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Builder bares his bum on a toilet in front of beautiful landscape

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HILARIOUS pictures show how a builder took a loo to one of Scotland's most notorious landscapes, and appears to be "taking a s***" Pat Duckmaton spotted the picture opportunity at the infamous Three Sisters just after starting his hike at the Glencoe pass on Saturday. He then decided to go back to his van to retrieve his portaloo especially for the picture. Later on that evening, the 40-year-old decided to take toilet back out and get more cheeky snaps of him sitting down with his trousers round his knees.
(Picture: Deadline News)

When you witness a place of true beauty, the pressure is on to get a great photograph.

But how should you pose? A simple smile? A hand held aloft to pretend you’re grasping the mountain or monument between your fingers? Shall you attempt nutscaping?

If you have a portable toilet handy, you may want to take note from Pat Duckmaton.

Builder Pat, from Belper, Derbyshire, was hiking along the Glencoe pass on Saturday when he spotted a gorgeous photo opportunity at the Three Sisters hills.

He popped back to his van to grab his portable toilet, yanked down his trousers, and sat down to pose as if he were going to the loo, all while his girlfriend Lisa kindly snapped the perfect photos.

HILARIOUS pictures show how a builder took a loo to one of Scotland's most notorious landscapes, and appears to be "taking a s***" Pat Duckmaton spotted the picture opportunity at the infamous Three Sisters just after starting his hike at the Glencoe pass on Saturday. He then decided to go back to his van to retrieve his portaloo especially for the picture. Later on that evening, the 40-year-old decided to take toilet back out and get more cheeky snaps of him sitting down with his trousers round his knees.
(Picture: Deadline News)

Pat shared the works of art in a Facebook group, writing: ‘The Glencoe Three Sisters and a bear on the loo.’

While some applauded the photos and the ‘cracking view’, it appears the group didn’t appreciate Pat’s take on landscape photography as his pictures were eventually removed.

HILARIOUS pictures show how a builder took a loo to one of Scotland's most notorious landscapes, and appears to be "taking a s***" Pat Duckmaton spotted the picture opportunity at the infamous Three Sisters just after starting his hike at the Glencoe pass on Saturday. He then decided to go back to his van to retrieve his portaloo especially for the picture. Later on that evening, the 40-year-old decided to take toilet back out and get more cheeky snaps of him sitting down with his trousers round his knees.
(Picture: Deadline News)

‘I thought it was very amusing and I always do silly stuff,’ said Pat.

‘I was on holiday from the Peak District. I usually come up seven times a
year.’

Oh, and before your mind runs ragged with concern, rest assured that Pat did not actually defecate or urinate in the toilet while at the Three Sisters. The pose was only for laughs, not bodily waste purposes.

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KitKat Drumsticks bring together ice cream, chocolate sauce and wafers and we’re excited

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(Picture: Kitkat)

KitKat Drumstick ice creams exist – and they look pretty exciting.

The classic American ice cream and the chocolate bar have combined to give us this.

The traditional drumstick is a scoop of ice cream in a cone, dipped in chocolate and coated it in nuts.

But instead of nuts, the KitKat version replaces them with little bits of the wafers in the chocolate bar.

They come in a pack of four pack, where all the ice creams have a little bit of chocolate fudge sauce in the middle, or an eight pack, made up of the chocolate fudge version and another one that is filled with chocolate ice cream.

The bad news is that they are currently only available in the U.S. but now Nestle is in the mood for experimenting, maybe they will finally bring the range to the UK.

The brand has experimented with limited edition flavours before, including S’mores and Butterfingers but this is the first time they have teamed up with a chocolate bar.

Drumsticks was bought by Nestle in 1991 so there are plenty of opportunities for collaboration.

We love the idea of a Rolo or Smarties one.

Green tea KitKats are coming to the UK (Picture: Getty/KitKat)

While you start wishing for Drumsticks to arrive here, there is some good KitKat news.

We reported last month that green tea KitKats are finally coming to the UK this year.

They were launched in Japan 15 years ago but the bar, which is chocolate mixed with a subtle hint of matcha powder, is going to be available here soon.

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You can wear matching swim trunks with your dog

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You can wear matching swim trunks with your dog
Ready for a swim with fido (Pictures: Amazon/Kove)

Some may say that nature itself acts as a dog’s swim trunks; with their fur and the cool breeze coming together to keep them dry and protect their modesty.

But to those naysayers, we say: ‘Why can’t a dog accessorise at the beach? And why can’t they do so while matching their loving owner?’

Amazon is also very anti-naysayer in this situation, as they’re offering up with a way a dog can do just that, selling matching trunks for pet and owner.

The Kove Mate trunks are the dog version, and they come in teal or striped sage green. Rather than pulling them on, you put them over their legs, and fasten a strap round their tummy, leaving room for pup to go to the loo and not feel restricted.

Kove Nomad is the human option, and come in matching prints, but with the standard swimming short design you know and love.

You can wear matching swim trunks with your dog
Walk, walk, fashion puppy (Picture: Amazon/Kove)
You can wear matching swim trunks with your dog
They have a handy wraparound design (Picture: Amazon/Kove)

Both pairs are available in different sizes depending on the dog or man wearing them, and are quick-drying and stretchy.

Even better, each pair is made from eight recycled plastic bottles, helping towards clearing our oceans and make a difference to sealife.

The plastic bottles are cleaned and rinsed, then made into plastic beads that are spun into fibres and woven, with Kove having recycled over 200,000 water bottles into swim suits and swim tees over the years.

There’s only one review for the dog pair, with the customer saying: ‘These are amazing. Got a pair for my dog. Ordered a size XL and it fit him well. He’s a 100 pound lab!’

They also shared some pretty adorable photographs of said 100 pound lab modelling his new wares.

Although there’s no real advantage to pup trunks, they’re a solid fashion choice to help your pooch stand out by the pool or sea. And since they already say dogs start to look like their owners over time, why not help things along with matching outfits?

What are the McDonald’s Monopoly 2019 prizes and how do you win them?

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McDonald's logo sign
New Year, new McDonald’s Monopoly (Picture: Matthew Horwood/Getty Images)

McDonald’s Monopoly 2019 has launched – this is not a drill.

This year’s McDonald’s Monopoly began at noon on March 20.

It’ll go on for six weeks, which mean’s you have roughly a month and a half to collect stickers and win prizes.

Want to know how to get in on the action, and what sweet prizes are on offer this year? Then look no further…

What are the McDonald’s Monopoly prizes for 2019?

The 2019 McDonald's Monopoly prizes are as follows:

  • Nine different NOW TV Passes, including –
    • NOW TV three month hayu Pass
    • NOW TV six month Kids Pass
    • NOW TV one month Sky Cinema Pass
    • NOW TV five month Sky Sports Mobile Pass
    • NOW TV three month Entertainment Pass
    • NOW TV 12 month Sky Cinema Pass
    • NOW TV 12 month Kids Pass
    • NOW TV 12 month Entertainment Pass
    • NOW TV 12 month Sky Sports Pass
    • NOW TV Pass
  • Kindle Books offer
  • McDonald’s food prizes
  • £5 off supersocks.co.uk
  • Personalised Super Socks
  • Set of 12 Cheerz Retro Photo Magnets
  • £10 off Hawkers Sunglasses
  • Slappie Watch
  • Hype backpack
  • ZEISS VR ONE Plus Headset
  • Hawkers Sunglasses
  • 25% off at boohoo.com or boohooMAN.com
  • GPO Vintage Suitcase Record Player
  • 50% off a Wrappz Personalised Phone Case
  • 25% off suitcases at kitkase.com
  • 20% off at KitSound.co.uk
  • Kitkase suitcase
  • 50% off any phone with a Sky Mobile plan
  • Wrappz Personalised Phone Case
  • Sky Store online movie voucher
  • £20 CeX voucher
  • Pair of cinema tickets
  • Urbanears Wireless Headphones
  • JD Sports £50 gift card
  • £5 off, £25 and £50 Prezzybox.com gift vouchers
  • £200 for passing GO
  • Razor Hovertrax 1.5 Hoverboard
  • Any phone with a one year Sky Mobile plan
  • NOW TV Smart Stick plus a one year Pass
  • £800 to spend on a city break with loveholidays
  • Polariod POP Instant Digital Camera
  • £30 to spend at either boohoo.com or boohooMAN.com
  • Medium Extra Value Meal
  • £10 off Red Letter Days
  • KitSound Diggit Outdoor Portable Speaker
  • Red Letter Days £100 and £250 Experience Vouchers
  • £2,000 to spend on a holiday with loveholidays
  • PS4 Pro
  • MINI convertible
  • £5, £10, £20, £50, £100, £10,000 and £100,000,000 in cash

a mcdonald's meal
Heaven truly is a place on Earth (Picture: Christoph Schmidt/DPA/PA Images)

Last year, according to the McDonald’s website, there were over 12,000,000 prizes won, including six MINI Cooper cars, three individual lots of £100,000 in cash, and millions of Maccy D food prizes.

How to win McDonald’s Monopoly prizes

For starters, you’ll have to buy qualifying items from a McDonald’s branch to get your hands on a game piece / label.

These products include select large and medium meals, as well as individual food orders like mozzarella dippers, select burgers, fries, smoothies and McFlurrys.

Then, once you have your McDonald’s Monopoly label, peel it off of the packaging for your food to see if you’ve won anything.

Some labels offer instant win prizes, while others, like the £100,000,000 top cash prize, require you to collect a certain number of labels to win. In the case of the £100k, you’d need four £100k labels to win the money.

In the case of the cash prizes from £5-£100, you’ll have to enter an ‘online game’ by entering the code found on the relevant label into the McDonald’s Monopoly website to see if you’ve won.

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Kate Middleton superfan copies all the Duchess of Cambridge’s outfits on a budget

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(Picture: PA Real Life/PA Images)

Kate Middleton has become a style icon with cloths selling out quickly, every time she wears something from the high street.

But one fan has taken following her fashion to a new level, styling her whole wardrobe to match the Duchess of Cambridge’s outfits since seeing the royal couple’s 2010 engagement interview on TV.

Julie James’ love for the Duchess of Cambridge started when her police detective husband, Freddie, 49, pointed out the similarities between her own engagement ring and Kate’s – a stunning sapphire, passed down from Princess Diana.

Julie, 37, from Omaha, Nebraska, USA, said: ‘My husband, Freddie, had given me a sapphire engagement ring – not as big as Kate’s but very similar – and when we saw that TV interview he said, “It looks just like yours.” I thought that was so endearing.’

For that interview, the bride-to-be wore a stunning royal blue Issa wrap dress, which instantly sold out in the UK.

Back then, Julie, who now works for a community centre in her local town, was working for the American fashion chain Banana Republic.

The moment the shop put a blue wrap dress – which looked just like Kate’s – in the window, Julie snapped it up, taking advantage of her 50 per cent staff discount.

‘I think the dress went on sale for around $119 (£90) and because I had my discount, I was able to copy Kate’s look on a budget,’ Julie added.

‘I had been looking for a style muse and as soon as I saw Kate in that dress, I knew I had found one.’

This was the start of her ‘repliKate’ wardrobe, which Julie has recently been expanding to include outfits inspired by the latest glamorous addition to the Royal Family, Meghan Markle.

Julie in Kate's iconic engagement dress (PA Real Life/PA Images)
Julie in Kate’s iconic engagement dress (Picture: PA Real Life/PA Images)

She said: ‘I spend around $2,000 a year (£1,510) on clothes, but I don’t spend more because I dress like Kate or Meghan, as these are items I wear every day.

‘Kate’s look suits my own body shape better than Meghan’s, which is very Californian, but I worked in LA for 10 years, so I know that look well and I have been expanding my Meghan-inspired outfits.’

But Julie remains besotted by Kate’s classic elegance, which reminds her of the former American first lady, Jackie Kennedy – wife of the late President John F Kennedy.

With four distinct seasons in Nebraska, like there are in Britain, Julie has become adept at finding cheaper versions of the amazing outfits Kate steps out in to suit the spring, summer, autumn and winter weather.

And last year, she started an Instagram account called @jules_the_duchessofbudget dedicated solely to pictures of her dressed like the Duchess of Cambridge.

Julie in a dress Kate wore leaving the Lindo Wing after having Charlotte (PA Real Life/PA Images)
Julie in a dress Kate wore leaving the Lindo Wing after having Charlotte (Picture: PA Real Life/PA Images)

‘I ride horses and had taken a nasty fall and dislocated my shoulder so I was off work, bored and in pain and decided it would be fun to set up the account and share my tips on finding affordable versions of the pieces Kate wears,’ said Julie.

‘I posted a few pictures and was surprised – and delighted – to find there is a whole community of lovely ladies all over America doing exactly the same thing as me, so I was not, as I had thought, alone.’

And Julie’s repliKate pictures have sparked yet another new venture – a podcast called We’ll Never Be Royal, which she co-hosts with fellow royal fashion follower, Kristin Contino, who she met through her Instagram account.

‘We met because of our mutual love of royal fashion. She lives in Philadelphia and although we’ve never met in person, we clicked right away, and we are now planning on getting together, face to face, this spring,’ added Julie.

As Kate has matured – having three children and now approaching 40 – Julie has seen her style change, with hemlines dropping and a more elegant look coming in.

‘I think she has really started to come into her own, especially since the birth of Prince Louis,’ said Julie. ‘She’s not playing it so safe, we’re seeing a lot less of her going back to that wardrobe staple of wedge shoes, jeans, a stripped top and a classic blazer.

‘And the Erdem Tweed dress she wore when she visited the Victoria & Albert museum in London last Fall was the most gorgeous dress I have ever seen.’

Julie in a dress Kate wore to visit Bacon's College (PA Real Life/PA Images)
Julie in a dress Kate wore to visit Bacon’s College (Picture: PA Real Life/PA Images)

Julie has not found a bargain version of that particular designer dress yet, but she does have a tweed number in her repliKate wardrobe that she said she would keep if she had to give all the others away.

‘Kate wore an Alexander McQueen Black Watch tartan dress during a school visit and ended up playing field hockey in it, wearing her heels,’ she reminisced. ‘It had a lovely pleated skirt. It’s a dress she’s now worn a few times.’

Dressing like a duchess on a budget feels great, according to Julie.

She continued: ‘My husband loves it and I do too because it does make me feel that little bit more special and more confident.

‘I’m not sure anyone else notices my outfit might be a replica of a Kate or Meghan one but they do notice that I have dressed nicely and am feeling good about myself.

‘Like most of us, I’ll never be part of the Royal family, but this is fun. It feels special when I do dress up and I think anything that gives a woman a little extra confidence about herself is something absolutely worth doing.’

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How to cope if you’re never going to get closure

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Why we should care about children?s mental wellbeing - and what we can do to help (Picture: Ella Byworth/ Metro.co.uk) Metro Illustration Illustrations
(Picture: Ella Byworth for Metro.co.uk)

When a relationship ends it’s natural to want answers.

Be it a long-term romantic partner, a not-so-casual fling, or a close friendship – when someone walks away from us, we all crave something definitive to mark the end of that time in our lives.

Essentially, we want closure.

Closure is a bit of an American concept, but it basically means the closing of a chapter. The internal sense that something is completed, finished with. And, in theory, once you get this closure, you should be able to move on.

In a world where ghosting is becoming the norm and relationships tend to be flimsier, more transient – closure is ever-more elusive.

So how do we move on if we are never going to get the conclusive explanation we desperately want.

Most of us have been there. Months after a break up or the loss of a friendship, we’re still hoping for that one phone call or letter that will explain what happened, why a person acted the way they did and absolve you of guilt.

But it rarely comes. And we have to be OK with that. Somehow.

The problem lies in the fact that we allow our sense of closure to be dependent on the actions of someone else.

‘If they would just tell me they were sorry.’ ‘If they would just explain why they stopped talking to me.’

But maybe it’s about creating closure for ourselves. Finding the strength to close the chapter on our own terms.

ILLUSTRATION REQUEST: Me and my Dad's bipolar - Eleanor Seagall
(Picture: Ella Byworth for Metro.co.uk)

Qualified success coach, Ruth Kudzi thinks our need for closure is growing. She thinks this desire can lead to chronic insecurity.

‘In an ideal world we all want closure, we would love to know the reasons why people have behaved the way they have,’ Ruth tells Metro.co.uk.

‘As “ghosting” has become a mainstream behaviour, the need for closure seems to be greater.

‘There is evidence that different people have differing needs in terms of closure and the ability to rationalise what has happened to them and to make sense of it.

‘When we are able to understand how a situation integrates into our beliefs, we can re-figure things as we see fit, so we are able to see how it makes sense and fits together.

‘When closure doesn’t happen, we can be left questioning, “what if?” We no longer own the narrative, which can make us feel insecure and left in a limbo-like state where we are questioning all of our behaviours.’

Ruth says we need to turn our need for closure inwards in order to truly find a satisfactory result.

‘If we are unable to get closure after asking for it from the other party, one way we can move on is to ask ourselves if we actually knew the other person that well.

‘Maybe we didn’t really know them if they are unwilling to have an honest conversation with us. Then we have to ask if we want to associate with people who behave in this way.

‘A second way is by writing a letter to the other party, you can choose to send this or it can be a process that you go through to help you get clarity and move on.

‘The best type of writing focuses on looking at loss through a redemptive lens which focuses on the positives and doesn’t blame the other party.

‘Finally, the brain is great when it is distracted. If you are going through a process where you are feel aggrieved or looking for closure, focusing on a new goal can help you to move through the uncomfortable period more quickly.’

A desire for closure is a natural human emotion and it proves that you cared.

If you’re able to walk away from a significant chapter of your life without any self-reflection, critical analysis or fond reminiscing, then you probably still have some growing to do.

But there comes a point when you have to accept that you’re not going to get what you need.

Your ex probably isn’t going to turn up at your house at 3 am in the rain with a tearful apology and a sodden bunch of flowers. So stop fantasising about it.

Psychologist Rachel Maclynn thinks it’s natural to look back when a relationship breaks down – but that it is important to try to focus your attention ahead.

‘Some of us are predisposed to hold onto the past, whereas others are very much “in the moment” or focus mostly on the future,’ explains Rachel.

‘When a relationship ends, we tend to hold onto the past. We may re-live the best and worst parts of the relationship in our mind while we – in effect – grieve our loss.

‘In order to move on with our lives, we need to close that chapter and start a new one, so that we can focus on the present and future.’

How to find your own closure

Gaining closure is something you can control yourself. The power is within you, not the person you had the relationship with. You need to confirm in your mind that the relationship has ended.

One technique I recommend to clients is to write a list of all the elements of the relationship that were positive. And then to write a list of why the relationship ended.

Taking these pragmatic steps allows you to literally take your thoughts out of your mind and onto paper, which in turn frees your head space and helps you gain closure.

Making the first move can be a good way to take control. If you feel that there are unresolved issues between you and your ex, then you might decide to contact him/her to have one final conversation to draw things to an amicable end. .

Bring your mind to thinking more about the future by goal-setting. You can even use a life coach, dating coach or matchmaker to help you.

You have opened a new chapter in your life and by setting clear goals you will feel inspired and in control of creating a bright future for yourself.

Rachel Maclynn, psychologist

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You’re not really an adult until you hit 30, say scientists

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What happens to your body when you hold in a sneeze?
(Picture: Ella Byworth for Metro.co.uk)

At what age are you officially a proper adult?

Legally speaking, it’s 18. But if you chat to people in their twenties and beyond you’re likely to find that many don’t feel like actual grown-ups.

Scientists suggest that this is because in your twenties, you’re not a full-on adult. They say that you don’t become an adult until you reach your thirties.

That’s not an excuse to stop doing your laundry or paying taxes. Officially, you are an adult the day you turn 18.

But research suggests that your brain is still changing and adapting well into your twenties.

Professor Peter Jones, from Cambridge University, said: ‘What we’re really saying is that to have a definition of when you move from childhood to adulthood looks increasingly absurd.

‘It’s a much more nuanced transition that takes place over three decades.

‘I guess systems like the education system, the health system and the legal system make it convenient for themselves by having definitions.

‘I think the system is adapting to what’s hiding in plain sight, that people don’t like (the idea of) a caterpillar turning into a butterfly.

‘There isn’t a childhood and then an adulthood. People are on a pathway, they’re on a trajectory.’

What he’s essentially saying is that becoming an adult isn’t as simple as turning 18 – people continue to change and grow throughout their lives.

While the bulk of the changes to our brain happen in our teens, with neuros developing, connecting, and being pruned, this process continues past our thirtieth birthday. It’s a continuous process rather than having a clear, obvious end point that applies to everyone.

Throw in societal changes that have altered our perception of traditional markers of adulthood – owning a house, having a steady job, having children – and it makes sense that we may all be a bit puzzled by what it really means to be a grownup.

The positive news? If you still feel like a teen, you’re not alone. And you’ve at least got until your thirties to figure out the basics.

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Celebrate Easter with this Scottish chippy’s deep-fried Creme Egg creation

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Deep fridn Cadburys Cream Egg https://www.facebook.com/offthehookairdrie/
(Picture: Facebook/Off the Hook Airdie)

Tired jokes about Scotland deep frying anything and everything persist, and to be honest we don’t do much as a nation to thwart them.

Until you’ve tasted a pizza crunch or a fruit pudding supper, however, you have absolutely no right to comment.

Same applies for the deep-fried Creme Egg from Off The Hook fish and chip shop in Airdrie, Scotland, which – despite sounding like it’s a coronary waiting to happen – is likely a delicious one-off Easter treat.

It’s not the first time such a feat has been mastered, but given Easter is going to be a choc-fest for plenty of people, it’s certainly worth bringing the newest iteration to your attention.

Off The Hook’s one came about through a competition they hosted on their Facebook page for their fifth anniversary as an establishment.

They asked customers to comment what they wanted added to the menu, and as a prize they’d have their wish granted as well as winning a huge feast from the chippy.

One offered up the option of a deep-fried Cadbury’s Creme Egg, and the rest was history.

Off The Hook are known for their inventions, having made deep-fried Oreos a sought-after dessert at Christmas time. Fans of the snack were queuing up around the block for them, so it’s likely Airdrie residents can expect the same thing this time round.

Other entrants to the competition suggested things like haggis bon bons with whisky sauce (delish) and salt and chilli hash browns (holy Creme Eggs, delish). However, we’re sure this seasonal indulgence will hit the spot just as well.

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Jeans gaping at the back will be a thing of the past with this £8.50 buckle-less belt

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(Picture: Amazon)

If you own a pair of jeans that fit perfectly at the front but leave a gap at the back, particularly when you sit, you’re not the only one.

You’ll be glad to know that there’s a fashion fix. The No Buckle Elastic Belt loops around your waist but doesn’t meet at the front as a normal belt does, to stop your trousers from gaping at the back.

So instead of having to keep dragging your jeans up or standing up and adjusting it every time there’s a gap big enough for passersby to get a full look of your undies, you might want to head to Amazon.

The online marketplace is offering the nifty belt for £8.50 which can expand up to 48 inches.

It’s also ideal for those who need something to hold together a pair of trousers but without the hassle of a buckle that digs into the stomach.

It’s probably a much better alternative to having to undo the belt buckle when we’ve eaten a few too many Easter eggs.

Those with a weak bladder and little patience for undoing a belt might also be interested.

Genius no buckle belt https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07DDGMLT1/ref=sspa_dk_hqp_detail_aax_0?psc=1
(Picture: Amazon)

The elasticated belt cinches you in around the waist, leaving a snug but comfortable fit.

It also comes with a free metal round ring so you can wear your trousers in two different styles. 

It’s not too much of a surprise that the humble item has racked up 200 rave reviews online.

‘This belt is pretty genius,’ wrote one. ‘Very easy to attach to a pair of jeans or trousers as it just threads through the belt loops (as with any belt) but it loops around the first belt loops either side of the fly and button.

‘A member of my family has severe IBS and can’t stand things that press on the tummy. He was struggling with all belts but also struggling to keep his jeans up. The belt is so comfortable to wear. It doesn’t look too shabby either.’

Another said: ‘If you have a smallish waist and bigger bum, so hollow backed jeans never fit snugly around the back, these are you.’

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Mum hits back at online trolls who mocked her for calling her daughter Disney

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Jade Jeanes and her husband Joshua,with their daughter Disney. Jade's favourite movie is Beauty and the Beast and she initially considered calling her 'Belle', before opting for Disney because she "just really like the name." Weston-super-Mare, Somerset. March 20 2019.See SWNS story SWSYdisney. A mum has hit back at critics after she paid tribute to her favourite films by naming her daughter -- Disney. Jade Jeanes and her husband Joshua, both 27, struggled for seven years to have their little bundle of joy, so said they wanted to pick an "extravagant" name.Stay-at-home Jade's favourite movie is Beauty and the Beast and she initially considered calling her 'Belle', before opting for Disney because she "just really like the name."The tot - Disney Jade Jeanes - was born in November at St Michael???s Hospital, Bristol, and Jade admits even the midwives thought the name was unusual.
(Picture: Tom Wren/SWNS)

A mum has hit back at online trolls who mocked her for naming her daughter Disney.

Jade Jeanes and her husband Joshua, both 27, struggled for seven years to have Disney so wanted to pick an ‘extravagant’ name.

She originally planned to call her daughter Belle, after her favourite film Beauty and the Beast, but opted for the more generic Disney instead.

Jade admits that even the midwives at St Michael’s Hospital in Bristol thought the name was unusual.

She was heartbroken to be mocked by other mums when she posted her daughter’s name on a Facebook page for parents – but says she has no regrets over it.

If she has a boy she would consider naming him ‘Sonic’ after the iconic hedgehog computer game.

Jade, from Weston-super-Mare, Somerset, said: ‘Friends and family love the name, and I do too. I just really like the name Disney.

‘Disney is quite a personality. Her name suits her and her personality loads.

‘It’s no one’s business what we decided to call her, and I think that’s the way our generation is going to be honest.

Disney Jeanes who is named after her mum Jade's favourite films. Jade Jeanes and her husband Joshua, have named their daughter Disney, Jade's favourite movie is Beauty and the Beast and she initially considered calling her 'Belle', before opting for Disney because she "just really like the name." Weston-super-Mare, Somerset. March 20 2019. See SWNS story SWSYdisney. A mum has hit back at critics after she paid tribute to her favourite films by naming her daughter -- Disney. Jade Jeanes and her husband Joshua, both 27, struggled for seven years to have their little bundle of joy, so said they wanted to pick an "extravagant" name.Stay-at-home Jade's favourite movie is Beauty and the Beast and she initially considered calling her 'Belle', before opting for Disney because she "just really like the name."The tot - Disney Jade Jeanes - was born in November at St Michael???s Hospital, Bristol, and Jade admits even the midwives thought the name was unusual.
(Picture: Tom Wren/SWNS)

‘The hope is that by the time she goes to school with other children her age, her name will just blend in.

‘Other kids will have unconventional names, we hope. We don’t think she’ll have problems at school because of that.’

Jade and Joshua, who works in a vape shop, met when they were 19 and started trying for a baby nearly straight away.

They had trouble conceiving because Jade has a bicornuate uterus – a malformation which increases the risk of miscarriage.

It wasn’t until last year they finally fell pregnant with Disney – in the same year they got married and won £20,000 at the bingo.

‘It came in threes,’ said Jade. ‘We were over the moon.’

Jade was convinced she was having a girl, and so the couple picked out a name months before Disney arrived.

They started out by going through names of Disney princesses – including Ariel and Belle.

Jade continued: ‘I was just looking through the Disney princesses for ideas.

‘And I saw Belle and thought that would be nice. It’s extravagant, and it’s different.

‘After I thought Belle was a good name, I thought: “why not Disney?”

Disney Jeanes who is named after her mum Jade's favourite films. Jade Jeanes and her husband Joshua, have named their daughter Disney, Jade's favourite movie is Beauty and the Beast and she initially considered calling her 'Belle', before opting for Disney because she "just really like the name." Weston-super-Mare, Somerset. March 20 2019. See SWNS story SWSYdisney. A mum has hit back at critics after she paid tribute to her favourite films by naming her daughter -- Disney. Jade Jeanes and her husband Joshua, both 27, struggled for seven years to have their little bundle of joy, so said they wanted to pick an "extravagant" name.Stay-at-home Jade's favourite movie is Beauty and the Beast and she initially considered calling her 'Belle', before opting for Disney because she "just really like the name."The tot - Disney Jade Jeanes - was born in November at St Michael???s Hospital, Bristol, and Jade admits even the midwives thought the name was unusual.
(Picture: Tom Wren/SWNS)

‘Then it turned out that my midwife’s surname was Disney so we had a laugh about that, joking we’d name the baby after her.’

She said her friends and family love the name, but she was criticised when she posted about the name on Facebook group, Mums the Word.

The post asked mums to enter their children’s names in a thread, where they could be ‘rated’ with emojis.

Jade said her submission got lots of negative reaction via laughing and crying emoji faces.

She said she did not understand why people were critical, and said she thought it was no worse to name a child Disney than Walt.

‘It’s just a name,’ she explained.

‘There are ordinary names that people give that I don’t like, but I don’t tell them that they shouldn’t give those names.

‘It was more of a fun post that I assumed people would be okay with. In the end, people just either hate it or love it.

‘My husband’s siblings have young children and they like Disney films so she’ll be brought up in a big, happy Disney family.

‘She’s a bundle of joy to be around.’

They have decorated Disney’s room with silhouettes of Mickey Mouse, and say she is ‘transfixed’ when they put one of the movies on TV for her.

She has outgrown her Tangled outfit – but they plan to buy her more and also visit Disneyland Paris in a few years time.

Jade said: ‘We really can’t wait to take her to Disney World but since Josh and I both are afraid of flying, we thought we’d start with taking her to France first.

‘We’ll wait until she turns two, but that can’t come around quickly enough.’

MORE: Parents are hiring naming consultants to help pick a baby name

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Blogger claims parents should give their teenage daughters sex toys

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(Picture: Nadia Bokody)

A sex-positive writer has made a controversial claim that parents should give their teenage daughters sex toys so they can get to know their body better.

Nadia Bokody, a blogger from Australia, has previously said masturbation should be taught at schools and young women should be encouraged to explore their sexuality.

The self-described ‘sexpert’ says schools are not doing enough to teach self-pleasure, which is an important and healthy part of people’s lives.

She says that it is up to parents to begin the discussion – and one way she believes they should show they’re supportive is by offering vibrators to their teenage daughters.

She specifically advocates for female toys because she feels boys are taught about sexuality during conversations about erections and wet dreams, while for girls sex education is dominated by talks of menstruation and preventing unwanted pregnancy.

This creates shame and mystery around female pleasure, she added, which parents can help to alleviate by addressing sex from a young age.

(Picture: Nadia Bokody)

‘Parents need to get their heads out of the sand and start facing reality. Kids are having sex. That’s a fact,’ she told Metro.co.uk.

‘They’re also predominantly doing it unprotected and without any understanding of the emotional and psychological consequences and the idea of ongoing consent.

‘Giving your teenage daughter a vibrator is a no-nonsense way to allow her to learn about her own body and sexuality in the privacy and comfort of her own bedroom.

‘It encourages young women to get to know the difference between sexual pleasure, pain and discomfort – something the school sex ed curriculum completely fails to address, leading 30% of women to go on to have regularly painful sex – and offers a safe alternative to having partnered sex before they’re ready.

‘Most importantly, it teaches them body autonomy – the concept that their bodies are their own and that you as a parent do not govern what they do with them.’

It’s not the first time the topic has been discussed, as sex and relationship expert Annabelle Knight has also advocated for parents to give their teenage children sex toys.

She told Metro.co.uk: ‘I’m all for it! The only way we’re going to bridge the orgasm gap, teach our young women that female pleasure is not only valid but a necessary part of human sexuality and help to promote body confidence is by allowing them to make decisions for themselves.

‘If they show an interest or start asking questions parents need to make them aware of their options.

‘In order for someone to make an informed decision, they need to be informed. The use of sex toys does not equate to promiscuity and it helps with overall confidence levels.

‘The other plus is that by getting to know her own genitalia she’ll be aware of any changes or abnormalities, so it’s a bonus for sexual health aspects too.’

MORE: Can you use sex and masturbation as a form of meditation?

MORE: Sexpert says it’s not natural to have sex with the same person over and over again

MORE: Sex expert says she ‘broke her vagina’ after using her vibrator rigorously

This is why a good night’s sleep is so important

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Tired young woman sleeping in bed
Getting a good night’s sleep is vital for your health (Picture: Getty)

‘Did I reply to that email?’, ‘Have I put the snacks in the lunchboxes?’, ‘I need to order that birthday present. No, seriously, I need to order it by the end of the week.’ It’s hard to pull the plug to unwind and relax and slip effortlessly into the land of Nod. The stresses of life can weigh heavy on your mind.

Emails, texts, streaming and videos calls; sometimes you feel there’s no way to stop the avalanche that comes crashing through to your phone, tablet or computer and that keeps you wired.

Waking up after a night of scattered sleep is miserable. More often than not, a night without sufficient rest can leave you feeling stressed, irritable and unable to concentrate. Not the makings of a great day. But if this sounds like you, you’re not alone. Bensons’ Sleep Wellness Survey found that 75% of Brits often survive on just four hours sleep, and even then it feels like just a few moments. Most people feel like they need seven hours, but in reality get only around 5.8 hours. It’s no wonder we feel short-changed.

There are many factors in not being able to get a good night’s sleep, from not being able to switch off, to a snoring partner, a newborn baby or an uncomfortable mattress. Bensons for Beds Sleep expert, Stephanie Romiszewski, urges people to get back to basics and stick to a routine to improve sleep and suggests that technology is one factor that plays a role in people’s struggle with enough shut-eye.

‘The world that we live in now incorporates technology into everything we do which does have an impact on our sleep,’ she says.

‘All of this only makes us less likely to stick to simple healthy routines and to be consistent. There is almost too much choice and stuff going on these days, that we forget about the basics. This only seems to make loneliness and anxiety worse, which also lead to sleep problems.’

A couple try out a BodiTrak bed in Bensons for Beds
BodiTrak technology helps find your perfect mattress for your sleep style

It’s a dramatic transformation when you hit that sweet spot of sleep, you can burst out of bed feeling energised and fully armoured to take on the day’s challenges. Exactly what you need when life is moving at 110mph. According to Bensons’ Sleep Wellness Survey 45% of people feel less anxious after a good night’s kip, while 43% have more energy and feel more productive. With punishing schedules, pressured jobs and demanding children, it’s not hard to see why we crave the relaxing sanctuary of bed, and why it’s bitterly disappointing if your longed-for sleep doesn’t appear instantly.

But don’t let one difficult night get you down.

‘One poor night’s sleep isn’t going to impact your sleep cycle and life significantly, and that’s really good to know because the worry that people have around this is growing, which only increases anxiety which leads to worse sleep,’ Romiszewski says.

Science has proven that sleep helps to give your body a fighting chance against sickness, diabetes, heart disease and better mental health. When you’re well rested you stand more of a chance of maintaining a healthy weight and even better relationships by eradicating your tiredness.

Sleep problems are more likely to arise after a disruption, but Romiszewski says that we usually have good recovery modes to bring our body clocks back in check. But if issues continue, it’s human behaviours that’s the cause.

‘Things like going to bed early, lying in, cancelling social and exercise activities to “cope”…all this adaptation actually makes things worse because your body has no pattern or rhythm to follow anymore,’ she explains.

Ongoing issues can have serious consequences on health, from higher risk of stroke, diabetes and heart conditions to weight gain and can be damaging to your mental wellbeing.

But the sleep expert warns against worrying about not sleeping as this can only make it worse. Instead, she has a few tips that need to be follow consistently.

Top five tips from Stephanie Romiszewski, Bensons for Beds Sleep Expert

  1. Give yourself permission to go to bed later if you’re not sleepy. It really is ok. Quality sleep is much more important than quantity. And besides, that will come eventually.
  2. Get up at the same time every day, seven days a week, even if you have slept badly. If this is a terrifying notion it’s probably an indicator of how unregulated your current sleep is. It does get easier, I promise!
  3. Get more light in the day! Light is not the enemy. Yet we are simply told to avoid it at night. Yes, be sensible in the evenings, but why are we getting ready in the dark? Light is the most influential external factor on our sleep/wake cycles and lifts our mood. Artificial is ok too.
  4. Napping has become fashionable. And yes, short naps ‘G’ you up. But that’s just it, they have literally stolen some of your sleep ‘fuel’. Therefore you need to regain it again if you still expect to sleep a solid eight hours of quality sleep. Get rid of the naps or, reduce your nightly expectations.
  5. Once you start this routine, then try some anxiety reduction and relaxation techniques. Mindfulness and anxiety reduction isn’t designed to make you sleep instantly, yet we seem to have that expectation (and are thoroughly disappointed when they don’t). It’s designed to help you avoid stress, and therefore sleep problems in the future. It is a proactive tool, not a reactive one.

To prepare for a good night’s sleep, eating the right foods, exercising and making sure your bedroom is comfortable are also vital.

Bensons has developed new technology where you can get the perfect mattress for you, using the BodiTrak system. From how a type of pillow changes your sleeping position to the firmness of the mattress, SleepPRO will analyse the way you sleep, where you need support, and give you a personalised sleep profile so you can find the perfect mattress for you, for a perfect night’s sleep.

For more information about your nearest store visit bensonsforbeds.co.uk/sleeppro.

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Discover the SleepPro range today at Bensons for Beds

What are you actually allowed to take from a hotel room?

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Toiletries in Suitcase
(Picture: Getty)

Most of us who’ve stayed at a hotel have probably nabbed a toiletry or two, especially if they’re fancy looking.

Some of us might have loaded up on buffet breakfast items. That’s a natural urge.

However, some people go a bit overboard and steal bed linen, irons, toilet seat covers – basically anything they can get their hands on.

But are you actually allowed? Which things are complimentary and which are you absolutely not supposed to take?

We spoke to some hotels in the UK and U.S and found out.

What can you take from a hotel?

TripSavvy has created a handy diagram for those who find the whole topic hard to navigate.

What you can take:

Toiletries

Stationery

Slippers

Postcards

What you can’t:

Bathrobes

Towels

Bible

Hairdryer

Iron

Clock

Radio

South Place Hotels is an international chain with a base in London. They’re pretty lenient when it comes to complimentary gifts and even allow their guests to take home designer toiletries available.

A spokesperson for the company told Metro.co.uk: ‘As they are city-based, a large percentage of South Place Hotel’s clientele consists of frequent flying business people.

‘The hotel has selected their choice of toiletries with their customers in mind, choosing to use flight-friendly quantities and encouraging guests to take-away, reducing waste and allowing guests to take the luxury hotel experience with them.

‘At South Place Hotel, our customers can take away our James Heeley toiletries available in our bedrooms. All of our toiletries are 100ml which means all of our international friends are able to take these on to their flights with them.’

Go on, you can take these, you know you want to (Picture: Getty)

Other hotels are less forgiving and will charge you if you steal bathrobes, towels, irons and more.

Though most hotels won’t advertise it, toiletries can usually be taken without a charge, especially when soap packages are already open and cannot be reused.

The Setai Miami Beach told Metro.co.uk it only allows guests to take toiletries and slippers and everything else comes at a charge.

If you do take things without permission, the charge might be added to your bill before you check out.

Or you may receive a call about the missing item and then have the bill added after you’ve left.

If you’re stealing from the Ritz Carlton, then they’ll probably give you a call.

Each hotel is different though, check the terms and conditions of your stay, as some hotels say they can make charges after checkout for any damages and theft.

In general, though, the rule is simple: toiletries are fine because you’d use them during your stay, but anything that can be given to the next guest isn’t fair game.

It doesn’t matter how fluffy those towels are, they’re not yours to take.

MORE: Man flies girlfriend to Asia and proposes but she says no because she doesn’t want to get engaged in a hotel room

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People share what makes them feel like a proper adult

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Millennials are obsessed with plants because we can't have houses or stable jobs (Picture: Virgin Miri/ Metro.co.uk) Metro Illustrations Illustration
(Picture: Virgin Miri/ Metro.co.uk)

What makes you an adult?

It is the moment you realise you’re just like your mum? The blood-chilling day you get excited over a new vacuum cleaner?

For many of us, the traditional markers of adulthood our parents experienced seem entirely out of reach.

Owning a house, having a stable job, getting married, having kids – all that is happening later in life, extending our adolescence – or the feeling of adolescence, at least – far beyond our teens.

Scientists say that we’re not adults until we hit our thirties, but even then we have to leave room for individual differences.

While we might be adults technically, what is it that makes us feel like grownups? Will we ever stop feeling like children pretending?

We spoke to some people who most would consider adults to ask them if they feel like grownups, all to find out if there is a secret checklist that means you’ve officially made it to adulthood. Here’s what they said.

Alexa, 30

I don’t feel like an adult, not even a little bit. I really don’t think I ever will. I still deem dippy eggs as an appropriate dinner choice more often than I probably should.

I turned 30 in December and oh my god, it is so hard.

An adult is probably someone who has their shit together. I live with my boyfriend and we do have a puppy, but I just don’t feel grown up yet.

I guess I would say, people who’ve learnt to be calm in a stressful situation and who are tolerant, confident and who can understand about boilers and insurance and all the things I should probably know by this point – or at least wing it in a way that they appear as though they do. And maybe people who read the money or politics supplements in the paper on a Sunday.

Rebecca, 28

Yes, I feel like an adult because I am one.

There is no mystical feeling of being an adult. You are an adult, so however you feel is ‘feeling like an adult’.

You might not have the hallmarks of adulthood that our parents did, that doesn’t mean you’re not one.

I am a married woman who is about to start trying for a baby, I run a household and have a career, absolutely f*** any report which says I am not an adult – but even if I were living at home and my mum still made my lunch I’d still be an adult, just a different type of adult.

Self-employed stress
(Picture: Ella Byworth for Metro.co.uk)

Alex, 37 

I do feel like an adult most of the time. But I very much enjoy the moments when I completely forget about it, which basically means I forget about responsibilities, money, work.

I definitely feel like one when I spend time with my daughter and realise that she is depending on me. I do believe having people depend on you makes you aware of your adultness.

I started feeling like an adult quite late, I believe. I’ve suffered (and still do) from an acute Peter Pan complex. I’m quite the dreamer. I am silly most of the time and I tend to not take most things very seriously, especially the ones that don’t feel like they really matter in the grand scheme of things.

As soon as you become too involved and care too much, that’s when it hits you. The full force of being an adult. And that’s not fun.

The things that make me feel like an adult are the mundane: the commute, money problems, looking for a job, a house, emotional issues.

Things that make someone an adult are hindsight, experience, seeing things clearly, dealing with whatever life throws at you, and children. Having children brings adulthood in your life as soon as you hold them for the first time.

Jay, 33

I felt like an adult last year when I moved in with my girlfriend – no more ‘ooh, whose house will I crash as this time’ on nights out. Having responsibilities around someone you care about is a lot different to have responsibilities around people you rent with.

I feel like an adult when I’m locking up the doors at night and doing the bins, or making plans for the week ahead on Monday. I imagine getting a dog will make me feel like the biggest adult ever.

Dee, 35

I’m 35, recently bought my own home (which is filled with Star Wars ‘figures’…toys), have had a heck of a life (lost my brother when I was 17 and my Mum when I was 30, have had terrible relationships in the past) and in my head I still feel about 19.

Who I am and what I thought I should be by 35 when I was younger are a million miles apart!

Younger people probably need to realise you don’t suddenly get your sh*t together by a certain age and nor does anyone have to fundamentally change as a person as they age.

I get angry when people complain/moan about being old, especially when they’re not; this may be because of losing my brother when he was 26, it may be because I work with a lot of amazing older people who have fascinating stories and lives.

I think being an adult means being able to help others, caring, volunteering, being compassionate, being considerate. Responsibility. It’s not about your job, how much you earn, getting married. It’s being able to look outside of your own bubble.

James, 31

I’m 31, engaged and have a mortgage yet still wouldn’t class myself as an adult.

I think it stems from comparing where I am in life to where my parents were at the same age. By my age my dad was years into his career, had been on the property ladder since his mid twenties and had two kids.

As everything takes longer for our generation, I think the age of adulting will take longer to kick in. I’m going to say by 40 I hope to feel like an ‘proper’ adult, but who knows!

I guess being an adult would be a secure career, stable relationship, owning a home, and having children. If I had to pick one it would be having children as I (hope) to feel like a more responsible person by that time.

Tom, 47

When I got to 21, I felt experienced and thought I knew everything about life. What happened over the next ten years made me realise I didn’t.

When I got to thirty, I felt experienced and thought I knew everything about life. When I got to forty, I realised that life is a learning experience and you will never become so experienced that you never make bad decisions.

At 47, I think the thing I have learned most is choose your friends carefully. Take time to get to know people in the same way that you would a partner.

It’s a cliché but you never stop learning.

Being an adult is the ability not to emotionally react to something as a child would. Some people have never learned this skill, even in their forties.

Do you really have to wake up at 4am to be successful?
(Picture: Ella Byworth for Metro.co.uk)

Natalie, 30

I turned 30 in November and I actually do feel like an adult. Or, at least, more adult than I ever have before.

The older I get the more I realise that there won’t be this big revelation moment where you wake up feeling grown up and everything suddenly falls in to place. A lot of my brain hasn’t changed since I was 16.

I think I started feeling like an adult in the year or so before turning 30. I felt a shift in mindset and began to feel more self-confident and less insecure. I am less willing to let people treat me badly – in relationships, friendships, at work – and I’m clearer on who I am.

External factors also played a part. I stopped house-sharing and moved in with my boyfriend. Having our own space, cleaning and cooking together, buying plants and rugs – these things all feel deliciously adult to me.

Being able to take responsibility for yourself and your own actions makes you an adult. A lot of that comes down to confidence. If you have the confidence to own up to your mistakes and do what needs to be done to fix them – without needing anyone else to come to your rescue – that’s an adult.

Claire, 33

I feel like I’m always doing a lot of growing up. But now, I feel like an adult.

I thought I was an adult when I bought my first house at the age of 26 and a puppy and topped all that with a 4×4 – seemed pretty grown up but actually that was basic b***h kind of living. I didn’t have any real responsibility, despite paying bills that I had created.

My mum sadly died last year, I was 33. That’s probably the day I grew up and realised that life isn’t just about me and that I had other people to support and take care of.

When you stop relying on other people to handle your business, you’re an adult.

Of course your parents or loved ones can support you at any time, but when you’re an adult you take responsibility for your actions and also start thinking of others beyond yourself.

I’ve found that rather than consuming everything and being quite materialistic, I have a better understand of what life is all about, and am trying to make better decisions about how I want to live my life, which sounds pretty grown up to me.

Being a certain age doesn’t make you an adult every time – it’s how you conduct yourself and your experiences.

James G., 37

I think the moment I moved in with my now wife, in my mid-20s, I began to feel and behave more like an adult. I quickly realised I’d been living a pretty selfish existence and now, suddenly, literally almost every decision I made would impact on someone other than myself.

My wife, however, may argue that my dishwasher stacking etiquette, relocating, rather than tidying, of household items and reluctance to use a calendar, even if it’s stuck to the fridge, suggests I’m still to reach adulthood.

Getting married, living together, sharing rent or a mortgage and having children are pretty obvious answers for what makes you an adult, especially when you’re subjected to targeted advertising for things like nappies, storage solutions and gardening tools.

In general though, I think adulthood is more about realising people are dependent on you, whether it be a spouse, child or older relative, embracing the responsibility that comes with that and being comfortable with the reality that you aren’t and can’t be the priority in your own household.

Sophie, 30

Buying a house, getting married, running a successful PR agency… none of these things ever made me feel like an ‘adult’ and I genuinely felt like I was playing the role of adult but faking it a little.

Being an ‘adult’ is actually very new to me. I became an adult four weeks ago when I gave birth to my daughter. Seeing those eyes looking up at me it suddenly dawned on me that being an adult isn’t about all of the tangible things like having a mortgage and financial responsibilities, but to me, it’s about having someone who depends on you completely.

How Dry January can improve your sex life
(Picture: Ella Byworth for Metro.co.uk)

Jess, 34

I’ve got a kid, a partner, two businesses, a caravan and a derelict house we are rebuilding… and I feel like an 18-year-old.

Vut saying that – heading for mid thirties – I don’t care half as much what other people think of me like I used to – and that’s a huge relief.

Apparently the 40s are much more fun too.

Sam, 43

I don’t feel like an adult and I hope I never do.

I’d imagine work and having kids is the point at which most people start to feel like they’ve entered the adult world.

There was a game called Game of Life when I was a kid, and you go through the board, accumulating stuff – property, shares, children etc. Even then I thought life seems kind of boring and I don’t want any part of that.

So I try to keep doing things that make me feel like I did when I was younger, whether that’s music, books, comedy, education. These are all things that you can do as an ‘adult’ but I frequently hear people saying they’ve got no time to do any of the things they used to enjoy because of time constraints and life.

If you can make time, then I think you hang onto that youthfulness.

I also can’t quite get my head around the idea that the 90s wasn’t the last decade. It still feels very close to me even though it’s a long time back!

Emma, 31

I feel like an adult when I am at work and when I am spending stupid amounts of money on things that I do not want to spend my money on. For instance, I bought Christmas dinner this year and felt like I reached peak adulthood.

I always assume that I am the same age as people on shows such as Love Island and get a shock when they are literally 10 years younger than me.

I started to feel like an adult when I hit 30. Everything fell into place career-wise and in my 20s I was a people pleaser. Literally, I hit 30 and didn’t really care what people thought.

I think you become an adult when your conversations change. I don’t mean talking kettles and toasters but more, I really don’t care who said what and where they said it.

On a deeper note, I have long suffered with my mental health and I think adulthood is somewhat getting to grips with this. I used to be super annoyed that it is something that I had to deal with but maturity has changed my stance.

Frances, 28

Some days I feel like an adult, some days absolutely not. Visiting old haunts from when I was young makes me sometimes feel like the world’s changed so quickly but I haven’t – then I compare photos and realise I’m getting older.

When I had my little boy and brought my own house I thought: ‘My God I’m a grownup now, aren’t I!’

Being an adult means admitting when they’re wrong, when mistakes have been made, and facing problems head on. Understanding that not everything can be fixed, but to just let it go and live.

What does the ideal healthy working day look like?
(Picture: Ella Byworth for Metro.co.uk)

Andrew, 48

Yes, I feel like an adult. Very much so. I’ve taken on the usual responsibilities of a mortgage and I’m celebrating 20 years of marriage next week .

I started to feel like an adult when I took on the mortgage for my own place at 31 ,having saved for 12 years by living at home.

Being an adult is taking on responsibilities for yourself and trying to give others a helping hand up through guidance and support.You cannot really do that without having experienced the highs and lows of life yourself.

Dan, 31

Yes, I feel like an adult, and that’s cool.

I think adulthood comes when you start to get your career in order. To perform well at work and to be taken seriously by peers sometimes you have to ‘grow up’.

I don’t think it’s necessarily all the material things – marriage, owning a home etc. It’s more of a mindset and how you wish to be perceived.

Ruth, 31

When I was a kid, I thought that by the time I turned 30, I would be married, boring and own my own house.

My husband married me when I was 30 (probably to prevent my childhood dream being dashed) but I still feel, act, and party like I’m 18. To be honest, I don’t think I’ll ever feel ‘old’.

I reckon, ‘an adult on paper’ is probably someone who takes care of monthly bills and has a grasp on their finances, thinks about retirement planning and knows how and when to plant things in their garden/allotment.

I’d love to do all of the above, but I seem to spend my time actively avoiding actually doing them. I had a tomato plant once, mind you… it only lasted a summer.

Scott, 32

Yes, I feel like an adult I have responsibilities and a career, but I am a kid at heart – you can still see me playing the dance machine at the arcade.

I think when I met my partner that’s when I felt I was an adult, doing more grown up things. Before that I used to party hard and didn’t care about money and the value of it.

Being an adult means being responsible and knowing what you want out of life.

AJ, 31

I’m 31, married, with an eight-year-old and a baby, a house/mortgage and just started my own business, and I cannot for the life of me understand it as surely I’m only 21.

The feeling of being an adult is such a strange one

When you’re 16 you think college kids are so much older, wiser and cooler. But they’re 18.

When you’re 18 you think uni people are so grown up. And so it goes on and on and on. Maybe we’re conditioned to think there’s more to attain before you can consider yourself grown up.

Maybe it’s because you never actually catch up to those you look up to, they’re always going to be older and wiser.

Maybe it’s because I’m 31 and I still haven’t got any facial hair.

I do have flashes of being an adult. When I’m in dad mode. Things like going to Aldi with the kids in the car seat, taking out my reusable bags. Sorting the recycling. Planning things.

Gilles, 38

I was talking recently about how I’d almost forgotten what age I am. I run a number of businesses and have a young family and all of that seems to have happened at a million miles an hour. After years of working hard but always being very young at heart it was only recently I thought to myself, wow, you really are an adult now.

I started feeling like an adult when I began ticking off certain boxes in my life. Being a parent, a home-owner, a business-owner. These were long-term goals and you achieve them with the passing of time, so when a certain amount of time has passed and you now have those things, you suddenly start to ask yourself ‘is that what it means to be an adult?’ But everyone is different.

Traditionally we associate being an adult with certain behaviours and the way we live our life, but what makes one person an adult isn’t what makes another person an adult.

I feel like the things I have in my life make me feel like an adult but those things aren’t for everyone, and that doesn’t make them any less of an adult. Perhaps it’s just a state of mind.

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What is Odd Socks Day and how is it linked to World Down Syndrome Day?

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Steph McGovern and a dog show off odd socks for World Down's Syndrome Day
Steph McGovern has been showing off her odd socks – and dogs are at it too (Picture: Twitter)

You might well have noticed that a lot of people are wearing brightly coloured odd socks today, and showing off their sock-clad tootsies on social media.

But just why are they doing it?

Well it’s all linked up to World Down Syndrome Day, which is also happening today – and is part of a campaign to raise awareness for that.

Here’s what you need to know about the odd Twitter craze.

What is Odd Socks Day/Lots Of Socks all about?

Odd Socks Day has seen a lot of people wearing odd socks and posting their efforts to Twitter using the hashtag #LotsOfSocks.

Among those putting their best foot forward have been BBC Breakfast’s Steph McGovern and actor Stephen McGann, joining countless others putting their brightest socks on.

So what’s the connection with World Down Syndrome Day exactly?

Well, socks – and the hashtag #lotsofsocks – have been chosen to mark the day because they look a little bit like chromosomes – so it’s to highlight the fact that people with Down Syndrome have an extra chromosome.

Odd Socks for World Down Syndrome Day at Chesswood Junior School
(Picture: Chesswood Junior School/Twitter)

Schools have also been joining in the fun, with Chesswood Junior School in West Sussex donning their socks as Edward, a Year 4 pupil, presented to the school his thoughts about his Down Syndrome and the aspirations he has for his future – including having sausages, potato waffles and green beans for dinner every day, and becoming a rugby player.

‘This joins the global theme of ‘leave no-one behind’ to share the word for all people with Down Syndrome to live fulfilling lives, being included on a full and equal basis with others in all aspects of society,’ said the school’s senior administrator and librarian Sophie Taylor.

What is World Down Syndrome Day?

The annual day, which has been officially observed by the United Nations on 21 March every year since 2012, aims to raise awareness of what Down Syndrome is, what it means to have the condition and the role people with Down Syndrome play in our lives and communities.

Down’s Syndrome is a genetic condition which causes certain physical characteristics and varying degrees of learning disabilities.

It affects one in every 1,000 babies born in the UK.

The date of World Down Syndrome Day is significant as it was chosen to signify the uniqueness of the triplication of the 21st chromosome which is responsible for causing the condition.


Mother’s Day 2019: The best gifts for Mums from Amazon

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Mother's Day 2019: The best gifts for Mums from Amazon Picture: AMAZON/ Getty Images METROGRAB
(Picture: Amazon/ Getty Images)

This year Amazon has made shopping for Mother’s Day a doddle.

Whether or not you feel Mother’s Day (which FYI falls on Sunday 31 March) is consumer madness, there’s no denying they gave us the gift of life and shower us with unconditional love.

It’s nice to buy a card and write a thoughtful message, or even order a bouquet of flowers to show them your gratitude. But it’s also nice to really treat mom to something she’ll love on Mother’s Day.

Enter Amazon, who have hundreds of Mother’s Day gifts available to suit any budget and have also partnered with mother, author and blogger Giovanna Fletcher, to create a Mother’s Day store brimming with the best personalised and handcrafted products from jewellery boxes and personalised make-up bags to funky prints and quirky aprons.

So if you’re celebrating Mother’s Day and still searching for gifts for your mum, nan or step-mum, we’ve selected our favourites from Amazon below.

Personalised Baking Set, £24.99

(Picture: Amazon)

If you’re mom likes to bake, or considers herself a star baker, this personalised set of baking utensils are must-haves.

Unsurprisingly the set of solid wood baking tools are featured in Giovanna’s top picks and includes a rolling pin, spoon and spatula all wrapped up with a pretty ribbon.

 

All-new Echo Dot (3rd Gen) – Smart speaker with Alexa, £49.99

All-new Echo Dot (3rd Gen) - Smart speaker with Alexa, £49.99
(Picture: Amazon)

From the kitchen to the bedroom, the Amazon Echo Dot is really handy around the home.

Not only will your mum be able to play songs from her playlists, she’ll also be able to create and amend shopping lists, to-do lists, and calendar, set timers and reorder products.

It’s like having a personal assistant around the house.

 

Personalised Hand Made Makeup Bag, £6.95

Personalised Hand Made Makeup Bag, £6.95
(Picture: Amazon)

Also available in black and navy this cotton wash bag can be personalised with name or text.

They’re a great way to store makeup, skincare and beauty products. And better yet, at £6.95, if your budget allows, you could pop a couple of beauty products inside too.

 

Edinburgh Gin Rhubarb and Ginger Liqueur, £16

Edinburgh Gin Rhubarb and Ginger Liqueur, £16
(Picture: Amazon)

If your mum is a gin lover, you’re in luck as Amazon have plenty of boozy bottles to pick from.

Our favourite has to be Edinburgh Gin Rhubarb and Ginger Liqueur, it’s sweet, fruity and most importantly, it’s delicious.

 

Cinematic Light Up Box, £13.99

Cinematic Light Up Box, £13.99
(Picture: Amazon)

Light your mum’s name up in this Cinematic Light Up Box.

Inspired by retro cinemas, this illuminating box adds the perfect touch to any home.

 

Yankee Candle 6 Votive Gift Set, £13.99

Yankee Candle 6 Votive Gift Set
(Picture: Amazon)

Candles are a classic gift that never disappoint.

Presented in box the this Yankee Candle gift set includes six best-selling scents; sweet nothings, rainbow cookie, calm, quiet place, sun- drenched, apricot rose, soft blanket and lemongrass and ginger.

 

Andrew James Cheese Board Set with Knives, £19.99

Andrew James Cheese Board Set with Knives, £19.99
(Picture: Amazon)

If your mum is a cheese lover, or your just bored of gifting flowers and chocolates, why not purchase a cheese board and a couple of her favourite cheeses?

We think this gift would go down very well, especially with a glass of wine.

 

BarCraft Glass Gin / Whisky Decanter and Tumbler Gift Set, £21.13

BarCraft Glass Gin / Whisky Decanter and Tumbler Gift Set, £21.13
(Picture: Amazon)

Enjoy a tipple with your Mum this Mother’s Day in one of these perfectly-sized (for a G+T) tumblers and decanter.

The iridescent glass make this set a glamorous addition to any kitchen, study or home bar.

 

Hotel Chocolat The Everything Sleekster, £22.95

Hotel Chocolat The Everything Sleekster, £22.95
(Picture: Amazon)

Indulge your mum with this Hotel Chocolat The Everything Sleekster box of chocolates.

In the mix she’ll find 27 milk chocolate and cream truffles all with a splash of real champagne – salivating yet?

 

Russell Hobbs 24180 Chalkboard Slow Cooker, £20

Russell Hobbs 24180 Chalkboard Slow Cooker, £20
(Picture: Amazon)

This slow-cooker is a practical present for any busy mom this Mother’s Day.

It’s a favourite kitchen appliance for it’s ability to create tasty pastas, soups, stews, and more, with very little effort, or cooking ability.

Maybe you could plug it in and rustle something up to enjoy together.

 

REVLON Pediprep Foot Spa and Pedicure Set, £24.99

REVLON Pediprep Foot Spa and Pedicure Set, £24.99
(Picture: Amazon)

Let your mum put her feet up this Mother’s Day with Revlon’s Pediprep Foot Spa and Pedicure Set.

The set has everything she’ll possibly need for a flawless pedicure at home.

 

Le Creuset Classic Cast Iron Heart Casserole, £113.08

Le Creuset Classic Cast Iron Heart Casserole, £113.08
(Picture: Amazon)

What better way to say ‘I love you’ and ‘I love your cooking’ to mom than with this Le Creuset Classic Cast Iron Heart Casserole dish?

Le Creuset are renowned for their top-of-the-range cookware, so it’s pricey, but she’s worth it.

 

Handmade Clear Hanging Glass Geometric Terrarium Box, £16.90

Handmade Clear Hanging Glass Geometric Terrarium Box, £16.90
(Picture: Amazon)

For under £20 you can purchase this trendy glass planter, which would delight a green-fingered mum.

It looks good hung in a window, or placed on a surface and an unique way to house fern, moss, succulent, airplants and cacti.

 

Bomb Cosmetics Luxury Ballotin Handmade Bath Melt Gift Pack, £7.46

Bomb Cosmetics Luxury Ballotin Handmade Bath Melt Gift Pack, £7.46
(Picture: Amazon)

Make your mom’s day extra special with this bath bomb set from Bomb Cosmetics.

Why? Because nothing beats an indulgent hot bath after a long day.

ASOS is being mocked online after releasing very bizarre lilac bomber jacket

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Shoppers ask if ASOS is ?on crack? for selling bizarre lavender puffer jacket with tie neck ASOS
(Picture: ASOS)

ASOS is being mocked on Instagram after they shared a photo of their new, lilac bomber jacket – which features a very odd design, to say the least.

The lilac jacket features a tie-top and a puffer detail. It has large, inflated sleeves and a pleated front.

The ASOS Bomber Jacket with Tie Neck was shared to Instagram three days ago, and though it received more than 8,000 likes the post has also received a lot of comments from confused shoppers.

One person said: ‘This is definitely the strangest fashion piece I’ve ever seen.’

Shoppers ask if ASOS is ?on crack? for selling bizarre lavender puffer jacket with tie neck picture: ASOS METROGRAB
(Picture: ASOS)

Another wrote: ‘ASOS is on crack.’

Someone else commented: ‘Who wears stuff like that.’

And another person put: ‘Pretty sure it looks crappy on everyone haha.’

However, others were keen on the jacket, with some saying the model looks great in it, that they love the puffy sleeves and that they absolutely ‘need’ the jacket.

But unfortunately, despite the divided opinion, the bomber jacket is completely sold out.

Originally priced at £65, the jacket went on to be sliced down to nearly a third – selling for just £22.50. And people snapped it up quickly.

In other fashion failure news, Fashion Nova has also recently come under fire with shoppers after releasing a metallic romper which one customer said looked like ‘a toe’.

The faux leather tube romper, which is available in both black and rose gold, is of biker short length and is very stretchy.

A photo of a model wearing the romper was shared to Instagram, and though the photo, much like the bomber jacket, received thousands of likes, there were also a lot of people laughing at it.

One person likened the romper to looking like Austin Power’s Goldfinger, while another added: ‘It’s all fun and games until it’s time to pee.’

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Hospice manager left in tears after two little girls wrote a ‘sorry’ letter for only raising £4

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(Picture: Kennedy News)

A hospice manager was left in tears when two schoolgirls wrote a ‘sorry’ letter for only raising £4 despite eight hours of fundraising work – prompting the community to launch a JustGiving page to back them.

Carina Walker, who manages Trinity Hospice Charity Shop in Blackpool, Lancashire, arrived to work on Monday morning to find the sealed envelope containing the handwritten note and four pound coins.

In their letter, the nine-year-old cousins explained that they’d held a garden sale for eight hours and raised £4 to donate to the charity by selling small items from their house.

The letter said they had chosen the charity as a thank you for helping their grandparents but said they had ‘tried [their] best’ to raise as much as possible but ‘didn’t succeed very well’.

Moved by the letter, Carina launched a social media campaign to find the ‘lovely children’, and on Tuesday Vicky O’Loughlin got in touch to say it was her daughter Elouise O’Loughlin and niece Abbie Waters.

Since, local people have raised more than £100 to help the girls with a JustGiving page.

Carina, from Bispham, Lancashire, said: ‘It made me really emotional – tears welled up in my eyes.

PIC FROM Kennedy News and Media (PICTURED: TRINITY HOSPICE SHOP MANAGER, CARINA WALKER, WHO FOUND LETTER ON MONDAY MORNING) A hospice manager was left in tears when two schoolgirls wrote a 'sorry' letter for only raising ??4 despite EIGHT HOURS fundraising work - prompting the community to launch a JustGiving page to back them. Carina Walker, who manages Trinity Hospice Charity Shop in Blackpool, Lancashire, arrived to work on Monday morning to find the sealed envelope containing the handwritten note and four pound coins. In their letter, the nine-year-old cousins explained that they'd held a garden sale for eight hours and raised ??4 to donate to the charity by selling small items from their house. SEE KENNEDY NEWS COPY - 0161 697 4266
(Picture: Kennedy News)

‘The fact they’d made that much effort was really touching.

‘Everything they’d written was so lovely – it broke my heart because any money is better than nothing.

‘They’d put so much effort in.

‘I just want to say to Elouise and Abbie ‘thank you so much for even thinking of us and putting in such an enormous amount of time to help us.

‘Keep doing what you’re doing because the world needs kind people like you.

‘And well done to Mum or Dad because you are raising some really lovely children.’

The girls’ original letter read: ‘We have raised money for you so that people in your care can be safe.

‘We might not have a lot that we have raised but we have tried our very best to give you money.

‘(Sorry blue pen ran out). [Colour changes from blue to black.]

‘We are choosing you because you helped our nan to be brave, you told her how to fight strong.

‘We believe everyone every single person in this world deserves to be loved in some type of way even if they don’t have a lot.

PIC FROM Kennedy News and Media (PICTURED: LETTER WRITTEN BY NINE-YEAR-OLDS, ELOUISE O'LOUGHLIN AND ABBIE WATERS) A hospice manager was left in tears when two schoolgirls wrote a 'sorry' letter for only raising ??4 despite EIGHT HOURS fundraising work - prompting the community to launch a JustGiving page to back them. Carina Walker, who manages Trinity Hospice Charity Shop in Blackpool, Lancashire, arrived to work on Monday morning to find the sealed envelope containing the handwritten note and four pound coins. In their letter, the nine-year-old cousins explained that they'd held a garden sale for eight hours and raised ??4 to donate to the charity by selling small items from their house. SEE KENNEDY NEWS COPY - 0161 697 4266
(Picture: Kennedy News)

‘Your[s] sincerely Abbie and Elouise.’

‘With the time of eight hours we received… with a small donation of £4.00 we tried our best but didn’t succeed very well.

‘Hope you like it.

‘I have to say thank you to an old lady who helped us to[o] as she was raising her own money for her charity.’

Carina has taken the opportunity to thank the girls – whose three grandparents were cared for by the hospice – and praise their charitable personalities.

Carina said: ‘The fact they wanted to do it is lovely.

‘It’s so nice in this day and age to see kids doing this kind of thing – when everything is negative in the news.

‘In Bispham we’ve had a lot of negative stuff to do with kids and vandalism – this shows there are good kids out there.

‘It takes around £7m a year to run and we need about £5m a year from donations.

‘We only get around £2m from the government.

‘£4 may seem small but if everybody gave us that amount, it’d be amazing.

‘I don’t think there’s anybody in Blackpool who doesn’t know someone who’s been helped by the hospice.’

Vicky, who is mum of Elouise and aunt of Abbie, says the girls will be delighted to see how much money has been raised on their behalf.

PIC FROM Kennedy News and Media (PICTURED: COUSINS ELOUISE [right] AND ABBIE, BOTH NINE, WHO DONATED ??4 AND WROTE LETTER THANKING HOSPICE) A hospice manager was left in tears when two schoolgirls wrote a 'sorry' letter for only raising ??4 despite EIGHT HOURS fundraising work - prompting the community to launch a JustGiving page to back them. Carina Walker, who manages Trinity Hospice Charity Shop in Blackpool, Lancashire, arrived to work on Monday morning to find the sealed envelope containing the handwritten note and four pound coins. In their letter, the nine-year-old cousins explained that they'd held a garden sale for eight hours and raised ??4 to donate to the charity by selling small items from their house. SEE KENNEDY NEWS COPY - 0161 697 4266
(Picture: Kennedy News)
Vicky, from Blackpool, Lancashire, said: ‘They decided to make a stall outside my cousin’s house, but to be honest they don’t live on a busy street so they were a bit disappointed to have only raised £4.

‘But then they asked us if we’d drop it off at the shop.

‘We weren’t even aware they’d written a letter – we thought they’d just put the money in an envelope.

‘Abbie’s nan had palliative care and both of the girls’ grandads had at home care too.

‘It’s amazing. We’re going to try and set up something else so they can raise more.

‘The hospice have now said the girls can go down and meet some of the healthier residents to see where their money could go.”

Little Elouise added: ‘Thank you everyone. I’m really happy because I was a little bit sad that we only managed to make £4.

‘I can’t wait to go to Trinity Hospice and meet some of the people that work there and patients and find out what the money can help with.

‘I’m also now excited to try and think of other ways to make more money for them.’

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Morrisons launches pocket money Mother’s Day bouquets for kids

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(Picture: Morrisons)

Morrisons has just launched some new special bouquets for little kids who want to buy their mum flowers using their own pocket money this Mother’s Day.

The supermarket is launching a special, affordable bouquet for children to give to their mums on the special day, that won’t break their piggy banks.

The bouquets cost £3.50, and were priced after research by Morrisons found that on average, children in the UK today receive over £5 pocket money per week.

The store listened to its younger customers who said they wanted Mother’s Day flowers that they can afford themselves, instead of their other parent buying it on their behalf.

(Picture: Morrisons)

The cheap bouquets feature four different flower types: chrysanthemums, santini, carnations and gypsophilia.

The ‘Llama Bouquet’ contains specially tinted dip-dye effect flowers and features a llama motif – with Morrisons thinking the llama is going to be the next ‘creature craze’ after the unicorn.

Donna Heywood, Flowers Buyer at Morrisons said: ‘Many of our younger customers want to show their appreciation for their mums. That’s why we’ve worked hard to make the Llama Bouquet affordable for sons and daughters around the UK.’

The Llama Bouquet is the cheapest of 18 Mothers Days floral gifts and bouquets which will be available in all 494 Morrisons stores from 27 March.

Other gifts available at Morrisons ahead of Mother’s Day include a £6 Tulip Gift Bag, My No 1 Mum Bouquet at £10 and The Best Mother’s Day Rose or Lily Bouquet for £15.

More extravagant options include The Best Rose Garden Bouquet for £35 and The Best Hydrangea Bouquet which costs £40.

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Emaciated bow-legged kitten abandoned with message ‘help me please’ needs a home

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Picture: Battersea Dogs & Cats Cricket the cat
(Picture: Battersea Dogs & Cats)

Poor Cricket has had one of the hardest starts to life, after being abandoned and malnourished as a kitten.

He was found in a faeces-ridden cat carrier that had a note on it saying ‘help me’, and was so emaciated that staff at Battersea where he was brought didn’t initially know if he was alive.

Thankfully he was, although he was estimated to be half the recommended weight of his estimated age, five months.

His coat was extremely thin and his tail was almost completely bald, and his legs had even become bowed.

Battersea Veterinary Surgeon, Claire Turner, said: ‘Cricket was extremely underweight and under-developed when he arrived at Battersea. It’s possible that being severely malnourished during his short life has prevented his body from growing correctly, which could have contributed to his bowed legs. It was heart-breaking to see him when he arrived, he was so weak and helpless.’

Battersea staff have now been nursing him back to health, and with plenty of TLC his fur has started to come back.

It’s not known whether his legs will ever recover – as they’re still bowed – but he doesn’t let his disability stop him being a lively, affectionate kitten. He loves sitting on laps and plenty of cuddles.

He desperately needs a home – particularly with an owner or owners who have financial stability and don’t have any major changes coming up that might be an upheaval for him.

Picture: Battersea Dogs & Cats Cricket the cat
(Picture: Battersea Dogs & Cats)

Cricket would prefer not to live with any other cats, but his ad says he may be able to live with a dog (depending on the situation). A home with young children might not be best for a cat that’s been through so much, but he can live with other children and teenagers.

Claire continues: ‘Cricket was abandoned because his previous owner was clearly unable to care for him. We’d encourage anyone who can’t look after their pet, to bring them into a rescue centre. Cricket was lucky to have been found in time for us to save him – it was a close call.’

If you think Cricket might be the cat for you, you can find out how to enquire about him here. It’ll be a lucky person who gets to take home this brave cat and give him the fresh start he deserves.

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