And where did our backyard hawks go?
Read More »
Why do these Pleasant Hill cats find catnip calming instead of invigorating?
Wish You Were Here: At Germany’s Bridge of Spies
A Walnut Creek duo explores Potsdam and Berlin, Germany, from the Bundestag to the famous Bridge of Spies.
Read More »
Stars live it up at Emmys 2024 afterparties: Heidi Klum, Sofía Vergara and more
Heidi Klum, Sofía Vergara and more danced the night away at Emmys 2024 afterparties.
Read More »
Shakira scolds fans for filming up her dress at Miami nightclub, abruptly walks off stage
Fans slammed the "gross behavior," with one writing, "It’s wild how some guys can single-handedly turn a great experience into a total cringe-fest."
Read More »
English seaside hotel that feels like it’s abroad – with ocean view pool and extremely affordable rooms
A HOTEL in Cornwall’s stunning sea views and sunsets have guests convinced they’re on a foreign holiday.
The Hotel Penzance has an outdoor pool with views of the harbour and the price of a room starts from £139 a night.
Located on the seafront in Penzance Harbour, the 4* hotel has proven itself a hit with British holidaymakers looking to enjoy an exotic staycation.
There are 25 en-suite rooms, each designed to reflect the natural beauty of Cornwall.
They’re decorated in a duck egg blue and aquamarine colour scheme inspired by the views of Penzance Harbour, Long Rock beach and St Michael’s Mount.
Most the rooms will allow you to enjoy the views from the comfort of your bed.
You can catch a glimpse of local seafarers and the RMV Scillonian III setting sail for the Scilly Isles.
Those staying at the hotel can also enjoy the sea view from the its coastal gardens and terrace, which offers alfresco dining.
And during the summer months, the crystal blue waters of the swimming pool is perfect to take a dip and cool down in.
The Garden Bar & Restaurant at the hotel has been award-winning for over 10 years.
Its dinner menu celebrates the very best of Cornish produce, with the likes of fresh fish from Newlyn and fresh Cornish crab.
The food’s a great price too, with its most recent menu offering two courses for £19.95 per person and three courses for £23.95 per person.
Cornwall and Devon are often dubbed ‘British Turkey‘ for their golden sand beaches, clear waters, and tropical summer weather.
The Cornish coast owns some of Britain’s most beautiful beaches and covers, including Porthcurno, which is just a 27 minute drive from Hotel Penzance.
Other nearby attractions include The Minack Theatre, an open air theatre perched on the cliffs, St Michael’s Mount, a tidal island with a historic castle, and Tremenheere Sculpture Gardens, which has modern art installations, exotic plant-filled gardens, and panoramic views of the bay.
Many of Hotel Penzance guests have awarded the hotel five stars on Tripadvisor.
One person who stayed wrote: “Five stars all the way. Friendly, quiet, good food and extremely comfortable, warm, clean and beautifully decorated room.
“Everything that one could possible want plus an amazing sea view over the bay towards St. Michael’s Mount and a view of the ferry leaving for the Scilly Isles. We will be back that’s for sure.”
Another penned: “”The view from my room was beautiful, overlooking St Micheal’s Mount. I felt like I was abroad watching the sunset and sunrise from the comfort of my bed.”
Rooms at Hotel Penzance start from £139, with free cancellation and 0% deposit required.
For dinner, bed and breakfast, prices start from £169.
Things to do in Penzance
From taking a dip in a sea water pool to admiring views of Newlyn, here are things to add to your must do list...
Visit Jubilee Pool – the largest sea water pool in the UK, Jubilee Pool has been a local treasure since its construction in the 1930s. The striking Art Deco lido overlooks the beach, and the addition of the geothermal pool makes it the perfect all-weather attraction.
Enjoy a stroll along the seafront – walk down Penzance Promenade and enjoy stunning views of Mount’s Bay and Newlyn. It also makes for the perfect place to sit with fish and chips in the evening.
Catch a show at the iconic Minack Theatre – this is an open-air theatre built on a cliff side. The site is steep, but there is access for wheelchairs and disabled visitors to the top levels, which include a cafe, toilets, and a balcony with great views over the theatre and bay.
Tremenheere Sculpture Gardens – a 22 acre sub-tropical and exotic gardens in Cornwall, the gardens also offers panoramic views of the bay.
Porthcurno Beach – one of the most notorious beaches in Cornwall, Porthcurno Beach has white golden sands and crystal clear waters.
M&S axes ‘all time favourite’ Percy Pig sweets leaving shoppers devastated
M&S has axed some of its popular Percy Pig sweets – leading to desperate calls for them to be reinstated.
Percy Pig Phizzy Chews earned rave reviews before they were scrapped in the brand’s recent confectionery overhaul in July.
After their launch in 2020, customers heaped on the praise, with one saying: “You have outdone yourself with these Percy Phizzy Chews!! Where can I buy a box?”
Another added: “Discovering M&S Percy Pig Phizzy Chews for the first time was like discovering fire. How have I lived without these for so long?? I feel like I need a lifetime supply… “
And a third raved: “I have tested many sweets and candies from around the globe for many years and these are quite incredible. There isn’t another texture like it.
“They must remain in production for the rest of eternity!”
But the sweets appear to have faded in popularity since their promising start, with M&S deciding to scrap them in July.
The move made way for the return of Reversy Percy sweets, which are a backwards version of the classic Percy Pig treats, with more jelly than foam.
But the disappearance of the Percy Pig Phizzy Chews has not gone unnoticed.
Superfan Brad on X moaned: “I’ve been into five different stores now and they are nowhere to be seen!
“They were my all time favourite sweets and I don’t know what I am going to do without them!”
Another complained: “These were the best Percy Pigs and so gutted to see them go. Please please bring them back.”
The Percy Pig character has an enormous product range, including at least 10 different types of sweets.
The pig-shaped sour chews were made with fruit juice and came in a variety of colours and flavours.
More than five million packets of Percy Pig sweets are sold every year, with the character also appearing on clothing, cosmetic products and party gear.
For those missing the Phizzy Chews, Percy Pig Phizzy Pigtails are a similar alternative.
The chews were not the only product to face the axe.
This summer, M&S also ditched its Colin and Connie “Together Forever” fruit gums, meaning Connie the caterpillar no longer appears in the caterpillar sweet range.
Percy Pig is not only a loved treat, but also a fierce topic of debate.
Five years ago, M&S sparked both outrage and praise when it announced it had been turning its entire Percy sweets range vegetarian, with the change happening over several years.
Many social media users claimed the taste was no longer the same and called for M&S to retain both vegetarian and the original versions, which contained gelatine.
But after the store invited 100 Percy Pig lovers to a panel vote, a 60% majority voted to keep the sweet meat-fee.
The store is continuing to innovate Percy, with its many variations including seasonal additions such as “Percy meets the Easter Bunny”, “Merry Percymas” and “Pumpkin Percy” for Halloween.
Why are products axed or recipes changed?
ANALYSIS by chief consumer reporter James Flanders.
Food and drinks makers have been known to tweak their recipes or axe items altogether.
They often say that this is down to the changing tastes of customers.
There are several reasons why this could be done.
For example, government regulation, like the “sugar tax,” forces firms to change their recipes.
Some manufacturers might choose to tweak ingredients to cut costs.
They may opt for a cheaper alternative, especially when costs are rising to keep prices stable.
For example, Tango Cherry disappeared from shelves in 2018.
It has recently returned after six years away but as a sugar-free version.
Fanta removed sweetener from its sugar-free alternative earlier this year.
Suntory tweaked the flavour of its flagship Lucozade Original and Orange energy drinks.
While the amount of sugar in every bottle remains unchanged, the supplier swapped out the sweetener aspartame for sucralose.
Huge soap from EastEnders boss launches in UK for first time ever – and it’s FREE to stream
A BRAND new soap is launching in the UK for the first time ever and it’s completely free to stream.
Gritty Irish crime drama Red Rock will land on a popular streamer, with all episodes available to view.
The hit series originally aired on Virgin Media in Ireland between 2015 and 2020.
Red Rock follows the lives of officers working at a busy Garda (police) station in the fictional seaside down.
The very first episode opens with a local man Darren Kiely found after being badly beaten.
It comes out of the blue for the police, who had thought the Kielys and Hennessys long-running vicious feud had died down.
Red Rock will be available exclusively on STV Player, with former EastEnders boss John Yorke one of the brains behind the series.
During John’s tenure in Walford, the iconic ‘Who Shot Phil’ storyline took place, as well as Kat Slater screaming that she was indeed Zoe’s mother.
Speaking about Red Rock hitting UK screens, Richard Williams, Managing Director of Digital at STV, said: “From the incredible response we’ve had to relaunching Brookside, we know our viewers love a brilliantly written drama with multi-dimensional characters, unpredictable plotlines and just the right combination of grit and warmth, so STV Player is the perfect home for Red Rock in the UK.”
Meanwhile, Shaun Williamson – who played Barry Evans in EastEnders – has penned one of Red Rock’s episodes.
There was a whopping 117 episodes of Red Rock created before its axe in 2020.
Crime and soap fans can already binge Red Rock on STV Player.
Crime dramas on ITVX
Crime drama buffs have a wide selection of choices on ITVX - here is a selection of some of the programmes available to binge.
- Professor T: Based on a Belgian TV series of the same name, former Death in Paradise lead Ben Miller plays the title character. Professor Jasper Tempest is a criminologist with OCD who helps the police solve crimes. The cast also includes Emma Naomi, Barney White and Andy Gathergood.
- The Beast Must Die: This series follows a mother’s grief for her son, who was killed in an accident. Nicholas Blake’s novel of the same name has been adapted for the programme. Stars include Cush Jumbo, Jared Harris, Billy Howle and Geraldine James.
- Red Eye: Starring Richard Armitage, Jing Lusi and Lesley Sharp star in this six-part thriller, which mostly takes place during an all-night flight between London and Beijing. With dead bodies piling up and a mystery to unravel, the heroes must work fast to get to the truth.
- The Twelve: This Australian drama originally aired as a miniseries in 2022, with the episodes dropping in the UK in February 2023. Four months later, the show was renewed for a second season. Jurassic Park star Sam Neill stars in the leading role of barrister Brett Colby.
- Manhunt: Martin Clunes stars in this drama based on true murder investigations. Series one focused on the death of Amélie Delagrange, which took place in 2004, while the second depicted the search for serial rapist Delroy Grant.
Sophie Turner goes Instagram official with new boyfriend days after divorce from Joe Jonas is finalised
GAME Of Thrones actress Sophie Turner has gone Instagram-official with her new man days after her bitter divorce with Joe Jonas was finalised.
Back in October, our exclusive images showed the Hollywood star locking lips with one of the UK’s most eligible bachelors, this being aristocrat Peregrine Pearson, 29, whose family are said to be worth £224million.
Now Sophie, 28, has taken to her social media page to prove she’s all loved-up and on a happier chapter.
In an Instagram grid post captioned simply with a sunshine Emoji icon, she captured her antics in a country house with pals.
One snap saw Peregrine lounging in a comfy chair in a library in what looked to be a stunning country pile.
Another captured him enjoying a cold drink as he posed on a deckchair.
Sophie, who is a mum of two, also showcased happy moments enjoying the Olympics on an outdoor screen, having fun with pals and perched on a beach.
One fan was quick to reply to the positive upload and put: “I think I can speak for all of us when I say I’m so glad you are free to be whoever you want to be and are happy. We are all rooting for you and are inspired by your strength.”
Another noted: “Thriving we love to see it.”
A third then put: “Girl, you deserve this calm/happiness.”
One concluded: “Love how real you are.
“It’s not over posed and edited life it’s your real life and it’s refreshing.”
One surmised: “I’m so happy that you are confident in sharing your loving moments and being your true self, regardless of who is watching! Love who you can while you can.”
It is not clear how the new couple became close.
Yet Peregrine is well-known in the aristocracy.
His father owns a hefty chunk of the Pearson media empire and the 16,500-acre West Sussex estate which is home to Cowdray Park polo club, where Princes William and Harry have played.
Sophie’s Instagram upload came less than a week after a judge declared her marriage with Waffle House singer Joe “irretrievably broken.”
Gina Beovides, a judge in Florida, also signed off a confidential settlement over the splitting of the pair’s assets, spousal support and custody of their two daughters.
Back in 2023, the popstar filed for divorce from the X-Men actress.
At the time the pair, who married in 2019, released a joint statement.
This read: “After four wonderful years of marriage we have mutually decided to amicably end our marriage.
“There are many speculative narratives as to why but truly, this is a united decision and we sincerely hope that everyone can respect our wishes for privacy for us and our children.”
The Disney Channel alum stated in legal documents filed on September 5: “The marriage between the parties is irretrievably broken.”
Previously, sources said that the couple lived in an unhappy home before they split and claimed that Sophie preferred a partying lifestyle.
“Divorce was a last resort for Joe,” an insider told Page Six at the time.
“He never wanted to break up his family, but he had to take what he felt was the best course of action for his girls.”
Man City cult hero leaves club after 15 years to ‘start new chapter’ as Cole Palmer leaves unusual X-rated tribute
MANCHESTER CITY cult hero Brandon Ashton has announced that he will be leaving the club after 15 years.
The much-beloved kitman joined the club when he was just 16, and has grown close with several of their first-team stars over the years.
Having opted to move on, Ashton announced his decision on social media.
He wrote on Instagram: “After 15 years at Manchester City I have decided to leave my role at the club to explore other career paths.
“I have had some great experiences, met some amazing people who I know will be friends for life.
“For me and my family I feel it is the right time to start a new chapter, and see what new challenges I can be set.
“I will always hold Manchester City close to my heart as this club has brought me from a boy to a man.
“The memories I have over my time at City will forever be cherished.
“I want to thank all the players, management and back room staff I have worked with and also the fans I have had the pleasure to converse with over the years.
“I wish the lads nothing but the best this season and in the future.”
BEST FREE BET SIGN UP OFFERS FOR UK BOOKMAKERS
Many City stars past and present commented on Ashton’s post.
Phil Foden wrote: “Will miss you bro.”
While Jack Grealish gushed: “Best guy ever!! You will be missed brother.”
Kyle Walker added: “Going to miss u mate.”
And plenty of former City stars also left comments, including Cole Palmer.
The Chelsea talisman, 22, wrote: “B***ock chops.”
Former City defender Aymeric Laporte also added: “Thank you bro! All the best.”
While Nigel de Jong commented: “Child of the club. Good luck mate.”
Ex-City ace and current Chelsea defender Tosin Adarabioyo added: “The man!”
Prankster Ashton initially rose to fame on City’s All or Nothing series on Amazon Prime Video.
During the documentary, then-club captain Vincent Kompany said of Ashton: “Brandon is kind of the heart and soul of the dressing room really, he has this ability to take pressure off.”
While Kevin De Bruyne similarly added: “Brandon is kind of the heart and soul of the dressing room really, he has this ability to take pressure off.”
Mutilated Bodies Of Cats Found Around Houston Amid Springfield ‘Pet-Eating’ Saga
The police in Houston are investigating the recovery of several mutilated cat bodies in the city streets. Witnesses reported that the cats were found cut in half with their organs intact. This incident has occurred three times in two weeks. Cat Bodies Found Around Houston The instances of chilling animal cruelty have been seen over …
Read More »