A whopping 8.4 million people are currently experiencing food poverty in the UK, meaning they are unable to acquire a sufficient amount of food, for themselves or their family, in socially acceptable ways. 

This idea alone is tragic, but it becomes even more heartbreaking when you realise that many of us are throwing away perfectly good food when others are in need.

Roughly 9.5 million tonnes of food are binned every year in the UK, as people mix up the sell by, best before, and use by dates on packaging, leave food to spoil, and chuck out unwanted leftovers.

Not only is food waste a major problem from a moral standpoint, it’s also a massive waste of money, as we all know the weekly food shop is far from cheap these days.

So to save money and help reduce the amount of food that’s needlessly thrown away, we all need to be doing our bit, from only buying what we need at the shops, planning meals and getting creative with leftovers, to sharing food with others and freezing anything that can be preserved before it expires.

We’re not the only ones guilty of wasting food, though. Shops and supermarkets also cause food waste by ordering too many products that don’t always end up getting sold. 

As such, many of the top UK supermarkets are working to reduce the amount of surplus food that goes to waste, with several stores teaming up with Too Good To Go to allow customers to rescue products that are destined for the bin.

The food redistribution app allows businesses to sell ‘Surprise Bags’ of unsold food worth up to £10, which customers can claim for as little as £3. All you need to do to get your own is download the app and search for participating businesses in your local area. 

Aldi currently offers Too Good To Go bags for £3.30. You can reserve these up to 24 hours in advance before collecting from 10pm the next day, and although the contents of the bag will vary each day, shoppers can get their hands on everything from fruit and vegetables, dairy products, meats, and other snacks. 

Morrisons also sells Too Good To Go bags, which they call ‘Magic Bags’, from via its supermarkets and cafes. These cost £3.09 and contain ingredients to rustle up a ‘low-cost family feast’.

But what else are the top UK supermarkets doing to reduce food waste? 

Lidl

While Lidl might not be working with Too Good To Go, the retailer has launched its own Too Good To Waste boxes in store, which contain approximately 5kg of fruit and vegetables that are slightly damaged, discoloured, or deteriorated but still perfectly fine to eat.

At £1.50 each, the helped to prevent 8,200 tonnes of food from being wasted over the last year. 

The bargain supermarket is also sending 10 million meals to those in need annually through organisations such as Neighbourly (which connects businesses with local causes), working closely with suppliers to tackle waste in the supply chain, and aiming to scrap unnecessary use-by dates from own-brand products such as yoghurt by the end of 2024. 

Waitrose

Waitrose has a strict policy that none of its food goes to landfill, so any unsold food that is still safe to consume is either redistributed to those in need through the retailer’s charitable partners or FareShare, a UK charity fighting hunger and food waste. Alternatively, it’s used up in staff cafeterias across the business. 

The supermarket also works with Olio, a redistribution app similar to Too Good To Go, where users can give away just about anything they no longer need, including food. 

In addition to this, Waitrose has a Wonderfully Wonky range of fruit and vegetables which gives farmers extra support by ensuring that perfectly good products don’t go to waste because they look a little different to what people are used to. And in 2022, the retailer removed best before dates from 500 products in a bid to help tackle unnecessary food waste. 

Marija Rompani, Director of Sustainability & Ethics, John Lewis Partnership, said at the time: ‘We want our customers to use their own judgement to decide whether a product is good to eat or not, which in turn, will increase its chances of being eaten and not becoming waste. 

‘By using up existing fresh food in our homes, we can also save on our weekly household food shop, which is becoming an increasingly pressing concern for many.’

In the UK, best before dates are designed to showcase food quality for customers, rather than safety. Food is at its best before this date, however it should still be fine to eat afterwards – just check for signs of spoilage like mould. ‘Use by’ dates, however, are still be in place across products for safety, as eating food after this(unless it has been frozen on or before its use by date) could result in food poisoning. 

Sainsbury’s 

Shoppers at Sainsbury’s are able to help fight food waste by purchasing £2 ‘Taste me, Don’t waste me’ boxes which contain a variety of surplus fruit and vegetables.

The boxes are available in over 230 Sainsbury’s locations, but the times the boxes are available and the number available varies between stores. 

All other surplus food from the retailer is donated to local charities and community groups via Neighbourly. 

In 2022, Sainsbury’s also removed best before dates entirely from over 1,500 products including fresh produce such as pineapples, pumpkins, pears and apples.

Marks & Spencer

There are a number of ways M&S is working to reduce food waste in its stores, including working with suppliers to help redistribute surplus food to the community. 

The supermarket regularly tests out new ways to stock shelves in order to ensure just the right amount of food is put out and avoid too much waste, while staff get creative figuring out how to give new life to food nearing its end. For example, they turn any unsold baguettes and boules from the M&S bakery into frozen garlic bread at the end of each day, giving it an extended shelf life of 30 days.

Like other retailers, M&S also doesn’t want its surplus food to go to landfill, so it donates any edible food to the local community. Anything that isn’t safe to be eaten is sent to anaerobic digestion to be used to produce energy.

Bosses are also reviewing best before labels, pack portions and food promotions to help ensure that customers don’t buy more than they need to.

Tesco 

The retail giant claims that none of its food waste has gone to landfill in the UK and Ireland since 2009 – instead, Tesco staff work to reduce food surplus and waste where they can and ‘make the best possible use of it’ where they can’t. This is achieved using the industry’s WRAP hierarchy, which shows four stages of waste in order of importance. The most important stage is prevention of food waste, followed by redistributing surplus food, converting surplus food into animal feed, and turning waste into energy.

Tesco attempts to prevent waste by selling ‘wonky’ fruit and veg, taking bumper crops from growers, and helping suppliers redistribute surplus food to charity. Any good food left in its stores at the end of each day is given to local food banks, charities, and food redistribution groups such as Olio.

The retailer also has an online swap shop, called Tesco Exchange, which allows suppliers to sell or donate surplus products to other suppliers who can make use of them.

Asda

Asda has been working with FareShare since 2013 to donate surplus food from chilled depots. The retailer has since expanded the donation programme to also donate food from home offices, ambient depots, and all supermarkets.

Any bread that is too stale to donate is used for animal feed, while any inedible food is sent for anaerobic digestion. 

Aldi

Alongside working with Too Good To Go, Aldi partners with Neighbourly to redistribute surplus fruit and vegetables, bakery, long-life products and flowers, as well as The Company Shop Group which helps save surplus food from suppliers. 

Aldi previously removed best before dates from around 60 fresh fruit and vegetable lines, including apples and pears, citrus fruits, potatoes, carrots and onions, and the retailer runs a Love Food, Hate Waste campaign in stores.

In a bid to encourage customers to buy products nearing the end of their shelf life, Aldi introduced price reductions up to 75% on fresh produce, bakery and chilled products, and rolled out 30% price reductions on ambient items that have imperfect outer packaging.

The German supermarket chain has also revealed the next areas it plans to look into in a bid to reduce food waste, including trialling additional food surplus redistribution routes and identifying waste hotspots from ‘farm to fork’ in the supply chain.

Morrisons

As well as selling Magic Bags, Morrisons tries to reduce food waste by using up surplus food in its canteens, or donating it to local community groups and charities. The retailer currently works with over 400 organisations to help get food to those who need it most.

Anything leftover that is not safe to be eaten is used to produce energy, instead of going to landfill.

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Shoppers rejoice! Primark is finally making shopping even easier, by rolling out a click and collect service in all of its stores in England, Wales and Scotland.

The high street brand, which we all love for being extremely budget friendly, recently launched a trial in 57 stores.

After its success, you’ll now be able to grab your online orders in all 184 stores by the end of 2025. 

Primark, which was founded in Dublin back in 1969, has dragged their heels when it comes to out-of-store shopping experiences – they only let customers start shopping online in 2019.

Currently, shoppers can only make use of the click and collect service in 57 of the brand’s shops and are limited to womenswear, children’s clothing and accessories. The retailer’s bosses have now confirmed that the service will be expanded to include menswear, home and lifestyle items. 

Click and collect is free to use but you must spend a minimum of £10.

The service was first launched in November 2022 with 25 stores taking part, and it was then expanded to 32 more stores last year. 

Primark chief executive Paul Marchant said: ‘Our trial of click and collect over the last 18 months has been about understanding how we can offer our customers greater convenience to shop with us wherever they are, but in a way that complements our business and our stores.

‘We’re now confident that we’ve found a model that can do both and support us with our plans to grow the business.

‘The feedback from our customers has been positive as they really value the convenience our service offers and we’re also seeing it’s reaching new customers too.’

The expansion of click and collect is the latest change happening at Primark. The beloved high street favourite starting adding blue stickers to its paper shopper bags to deter shoplifters, in what was called a ‘terrible sign of the times’.

Staff working at the tills at some Primark branches have started to seal the paper carrier bags with blue stickers that say ‘sold’.

It’s part of an ongoing trial at Primark, which is being rolled out at shops across the UK and Ireland. However the brand has not confirmed which shops are taking part.

At the outlets taking part, which were not revealed by Primark, customers carrying bags without the stickers will be stopped at the door by security guards.

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Jetting off on a spring break? If you’re flying from Heathrow Airport, there’s a new set of border force strikes that could impact your journey.

Over 300 union members are due to walk out next month, with the strike impacting all four terminals of the UK’s largest airport.

In 2023, Heathrow handled almost 80 million (79,180,434) passengers, also making it one of the busiest in the world.

Here’s everything you need to know about the Heathrow Border Force strikes, from the dates to the impact it’ll have on your travel plans.

When are the Heathrow Border Force strikes?

The Heathrow Border Force workers are striking between April 29 and May 2, and that involves the UK Border Force offices working on passport control across all four Heathrow terminals.

Refuelling staff will also strike for 72 hours between May 4 and May 6.

Previously, a strike had been scheduled between April 11 and 14, but it was called off a week before it was due to begin as PCS (the Public and Commercial Services Union) were waiting for the Home Office to ‘demonstrate they are genuinely seeking a resolution,’ according the organisation’s general secretary Fran Heathcote.

Why are staff striking?

Heathrow Border Force workers are striking over changes to their working conditions, PCS trade union revealed earlier in April.

The strike will see more than 300 of its members walk out over an issue with the new rostering system, which PSC representatives claim ‘would have a detrimental effect on all the current staff and leave nearly 250 without a job on passport control, including many with disabilities or caring responsibilities.’

However, this isn’t the only strike that’ll impact Heathrow in the coming weeks. Trade union Unite confirmed that, between May 7 and May 13, almost 800 workers will walk out over plans to outsource hundreds of roles in an effort to cut costs.

‘There are no job losses as a result of these changes, and we continue to discuss with Unite the implementation of these changes for the small number of colleagues impacted,’ a spokesperson for Heathrow previously told Reuters.

‘To confirm, we have robust contingency plans in place for each of these individual areas and anticipate no impact on passenger journey.’

Heathrow said the airport’s reorganisation would see all passenger-facing security sourced in-house, with small trolley operations and passenger logistics teams transferred to third-party suppliers (who already work with the airport).

What impact will the industrial action have on flights?

Border Force staff mostly only check arrivals at UK airports, so the greatest impact will be on people landing from abroad.

Though it isn’t clear what plans the Home Office has for dealing with potential staff shortages, during the last walk-out in December 2022, military personnel and civil servant volunteers were trained up to replace Border Force staff and deal with delays.

If passengers do experience delays to their flight as a result, they won’t be able to access compensation as the issue is beyond the airlines’ control.

However, the airline will need to provide frequent updates and, if needed, an alternative flight, as well as meals and accommodation during the delays.

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From garden sheds to underground bunkers, it’s no secret that the London property market is like the wild, wild west.

Now, a new opportunity to get on the ladder for just £5k has presented itself in the form of a basement flat in South London. But, as ever, there’s quite the catch.

The basement area is being sold off so that the new owners can carve out a home beneath the ground floor of the house. So, get the shovel ready because you’ll need to start digging.

Managed by Auction House London, the organisation described the sale as ‘a development opportunity to create a lower ground floor flat beneath an existing mid terrace house arranged over ground and two upper floors.’

‘The buyer will be required to excavate the area below the ground floor in order to create a new self-contained flat,’ the auctioneers added, noting that the plot is leasehold – and still has 112 years left on the lease.

Now, if you are willing to put in some pretty hardcore manual labour (or pay somewhere to do it for you), it could be a great place to live.

The property is found on Queen Mary Road and is well-served by West Norwood station, as well as Gipsy Hill and Norbury.

The area is also home to a bustling community, with fun to be found at the Picturehouse Cinema, Norwood Park or one of Norwood’s eateries, from The Horns Tavern to The Hope Pub.

This isn’t the only wacky purchase that’s hit the London property market of late.

This week, a double roof top space in South Kensington went on the market to the tune of £200,000. Yes, you read that correctly: 200,000 great British pounds for a roof space without the accompanying house.

Described by the estate agent as presenting a ‘rare chance to create a bespoke living space or potentially lucrative development,’ any changes are subject to planning and permissions.

Nestled between Queen’s Gate Gardens and Elvaston Place, the rooftops are near the fashionable shopping and museum hotspots of Cromwell Road and Brompton Road, while Kensington Gardens and Hyde Park are both just a stone’s throw away.

So, up on the roof, or underground, who knows where the (frankly ridiculous) London property market will take you?

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After her panic attacks were dismissed as ‘mental health problems,’ a young mum discovered that she wasn’t suffering from a mental illness: she had epilepsy.

Madeleine Dippnall, 29, was initially told by doctors that the cause of her panic attacks was a combination of depression and PTSD, which she attributed towards the breakdown of a traumatic relationship.

She first suffered with her mental health in her early 20s, and was diagnosed with anorexia as well as depression, anxiety and PTSD aged 22.

After a difficult breakup, Madeleine began suffering panic attacks during which she would start ‘hysterically crying,’ so moved back in with her parents in Cornwall to cope.

Years later, however, when she had a seizure completely out of the blue and woke up on the bathroom floor after having an episode in her sleep, doctors diagnosed her with epilepsy.

‘I felt relief that I wasn’t crazy. Now I know what’s going on,’ Madeleine, a graphic designer, says.

After her relationship initially broke down, she says she ‘needed to be by the sea’ and left London for her home county of Cornwall.

But despite the change of scenery, Madeleine struggled with constant panic attacks long after her breakup, particularly when around a large group of people.

‘You have the adrenaline equivalent to being on a roller-coaster,’ she recalls. ‘Everything sweats. I’d have to go to the toilet to be sick. My mum used to put my head under a cold water sink.’

Madeleine adds: ‘Sometimes I’d get catatonic. I couldn’t move. I’d go within myself. But if you were looking at me you wouldn’t really know what was going on.’

Doctors prescribed her with anti-sickness medication, sleeping pills and appetite-inducing medicationwhich she took for three years – but these only helped her with ‘20%’ of the issues she was facing.

Then, in April 2023, Madeleine woke up to the insides of her mouth bleeding and her body ‘cramping’ all over.

‘I had bitten the insides of my mouth. I had a nocturnal seizure, a tonic clonic [where the muscles twitch and start jerking],’ says the mum. ‘The next night I woke up on the bathroom floor.’

Madeleine immediately knew what had happened, telling her husband Chris, 35, that she thought she’d had a seizure. Together, they went to the GP, who put through an urgent referral for a diagnosis of temporal lobe epilepsy.

‘I was angry at all these authoritative people who told me I had mental problems,’ Madeleine adds. ‘I had a seizure when I was about 19 but it wasn’t investigated properly because of the way I reacted to the tests. I felt like no one was listening to me.’

Post-diagnosis, Madeleine’s quality of life has improved significantly, and she’s able to enjoy her time with her two-year-old son, Bo, her husband and her stepchildren.

Though she’s currently not able to drive because of her diagnosis, she’s building up a new graphic design business from her off-grid cabin.

She says: ‘I’ve made something positive out of this and the business which is doing really well. Since being on the epilepsy medication I haven’t had a single episode and my depression has literally washed away.

‘My husband says the difference is like night and day.’

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As Brits continue to struggle through a cost-of-living crisis, MoneySavingExpert has revealed many workers are still underpaid.

More than 365,000 workers are currently paid less than they should be – though most of these underpayments are by mistake.

MSE explained: ‘If you’re paid the legal minimum (as 1.6 million people in the UK are) there’s no wriggle room in your salary. So any mistakes, like unpaid working time or wage deductions, put you at risk of being underpaid.

‘Many who believe they’re on minimum wage are in reality being paid LESS than they should be – the Low Pay Commission estimates around 365,000 people were underpaid in 2023.’

Currently, the minimum wage for under 18s is £6.40 per hour. Those between the ages of 18 and 20 receive £8.60 per hour, and those above 21 earn £11.44 per hour.

Could you be underpaid? Don’t fret – we’ve laid out the potential ways you might be being shorted in your salary, and how you can fix it.

Uniforms and equipment

Any tools or clothing necessary to carry out a job – such as a builder, painter or others – must be ensured by your provider so that the costs of them don’t take you below the minimum wage threshold during a pay period.

So if you’ve been forced to pay for your own uniforms and supplies and it’s negatively affected your pay – you deserve money back.

April pay rises

Minimum wage rates increase each April – and age brackets also affect the rate you’re given.

Make sure that you keep tabs on when your rates change to make sure your employers pay you correctly.

Full compensation

MSE explains: ‘This includes: overtime, training time, travelling time, waiting time, and regular “slivers” of time added on to shifts, such as being asked to arrive early to open up, or queuing to pass through security checks.”

This unpaid working time also includes time spent on calls at your workplace and time spent travelling – if those are a part of your job.

Accommodation clauses

Those who have housing from their employer in their contract are only allowed to have their salary reduced by a maximum of £69.93 per week below the minimum wage.

If your employer is taking more than that, it’s illegal. This includes if they charge your for furniture, laundry, gas, rent and electricity.

Overtime

A no brainer – but ANY overtime must be paid in addition to your minimum wage.

And no, it can’t be used to ‘top up’ your pay rate.

Commission only?

Some staff who work on commission-only contracts are told they aren’t entitled to a minimum wage – but the law states otherwise.

Those who work for a commission have a right to be paid minimum wage, and if their commission payments aren’t correct, the employer must top it up.

Apprentice Rates

Some apprentices who don’t have structured training could be underpaid.

If your apprenticeship doesn’t have a training element, you are legally entitled to be paid minimum wage per age instead.

Big companies mess up too

More than 500 large companies were recently called out by the UK government for failing to pay their employees correctly.

It’s important to remember that all employers – big and small – could make mistakes in payment. Make sure you’re getting paid properly for your work.

Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.

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This classic Elizabeth Arden has a cult following, with fragrance fans insisting it smells just like Chanel’s iconic No.5 scent.

Elizabeth Arden Blue Grass Eau De Parfum (currently reduced to £12 from £34 for 100ml) is one of the brand’s original fragrances, with its distinctive blue bottle and fresh, powdery scent that’s been loved by shoppers for generations.

They’re so impressed with this bargain scent, that they’ve likened it to fashion powerhouses Gucci and Chanel.

‘This is such a lovely scent for a cheaper perfume it could easily be bottled in a Gucci bottle and sold as luxury,’ wrote one impressed shopper. ‘In fact, it reminds me very much of Chanel No.5 so if you like that scent you will love this one!

Elizabeth Arden Blue Grass Eau De Parfum

With notes of rose, jasmine, lavender and orange blossom coupled with spicy, woody undertones it’s a fresh and feminine fragrance that’s more complex than many other offerings within this more affordable price range.

shop £12 (save 65%)

It’s usually priced at £34 for 100ml but is currently discounted by 65% on the Amazon website down to just £12 – an absolute bargain compared to Chanel’s price of £75 for a 35ml bottle.

One of the reasons Blue Grass is such a hit with shoppers is that, for many, it comes with a heady dose of nostalgia.

One fan wrote on the brand’s website, ‘I’ve been wearing this since I was 14. I’m now almost 70. My granddaughter recently commented on how I always smell so pretty… Asked what I wore. Would love for her to continue with my love for Blue Grass.’

While another said, ‘I loved it 60 years ago and still love it today. It was my first fragrance.’ And a third wrote, ‘Blue Grass was my mother’s favourite fragrance. It’s also mine. So beautiful!’

Described by the brand as an ‘instant trip to the countryside on a warm summer day,’ it’s clearly a scent that evokes happy memories.

Another happy customer describes Blue Grass as a ‘fancy coffee and croissant by the river’ scent, while another commented that the perfume has a ‘really fresh not overpowering aroma’.

Shoppers also praised how long this fragrance lasts, with another writing, ‘This is excellent value for a classic perfume. The delightful perfume lasts for most of the day; in fact, much longer than many of the more expensive brands.’

Who says you need to spend a fortune to smell expensive?

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Batter scraps, just like the ones you’d get from your local chippy, have been spotted on M&S shelves for £2 – and people are confused.

If you haven’t had the chance to enjoy scraps, you’re seriously missing out. They’re basically the leftover bits of fried batter and are just as oily, greasy and crunchy as they sound. 

Usually, your local chip shop will kindly grant a request for scraps in your paper bag at no extra cost (if you ask nicely). But Marks and Spencer is currently catching flack over charging £2 for the privilege.

Indeed, the reality of paying for something that has traditionally been a mouthwatering freebie has become a sore subject for foodies online. 

A picture was shared by shopper Lorna Cooper from Paisley, Scotland in the Feed Your Family for About £20 a Week Facebook group.

‘I can’t believe that 1) M&S are selling these and 2) that they are charging £2 for a tiny tub! We used to get these free from the chippy when we were kids,’ she wrote.

The post has since made the rounds on social media, including X (formerly Twitter), where it was met with similarly shocked reactions.

‘Not once in 15 years of living in and around Harrogate was I charged for scraps,’ said X user @CrackedRearView.

Another poster, with the name @Nekochan_______, recalled: ‘It used to be for people who helped the chippy tidy up at the end of the day. Or at least it was when I was young. My family lived near a chip shop and I had an after school job helping out at the back of the shop.’

And @Debbie8t5 declared: ‘But it’s not just scraps, it’s M&S scraps.’

However some social media users were excited about the item.

‘Oooh, my mum would love a box of these,’ said @DandersK, while @jessasstrophe commented: ‘I know my dad would buy this to sprinkle on to some dish to make it interesting.’

The chip shop scraps also caused a stir when they launched in 2020. Back then, the supermarket asked for £1.05 for a pot, and two years before that, M&S shoppers could get a little sachet along with their battered fish for the chippy experience at home.

At the time, M&S, one of the UK’s fastest-growing supermarkets, had a rather hopeful response to the backlash, with a spokesperson commenting: ‘We first introduced our delicious scraps back in 2018 with our popular battered fish, and this autumn we decided it was time to set them free and allow customers to choose where they sprinkle these crispy, light nuggets of savoury batter!

‘Launched as part of our new Chip Shop range, they’ve definitely got the nation talking and we’re now looking forward to hearing how customers across the whole of the UK are enjoying theirs.’

Metro.co.uk has reached out to M&S for comment on the latest news.

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If you want a budget-friendly summer holiday, look no further than the Greek island of Kalymnos.

New research by Which? named it the cheapest destination for Brits to book this year, with the average price of a week’s break (including flights and transfers) in August coming in at £847 per person.

Greece nabbed the first three spots in the consumer champion’s ranking, followed by the Costa Brava in Spain and Venetian Riviera in Italy.

Surprisingly, given their reputation for value, no resorts in Turkey or Portugal made the list, and popular locations in Mallorca or the Costa Del Sol were absent from the top 10.

While the study didn’t take every travel operator into account or factor in differing standards of accommodation, its findings do suggest you can get a better deal by looking beyond the standard tourist traps.

Kalymnos, for example, is far quieter than a number of Greek islands, offering holidaymakers the chance to beat the crowds without breaking the bank.

That’s not all it has to offer either.

Part of the Dodecanese group, alongside Rhodes and Kos, Kalymnos is known for its limestone cliffs and sunny – yet not uncomfortably hot – weather.

‘Rugged Kalymnos is characterised by its dramatic mountains that draw hardy climbers from all over the world,’ commented Lonely Planet. ‘Its western flank is particularly spectacular with skeletal crags towering above dazzling blue waters.’

Visitors also praised the scenery and authenticity here, including Tripadvisor user GHCedar who wrote: ‘I would certainly return. I particularly enjoyed our village walks around Panormos, which was surprisingly green and rural.

‘We discovered some interesting places to eat and have drinks, but there was no tourist centre or strip… it had a very good feel.’

Things to do in Kalymnos

With its rocky landscape and variety of caves, Kalymnos is famed for its climbing. You’ll find a number of clubs where you can give it a go on the north side of the island, and the International Climbing Festival takes place here every year.

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Kalymnos also has a history of sponge-diving, and while islanders don’t do so for a living anymore, the Sponge Factory in Pothia Town allows visitors to learn more about the tradition.

If that’s your thing, you can also visit the Folklore Museum and Kalymnian House Museum in Pothia Town, or the Sea World Museum (also known as St Valsamidis) in the quaint village Vlychadia.

The Monastery of Agios Savvas and the Medieval Castle of Chryssoheria are also worth a trip if you’re into history, which Kalymnos has in spades.

One must-do is a trip to the neighboring islet of Telendos, which is car-free and features naturists beaches, secluded coves, and traditional settlements. It’s easy to get to via a 10-minute water taxi, and makes for a unique day out.

Of course, it wouldn’t be a Greek holiday without some relaxing on the beach. Myrties, Kantouni and Massouri are the two most popular with tourists, but if you have a car or moped you can explore more remote seaside spots like Vlychadia  beach (which is great for scuba diving) or Ton Toicho beach (which is about as secluded as it gets).

How to get to Kalymnos

There are no direct routes to Kalymnos from the UK, so flights tend to include a change (either to a connecting flight or a ferry) at Kos, Rhodes or Athens.

If you book a package holiday via Jet2, for example, you’ll depart from either Birmingham, Bristol, Leeds Bradford or Manchester, and take a ferry from Kos to Kalymnos to get to your destination.

The journey from the UK to Kos takes around 4.5 hours, with the drive to the port and boat to Kalymnos taking around an hour extra.

Weather in Kalymnos

According to Holiday Weather, Kalymnos enjoys ‘long dry summers with high temperatures, and mild winters with moderate rainfall.’

During the summer months, you can expect uninterrupted sunshine with temperatures of between 28°C and 31°C. At night it’s still balmy at the 20°C mark, but not hot enough to leave you feeling sticky and unable to sleep.

Late May and early October sees temperatures in the mid 20s, while the evenings cool off to around 16°C. This is when a number of Greek tourists visit; to beat the uncomfortable heat experienced elsewhere in the country. Spring and autumn are also peak times for climbers.

The wettest months are December and January, where sunshine hours in Kalymnos go from highs of 14 hours to around five or six hours a day. It’s alsoquite wet, often overcast and somewhat unpredictable – although likely warmer than the UK.

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Gone are the days when it was just about finding the right skincare products  – nowadays, it’s high-tech devices that have shoppers raving about results.

While we’ll always champion a well-formulated serum or facial oil, combining it with the right tool can have transformative results – as shoppers of this nifty little Amazon gadget have found.

The ANLAN Face Massager (£28.79 down from £35) is boldly described by Amazon as a ‘wrinkle remover’, and aims to reduce puffiness, tighten sagging skin and define the jaw area. Not to mention getting to work on ironing out fine lines and wrinkles.

ANLAN Face Massager

Now we’re full advocates for positivity around ageing and the beauty of a face etched with laughter lines. Having said this, any tool that promises to help smooth, sculpt and lift our faces via natural methods has our attention. Particularly when the reviews are so glowing, as in the case of the ANLAN Face Massager.

shop £28.79 (save 18%)

Shoppers claim that since using the device their skin feels ‘tighter’ and ‘lifted’, with over 1,000 loyal customers rating it with five stars. Not bad for a tool that currently costs under £30.

‘It feels like my skin is tighter and really smooth, like some sort of light exfoliation/ cell renewal,’ wrote one shopper, before continuing, ‘Neck lines improved as well. I’m now using it only once a day.’

While another said, ‘Cheekbones and eye area are noticeably lifted after use and an overall snatched feeling in the face and neck. If I pay extra attention to my 11s and fine lines on my forehead, a much smoother complexion is achievable.’

And a third wrote, ‘I’d seen this a few times and wondered if it was any good, I’ve now been using it for just over two weeks and the difference to my skin is amazing it’s smoother my jawline looks more defined and I look more lifted it really is brilliant.’

So how does the ANLAN Face Massager work? This tool goes a step further than the likes of a Jade Roller or Gua Sha, using different light settings and microcurrents to treat the skin.

There are three modes – red, blue and green. The red mode uses EMS (Electric Muscle Stimulation) to improve skin elasticity by activating collagen, while the blue mode is said to calm and balance the skin, encouraging nutrient absorption.

For those who suffer from acne (or just the odd pimple), the green light helps to clean out pores and clear the skin. All while providing a relaxing self-massage.

In every mood, the temperature is set to 45 degrees and this warming effect on the skin when combined with massage will help to flush out toxins, promoting circulation and accelerating nutrient absorption – meaning it’s a great tool to use alongside your favourite serum.

Shoppers have also commented on how it makes a great addition to their lymphatic drainage routine. ‘Love to use this service to de-puff my face each morning and night with lymphatic drainage massage. Sometimes with a cream and sometimes just on the skin,’ wrote one happy customer.

Lymphatic drainage – along with other types of massage – can help to de-puff and define the face and jaw. The technique was developed way back in the 1930s by Dr Emil Vodder and his wife Estrid, a naturopath, to treat patients on the French Rivera.

But its popularity as a facial treatment has skyrocketed in recent years with skincare enthusiasts looking for ways to achieve Kardashian-esque bone structure using natural methods.

And the best news about this handy tool is that it’s currently on sale with 18% off the original price, bringing it down to £28.79 from £35.

An absolute beauty bargain, considering that the likes of FACEGYM’s Medi Lift EMS Mask costs a rather more expensive £483 at Space NK.

So what are you waiting for? These options are still less than a facelift… and that’s #GirlMath for ya.

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MORE : Amazon shoppers rush to buy £14 beauty tool that ‘relieves tension’ in ‘jaw and face’

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With the May Bank Holidays looming, there’s no better time to start thinking about barbecue season.

It’s the perfect opportunity to experiment with flavours, embracing spicy rubs, flavour-packed marinades and fiery, home-made sauces to douse over everything from chicken thighs and juicy steaks, to grilled fish and veggie skewers.

As the weather gets warmer, here are four recipes from brilliant Caribbean cooks, like Andi Oliver, who use fire and smoke, alongside punchy flavours of spice, fruit and acid, to create mouthwateringly great dishes that can really elevate your home barbecue game.

Michelle Trusselle’s Glazed fiery scotch bonnet baby back ribs

Chef Michelle Trusselle, behind mega contemporary Caribbean supper club Myristica shares her super easy, fiery baby back ribs, using her own scotch bonnet BBQ spice rub (available on myristica.co)

Ingredients

• 2 racks of baby back ribs
• 4 tbsps of Myristica’s Scotch Bonnet Fiery BBQ

For the glaze:

• 100 g Ketchup
• 15 g dark soy sauce
• 30 g demerara sugar
• 2tsps Myristica’s Scotch Bonnet Fiery BBQ
• 50 ml water

Method

1. Season each side of baby back ribs with a tablespoon of Myristica’s Scotch Bonnet Fiery BBQ and rub into the meat.
   
2. Place a wire rack into a deep roasting tray. Pour 1cm of boiling water into the bottom of the tray.
   
3. Place the baby back ribs on top of the rack (with the curved side of the ribs facing down), making sure that they are not in the water.
   
4. Cover with foil and put in the oven at 180ºC (160ºC Fan) for about 2 hours, or until ribs are soft when pierced with a knife.
   
5. To make the glaze, combine all ingredients together and bring to a boil before reducing to a gentle simmer for 5 minutes.
   
6. When the ribs are soft, transfer them onto a flat tray lined with baking paper.
   
7. If using an oven; slather the BBQ glaze on top of the ribs and then put them in the oven for 15 minutes at 205ºC (185ºC Fan), until the glaze is sticky.
   If using a barbecue; transfer the ribs to the grill. Glaze the ribs whilst they are cooking with a pastry brush. When the ribs are charred and caramelised, they are ready

Riaz Phillips’ Brown stew chicken

If you want a great summery marinade, but without the barbecue, Riaz Phillips’ brown stew chicken from her book East Winds: Recipes, History and Tales from the Hidden Caribbean by Riaz Phillips. DK. £25. Out Now. Is delicious.

Ingredients

• 1.5kg chicken, cut to desired size, or pieces of choice
• 5 tbsp cooking oil of choice
• 3 tbsp brown sugar of choice
• 200ml hot water

For the marinade

• 3 tbsp green seasoning
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 1 spring onion, finely chopped
• ½ Scotch bonnet pepper, deseeded and chopped
• 3 tbsp tomato ketchup
• 1 tsp dark soy sauce or Worcestershire sauce 2 sprigs thyme

Method

1. In a large bowl, add the chicken and marinade ingredients and stir to combine. Marinate for a few hours or overnight, although you can also use straight away.
   
2. In a large frying pan, Dutch pot or heavy-based saucepan, heat the oil over a medium–high heat.
   
3. When hot, add the sugar to the centre and cook for 2–3 minutes until it starts to bubble and the edges start to turn dark brown. Turn the heat down a notch to medium and add the contents of the chicken seasoning bowl and begin to stir and mix to coat and combine with the sugar.
   
4. Continue to cook, stirring intermittently, for 10 minutes, at which point you should see some of the fat from the chicken. Add the hot water and cover and cook for 10 minutes, then remove the lid, turn the heat down to medium–low and cook for a final 10 minutes, or until the gravy reaches your desired consistency. Remove the thyme sprigs, if used.
   
5. Serve with rice and peas (kidney beans).

NOTE: When stirring the chicken, avoid touching or scraping the sugar with your utensil at the start or it may stick and be hard to shake off.

Nathaniel Smith’s Sticky prawn kebabs

Nathaniel Smith’s sticky prawn kebabs are a brand-new recipe from his debut cookbook Flayvaful: Spice up your kitchen! Murdoch Books. £22. Out 25th April 2024, inspired by his Jamaican heritage.

Serves 2–4 

Ingredients

For the green seasoning 

• 1 green bell pepper cored and deseeded 
• ½ onion 
• 35 g each fresh flat-leaf parsley, coriander and fresh basil leaves 
• 6 garlic cloves 
• 5 sprigs of fresh thyme 
• 3 spring onions  
• 1 rib of celery 
• ½ Scotch bonnet pepper 
• ½ tsp pimento (allspice) berries 
• 1 tsp salt 
• 2 tbsp olive oil 

TIP: Your Green Seasoning can make 2-3 jars and be kept in an airtight container for up to a week – or frozen into ice cube moulds for whenever you need them! 

For the kebabs 

• 600 g raw king prawns, rinsed and deveined 
• 2 tbsp olive oil 
• 2 tbsp chipotle paste 
• 2 tsp Green Seasoning  
• 2 tsp chopped fresh coriander  
• 3 garlic cloves, minced 
• 1 t tsp medium chilli powder 
• ½ tsp onion powder 
• ½ tsp ground cumin 
• 1 tsp salt 
• 2 tbsp butter, melted  
• juice of 1 lime 
• 7 tbsp honey  
• 1 red bell pepper, cut into 2.5 cm pieces 
• 1 green bell pepper, cut into 2.5 cm pieces 
• 1 onion, cut into 2.5 cm pieces 

To make the green seasoning:

1. Place all the ingredients in a blender. Blitz until a smooth paste has formed. It should resemble the consistency of a very thick smoothie. 

2. Preheat the oven to 210°C fan. Soak your wooden skewers in water for 30 minutes. 

3. Pat prawns dry and in a large bowl, season the prawns with the olive oil, chipotle paste, green seasoning (if using), coriander, garlic, chilli powder, onion powder, cumin and salt. Mix and allow to marinate for 20 minutes while your skewers are soaking. 

4. While the prawns marinate, combine the melted butter, lime juice and honey and pop to the side. 

5. To assemble your skewers, add a red pepper piece, green pepper piece, onion piece and then a prawn, and repeat until your skewer is full. Once done, brush any remaining marinade left in the bowl over your skewers. 

6. Place the skewers on a wire rack, with a little space to leave airflow for cooking, and bake in the oven for 5 minutes. Brush with the lime honey butter and then grill on high for 2 minutes to develop some char and colour. 

7. To BBQ, grill over high heat for 1–2 minutes per side and brush with the lime honey butter for the last minute of cooking. 

8. Serve with rice, as a starter on their own or chop up and enjoy on some tacos with some mango avocado salad. 

Andi Oliver’s Coconut and lime cheesecake

This wonderfully zingy, creamy and crowd-pleasing cheesecake comes from Andi Oliver’s The Pepperpot Diaries: Stories From My Caribbean Table. DK. £27. Out Now. 

Serves 12

For the base

• 100 g gingernut biscuits
• 100 g oat biscuits
• 50 g desiccated coconut
• 120 g melted unsalted butter
• pinch of salt

For the filling

• 280 g full-fat cream cheese
• 4 tbsp coconut condensed milk
• 200ml coconut milk
• 150ml double cream
• grated zest and juice of 2 limes
• 100g white chocolate, melted

For the topping

• 1 fresh coconut
• 1 tbsp maple syrup
• grated zest of 1 lime
• 1 fresh mango, peeled, cored, and diced
• 22–24cm fluted tart tin, base lined with baking parchment

Equipment

• electric hand whisk

Method

1. Put all the biscuits in a sealable food bag and bash them up to fine crumbs using a rolling pin or similar. Tip the crumbs into a bowl and mix with the toasted coconut, melted butter, and salt. Press into the bottom and sides of a 22-24cm fluted tart tin lined with baking parchment and chill in the fridge for 1 hour or until set.
   
2. Combine all the filling ingredients, apart from the chocolate, in a large mixing bowl. Beat together using an electric hand whisk until smooth and slightly thickened. Mix through the melted white chocolate. Spoon the filling on top of the set base and chill for a couple of hours in the fridge until set (do note that this cheesecake has quite a soft-set finish).
   
3. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 200ºC (180°C Fan).
   
4. Crack open the fresh coconut and peel off flakes of the flesh using a vegetable peeler. You want about 2 handfuls in total. Toss the flakes in the maple syrup and half of the lime zest on a baking tray, then toast in the preheated oven for around 10 minutes until crisp. Leave to cool, then top the cheesecake with the toasted coconut.
   
5. Mix together the diced mango and remaining lime zest and serve a little spoon of this alongside slices of cheesecake or pile it on top of the cheesecake as well.

MORE : The ’20/20′ rule that will change how you drink wine forever

MORE : Master your weekend BBQ with these expert tips

MORE : ‘Burnt out and lonely, I gave up city life and moved to the Caribbean’

Mercury has finally stopped it’s retrograde and entered its retroshade.

If you’ve been experiencing any life glitches associated to its rewind, rest assured things will start easing up.

For Virgo, those business blocks? Gone. And for Leo, expect your plans to go off without a hitch.

Ahead, you’ll find all the star signs’ horoscopes for today: Thursday April 25, 2024.

Like checking your horoscope every morning? You can now sign up to our free daily newsletter to get a personalised reading for your star sign delivered straight to your inbox.

Aries

March 21 to April 20

As Mercury straightens its stride in your sign, you’ll feel the gears of progress whirring back to life. Those projects once stuck in limbo will soon be bursting with momentum once this lively planet is fully back on track. The path of communication clears and edgy talks become smooth dialogues. With the static dialled down, your message will soon be delivered, loud and clear!

Head here for everything you need to know about being an Aries

Taurus

April 21 to May 21

As Mercury resumes its forward path, imagine the universe handing you a pristine whiteboard, signalling a fresh start. Those conversations that once felt so awkward will smooth out, and your plans will soon get moving. This is your green light for clear, impactful communication. It’s the perfect time to renegotiate, reconnect and broadcast your intentions Taurus, and push ahead.

Head here for everything you need to know about being a Taurus

Gemini

May 22 to June 21

You’ll find it easier to reconcile with others once Mercury picks up its pace in fiery Aries. Misunderstandings with friends? Soon they’ll be a thing of the past. It’s a prime time to extend the olive branch and weave those frayed bonds back together. Meanwhile, group projects that have been idling in the background suddenly find their rhythm, ready to head towards success.

Head here for everything you need to know about being a Gemini

Cancer

June 22 to July 23

Could romance or a special friendship show up? With the cosmic backdrop looking quite spectacular for social connections, the days ahead could coincide with zesty encounters. Stalled negotiations and business deals that have been simmering on the back burner, are finally ready to bubble to successful conclusions. This energetic shift can help clear your professional plate.

Head here for everything you need to know about being a Cancer

Leo

July 24 to August 23

With an ongoing focus on your sector of adventure, Mercury’s forward stance means you can travel without suffering delays and inconveniences. But there are also positive opportunities awaiting regarding your personal ambitions or even a job, and the coming days are still crucial if you’re to make the most of them. Have an intuition to connect with someone? Go for it, Leo!

Head here for everything you need to know about being a Leo

Virgo

August 24 to September 23

As Mercury pushes ahead, any financial fog can begin to lift and delayed talks could get underway. Cash flow issues? They’ll soon dissolve. Business blocks? They’re dissolving. You’ve been through a period of financial spring cleaning, so get ready to shed what’s no longer profitable or purposeful. The chance to declutter your economic landscape will bring rewards.

Head here for everything you need to know about being a Virgo

Libra

September 24 to October 23

There may be some good news that can either gift you with a small amount of cash or bring special benefits in other ways. You may be made a generous offer or be given something that you really appreciate. From today, your connections pulsate with renewed energy and potential. Your partnerships are blooming, weaving together progress and passion in equal measure.

Head here for everything you need to know about being a Libra

Scorpio

October 24 to November 22

Mercury blazes forward in Aries, flipping a switch on your projects and infusing them with a vibrant spark of momentum. Plans that once seemed to be adrift and stagnating, are now propelled by a gust of progress and can head towards completion. Simultaneously, this cosmic shift reinvigorates your dedication to health, nudging you back onto the path of wellness.

Head here for everything you need to know about being a Scorpio

Sagittarius

November 23 to December 21

As Mercury resumes its direct dance in Aries, wave goodbye to those delays that have cramped your style. The cosmic green light is on, illuminating your path to success. This shift isn’t just about catching up. It’s a catalyst that revs up your progress, especially if developments have been more of a trickle than a torrent lately. Use any opportunity to showcase your talent too.

Head here for everything you need to know about being a Sagittarius

Capricorn

December 22 to January 21

The coming days can have a fortuitous quality while enhancing relationships. Wherever you turn your attention may see you tapping into your innate passion and finding deep satisfaction. This could involve linking with others who share your interests, in which case something good can come from your efforts. However, whether solo or entangled, romance can be ignited too.

Head here for everything you need to know about being a Capricorn

Aquarius

January 22 to February 19

Finally, the snags and delays that tested your patience are dissolving, breathing life back into negotiations that seemed to be in perpetual hibernation. Conversations flow more freely, agreements find common ground, and plans that were idling now burst into action. Today marks a turning point, where your forward-thinking ideas and projects gain momentum and clarity.

Head here for everything you need to know about being an Aquarius

Pisces

February 20 to March 20

As Mercury sweeps forward in Aries, the mist that’s enveloped your plans starts to clear, heralding the end of annoying delays. This celestial shift ushers in a period of fluidity, where money matters that have been treading water are now poised to glide smoothly towards resolution. It’s a time to breathe a sigh of relief and prepare for progress in your financial affairs.

Head here for everything you need to know about being a Pisces

To order your unique personal horoscope based on your time, date and place of birth, visit patrickarundell.com

Your daily Metro.co.uk horoscope is here every morning, seven days a week (yes, including weekends!). To check your forecast, head to our dedicated horoscopes page.

Do you have a story to share?
Get in touch by emailing MetroLifestyleTeam@Metro.co.uk

MORE : The Full Moon In Scorpio activates the new you – your star sign’s tarot horoscope forecast

MORE : Your star sign’s tarot horoscope for the month of April 2024

MORE : What does the week have in store? Your tarot horoscope reading for April 22 to April 28

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While talking openly about penis size is seen as taboo, as a society we tend to conflate ‘bigger’ with ‘better’; praising people for having BDE (big dick energy) or using the suggestion of a smaller member as an insult.

The implication that anything less than huge is inadequate can then feed into a person’s sense of self worth, and potentially even lead them to develop what’s been termed ‘dickmorphia’.

Dickmorphia describes when someone is constantly concerned about the size of their penis, although it’s referred to as penile dysmorphic disorder or small penis anxiety in the medical field.

Research shows that only a third of men are happy with what they’ve got, but obsessive fixations and shame around penis size are when this veers into a variant of body dysmorphia.

Elize Kapaeva, certified sexologist and body-oriented therapist at sex-positive dating app Pure, tells Metro.co.uk that this may cause different reactions depending on whether someone is a ‘grower’ (whose penis may be smaller than average while flaccid but grow significantly when erect) or a ‘shower’ (whose size is an issue for them regardless of arousal).

‘In the first case, a man may begin thinking that in view of the “small” penis he has, his sex partner will immediately stop communicating with him, as if they will not see what this penis can grow to,’ she explains. ‘Or there may be a situation exactly the opposite: the penis will not be able to increase more than what is already there, and this will begin to greatly frustrate the man.

‘In both of these stories, the anxiety can be enormous, because men have long been shown who a real man is and what he should not be in any way, namely, he cannot be a “loser” in bed. A lot of responsibility and anxiety are also raised here because it’s as if men are biologically prescribed this hitch of sex and their identity.’ 

Dickmorphia is often caused by comparison, despite the fact sexual pleasure and attraction are far from one size fits all. Many men are also comparing themselves to an unrealistic standard.

Sexual and relationship psychotherapist and sex expert for Lelo, Kate Moyle, tells Metro.co.uk: One 2008 study exploring male body image found that 68% described penis size being a concern for them, however we actually have no consistent research on actual penis size.

‘Much penis size anxiety relates to social narratives about penis size which are often connected to ideas about masculinity, paired with online representations of bodies that feed into these worries creating further comparison, anxieties and concerns.’

And while it may seem like trivial to some, this fixation can really impact sufferers’ mental health or intimate relationships.

‘People can become preoccupied with and insecure about what their partner might be thinking which then impacts other parts of the relationship,’ says Kate.

‘Specifically relating to sex it can create performance anxiety which has the potential to interrupt our sexual arousal, desire and functioning, and can lead to difficulties with erections or struggling to enjoy sexual experiences.’

In more extreme cases, Dr Deborah Lee, of Dr Fox Online Pharmacy told Men’s Health: ‘Men who suffer from this are so obsessed with their penis size, they may not be able to work, function in society, or maintain relationships.’

If dickmorphia is affecting your life, a dose of perspective may be helpful. You could also look at therapy to unpack why you’re ashamed about your body and work through low self-esteem.

‘Don’t judge your genitals by what is depicted in porn, as that is far from reality,’ advises Elize. ‘Instead, why don’t you explore what makes your penis stand out? Maybe you’re an expert in certain sex positions or you know how to pleasure your partner in ways other than just with your penis.’

Alternatively, if your partner is dealing with issues you think are down to concerns over their penis size, open, safe communication and avoiding shame are key.

However, Kate adds: ‘Your partner’s anxiety is theirs, and while you can be confirming and reassuring, you can’t persuade them out of their worry. They will have to get there on their own, as a huge part of these type of concerns is doubt, and some of that may be showing up in your relationship.

‘Validate and confirm what you do like about them and their body, and normalise that many of us have body insecurities and worries, and that human bodies are all different, diverse and unique.’

Do you have a story to share?

Get in touch by emailing MetroLifestyleTeam@Metro.co.uk.

Before I begin, I want to say that first and foremost, this is a love letter to waistcoats. Remember that.

Put a waistcoat on and you are really going places – you might be marrying Portia De Rossi later or maybe managing the England football team.

With a waistcoat on, truly anything is possible. And let’s be honest, women in waistcoats are hot – we should actually take a moment here to acknowledge and honour the inventor of the three piece suit, Cate Blanchett.

So, with the fact that I am a waistcoat fan – a champion of them, even – I now want to say this: Waistcoats used to be my biggest ick.

As a teenager, I would shudder, roll my eyes, groan at the thought of women choosing to wear them. ‘Why?’ I would say, as I walked around in my low-rise jeans and my 14 T-shirts layered on top of each other, ‘why do they have to dress like that?’

The ‘they’ I was referring to was lesbians. Of course, I know now that my aversion was not an ick, it was internalised homophobia.

This was not about the waistcoat on the hot woman, it was about the unworn waistcoat inside my heart.

The ‘ick’ I developed surrounding certain ‘lesbian’ fashion extended to – but was not limited to – white vests, leather wrist cuffs (think Ryan from The OC), keys attached to belts and thumb rings. To be clear these are all things I either wear now or admire on others. If I had enough keys, you’d better believe they’d be on my belt. 

The truth is, then, I was both drawn to and terrified of being identified by these things. I wanted proximity to them and to the people wearing them but there is something very different about knowing who you are and having others perceive you that way.

I was a teenager in the 2000s, which was a time when ‘lesbian’ was a dirty word. As Jill Gutowitz writes in her book, Girls Can Kiss Now, ‘is there anything scarier than hearing that everything you find to be relatable or aspirational will lead to being outcast?’

I wasn’t ready. I did not want to be an outcast. So my waistcoat stayed in the closet.

I wish I could say that there was a lightbulb moment where I realised I wasn’t only being a massive loser but that I was harming myself everytime I judged someone by what they were wearing.

The truth is, over time, I stopped hating myself for fancying women, stopped seeing that as something to chasten or tame and instead, realised it was something to celebrate. I spent time with cool, queer people of all genders who expressed themselves freely and joyfully.

Slowly, things clicked into place. I let myself be intrigued, beguiled, even attracted to the waistcoat.

Everyone’s experience is different. There are people who identify as lesbians and lean towards more traditionally masculine clothes, others more feminine. Some a mix of both depending on the day, their mood and of course, the moon.

I fall into the latter camp.

Some days I want to dress like Kendall Roy trying to take over the company, other days like a teenage boy drinking Monster in the park. Sometimes I want to wear a dress and red lipstick and heels I can’t walk in.

Once I stopped caring about the male gaze, everything changed – I was free. It’s a pleasure now to dress how I like, to put on a baseball cap and a plaid shirt, slide on my 17 rings and look like every other lesbian in the street, nodding at other women walking their rescue greyhounds and complaining about the price of oat milk.

Recently, lesbian fashion has been declared mainstream and ‘sexy and powerful’ by publications like Harpers Bazaar and the New York Post. I think this once would have meant something to me. Made me feel more accepted.

But f**k being accepted, actually. Part of the joy of being queer is thinking outside the box, to challenge the status quo, to live outside the mainstream, to wear things other people could only dream of.

Lesbian fashion is not (exclusively) Bella Hadid dressing like a private schoolboy – it is butch women in suits, it’s practical shoes with statement socks or it’s pleather skirts, fishnets and doc martens.

I asked my queer followers on Instagram to tell me their thoughts on lesbian fashion and someone said ‘clothes that are both hot and practical’ – I think that’s perfect.

As author Daisy Jones writes in her book, All the Things She Said – on iconic, queer staple – the vest, ‘can give off horny energy, or they can give off practical energy, but fundamentally, they can give off both, which is what makes them especially dykey.’ 

Lesbian fashion is not a trend, it’s not even just about clothes themselves, it’s about how queer people wear them – posture and confidence and swagger and camp.

You can’t declare those things fashionable because they have always existed and will always exist.

Trends come and go but waistcoats are forever.

Laura is the author of Making It, a romcom about friendship, love and finding yourself, which can be pre-ordered here.

Every couple has a disagreement or two, but if you find yourself arguing constantly with your partner over daily tasks or important jobs, there may be a solution.

You need to adopt The Captain approach.

In a now-viral TikTok which has garnered 1.3 million views, Cassidy Skelton shared her and her fiance’s relationship hack to avoid arguments.

She explained: ‘[We] do this thing called The Captain, where every area of our life has a captain, and if you’re the captain of that area – you get to make all the calls and the other person just has to follow and listen.

‘For example, Nick is the captain for being the head tenant in places we rent. He talks to the landlord, he organises all that kind of stuff, but I’m the captain of our money, so I pay the rent.

‘We just do this because he’s better at communicating with landlords – it stresses me out when I do it – and I’m better at finances.’

She goes on to explain that it helps with their newborn son, too. The designated captain is always the one holding the baby because they are the most calm in whatever situation they’re in.

‘Whoever the captain is in that situation has him on us,’ Cassidy said. ‘For example, in the airport I’m the captain because I used to be a flight attendant, I know how they work, they don’t stress me out…

‘So any time we’re in the airport, I’m wearing our son because I’m the most calm parent therefore he would be the most calm baby.’

Being Captain means the other person doesn’t get frustrated when you’re telling them what to do.

‘With [my fiance] being the captain in other areas of our lives, he tells me that something needs to be done to our house because of the landlord I’ll be like “yeah, of course, you’re the captain!”,’ Cassidy explained.

The comments under the video explaining the clever hack prove it’s actually a common tactic for couples in relationships.

One user wrote: ‘Same, but we do it through ministry. For example, I’m the minister for education. He’s the finance minister.’

‘We call this head chef and sous chef,’ wrote another.

Bekah Klassen, meanwhile, said: ‘We do this. He’s the chief of health and I’m the chief financial officer, so we have monthly health and wealth meetings.’

Paul Brunson, Tinder’s global relationships expert explains that TikTok is right – it’s a great way to reduce the number of arguments a couple has.

He tells Metro: ‘Relationship captains are a great way to help people take control of what they’re good at and ultimately show their love and support for their partner.

‘We all run busy lives so having a more defined role in your pairing – whether that’s leading on things such as housework, planning date nights or managing household finances – can massively help relieve some of life’s stresses and naturally reduce arguments.’

Paul explains method is particularly good for ‘those who appreciate quality time and acts of service as their main love languages’.

About 82% of Tinder users claim that aligned love languages are important, so if The Captain method can help, then we’re on to a winner.

Paul says: ‘The pros of having a captain in the relationship are that it can help mitigate arguments as all parties feel as though they have a role, which in turn helps them understand love languages and importantly deliver against them.’

The relationship expert even provided ways couples already implementing The Captain can enhance its positive effects on their partnership.

‘The Captain method could be even more effective with partners prioritising qualities like intentionality and transparency, along with self-love and personal fulfilment,’ Paul explains.

‘This will not only help them understand themselves on a deeper level, but it will also encourage them to further understand their partner too.’

By understanding your partner on an even deeper level, you can be a better captain because you’ll know what direction and communication they do and do not respond well to – therefore, you can lead effectively.

That doesn’t mean the method is fool-proof though. There are some downsides.

‘The cons include the potential to limit spontaneity which may make some elements of the relationship can feel limited and predefined,’ Paul says.

‘For example, planning dates or nights out can be a fun activity, so the excitement of doing something for your partner may dim if it’s always a requirement in your role as Captain.’

In these areas it may be important to switch up who The Captain is, to ensure that both parties are content with the responsibilities in the relationship.

An even split seems to be key, especially since 23% of Brits claimed their main bugbear in a relationship is ‘I don’t feel my partner pulls their weight’.

So, why not put your captain hat on and put it to the test?

Do you have a story to share?

Get in touch by emailing MetroLifestyleTeam@Metro.co.uk.

Sometimes, life is definitely a case of better the devil you know. When it comes to bottomless brunch, for example, that reliable eggs ‘n mimosa joint you love just tends to hit the spot – same for your 9am coffee run.

But when it comes to exes, you might want to do a little self-reflection first.

After all, you probably broke up for a really good reason – and unless things are very different now, it might all come crashing right back down again.

And when you apply that logic to a previous employer, are you looking at a similar scenario?

The average Brit employee will spend about 3,515 days of their life at work, based on a 35-hour working week, which equates to 1,795 hours per year and 84,365 hours over your lifetime.

When you look at it like that, this is a lot of time to spend on anything – especially if you’re really not happy there. So if you are asked by an old boss to consider making a U-turn and return to your old job, should you do it?

An increasing number of British workers are doing just that, according to recent data which found that the trend of rehiring former employees is on the increase. Government administration, oil, gas, and mining, and the financial services sectors showed the highest share of “boomerang” employees.

The advantages of taking back former workers is fairly obvious for companies: they get you to hit the ground running which mitigates the usual three to six months of expensive onboarding that new workers tend to need.

But from your perspective, is it a good idea to go back? With recent data from jobs site Indeed indicating that there has been a 27 percent drop in the number of advertised roles in the UK year-on-year, nipping back to your old boss can seem like a very attractive prospect.

While you should think long and hard about taking an offer, particularly if you left because of specific issues, a boomerang back can definitely deliver dividends.

For example, you’ll settle in quickly, and be able to benefit from your existing social capital: after all, you’ll know lots of people and will understand how you can use those contacts immediately.

You’ll also be familiar with the pace of work and will know exactly what’s expected of you during your work day. Plus, if you’re being chased by a former boss, then you’re in a good space to ask for more money and better benefits.

You may even be able to talk yourself into a promotion, a move to an area that interests you more, or some extra learning and development opportunities to ensure that your career can continue to progress.

No matter whether you’re looking to return to an old job or you want to move on to pastures new, then you’ll discover countless opportunities with employers all across the UK on the Metro Job Board. It contains thousands of open positions, like the three below.

IT Manager, AutoRek, Glasgow

Autorek is setting the new standard in financial data automation and as IT Manager, you will join as the leader of a vital team, bringing your years of experience and advanced technical ability to bear.

A varied and challenging role, this represents an exciting opportunity to join an ambitious and innovative team, where you’ll lead a team of two IT support engineers, and troubleshoot complex technical issues related to Windows Hybrid Domain, Microsoft 365, and end-user computing. You will also collaborate with other departments and stakeholders to align IT initiatives with business objectives.

To apply, you’ll need a minimum of three years’ experience in Azure; Specifically, Azure Active Directory, Azure Virtual Machines, Azure Firewall, Azure Networking, Azure Site Recovery and Azure Sentinel, plus a minimum of two years’ experience managing or mentoring a small IT team. Find out more here.

ALTEN UK Innovation Engineer Placement – Year in Industry, Quick Release, Derby

A great opportunity for a career starter, this Innovation Engineer Placement at Alten is a one-year placement offering a unique opportunity to assume early responsibility as part of a dynamic team and apply cutting-edge technology to real world problems.

You’ll be utilising innovation development methodologies, while facing a wide scope of applications. Expanding and using your technical skills is also part of the placement and you’ll work with ALTEN technical specialists to validate and improve your solutions, as well as learn how to discuss, report, and present your work in a professional environment.

The salary for this role is £23,800, and you can apply here.

Business Analyst, Manchester Airport, Manchester

As a Business Analyst at Manchester Airport, you’ll play a key role in MAG Technology’s product and change function, charged with helping to transform the business through technology, digital, and automation.

You’ll be helping to solve problems for the business by identifying process, data, technology, and people requirements to digitise the passenger journey, improve aircraft turnaround times, optimise colleague experiences, and drive efficiencies across the MAG group.

You’ll also work closely with solution architects, product and project managers to deliver outcomes end-to-end, whether that be system, process, or data changes.

If this sounds like the role for you, you’ll need substantial BA experience across a range of industries, ideally demonstrating experience of working on projects that combine systems, process, and data changes. Get more application criteria.

For hundreds of roles all across the UK, visit the Metro Job Board today.

It will hardly come as a surprise to you that the most expensive city for first-time buyers is London.

But, following the capital, the next city on the list is nestled in Hertfordshire, with eye-watering property prices but gorgeous quaint streets and stunning landmarks.

The city in question? St Albans.

The well-known commuter town was named by Rightmove as the most expensive city for first-time buyers, outside of London.

The overall average asking price of a property in St Albans is £635,680, but the most bought houses in the area last year were terraced homes, which sold for an average of £556,293.

For first-time buyers looking to secure themselves a flat in the area, it will still set you back £391,964. The typical monthly mortgage payment will sit at about £1,454 for a 35-year term.

If you have the money, it is a stunning place to live, with great schools and more pubs per square mile than anywhere else in the UK.

The best pubs for a pint are The Six Bells, The Boot and The Blacksmith Arms, all of which have a great atmosphere – especially in the summer.

If you take a stroll into Verulamium park, which is home to roman ruins, you can amble alongside the lake peppered with swans and grab a light bite at the oldest pub in Britian: Ye Olde Fighting Cocks.

Just a 20-minute walk up past St Albans Abbey is Hatch, which will serve you the best breakfast you’ve ever eaten. The Beech House, meanwhile, has a great (and affordable) dinner menu and has hosted the likes of Zendaya and Tom Holland.

If you’re willing to take a drive for a bite to eat, The Prae Wood Arms on the prestigious Prae Wood estate is also a great spot.

Shopping offerings are top-notch too – although they’re on the pricier side, with an Anthropologie, Reiss, Whistles and The White Company. George Street boasts gorgeous independent boutiques.

If you do set up shop here, the commute from St Albans City station to London St Pancras is just 20 minutes direct.

Following closely behind at the second most expensive city for first-time buyers outside London, is Cambridge.

The average flat will set back a buyer £361,429 with an average monthly mortgage payment of £1,341.

Winchester is next on the list, with a flat costing first-time buyers £344,368 with an average mortgage payment of £1,278.

Oxford and Brighton round out the top five at £338,085 and £335,402 respectively.

Bristol, Chelmsford and York also made the list, as did Edinburgh.

If you’re in search of the cheapest city to get on the property ladder, it’s unsurprisingly quite far up north.

Aberdeen will set first-time buyers back just £102,601 for a flat, with a mortgage repayment of just £406 per month.

Situated in the north-east of Scotland, the third biggest Scottish city offers a nice mix of city and sea.

You can watch the ships dock in the harbour while trying to spot dolphins, and you can even surf off the city beach.

Aberdeen also has two charming Old Towns, with stunning cottages and a 15th century cathedral.

This data made certain assumptions about mortgage costs, including that first-time buyers in Scotland and Wales had a 20% deposit and were taking out a five-year fixed-rate mortgage at average rates.

It also assumed that first-time buyers in England had a slightly higher deposit, at 25%, reflecting industry averages for deposit sizes, and were taking out a five-year mortgage.

After Aberdeen, Bradford was found to be the next cheapest city to be a first-time buyer, with an average asking price of £107,929.

The West Yorkshire city is home to The Alhambra Theatre, which has shown West End favourites like The Lion King and War Horse.

The cost of renting a two-bedroom or smaller home has increased by 39% in the last five years, compared with a 19% jump in the cost of buying a two-bedroom or smaller home, Rightmove said.

Over half of the district is green open space though, and includes the famous Ilkley moor, the brooding Bronte country and the model village of Saltaire.

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When it comes to the world’s best cities, London has some serious contenders in the US. Besides, we’ve exported their steakhouses, delis, and even NYC’s most iconic dessert. But does New York have homegrown Anglo-Japanese cocktails, tulip festivals at historical palaces and Sir Ian McKellen on stage? We don’t think so…

The Slice’s Pick

Nipperkin

By Rob Buckhaven, Metro’s drinks columnist

Downstairs at Japanese restaurant, Niju, is a gem of a cocktail bar. A forager’s happy place, where they’ve done all the foraging for you. Their cocktail programme is called ‘future past’, with UK sourced ingredients from London, Norfolk, Yorkshire, Saffron Walden and Kent as the future, and old-school techniques as the past. It’s helmed by the charismatic Angelos Bafas, who’s all about flavours, textures and a good old time. I tried pretty much every cocktail on the list as I’m a sticker for thorough research. Standouts are ‘Cacao and Sake Lees’ with pickled coffee vermouth and koji caramel and ‘Tomato and Basil’ with mezcal basil distillate, fennel absinthe and Norfolk shiso leaves, accompanied by scrumptious chicken or fish Japanese sandos.

Cocktails start at £15. 20 Berkeley St, Mayfair. Book here.

Food & Drink

UBA

By Courtney Pochin, Metro’s specialist food writer

It’s no secret that Shoreditch is home to some great restaurants and newly opened UBA, a Pan-Asian spot with dishes inspired by street food from Tokyo, Bangkok, Hong Kong, and Singapore, could become one of them. The menu is diverse, featuring a wide range of flavours and playful modern twists on classic dishes, from sushi to fluffy bao buns. While many may opt for the Miso Black Cod or Dim Sum, don’t sleep on the Three Yuzu Shisho Marinade Lamb Cutlets, which are superb – and that’s coming from someone who dislikes lamb. The lychee, jasmine and raspberry Creme brûlée is also a must, and be sure to order a cocktail or two during your visit … I’m still thinking about the Blushing Geisha over a week later.

Mains from £13.50, 61-67 Great Eastern Str, Shoreditch. Book here.

The Wine Tasting Shop

By Rob Buckhaven, Metro’s drinks columnist

Tempted by off-the-beaten-track wines from Moldova, Georgia, Romania, Slovenia, Canada and Greece? Then take a mosey on over to The Tasting Shop in Balham of all places, a buzzing bar, bottle shop and tasting room which has become a local institution. Helmed by the loveliest husband and wife team, Rex and Cat, it boasts over 300 organic, biodynamic and natural wines. We did the wine flight of three wines paired to a cheese and charcuterie sharing board, which gives you a decent sized glass of Rosé Champagne, a white and a red to the backdrop of live music. If you’re going there for pre-drinks before heading off somewhere else, cancel your after-plans, you won’t want to leave.

18 Hildreth St, Balham. Book here.

Franklin & Baines

Is there a more polarising part of London than Clapham? Like it or hate it, something is always happening there, and it’s among the bustling array of late-night bars where Franklin & Baines’ delicious steak cuts and dreamy cocktails are making their stake for the perfectly indulgent alternative to pre-drinks. The decor – with its colourful lighting – is fun enough for a boozy night out, but sophisticated enough (with food tasty enough) for a dinner date. We recommend the smokey BBQ Corn Ribs to start (a justified local favourite) with a selection of five different steak cuts to choose from for your main. Meat-eaters rejoice – these are seriously generous portions from people who seriously know how to sear a steak.

Steaks from £18.50, cocktails from £12.50. 68-70 Clapham High St, Clapham Book here.

London's best... sustainable cooking: Earth Day - 22 April and Food Waste Day - 24 April

BEST CALI VIBES: Feels Like June.

California easy-living is the theme of Feels Like June, a small plates, sharing, taco bar that is the latest addition to the sprawl of restaurants on the waterfront at Canary Wharf. Highlights from the small plates menu include a pesto-garnished burrata and grilled halloumi with  chilli jam, and West Coast vibes continue with a selection of fresh tacos (we like chipotle beef brisket). Or simply forget the food and dive into the cocktails – these come subtly themed, reasonably priced and very boozy. It might not feel quite like June in London yet, but we are at least California dreaming…

Tacos from £13. TRIBE, 15 Water St, Canary Wharf. Book here.

BEST NEW YORKER: Six By Nico.

From Brooklyn to the Upper West Side, chef Nico Simeone’s new six-course tasting menu takes you on a gastronomic journey around the Big Apple. Deli and diner classics are reimagined on the plate, artfully transformed into fine dining fare, but still remaining quintessentially New York in taste. There’s bacon, egg, and cheese, a twist on pepperoni pizza and the aubergine parm doughnut is a zingy, deep-fried delight. It would just be rude not to get the sourdough with lashings of salty maple bacon butter, but you’ll need to be quick as this menu is only around for a limited time.

Until 19 May, £50pp. Fitzrovia and Canary Wharf locations. Book here.

BEST ICONIC: Sette.

Cary Grant, Grace Kelly, Marilyn Monroe, and Cher are all said to have enjoyed a Frrrozen Hot Chocolate from Serendipity3 in New York, and the iconic giant sweet treat has just landed in London at Sette by Scarpetta. Made from 14 different types of cocoa, this pudding is essentially a giant hot chocolate slushy that’s served in a fishbowl-like goblet. Choose from original or S’mores with toasted marshmallows. This dessert isn’t for the faint-hearted, but if you can finish one all by yourself, you’ll feel pretty smug (and pretty sick, but it’s worth it).

£18, available until end of May. Ground Floor, 4 Knightsbridge Grn, Knightsbridge. Book here.

What’s on

Hampton Court Tulip Festival

Nothing says springtime like fields bursting with luscious, colourful tulips. And contrary to popular belief you don’t have to jump on a plane to the Netherlands to see them in all their glory, as London boasts some truly spectacular displays of its own. The best is at Hampton Court Palace, where for the month of April, the flowerbeds of Henry VIII’s south west London pad have been overrun by more than 100,000 of the beautiful blooms as part of their annual festival. And if that’s not enough tulips, you can also catch Tulip Talks in the wine cellar or take part in a tulip-themed embroidery class. This weekend, you can view the gardens for free without a ticket, as part of their Garden Open Days.  Blooming lovely!

Until 28 April. Palace entry with access to the gardens from £30, Garden Open Days with free entry 27-28 April. Hampton Ct Way, Molesey. Find out more here.

Theatre

Player Kings ★★★★

By Hugh Montgomery

For many actors, retirement is an alien concept, but few have approached their old age with quite the gusto shown by Sir lan McKellen. Now at the age of 84, he returns to Shakespeare as that great buffoon Falstaff in this stitched-together adaptation of Henry IV, Parts 1 and 2. His performance is simply majestic – a masterclass in comic delivery and timing. As for the show around him, it’s a clear and confident modern-dress production, which benefits from a range of fine performances: Ted Lasso’s Toheeb Jimoh is a smart, sardonic presence as Prince Hal, while Richard Coyle is affecting as Hal’s despairing monarch father. This near-four-hour show, unfortunately, does begin to drag in its closing stages (more a fault of Shakespeare than the director). Nevertheless, it finishes off with a powerful moment, where McKellen shows he has just as much handle on the tragedy as the comedy of his character. The only question is: what great roles are there left for him to tackle next?

From £20. Until June 22. Noel Coward Theatre. Book here.

See you next week!

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As birthplace of the sandwich almost 300 years ago, Britain’s love of a good sarnie has stood the test of time.

And while high street meal deals have introduced experimental new flavours to our lunch hours over the years, classic fillings still reign supreme.

The BLT has been crowned the UK’s favourite sandwich for 2024 in a recent poll, with 28% of respondents saying they were a fan.

The combination of bacon, lettuce and tomato between slices of bread can be traced back to an entry in Good Housekeeping Everyday cookbook in 1903.

Due to the rapid expansion of supermarkets after WWII, these ingredients became more readily available, and by the 1970s, the acronym BLT was common parlance.

Second place in the survey by Hovis was chicken salad, while tuna mayo and fish finger sandwiches came in joint third.

Coronation chicken, which was invented for Queen Elizabeth II’s coronation in 1953, was voted seventh most popular.

The humble Ploughman’s (made up of cheese and pickle, often with extras like ham or tomatoes) has seemingly fallen out of favour too, going from top choice in 2022 to number five this time around.

Meanwhile, 85% of those polled said you can’t enjoy a sandwich without butter, 41% were fans of mayonnaise, and 14% claimed they love to put hot sauce over their sandwich fillings.

The most popular sandwich bread was soft white (53%), followed by wholemeal (30%) and seeded (22%).

Proving the country’s enduring sarnie obsession, more than two thirds of respondents said they couldn’t live without bread, with 63% claiming any meal can be made better by putting it in between bread.

Adrian Mooney, marketing director at Hovis, commented: ‘There’s no doubt we’re a nation of sandwich lovers, and this research sheds light on our eating habits.

‘We were delighted to see that the classic BLT is still favoured by British sandwich lovers, whether it’s for lunch or dinner.’

Another British staple is fish and chips, and we can be quite particular about the dish. Contrary to popular belief, though, London chippies can hold their own against seaside spots.

Three chip shops in the capital proved they were worth their salt and vinegar in research into the country’s top 12, but none in Cornwall and Brighton made the cut.

One reviewer of Fish Lounge in Brixton Hill, which came first in the ranking, said: ‘Great service, lovely seating area and fantastic cod and chips at a reasonable price. Up there with the best fish and chips i’ve ever had (and I grew up in a coastal town!)’

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Get in touch by emailing MetroLifestyleTeam@Metro.co.uk.

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Being able to air-dry clothes outside is one of life’s simple pleasures. Luckily, Lakeland currently has some brilliant offers on outdoor airers and accessories, with up to 30% off some of their best-selling models. 

Nothing quite beats that fresh laundry scent that comes from line-drying clothes outside. 

With summer now only a matter of months away, it’s the ideal time to invest in a new outdoor dryer that will provide a quicker drying time turnaround and a great way to free up space in your home. 

The 50m Lakeland Telescopic Rotary Airer is currently £49.99 reduced from £79.99 (a hefty 30% off) and is perfect for those with heavy washing loads to get through. 

The rotary outdoor dryer holds a huge 50m of drying space (that’s roughly 30kg of laundry) meaning you can get the whole family’s washing dried in one fell swoop. 

Plus, this outdoor dryer is easier to install after a recent remodel, as shoppers note. 

‘So pleased to have this, so easy to install and wonderful to have line-dried washing again!!!’ ​​Lakeland shopper Revd Hiscox explained on the brand’s website.

While another shopper, Suzanne White, said, ‘I bought this as a Christmas present. I have a similar model and I am happy with it.’

50m Lakeland Telescopic Rotary Airer

This huge 50m rotary airer is big enough for the whole family to dry their clothes on in one go. Now all we need is the warmer weather.

Buy Now for £49.99 (was £79.99)

Drying clothes inside can be a real pain. With many of us trying to save money on our energy bills, without the heating on clothes can take days to dry resulting in less-than-fresh garments.

Just add some sunshine and a spring breeze and this nifty contraption will do all the work for you, saving space inside and eliminating clothes-washing-related eyesores.

The airer spins all the way around, meaning you can hang up the whole laundry load from one spot.

There are also handy loops at the end of each arm, creating extra space for drying jackets, shirts and dresses on a coat hanger.

Crafted from lightweight aluminium, it’s also easy to move around the garden or pop away into the garage when you’re not using it.

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While the weather might be chilly and rather grey, Starbucks has got us feeling like summer has come early after revealing their new drinks.

The coffee chain is launching five brand new beverages and bringing back a seasonal favourite ahead of the warmer months, with Starbucks Rewards members getting to try them before everyone else.

Those who have a sweet tooth will be excited by the newest coffee-based drink on the menu, which is a silky smooth Crème Brulée inspired Cream Cold Foam.

The new flavour is said to be a twist on the iconic brown sugar syrup that many add to their orders, and the coffee experts describe it as ‘delicious’ and ‘velvety’. 

Here’s a closer look all at the exciting new offerings coming soon…

Crème Brulée x Cold Brew

Starbucks has whipped up three different ways to order the new Cream Cold Foam, all of which sound pretty dreamy.

First there’s the standard Crème Brulée x Cold Brew (prices start from £3.85 for a tall size). The drink features the chain’s signature cold brew with a touch of vanilla syrup, topped with the Crème Brulée Cream Cold Foam and a dusting of fresh coffee grounds.

Crème Brulée x Iced Brown Sugar Oat Shaken Espresso

Next up is a new Crème Brulée x Iced Brown Sugar Oat Shaken Espresso (£5 for a tall size) which is made up of Blonde Espresso roast shaken with brown sugar syrup and ice.

The drink is topped with the Crème Brulée inspired Cold Foam and dusted with fresh coffee grounds.

Crème Brulée x Brown Sugar Frappuccino

And the final option is for the Frappe fans. The Crème Brulée x Brown Sugar Frappuccino (£4.85 for a tall size) starts with a brown sugar and coffee Frappuccino base, and is topped with that Crème Brulée goodness.

If coffee isn’t for you and you prefer something a little more fruity, don’t panic as there are also two brand new Refresha drinks being served, plus a sell-out fan favourite that’s making a comeback due to popular demand.

Dragon Coconut Refresha

Joining the line-up is a Dragon Coconut Refresha (prices start from £4.75 for a tall size). Mango and dragonfruit flavours are shaken by hand with a coconut drink, ice and dried dragonfruit pieces.

The drink is pink and honestly sounds like summer in a cup. You can practically picture yourself sipping this one on a beach.

Very Berry Hibiscus Refresha

There’s also a Very Berry Hibiscus Refresha being introduced, which will cost £4.35 for a tall size. This drink sees real fruit juice and whole blackcurrants shaken up with ice – perfect for cooling down on a warm day.

Mango Dragon Fruit Refresha

And for those Mango Dragonfruit fans, the Mango Dragonfruit Refresha is making a comeback. Priced from £4.75, it’s essentially the same as the other one but without the coconut. 

Social media users went wild over the fruity drink, with users on X hailing it as ‘literal heaven’, the ‘best drink ever’ and ‘so good’ it made them cry.

As these new items become available, several recent additions will be axed from the menu to make room, including the Iced Strawberry Matcha Tea Latte – featuring matcha and vanilla syrup, poured over ice and topped with a layer of Strawberry Cream Cold Foam – which was a hit when introduced for spring due to its aesthetic pink and green appearance.

The new Starbucks Summer menu launches in stores and on delivery services from May 2, but Rewards customers will be able to purchase the drinks ahead of time, from April 25, at select Starbucks shops and drive thrus.

Estelle Buffet, product developer EMEA (Beverage), said ‘Crème Brulée has always had a special place in my heart. The idea to incorporate this iconic dessert into our beverages came from a desire to elevate our drinks menu by adding a new and creative textural element. 

‘After experimenting with various options and flavours, the classic Crème Brulée stood out due to its delicious, velvety twist, and the Crème Brulée inspired Cream Cold Foam was born.​ This idea was further enriched by my heritage and the fond memories of cooking traditional French desserts with my grandmother during my childhood.’

Costa Coffee has also recently announced the return of the Iced Whipped Latte range. Along with the much-loved Salted Caramel and Choco flavours, a new White Chocolate option will be sold from May 2.

As well as these there are two new drinks on the menu — a Raspberry Mini-Bubble Frappe and Blueberry Burst Bubble Tea. Summer refresher drinks are also back, plus lemonade and pink lemonade.

This comes after a Five Guys insider revealed a little-known trick to make its milkshakes taste ‘phenomenal’ and the best part is, it won’t cost you any extra to order it.

The fast food chain recently changed up the drinks menu, swapping out the pistachio milkshakes and adding two brand new flavours for spring — mango and raspberry — which sound pretty yummy!

According to a Five Guys spokesperson, many customers have been missing out on ‘next level’ drinks during visits to the restaurants, as they simply didn’t know this hack existed.

The spokesperson told Metro.co.uk: ‘Our decadent milkshakes are completely customisable. Customers can combine any of the mix-ins, allowing over 1,000 ways for them to fully enjoy their delicious shake from our existing ingredients list.

‘Those feeling adventurous can mix all 11 ingredients. Yes, that does include bacon! You can create some phenomenal flavours with our combinations.’

Current flavour options on the menu at all Five Guys UK branches include mango, chocolate, banana, raspberry, strawberry, salted caramel, Oreo cookie pieces, Biscoff, bacon, vanilla, and peanut butter.

So if you wanted to you could order a chocolate and salted caramel milkshake, or go wild and opt for vanilla, bacon and peanut butter. 

Do you have a story to share?

Get in touch by emailing MetroLifestyleTeam@Metro.co.uk.

For anyone planning a summer holiday this year, you might want to reconsider which airport you’re flying from.

TUI has issued a warning to travellers jetting out from Birmingham airport, advising them to arrive at the airport three hours early to avoid disappointment.

And, if you’re catching a long-haul flight, the advice is to arrive four hours before take off.

The warning by the travel company comes amid works going on at Birmingham Airport until June.

The security hall is undergoing a £60,000,000 transformation to introduce brand new scanners which will change hand luggage rules for all passengers. 

Once the update has been completed, you’ll be able to pass through security and leave your liquids and electronics in your carry-on bags.

The British government had set a deadline of June 1 for all airports to complete the upgrades, ahead of the 100ml rule being scrapped this summer. 

‘We’d like to remind you to arrive at the airport with sufficient time before your flight,’ TUI said in a statement.

‘At the moment, we’re recommending giving yourself three hours for flights to Europe and Africa, and four hours for long-haul flights. 

‘That way, you’ll have plenty of time to check in your luggage and make your way through the security queues.’

‘Arriving any earlier than this won’t mean you can check in or pass through security early.’

TUI also reminded passengers of their bag drop off system.

‘On that note, don’t forget that if your flight takes off before noon, you can drop your bags between 2pm and 9pm using our day-before bag drop, making your departure day easier. You can do this for all flights except those to the USA.’ 

Why does the 100ml liquid rule exist?

The liquid rules were introduced in 2006 due to a terror threat.

Terrorists had been poised to smuggle liquid explosives through security by disguising them as soft drinks.

They planned to carry the explosives aboard planes travelling from the United Kingdom to the United States and Canada.

As a result of the incident, unprecedented security measures were initially implemented at airports.

New rules introduced on August 10 2006 resulted in hundreds of cancelled flights, long delays and queues at UK airports.

What are the new rules for liquids when flying?

The days of chugging a bottle of water, desperately squinting at the labels of your toiletries and debating over whether lip balm is a liquid (generally it’s not) should be behind us very soon. 

Up until now, unless your liquid items are bang on or below 100ml and crammed inside a small, clear plastic bag, you would have to bid farewell to them before going through security. 

But Birmingham Airport, which handled 11,000,000 passengers last year, is set to become one of the first major British airports to scrap the 100ml rule from June 1 2024 – meanwhile other airports have delayed the launch, London Gatwick has set a new deadline of March 2025, while Manchester, East Midlands and Stanstead have also said their new scanners won’t be introduced until next year.

Birmingham airport bosses have been installing scanners that use X-ray technology to create a 3D scan of the contents of a passenger’s bag.

Not only will passengers be able to bring in liquids of more than 100ml, but they’ll no longer have to remove large electronic devices such as laptops from their bags, as per current restrictions.

Nick Barton, CEO of Birmingham Airport, previously told Metro.co.uk: ‘Birmingham Airport has invested £60 million in a new security hall and scanning equipment.

‘From June 1, our customers will see the benefits of the new security systems as we roll them out, which will result in a quicker and easier pre-flight security screening process for our customers.

‘In the meantime, up until the 1st June date, our existing security restrictions remain in place.

‘It is timely to remind all customers that they still need to remove electricals during the search process and only carry liquids, pastes and gels, up to 100ml, in 20 x 20cm in resealable bags in their hand luggage.’

Do you have a story to share?

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If you’re looking to achieving a stunning, lit from within glow, e.l.f., as with most things, have you covered.

Somehow finding a way to bottle radiance, e.l.f’s viral and cult favourite Halo Glow Liquid Filter is a quick, easy and, first and foremost, undeniably affordable way to give your skin a gorgeous glow boost.

Described as a ‘game-changer’ by impressed beauty buffs, this innovative product acts as a shimmering filter for your skin, helping to enhance the overall look of your complexion while giving you a soft-focus, effortless radiance.

e.l.f. Halo Glow Liquid Filter

Gorgeous on its own for an ‘I woke up like this’ glow, under foundation to add dewiness or as a highlighter for the high points of your face, the multi-use e.l.f. Halo Glow Liquid Filter will quickly become a firm favourite in your makeup collection.

shop £14.92

Gorgeous on its own for an ‘I woke up like this’ glow, under foundation to add dewiness or as a highlighter for the high points of your face, the multi-use formula will quickly become a firm favourite.

You can even mix it in with your foundation to add a stunning glowy finish to any formula.

Because who doesn’t love a gorgeous glow- especially heading into summer? *chef’s kiss*

The e.l.f. Halo Glow Liquid Filter has been formulated with hyaluronic acid and squalane which each work to hydrate and moisturise the skin, keeping it quenched all day long.

Not only that, the clever glow-booster has been formulated with finely milled powders which work to blur lines and pores for a smoother, soft-focus look, with one user raving: ‘It blurs dark spots and hyperpigmentation when used under foundation, helps to hide imperfections and makes your skin look smoother!’

All of that for under 15 quid? Now that’s a bargain…

And Amazon shoppers seem to think so too, with over 5,700 calling it a five-star buy and raving of it’s natural sheen, impressive coverage and smooth finish.

‘Eye rolls at another product to add to a routine till I tried this & it’s a game changer.’ Wrote five-star reviewer Rob. ‘Wear alone or under CC or foundation it instantly conceals, blurs lines, unifies tone & brightens areas of redness, discolouration or dark circles. Game changer from first application.’

A second impressed reviewer named Coconutty added: ‘This works great, covers great and blurs pores and hyperpigmentation.

‘I’ve used it by itself and with my foundation. It’s a dupe for the Charlotte Tillbury Hollywood Filter and it works even better than CT! Love it and it’s super affordable too!’

Take your pick from 12 wearable shades and find your perfect glow with e.l.f. And yes, you can put this all over your body (a glowing decolletage is a yes).

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I was sitting alone and naked in front of a full-length mirror in my bedroom with a vibrator beside me. 

Any second, my lover would be video calling me so that I could play with myself while he watched.

Safe to say, I was on edge. 

I felt vulnerable and, as this was my first time being able to see myself masturbating, I worried that I’d be too distracted by my body hang-ups to fully enjoy myself.

It was a moment I was reminded of yesterday as I read Billie Eilish’s interview in Rolling Stone.

But like Billie – who talks candidly about how sex and self-pleasure has been a ‘huge help’ in helping her cope with ‘extreme body issues and dysmorphia’ – I soon discovered touching myself in front of a mirror to be a great tool in helping me reframe how I viewed my figure.

In fact, after watching my arms and legs move in sync to the vibrations from my toy, I was suddenly overwhelmed by how sexy I felt.

Prior to this point, I had only ever used mirrors during sex and usually for the other person’s benefit, not my own.

For instance, there was one occasion when, mid-sex, a man I was casually sleeping with asked me to stand in front of a mirror while we did it doggystyle. 

It sounds hot and to some degree it was, but it also felt performative. He had probably seen something similar in porn and wanted to make the fantasy a reality.

That moment wasn’t about me or appreciating my body, it was about him.

In contrast, although I’ve only done it a few times, masturbating with a mirror has always been completely empowering.

Admittedly, when my lover first suggested incorporating toys and a reflective surface, I hesitated. A strange, uncomfortable feeling bubbling up inside of me. And for the first minute or two, I shied away from both my reflection and the camera.

However, with gentle encouragement from my lover, I finally decided to look myself right in the eye, sex toy in hand, and I felt incredible.

‘Looking at yourself in the mirror and thinking “I look really good right now” is so helpful,’ Billie said in the article, and she is completely right.

In that moment any lingering embarrassment I felt about my body melted away. 

After this first instance I found myself drawn to the mirror more. I haven’t picked up a handheld one as such, I’ve occasionally glanced in the mirror by my bed while masturbating and it’s elevated my experience.

I have taken a closer look at my vulva too (she’s very pretty) – every woman should.

Like Billie, I have always loved a good solo wank – it’s one of my favourite activities and I still continue to do it several times a week. But I enjoy having that time to explore my body in the mirror even more. 

Running my hands down my sides, studying the curve of my breasts and watching as my body responds is not only mesmerising but revelatory. 

Masturbation is a bloody amazing way to discover pleasure on your terms. And it is such a breath of fresh air when a celebrity with a platform like Billie’s talks openly about this ‘taboo topic’. It helps normalise these kinds of conversations.

In fact, in the article, she mentions how you can make things more comfortable by manufacturing the environment to your liking.

Selecting a light setting that you find more flattering, putting on your favourite music or wearing something that turns you on, involving a mirror or not, will only help your confidence and enhance your pleasure.

You are the director, set the scene as you’d like.

Frankly l like to marvel at my body sometimes. And I think we should all do it more.

If you’re nervous, start by looking at your naked form – all of it – then, once you’ve braved a look, simply touch yourself without any sexual intentions. 

Maybe stroke the skin of your labia and marvel at how beautiful you are. Look at your breasts, your arms, your knees – take all of it in.

Then, when you’re ready, take the next step (if you want to).

Because, you see, the mirror is not the point. Loving and enjoying your body is.

So, to borrow the words of the great Billie Eilish, ‘People should be jerking it, man’. 

Do you have a story you’d like to share? Get in touch by emailing jess.austin@metro.co.uk. 

Share your views in the comments below.

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To celebrate National Lingerie Day, Boux Avenue is back with its fantastic offer!

Yes for a limited time only, you can grab yourself a pair of free knickers with any matching bra that you purchase.

Personally we’ve never felt more put together than when we’re wearing a matching set, rather than grabbing any old pair – and the elastics gone because they’re at least 4 years old…

So it’s time to get out your wallet and treat yourself to a nice new set.

After all, when splurging on a gorgeous matching set, it can set you back and cost a small fortune. But this offer with Boux Avenue means that you could save yourself up to £20.

How good is that?

Now to make the most of this limited-time offer, all you need to do is find your stunning new bra in your basket, and then the matching knickers too. Then the discount will be automatically applied.

Better yet? Boux Avenue has a plethora of bras to choose from too – you’ll find balcony bralettes, basques, and even a push-up bra that will give you the best cleavage of your life.

Not to mention styles and colours galore, so you’re bound to find something that not only fits perfectly but works with whatever occasion you need as well.

Plus, there are multiple styles of knickers to pick from too – there’s everything from thongs to briefs and those in-between.

The hardest part will now be picking what style we want most – though the #GirlMath is saying, if the pants are free, then surely, we can get two new sets – because we’re saving money on the underwear, right?

Naturally our shopping expert has picked out some stylish sets that she’s had her eye on, but you can take a look at Boux Avenue’s full range of matching underwear sets right here.

Jodie High Apex Plunge Bra

Meet the perfect new bra, for an uplifted shape and a natural-looking cleavage that you'll love! The Jodie is a true icon of the Boux collection, and simply stunning.

shop £30

Piper Balconette Bra

Discover the ultimate padded bra; we know it will make you feel good and support you all day long! Shop the Piper balconette bra made, from beautiful floral lace at Boux Avenue now.

shop £30

Heidi Sheer Lace Plunge Bra

Elevate your everyday lacey lingerie with this stunning Heidi plunge bra, featuring beautiful floral lace. Best of all? It comes in four gorgeous colours.

shop £34

Roxanne Longline Basque Push Up Bra

Roxanne is a classic style fit for any cheeky night in, featuring the most gorgeous floral lace and mesh. It's almost too good to cover up!

shop £55

Eladie Balconette Bra

The prettiest of all bras – we're obsessed with the Eladie balconette bra – with delicate 3D floral embroidery, an ideal style for your next date night.

shop £42

Now should you be reading this after the event has happened, fear not as Boux Avenue will still help you refresh your knicker draw with its incredible ‘3 for £18’ offer.

You can bag yourself three, snazzy new styles of knickers for, yeah you guessed it, £18. And that’s a steal if you ask us.

Now we’re off to get our life together and stop wearing moth-bitten pants, that we’ve owned for far too long.

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The warmer weather is slowly approaching and for some of us, that means switching from a steaming hot americano to an iced frappe to cool down.

McDonald’s currently sells its Caramel Iced Frappe in either a regular or large size but, as the UK heats up, it’s introduced a limited edition Biscoff Frappe (which sounds delicious).

If you’re wondering how much caffeine is in a McDonald’s Frappe, it’s about 47mg to 189mg per drink.

This is obviously dependent on size and flavour, too.

According to the NHS, the average 200ml cup of instant coffee contains 60mg of caffeine, while a brewed coffee contains 100mg.

A small frappe from the fast food chain is roughly equivalent to a 200ml cup of tea, with 45mg of caffeine.

But a large McDonald’s Iced Frappe is on par with a two litre bottle of Irn-Bru, which contains 182mg.

While it may sound like a lot, the NHS sets the threshold of too much caffeine at more than 600mg per day.

If this limit is exceeded, the consumer could get anxiety, insomnia, palpitations, diarrhoea and restlessness.

A regular cappuccino at the golden arches will contain around 175mg of caffeine, while a large size will have approximately 209mg.

The McDonald’s Caramel Iced Frappe consists of coffee blended with ice, and topped with cream and caramel sauce.

The large size also contains 12g of saturated fat, 42g of sugar and 19g of fat – this is equivalent to roughly 10 teaspoons of sugar.

These measurements are roughly the same for the Biscoff Frappe, flavoured with vanilla and Biscoff crumb, topped with caramel cream and more biscuit crumb.

But rather than the caffeine content of these frappes, you should be concerned about the sugar instead.

Cosmetic dentist Sundeep Patel, the Clinical Lead for Waldron Dental, told Metro about the damage these sugary drinks can do to our teeth.

Patel said: ‘The sugar content [in sauces and syrups] could be harmful to your teeth, they may degrade your enamel, which puts you at a higher risk of developing cavities.

‘And so the more of these types of beverages you drink, the higher your chance of developing teeth issues down the line is.’

When it comes to our favourite toppings, he added: ‘Crunchy toppings that are often added to specialty hot drinks could pose a risk to your dental health.

‘Often these toppings which are hard, crunchy and surgery could lead to increased risk of cavities to your teeth, and not just this but biting on these hard tiny toppings could actually cause your teeth to crack or chip.

‘While you may think that squirty cream added to a drink would be fine for your teeth, actually you are putting your teeth at a greater risk of staining.

‘This is because while adding cream to coffee can in some ways decrease your chances of staining due to making the liquid less dark, the ingredients in the cream can actually cause your teeth to turn yellow for a longer period.’

Our favourite seasonal cuppas may also lead to bad breath.

Sundeep explains that caffeine can dehydrate your body, which leads to less saliva being produced.

This means that we don’t have enough saliva to digest food particles that are stuck between our teeth or lingering in our mouth, which can lead to bad smells.

A dry mouth also allows the excess sugar from the drink to eat away at your teeth more easily.

Too much sugar can also give you the jitters, which can damage your teeth if the spike in adrenaline causes you to grind your teeth or move your mouth more.

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If you’ve spent as much time scrolling through skincare TikTok as us, then you’ll have seen Dr Adel, TikTok’s favourite UK Dermatologist, giving her thoughts on trending skincare formulas of the moment.

From suggestions of the best affordable formulas to beat common skincare qualms to her ride-or-die products, we trust this woman with our life (and skin).

So, when we saw her raving about the The Retinol 0.1 Cream from the iconic brand known for their Snail Mucin Essence – COSRX, we were instantly interested.

COSRX The Retinol 0.1 Cream 20ml

This COSRX The Retinol 0.1 Cream utilises 0.1% pure retinol to help you achieve that utterly perfected look, alongside panthenol to protect and moisturise the skin, super vitamin E to fight signs of ageing and Adenosine to help firm the skin and fade fine lines.

shop £20.99 (save £4.01)

Retinol is the powerhouse ingredient at the moment for reducing signs of ageing such as fine lines and wrinkles, as well as uneven skin tone and texture to deliver smoother, firmer and more youthful-looking skin.

This COSRX The Retinol 0.1 Cream utilises 0.1% pure retinol to help you achieve that utterly perfected look, alongside panthenol to protect and moisturise the skin, super vitamin E to fight signs of ageing and Adenosine to help firm the skin and fade fine lines.

The catch with retinol is its strength – sometimes retinol can be irritating to the skin and have people feeling a bit freaked out – especially if it’s their first time using it.

However, this COSRX formula is as gentle as it is effective, perfect for the retinol beginner and seasoned pro.

‘If you are a complete retinol virgin, or if you’re someone who has super sensitive skin, this one is for you.’ Says Dr Adel of the COSRX Retinol 0.1 Cream.

She continues: ‘This is pure retinol so even though it is a small dose, it is going to deliver and it is going to give you the results you are looking for.

‘It’s also paired with Vitamin E and Panthenol which are super hydrating and are going to keep your skin barrier intact. And honestly, for (under) £30 you can’t go wrong. *chef’s kiss*’

The irritation-reduced cream has been formulated with the optimal ratio of skin-loving ingredients for first-time retinol users, with the retinol inclusion being pure in form without retinol derivatives, great for helping to prevent and correct early signs of aging before they set in.

The result? Rough, dull and slightly creased skin looks smooth, improved and hydrated. Ain’t that the dream.

And Dr Adel isn’t the only fan of the COSRX essential – with thousands of five-star reviews and over 500 being snapped up on Amazon in the past month alone. We reckon this is a cult favourite in the making.

‘As an entry level retinol this product is amazing, my skin didn’t react negatively and have its usual paddy like it normally does turning bright red.’ Wrote five star reviewer Charlotte.

‘The fine lines on my forehead appear to be better after only a few days use so am hoping in a few weeks time I’ll be ID checked when buying anything with an age restriction.’

Another named Lisa added: ‘Non greasy, my skin feels plump and soft. I’ve noticed it’s helped with fine lines on my forehead and eye area.

‘Definitely recommend and I’ve sensitive skin and psoriasis skin, and this hasn’t aggravated in the slightest.’

At this point anything COSRX wants to sell us we’ll buy in bulk.

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With a whopping 220 cafe-bars across the UK, there’s a good chance you’ve been to a Lounge location, without realising you were eating or drinking at a chain.

This is because, like Wetherspoons, each of the locations has a different name and each one also has its own unique interior design, so many don’t make the connection.

The company, known as Loungers, was founded in Bristol in 2002, and has had a new opening every 10 days so far this year. 

These new branches include Verraco Lounge in Bromsgrove, Pontio Lounge in Chepstow, Panadero Lounge in Macclesfield, Riparo Lounge in Westwood Cross, Pineto Lounge in Bracknell, Vitello Lounge in Ilkley, Sarto Lounge in Sidcup, and Barolo Lounge in Yeovil.

Cafe-bars will also be cropping up in Ely, York, Daventry, Hereford, Whitby, Ramsgate, and Faversham over the next few months. 

Each site is said to equate to a £1million investment into the high street and creates around 30 new job opportunities, according to the group.

And they’re not slowing down any time soon. The group is on track to open 34 restaurants in total this year, and hundreds more in future. 

Co-founder of Loungers and chairman, Alex Reilley, recently revealed that the business is keen to have over 600 locations across the UK.

He said: ‘Loungers continues to go from strength to strength with a fantastic pipeline ahead. We still firmly believe that there is scope for over 600 Lounges, and are more excited than ever about the future of the business.’

For those that haven’t been to a Lounge, the menu includes burgers, flatbreads, salads, tapas, and main dishes like curry, beef brisket chilli, and steak frites. There’s also a brunch menu with classics like buttermilk pancakes and big breakfasts, as well as shakshuka and breakfast muffins.

The chain runs a variety of deals throughout the week, as well including a lunchtime deal with sandwiches and soup for £6.95, a teatime tipple deal with two cocktails for £12.75 at certain times, as well as Cheeky Mondays (a burger deal) and Tapas Tuesdays.

Fans online have been very vocal about their love of the chain, with a recent review on Tripadvisor by IanPeach hailing the Estadio Lounge in Wembley a ‘little gem’, while others praised the ‘excellent food’ and ‘delicious breakfast’. 

Lucy Kuala Lumpur said: ‘We have visited a few Lounges in different towns and the one at Wembley stadium was fantastic and the same great standard as other Lounges. The staff were all so friendly and helpful. The food was surprisingly great value and I think the same price as other Lounges and for the location that was excellent value. The atmosphere is always great and relaxed and we would def visit again next time we are there.’

While the Vivo Lounge in Dorchester has hundreds of great reviews on the site, with customers arguing it’s ‘better than Wetherspoons’. In one four star review that proclaimed this, a fan known only as JDL72 shared that it was ‘just the right vibe’ with a ‘spacious interior’, a ‘mixed crowd’ and ‘good menu with some unusual dishes’. 

As well as Loungers, the company also operates the Cosy Club brand, and Brightside Roadside Dining, with a total of 258 branches around the UK – 35 Cosy Clubs and three Brightsides. 

This comes after a popular US fast food chain announced it was going to be opening more branches in the UK.

We’re talking about Wendy’s, a staple of American fast food since November 1969 when Dave Thomas opened his very first restaurant in Columbus, Ohio. The burger giant is well known for its unique square-shaped beef patties, and the iconic Frosty dessert, which is somewhere between an ice cream and a milkshake.

Wendy’s has been cropping up all over the UK over the last few years, since making its triumphant return here in 2021. 

Since then 30 new restaurants and delivery-only kitchens have opened in areas such as Camden, Guildford, Peterborough, Colchester, and Reading – and this was only just the beginning.

The chain, which is the third biggest in the States, is said to be planning to open even more branches across the country, with a brand new 24-hour location confirmed in Newcastle city centre.

And there are more restaurants planned for the UK, as Michael Clarke, the managing director of Wendy’s UK and Europe, recently told The Caterer that they had a ‘really strong pipeline’ of locations coming over the next few years.

He said: ‘We think there are loads of opportunities across the whole of the UK for us to open drive-through restaurants. In terms of accessibility, it’s actually great for the customer.

‘We want to open as many restaurants as we can.

‘Our plan is, how do we get Wendy’s to as many people as possible across the UK? We will open anywhere and everywhere that our customers want us to.’

Other upcoming locations include Middlesbrough, Liverpool, Sheffield, Wood Green, Southend-on-Sea, Colchester, and Hull. Some of these will be second restaurants in those areas.

Do you have a story to share?

Get in touch by emailing MetroLifestyleTeam@Metro.co.uk.

It’s likely your TikTok and Instagram has been flooded this week with the more than 50,000 people who ran the London Marathon.

It’s hard to not feel inspired, I would know – I signed up to do it last year and four days ago crossed the finish line along The Mall at St Jame’s Park.

The ballot for the London Marathon 2025 is open and April 26 is the last opportunity you’ll have to sign yourself up for a chance to run the iconic 26.2 mile race next year.

So, if you’re debating throwing your hat in the ring for one of the coveted spots, we’ve got everything you need to know about running a marathon from those of us who have literally got the t-shirt.

Vaseline, Vaseline and more Vaseline

Alice, 2024 London Marathon finisher

Kicking things off with myself, I finished the roughly 42km route in four hours and 54 minutes.

Now, considering I had surgery six months prior to running it (which I strongly advise against) I was pretty impressed with myself, but it’s important to realise that while you may want to get a certain time, you really just need to worry about finishing.

Running the marathon looks hard, but when you’re doing it, it’s a lot harder. You’ll see countless people in medic tents around the course who have pushed themselves too hard.

For me, my top tip to know about running the marathon is to Vaseline your feet – I mean completely lather them in the stuff before you put your socks on.

This prevents pretty much all blisters and cuts on your feet, that usually go hand-in-hand with long distance running.

It will help keep your feet as comfortable as possible, meaning you’ll only have to focus on the ache rather than stinging pain from cuts and blisters.

I didn’t know this when training, and my feet were quickly getting bloody when doing half marathons. So when my partner gave me this tip before the race, it was a total lifesaver.

My second tip is go to the toilet before you leave home – for a number one and definitely try to have a number two. Marathons can, quite frankly, make you want to sh*t yourself, so the only stuff you want in your body is your breakfast and whatever fuel you have during the race.

The queues for the portaloos at the start line are huge, so going at home means you won’t be stressed about missing your start wave time because of waiting in line.

I found that during my training I’d have runs where I suddenly needed the loo, and it was always on the runs where I didn’t go before I left home.

Find a buddy, even if they’re a total stranger

Sam Fishwick, 2016, 2017 and 2018 London Marathon finisher

Sam, 28, is in the ballot for the TCS London Marathon 2025 as we speak, hoping to secure his fourth marathon place.

At this point he’s a seasoned pro, with his PB marathon time sitting at two hours and 58 minutes – yikes!

If you’re a well-practiced runner who is attempting to get a certain time in your first ever marathon, Sam has some great tips as someone who has done it all.

Sam tells Metro.co.uk: ‘Find anyone else trying to run the same time as you, even if you don’t know them. In the first few kilometres you may well find a buddy by asking someone running a similar pace to you.

‘This way it becomes more of a team effort and this can really help when things get tough, as you’re likely to go through rough patches at different stages, so that direct support from someone (even if you don’t know them) can help as you’re both going for the same time.

‘Random shouts from the crowd help but I’ve always appreciated encouragement from other runners as they know exactly what you’re going through in those moments.’

Whether you’re going for a certain time or not, Sam says it’s paramount that you are ‘super disciplined’ with your pace at the start.

‘It will feel really easy to run at your goal pace with all the crowds and (most likely) faster runners around you, but you have to focus on doing exactly what you need to,’ he explains.

‘Even 10 seconds too fast per kilometre will catch up with you by the end. You might think you’re making a buffer for later in the race but the reality is yours just gonna lose your legs sooner.’

Put your name on your top

Joanna Earle, 2009, 2014, 2018, 2024 London Marathon finisher

For Joanna, 40, the support from loved ones and strangers is key during a marathon.

‘I have the best husband who is the most supportive person in the world,’ she tells Metro. ‘He puts up with me and my training and I couldn’t have done it without him. My friends and family all knew my goal and have been so supportive over the many months of training.

‘Putting messages of support on my gels was key too. I got my niece and nephew to write little notes on stickers on my gels so that every time I had one I thought of them and made me smile!’

Joanna adds: ‘Put your name on your top – everyone will shout your name while you’re running and it will give you the boost you need!’

Another handy tip Joanna is glad she did was to come off social media before the race.

‘It’s so easy to get swept away in social media but I’ve found it makes me so anxious seeing how everyone else is planning their own race,’ she says.

‘Everyone is totally different and you don’t want to start changing things.’

Do you have a story to share?

Get in touch by emailing MetroLifestyleTeam@Metro.co.uk.

Life and everything in it is subject to transformation – but that doesn’t make it less daunting.

But, Gemini, if something isn’t bringing you joy, it’s time to release what’s holding you back.

Aries, that unsettled feeling? It’s the universe spurring you to make a change.

Ahead, you’ll find all the star signs’ horoscopes for today: Friday April 26, 2024.

Like checking your horoscope every morning? You can now sign up to our free daily newsletter to get a personalised reading for your star sign delivered straight to your inbox.

Aries

March 21 to April 20

Change may be good for you, even though it can also be unsettling. It could push you to make a break from something that’s no longer useful to you. Today’s Moon/Pluto link might allow you to see a key issue with greater clarity. If there’s a lesson to be learnt, this is the time when it will hit home. The ability to move on is key, and a fresh start may be just what’s needed now, Aries.

Head here for everything you need to know about being an Aries

Taurus

April 21 to May 21

Today’s lunar link to Pluto might be a gamechanger, Taurus. Keen to let someone know how you feel? If they’ve been acting out of turn, you likely won’t hold back. But this temporary aspect could act as a catalyst for deeper changes and mend a relationship. It might also trigger an intense romance. Whatever occurs, you’ll feel positive that any decisions will be worthwhile.

Head here for everything you need to know about being a Taurus

Gemini

May 22 to June 21

If you’ve been battling with a job or are tired of activities that bring no happiness, then a combination of lively energies could inspire you to do something about it. There are times when we all feel that enough is enough, and this may be one of those. Today’s lunar tie might inspire you to follow your heart, and perhaps do what you should have done some time back, Gemini.

Head here for everything you need to know about being a Gemini

Cancer

June 22 to July 23

The developing Mars/Neptune tie could help you find a creative outlet amongst your many talents, or it might coincide with the start of a bewitching romance. Avoid rushing into anything, as you’re dealing with powerful forces. It’s also good to trust your instincts, even if you don’t always want to hear what they say. Listening to your intuition will give you what you really want.

Head here for everything you need to know about being a Cancer

Leo

July 24 to August 23

Today’s lunar line-up encourages you not to let anxious feelings stop you from doing something that’s important. If you know you’re on the right path, you might wonder why you’re hesitant. Look within, as there may be some resistance. Deep down you could prefer things as they are. Yet change can come whether you’re ready or not, and it might be the revolution you need.

Head here for everything you need to know about being a Leo

Virgo

August 24 to September 23

The ideas you have over coming days may seem out of the ordinary, and might cause some controversy. Don’t let this bother you. What you share could be exactly what’s needed to bring fresh energy and new life into a situation that seems to be going nowhere. Others can feel emotional about some of your suggestions, but will soon see the truth in your words, Virgo.

Head here for everything you need to know about being a Virgo

Libra

September 24 to October 23

Today’s Moon/Pluto tie can bring volatility around deals and negotiations or a budding romance. If you’re wondering where all this is leading Libra, then it may spell an end to any difficulties if you’re ready to tackle these issues and find a positive way forward. It’s an opportunity to let go of unhelpful thinking and adopt a better mindset. Once you make a start you can truly flourish.

Head here for everything you need to know about being a Libra

Scorpio

October 24 to November 22

If recent days have highlighted frustrations in a relationship, this could be the time when you’ll want to do something about it. The recent Eclipse in your sign was like a gear change, and today’s Moon/Pluto tie echoes the decisions and thoughts you’ve aligned with. This is also a time to think about yourself and your needs. Are they being met? If not, it’s time for action, Scorpio.

Head here for everything you need to know about being a Scorpio

Sagittarius

November 23 to December 21

Feeling overwhelmed? The current line-up encourages you to take a step back and think about how you could improve your situation. It’s a time of letting go. And by releasing those aspects of your life that no longer work, you’ll be happier and freer too. This lunar phase might send the message that something needs to give. You know it, so make plans and act on them, Archer.

Head here for everything you need to know about being a Sagittarius

Capricorn

December 22 to January 21

The Moon/Pluto tie invites a deep dive into your values, urging a fusion of material goals with soulful pursuits. Ready to link your financial strategies with your higher purpose? Your ideals will empower your earthly ambitions and spiritual growth. Use this opportunity to align prosperity with your purpose, crafting a path that’s not only lucrative but enlightening too

Head here for everything you need to know about being a Capricorn

Aquarius

January 22 to February 19

As the Moon in spirited Sagittarius dances in harmony with Pluto in your sign, a surge of energy electrifies your social sphere and sense of self-empowerment. This blend of energies spotlights the interplay between your connections and your quest for personal power. It’s a time to cultivate relationships that resonate with your soul and that encourage personal growth as well, Aquarius.

Head here for everything you need to know about being an Aquarius

Pisces

February 20 to March 20

You may feel very drawn to ideas and opportunities that are something of a learning curve. It’s possible that something may show up out of the blue that you’d never previously considered. And it might turn out to be perfect for you. You couldn’t have imagined it better. This is the power of today’s Moon/Pluto link, as it’s another step guiding you towards a grander destiny, Pisces.

Head here for everything you need to know about being a Pisces

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