Recently, Primark has been pulling out all the stops with its soft furnishings.
And the goods just keep coming.
The shop has launched a new collection inspired by Winnie the Pooh, that will no doubt go down a storm with kids (and big kids, of course).
The department store has released two exciting new products for fans to enjoy.
The first is an £8 throw, which features Winnie against a background of flowers and plants, and the second is a £7 pink cushion which has the loveable bear hiding behind a bouquet.
Primark announced the launch over on its Instagram page, with the caption: ‘A set-up as sweet as honey.’
The range includes a duvet and pillowcase set, alongside a blanket and a plastic-free water bottle – all with some of film franchise’s best-loved characters, such as Woody, Buzz, Slinky and Little Bo Peep.
Travelling is a little different after lockdown (Picture: Faima Bakar/Ben Queenborough/PinPep)
After months of lockdown, just seeing a row of plane seats on a flight from London Gatwick to Ibiza was exciting.
Many of us have felt the pull of wanderlust as we were itching to take to the skies once again.
Restrictions have eased slightly and there are some countries you can travel to, but you might still be unsure about what it’s like to go abroad again.
TUI is one of the travel firms that resumed operations in July, a few weeks after easyJet flights resumed back in June.
The travel operator is running a limited number of flights and holiday packages to the Balearic and Canary islands including Ibiza, Lanzarote, Palma in Mallorca and Tenerife.
TUI began operation again after months on the ground (Picture: Faima Bakar)
Towards the end of July, they plan to add other Spanish summer hotspots including Malaga, Alicante, Menorca and Gran Canaria.
Holidays to Greek islands including Crete, Zanta, Koz, Rhodes and Corfu will also be added.
From 1 August, TUI will be offering flights from nine more UK airports, flying to 24 destinations.
So if you’ve felt adventurous and booked a flight to sunnier weather elsewhere, here’s what you can expect.
You'll need to wear masks on board (Picture: Faima Bakar)
You'll need to wear masks on board (Picture: Faima Bakar)
Airports are pretty empty (Picture: Faima Bakar)
Airports are pretty empty (Picture: Faima Bakar)
Social distancing is in place (Picture: Faima Bakar)
Social distancing is in place (Picture: Faima Bakar)
Hand sanitsiers are also available (Picture: Faima Bakar)
Hand sanitsiers are also available (Picture: Faima Bakar)
Middle seats on planes will not be available (Picture: Faima Bakar)
Middle seats on planes will not be available (Picture: Faima Bakar)
Safety demonstrations are one with PPE on (Picture: Faima Bakar)
Safety demonstrations are one with PPE on (Picture: Faima Bakar)
As with flying before the pandemic, the checking in process is still the same; you can check-in online from 24 hours before departure or at the airport, depending on your airline.
But to reduce queueing and to ensure social distancing TUI encourages online check-in.
There are also a limited number of in-person check-in desks available at the airport for those who aren’t able to check-in online.
Before you land you’ll also need to fill out a passenger locator form detailing where you’ll be staying to help manage and track coronavirus cases.
Not all countries require it but you can check with your operator if you are unsure.
You’ll need to wear a face mask as you travel through the airport and follow floor markings where necessary.
Other than a few changes, the airport travel experience is still similar to pre-pandemic, however it’s a lot quieter and many shops, cafes and restaurants in the airport may be closed.
On board the flight, you’ll need to keep a mask on the whole time if you’re aged six and above.
Make sure you pack enough masks to be able to change it every four hours.
TUI doesn’t offer face masks on board but some of their hotels do if you’re booking as part of a package.
Cabin crew will be operating in PPE (Picture: Ben Queenborough/PinPep)
Cabin crew will try to minimise the number of interactions with passengers so don’t be surprised if you don’t see them walking through the plane as much. You can still alert them if you have any issues.
All onboard staff will also be in PPE and offer the safety instructions in their kit too.
Staff won’t be able to help you store overhead luggage so make sure to have suitcases and bags that fit within overhead compartments.
Food and drink will be available on TUI flights but contactless methods of payment are preferred.
ibiza is quieter than normal and many shops and restaurants are closed (Picture: Ben Queenborough/PinPep)
Once you land in your TUI destination, you can expect changes too.
Most places are a shell of their former tourist glory, Ibiza included. You’ll still find some bars and clubs open, but it’s far from the party island image it’s known for.
The Balearic island makes up 90% of its economy from tourism and as airlines are opening up flights, there are hopes it can go back to what it once was.
But the experts in the industry are under no illusion that the travel landscape will just go back to what it was like before lockdown.
Ricardo Muñoz, commercial and marketing director at Tui Blue Aura – one of the hotels that TUI guests can stay at as a package holiday – sums it up best.
He tells Metro.co.uk: ‘This is not a summer to get rich, it’s a summer to bring confidence back.’
TUI resorts are taking temperatures before allowing entry into restaurant for breakfast, lunch and dinner (Picture: Ben Queenborough/PinPep)
Buffets will include telling staff what items you want (Picture: Ben Queenborough/PinPep)
If you do book a package holiday, your experience of the hotel is pretty much the same as the airport – you’re expected to wear your face masks when in public, there are compulsory hand sanitiser stations, and your temperature is taken before entering certain areas including restaurants.
And while the buffet is a much-loved staple of many holidays, you can now expect to walk around the restaurant (while wearing a mask) and point to all the food items you want instead of helping yourself.
As of 13 July, everyone in the Balearics must wear a face covering while they’re out and about except for at the beach, the pool, or while eating. Failure to comply can result in fines between €100 (£90) to €6,000 (£5,400).
Most restaurants have also removed paper menus and instead offer a QR code that can be scanned with your smartphone camera to pull up the menu on your phone.
Many restaurants have swapped menus for QR codes which can be scanned to pull up the menu (Picture: Ben Queenborough/PinPep)
Facilities such as gyms, spas, restaurants, and other entertainment venues will allow fewer people inside at one time.
At Tui Blue Aura, the waterpark allows 150 people rather than the 250 it normally allows, and the kids club is open to 10 kids at a time instead of 30. At the gym, you can only have five people per session.
There are cleaning times between each interval and sun loungers and pool ladders are disinfected regularly.
Sun loungers are regularly disinfected (Picture: Ben Queenborough/PinPep)
You’re also not allowed to move furniture yourself which is to prevent people from sitting too close.
Bear in mind that you’ll be considered one party with the people you travel with, regardless of whether you live in the same household while in the UK.
Where to stay in Ibiza
With many restaurants, and entertainments currently unavailable, a package holiday may be ideal as they offer many services within the hotels.
TUI Blue For Families is offering seven nights on an all-inclusive basis at the 4T TUI Blue Aura in Port des Torrents, which can range from £502 in October to £576 in July, per person based on two adults and two children sharing and including one free child place.
TUI Platinum is offering seven nights on bed and breakfast at the 4T Ibiza Twiins in Playa d’en Bossa, from £770 per person based on two adults sharing. Half board and all-inclusive options are available.
The price can range depending on month, from £627 in July, £770 in August, £741 in September, and £513 in October.
TUI package holidays also include Covid-19 cover (which works alongside personal health insurance).
The cover offers overseas testing for suspected cases, medical assistance if a customer contracts COVID-19 while on holiday.
It will also include costs associated with an extended stay and a new return flight home if customers are asked to self-isolate while on holiday.
Show a screengrab of a virtual date to get your food and drink free (Picture: Westfield )
Dating has been a little unusual for the last few months as lockdown meant lots of talking online but no meeting up.
Now as restrictions ease, you can meet up with someone as long as you take social distancing precautions.
To help all the people who have been growing close through screens, Westfield London and Westfield Stratford City are giving away free meals to people having their first in-real-life date.
Teaming up with a range of restaurant and entertainment venues including Pastaio, Pasta Remoli and Bat & Ball, the shopping centres will be picking up the tab for 100 first time daters.
To qualify, you need to show a screen grab of a lockdown virtual date.
If you’re one of the first 100 daters to visit one of the restaurants, you will receive a £50 voucher to spend on food and drink.
The offer will run from 14 July to 2 August 2020.
Alyson Hodkinson, General Manager, Westfield Stratford City said: ‘While virtual calls and meet ups have been crucial over the past few months to stay connected with family, friends and colleagues, there’s nothing quite like meeting up in real life.
‘At Westfield Stratford City and Westfield London, we are thrilled to see the reopening of many of our dining and entertainment venues since 4 July.
‘Partnering with our restaurants to host first real life dates for those who have been meeting virtually whilst on lockdown is a fun way to welcome people back to our centres and we’re delighted to be able to provide new couples with a safe and welcome space to get to know each other better.’
This is because colourful foods – such as fruit and vegetables – contain the vitamins and antioxidants our bodies need to function. Typically, the less colourful the food, the fewer nutrients it has.
But a new study has found that eating protein from plant-based foods – such as pasta and bread – has been linked to a lower risk of dying.
Yes, science says our carb cravings are doing us some good.
In a recent study – which was published in the JAMA Internal Medicine journal – researchers looked at data on 416,104 men and women, over a 16-year-period. On average, participants got 15% of their daily energy intake from protein, 40% from plants, and 60% from animal proteins – including 19% for dairy.
It found that eating plant protein was linked to a lower chance of dying overall and from cardiovascular disease.
What’s more, this association was particularly strong when foods such as bread, cereal and pasta (AKA – all the good stuff) were consumed over meat and eggs.
It showed that swapping eggs for foods with plant protein was linked to a 24% lower risk of death in men and 21% in women.
When meat was swapped, the risk dropped to 13% in men and 15%t in women.
This also remained the case when researchers took into account different lifestyle choices that could affect participants’ health, such as smoking, diabetes, fruit consumption and vitamin supplement use.
The team behind the study say their findings provide evidence that changing an individual’s diet may affect health and lifespan.
The research also supports previous studies which have found substituting certain carbohydrates for proteins is linked to improved blood pressure and better fat and sugar levels in the blood.
This really is the good news we’ve all been waiting for.
The Boneless Budget Bucket gives you ten mini fillets for £4.99 (Picture: KFC/Metro.co.uk)
Fancy some cheap chicken?
‘Course you do. And so we have some wonderful news – but you’ll need to move fast.
To celebrate the Government’s announcement of reduced VAT, KFC is launching a load of bargains.
The one to get most excited about is the Boneless Budget Bucket, which costs just £4.99 and gets you 10 Mini Fillets.
This is available for five days only, from 15 July until Sunday 19 July.
In case a bucket of chicken for under a fiver isn’t enough, KFC is also offering some other price cuts.
The Boneless Budget Bucket gives you ten mini fillets for £4.99 (Picture: KFC)
From today, you’ll be able to get £1 off all sharing buckets and 50p off ‘several fan favourites’ – but it’s not clear yet which items exactly will be having their prices cut.
KFC says they’ll also be running more deals on all things chicken in the coming weeks, so do keep an eye out for further bargains.
So perhaps a load of chicken cheques could be coming our way.
KFC has reopened stores with social distancing measures (Picture: KFC)
KFC has started to reopen a load of restaurants for drive-thru and takeaway alongside contactless delivery – with plenty of measures in place to ensure safety amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
The brand has previously announced making thermometers available to staff, rigorously cleaning and sanitising work stations, and offering up hand sanitiser to customers.
Picking up your usual chicken might look a little different (Picture: KFC)
Photos of reopened shops also show restaurant staff wearing PPE, complete with face masks and single-use disposable gloves.
Stickers are on KFC restaurants’ floors and tables are also in place to ensure social distancing.
If you want more tips and tricks on saving money, as well as chat about cash and alerts on deals and discounts, join our Facebook Group, Money Pot.
In answer to this, the brand has introduced price drops including 40p off Extra Value Meals and 30p off Happy Meals.
McNuggets, Big Macs, and Quarter Pounders with cheese will be 20p cheaper.
That same 20p drop will apply to the Filet O’Fish, the McChicken, and the Veggie Deluxe.
Getting a McDonald’s breakfast will be cheaper, too, with 30p off McMuffins and a full 50p off breakfast meals.
Even the coffee is getting a price cut, going from £1.39 to 99p for black and white coffee, while cappuccinos and lattes drop to £1.49 from £1.79.
McMuffin’s are also getting a price cut (Picture: Mcdonald’s)
All these price cuts will come into action from 5am Wednesday 15 July.
But be warned that franchisees can set their own prices, so while McDonald’s has advised everyone to stick to these, different restaurants may still have different prices.
The plans also don’t appear to cover McDelivery, only takeaway, drive-thru, and eat in orders.
Oh, and fries, cold drinks, and the McFlurry won’t have a price cut.
McDonald’s has reopened four of its restaurants for dine-in customers across the UK and Ireland to test out safety procedures.
The brand said they plan to reopen restaurants with table service only and reduce capacity by up to 70% to enable social distancing.
McDonald’s restaurants will also have hand sanitising stations, social distancing floor markings, and Perspex screens, as well as increased cleaning at touchpoints (which can be pretty grubby, FYI), and in seating areas.
If you want more tips and tricks on saving money, as well as chat about cash and alerts on deals and discounts, join our Facebook Group, Money Pot.
What’s the one thing you’re looking forward to most this summer?
Lazy days in the sun? Long balmy evenings spent under the stars? Maybe even a much-needed getaway now that travel restrictions are lifting?
But for us, it’s all about the simple joy of just hanging out with our friends and family; something we clearly took for granted before lockdown!
But with the sun shining (for now) and the fun days of summer finally here, we just want to make the most of our time together from here on out.
Finally we can hang out with our friends! So why not host a barbecue?
Pubs and restaurants have begun opening up, but with some restrictions and social distancing still in place, one of the best ways to socialise is to host a shindig in your back garden.
And what says ‘summer’ better than a barbecue? The food, the laid back vibes… It’s all good!
So this year, if you really want to welcome your loved ones back in style, why not make it the best barbecue ever?
At Costcutter* you’ll find everything you need to bring summer home and straight into your back garden. And you could even WIN one of hundreds of prizes thanks to Budweiser.
So here’s how to make your barbecue EPIC this summer. Even if you do have to run indoors to shelter from the classic British weather…
Create your own festival!
Get that festival feeling at home
Festival season 2020 was cancelled and it’s one of the biggest losses this summer. There’s nothing more fun or freeing than living alongside thousands of people in a tent, listening to music from dawn until dusk and getting away from the pressures of everyday life.
So we say, do it yourself!
Twinkly lights will help to create some festival atmosphere
Creating a mini festival is easier than you might think and will really give your barbecue some edge. Start with a spot of ‘decorating’ to give your outdoor space that festi feel.
Lay out rugs on the lawn and why not pitch a couple of tents or Tipis where you can huddle or just store a few bits and pieces? Add some atmosphere with twinkly fairy lights and bulbs strung around trees, bushes and doorways and we highly recommend providing flower crowns or hippy-ish headpieces to help everyone get into the spirit.
And how about hanging a disco ball or some bunting too and make it a two day extravaganza?
Oh and the best bit? No actual camping required!
Food to get excited about
Festival food is the best and you can recreate some of it with your trusty barbecue!
There’s nothing more tempting than a burger straight off the grill. Whether you add cheese, bacon, mustard, ketchup, onions, or all of the above, everyone loves a burger.
What’s more delicious than a mouthwatering barbecued burger?
At Costcutter right now there are some great offers on BBQ favourites**. You can get a pack of quality beef burgers for just £2.50 and veggies won’t miss out either, with Co-op’s GRO Vegan burgers available in-store for just £1.50.
4 quarter pounder beef burgers are just £2.50 at Costcutter
GRO Crunchy Veg Burgers are only £1.50 at Costcutter
So whack them on the barbie, serve in a soft bun and we guarantee you’ll have your guests asking for more.
Want to mix things up a bit and impress your friends with your BBQ prowess? Then why not do things a little differently?
Costcutter has loads of easy-to-make recipes, ideal for summer shindigs and this one for chicken tikka kebabs, is mouthwateringly good…
Chicken Tikka Kebab Skewers
Spice things up with something a bit different – but delicious – with these tangy tikka kebabs. Perfect for grilling on the barbie!
Chicken Tikka Kebab Skewers
Serves: 4
Prep: 30 minutes
Cook: 60 minutes
Ingredients
150ml pot low fat natural yogurt
2 tbsp. tikka masala paste
700g skinless, chicken breasts cut into chunks.
½ cucumber, chopped
1 large tomato, chopped
1 green chilli, seeded & finely sliced
4 tbsp roughly chopped fresh coriander
8 soft flour tortillas wraps or chapatti.
Method
1.Begin by mixing the yogurt and curry paste together in a large bowl.
2.Throw the chicken in with the mixture, season and stir well.
3.Cover the bowl and stand for 30 minutes to allow the chicken to marinate. (For best results prepare day before use and chill overnight)
4.Push chicken pieces onto metal skewers.
5.Place the skewers onto a pre-heated grill or barbecue for around 8-10mins turning occasionally to evenly cook.
7.Cover tortillas or chapatti’s in foil and warm them on the side of the grill (alternatively you can warm them in a microwave, 10 – 15 seconds should do it.)
8.Serve up the chicken skewers with the tortillas / chapatti’s with some freshly prepared salad.
And no get-together is complete without some killer tunes so get on your favourite music app and put together YOUR dream line-up in one amazing playlist.
Imagine, all your favourite bands and artists in one place and no suffering through acts you’re not really into!
Start with more laid back, chilled out tunes for a lazy afternoon, ramping it up to bigger headliners, before ending the night with some classic dance tracks to see you to bed.
Blast it from a wireless speaker and go large! (While being considerate of your neighbours of course.)
Delicious drinks
If you’re hosting a group, no matter how small, it’s always good to have a choice of drinks to offer.
Beers always go down well and at Costcutter right now you can get a 12 pack of Budweiser 300ml for just £7.99, saving £3 on the usual price.
Get a 12 pack of Budweiser 300ml for just £7.99 at Costcutter
And everyone loves a G&T, so serve your guests a summery update on this absolute classic with Gordons Sicilian Lemon Gin. Add a slice of fresh lemon to bring out the zesty citrus flavour and at just £15.49 a bottle at Costcutter, you’ll make your hard-earned money go further this season.
Gordons Sicilian Lemon Gin, £15.49 at Costcutter
And of course, you’ll need something refreshing for kids and anyone who wants to go alcohol-free, so how about mixing up this delicious recipe for summer punch?
Tropicanna Summer Punch
Serves: 4
Prep: 5 minutes
Cook: 5 minutes
Ingredients
260ml unsweetened pineapple juice
260ml orange juice (juice, not concentrate)
2 tbsp lime juice
250ml lemonade
Fresh raspberries
Fresh blueberries
Orange slices
Method
1. Combine the pineapple juice, orange juice, and lime juice in a pitcher. Refrigerate for a few hours to chill the juices.
2. Right before serving, stir in the lemonade. Add fresh berries and orange slices to the pitcher.
3. Top glasses with an orange slice. Serve immediately.
And don’t, whatever you do, forget the ice.
Whether you’re pouring your gin over ice or just want to keep your beers cold, ice is the party essential you just can’t do without.
Party ice is only £1 a bag at Costcutter
Luckily bags of of the frozen stuff are only £1 at Costcutter so keeping everything cool will be a breeze.
So with a back garden glow-up and some seriously good food, your festival themed barbecue is good to go!
Now all you need is the sun to keep on shining…
Bring summer home with Costcutter and Budweiser!
WIN BIG WITH COSTCUTTER AND BUDWEISER THIS SUMMER
From great value promotions to delicious barbecue food, Costcutter has everything you need to make this summer one to remember.
And that’s not all. Play two brand new games and you could win amazing prizes to make your summer even more fantastic.
Spot the Difference between two Costcutter pictures and you could be entered into a draw to win a chic garden furniture set, a brilliant barbecue, a stylish picnic hamper or even an inflatable Lazy Spa hot tub.
Or grab an instant prize with Spin the Spatula and you could win Amazon vouchers, garden games sets or some very cool Budweiser merchandise including a backpack, cap and barbecue apron.
*Costcutter is continuing to work hard to feed the nation, and in partnership with its suppliers, to get more stock into stores. However, there may be unexpected interruption to the availability of some products listed.
**Offers available in store 15th July – 4th August 2020
From a very early age, Lucy Shepherd knew that she belonged outdoors – it was where she always felt most like herself.
Adults described her as an ‘adventurous’ child, and she loved showing off her no-fear attitude. A trait that she carried into adulthood, and even made a career out of.
Now, the 27-year-old adventurer is a leader in her field and has experienced things most of is could only dream of.
‘Aged sixteen, I saw an advert in the paper and it was from an arm of the Royal Geographical Society, where I am now a Fellow,’ Lucy tells Metro.co.uk.
‘The advert was looking for ten 18-25-year-olds to take part in a scientific Arctic expedition in Svalbard for ten weeks. This was my first opportunity to join an expedition and I jumped at the chance.
‘I went through interviews, training and had to learn how to fundraise fast (a skill I still have to constantly do). To my amazement, I got in and so aged 18 I set off to the extreme Arctic to climb, explore, map and research the Svalbard landscape.
‘It was here that, as cliché as it sounds, I realised who I was again. I felt like that happy ten-year-old kid up the rope.’
Lucy says that most people go on these adventures as teenagers or young adults and quickly label them as an amazing once-in-a-lifetime experience. But she wasn’t ready to accept that this was something she would only get to feel once.
‘If it was, then surely it’d be all downhill from then on?! No. This was just the start, and from then on I made it my mission to carve myself a path in the adventure and discovery world,’ says Lucy. ‘It’s hard and relentless but 100% worth it.’
‘They need to be extreme, remote and often places very few go to.’ (Picture: Lucy Shepherd)
For Lucy, expeditions can be anywhere in the world. She loves them all, from the Arctic to the high mountains to the remote jungles.
‘They need to be extreme, remote and often places very few go to and I tell the story through film,’ she explains.
‘I go solo or team up with indigenous people if the expedition lends itself to that and if I do go with others I don’t go with large teams but prefer either a small team of four or just my climbing partner (and romantic partner) Tim.’
Earlier this year, she was was in the Amazon jungle where she and five Americans crossed the Kanuku mountains in Guyana. The terrain is notoriously hard and unknown, and very few people have ventured as deep into the jungle as they went.
‘Navigation in the jungle is as hard as you can imagine,’ says Lucy. ‘It’s all too easy to go off your bearing whilst you weave through the vegetation and obstacles, watching your step for snakes, wasp nests and ridiculously spikey branches.
‘Going into that expedition, everyone thought I’d gone in too deep. The dangers were too great, rescue was almost impossible and there was not enough information on the landscape to make a good enough plan. But that’s exactly what drew me to it and made it what it was.’
But the dangers were real, and Lucy lived through some terrifying moments during her trip – including coming face to face with some of the most deadly and hostile inhabitants of the jungle.
‘We had to stop to make camp at 3pm because that’s the time when the dangerous animals – like snakes – wake up, ready for hunting at night fall.
Lucy builds a fire during her recent Amazon trek (Picture: Lucy Shepherd)
‘It seemed rather abstract, this timing but I went with it because the guys had always followed this rule. However one day we are going so incredibly slowly and we found ourselves on a steep descent in the thickest jungle I’ve ever been in.
‘There was nowhere to put up our hammocks so we had to keep going past the dreaded hour of 3pm.
‘Almost on the dot we stop in our tracks. The man leading our group puts up his hand. We grind to a hault.
‘There’s a jaguar nearby, we’d seen two the days before, but this is not the place to bump into the sabretooth, skull crunching cat.
‘We can’t see it, but its smell is overpowering. It feels like its watching us, we are on high alert as we continue on.
‘Suddenly, there’s an almighty loud whistle. Once again, we all stop. The colour in the men’s faces drain away, they look petrified.
I don’t know what the whistle is and am keen to get out of the area where the jaguar is. I ask what the whistle is and one of the guys reply ‘Bushmaster’.
‘The Bushmaster is the most feared snake by the Amerindians. It is known to track human scent, wait underneath sleeping humans in their hammocks and strike when they least expect it. It is large and deadly and makes this whistle which the guys told me means they know you are there and they are coming to hunt you… Charming right?’
That wasn’t the end of it. Quickly, Lucy and her team began hearing the ominous whistles all around them. They were being surrounded by the terrifying Bushmaster snakes.
‘The key is to fool yourself into thinking you do have control.’ (Picture: Lucy Shepherd)
‘We tried to push on past the closest ones, but then we saw a snake just ahead of us.
‘We had no option but to try our best and put up camp in this part of the jungle. At least then we can clear the ground and see what is approaching.
‘As we began to clear this space, not one but two of the team were stung by bullet ants (a bullet ant sting is one of the worst pains in the world). Now two of our team of six will be in pain and have a fever for 24 hours.
‘So here we are, in this dense jungle, with jaguars, snakes and ants around us and on top of this, my only emergency device to the outside world has stopped working.
‘It was a reality check and the scale of what we were doing as a small team really hit home. We only had each other to get us through the night and we had to stay focused, calm and together.’
Lucy says that in overwhelming moments like these, mental preparation is everything.
‘I knew that there would be times where I would feel out of my depth, like I was in a nightmare and out of control,’ explains Lucy. ‘But the key is to fool yourself into thinking you do have control.
‘You control what you can and accept what you can’t. I think that’s the best way of looking at it.’
And making it through these scary and stressful moments feels like nothing else. It is no wonder that the danger has become almost addictive for Lucy.
Crossing the Kanukus – when so many told me it was near impossible – was the most wonderful moment,’ she says.
‘You control what you can and accept what you can’t. I think that’s the best way of looking at it.’ (Picture: Lucy Shepherd)
‘We had been in the dense, dark and claustrophobic jungle for the entire time and finally we reached the other side.
‘We came out of the mountains and the jungle opened up into the most incredible river, filled with wildlife, fish and birds. It was like something out of a fairy-tale and I automatically felt safe and a wave of relief swept across me.
‘Then, without warning, I broke into tears. I had had to be so strong and fearless in the jungle that now I could acknowledge what we had been through and reflect on the experience. I was overwhelmed with pride and relief.’
For Lucy, being fit and active isn’t just a way of making her feel good, it’s her career too.
‘It’s not crazy for me to say that it comes down to life and death sometimes,’ she adds.
‘The feeling after an expedition, when I’ve been so active for weeks, sometimes months, is a feeling like no other. There is an energy that I can’t replicate anywhere else. It’s a euphoric, content and happiness feeling that I think is addictive.’
Lucy’s first love was the great outdoors, and it is her passion for the natural world that spurs her on and pushes her to achieve the impossible. Everything she does is about working towards awareness and greater understanding of environmental issues.
‘We live in paradise. I think people forget how great we have it,’ says Lucy.
‘We live on a ball of rock floating in space with everything we need on it… As long as we look after and work with nature.
‘I think it’s key to understand how everything is connected from the smallest fungi to the largest mammal to the coral in the sea. When I’m in these environments, I am insignificant and have to work with my surroundings rather than against.
‘By having this relationship with the planet I feel this huge duty of care and responsibility for it. I think it would help if more felt this same responsibility.’
‘Travelling not only educates and inspires us to care for our planet but provides help for communities’ (Picture: Tim Taylor Photography)
Lucy says that while the travel industry does have its environmental faults, but she does believe that travel and sustainability can work hand in hand.
‘It’s easy to criticise someone for flying to another country whilst at the same time saying they are a climate activist, I believe it’s called “flight shaming”‘, she explains.
‘Of course flying increases your carbon foot print, but it only accounts for 2.5% of global carbon emissions. The bigger culprits are the clothing, residential, agriculture industries.
‘Travelling not only educates and inspires us to care for our planet but provides help for communities that without tourists, may not have as much incentive to protect their natural wonders.’
She adds that the travel and tourism industry can help a country with conservation and sustainable efforts – whether they be to maintain or create National protected parks, or for conservation and education efforts.
‘I think more and more countries are realising many people love to come to see another country for their wildernesses, so it benefits them economically to keep them wild,’ says Lucy. ‘The key is making sure that communities and organisations are not green washing people, meaning they use the term eco-tourism loosely and are not actually doing good.’
‘The wilderness is not sexist, it doesn’t care where you’re from, how much money you make.’ (Picture: Lucy Shepherd)
Lucy says she will never let the fact that she is woman stand in the way of an adventure. She wants young girls to feel empowered to get outdoors and face their fears. She says she is still often the only female member of her expeditions, but she is gradually seeing improvements.
But she is aware that travel and adventure is still a pursuit that is reserved for the privileged.
‘There’s no getting away from it, travelling costs money,’ says Lucy. ‘But even when done on a shoe string (which almost all my trips are) it’s still unattainable to some.
‘Travelling far away from home is seen as a privilege and I feel privileged because of what it gives me and what I get out of it, even if it does mean getting close to death. I’ve made that choice to be there. It’s on me.
‘It’s not like it’s easy, I put every effort and penny and make constant sacrifices (sometimes too many) so that these expeditions happen. It is most definitely something I cannot take for granted.’
She says microadventures – smaller-scale trips that happen closer to home – could be one way to bridge the privilege gap and make this field slightly more accessible to people from different backgrounds.
‘They are a great way to find out whether you love adventure and whether you want to go all-in, to then looking on how to make a larger one happen,’ says Lucy.
‘For the larger ones, learning the skill sets so you don’t need to rely on guides or expensive tour organisations – will cut the price dramatically. (As long as you can do so safely!)’
Lucy says she has learnt invaluable lessons from her travels, and she just wants as many people – and women specifically – to feel part of this world.
‘Adventure is my life and I was lucky enough to fall in love with it at such a young age so I will continue to gradually pick away at my dream,’ says Lucy.
‘The wilderness is not sexist, it doesn’t care where you’re from, how much money you make, what job you do or who you love. It’s for everyone and I just wish everyone could appreciate just how wonderful we have it on this planet.
‘Life is so very precious, so go out there and see what you’re made of and see what the Earth has to offer. You won’t regret it.’
Strong Women
Strong Women is a weekly series that champions diversity in the world of sport and fitness.
A Sport England study found that 40% of women were avoiding physical activity due to a fear of judgement.
But, contrary to the limited images we so often see, women of any age, size, race or ability can be active and enjoy sport and fitness.
We hope that by normalising diverse depictions of women who are fit, strong and love their bodies, we will empower all women to shed their self-consciousness when it comes to getting active.
Each week we talk to women who are redefining what it means to be strong and achieving incredible things.
Are you a woman redefining what it means to be strong? We want to hear from you.
Even when it’s on an individual’s radar, the actual act of being made redundant usually comes as a shock.
For lots of people, the aftermath is incredibly tough, too. Not only in terms of professionally finding your feet again, but mentally as well.
Redundancy is often coupled with a loss in confidence and huge amount of self-doubt, which can lead to a whole host of mental health problems – and often does.
While employers are currently being urged to consider alternative options for redundancy, it’s something that is likely to affect a whole host of sectors over the coming months.
We asked people who have experienced redundancy first-hand to share what they learned from it and how they got through it.
Andy
Remember – you did not fail. Your company might have failed or the economy changed, but these economic changes happen way out of your control. It is not a personal slight.
Victoria
The biggest thing I’ve learned after being made redundant is that it can be a massive opportunity. Like having babies, there’s never a right time.
It is possible to create an entirely new career path for yourself and that it’s absolutely fine not to do ‘what’s expected’.
I do think, though, that you can use redundancy as an opportunity to reflect on whether your last role was most suitable to your skills and your current life goals. And if you need to make changes in your work life, it’s an opportunity to do so.
Brandon
Stay positive. For me it turned out to be an opportunity, a nudge that I needed to move on after so long that I didn’t know I needed – but I recognise it isn’t the same for everyone.
Jennifer
The biggest thing I learned is that things don’t stay the same forever – so although you are redundant you won’t be forever and you have to stay as focused as possible in the time it takes you to get another job.
There may be other options available to you, such as starting a new business.
I think it’s worth exploring all options for work, to keep your mind busy and positive while you are out of work. I worked part-time while I set up the business acting as a freelance marketer for other small businesses and managed to get a job working for a customer services call centre that was home-based.
Peter
If you’re trapped in a job you don’t really like, redundancy can be a blessing. It can be really difficult to break out of a job you don’t really enjoy, especially if it’s well paid with an attractive package of benefits.
When I was working in my previous role it was a great tax-free salary and an excellent package of benefits but the job was frustrating as I was not given sufficient autonomy. In the end I was glad to be made redundant.
Richard
Hearing the words ‘I’m sorry, but we have to let you go’ after 20 years being employed in the marketing industry is devastating and you instantly feel as though your whole world is falling apart. However, without that devastation, I wouldn’t be where I am today.
My advice for those in a similar position would be to do your research, look at the gaps in the market, and see whether entrepreneurship is for you. If not, how could you add value to another organisation with the skills you have? Perhaps you have a really interesting background that makes you unique and has given you the characteristics needed to make a difference that a firm might not realise they need to make?
In hindsight, being made redundant was the best thing to happen to me in the long-run.
Don’t be afraid to have to start over again. There are organisations that exist that can help you with financial management and career planning, so take advantage.
Rachael
Redundancy changed my life – I went freelance and now own a marketing agency.
The main things I learned were that plans can be seemingly ruined but can lead to brilliant, unexpected change.
Also, don’t burn bridges. Paths have crossed in the years since this happened and you just never know who will pop up in your future circles.
Andy
Don’t wait too long to get back on the horse. I think it really helped me to get another job as quickly as I could, albeit on a contract basis. It kept my skills sharp, kept the money coming in and ensured that I wasn’t tempted to feel sorry for myself.
Also, look into the support that’s available. I’d admit to being ignorant about the range of government and privately-funded schemes out there to help people who are out of work, looking to up-skill and needing a helping hand back into the workplace.
There seems to be loads of schemes out there, it just takes a bit of time to look into them and prioritise which is right for you and your circumstances.
Lizzie
Ask for support from the people around you. We don’t usually think redundancy can lead to mental health problems, such as anxiety and depression, but it can. It’s a huge life change, so it’s likely you’ll be impacted emotionally in some way.
Also, contacting other people who have found themselves in similar positions – particularly in your industry – is incredibly helpful.
They might be able to offer practical advice, while friends and family can help emotionally.
In the video, Shannon said she started the day with breakfast at the hotel, after making the beds and spritzing the sheets with Febreze.
She said: ‘I change Poppy’s nappies because she poos in her sleep. Maisie wakes up and I spray that bed too.
‘Then I brush my hair, get the key and off we go.
‘By this time it’s around half seven, breakfast starts at seven. We go down there, get to the lift and there’s usually a fight about who wants to press the button.’
The family spends most of the time in the hotel which they’ve grown accustomed to.
Shannon, a former hospital worker, added: ‘I’ve just fallen upon a tough situation, but I’ll get out of it.
‘People are so ignorant and think I’m a lazy slob who just had kids for money and a house.
‘The situation is my own. I put myself in my situation. This is on me. I don’t want to put stress on anyone else.’
TikTok viewers were moved by Shannon’s video diary and shared kind messages with her.
One person wrote: ‘I really hope things start looking up for you! You’re amazing, love your bravery to bring light to issues that are facing people in Ireland’.
Another said: ‘You’re a beautiful soul. I hope the next year brings you so much goodness, happiness and everything you and your daughters need’.
Many users asked Shannon to start a GoFundMe page or share her Paypal details.
Others said the video was a testament of how expensive it is to live in a city.
One viewer wrote: ‘Jesus my heart goes out to you. One of the reasons I moved out of Dublin was because it’s too expensive to live there so we live in Sligo now, sending you loads of love.’
Could we be in for 40 days of rain? (Picture: Getty Images)
Today is St Swithin’s Day – which has become famous for being the day said to predict what the weather will be like for the rest of the summer.
According to folklore the weather on St Swithin’s Day will determine whether we’re in for 40 days of sun or 40 days of rain – and it all dates back to the ninth century.
But just who was St Swithin, why does he have a day named after him – and why is today used to try and predict the weather?
Here’s what you need to know…
What is St Swithin’s Day?
St Swithin’s Day is named after the ninth century Anglo-Saxon bishop of Winchester – which was the capital of Wessex at the time – who held the post from 852-862.
Although little is known about his life, he was known for his charitable endeavours, becoming a saint about 100 years after he died.
The legend goes that he requested that after he died he should be buried in the churchyard of Winchester Cathedral, saying he wanted to be ‘where the sweet rain of heaven may fall upon my grave’.
St Swithin’s Day has also brought sunny weather in the past – will it do so this year? (Picture: PA)
However, legend has it that his tomb was moved inside on 15 July 971 – and shortly after that happened a huge storm hit, followed by weeks of rain.
People took that as a sign from beyond the grave that St Swithin was angry at being moved indoors – giving rise to the theory that the weather on 15 July would be a sign of what the weather would be like for the next 40 days.
It’s summed up in a famous rhyme about the day itself:
‘St Swithin’s Day if thou dost rain,
For 40 days it will remain,
St Swithin’s Day if thou be fair,
For 40 days will rain na mair.’
The first recorded evidence of the weather prophecy dates back to around the 13th or 14th Century, according to Encyclopedia Britannica.
However it is of course just folklore – with weather experts having said that since 1861 there has never been a record of 40 rainy or sunny days in a row following 15 July.
What is the weather going to be like this St Swithin’s Day?
According to the Met Office it’s going to be cloudy today with some outbreaks of light rain and drizzle, especially in the north of England, but becoming drier later on.
However it’s not all bad news, as warmer weather is on the way for Thursday and into the weekend – giving us all something to look forward to.
People taking part can choose where their scream is played out from a handful of locations, including the peak of Festarfjall in Reykjanes Peninsula and Skógarfoss waterfall in the south.
Essentially, the idea is that the vastness of Iceland provides the perfect setting for people to vent their frustrations without disrupting anyone else.
The unusual campaign is inspired by scream therapy – also known as primal therapy – which was popular in the 1970s as a way of exploring repressed issues and relieving stress and anxiety.
Let it all out (Picture: PA)
The website reads: ‘You’ve been through a lot this year and it looks like you need the perfect place to let your frustrations out. Somewhere big, vast and untouched.
‘It looks like you need Iceland.’
Psychotherapist Zoe Aston commented: ‘The events of this year mean most of us have experienced increased feelings of frustrations, fear, loneliness, anger or guilt, and we have all coped in different ways.
‘Using a scream as a way to release pent up emotion allows you to reconnect with yourself, hear your own voice and reclaim the power that is inside you.’
What do you ask a potential date? (Picture: Ella Byworth for Metro.co.uk)
Looking for a conversation starter?
This list might help spark the chat.
OkCupid has revealed the 12 most asked and answered questions on the dating app, in an effort to show what single people really care about when looking for a match.
Based on that latter statement, you might be predicting deep queries about people’s relationships with their parents to top the list.
That prediction would be wrong.
The most asked and answered question on the app in the UK is in fact: ‘Best sauce for chips?’.
You know, the important stuff. After all, you don’t want to commit to someone who dips their fries in mustard while you’re a diehard ketchup fan, do you? Imagine the arguments.
The most common answer to this question, FYI, is salt and vinegar (which we would argue doesn’t really count as a sauce, but whatever), with 35% of singles choosing this answer. In second place is tomato sauce, with 31%, followed by curry sauce (21%) and gravy (12%).
Other questions used as a barometer for compatibility include ‘Brexit?’ (yep, just the word and a question maek is enough), ‘are you vegetarian or vegan?’, and ‘are you a morning person’.
The 12 most asked questions on OkCupid
Best sauce for chips?
Brexit?
Do you clap when a plane lands?
Are you either vegetarian or vegan?
Do spelling mistakes annoy you?
Are you a morning person?
About how long do you want your next relationship to last?
Are you looking for a partner to have children with?
How often are you open with your feelings?
Do you enjoy intense intellectual conversations?
Is jealousy healthy in a relationship?
Do you care about your parents’ opinion of your partner?
You’ll spot some deeper questions in amongst the more surface-level ones, but all the top 12 seem designed to work out if an initial attraction can actually stand the test of time.
After all, if one person gets deeply irritated by spelling mistakes, they’re not going to stick with someone who isn’t bothered about the differences between your/you’re/ur.
And even the most electric chemistry can’t make a relationship work longterm if one of you wants to have children with all your heart while the other is adamantly child-free.
Each question does tend to provoke a strong response, also, allowing for easy weeding out of the people with whom a relationship just won’t work.
How do you rule someone out? (Picture: Ella Byworth for Metro.co.uk)
On the topic of Brexit, for example, 69% of OkCupid users responded that it’s terrible for the UK.
Clapping when the plane lands could make you unpopular, with 92% of Brits saying they never do this.
90% of 1.5 million respondents on the app are neither vegetarian nor vegan, so plant-based types are in the minority, while 54% say they’re morning people.
The likelihood of a date being bothered by spelling is close to 50/50, with 47% of respondents saying they’re annoyed by spelling and grammar errors.
On the deeper end of things, 39% of singles said they’re looking for a partner to have children with, over one million daters say they enjoy intellectual conversation, and over 1.6 million said jealousy in a relationship is unhealthy.
The best deals can be found in store (Picture: Getty Images)
Superdrug is always one of the first stops on the hunt for beauty and grooming items, but their 49p sale is sure to make you want to run to your local branch.
The company’s long-awaited 49p sale is back for another year, with plenty of Christmas stock reduced in price by a huge amount.
Gift sets that previously would have run you over £50 in some cases can now be purchased for less than the price of a chocolate bar, including the chocolate themed Revolution eyeshadow palettes.
Some people will undoubtedly be readying themselves for Christmas with these bargains. Just make sure to remove the price tag.
Before we round up some of the sale’s best buys, it’s worth noting that a lot of items that are still in stock are only available to order and be collected at stores. If your branch doesn’t have what you want in stock, the items will be removed from your basket.
Your best bet is more than likely heading in person to a shop – of course following all the usual social distancing guidelines and wearing a mask.
Three tiers of blush beauty joy (Picture: Superdrug)
Get the glow over your full face with this all-encompassing set.
You’ll get a highlighter palette, two eyeshadow palettes, three liquid lipsticks, a blusher palette, a separate highlighter, a baking powder, and an eight-brush set.
All in a bronze-gold tones that would make any Charlotte Tilbury fan blush.
Get 97% off this gift set which is down from £20 to 49p.
You’ll get a scrub, body butter, in-shower moisturiser, heel balm, body wash, and a bath soak. A very cheap pamper night, with that signature luxury Sanctuary scent.
This was one of the most coveted gift sets last Christmas, coming with five chocolate shadow palettes, three face palettes and three lip-licking chocolate scented lip glosses.
Normally it’d set you back £80, so it’s a steal at over 99% off.
I still don’t understand how my partner went from being engaged to seeing multiple people so soon after our relationship and while we were living under the same roof (Picture: Ella Byworth)
Samuel* and I met three years ago on Tinder. We actually had a mutual friend at the time (I went to school with one of his colleagues), and so it felt like we were ‘meant to be’.
It sounds cliché but it really was love at first sight, with immediate chemistry on our first date. We bounced off each other and very quickly became inseparable.
In December last year, Samuel popped the question during a dream trip to New York. He’d already asked my parents for my hand in marriage, and had told all of his friends – I didn’t suspect a thing.
The proposal was incredibly romantic. He got down on one knee on the Brooklyn Bridge, and it was extra special in that it was my grandpa’s birthday. I was very close to him but he’d sadly passed away in 2019.
After we got back home, Samuel seemed so excited about the prospect of getting married. We even visited a couple of potential wedding venues in January and February, wrote the wedding guest list together and he asked his best friend to be his best man. We also bought our own house.
It felt like the beginning of our new life – but then lockdown hit and everything changed.
As a self-employed personal trainer, Samuel was struggling financially. While isolating together, we started getting under each other’s skin and I was having trouble dealing with the pressure of supporting both of us money-wise.
After weeks of tension, there was an argument, so I suggested that he stay with his sister for a night so we could cool off. My fiancé walked out on 24 April, and didn’t come back until nearly a month later, on 20 May.
During this time, Samuel didn’t allude to anything being wrong, but simply said that he needed space and wanted to figure out how best to get through this bizarre period as both an individual – in terms of work and managing finances – and as a couple.
Being abandoned for a month was utterly heartbreaking. Every day I asked myself, should I message or give him space? What would make the situation better or worse?
When he showed up on my doorstep four weeks later, I felt heartbroken and hopeful at the same time. I wanted us to fix whatever had gone wrong, but Samuel didn’t. He confessed that his heart was no longer in it and we couldn’t make each other happy in the long term. He was so cold.
The breakup stunned me, not only because the timing was absolutely horrendous, but because I didn’t see it coming. I thought we had a relationship worth rescuing.
Lockdown measures meant that we would have to keep living together despite being broken up. I foolishly believed this would be good for us and hoped that being in the same space would change Samuel’s mind.
He had been on three different dates with three different women, and had even stayed overnight with one of them
Instead, we avoided each other. He trained in the garden while I cooked dinner and we slept in separate rooms. It was like living with a completely different person.
And our strange set-up didn’t last longer than two days.
Samuel had started taking suspicious phone calls. I’m ashamed to say that while he was out, I went through messages synced to his iPad – and what I found hurt me deeply. My now former fiancé had been on three different dates with three different women, and had even stayed overnight with one of them.
I became consumed by panic. My heart physically hurt. I was floored with tears and completely crumbled – but I knew that this was it. We were over.
I didn’t want to hear any excuses so I just packed up his things into plastic bags and left them outside the front door before he came back. I wouldn’t let him inside the flat, and so on 22 May, he left, bags in tow, and I haven’t seen Samuel since.
From the day he left our house and throughout the breakup, my anxiety has been through the roof. I’ve suffered with mental health issues for a while, even more so during lockdown, and it has been a difficult part of our relationship. In the past, when I have opened up to Samuel about how I was feeling or my therapy sessions, he would brush it off. It was painful that he couldn’t – or didn’t want to – understand and support me.
Since the breakup, Samuel has deleted all pictures of me from his social media and blocked both me and my family
Letting go and accepting change is difficult. I went to a pretty dark place for a while; I was very low. I also still have my engagement ring – I don’t know what to do with it. Looking at it fills me with sadness and grief for the life that Samuel stole from us.
With social distancing guidelines and the whole country on lockdown, I also didn’t have the distraction of family and friends. But I did what I could; a little bit of baking, renovating my bathroom, growing courgettes in the garden. Being alone has its pleasures.
Since the breakup, Samuel has deleted all pictures of our life together from his social media and blocked both me and my family. It feels like an attempt to eradicate any memory of our relationship. We’ve only communicated over email – apparently, that’s how we talk now. It’s all very matter-of-fact, and mostly revolves around what to do with our joint mortgage. It’s incredibly hurtful.
I still don’t understand how my partner went from being engaged to seeing multiple people so soon after our relationship – and while we were living under the same roof. He didn’t take my feelings into consideration whatsoever.
I’m not over Samuel yet and I’ll always care for him, but I don’t love him anymore.
I’ve surprised myself with how strong I’ve been throughout this time. I haven’t called him in when I’ve been feeling lonely or sad. Instead, I have leaned on my friends, who have made me feel cherished. Not once have they implied that I’m a burden when I call in the middle of the night, because I can’t sleep.
This whole experience has taught me about the importance of female friendships.
I’ve realised that all the things we crave from a romantic relationship (security, honesty, the ability to feel comfortable just being yourself) – these are the exact same things you should have with your closest friends.
I’ll never get the closure I deserve, but it’s reassuring to know that I have people I can count on to help me through this.
As told to Alice Barraclough.*Names have been changed.
Your Pret coffee is now a little cheaper (Picture: Pret/Metro.co.uk)
Missed your Pret coffee during lockdown?
Well the good news is that they’re open again and from today, it will cost less.
The chain has announced that they will cut prices on food and drink for both eat-in and take away.
It’s all because VAT drops from 20% to 5% from today, Wednesday 15 July, following an announcement by Rishi Sunak in last weeks mini budget.
Posting on social media, Pret said: ‘We’re passing back temporary VAT savings to our lovely customers. So over the next few days you’ll notice lower prices on your favourite coffees, hot food and a few other treats. Cheers!’
Of course, prices can vary slightly between stores and eating in and take away prices are different but it effectively means 15% off.
For example, a takeaway latte will now cost £2.40 instead of £2.75 and an eat-in tuna mayo baguette will be reduced from £3.60 to £3.15.
Pret stores are now reopen for takeaway or delivery and many are now allowing customers to eat-in, with social distancing measures in place.
NASA has confirmed the existence of a 13th zodiac sign (Picture: Getty Images)
As if 2020 couldn’t get any stranger, NASA has seemingly confirmed the existence of a 13th zodiac sign called Ophiuchus.
Ancient astrologers charted the path of the sun in 12 equal parts of 30 degrees each with the 12 original signs discovered by the Babylonians almost 3,000 years ago.
Your star sign is determined by the position of the sun in relation to a constellation on the day you were born.
The discovery of ‘new’ star sign Ophiuchus throws a real spanner in the works as it changes the zodiac dates completely meaning your star sign might have changed.
What does Ophiuchus mean?
Ophiuchus is a large constellation that straddles the celestial equator.
It takes its name from the Greek Ophioukhos which means ‘serpent-bearer’
Ophichius is a large constellation that straddles the celestial equator (Picture: Getty Images)
In the zodiac, Ophichius is represented by the symbol of a snake bearer,
What dates does the ‘new’ star sign cover?
While some are cynical about its actual existence, Ophiuchus covers November 29 to December 17 and slots in between Scorpio and Sagittarius. This shift would mean that all of the other signs would have to budge over to make room for it.
A NASA spokesperson explained: ‘The line from Earth through the sun points to Virgo for 45 days, but it points to Scorpius for only seven.
‘To make a tidy match with their 12-month calendar, the Babylonians ignored the fact the sun actually moves through 13 constellations, not 12.’
Ah, so those pesky Babylonians are to blame for you reading the wrong horoscope all this time.
It could also be why that tall, dark and handsome stranger that they predicted has yet to appear..
You could have been reading the wrong horoscope all this time
But if there were a 13th sign, the star signs would look something like this:
Capricorn: January 20 to February 16 Aquarius is now Capricorn.
Aquarius: February 16 to March 11 Pisces is now Aquarius
Pisces: March 11 to April 18 Aries is now Pisces. Aries: April 18 to May 13 Taurus is now Aries.
Taurus: May 13 to June 21 Gemini is now Taurus.
Gemini: June 21 to July 20 Cancer is now Gemini.
The addition of a new zodiac sign throws a real spanner in the works (Getty Images)
Sagitarius: December 17 to January 20 Capricorn is now Sagittarius.
Cancer: July 20 to August 10 Leo is now Cancer.
Leo: August 10 to September 16 Virgo is now Leo.
Virgo: September 16 to October 30 Libra is now Virgo.
Libra: October 30 to November 23 Virgo is now Libra.
Scorpio: November 23 to November 29 Some Sagittarius now find themselves under Scorpio.
Ophiuchus: November 29 to December 17 The newbie of the zodiac.
Just discovered that you’re an Ophiuchus? According to Mystic Meg, ‘You are a very complicated character who wants success, not just for yourself but for everyone else in your life.
‘You can be a super-strong lover once your emotions are fully evolved. You’re passionate and not interested in short-term relationships.
‘You are flamboyant and expect people to be in awe of you and notice your presence.’
Ponyo and his BFF Dragon (Picture: Operation Catnip)
Little Ponyo hasn’t had the best start in life.
The kitten was abandoned in a neighbourhood without any family and after meowing away by himself, he was finally spotted by a woman.
Samantha Smart heard the cries around her Florida home and worked hard with the neighbours to locate the young cat.
When the family spotted him, they decided to adopt the kitten and name him Ponyo.
To celebrate the new addition to the family, Samantha bought Ponyo a little gift – a stuffed dinosaur, aptly named Dinosaur.
And now Ponyo and Dinosaur are BFFs.
The two even went to the vet’s together when Ponyo needed to be neutered. And just so Ponyo wouldn’t have to be operated on alone, surgeons also pretended to treat Dinosaur.
Even Dragon had a wee treatment (Picture: Operation Catnip)
When Samantha took Ponyo to Operation Catnip, a spay-neuter organisation that works with unowned, free-roaming community cats, the kitten was a little scared.
Teetering behind the plushie, Ponyo wanted to stick with something familiar to him.
So the vets decided that he wouldn’t be separated from the dinosaur if it made Ponyo feel safer.
Shy kitty (Picture: Operation Catnip)
Even while Ponyo lay on the operating table, Dinosaur laid beside him for support.
When the whole thing was over, the sweet kitten was left to rest with his best bud.
He was even pictured holding onto Dinosaur for extra cuddles.
He’s having quite the nap (Picture: Operation Catnip)
Operation Catnip wrote on their Facebook page: ‘We saw a very special boy today named Ponyo.
‘A very nice lady found him and looked for his mom but he seemed to be alone. The very nice lady decided to be a hero for Ponyo and keep him with her instead of taking him to the shelter.
‘Ponyo was registered for our Kitten Shelter Diversion Program and today he came for his neuter surgery! But he wasn’t alone! He had his BFF Dragon with him to help him be the bravest boy.’
