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Why your ‘renewable energy’ tariff might not be so green after all

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WALLASEY, ENGLAND - NOVEMBER 19: Wind turbines of Burbo Bank Offshore Wind Farm in the Irish Sea on November 19, 2020 in Wallasey, England. The UK Government released details of its ten point plan for a Green Industrial Revolution hoping to create 250,000 jobs. It includes stepping up offshore wind production to power every home, working with the Hydrogen industry to generate 5GW of low carbon hydrogen by 2030, advancing nuclear energy and backing the manufacturing of and accelerating the transition to electric vehicles. (Photo by Nathan Stirk/Getty Images)
Choosing a renewable energy provider might require a little more investigation (Picture: Getty)

With temperatures rising and experts warning of a climate emergency, a lot of us Brits have become more conscious of our carbon footprints in the past few years.

As one of the quickest ways to reduce our carbon emissions, many of us have been convinced to make the switch to renewable energy. 

Figures by government regulator Ofgem show that new energy companies have rapidly increased their share of the market thanks to their eco-credentials, while the traditional Big Six companies have seen a decline in theirs despite responding to our changing habits with their own ‘100% renewable’ energy tariffs. 

But with so many ‘green’ and ‘renewable’ options out there these days, it can get confusing, and it turns out that not all of these are quite as eco-friendly as they claim.

Here are three big things to look out for if you’re on a green energy tariff, or are thinking of changing to one.

Is your energy supplier only trading in REGO certificates?

When renewable energy is generated by hydropower plants, wind and solar farms and put into the national grid, Ofgem issues each megawatt-hour with a certificate of authenticity called a REGO (or Renewable Energy Guarantee of Origin).

When a supplier buys this energy, it also gets the REGO certificates for 15p each, and at the end of the year, it sends all the certificates it has to Ofgem to show how much of the power it has used has come from renewable sources.

The problem is that these certificates can be purchased without the power attached so energy companies can buy as many as they like, without actually buying power from renewable sources.

They can buy all their power from non-renewable sources and then buy enough REGO certificates to match and still claim a tariff is 100% renewable.

Last year, a report by the consumer advice service Which? highlighted this problem.

In Ofgem’s decarbonisation action plan published in February, the government regulator declared that ‘we expect suppliers to be transparent about what constitutes a ‘green tariff’ and we will undertake work to ensure that consumers are not misled.’

In the meantime, though, if you want to make sure your supplier is genuinely eco-friendly, it’s definitely worth doing a little bit of research to ensure that they actually purchase or generate green energy to supply you with, instead of just buying the REGO certificates.

Does your supplier offset their gas?

Renewable electricity is fairly easy to produce these days through wind farms and solar panels, but the technology to mass-produce renewable gas it isn’t quite there yet. If you’re on a dual tariff, your energy company might get a small percentage of their gas from renewable biomass, but the chances are most of it will still be generated by non-renewable sources. 

One major difference to look out for is what your energy company claims to do about this. While some ‘green’ tariffs only claim to offer renewable electricity, others will also offset the carbon emissions produced by your gas supply, through investing in schemes that reduce carbon emissions elsewhere so that the net carbon produced is zero. 

There are numerous different carbon offsetting schemes around these days, from planting trees to constructing to donating windmills and solar panels to disadvantaged communities elsewhere in the world so they don’t have to rely on dirty energy.

Most experts agree that carbon offsetting isn’t a perfect solution – carbon still ends up in the atmosphere, after all – but it is the better option while the technology to produce green gas is being developed, so it’s worth checking that your supplier plans to offset your gas consumption.

Is your supplier investing in new sources of renewable energy?

If your supplier is purchasing renewable electricity and also offsetting their gas, it’s definitely fair for them to claim that their tariff is genuinely green, but there’s one more thing you might want to consider when choosing a supplier. 

At present, nearly every energy supplier in the UK is dependent on some non-renewable energy to meet demand, even if a proportion of the energy they purchase or generate is renewable. 

It might sound pretty obvious, but unless your supplier is continually investing in new sources of renewable energy, this isn’t going to change. When one supplier buys the energy produced by a wind farm, it simply means that another supplier can’t and that they might have to rely on an alternative non-renewable source. 

To truly make an impact, make sure your energy tariff is with a supplier who invests in new green energy and has made a commitment to phasing out fossil fuels as soon as possible. That’s the only way to ensure that one day your energy supply will be 100% green.

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Eight last-minute 2020 advent calendars you can still buy

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montezuma's and sainsbury's coffee pods advent calendars
‘Tis still the season! (Pictures: Montezuma’s/Sainsbury’s)

To Christmas fans all over, the beginning of December can mean only one thing – it’s finally advent calendar season.

Many will have bought their chosen calendars already, but life can come at you pretty fast, so there’s likely no shortage of people who’ve woken up today looking for a last-minute calendar.

If that’s you, then never fear, for we’ve put together a list of some of the best advent calendars that are still in stock…

Sainsbury’s Taste The Difference Coffee Pod Advent Calendar

sainsbury's coffee pod advent calendar
(Picture: Sainsbury’s)

This coffee calendar includes 24 aluminium coffee pods to enjoy through the month.

Price: £5, marked down from £10

Get it from Sainsbury’s.

Niederegger Marzipan Advent Calendar

Niederegger's 2020 advent calendar
(Picture: Niederegger)

German confectioner Niederegger is selling this newly-discounted calendar full of marzipan treats for half price.

Price: £17.50, marked down from £35

Get it from Niederegger.

Pukka Herbs Tea Advent Calendar 2020

the pukka tea 20202 advent calendar
(Picture: Amazon)

This advent calendar includes ethically sourced teas like Ginseng Matcha Green, Peppermint & Licorice, Blackcurrant Beauty and many more.

Price: £14.99

Get it from Amazon.

Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups Advent Calendar

a reeses peanut butter advent calendar
(Picture: Amazon)

This calendar contains a peanut butter cup for every day in the lead up to Christmas Eve, with ‘an extra surprise’ behind for 24.

Price: £13.99

Get it from Amazon.

Toblerone Advent Calendar

tolberone advent calendar
(Picture: Amazon)

This 2020 offering contains Swiss white chocolates Swiss milk chocolates and Swiss milk chocolates with salted caramelised almonds.

Price: £21.99

Get it from Amazon.

Wilko Swizzels advent calendar

Swizzels advent calendar, £5, Wilko
(Picture: Wilko)

This cost-effective calendar includes classic sweets like Drumsticks, Refreshers, Love Hearts and Parma Violets.

Price: £4, marked down from £5

Get it from Wilko.

Crayola Christmas Countdown Advent Calendar

CRAYOLA Christmas Countdown advent calendar, £18.96, Amazon
(Picture: Amazon)

If you’d rather nourish their creativity than their sweet tooth, this Crayola advent calendar with art supplies and activities could be just the thing.

Price: £16.97, marked down from £29.99

Get it from Amazon.

Montezuma’s Absolute Black 100% cocoa advent calendar

Montezuma's absolute black advent calendar
(Picture: Montezuma’s)

Dark chocolate fans won’t be dissapointed by the advent calendar full of 100% cocoa blocks.

Price: £9.99

Get it from Montezuma’s.

This article contains affiliate links. We may earn a small commission on purchases made through one of these links but this never influences our experts’ opinions. Products are tested and reviewed independently of commercial initiatives.

Do you have a story to share?

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

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Naughty dog chews up her owner’s things and then poses next to her mess

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Daisy surrounded by destroyed loo roll
Daisy found the loo roll (Picture: Caters News Agency)

A destructive dog has added insult to injury by striking a pose next to her mess after chewing up loads of her owner’s possessions.

Two-year-old Daisy is a rescued puggle – a cross breed of pug and beagle – and she looks proud as punch in photos where she is next to each of her ‘achievements’.

Her owner, Laura Rowsell, from Hickson, Staffordshire, can hardly stay mad at the proud pooch as her face is a picture – Daisy is almost smiling in some photos.

But the pup really should be in the bad books. Daisy has destroyed five beds, countless toilet rolls, a remote control, Apple Airpods and ‘anything else she can get a hold of’, says Laura.

The lunchtime supervisor added: ‘Daisy has chewed an array of items from the day we rescued her in January this year.

‘We can never leave anything precious around Daisy otherwise it will be chewed up.

Daisy with owner Laura
‘She is very cheeky but we can’t help but love her.’ (Picture: Caters News Agency)

‘She has got through five beds, cushions, toys, coasters and even a TV remote. The only time she is good is when I tell her to sit next to the fluff or broken item.

‘She is so proud of her ‘work’ – she will pose for a picture. I rarely tell her off because it is my own fault for leaving things within her reach.’

The most expensive item Daisy has destroyed so far is a pair of Apple Airpods – something Laura didn’t take a photo of, as she was too upset.

‘I literally turned my back for two minutes and Daisy had chewed them up. I had just spent £150 on them but I wasn’t angry with Daisy,’ she says.

Daisy with her fifth bed
Daisy looking delighted after destroying her fifth bed (Picture: Caters News Agency)

‘I was upset that they were destroyed but I was more cross with myself for leaving them on the sofa.’

Laura must inform guests to put their shoes in a cupboard to avoid them being chomped. She has also learnt to immediately put items away – especially toilet roll.

‘I once put a 12 pack of toilet roll on the staircase to bring up but Daisy beat me to it,’ she says. ‘It was everywhere like confetti!’

It’s clear how much Laura loves Daisy, her ‘one of a kind’ dog, despite her destructive streak.

‘Daisy is bonkers,’ she adds. ‘She is the type of dog who will steal food off your plate whilst you are there.

‘She is very cheeky but we can’t help but love her.’

Do you have a dog who is even more destructive than Daisy? We want to hear from you.

Get in touch: metrolifestyleteam@metro.co.uk.

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Lockdown sparks trends of hiberdating and carpe dm-ers

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Vday Reday - dating trend of reappearing just before V Day
How will dating continue to change in 2021? (Picture: Ella Byworth for Metro.co.uk)

Whatever’s happening in the world, dating trends just keep on coming.

Not even lockdown can stop us finding new ways to make the art of seeking love more complicated, whether in the form of curfing or lockblocking.

So yes, with the ongoing coronavirus pandemic come even more dating trends, reflective of the general mood of 2020.

The good news, though, is that rather than letting this cursed year get us down in the dumps or giving up on love entirely, living through Covid appears to have given us all a kick up the bum when it comes to the pursuit of dating joy.

As a result, one of the key trends that’s emerging now and will, Badoo predicts, be big next year too, is the rise of carpe dm-ers.

What are carpe dm-ers, you may ask?

They’re the singles who have reflected on these troubled times and realise they need to seize the day – so are diving right into messaging and wasting no time with all the ‘does this person secretly fancy me?’ preamble.

This year, the top conversation starter on Badoo has been: ‘how about we arrange a date?’. These days we’re getting straight to the point, as we’ve realised just how precious our time is. Who knows when we’ll go back into lockdown and be unable to date with wild abandon?

On the flip-side of that need for speed is the trend for hiberdating; defined as using lockdown to lay the groundwork for dating post-coronavirus.

This is pretty smart. Hiberdaters will use their lockdown time to its full potential, building up the talking stage and planning dates for when restrictions lift. A far better option than just giving up on romance entirely when we’re cooped up indoors.

Other trends Badoo reckons are growing due to the pandemic in include getting sexy online (after all, if we can’t have sex IRL, we might as well enjoy the virtual kind), comfort dating (dropping the pretense and being your natural self, because who can be bothered nowadays?), and the rise of video calls and voice notes rather than just sticking to texting.

Badoo's dating trend predictions for 2021:

  • Hiberdating: Using lockdown to lay the groundwork for future romance, whether that’s finding a match in time for lockdown easing, scheduling in a date far in advance, or focusing on the talking stage while we can’t meet IRL.
  • Carpe dm-ers: No-nonsense daters who have thought more seriously about what they want and are no longer wasting any time, instead diving straight in and being clear about their intentions.
  • Flirty talk: 45% of Badoo users believe people will continue to have more virtual first dates, while phone calls and voice notes are rising in popularity.
  • Getting off, online: Daters are getting dirty virtually before they’ve actually met.
  • Comfort dating: Zoom dates necessitate inviting someone to see your home straight away, and allow you to dress for comfort rather than for a fancy restaurant. During the pandemic, 61% of users said that their dating behaviour had changed, with half of these users (47%) suggesting they are now less concerned with looks, prioritising personality over physicality.

Natasha Briefel at Badoo UK said: ‘It’s been a completely unpredictable year in the world of dating.

‘Daters have had to navigate the ups and downs of trying to date while in the midst of a global pandemic, but despite the challenges, we’ve been inspired by the way our daters have continued to connect with each other.

‘From the creation of new dating seasons informed by lockdown restrictions, to a move towards more video calls over texts, we’ve looked at the different dating behaviours from this year to give us some insight into what 2021 may hold.

‘Although no one knows for certain what the next year may bring, one thing we can confidently predict is that our daters will continue to date honestly whatever challenges they face.’

Dating terms and trends, defined

Blue-stalling: When two people are dating and acting like a couple, but one person in the partnership states they're unready for any sort of label or commitment (despite acting in a different manner).

Breadcrumbing: Leaving ‘breadcrumbs’ of interest – random noncommittal messages and notifications that seem to lead on forever, but don’t actually end up taking you anywhere worthwhile Breadcrumbing is all about piquing someone’s interest without the payoff of a date or a relationship.

Caspering: Being a friendly ghost - meaning yes, you ghost, but you offer an explanation beforehand. Caspering is all about being a nice human being with common decency. A novel idea.

Catfish: Someone who uses a fake identity to lure dates online.

Clearing: Clearing season happens in January. It’s when we’re so miserable thanks to Christmas being over, the cold weather, and general seasonal dreariness, that we will hook up with anyone just so we don’t feel completely unattractive. You might bang an ex, or give that creepy guy who you don’t really fancy a chance, or put up with truly awful sex just so you can feel human touch. It’s a tough time. Stay strong.

Cloutlighting: Cloutlighting is the combo of gaslighting and chasing social media clout. Someone will bait the person they’re dating on camera with the intention of getting them upset or angry, or making them look stupid, then share the video for everyone to laugh at.

Cockfishing: Also known as catcocking. When someone sending dick pics uses photo editing software or other methods to change the look of their penis, usually making it look bigger than it really is.

Cuffing season: The chilly autumn and winter months when you are struck by a desire to be coupled up, or cuffed.

Firedooring: Being firedoored is when the access is entirely on one side, so you're always waiting for them to call or text and your efforts are shot down.

Fishing: When someone will send out messages to a bunch of people to see who’d be interested in hooking up, wait to see who responds, then take their pick of who they want to get with. It’s called fishing because the fisher loads up on bait, waits for one fish to bite, then ignores all the others.

Flashpanner: Someone who’s addicted to that warm, fuzzy, and exciting start bit of a relationship, but can’t handle the hard bits that might come after – such as having to make a firm commitment, or meeting their parents, or posting an Instagram photo with them captioned as ‘this one’.

Freckling: Freckling is when someone pops into your dating life when the weather’s nice… and then vanishes once it’s a little chillier.

Gatsbying: To post a video, picture or selfie to public social media purely for a love interest to see it.

Ghosting: Cutting off all communication without explanation.

Grande-ing: Being grateful, rather than resentful, for your exes, just like Ariana Grande.

Hatfishing: When someone who looks better when wearing a hat has pics on their dating profile that exclusively show them wearing hats.

Kittenfishing: Using images that are of you, but are flattering to a point that it might be deceptive. So using really old or heavily edited photos, for example. Kittenfishes can also wildly exaggerate their height, age, interests, or accomplishments.

Lovebombing: Showering someone with attention, gifts, gestures of affection, and promises for your future relationship, only to distract them from your not-so-great bits. In extreme cases this can form the basis for an abusive relationship.

Microcheating: Cheating without physically crossing the line. So stuff like emotional cheating, sexting, confiding in someone other than your partner, that sort of thing.

Mountaineering: Reaching for people who might be out of your league, or reaching for the absolute top of the mountain.

Obligaswiping: The act of endlessly swiping on dating apps and flirt-chatting away with no legitimate intention of meeting up, so you can tell yourself you're doing *something* to put yourself out there.

Orbiting: The act of watching someone's Instagram stories or liking their tweets or generally staying in their 'orbit' after a breakup.

Paperclipping: When someone sporadically pops up to remind you of their existence, to prevent you from ever fully moving on.

Preating: Pre-cheating - laying the groundwork and putting out feelers for cheating, by sending flirty messages or getting closer to a work crush.

Prowling: Going hot and cold when it comes to expressing romantic interest.

R-bombing: Not responding to your messages but reading them all, so you see the 'delivered' and 'read' signs and feel like throwing your phone across the room.

Scroogeing: Dumping someone right before Christmas so you don't have to buy them a present.

Shadowing: Posing with a hot friend in all your dating app photos, knowing people will assume you're the attractive one and will be too polite to ask.

Shaveducking: Feeling deeply confused over whether you're really attracted to a person or if they just have great facial hair.

Sneating:When you go on dates just for a free meal.

Stashing: The act of hiding someone you're dating from your friends, family, and social media.

Submarineing: When someone ghosts, then suddenly returns and acts like nothing happened.

V-lationshipping:When someone you used to date reappears just around Valentine's Day, usually out of loneliness and desperation.

You-turning: Falling head over heels for someone, only to suddenly change your mind and dip.

Zombieing: Ghosting then returning from the dead. Different from submarineing because at least a zombie will acknowledge their distance.

 

Do you have a story to share?

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

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Ex-Primark employee reveals how to find the best deals – including what will be in the Christmas sale

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Ex-Primark employee reveals how to find the best deals - including what will be in the Christmas sale
Georgia worked in the store in 2017 (Picture: Jam Press)

A former Primark employee has revealed top secrets customers need to know when shopping at the retail giant.

Georgia Ponton, 20, revealed all in a TikTok about her time working in Primark after college back in July 2017, with insider tips on how to shop to get the best items and deals.

Originally from Kettering in Northamptonshire, the university student worked at Primark during the weekends, and learned a few trade secrets along the way, the first being where to hide your best stash.

Georgia explained how both she and other shoppers would sneak away their favourite pieces in strange locations around the store when new releases arrived, as these items quickly run out of popular sizes.

However, most customers forget they put these items away – so, this is also where you should look if you’re struggling to find a size. Start with corners and lower racks, especially in the nightwear section.

Where to hide your items to pick up later

‘All the popular stuff goes very quickly,’ Georgia told Jam Press. ‘The most popular sizes, which are 8, 10 and 12 will go and once they’re gone, they’re gone.

‘But sometimes people are undecided about a piece of clothing and will hide it in case they want to come back and get it.

‘They almost always forget about it but sometimes if you check right at the back of the rails that are still quite full, some people hide stuff there.

‘And in corners of the store. Since a lot of people glance over areas that are in front of them, the corners of the store are sometimes the most forgotten about.’

Georgia herself would regularly hide items she wanted to buy on her break, so it definitely works when you want to reserve something.

Ex-Primark employee reveals how to find the best deals - including what will be in the Christmas sale
Some customers tried to scam their way into free stuff (Picture: Jam Press)

How to find out what will go on sale

It’s well-known that customers can often bag a bargain between Boxing Day and New Year’s Eve. So if you have your eye on a particular item, Georgia advises asking Primark staff if it is going up for sale after Christmas, as they know this in advance.

Georgia said: ‘Since staff have to be prepared for the upcoming sales, like Boxing Day or New Year’s Day, they might be given a piece of paper with all the things in their department that are going on sale.

‘If you like something but think that it could be going out of season or there aren’t many left, ask a supervisor or manager.

‘If it’s going on sale soon, and they should be able to tell you, then you can decide whether to buy it then or come back.’

Don’t bother trying to cheat the system

Georgia added that some customers removed reduced red labels and pasted it on other clothes, hoping to bring the price down at the tills – however, this does not work as the prices are already scanned into the system.

The young woman often experienced customers screaming at her to get a bargain.
She said: ‘If you come to the till with a piece of clothing and it has one of the red reduced-price stickers on the label but it scans as full price on the till, then it’s full price.

‘On very rare occasions, if it’s supposed to be on sale and we have to get our supervisor to go and check to see if the other ones are on sale and how much it is, and only then can they put the price down.

‘So many times, people take the stickers from the reduced section and put them on the non-reduced clothes…

‘Screaming at our face telling us to put the price down just because there’s a sticker on it isn’t going to work because we can’t do that, someone higher up has to do it and that’s the store losing money. It’s not our fault, we just scan the clothes.’

How to find other sizes available of an item

The first two numbers on the sort code of a price tag is the department that the clothing item belongs to.

So, if you see a top that you like in a random spot and want to find a different size, look at the tag to find it.

Georgia said: ‘Each department has a number. If you look at the tag, the first two numbers on a six number sort code looking set to show you the number of the department you’re buying from.

‘All women’s clothes start with 08 because women’s is department eight.

‘All women bras, pyjamas and underwear have 04 on them because it’s department four. All men’s clothes have 06 because it’s department six.

‘So, if you see a top you like but you can’t tell if it’s a men’s or women’s, look for the code!

‘For reference, 01: Accessories, 02: Hosiery (socks), 04: Lingerie and Loungewear, 06: Menswear, 07: Footwear, 08: Womenswear, 11: Homeware and 16: Men’s Accessories.’

Ex-Primark employee reveals how to find the best deals - including what will be in the Christmas sale
Despite everything, Georgia enjoyed working there (Picture: Jam Press)

How staff spot thieves

Georgia has witnessed customers switching their clothes with Primark items and simply walking out of the shop.

On some occasions, others have tried to purchase items that weren’t even from Primark – which are likely left-overs from a swap theft.

She said: ‘This is very rare but it has happened to me, people switch the clothes they’re wearing for the ones on the hanger and walk out.

‘I had a customer I was serving on the till and she wanted to buy a top but said it didn’t have the price tag on.

‘If it doesn’t have a tag on, we manually put in the code on the label into the till and it should be on the system.

‘I checked the label of this one piece of clothing and it wasn’t even from Primark! I had to break the news to her and tell my supervisor.’

What the bell ringing means

If you ever hear three rings on the till bell, be careful – it signals that there is some form of emergency going on.

‘The bells ringing in Primark have different meanings,’ said Georgia.

‘One ring is to alert the floor staff that help is needed on the tills, two rings are to alert supervisors and site managers, and three rings is to signal for an emergency.’

Despite some unfortunate experiences with unhappy customers, Georgia said of her time at the store: ‘I loved working at Primark.

‘My first job as a waitress was awful and put me off working in food forever. When I heard a Primark was opening up at the new shopping complex, I jumped at the chance.

‘Since I started from the beginning, everyone was in the same boat and we all saw what the store looked like without any clothes or stock in.’

Do you have a story you’d like to share?

Get in touch at MetroLifestyleTeam@metro.co.uk.

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Couple uncovers 66 bottles of 100-year-old whisky hidden in the walls of their home

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Nick and Patrick and right, one of the bottles
Nick and Patrick and right, one of the bottles (Picture: @bottleggerbungalow)

Moving into a new house, you might expect a few surprises – maybe some bad wiring or a little bit of damp.

But one couple were shocked to discover 66 bottles of whisky hiding in their walls.

Nick Drummond and Patrick Bakker bought the 105-year-old home last year for $183,000 (£137,000).

The pair knew that the house in Ames, New York, had once belonged to Adolph Humphner, also known as ‘Mystery Man of the Mohawk Valley’, who was rumoured to be a bootlegger during the prohibition era when alcohol was banned.

While working on fixing up their new home, the couple came across something which suggests the rumours were true.

8990271 - Couple finds more than 66 bottles of Prohibition-era whiskey hidden in the walls of their New York home When a New York couple was told their over 100-year-old home was built by a notorious bootlegger, they passed it off as small town legend. But during a recent home renovation, the couple discovered something that revealed the legend could be true. In early October, Nick Drummond and Patrick Bakker said they found more than 66 bottles of whiskey from the Prohibition-era hidden within the walls and floorboards of their home, which was built in 1915.
The outside of the house (Picture: bootleggerbungalow/Instagram)

They were removing an exterior trim when  a package, wrapped in old straw, paper, and string fell out of the wall.

Initially they thought it was insulation but soon realised it was actually bottles of whisky.

8990271 - Couple finds more than 66 bottles of Prohibition-era whiskey hidden in the walls of their New York home When a New York couple was told their over 100-year-old home was built by a notorious bootlegger, they passed it off as small town legend. But during a recent home renovation, the couple discovered something that revealed the legend could be true. In early October, Nick Drummond and Patrick Bakker said they found more than 66 bottles of whiskey from the Prohibition-era hidden within the walls and floorboards of their home, which was built in 1915.
One of the bottles (Picture: bootleggerbungalow/Instagram)

And as they removed move of the wood, they found more and more bottles, before moving onto a hatch they found in the old mudroom.

According to the New York Post, they found more there, hidden under the floorboards, but sadly, they were all empty.

The bottles date back to 1923 and about 13 bottles are full, some half-full bottles and the rest have mostly evaporated.

Nick added that four of those have tops in rough condition, so about nine ‘good’ bottles.

The couple haven’t tried any yet but said on their Instagram @bootleggerbungalow that they hope to soon.

They plan to sell most of the full ones to collectors though, with initial estimates of $500 (£375) – $1,000 (£750) for each full bottle.

The couple’s Instagram page has already been flooded with comments from people wanting to buy one.

But as they slowly tackle the rest of the renovation project, the pair think they might come across some more.

They’re also enjoying finding out more about Adolph Humphner, with the help of internet sleuths who are now invested in the story.

Do you have a story to share?

Get in touch at metrolifestyleteam@metro.co.uk.

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Tech company offers ‘life-changing’ coding scholarship for Black women – worth £8,000 each

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Coding Black Females
‘This opens the door to career changers and is a more accessible way into the industry.’ (Picture: Coding Black Females)

A UK tech company has announced that it will be offering a scholarship in coding for six Black women, in a bid to diversify the computer technology industry.

Leading coding bootcamp Makers, has partnered with Coding Black Females to provide software skills training – worth £8,000 per person – as part of a wider mission to boost diversity in the nation’s digital talent pool.

It is no secret that there is a stark lack of racial diversity in the leading tech companies around the world. Figures in 2017 showed that Google’s workforce is, by its own accounting, 69% male and just 2% Black. 

This scholarship aims to narrow this gap. The creators of the scheme hope to build an open and flexible environment to learn, while removing the financial barriers associated with entering the UK digital and technology industry.

They say it also guarantees a steady supply of highly qualified talent for the world’s leading employers, as the UK continues to face a major digital skills deficit.

Those selected for the scholarship will be enrolled in Makers’ 16-week software engineering course. As part of the programme, the women will learn to code, for free, and be assisted to find work as junior software developers at the end of term.

On top of this, Makers will also be offering unlimited places for Coding Black Females members at a discounted rate going forwards.

Charlene Hunter, a software developer who was also featured in the Women In Software Power List, is the founder of Coding Black Females. The organisation provides training, networking and upskilling opportunities for Black women in tech. They also work with organisations to help them improve their diversity.

Charlene
Charlene is the founder of Coding Black Females (Picture: Coding Black Females)

‘We need more Black women in tech to be visible and be seen as the role models that they are,’ Charlene tells Metro.co.uk.

‘In Coding Black Females, we have many women in senior tech roles, and this in itself is an inspiration for more Black women to enter the industry.

‘Young girls need to see that they can succeed in subjects like maths and the sciences so that they choose the right subjects to then go on to tech roles. Bootcamps are a great way to enable people to enter the industry who may not have studied technical subjects, this also opens the door to career changers and is a much more accessible way into the industry.’

Charlene says this course has the potential to be a life-changing experience that will open many doors.

‘Technology is the future, and all industries are looking for software developers and coders. It’s vital that the people building applications are representative of the people that will be using the software.

‘Currently, Black women make up only 0.7% of the tech industry, this is not representative of the population, and we’re dedicated to generating and identifying more talent.’ 

Claudia Harris, CEO of Makers added: ‘The people building our technology future need to reflect those that they are building it for. It is obviously wrong that we have such a non-diverse workforce building tech when it underpins so much of modern life. 

‘Then of course, the business argument is stark – diverse teams avoid groupthink and generate better business results. We know that there is a strong business case for diversity: teams made up of many different views encourage innovation, creativity and empathy in a way that homogeneous environments rarely do. 

‘We look forward to supporting these women and to ensure they play a meaningful part in shaping our digital world.’

You can find out more and apply for this 16-week scholarship simply email contact@makers.tech.

Do you have a story to share? We want to hear from you.

Get in touch: metrolifestyleteam@metro.co.uk.

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Mum who ditched dating and used a sperm donor now coaches others on doing the same

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NC Hopes Photography / CATERS NEWS (PICTURED MEL AND DAISY IN THE PARK) A single mum who fell pregnant through a sperm donor after giving up on finding the right man has started her own coaching service for women in the same situation. Mel Johnson, who became a single mum aged 39 after giving up on finding the man of her dreams, lives with her two-year-old daughter Daisy in West Didsbury, Manchester. Having always assumed that motherhood would be a natural part of her life, single Mel, who's now 42, started to doubt whether she'd ever have children and decided to take matters into her own hands. After spending seven years travelling the world, she moved back to Manchester but had never met the right man to start a family with. In 2015 she began her IVF journey and after two attempts, she fell pregnant with her daughter Daisy. SEE CATERS COPY
Mel and Daisy (Picture: NC Hopes Photography / Caters)

Aged 39, Mel Johnson decided to ditch dating and become a single mum through sperm donation.

Now, mum to two-year-old Daisy, Mel, from West Didsbury, Manchester, has decided to launch a new career coaching women on how to follow her example.

She now runs Choosing Solo and has helped more than 150 other women questioning whether to raise a child on their own.

Mel, who works as a HR manager, said: ‘When I was 37, I had been single for quite a long time and started to worry that if I didn’t meet someone soon, I might miss out on the opportunity to be a mum.

‘I started questioning what my options were; I didn’t know anyone personally who had gone down that route so I phone a fertility clinic, booked an appointment and it went from there.

‘I was thinking about holding out to see if I meet someone but I thought I would be doing it for the wrong reason and I didn’t want to settle for someone who I couldn’t see myself being with long term.’

Mel had always assumed that she would become a mum at some point but as she got older and hadn’t met the one, she felt she had to take things into her own hands.

Her last long-term relationship ended over 12 years ago and since then, she has struggled to find love.

After spending seven years living and working around the world, she moved back to Manchester and in 2015 she began her IVF journey.

She added: ‘Whilst I was abroad with my job, I went on plenty of dates but I never met the right person. A lot of my friends had met someone but I just didn’t find anyone I had a strong connection with.

‘As you get older, the pressure starts to get so much that it can lead you to make bad choices and I had made plenty; I just really wanted to meet someone to have that family but realised that would be the wrong decision.

‘I always presumed I would be a mum, I didn’t question it I just assumed it would happen. It was only in my mid 30s I started to think, is this going to happen for me.

@the_stork_and_i / CATERS NEWS (PICTURED MEL AND DAISY IN HOSPITAL) A single mum who fell pregnant through a sperm donor after giving up on finding the right man has started her own coaching service for women in the same situation. Mel Johnson, who became a single mum aged 39 after giving up on finding the man of her dreams, lives with her two-year-old daughter Daisy in West Didsbury, Manchester. Having always assumed that motherhood would be a natural part of her life, single Mel, who's now 42, started to doubt whether she'd ever have children and decided to take matters into her own hands. After spending seven years travelling the world, she moved back to Manchester but had never met the right man to start a family with. In 2015 she began her IVF journey and after two attempts, she fell pregnant with her daughter Daisy. SEE CATERS COPY
Mel with Daisy when she was born (Picture: @the_stork_and_i / Caters News A)

‘I strongly believe in creating your own fairytale and your own ‘happily ever after’ and that doesn’t always have to be in a relationship; there is far too much societal pressure on women to meet the right man and have a baby.’

After two attempts at fertility treatment, she fell pregnant with her daughter Daisy.

She said: ‘I didn’t want to make the wrong decision and have a baby with someone just because I was running out of time; research shows that children are more impacted by parenting stress which often occurs through divorce than a secure one parent relationship.’

Mel faced some judgement but has never regretted her choice to become a mum through sperm donation.

She said: ‘When I first began telling people about my decision, I had a few people who didn’t understand and questioned my decision, suggesting I should wait longer to meet a partner, but after explaining it to them, they understood and supported me.

‘Daisy has an incredible family around her and as she grows up, I will continue to talk to her about diverse families, donor conception and explain why she only has a mum.

‘The number of women who became solo mums in the last few years has significantly risen and continues to do so, so it’s not as uncommon as it was in the past.

‘When she was born in February 2018, it was amazing to finally have something that I had wanted for so long and it’s very empowering that I got to make that decision.’

Now Mel uses her own experiences to help women in a similar situation.

She added: ‘I’ve started my own coaching business and have coached more than 150 women looking to do the same thing; it’s good women have a choice so they don’t miss out and I am passionate about ensuring they are empowered to understand the options available to them.

‘We cover some of the emotional aspects of the process, as well as the process itself and I have had a few women who have messaged me letting me know they are now pregnant.’

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Growing old with a disability terrifies me

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Sam Renke
As a disabled adult, I’ve often felt that we are seen more like a burden or a drain on society – an expense no one wants to shoulder (Picture: Samantha Renke)

Being a deep thinker has always served me well thus far. 

Having spent most of my days shielding over the past six months, I have been very much caught up in my own thoughts – which isn’t necessarily a bad thing, because having a disability means that I always have to think ahead. 

Will that venue have an accessible bathroom? Is it step-free access? Will I have to swap the days that I have with my personal assistant (PA) so she can accompany me to an event? There’s no room for error.

I also have to think a lot about money and the ‘disability price tag’ – the additional costs I incur just for being disabled. It seems to swallow up most of my earnings: things like wheelchair repairs, transport, clothes alterations and extra time with my PA all add up.

There is however one overriding extra cost that has been playing on my mind recently, and that is the cost of ageing. 

Getting old and having a disability will undoubtedly come with a new set of challenges and the thought terrifies me to my core. 

How will I be supporting myself in years to come? I don’t have a pension, and at 34 I only just feel that I am able to look after myself financially.

I also have a looming surgery to contend with. It will set me back for weeks if not months – but as we get older our bodies slow down and recuperation periods are longer. My bone density will slowly decrease which could lead to more fractures and in turn may restrict my movement, so I’ll likely need additional support or more home adaptations. 

I feel extremely blessed to have a wonderful relationship with my mother. Despite living 200 miles apart, whenever I have a serious fracture she drops everything and is on the first train down. She won’t be around forever though, and my immediate support bubble isn’t set in stone. 

At various stages throughout my life, I have been on and off state benefits, including Universal Credit and Employment and Support Allowance. I’ve used both as a crutch when my health has let me down – and when work opportunities haven’t come my way, because the reality is that unemployment is high when you have a disability.

Being wrapped up in the welfare system has meant saving for my future has proved difficult. Some benefits cap individuals’ savings at as little as £6,000, and if you have more than that your benefits will be reduced. It’s no safety net in today’s world. 

Now, as a freelancer, I find it hard to say no to opportunities that come my way because I know all too well how unpredictable work can be. Plus, honestly, I like to be kept on my toes; I like to take risks and to challenge myself, so saying no doesn’t come easily.

As a result, I am frequently left absolutely exhausted, crawling into bed each night barely capable of keeping my eyes open. I’ve been feeling like a pretty crummy friend as of late, because I am too tired to keep in touch and respond to messages. The thought of turning my phone back on to simply a voice note is all too much of a strain.

Being an adult with a disability is scary. I often feel left to fend for myself without real support or guidance

So in summary, being an adult with a disability is scary. I often feel left to fend for myself without real support or guidance. But it wasn’t always like this.

I think back to my time as a child and how much support and how many resources were offered to me. If I needed a new wheelchair, there was an abundance of charities able to help me. I received weekly physiotherapy and hydrotherapy sessions on the NHS which increased my bone density and reduced the amount of fractures I incurred.

My schools always supported my additional needs and would differentiate my classes to ensure I was included. I remember my primary school investing in some rather swanky soft play material so that I could fully participate in PE, much to my dismay as I really detested sports.

Turning 18 changed everything. My university’s learning support centre financed a lightweight laptop and a support worker but other than that, it was as though someone clicked a switch and told everyone in my support bubble that I no longer needed assistance with my disability. Almost overnight, everything vanished.

Even attitudes towards me seemed warmer and kinder when I was a child, although granted, most came from pity (one of my grandmas used to refer to me as ‘the poor child’). This misplaced sympathy meant I was spoilt at times; people seemed to go above and beyond to help ‘the kid in the wheelchair’.

I suppose it’s human nature to want to support and help children: kids are cute, innocent and helpless – and kids with disabilities even more so. 

Disabled adults, however, are a whole different ball game. I’ve often felt that we are seen more like a burden or a drain on society – an expense no one wants to shoulder. Heck, I was once told once to get a loan out by someone at a local authority when I needed a new wheelchair, which at the time would have pushed me into poverty.

Getting old is daunting for anybody and as we face one of the worst economic crises in recent years, I’m sure many people are thinking about their future and how – or if – they will be able to support themselves later in life.

I wish we’d talk more about disability in adulthood and be brutally honest about the shortfall in support available for adults. Perhaps if we knew the reality those of us who need to could start thinking about our future much sooner.

One comfort has been the knowledge that I am not alone. The disability community has been a huge source of wisdom when it comes to adulting with a disability, suggesting equipment they found useful, which wheelchair I should go for and even which surgeon I should contact for an operation.

Through shared experiences and exchange of information I feel a little more prepared.

I’m still going to work my backside off, and I foresee many more days of complete exhaustion and disappointing my friends, but if this means having comfort security and care later on, perhaps it’s a sacrifice I will simply have to live with.

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

Share your views in the comments below.

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The new-build developments offering incentives for key workers

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Kilners Grange, Tongham
Key workers are able to get discounts on properties like this one in Surrey(Picture: Chris Richards-White, Image CreaImage Creative Partnership Ltd)

If you’re an NHS or essential worker, buying a home just got easier.

To say thank you for all your hard work amid the coronavirus pandemic, these housing developments have all launched schemes and incentives to help key workers get on the property ladder.

A whole range of discounts are on offer on house and flats, including up to £15,000 off your deposit.

De Montfort Place, Bedford MK40, from £215,000

De Monfort Place, Haymarket Rise
Essential workers get £10,000 off

Haymarket Rise, with its 19 two-bed apartments, is the final phase of this centrally located scheme, set in a conservation area and within walking distance of the station. Each comes with built-in wardrobes in the master bedroom, a private garden or balcony, and allocated parking.

The deal: Essential workers get a £10,000 discount here and across all the housebuilder’s sites.

Find out more at Storey Homes.

Edinburgh Way, Harlow, Essex CM20, from £229,000

Edinburgh Way, Harlow
Weston Homes are offering all essential workers £5,000 off

You can roll out of bed and be at work in the City in little over half an hour, as this development is moments from Harlow Town station. The one and two-bed flats boast luxury kitchens with quartz stone worktops, and smart bathrooms.

The deal: A £5,000 discount across all sites for NHS and essential workers.

Find out more at Weston Homes.

Goods Station Road, Tunbridge Wells, Kent TN1, from £275,000

Goods Station Road, Tunbridge Wells
Smart flats in Tunbridge Wells are available with a £6,000 discount

Located in the heart of this historic town and ready to move into, these 27 one and two-bed apartments by Brookworth Homes have integrated Bosch kitchen appliances, carpets and Amtico flooring throughout, and large mirrors and vanity units in the bathrooms.

The deal: A £6,000 discount is on offer to NHS staff and other key workers.

Find out more at Brookworth Homes.

Aspen Park, Apsley, Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire SP3, from £510,000

Aspen Park, Apsley
Key workers get £3,000 towards flooring (Picture: Lee Pilkington)

These large three, four and five-bed detached and semi-detached houses are perfect for families. They incorporate tonnes of storage, five primary schools are within a mile, and the nearby A41 links directly to the M1 and M25.

The deal: A two per cent discount and £3,000 towards flooring costs for key workers.

Find out more at Bovis Homes.

Taylor Wimpey – Aspext, Hackney Wick, London E3, from £437,000

Aspext, Hackney Wick
A 5 per cent discount AND its on the edge of the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park

Buy a one, two or three-bed apartment and you won’t have an excuse for not keeping fit as it’s on the edge of Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park.

The deal: NHS and other care support workers are eligible for a five per cent discount and free flooring on reservations before December 31.

Find out more at Taylor Wimpey.

Elmwood Gate, Maidenhead, Berkshire SL6, from £290,000

Elmwood Gate, Maidenhead
Legal fees are already covered for key workers

Open-plan kitchen/living areas with integrated appliances, fitted bedroom wardrobes and underfloor heating are among the features of these one and two-bed apartments.

The deal: Key workers reserving by December 13 get incentives including flooring and legal fees paid.

Find out more at Shanly Homes.

Saxon Fields, Canterbury CT1, from £330,000

Saxon Fields, Canterbury
Family homes come with £2,000 to be put towards costs

Current availability ranges from a spacious two-bed, two-bath coach house to a versatile three-bed house with a playroom and study at this art deco-inspired development.

The deal: NHS workers buying a home before Jan 31 get £2,000 to be used on anything from legal fees to a price reduction.

Find out more at Pentland Homes.

Hanborough Gate, Long Hanborough, Oxfordshire OX29, from £300,000

Hanborough Gate, Oxfordshire
Pye Homes are offering a five per cent discount

The idyllic rural location of this new community belies its closeness to Woodstock and Witney, and it’s only ten minutes by train into Oxford. It will include two, three and four-bed houses for private sale.

The deal: A discount of up to five per cent on selected homes is offered to key workers completing before the end of 2021.

Find out more at Pye Homes.

Kilners Grange, Tongham, Surrey GU10, from £434,995

Kilners Grange, Tongham
Get up to £15,000 off your deposit (Picture: Chris Richards-White, Image CreaImage Creative Partnership Ltd)

A mix of three, four and five-bed houses, under two miles from Aldershot station, are being sold off plan. Many are easily adaptable for WFH, with a good-sized spare bedroom or a designated study, and buyers can personalise them by choosing elements such as kitchen units and tiling.

The deal: A five per cent contribution towards deposits, capped at £15,000, for NHS employees at developments across the country.

Find out more at David Wilson Homes.

High St Quarter, Hounslow TW3, from £350,000

Hight St Quarter, Hounslow
A five per cent deposit contribution and just a stone’s throw from Heathrow


One and two-bed homes are available in Hanworth Apartments, the latest phase of this large-scale development just ten minutes from Heathrow airport. It’s built around a new public square, which will house a multiplex cinema, shops and restaurants, and residents have access to a car club.


The deal: NHS staff receive a five per cent deposit contribution, up to £15,000. Available nationwide on homes completing by June 18, 2021.

Find out more at Barratt London.

Do you have a story to share?

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

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Inside Sophie Ellis Bextor’s very famous kitchen

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Sophie Ellis-Bextor Christmas home shoot - John Lewis
The singer’s quirky house is all ready for Christmas (Picture: Ben Anders)

If there’s a more famous kitchen in the whole of the United Kingdom than Sophie Ellis-Bextor’s, it can only be Mary Berry’s… and that’s probably just a studio set-up.

Sophie’s Kitchen Disco videos, where she and her children dress on up to get on down – with Sophie singing, her kids dancing and Instagram camerawork all over the place – have been one of the big hits of both lockdowns. So much so that there is now an album and a full Kitchen Disco tour planned for 2021.

‘I definitely didn’t realise my kitchen would become so famous,’ laughs Sophie, live from, well, her kitchen, obviously.

‘But then there are a lot of things this year that have surprised me. I thought there was a good chance people were going to mock me for putting on my sparkly catsuit.’ Sophie says the kitchen discos gave her and her husband, Richard Jones, bass player with soft-rock band The Feeling, something to focus on.

It also gave them the feeling that they had done an actual gig afterwards, even if it was actually just half an hour on a Friday stolen in between doing household chores and corralling kids. ‘It was a bit of escapism, cathartic and nice to have a community to share it with,’ she explains.

Sophie Ellis-Bextor Christmas home shoot - John Lewis
She was worried about how people would react to her house online (Picture: Ben Anders)

Sophie admits she was initially worried about reading comments on the Instagram posts where the shows went out live.

‘Because it was my real house, my real kids and my real emotions, I think I would have been really sensitive if people had been too personal in their critique,’ she says.

‘But I think our house became a medium for all the good stuff that can come from music and fun when you’re not actually feeling that fun in your day-to-day life. Because we weren’t. There was a lot of tension and a lot of stress but music has always been the thing we do around here to make ourselves feel better. But a lot of people do, as well. I didn’t invent kitchen discos.’

As for the paraphernalia of the kitchen disco – the bunting, the smoke machines, the mirror ball and the lights – that was already in place. ‘We didn’t put anything in,’ she chuckles, ‘which is rather revealing.’

Today, though, Sophie is giving us a peek inside the rest of the family home, as she begins to set the scene for Christmas. She is bubbly, fun and her super-sparkly personality shines through in the rest of the house, too.

So with that set-up, that energy level and so many willing disco-ers already in-house, how do you ramp things up for the Christmas season? ‘Oh, there’s always more you can do,’ she laughs. ‘I found myself this morning buying tinsel because I love a decoration and get very excited about anything metallic or brightly coloured.

‘I’ve got a whole loft full of favourite baubles. Is that normal? Oh, and on Christmas Day, you know those snow-making machines you have in the garden? Well, that finds its way into the room at some point.’

As for her five boys, ranging from nearly two to 16 in age, they were not so much willing participants as mostly oblivious participants.

‘The kids weren’t really aware that anyone was watching anyway,’ she says. ‘And that’s why their emotions are incredibly natural from fights to boredom to over-excitement and everything else.

Sophie Ellis-Bextor Christmas home shoot - John Lewis
Decorating for Christmas is a big deal in Sophie’s house (Picture: Ben Anders)

‘Sometimes they’ll come, sometimes they prefer to do something else. And remember no one’s had a birthday party, so it’s a good excuse to have a bit of an occasion. And if you can’t have a bloody disco at Christmas…’

Plans are still in the works – ‘things are very much last-minute around here’ – but one thing that needs to be organised is the post-disco cocktail.

‘Richard’s a very good mixologist so we do have proper negronis and cosmopolitans after,’ she says. ‘And that’s the closest we’ve come to a night out, to be honest.’

Sophie’s attitude to her home is it’s there to have fun with. ‘I want a house that is used and I’m not that precious about things: I want people to sit on the sofas and play with the toys but I want it to be nice,’ she says.

‘I say to the kids, if you put love into the home, it’ll feed you back. It’ll make you feel good. I don’t want wanton vandalism but a creative house that can take the emotions of what’s going on…’

Sophie Ellis-Bextor Christmas home shoot - John Lewis
Sophie is well-up for big Christmases but doesn’t put pressure on it to be perfect (Picture: Ben Anders)

A usual Christmas involves Sophie, Richard, the boys, and a general ‘scooping up’ of family members: mum Janet (Ellis, the 1980s’ Blue Peter presenter), brother, sister, other halves.

‘It can be anything up to 25. But we’re quite good at mass catering and it’s fun. I love Christmas, I have really nice positive associations and love getting the real tree and decorating it, the roaring fire, mulled wine, martinis and the rest of it. I’m well up for it.’

There were some serious Christmases around the time her parents were splitting up but from around the age of eight, when her half-brother was born, ‘it was really positive’. She would alternate between her mum’s and dad’s, year on year.

‘Because I couldn’t have all my family in one place at one time I got taught that Christmas was a season, rather than just a day,’ she says. ‘The good thing about that is it stops you putting too much pressure on Christmas itself to be perfect, because it doesn’t always work like that.

‘We can put ourselves under a lot of pressure to deliver an idea that’s unattainable. As long as you’re with the people you like, nice things happen and there are songs, decorations and traditions… what more do you need?’

Quickfire Christmas Q&A: Sophie on...

…the Christmas dinner

‘I actually really like turkey. I think it gets a bit of a bad rap but I only really eat it at Christmas so it’s very much the association. And then we do the works really: I love sprouts, roast carrots, roast potatoes, stuffing, bread sauce, pigs in blankets… this is actually making me hungry talking about it.’

.. the kitchen disco

‘I’ll have to have a real think about what’s in the Christmas Kitchen Disco. Mariah is phenomenal and I love the Phil Spector ones, you can’t beat those. I like Christmas Wrapping by The Waitresses but that’s really hard to sing, I’ve tried it.’

… giving

‘I don’t splurge but I think it’s nice if you can get things people will genuinely enjoy. I don’t like it when it feels like you’re just ticking the boxes. I try to buy with someone in mind. It’s quite tricky not to get wrapped up in the emotional tug. If the kids really want something, I find it hard not to say, “Well, they’ve been really good, they’ve worked really hard at school.” But it’s definitely not “money’s no object”. I try and rein it in.’

… Santa Claus

‘What’s really sweet is that even my 16-year-old has gone along with the whole Father Christmas legend because he appreciates what it means to the little ones.

‘The older ones don’t want to make the little ones feel bad or sad and it’s comforting to go back into it for Christmas time. Even the bigger ones will do their stockings. They’re not cynical about it even if it’s not something they’re thinking about for the rest of the year.’

… Family

‘I’m pretty strict about Christmas, so I think even my older kids will have to be around for Christmas for a while yet. Family holidays, I’m thinking that the next one might be the one where it’s, “I’ve been offered to go away with a mate…” but Christmas I might put my foot down for a bit longer.

‘I have a really good relationship with [eldest son] Sonny and he’s a really nice boy. He signed my birthday card, “from your therapist” because he’s used to giving me his take on my stuff. And I say to him that it’s thanks to how he’s turning out that I wanted other babies. I’ve had my eyes wide open that they get bigger and it gets complicated but if I can raise them all to be like Sonny, I’ll be happy with that.’

Dressing Up

‘I semi-dress up for Christmas Day. I don’t put shoes on because that feels a bit formal for being at home for the day but I might put on maybe a nice frock or something. Nothing restrictive, though, because I’m planning on eating a lot.’

Listen to Sophie Ellis-Bextor’s festive Kitchen Disco on December 31, 7-9pm on BBC Radio 2. Her greatest hits Songs From The Kitchen Disco and podcast Spinning Plates are out now.

Do you have a story to share?

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

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Dog with a huge smile has spent half his life in an animal shelter – and hopes to find a home in time for Christmas

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Meet Rolo, an American Bulldog/Staffy cross breed, who spent half his life in an animal shelter is hoping to turn his fortune round this Christmas - by winning over a potential family with his goofy smile.
Meet Rolo, a sweet dog with a brilliant smile (Picture: RSPCA / SWNS.COM)

Sweet dog Rolo has spent half his life in a shelter.

The American Bulldog/Staffy cross breed was taken in by the RSPCA after being rescued by inspectors, who discovered the dog was not being properly cared for by his owners.

Now, he faces spending Christmas alone – unless he can find a loving home in time.

Staff at the shelter in York say one-year-old Rolo is an intelligent dog who loves learning new things despite a short attention span.

Plus, he has a truly winning smile.

Rolo is now searching for a loving home with a family who will not let him down.

His owners will need to be patient enough to learn how to keep him calm, and be ready to shower him with love.

rolo the dog
Rolo has spent half his life in a shelter (Picture: RSPCA / SWNS.COM)

It would be best if this is a home without children or other pets.

A spokesperson for the RSPCA York, Harrogate & District Branch said: ‘Rolo came to the centre via an inspector after his needs were not getting met.

‘Rolo is a very sweet boy who does not realise how big and strong he actually is.

‘We are looking for experienced dog owners who have owned large breed dogs before who have needed a little extra help with their training.

‘Rolo has been assessed by our behaviorist and has a training plan in place.’

rolo the dog
Rolo needs a home with someone who can shower him with love (Picture: RSPCA / SWNS.COM)

Adopters must be willing to carry on Rolo’s training and enroll him with a behaviorist or dog trainer.

The spokesperson added: ‘Rolo is very willing to learn new things but adopters will need to very patient with him as he is still very young and boisterous.

‘Rolo still has a lot to learn but we feel the kennel environment is holding back his potential.

‘Rolo unfortunately is not sociable with other dogs or cats so will need to be the only pet in the home, we are also looking for an adult only home.’

Don’t let that put you off.

Rolo is described as a ‘bundle of fun’ by staff who believe he has the potential to make a wonderful, loyal and loving pet.

They say his favourite things in life are food, toys and spending time with people but that he can sometimes ‘forget himself’ and get a little overexcited.

The spokesperson added: ‘Rolo has improved so much in the weeks that we have had him here which is just lovely to see but what we really want for this big chunky boy is to find a family of his very own who won’t let him down.’

Anyone interested in adopting Rolo can find out more through the RSPCA.

Do you have a story to share?

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

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Asda launches a mini cheese roulette with one spicy flavour

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Asda has launched a mini cheese roulette
Warning: one of the cheeses is very spicy (Picture: Instagram/@newfoodsuk, Getty Images)

Combining two much-loved Christmas Day activities – board games and, er, eating cheese – Asda has launched a mini cheese roulette.

So, if you find yourself getting bored of Monopoly or Trivial Pursuit on the big day, or just feeling peckish a few hours after Christmas dinner, you’ve now got a back-up plan.

Costing £4, each roulette contains six different mini cheeses, individually wrapped with a different coloured circle on each. None of the cheeses are labelled, so there’s no way of knowing which is which. 

The pack comes with a die that you assemble yourself, with each face displaying a colour that corresponds to one of the cheeses. 

Each player takes it in turn to roll the die to choose their cheese. After that, it’s just a matter of unwrapping your matching cheese, digging in and seeing which flavour you get.

A heads-up, though: on its website, Asda warns that one of the six cheeses in the roulette has a ‘fiery kick’, so if you’re really not a fan of spicy flavours, it might be best to sit this one out.

The cheeses featured in the roulette are a mild cheddar, a red leicester, a garlic and herb cheddar, a wensleydale with cranberries, a cheddar with caramelised red onion chutney and a fiery cheddar with hot chilli seasoning and mixed peppers (we’re guessing that’s the one that carries a warning).

Instagram account @newfoodsuk shared a picture of the innovative game, sending cheese fans across the UK into a frenzy.

“Need this for Chrimbo,” wrote one user, while another commented “My kinda Christmas game”.

Go on, then – pass the dice.

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Sophia and Muhammad top the list of the most popular baby names of 2020

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Thinking about baby names
Choosing a baby name (Picture: Getty Images)

Choosing a name for a new baby is about finding a balance between being unique and being on-trend.

Parents don’t want to pick something dated, but they don’t want to find five others with the same moniker in their child’s class at school either.

To help give them a little inspiration parenting website Babycentre has put together a list of the top 100 names for boys and girls in 2020.

The data is based on a survey, which asked 54,636 parents of babies born in 2020 about what name they chose.

There was no change for boys’ names at the top with Muhammad and Noah in first and second place, the same as 2019

For girls, Sophia – which was the second most popular last year – knocked Olivia off the top spot.

Top boys' names of 2020

  1. Muhammad +0
  2. Noah +0
  3. Oliver +1
  4. Arthur +4
  5. Leo -2
  6. Freddie +3
  7. George +0
  8. Theo +3
  9. Charlie -4
  10. Jack +0
  11. Harry -5
  12. Oscar +0
  13. Ethan +1
  14. Archie +7
  15. Finley +15
  16. Alfie -1
  17. Joshua +1
  18. Jacob -5
  19. Thomas -2
  20. Isaac +3
  21. Lucas -1
  22. Henry -3
  23. Adam +2
  24. James +0
  25. Louis +1
  26. Aiden +3
  27. Teddy +1
  28. Tommy +10
  29. Luca +4
  30. Max -8
  31. Theodore +10
  32. Liam +4
  33. Elijah -6
  34. Alexander -2
  35. Daniel -1
  36. Reuben +4
  37. Jayden +0
  38. Arlo +4
  39. Jaxon -23
  40. William -9
  41. Mason +5
  42. Logan -7
  43. Ryan +2
  44. Rory +15
  45. Elliot -2
  46. Nathan +11
  47. Dylan -3
  48. Roman +33
  49. Harrison -10
  50. Yusuf +2
  51. Kian +0
  52. David +3
  53. Ezra +10
  54. Michael +28
  55. Joseph -8
  56. Sebastian -8
  57. Ayaan -new
  58. Caleb -8
  59. Albie -6
  60. Toby +5
  61. Benjamin +3
  62. Ali +26
  63. Samuel -14
  64. Grayson +6
  65. Jude +1
  66. Zachary -10
  67. Finn +7
  68. Ollie -14
  69. Hunter -7
  70. Riley -12
  71. Myles +9
  72. Gabriel -3
  73. Hugo -13
  74. Aaron +18
  75. Reggie -2
  76. Carter -8
  77. Jesse +0
  78. Ronnie – new
  79. Alex -7
  80. Luke -13
  81. Edward -20
  82. Kai +1
  83. Matthew -7
  84. Ibrahim +6
  85. Harvey +6
  86. Frankie -7
  87. Jason +10
  88. Eli +1
  89. Rowan – new
  90. Jenson +4
  91. Austin – new
  92. Jasper – new
  93. Hudson – new
  94. Blake -8
  95. Stanley +0
  96. Milo – new
  97. Bobby -19
  98. Lewis +2
  99. Ellis – new
  100. Albert – new

Babycentre said that trends this year have been influenced by some of the TV shows we binge-watched this year.

Arabella, the heroine of I May Destroy You, soared 30 places to number 57 and Michaela (Coel) who created, wrote, co-directed, and executive produced the series was also on the rise outside the top 100. 

Connell appeared in the registrations for the first time after the success of the series Normal People based on the book by Sally Rooney.

Top girls' names of 2020

  1. Sophia +1
  2. Olivia -1
  3. Amelia +1
  4. Lily +2
  5. Isla +0
  6. Ava -3
  7. Mia +0
  8. Aria +3
  9. Freya +1
  10. Isabella -1
  11. Ella +1
  12. Ivy +4
  13. Emily -5
  14. Grace +0
  15. Isabelle +0
  16. Rosie +1
  17. Poppy +4
  18. Evie -5
  19. Charlotte +1
  20. Hannah +7
  21. Sophie -3
  22. Ruby +4
  23. Alice +16
  24. Willow -5
  25. Elsie -3
  26. Florence +4
  27. Emilia -4
  28. Sienna -4
  29. Luna +3
  30. Maya +1
  31. Millie +23
  32. Zara -3
  33. Phoebe -8
  34. Evelyn -6
  35. Molly +8
  36. Ada +15
  37. Mila -1
  38. Emma -3
  39. Ellie +5
  40. Daisy -2
  41. Chloe -4
  42. Eva -9
  43. Maisie +9
  44. Harper -2
  45. Layla -5
  46. Matilda -5
  47. Sarah +1
  48. Esme +23
  49. Zoe -2
  50. Holly +11
  51. Jessica +2
  52. Nur -7
  53. Robyn +12
  54. Maryam +5
  55. Scarlett +3
  56. Erin +6
  57. Arabella +30
  58. Thea -9
  59. Fatima -2
  60. Lucy -5
  61. Anna +2
  62. Lyla – new
  63. Bella -13
  64. Violet -8
  65. Aurora +5
  66. Ayla +15
  67. Lottie +0
  68. Hallie +0
  69. Eleanor -5
  70. Jasmine +6
  71. Eliza -25
  72. Bonnie +5
  73. Maria +2
  74. Darcie -40
  75. Lola -3
  76. Imogen -10
  77. Amber -4
  78. Clara +2
  79. Abigail -1
  80. Georgia +5
  81. Orla +15
  82. Nora – new
  83. Eliana – new
  84. Rose +0
  85. Harriet -16
  86. Amelie -7
  87. Eden +8
  88. Iris -14
  89. Penelope -29
  90. Gracie -7
  91. Nancy +3
  92. Margot – new
  93. Aisha – new
  94. Anaya – new
  95. Zainab – new
  96. Madison – new
  97. Mabel – new
  98. Talia – new
  99. Delilah -11
  100. Niamh – new

Other possible influences include the hit game Animal Crossing, Four of the top 10 girls’ names – Olivia, Amelia, Ava and Freya – feature in the game while fellow characters Alice climbed 16 places and Mabel broke into the top 100. 

Popular Instagram influencers could also have an impact on the popularity of some names.

Mrs Hinch’s choice of Ronnie sits at 78 and Arthur, the name of Billie Faier’s son, rose four places to break into the top five at number four.

The name Vogue appeared in the registrations for the first time, perhaps due to Vogue Williams and Theodore, the name of her and Spencer Matthews’ baby, rose 10 places to 31.

Sarah Redshaw, UK Managing Editor for BabyCentre, said: ‘A global pandemic has had us looking for ways to find optimism, reflected in a rise in positive and heroic names.

‘TV really showed its impact when the name Connell made an appearance for the first time after the Normal People hero, played by Paul Mescal, dominated TV chat, along with his chain.

‘And with staying in forcibly becoming the new going out we’ve all been turning to social channels to keep us feeling part of a community, reflected in the increasing influence that Insta stars are having on us.

‘With tech acting as a lifeline for work, staying in touch with our loved ones and keeping us entertained it remains to be seen whether Zoom, Nintendo or Tik Tok will appear in next year’s list.’

Do you have a story to share?

Get in touch at Metrolifestyleteam@metro.co.uk.

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The Baileys Chocolate Yule Log is back in supermarkets

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The Baileys Chocolate Yule Log is back in supermarkets
The dessert would make an amazing table centrepiece (Picture: Baileys)

Baileys fans, you’ve probably been wondering if the brand’s delicious yule log will be back this Christmas.

Well, wonder no more – it’s back in supermarkets just in time for the festive season.

Yep, the tasty Baileys Chocolate Yule Log is returning to most of the major supermarkets – it can be snapped up from Asda, Sainsbury’s, Tesco and Co-op for £5.

The boozy dessert is made from soft chocolate sponge with a filling of chocolate-flavoured frosting and coated in milk chocolate.

Covered with the signature Baileys frosting and finished with bronzed chocolate curls and an edible chocolate Baileys plaque, it would make a stunning centrepiece for any Christmas dinner table.

And if you can’t get enough of that creamy Baileys flavour, there are lots of other festive products featuring the liqueur that you can try this year.

The Chocolate Treat Blondie Bars, made with a blondie sponge filling, topped with Baileys frosting and wrapped in milk chocolate, are available at Tesco, Co-op and Asda and cost just £1.50 for a pack of four.

And the Baileys Salted Caramel Mini Cupcakes, topped with Baileys salted caramel frosting and a drizzle of caramel, can be bought in Asda or Tesco, priced at £4 for a pack of 12.

‘There’s always a moment to fit a bit of Baileys indulgence into your day, no matter what the occasion,’ says Declan Hassett, senior licensing manager at Diageo, the beverage manufacturing company behind the popular liqueur.

We’re inclined to agree.

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ASOS commits to responsible messaging around Buy Now Pay Later products

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ASOS commits to responsible messaging around Buy Now Pay Later products such as Klarna
ASOS has been working with Klarna since 2017 (Picture: Rafael Henrique/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)

ASOS has become the first retailer to commit to best practice around marketing Buy Now Pay Later products such as Klarna, thanks to the the #regulateBuyNowPayLater campaign.

The campaign was launched in June 2020 by Alice Tapper, the founder of Go Fund Yourself, an online platform that makes personal finance relatable and is dedicated to helping people take control of their money.

It calls for greater protection for young and vulnerable consumers from Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL) products, which allow you to purchase goods on credit and pay for them at a later date, or through instalments.

The most commonly used BNPL company is Klarna, which is offered as a payment option for customers at online retailers including ASOS, H&M and PrettyLittleThing.

Klarna’s contemporary branding and ease of use makes it attractive to younger customers, many of whom may not realise they’re getting into debt – or that their credit scores could be affected if they don’t pay the money back on time – due to the lack of clear messaging on retailers’ websites and in advertisements.

23% of 18 to 24-year-olds have turned to BNPL services to fund their spending since the start of lockdown, according to research by Compare The Market.

In an open letter to retailers, Alice encouraged them to adapt their existing communications around BNPL.

‘Unfortunately, many young people haven’t been equipped with the tools to make good financial decisions and the absence of risk wording on unregulated BNPL products has created a perfect storm; without a counterbalance to the so called “risk-free” promotion of BNPL, particularly in the current economic climate, we’ll see a growing number of young people getting into financial difficulty, to which there is an economic and mental-health cost,’ she wrote.

ASOS first partnered with Klarna in 2017, and after working with Alice, have become the first retailer to commit to her campaign’s best practice.

Brent Hobson, Head of Payments at ASOS, told Metro.co.uk: ‘We want to provide our customers with an outstanding retail experience, and know that a key part of this is giving them access to a wide range of payment options such as Klarna, Clearpay and PayPal Pay in 3, so they can choose the method which best suits their individual circumstances.

‘We’re committed to ensuring our customers have access to the information they need to make informed choices and actively encourage them to use payment options responsibly – only using Buy Now, Pay Later products if they are able to cover the repayment costs.’

Do you have a story to share?

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

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Mum shares trick to change duvet cover alone without breaking a sweat

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a duvet on a bright background
It looks like sorcery (Picture: Getty Images)

Changing a duvet cover on your own is a notoriously tricky task, what with the weight of the duvet and all the fabric you need to work with.

People often resort to the strenuous method of standing and shaking the duvet into the fresh cover, but one mum has shared a far less strenuous trick on TikTok.

The TikTokker, Sophie Liard, shared the video with the simple caption: ‘I don’t know how this works but it does’ with a laughing face emoji.

The clip shows the mum, who posts under the account @thefoldinglady, sitting down at the top of her bed with an inside-out duvet cover laying underneath her duvet.

Ske keeps the corners aligned as she rolls the cover and duvet up.

When it’s all rolled, she tucks each of the corners of the duvet into the sheet, flips it and unrolls it to reveal a fully covered duvet.

The video has earned over 413 thousand views and nearly 18 thousand likes at the time of writing, so clearly people are finding it useful.

One person commented: ‘This changed my life forever’.

Another wrote: ‘Love this method!’

However, the video has no voiceover or captions to explain any further and some commenters have been left confused.

One person simply wrote: ‘I don’t understand’, while another commented: ‘I don’t get what your doing, are you just laying the cover on top of the quilt and then doing the rolling?’ [sic]

To which Sophie replied: ‘Duvet cover is inside on the bottom, duvet on the top and roll’.

Do you have a story to share?

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

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Coronavirus has stopped young people losing their ‘financial virginity’

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a person holding change
Have you lost yours? (Picture: Ella Byworth for Metro.co.uk)

The coronavirus pandemic has already led to a recession, and fear of further economic consequences of lockdown is rife.

Young people have found themselves among those most at risk of being the most affected by the financial implications of the pandemic, as most have not yet had a chance to build up any savings or get enough, if any, careers experience for a foothold in their preferred field.

This could lead to young people being financially dependant on their parents and guardians for even longer.

Elin Helander, Chief Scientific Officer at the financial wellbeing app Dreams, warns that this lingering ‘financial virginity’ could have a knock-on impact in other areas of their financial lives.

Visit our live blog for the latest updates Coronavirus news live

She says: ‘Research gives us some indicators that young people who live with their parents for a longer period of time might be worse off when it comes to their long-term financial success.

‘In other words, they may not be learning important financial skills that come with managing household bills, finances, food budgets and other such things. In these circumstances, they are retaining their “financial virginity.”

Illustration of people of colour standing together wearing yellows and reds mostly
Elin says: ‘Living at home – especially during periods of unemployment – can be the crucial action young people need to take to get back on track financially.’ (Picture: Ella Byworth)

‘One 2019 research report from the Urban Institute showed that those who lived with their parents between the ages of 25 and 34 were significantly less likely to be homeowners 10 years later.

‘On top of this, the researchers couldn’t see any evidence that these young adults, when they eventually bought a home, purchased a more expensive home or used a smaller mortgage, thanks to the savings they’d potentially been able to build up from living with their parents.

‘This study suggests it is beneficial (financially) for young adults to move out from their parents’ homes, sooner rather than later, and that it’s important to lose one’s “financial virginity” as it will benefit a person’s overall financial wellbeing throughout their life.’

Before you start feeling bad, it’s not been remotely uncommon for people to have moved back in with their parents since lockdown, and doing so is no guarantee that you’ll be financially adrift.

Elin says: ‘According to recent analysis of government data by the real-estate website Zillow (2020) about 2.9 million adults moved in with a parent or grandparent during the months of March, April, and May. Statistics that have clear connections to the Covid-19 outbreak.

An illustration of a man wearing a T-shirt that says 'skint' and looking into his empty wallet
‘It is when poor financial decisions are left uncorrected or are supported by parental bail-outs and provisions, that living at home can become a problem.’ (Picture: Ella Byworth for Metro.co.uk)

‘Regarding whether young people living at home for an extended period of time will lose their ability to acquire budgeting skills (or other financial skills), we haven’t seen any clear proof of that. We believe that this depends heavily on how much time and effort their parents put in on educating their children in financial management, and if they create a home environment for their children where they are required to think and behave in a financially responsible way.

She adds: ‘Environment plays a crucial part in shaping how a young person’s financial wellbeing develops, no matter if a young adult lives at home with their parents or lives on their own – if we are surrounded by poor financial decisions, we are bound to regard them as normal.

‘There could also potentially be a danger that adult children, after moving back home with their parents, will fall back into their old roles and become more dependent on their parents. The same goes for their parents, that they might become too undemanding and overly supportive of their children.’

She also says: ‘Living at home – especially during periods of unemployment – can be the crucial action young people need to take to get back on track financially. Living with their parents can help them to save money – even if it’s just a small amount – towards their financial goals, which would likely not have been possible if they lived in their own household.

‘As long as parents educate their children and support them to be financially self-confident, living at home is not a problem. It is when poor financial decisions are left uncorrected or are supported by parental bail-outs and provisions, that living at home can become a problem.’

Elin's advice for becoming financially independant

  • ‘Ask your parents about their expenses, taxes, insurances, loans and food budget. It’s very useful to learn about all the expenses you’ll encounter when entering adult life and moving out, it’s often more things to consider than you think! Ask your parents about what expenses they have and how they do their budgeting, and ask them to help you make a budget for you.
  • ‘Make monthly budgets and stick to them. Follow up every now and then to see that you’re on track. This will help you into the routine of only spending what you can afford and being in control of your finances.
  • ‘Develop a saving habit. Learning about the benefits of saving at an early age and only buying things which you can afford are important parts of adult life. The saving amount doesn’t have to be big each month, over a year even a small monthly saving will make a difference for your financial situation.
  • ‘Learn about financial concepts and money management via free online courses. There are plenty of courses to choose from, via established companies and top universities, that will give you the basics needed to get a better understanding of finances and how to get into good financial habits.
  • ‘Learn the difference between wanting and needing. When you’re young and living at home, all your needs are taken care of by someone else, and you’re pretty much free to spend all your money on “wants”. When moving out – if you haven’t had to pay for much before – you’ll be hit hard by reality when you realise most of your money will have to be spent on the boring stuff like rent, electricity, transportation, insurance and other costs, and that it is only what you have left after that can be used on wants. When young adults keep putting their wants before their needs after moving out, they’ll likely encounter financial problems, so it’s crucial to learn to separate between the two.
  • ‘Learn about credit card, debit card, and loan offers. Taking on offers that seem too good to be true, are often just that, but when you’re new to the credit and loan market it’s not all that easy to understand what contracts you should sign and not! Take some time to learn the terminology, and to educate yourself on what you should be looking for in a loan or credit offer. And as always – read the fine print.
  • ‘Don’t take anything for granted. It’s important to remember that there’s no such thing as a guaranteed income, and no matter how well you’ve done in school or university your grades won’t automatically provide you with a job. The path to finding a job and a stable income isn’t always straightforward, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t aim high! It just means you have to be flexible, wait until you have an income until you invest your money in things like housing, and always have a backup buffer because you never know what your situation will look like a year later.’

If you want tips and tricks on saving money, as well as chat about cash and alerts on deals and discounts, join our Facebook Group, Money Pot.

Do you have a story to share?

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

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EasyJet cuts cabin bag size and will charge up to £40 to use overhead lockers

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Easyjet cabin bag policy is changing
Easyjet has a new baggage policy (Picture: Metro.co.uk)

If you’re planning a mini-break when we can safely travel again, you might want to take note of the new cabin bag rules that EasyJet will introduce on 10 February.

You’ll no longer be able to bring a small suitcase on board, with the size limit for most passengers reduced to a small backpack which can fit underneath the seat in front.

If you want to use the overhead lockers, you’ll have to pay up to £39.99 to book a specific seat.

Previously, you could bring a small suitcase measuring 56 x 45 x 25cm on board for free and store it in the overhead locker.

But in a few months, the new policy means you’ll only be able to bring a bag measuring 45 x 36 x 20cm for free.

Only those who have reserved ‘up front'(those in rows 2-6) and ‘extra legroom’ (around the exits, depending on the design on the plane) seats will be able to bring the larger sized bag on board and store it above them.

According to the EasyJet website, charges for ‘up front’ seats range from £12.99 to £39.99, while charges for ‘extra legroom’ seats start at £7.99 and go up to £34.99 each way. The fee varies depending on the route selected, flight and time of booking.

EasyJet Plus card holders, who pay £215 a year for membership, will also be allowed to bring both a small standard bag and a larger cabin bag on board.

Bags will be checked at the departure date and if your cabin bag is bigger than the maximum size or if you bring a large cabin bag to the departure gate without the correct seat selection, it will be checked in as hold luggage and you will have to pay up to £48 per item.

Customers can pay to go ‘hands free’ which means checking a 56 x 45 x 25cm bag in departures. This service will cost £7 and you will still be able to take another small bag on board, but you will have to wait on your baggage when you arrive, which may slow down your journey.

It can be purchased in advance of your flight or at the EasyJet Plus Bag Drop when you arrive at the airport.

Rival budget airline Ryanair cut cabin bag size allowance back in 2018, allowing customers a small bag for free but they can bring a larger cabin bag as well with priority boarding.

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Mum makes hot chocolate station using old baby change cart and items she already had

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Mum makes hot chocolate station using old baby change cart and items she already had
Joanne and her daughter Millie (Picture: Joanne Hedges)

Pinterest and Instagram are full of beautiful Christmas decor items at the moment, with hot chocolate stations being one of the most prominent trends.

These adorable trollies are like the kid (and big kid) version of fancy bar carts, with all manner flavoured chocolate powders, marshmallows, toppings, and cream available – and all displayed immaculately, of course.

33-year-old Joanne Hedges decided to get in on the trend, making her own hot chocolate station with items she bought second-hand, inexpensively, or already had.

Joanne tells Metro.co.uk: ‘I wanted to make it extra fun so upcycled a second-hand Ikea baby changing station, with some white spirit, paint and a light sanding between coats the main structure was done!

‘We decorated with cheapish decor from stores like The Range, Home Bargains and Poundland, and collected jars, cups, straws and even a sleigh wooden board.’

Joanne, who lives in Hampshire with her husband and three children (9, 4, and 2) is planning on filling up the cart on Christmas Eve with the kids, so they can jazz up their hot drinks before Santa arrives.

Mum makes hot chocolate station using old baby change cart and items she already had
How amazing does this look?! (Picture: Joanne Hedges)

The stay-at-home-mum paid £12.50 for the baby changing unit, spending a further £13 on the decorations.

She already had the paint, and collected the jars over time, simply giving them a wash to remove the labels.

Hot chocolate station
The baby changing unit before its makeover (Picture: Joanne Hedges)

Joanne also recommends having a look on free or pre-loved community sites, as she’s seen similar baby changing carts offered for less than she paid (or in some cases free)

All in all, the project took around three days, with four coats of paint needed, and a sand between each coat.

Mum makes hot chocolate station using old baby change cart and items she already had
After a lick of paint, and before the decorations were glued on (Picture: Joanne Hedges)

‘My children helped dust them off and even got the hair dryer involved at times,’ says Joanne.

The kids were delighted with their hot chocolate station, with Joanne saying: ‘My Husband took them for a walk whilst I stuck the decorations on (with glue gun) and when they arrived back home they were so happy and excited!’

Speaking on the upcycling project, she added: ‘I would definitely think twice before throwing any pieces of furniture away. Baby changing stations are only used for such a short space of time and make excellent shelving units.

‘Don’t be afraid to get creative! I doubt myself hugely and never think I am good enough but I am so proud of this!’

Do you have an amazing DIY project like this that you’d love to share?

Get in touch at MetroLifestyleTeam@metro.co.uk.

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