Social media craze

Ceramicist and Saint Lucia local, Amanda, went viral on TikTok last year when she posed a special quest for UK travellers. This year, she’s upping the stakes in her pursuit of a sausage melt.

For all the beauty and sunshine that Saint Lucia offers, one of its few short falls is its lack of a Greggs. After achieving viral success with her social media call to action last year, one Saint Lucia resident is setting Brits on a quest to help with her sausage melt fix.

On September 1, the TikTok creator and ceramicist Amanda offered up a “side quest” to British travellers planning a visit to Saint Lucia. Posting under her TikTok account, @keramikslu, she asked inbound holidaymakers to bring her some Greggs sausage and bean melts.

In exchange, the generous travellers will get to take their pick of one of her pottery creations. While it may seem like a big ask to some, Amanda was spurred by the success of her same call to action last year, though this time she’s updated her request.

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“Well ladies and gentleman, it’s that time of year again,” Amanda shared in a recent TikTok video. “Are you British? Are you coming to St. Lucia on holiday? Are you going to be staying at Coconut Bay?” she asked her followers.

If you answered yes to all of these questions, then Amanda wants to know if you can do her a “little favour please” and bring her some Greggs. But while last year, she was only asking for a single sausage and bean melt, she’s upped the ante this time round.

“I have upped the difficulty level just a tiny bit because it was so easy apparently last time. The challenge is this: can you bring me a frozen box of Gregg’s sausage and bean melts. Can you? Can you!”

The same rules as last time apply, she clarifies: “As a reward, I’ll bring you here [to the studio] and let you pick your own pottery”. Amanda is the business owner of the pottery site Keramik Saint Lucia Artisan Ceramics.

According to her blog she learned to make pottery in Vietnam and continued taking classes in Manchester, UK before deciding to move to Saint Lucia at the end of 2019. It is here that she began documenting her attempt to process clay dug up on her own land.

Her TikTok video concludes with a simple plea: “So British people coming to Saint Lucia staying at Coconut Bay, are you up for the challenge? Please say you are. Please. I really need some Greggs.”

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In just three days, the video has massed over 400,000 views and users in the comments are already signing on to the challenge. One wrote: “Adding Coconut Bay to my travel list just so I can bring you Greggs”.

Another commenter identifying themselves as a British Airways cabin crew member shared they’re also ready to help if Amanda can meet them at the airport. “I’m genuinely willing to get you your Greggs! I’m BA cabin crew and coming to St Lucia on Monday!” they wrote.

Amanda’s original video shared in May 2024 achieved viral success with over 1.5 million views. The following week, she shared a video of her meeting up with a traveller to exchange her pottery for a Greggs delivery with the caption: “happily ever after”.

Let’s hope there’s another happy reunion for Amanda.

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Passengers on a recent easyJet flight were guided by cabin crew through an impromptu stretching session, but beyond entertainment there is a vital reason this is becoming a common practice

Passengers on a recent easyJet flight were subject to an impromptu ‘air-robics’ class. A viral TikTok video shows a plane-full of passengers stretching their arms and touching their knees at the direction of a cabin crew member.

The TikTok video has been viewed over 2 million times and was shared with the caption: “What in the air-robics is going on, easyJet”. While the synchronised stretching may look quite odd, one expert has shared that the practice is critical while flying.

While doing yoga stretches on an airplane may sound like a hassle, it’s become quite the trend. Videos are circulating online of flight attendants leading passengers through seated yoga routines mid-flight.

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Weighing in on the movement, yoga instructor Holly Hogan says the practice supports circulation onboard and reduces nerves.

Partnering with Well Pharmacy Online Doctor, Holly Hogan, also shares expert-backed advice on in-seat yoga stretches, discreet breathing techniques, and strategies for beating jet lag to improve passenger comfort and wellbeing at 30,000 feet.

Holly says even minimal movement during long-haul travel can make a big difference. “Just five minutes of gentle stretching every couple of hours can help reduce tension in the neck, back and legs and lower the risk of circulation issues like deep vein thrombosis (DVT).”

While it’s important to stretch your legs by walking up and down the aisle, Holly says there are some beginner-friendly ways to stretch in your seat too.

“Even with limited space, there are simple yoga stretches you can do to stay comfortable and grounded. Try a seated cat-cow by gently arching your spine as you inhale and rounding your spine as you exhale. Add in some neck rolls, shoulder shrugs, and ankle circles to release tension and improve circulation.”

Holly recommends a “seated spinal twist” as well, which is not only great to ease stiffness in your back but aids with digestion. A great stretch to try after you’ve gotten through your inflight meal. Knee hugs are also great to loosen the lower back.

When you do stand up to stretch your legs or use the bathroom, there are a few other discreet poses you can attempt. “Mountain pose is a great one: just stand tall, ground your feet, and lengthen your spine,” Holly says. “A gentle forward fold can release your lower back, and calf raises are perfect for circulation. Even a standing quad stretch or lunge, if you have space, can prevent stiffness.”

For those who feel anxious while flying, Holly recommends focusing on breathing to calm down. “If you’re feeling anxious, one of my favourite techniques is box breathing: inhale for four counts, hold for four, exhale for four, and hold again for four. If you can, extending your exhale – for example, inhale for four and exhale for six or eight, will help to calm your nervous system.”

Everyone should be moving or stretching every one to two hours during a long flight, according to Holly. This includes walking the aisle, doing standing poses or just stretching while seated.

“It doesn’t have to be a full routine – just enough to keep your body from stiffening up,” she says. She also says it’s vital to combine gentle stretching with good hydration.

“Drinking water supports good circulation and prevents dehydration, while conscious breathing keeps your mind calm,” she concludes. “Add in a few stretches and a guided meditation, and you’ll land feeling much more refreshed.”

A flight attendant from Virgin Australia has given a behind-the-scenes look at a typical pre-flight routine, including checking toilets and safety equipment

It’s easy to assume during a quick changeover that cabin crew staff scramble on-board to do a quick clean before new passengers arrive.

But this is just one small part of what they do, in fact there are a whole host of areas that need checking before the first customer is welcomed on-board. A TikTok video from airline Virgin Australia documents all the important checks that cabin crews conduct behind the scenes. The first part of the pre-flight walkthrough shows a cabin crew member checking the jumpseat harness.

The jumpseat is typically where cabin crews sit during the flight, you may have even noticed that they sit in a very regimented way: with their hands tucked under their thighs. Checking the harness prior to take-off and adopting this specific position are all important measures to keep crews safe in the event of an emergency.

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According to the video, the next step of the pre-flight check involves collecting the guide that will be used to complete the remaining safety equipment checks. With this guide, cabin crews are then able to ensure that all first aid equipment – also giving them the opportunity to check the condition of the equipment.

The next part of the video shows a cabin crew member setting aside specific safety equipment. The video clarifies this is a demonstration kit – likely to be used during the pre-takeoff presentation. After these initial safety measures, a cabin crew member conducts lavatory checks and catering checks. During these assessments, cabin crews make note of water and waste levels to relay to their cabin manager.

Once fridges are stocked and all safety equipment is checked and ready, the pre-flight check is complete and cabin crews are ready to welcome guests. But this is only one element of the job, the next part begins as soon as they welcome passengers onto the aircraft.

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You may have assumed the warm greeting is motivated by good old fashioned hospitality. But according to another social media explainer, crew members are actually assessing the physical fitness of each boarding passenger at the door.

In a now-viral TikTok video, MrsMiva – who claims to work for TUI out of Stuttgart airport – has explained flight attendants use the boarding process to check if passengers are able fliers. According to the creator, flight attendants are checking to see if passengers may be “too drunk or sick to fly”.

In the caption for the video, MrsMiva also clarifies that the greeting helps attendants see who could possibly assist in the event of an emergency. The video has been viewed over 18 million times and started a flurry of conversation in the comments section.