairs equipped with a lounge and dining area, plus a kitchen.

Short breaks can be booked from £453, or seven nights from £551, although our four-night stay in August, during peak school holiday time, cost us £772.

For those requiring more room and who favour being closer to the beach, last year they also stayed with Norfolk Hideaways at The Little House in Brancaster. This property can accommodate six or eight guests, with prices starting from £1,672 for a short stay, or £2,075 for seven nights based on eight people staying.

Getting there

“The only bad thing I have to say about Norfolk is the fact the journey there is not the easiet, as it is one of the only counties in England with no motorway,” said Dianne.

She went onto explain: “The fastest route from the north west in terms of miles (and usually time) is via the A50 through Stoke, Derby and then Nottingham, and then across Lincolnshire towards Kings Lynn in Norfolk and then on to the coast.

“You’re looking at a drive of around three and half to four hours from Manchester to North Norfolk depending on the day and time you go, and depending on what sort of vehicle you get stuck behind on the single lane roads.

“In terms of public transport, there’s a mainline train station in Kings Lynn, although from Manchester you’re looking at a four-hour trip with a change at Ely. But there is a decent Coastliner bus (the 36) that stops in all of the villages mentioned during our stay above.”

Many visitors are left thinking nobody really lives in the village – but locals insist it’s got a strong community spirit

Locals in a picturesque UK village, which sees many businesses shut and homes left vacant during the harsh winter months, have praised its “amazing” and vibrant community.

Polperro, nestled in South East Cornwall, is like something out of a grim fairy tale. With its charming yet not overly twee appearance, it was once a haven for smugglers keen to evade the taxman.

Nowadays, many tourists mistake Polperro for some sort of pirate-themed amusement park. They assume that no one resides in its labyrinth of narrow streets – most of which are too slim for cars – that cascade down a lush valley into the historic harbour.

In the summer, these visitors swarm Polperro like the pilchards that were once landed here, along with other contraband goods.

However, come winter, this influx of tourists dwindles to a mere trickle, leaving the streets deserted and many of Polperro’s galleries, restaurants and gift shops closed.

Yet, the locals who do reside here maintain that there is still a robust sense of community spirit, even if most now live up on the hillsides rather than in the heart of the old village itself.

They insist it’s a fantastic place to live – despite the issues that over-tourism and second homes can bring, reports the Express.

Fran Martin, an employee at the 18th-century Blue Peter Inn overlooking the harbour, has called Polperro home for over two decades. She reveals that the village’s population has decreased by a third during her time there.

She said: “There were 300 people living down here in the village when I came here – there’s just 200 now. Nobody can afford to live here.

“I feel very sorry for the youngsters – it’s ridiculous,” she laments, expressing worries that local youth are being priced out. This is a worry mirrored in communities across Cornwall and other areas popularised by mass tourism.

When questioned about the winter season, Fran said: “It’s dead. Some places do try to stay open, but there just aren’t that many people here.”

Kim Thompson, of Ocean’s Studio – specialising in Moorcross pottery and Anita Harris ceramics – for the past four years, after relocating to Polperro from Stoke-on-Trent.

She said that the winters here are “deadly”. “It goes very quiet – and very wet,” she adds.

“It changes dramatically. But that suits certain people, who are looking for a quieter holiday,” Kim continues.

She keeps her pottery studio open until the end of December, then closes from January until the end of March. Kim often retreats to Stoke-on-Trent during these winter months, but she maintains that Polperro still boasts a “great” community.

“It’s a real community – and that surprises people,” she shares. “Living here, you really do get to know everyone in the village.

“Everybody gets along and we all look out for one another. It’s a great community”.

Artist Gina Farrell runs a gallery and painting studio just across the road from Kim’s ceramics workshop.

She has called Polperro home for around 40 years and is adamant the village retains its tight-knit community spirit.

“It is very quiet in the winter,” she acknowledges, revealing she closes shop in January before reopening for February half term and weekends.

But Gina says she’d be in her studio creating artwork regardless – so she might as well welcome visitors to her gallery whilst she’s there.

Gina considers herself “very lucky” to have nabbed a housing association property “up on the hill”.

She’s witnessed firsthand the chaos caused by excessive tourism and second-home buyers.

She told the Express: “When my kids were little, we moved from place to place – and they would all be sold by their owners. I think I was a lucky charm for anybody who wanted to sell their house.”

Yet she reveals that second homes are now being offloaded and permanent residents are returning – a shift also seen in nearby Looe, where BBC One’s Beyond Paradise films.

Gina reckons spiralling energy bills – combined with a dramatic drop in holiday rental bookings – are behind (or responsible for) this dramatic turnaround.

“Lots of people do move here,” says Gina.

“I love living here. It’s a real community. We all know each other and help each other.”

Lee Gregory, whose family has owned Polperro’s Model Village for nearly four decades, lived above the business in the heart of the old village but now resides on a small holding on the outskirts.

He insists that Polperro “is a great community”.

While he acknowledges that most residents now live up on the hill rather than nearer the harbour, he maintains that it’s “still a good community down here”.

He also notes that the sense of community continues into the winter months. “It still has a community feel – it’s just a lot quieter,” Lee remarks.

“You do see a few more people around at weekends – and you still see people in the pubs!”Some of the holiday cottages have been sold, and that’s been a real boost to the community. “However, Lee still shuts the model village for much of the winter, only opening for the busier Christmas period. Artist Jasmine Rebecca Cave doesn’t even bother with Christmas.

Jasmine only opens her tiny kiosk gallery – which is so small she sits outside of it in the street – for the summer season. Despite living a 40-minute drive away in Carlyon Bay near St Austell, she says that Polperro has an “amazing” community – even during the winter.

Jasmine said: “It’s an amazing community here. I probably know more people here than I do where I live – you just can’t avoid people here, so you get to know everyone.

“The community stays really vibrant, even in the winter. It’s lovely atmosphere – very quirky. I think the locals quite like the winter – they get their village back.”

Perhaps the easiest way to mainland Europe is by ferry. Simply walk, cycle or drive off the landing ramp and you’re immediately ready to explore another country. Have you enjoyed a historic ferry port, such as Saint-Malo; explored a nearby gem such as Honfleur, Bruges or Antwerp; or pottered around the countryside of northern France, Belgium or the Netherlands within an hour or so of the coastal ports? We want to know about your short hops and what you discovered at the end of them.

The best tip of the week, chosen by Tom Hall of Lonely Planet wins a £200 voucher to stay at a Coolstays property – the company has more than 3,000 worldwide. The best tips will appear in the Guardian Travel section and website.

Keep your tip to about 100 words

If you have a relevant photo, do send it in – but it’s your words we will be judging for the competition.

We’re sorry, but for legal reasons you must be a UK resident to enter this competition.

SIR Keir Starmer tried and failed to boot Ed Miliband from his Net Zero brief, it was claimed today.

The PM is understood to have asked the Energy Secretary to swap jobs and take over disgraced Angela Rayner’s housing department during Friday’s cabinet reshuffle.

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But the former Labour leader dug in, insisting he wanted to keep control over the green agenda.

Sir Keir has vowed to put growth centre stage as he battles to steady Labour amid grim polling.

His reshaped top team points to a shift rightwards, as he braces for a looming challenge from Nigel Farage and Reform.

Mr Farage and his Deputy Richard Tice have made scrapping Net Zero a central pledge of the party.

Reform has vowed to repurpose billions in green funding to tackling illegal migration and restoring law and order.

No10 this morning insisted the PM is “delighted” Mr Miliband will stay on at the Department of Energy and Net Zero, but did not deny Sir Keir initially tried to move him.

The PM’s spokesman said: “The PM has set out his new Cabinet and ministerial team — a team that is going to be focused on delivery, with growth as a relentless focus.

“The Energy Secretary has been central to that growth agenda. Investing in clean energy goes hand in hand with cutting peoples’ bills and boosting growth across the country.

“You can see that with the investments being made into CCUS all across the country, into solar, into wind farms.

“The PM is delighted he’ll continue to do that.”

Labour sources admit the Net Zero push has been stalling activity, while firms quietly hope workers’ rights reforms could be softened or delayed.

New Work and Pensions Secretary Pat McFadden is preparing a fresh assault on the ballooning benefits bill, after Labour MPs scuppered the last attempt.

But Mr Miliband is seen as the head cheerleader for the “soft left” in Sir Keir’s cabinet.

His popularity with party members gives him the power make demands of the PM to ensure he cannot make trouble from the sidelines.

On the Beach and Lancashire Tea unveiled a brand-new teabag that, in their own words, “will tackle the age-old gripe of why a holiday cuppa never quite tastes like one at home”

This summer a travel company and tea brand attempted to solve a problem that has been plaguing British holidaymakers for centuries.

After months of research, testing and more than a thousand cups of tea, On the Beach and Lancashire Tea unveiled a brand-new teabag that, in their own words, “will tackle the age-old gripe of why a holiday cuppa never quite tastes like one at home.”

It is one of life’s most recognisable issues. You arrive in a resort in Spain, France or Portugal, pop the kettle on and then discover the only tea bag on offer is a Lipton’s. Worse still, the milk provided is UHT. Despite your best efforts to persevere, the resultant cup is even less tasty than the sum of its parts.

Weaker holidaymakers have been driven straight to the all-inclusive bar.

READ MORE: ‘No way to escape the crowds’ as three major factors shift Spain’s peak seasonREAD MORE: Tourists warned to swerve Europe’s ‘most overrated city’ and head to quieter alternative instead

According to world-renowned tea expert Jane Pettigrew, it is not tribal brand loyalty that has blinded Brits to the pleasures of European tea. It is genuinely worse (or different at least). And for two main reasons.

The first is the type of tea.

According to Jane, the colonial history of European countries has left the Continent’s various populations with very different tastes in tea.

Brits “still choose to drink cheap black tea grown in India, Sri Lanka or East Africa, and blended to give a strong, coloury tea without much in the way of subtle and wonderful flavours,” explained Jane, who is an advocate of the more complex, subtler flavours delivered by loose-leaf teas from countries including China.

Broadly speaking, in Germany, Spain, Italy and Portugal tea is bought from Indonesia, Malaysia and Vietnam which has a “flavour profile blended (which) is gentler, thinner, less robust than British blends and therefore British tourists don’t like” it.

Another differentiating factor is milk.

“Most Brits still put milk in their tea (and still sometimes sugar, although I think the use of sugar has reduced a little). That style of tea is very British and is due to the fact that British colonies were in the regions of the world from which our tea comes (India, Sri Lanka, and East African countries such as Kenya, Malawi, Tanzania, Uganda, etc), which all started growing tea under British colonial rule,” Jane explained.

“France on the other hand (as well as some African colonies) had colonies in French Indochina (Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos) where Chinese-style teas have been grown since the days of colonisation. So the sort of teas that the French drink tend to be lighter, more subtle, never with added milk or sweetener.”

READ MORE: You’re probably making one big booking mistake that gets you the worst roomREAD MORE: ‘I went on UK rail route named world’s most beautiful and it lived up to the hype’

Jane, who has won many different tea-related awards during her long career and is the author of World of Tea, despairs at the sense of superiority that many Brits have when it comes to a cuppa.

“Brits are really picky about how they like their tea, and don’t want those other types of lighter blends or specialty teas that Europeans choose,” she told me.

“The fact that Brits see their chosen brands of cheap black tea in paper tea bags as superior is evidence that they actually know nothing about tea. In general, Brits expect their daily brew to be cheap, strong and robust. In fact, what they prefer to drink is actually without any real subtle flavour, and is cheap because the cost of the types of tea that go into our traditional blends has hardly increased since the 1950s.”

Whether indeed picky or suffering from an unfounded sense of superiority, many Brits are convinced the teabag is the source of the issue. More than two-thirds (66%) of tea-drinking Brits admit to taking their own teabags on holiday with them, according to an On the Beach poll.

Even if you are armed with a solid supply of Yorkshire Gold or Barry’s before heading onto the Continent, that doesn’t mean your cuppa will be as comforting or delicious as it is at home.

The other major problem with mainland European tea is the water.

“The worst enemies to brewing good tea are limescale, chlorine, and dissolved heavy metals. So I advise everyone, except perhaps in Japan where the water is almost too soft, to use Brita filter taps or jugs to remove most of the offending ingredients,” Jane explained.

If tea is brewed in hard water, as in London and most areas to the north and south of the English capital, it can completely change the colour, aroma, and flavour profile of the brew. Often, this can cause a filmy layer to form on the surface of the tea, making the liquor cloudy.

Jane has carried out taste tests of the same tea bag brewed in filtered and unfiltered water, and says the results are stark. “People don’t believe you that it’s the same tea used for both brews,” she said.

Odds on, the cup of tea that you like will be determined by what you’re used to. And, given this is based on both bag and water, this can be tricky to emulate. For example, in Spain, regions like Burgos and San Sebastián are known for having soft water, whereas cities like Valencia, Malaga, and Almeria have hard water, meaning the brews in each will vary considerably.

Jane’s top tip is to invest in a water filter and to go loose.

“I always take some good loose-leaf tea with me when I travel because once you arrive at your destination, you may not find anything you like that is readily available. And if hotels and restaurants where you are staying don’t have any tea that Brits prefer, it is easier to ask for just hot water and brew your own,” she said.

So in conclusion, continental European tea may well taste rubbish to the British tongue, but only because it’s different.

When it comes to the special On the Beach and Lancashire Tea brew, I gave it a whirl in Sicily this summer. While my mind has not been blown or my life changed, I can confirm it delivered a decent cuppa.

ED Sheeran has revealed he has gone through with his plan to move to the US with his family.

Speaking in an interview for the 2 Johnnies podcast last month just before heading to the States, the A Team hitmaker said he was leaving Suffolk with wife Cherry Seaborn and their two daughters, Lyra five, and Jupiter, three.

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The family had spent their time living in a £3.7million pad – dubbed Sheeranville – which boasts a gym and pool, as well as a tree house and even a separate bungalow.

Yet Ed, 34, has said: “I’m just about to move to America.

“I feel like I might be the only person moving to America.

“I’m going on tour there for a while and I have a family so I can’t dip in and out.

“We’re going and settling there.”

Giving a glimpse into his home life on Instagram previously, he uploaded one showing him in a cosy-looking living area complete with a telescope for stargazing.

It also captured a huge library which was the perfect space for Ed and his song writing partners to pen his smash hits.

Ed’s sprawling £3.7million complex is made up of multiple homes — including swimming pool, two-storey treehouse and pub — and is in the Suffolk town he grew up in.

Land Registry records show that Ed bought his main home — a detached farmhouse and surrounding land — for £895,000 in June 2012

Despite the move, the Afterglow hitmaker has understandably retained his home but he also revealed he has built a second private boozer at his studio.

He said: “People always look at stuff like that in my lifestyle and think it’s a bit weird, but I think to go out and really let loose with camera phones round, you can’t really do that any more – as in like if you’re well-known.

“So it’s having a place where you can have a few pints, a dance, a sing, get a bit silly and not worry about it being on TikTok the next morning.”

OWN GOAL

Ed then admitted he will no longer be able to watch his beloved Ipswich Town, where he owns a 1.4 per cent stake and was their shirt sponsor.

Chatting just before they lost on penalties at Bromley in the Carabao cup four weeks ago, he said the match was going to be the only game he’d be seeing this season before settling in the US.

He said: “I went to almost every game last season – I think I can only make one this season because I’m moving to the States.”

ALL CHANGE

The Shape of You singer previously expressed a desire to move into country music and potentially relocate to the US.

He said earlier this year: “When you transition to country, you can’t transition back.

“Nashville is my favourite city in the States and it’s always been my end goal to move to Nashville and transition to country.”

However, he did not reveal in his more recent interview just before planning to fly out whether it was Nashville where he was now setting up home.

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Aircraft swaps, or equipment changes, are becoming routine as airlines juggle fleets to cut costs, cover technical issues, or respond to delays

Airline passengers across the UK are increasingly finding that the seat they booked, or even paid extra for, disappears at the last minute.

This practice, known in the industry as ‘aircraft swaps’ or ‘equipment changes,’ is becoming routine as airlines juggle fleets to cut costs, cover technical issues, or respond to delays.

Latest analysis has found that this airline procedure, swapping an aircraft just before departure, affects nearly 140,000 flights every year in the UK. And for passengers that can often mean losing a reserved seat, being downgraded, or facing overbooking when a smaller plane replaces the original.

Fleet shortages, staff strikes, and ongoing weather disruptions make last-minute swaps more likely, says AirAdvisor, an air passenger rights company.

And while you would be forgiven for thinking that your ticket guarantees a specific plane or seat it, in fact, only guarantees travel in a given class between two points. That legal grey area leaves thousands unsure of their actual rights.

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AirAdvisor’s analysis found between 1 per cent and 5 per cent of flights face aircraft changes within 24-48 hours before departure, rising to more than 5% at peak periods on legacy carriers like British Airways and Lufthansa.

Low-cost carriers such as Ryanair and easyJet are less affected because of their standardised fleets, but summer demand spikes increase the risk across the board. If you’ve ever turned up for a flight only to find that the seat you’ve booked or paid for is no longer available, it’s crucial to know your rights.

These rights vary depending on the situation.

Downgrading: If you’re bumped down to a lower class, UK261 regulations entitle you to a refund of 30-75 per cent of your ticket price, depending on the length of your flight.

Seat loss: If you’ve forked out extra for a specific seat (like an exit row, window, or aisle), you can claim a refund of that surcharge if the seat is no longer available. However, if you didn’t pay extra, airlines can reassign you within the same class without offering compensation.

Overbooking due to smaller aircraft: Passengers who are denied boarding are entitled to compensation ranging from €250-€600 (£216 – £519), plus rerouting or a refund.

Unwanted aircraft type: If your flight is reassigned to a model you’re not comfortable flying in (such as the Boeing 737 MAX), airlines aren’t legally required to change your booking. However, some might rebook you as a goodwill gesture if you act quickly.

At present, there’s no regulation requiring airlines to inform passengers of seat or aircraft changes, except when they’re downgraded to a lower class. This legal grey area can be problematic, especially when passengers have paid extra for seat selection or comfort.

As a result, these swaps often happen without any advance warning, leaving passengers caught off guard.

Some consumer groups have argued that airlines should notify passengers of any alterations, giving travellers the right to accept or decline new seating arrangements, and providing automatic refunds when services aren’t delivered as promised.

However, the current review of UK261 regulations, which is being debated in Brussels, has caused some concern. Rather than bolstering passenger protections, certain proposals could actually weaken airlines’ duty to compensate travellers when flights are delayed or scrapped.

Meanwhile, the matter of aircraft substitutions – which are becoming increasingly frequent – remains largely overlooked in the talks.

For British travellers, this means a greater chance of finding out at the departure gate that their seat has vanished or that their flight has fewer places than anticipated.