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David Baerwald holds up his most precious possession so that it’s visible on our video conference: a very old violin in a very old, battered case.

Baerwald, an award-winning musician, film composer and songwriter who called Los Angeles home for nearly four decades, doesn’t play the violin. During his years with the Tuesday Music Club (immortalized in the Sheryl Crow album “Tuesday Night Music Club”), he played guitar. But the violin belonged to his grandfather Ernst Baerwald — and it plays an important role in his recently published debut novel, “The Fire Agent.”

Not every successful artist turns to a new medium at age 65 or moves to the opposite coast (Baerwald now lives in Kingston, N.Y.). Then again, not every artist has a family history quite like Baerwald’s, one that includes Germany and Japan, two world wars, a 1920s throuple and Beethoven’s Ninth.

The violin in Baerwald’s hands was the one his German-Jewish grandfather played as a Japanese prisoner of war in the Bandō camp at Tokushima during World War I. “It’s a very serviceable violin,” Baerwald notes. “A friend of mine played it for some years in the Long Beach Symphony. When my grandfather was older and wealthy, he bought a better violin, which was lost in a fire. But this is the one that matters.”

It matters because Ernst Baerwald was a founding member of a German POW orchestra that chose Beethoven’s great symphony as their premiere work — a performance so moving that it began a Japanese tradition marking the December holidays that persist to this day. Baerwald’s grandfather not only kept his violin throughout the war in which he fought; when he defected from the Third Reich in 1941, he placed it in an oiled bag and brought it with him via an oceanic escape.

Ernst Baerwald’s odyssey from a cushy childhood in Frankfurt to his final days in a beautiful Berkeley mansion, with a long sojourn in Tokyo along the way, reads like, well, a novel. Sent to an elite boys’ prep school in Germany, then on to a seriously disciplined Milanese dojo where he was trained by a Japanese sensei, Ernst was a prisoner in Japan for four years during World War I.

Those details might have been easy to find, but it wasn’t until David Baerwald went to clear out his parents’ house in Brentwood that he discovered papers showing that his grandfather had not only been the head of the Tokyo office of I.G. Farben, but that he had given a major speech to the nascent Office of Strategic Services (precursor to the Central Intelligence Agency) in 1943 that laid out the plan for the firebombing of Japan.

He also urged them not to allow partnerships between large corporations and the military, the way the German scientific community and government did with I.G. Farben and Krupp Armaments and Steel. “Any business that makes peace with Fascism will become Fascist,” he said. “And once Fascism captures economic control, then a Fascist coup will inevitably follow to seize political power. Germany, Italy, Rumania, Japan, Spain the story is the same. We cannot allow it to become the story of America.”

When Baerwald read that, “I was really alarmed, in the moment,” he says, realizing how closely tied his grandfather had been to the bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. “But it gave me a plan.” He wanted to show how deeply his grandfather had become integrated into Japanese culture.

“One of my characters tells Ernst that he has ‘yuyo,’ which might best be described as grace,” says Baerwald. “Its Japanese meaning is closer to the state of a river rock that has been washed over and tumbled thousands of times, so that it’s both distinct, and a meaningful part of its environment.” To some extent, the author understands “yuyo” personally, having lived in Japan and been educated at its International School until age 12, when his family moved back to California, “although I wouldn’t claim it for myself,” he says.

That move, in the early 1970s, may have led to his career in music. “When we got back to the States, I was extremely troubled. Call me a fish out of water, I guess. I went through a period of voluntary mutism — I think they call it selective communication. I didn’t talk to anyone, especially not to my family. My hearing would sort of come and go at will, too.” His mother understood he seemed to like his sister’s acoustic guitar, so she suggested he take some lessons. “At the time, it wasn’t at all a career path, it was a way of reassembling my brain so that I could cope with the reality I was experiencing, finding a way to communicate again.”

Part of what he was experiencing, which he knows a great deal more about now, was feeling “the secrets that were the engine propelling my family.” After Ernst’s long career of service and deception, David Baerwald’s father, Kurt, entered the U.S. Army during WWII and later became a professor of Japanese studies at both in Japan and at UCLA. The effects on their family of five still reverberate. Baerwald’s mother eventually became a clinical psychologist who specializes in trauma. “I had to separate myself completely from my family in order to survive,” he says.

However, what stalled the writing of this first novel were the two decades he initially left out, which included Ernst, Lina and their lover Chizuko being a ménage à trois in a 1923 Tokyo dealing with the aftermath of an earthquake and wildfires.

Although “The Fire Agent” is based on Ernst’s history, not all of the facts are congruent. The wrestling coach at the American school in Tokyo, Ernst’s glamorous courtesan Chizuko, and many of the characters are composites. Speaking of that courtesan, Baerwald says it’s true that his grandfather and grandmother cohabited with a Japanese woman for many years, even after Lina and Ernst had a child together. “I found so many letters between my grandfather and my grandmother and I think they truly loved each other, and I think they truly loved that woman, too.”

That didn’t make it easy for Baerwald to write about that love. “My German grandmother, on whom Lina is partly based, was terrifying,” he says. “It was easier to write about her sex life with my grandfather and their Japanese lover by creating composite characters.”

He didn’t want to leave out their sex life, though, or that of others.

“Every generation of young people thinks they invented sex, right? But nothing is new — and it never gets old. Here’s an example. One of my godfathers, Sam Jameson, was the L.A. Times bureau chief in Tokyo for decades. He was also the doyenne, if you will, of the cross-dressing community in that city. It was this rich world he was a part of that nobody knew anything about. I based the character I call Bünheimer on him.”

Some of the worlds Baerwald has uncovered through his family’s papers are rich and sensual; others, like the POW camp where Ernst was held and the speech he gave to the OSS analysts at the Presidio in the 1940s, are stark and terrible. While he renders all appropriately, he’s aware that his perspective remains that of a white Western man. How did he gain the courage to write about people of other races, cultures and genders? He says it comes from something he did when he was on a swim team in high school. “The psychological trick I would play on myself at each meet was to imagine the water I’d dive into was freezing cold,” he says. “And of course it wasn’t. Which was such a relief and kept me going.”

Like his grandfather’s beloved violin, Baerwald has taken a deep dive into previously unknown waters — and survived. As he works on his second novel, he’s better prepared for airing family secrets and the publishing world. Ever the musician, he likens his first round with it to a Shepard tone, the auditory illusion that can make listeners feel like two notes one octave apart are constantly ascending or descending in pitch (Baerwald has worked with famed composer Hans Zimmer, who used the tone in, for example, “The Dark Knight”).

“A Shepard tone can make you feel like you’re flying. Or sinking,” he says. “At this point in my life and art, I prefer to have my feet firmly on the ground.”

“The Listeners,” which premieres Friday on Starz, began unusually as a story written by Jordan Tannahill as the basis of Missy Mazzoli‘s 2022 opera, also called “The Listeners” (libretto by Royce Vavrek), which he turned into a 2021 novel, which became a 2024 BBC television series, also written by Tannahill. Starz has cut its original four episodes into five, which means that they end in odd places, but given its controlled, glacial pace, shorter might be better.

Tannahill’s inspiration is an unexplained phenomenon reported in the real world — though exactly how real it is is open to interpretation — generally called “the hum,” where people experience a low but persistent background noise inaudible to others. (It isn’t tinnitus, or any diagnosable medical condition.) One such sufferer is Claire (Rebecca Hall), a high school literature teacher with a husband, Paul (Prasanna Puwanarajah) and a teenage daughter, Ashley (Mia Tharia), with whom she gets along well. We begin on an up note, Claire and Ashley singing along to Richard and Linda Thompson’s “I Want to See the Bright Lights Tonight” as they drive to school (she also has Nick Drake on her phone). And then the 1970s British folk rock gives way to a less pleasant auditory landscape, as the hum appears, bringing on headaches and nosebleeds and affecting her concentration and mood, her work and family.

Any condition can be isolating from those who don’t share it, and Claire gets some relief when she’s approached by a student, Kyle (Ollie West), who also hears it. They go investigating possible sources of the sound — wind turbines, a radio telescope — and wind up eventually at something like a support group for hum-hearers run by Omar (Amr Waked) and Jo (Gayle Rankin). There is some sketchiness in their past, including a changed identity, and they like to keep the group on a tight rein, but the breathing exercises and visualizations seem pretty standard, and more benign than, say Scientology, and the suggestion that one may tame an affliction by embracing it is pretty reasonable. Claire’s mistake here is not to get a signed parental permission slip, as it were, or enlist a chaperone, and her growing closeness with Kyle (not romantic, not sexual we are assured) will cause them trouble, cost Claire her job and mess up her marriage. She makes some insufficiently careful decisions, but those around her tend to overreact. This is very much a story about listening and not listening.

Directed by Janicza Bravo and photographed with great intention by Jody Lee Lipes, it has the studied look and tempo of a 20th-century art film. (It is always great to look at.) I was reminded of Antonioni’s “Red Desert” and Bergman’s “Persona,” psychological studies of women going to pieces, but also, thematically, of Spielberg’s “Close Encounters of the Third Kind,” with its characters driven to what looks like madness by private bulletins from the ether, pushing them away from family and toward others who are getting the same message. No aliens here — not a spoiler — though I might have liked that ending more than this, which in its own way seems to drop from space.

You can look for metaphors and social comment here — there are references to conspiracy theories and industrial noise pollution and such — but it seems to me to operate most effectively as a beautifully rendered mood piece and character study, and, certainly in the case of Hall, whose story this is, a platform for some exquisitely subtle acting.

DAVID Beckham has snapped “That’s a private matter’ as he shut down any questions on his son Brooklyn amid their ongoing family rift.

The soccer legend was being interviewed ahead of receiving a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

The Beckhams have been embroiled in an ugly fallout with Brooklyn, 27, and his wife Nicola Peltz, 31, for months, with things coming to a head in when Brooklyn posted an explosive statement about the row. 

However, David wasn’t happy when asked what toll the media coverage on the fallout had on him.

He replied: “To be honest, I’m sorry to stop you there, but that’s a private matter. That’s the one thing that I don’t want to talk about.”

However, he did open up about the key to his 26-year marriage with Victoria and creating their “four incredible kids.”

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David told Variety: ‘We’ve got four incredible kids. We’ve got businesses that we work hard on.

“But we always make time for each other, and we always have. I want Victoria to be the best version of herself, and vice versa. 

“And as busy as we are, our family always comes first.

“That’s our priority, and that’s what makes it work when you’ve been together for so long. Our priority will always be our family.”

David grafted for his star under the category of Sport Entertainment after becoming the UK’s first billionaire sportsman.

Singer-turned-fashion-designer Victoria Beckham will of course be on hand during the ceremony as she’s poised to share her support for David.

Former Spice Girl Victoria is said to be showing up for her man by speaking at the event alongside their pal Hollywood actor Tom Cruise.

But it is thought Brooklyn is unlikely to attend, despite living just a short distance away in Los Angeles.

The star will be located less than five miles from the Beverly Hills mansion Brooklyn shares with Nicola.

A source previously told The Sun: “Brooklyn snubbing David’s special day will be a very public humiliation as he lives in Hollywood.

“Of course, David is hopeful the family will have mended their relations by then, especially after he has offered an olive branch to Brooklyn.

“The rift has been a great cause of heartache.”

David Hockney, the innovative and prolific British artist who arrived in Los Angeles in 1964, soon celebrating its sun-drenched life and landscapes in colorful, wildly popular paintings, has died.

He was 88.

Calling himself “an English Los Angeleno,” Hockney immortalized the city’s sparkling swimming pools, palm trees and beautiful young men, then went on to experiment with intricate photo collages, portrait suites, painted and filmed images of Yorkshire landscapes, iPad drawings and more.

Since his Pop Art paintings in the early ‘60s at London’s Royal College of Art, Hockney was rarely out of the limelight and, more important, rarely out of fresh ideas for how to draw, paint, film, print, photograph or otherwise express his creativity. The David Hockney Foundation owns more than 8,000 of his works, including about 200 sketchbooks, more than 230 self-portraits, opera designs and portraits of family and friends.

Hockney loved Hollywood — the people and the place — and liked to say he was brought up in England and Hollywood because of the time he spent at the movies. His peroxide blonde hair reportedly was inspired when he was a student and saw Clairol TV ads claiming “blondes have more fun.” But it was his interest in everything from Elvis Presley to the Hubble Space Telescope and his sense of humor that set him apart. Time Magazine art critic Robert Hughes once called him “the Cole Porter of modern art.”

He was open about being gay, even when homosexuality was outlawed in Britain. His early love affair with artist Peter Schlesinger, a younger man he met when teaching a summer drawing class at UCLA in 1966, inspired Hockney’s monumental 1972 painting “Portrait of an Artist (Pool with Two Figures),” a centerpiece of Jack Hazan’s 1974 film “A Bigger Splash.” The painting’s 2018 auction at Christie’s drew a record $90 million for a living artist.

He was a dedicated reader and student of art, paying homage in his work to Picasso and Cubism as well as to Monet, Matisse, Van Gogh and Cezanne. A lover of opera, he often had it playing loudly in the studio and enjoyed taking visitors on curated car trips through the Hollywood Hills or Malibu while listening to Wagner. He designed sets for major companies in Los Angeles, Chicago, New York, London and elsewhere over the years, and some of his set models were later shown in museums.

David Hockney’s work “Gregory in the Pool (Paper Pool 4)” is part of his solo exhibition “David Hockney: Perspective Should Be Reversed” at the Palm Springs Art Museum in Palm Springs. (Courtesy of the Palm Springs Art Museum)

(Courtesy of the Palm Springs Art Museum)

His solo shows drew enormous crowds to the Los Angeles County Museum of Art as early as 1988. In 2017 a major retrospective of his work, keyed to his 80^th birthday, was presented at New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art, Paris’ Centre Pompidou and London’s Tate Modern. Chronicling Hockney’s arrival as an important artist in the “ravishing” Met retrospective, the New Yorker writer Andrea K. Scott called it “a revelation.” It was, she wrote, “a retort to all the eye-rollers,” including herself, who dismissed his work “as, at best, a guilty pleasure.”

In 2012 he received the coveted Order of Merit, which Queen Elizabeth II presented to him at Buckingham Palace.

David Hockney was born the fourth of five children to a working-class family in Bradford, Yorkshire, on July 9, 1937. He has said he started “making marks on paper” at 8 and received private painting lessons before moving on to Bradford School of Art in 1953. The first painting he sold was a portrait of his father in 1955. He attended the Royal College of Art in London from 1959 until his graduation in 1962 and received the school’s Gold Medal.

After college he did not slack off, noted his biographer Christopher Simon Sykes. In his 2014 book, “Hockney: The Biography,” Sykes pointed out that the artist’s first flat had a chest of drawers near the bed on which he had painted, in large capital letters, the words “get up and work immediately.”

David Hockney in 2017.

(Catherine Opie, Courtesy of Regen Projects, Los Angeles and Lehmann Maupin, New York, Hong Kong and Seoul.)

Hockney lived by that command for the rest of his life, turning out canvas after canvas, photo after photo. In the ‘80s came his extraordinary multi-image photographic collages of friends including writer Christopher Isherwood and artist Don Bachardy and such landmarks as the Brooklyn Bridge, Grand Canyon and Pearblossom Highway.

“The Polaroids started oddly enough when I’d just finished a long period of work in the theater, which is of course playing with perspective and illusion,” he once told The Times. “People say, ‘You are a painter, and photography is a sideline.’ But nothing is a sideline for me.”

That included his continuing fascination with technology. The artist’s long career swept in artworks made not only on cameras and canvases, but on such things as fax machines and photocopiers. Hockney liked to experiment, whether it was with state-of-the-art printing devices or centuries old painting techniques. He went several times to a show of portraits by Jean Auguste Dominique Ingres at London’s National Gallery in 1999 and was greatly taken with the photographic’ quality of Ingres’ 19th century drawings. Certain that Ingres had used something optical to achieve that quality, Hockney bought himself a camera lucida, a small device that works like a prism. He then applied Ingres’ methods–as Hockney imagined them–to his own portraits of friends and family, and in 2001, he published “Secret Knowledge,” exploring his theories on early artistic uses of optical devices.

His death was confirmed by the Associated Press and New York Times.

Isenberg is a former Times staff writer

IF YOU are looking for activities to do this summer holiday, look no further as you can get free theatre tickets for kids.

London Theatre‘s Kids Week will return between July 20 and August 31 where kids can go for free – ideal for school summer holiday fun.

Any child aged 17 or under will go free to the theatre when accompanied by an adult who pays for a full price ticket.

Two additional children can then also attend for half price.

Shows include the new Beetlejuice from £40 for an adult and a child or the new Hunger Games production from £36.88 for an adult and child.

If you are more of a Disney family, you can head to The Lion King from £45 for an adult and child or experience Hercules from £50.16 for an adult and child.

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There’s also the popular show Wicked, from £46 for an adult and child.

Cheaper shows include The Tiger Who Came To Tea, costing from £17.46 for an adult and child.

Or there’s The Gruffalo at The Lyric costing from £24.06 for an adult and child.

In total, there are 54 shows participating in Kids Week.

And it isn’t just the stage shows that will be fun to see, there will also be activities before and after some performances.

For example, there’s a dance workshop at the Paddington Bear Experience for three to eight-year-olds on August 18.

For slightly older kids aged between six and eight-year-olds, Hercules is hosting a singing and dancing workshop on July 23.

And nine to 17-year-olds can have a go at game creation at Monopoly Lifesized on August 25.

IF you’re looking to travel on the cheap this summer, we’ve got some of the best lesser-known destinations that offer the same (or better) holidays, with fewer crowds and much less money.

I’m a travel expert, mum of two and influencer with 335,000 followers on Instagram, where I share tips on my page @thetravelmum on how to travel the world without spending a fortune.

It’s totally possible to discover a more authentic experience, friendlier prices, and a slower pace that actually suits families far better in destination dupes.

And you don’t have to forgo the convenience and reassurance of things like budget-friendly flights, easy airport transfers, family-friendly dining options, and good quality healthcare. 

I am on a mission to help families travel more and not spend too much doing it.

So I’ve rounded up some great options from across Europe, some of which are not many miles away from the very well-known resorts…

Instead of Santorini… try Naxos

Santorini is known for its picture postcard views, but it comes with high prices and crowds.

Hop on one of the regular ferries from Santorini (one hour 15 minutes) or Mykonos (35 minutes), and find yourself in Naxos.

Naxos still has all the charm and style of the better-known Cycladic islands – think white-washed hilltop villages, clear blue waters and traditional tavernas, but with lower cost accommodation, food and activities.

The other huge plus for families is that Naxos has stretches of sandy beaches gently sloping into the sea, which you won’t find in Santorini. 

Staying here, I’d recommend checking into the Golden Sun Hotel.

I’ve stayed at this hotel myself, and it’s in a great setting right on the beach.

The rooms have large balconies, which are perfect for sitting out in the evening once the kids are in bed.

Instead of the Algarve…try the Silver Coast

The Algarve region in Southern Portugal, with its popular resorts such as Albufeira and Vilamoura, attracts 5 million tourists annually.

Of course, most of which is concentrated in the peak summer months – sending prices skyrocketing during school holidays.

Instead, take a flight into the capital city of Lisbon or Porto, and within as little as an hour’s drive, base yourself on the Silver Coast – or Costa de Prata in Portuguese.

The region stretches along the country’s Western coastline, offering a varied mix of beautiful beaches, fresh seafood, picturesque fishing villages and medieval towns.

Places like Nazare, Obidos and Peniche offer a more local feel than some of the Algarve’s heavily developed resort areas, and it is a great choice for families wanting a more traditional Portuguese experience, without giving up beach days or reliable sunshine. 

Perhaps check into the Ohai Nazare Outdoor Resort, which has a free waterpark and activities like basketball and volleyball for the kids.

There’s even a food shop service, as well as an on-site supermarket for essentials.

Instead of Split… try Trogir

Croatia has firmly cemented itself as a great destination for families – it’s one of our favourite European countries to visit.

With its rise in popularity, flights are now widely available from many UK airports, but the downside is that tourist hotspots quickly become crowded.

Split, Croatia’s second-largest city, draws crowds wanting to experience its mix of beautiful beaches, historic streets and easy connections to other parts of the country.

But, just a 30-minute drive from Split, you can find Trogir – a UNESCO World Heritage town.

Trogir offers many of the same benefits as Split – beautiful Adriatic scenery, historic streets, waterfront restaurants and easy access to island boat trips, but in a much more manageable setting for families.

While Split can feel crowded, busy and expensive during the summer months, Trogir has a calmer atmosphere that makes travelling with children far less stressful.

Its compact old town is easy to explore on foot, the promenade feels more relaxed, and there’s less traffic and noise.

I’d recommend a stay at Amadria Park Camping Trogir, which has sea views, a huge swimming pool and three on-site restaurants.

This is another one I’ve stayed in, and I’d say don’t discount a lodge holiday, this site has fab facilities and is in a really pretty setting.

It has great transport links too.

Instead of Tenerife… try La Palma

The Canary Islands are a family go-to for year-round sun without the long-haul flight. When other European options can’t guarantee the weather, the Canaries are usually a safe bet.

This means there isn’t really a low season, and while demand is high, so are the prices.

So, admittedly, this one might take a little more effort to get to, but we think it could be worth it.

La Palma – nicknamed ‘La Isla Bonita’, is reachable directly from a few UK airports, and actually, as of 2026, you can now book a package holiday there through Jet2Holidays, or the alternative is a short 30-minute flight or a 2-and-a-half-hour ferry from Tenerife.

While Tenerife has huge resorts known for lively nightlife and giant waterparks, La Palma is quieter, greener and better suited to families looking for a more peaceful escape.

Check into La Palma Princess, which has all-inclusive packages with TUI.

The hotel itself has spacious rooms as well as six swimming pools for kids to splash about in, and there’s a kids’ club for little ones too.

Instead of the Amalfi Coast… try Puglia 

The Amalfi Coast is a bucket list destination for many, synonymous with luxury and romance, not necessarily things that go hand in hand with family travel.

That said, there are plenty of places along the Amalfi Coast that are great for families – but they’ll come at a premium price.

If you’re dreaming of la dolce vita but have children in tow and a more conservative budget, take a look at Puglia – along the southeastern coast. Puglia tends to be better value across the board, from accommodation to restaurants.

The region is easy to reach too, with flights from the UK into Bari or Brindisi, both offering straightforward transfers to coastal towns such as Otranto, Vieste, and Monopoli.

Instead of tight cliffside roads, families get open countryside, historic sites, and some of Italy’s best sandy beaches.

It’s not the same as the Amalfi Coast, but it still delivers on Italian beauty and culture, and you’ll have more space to enjoy it. 

If you’re looking at where to stay, can you really go wrong with Eurocamp?

Centro Turistico San Nicola Eurocamp sits right on the seafront and even has a private beach for guests.

Steps away from the sand is a restaurant, bar and pizzeria – there’s also lots of activities, a big kids’ playground too and evening entertainment.

Instead of the Swiss Alps… try the Julian Alps

For families looking for an Alpine experience – be it for winter sports or an alternative summer break, instead of the high-cost, premier resorts across the Swiss Alps, we’d recommend considering Slovenia’s answer – the Julian Alps.

Still delivering on dramatic mountain scenery, crystal clear lakes and fresh Alpine air, you can take your pick of adventures – hikes, cycle trails, watersports and snow sports – depending on when you visit.

Take a flight from the UK to Ljubljana, Slovenia’s capital; from there, the towns of Bohinj or Bled both make great bases to explore.

Bled is known for Lake Bled, with its striking church and castle sitting on a tiny island. It’s also doable on public transport if you don’t fancy hiring a car. 

Along with mountain views, Apartments Vitranc has family rooms with a separate sleeping and dining area as well as a kitchenette.

One major plus here is that children stay free – and don’t forget to check out the hotel pool.

We’ve got a Slovenia trip on our agenda for this year, and this place looks like it’s well placed to be a great base to explore this beautiful area, and it has a pool for the kids to enjoy too.

Instead of Rome… try Verona

Italy’s capital, Rome, home to some of the world’s most famous sites and ancient ruins, is a tourist hotspot all year round.

The crowded attractions, their sprawling size and long queues, can make it tricky to navigate with younger travellers in tow.

Whereas in Verona you can still experience Roman history, meander across beautiful piazzas, take in the riverside views and enjoy the incredible Italian cuisine, without the intensity of the capital city. 

Another great selling point of Verona is its accessibility, served by its own airport, or easily reachable from Milan or Venice, it opens up more options to snap up cheap flights, and even incorporate a couple of cities into one trip.

If staying in Verona, check Dimora Giardino di Giulietta, a family-run hotel with a pretty patio area and spacious family rooms.

Instead of Paris … try Lille

Fancy some French city culture without the crowds of Paris – then why not give Lille a go?

Not only is it reachable in just one hour and 20 minutes on the Eurostar from London, but its compact layout and fab public transport system make navigating, especially with a pushchair, much more manageable.

Known for its art and food scenes, there are plenty of fun, family-friendly attractions to fill a few days of slower-paced exploring, too.

Such as Cita-Parc, an amusement park with rides, or Lille Zoo, within walking distance from the city centre, which is home to over 400 animals, and entry is a very budget-friendly €6 (£5.19) for adults, €3 (£2.60) for children aged 5-17.

Wear kids out running around the huge Grand-Place square, before enjoying a stroll through the Vieux-Lille (old town) and stopping for a chocolat chaud and pastries.

Another added bonus is that dining and accommodation are much more affordable than in the capital, too. 

This place is basic, yet a practical choice for visiting the city as it’s next to the station – and within walking distance of all the main sights.

Make sure to book a Prestige Room for a family of four.

Jen Carr, the family travel expert and founder of The Travel Mum, shares the best affordable holiday deals for families throughout the week – here.

Jen’s new book ‘Yes You Can Travel With Kids’ is available now on AMAZON.

*Price correct at time of publication.

Travel operator has spoken out on its family rules as Ryanair is facing an investigation over allegations it charges parents to sit alongside their children on flights

Holiday firm and airline TUI has outlined a crucial rule surrounding seat bookings – as the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) opened an investigation into competitor Ryanair. Ryanair is facing scrutiny over its practice of charging parents to sit alongside their children on flights.

The competition watchdog, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), confirmed it will assess whether the approach is “in line with consumer law”. The airline branded the investigation as “bogus” and a “failed effort by the Starmer Government to pretend it cares about consumers”.

Ryanair mandates that parents flying with children aged between two and 11 must pay to reserve what it calls a mandatory family seat. Their children are subsequently assigned seats next to or close to them at no additional cost.

The charge for a mandatory family seat typically stands at around £8 each way, according to the CMA. As the story emerged, one TUI customer turned to X to question how it was possible that his wife was being charged to reserve a particular seat – and that their son might end up seated separately from her.

The person said: “@TUIUK tried to charge my wife 25 pound and said it may be the case that my five year old is sat on his own.”

TUI replied: “If your wife needs any assistance with her booking, please ask her to send us a direct message with the booking details so we can take a look for her.”

The individual then stated: “Don’t need assistance as it is booked, just frustrating she felt pressured to pay that when it isn’t the case that a five year old will be sat on his own.”

The TUI operative then clarified that they cannot guarantee the child will be seated directly beside the parent, explaining: “Please be reassured that children under 12 will always be seated with at least one adult from your booking, this may be directly next to them, across the aisle, or directly in front / behind, depending on the aircraft configuration and availability at check-in. Katy”.

The father responded: “So you would leave a 3 year old sat behind their parent?”.

According to TUI’s terms and conditions: “If you’re flying with TUI Airways and there’s a child under the age of 12 on your booking, we’ll make sure they’re seated with at least one adult in your party. If you’d like to make sure everyone sits together, we recommend reserving seats when you book, or adding them later in Manage My Booking.

“If you don’t use our Select Your Seat service, your seats will be automatically allocated when you check in online.”

Booking a TUI seat costs anywhere from £12 to over £90 per passenger, each way, depending on the destination, flight duration, and seat category. Standard seats are priced between £12 and £45, while upgrades such as Extra Legroom or Premium Seating carry higher charges.

Without paying, seats are assigned automatically at no cost during check-in. Following the previous query, TUI clarified: “Hi there, its lovely to hear from you. As katy explained a child can be seated row directly in front, behind, or across the aisle if under 12 years old and hasn’t purchased select your seats but the team on the flight will be on flight to assist fully. Laura.”

Ryanair is facing an investigation over allegations it charges parents to sit alongside their children on flights.

Children under two are required to sit on their parent’s lap on Ryanair flights. For other passengers, paying to reserve a seat remains optional.

The CMA confirmed it is examining whether Ryanair’s policy means “parents are being charged for the airline to meet its child safety and disability-related obligations as set out under aviation rules”.

Ryanair is “the only major airline flying out of the UK to impose this charge”, the watchdog stated.

Other airlines allow children to be seated next to a parent without requiring a paid adult reservation, or automatically assign seats together during the booking process, the CMA noted.

The probe will also look at whether Ryanair’s compulsory family seat charge is dripped during the booking process — when a company fails to show customers all unavoidable costs upfront.

The CMA stressed it is at the early stages of its investigation and has “reached no conclusions about whether Ryanair has broken the law”. Hayley Fletcher, senior director of consumer protection at the CMA, said: “Lots of families save up to afford a summer holiday and we know that extra charges can quickly bump up the price.

“Our investigation will consider Ryanair’s approach to family seat reservations and how the cost is presented to consumers, to determine whether they comply with consumer law.

“For the past year, we’ve told businesses to ensure their customers are shown the total price upfront – those who don’t face the very real possibility of action from the CMA.”

Rory Boland, editor of consumer magazine Which? Travel, said: “Ryanair doesn’t have to wait for the outcome of the CMA’s investigation. It could stop charging these unreasonable fees today and we would encourage them to do that.”

Ryanair issued a statement saying: “Ryanair’s family seating policy fully complies with all relevant laws and regulations, and saves families money when travelling on the UK’s lowest fare airline.”

The airline insisted it “does not charge any fee for children to sit beside their parent”, and “parents travelling with children pay for only one (adult) reserved seat”.

It went on to say: “This bogus CMA investigation is a failed effort by the Starmer Government to pretend it cares about consumers when it has failed to abolish APD (air passenger duty) which would immediately deliver lower fares for all consumers and growth for the UK aviation, tourism and wider economy.

“Ryanair looks forward to disproving these false CMA claims.”

The CMA is an independent non-ministerial Government department, funded by the Treasury.

Stacey Solomon and her Sort Your Life Out team left an East Sussex family in tears with a heartfelt tribute to their late grandmother

BBC Sort Your Life Out viewers were moved to tears by a heartwarming tribute to a beloved late family member.

Host Stacey Solomon and her dedicated team descended on a family in East Sussex to help transform their bursting-at-the-seams converted bungalow.

The household was headed up by single mum Nadine, who had called the property home since her teenage years, sharing it with her own mother.

Having brought up her four daughters there while also caring for her late mum, three generations of the Jamieson women had amassed mountains of DVDs, clothing and fine China for Stacey to work through.

Buried amongst the clutter, she uncovered 106 animal ornaments, 87 board games and over 1,000 pieces of Nadine’s China, reports Kent Live.

Reflecting on the belongings filling her home and how cluttered it had become, Nadine became emotional as she explained: “I’ve lived in this house since 1988 and it’s pretty much still in the condition it was in 1988.”

Her eldest daughter Merle chipped in: “It was a small crowded house but it wasn’t cluttered back then.”

Former NHS nurse Nadine tearfully continued: “Mum was the second parent. She was our rock and she was just our rock and made it so special for the girls.

“She started to need care in the last four years of her life, and I became full time carer. And that’s when I think it started to change.

“I didn’t have the time or energy to focus on the house because I had to focus on so many people.”

She added: “I need to have a home again and start living again.”

She heartbreakingly went on: “It’s a place I don’t want to be in. There’s no joy to come home to because you know what’s surrounding you.”

After the challenge of letting go of 40 years’ worth of possessions and memories, the family were left touched by a special tribute to Nadine’s mum.

Coming back home after Stacey and her team, including guest star Zoe Sugg, worked their magic, they saw a special memory of Nadine’s mum.

Nadine had earlier explained how her mum’s chair held its place of honour in the living room, with her old combs and hairbands still on it.

Instead of having the objects still there, Stacey, having transformed the living room to a brighter, emptier space, decided to embroider Nadine’s mum’s comb and headband and radio onto a little cushion.

She said: “I know how important Nan’s comb and headband and radio were to you, so instead of having them sat precariously on top of the chair, ready to fall at any minute, I thought, we could put it into the pillow, and then you could always look at her favourite things but keep her actual favourite things safe away.”

“It’s absolutely beautiful,” Nadine’s daughter Merle commented. Breaking down into tears as she saw the cushion, she added: “That is too much.”

“It’s making you emotional,” Stacey replied, as Nadine’s daughter Beth also wiped back tears.

After seeing the response the family had to their new home, Stacey shared: “I think that might have been one of my favourite reactions ever.

“Nadine has, for the last 20-something years, just been looking after everyone around her.

“She’s been raising her kids, looking after her mum, putting all of her energy into everybody else.

“And now finally, she can bring some of that energy back to her, and she just deserves this so much.”

Nadine emotionally added: “Dreams come true.”

Sort Your Life Out is available to watch on BBC iPlayer.

The Ellison family-controlled Harbor Lights Entertainment has sold its Showcase Cinemas theater chain to a major European cinema group in a $30-million deal.

Belgium-based Kinepolis will soon operate 13 cinemas across the United States. Seven are in Massachusetts, four in New York, one in Ohio and one in Rhode Island.

David Ellison, who is now in charge of Paramount Skydance, acquired National Amusements last year from the Redstone family. He renamed the company Harbor Lights. National Amusements was the start of Redstone’s media empire, which at one point included control of CBS, Paramount and Viacom.

Paramount is in the process of acquiring Warner Bros. Discovery in a $111-billion deal. Under the proposal, Ellison has said the two studios will release 30 films per year. But he and his team would also have to make $6 billion in cuts and take on $79 billion in deal debt.

The deal is awaiting regulatory approval, but officials in several state states recently announced plans to try to block the merger. The potential lawsuit would seek to challenge the proposed merger on antitrust grounds, arguing it would decrease competition, lower wages and lead to widespread job losses.

With the sale of the theaters, Kinepolis will add 164 screens to its portfolio. The company was formed in 1997 and currently operates 63 cinemas in Europe and nearly 60 theaters in the U.S. and Canada.

The newly acquired theaters welcomed about 4 million visitors and generated more than $90 million in revenue last year.

“This acquisition allows us to expand our market position in the U.S. from Michigan to the East Coast with an asset and a team that enable us to implement Kinepolis’ operational model and corporate strategy, ultimately enhancing the experience for moviegoers in these markets,” Eddy Duquenne, Kinepolis’s chief executive, said in a statement.

The company said Showcase Cinemas would retain its name. It expects the acquisition to be complete by the end of the summer.

Times staff writer Wendy Lee contributed to this report.

Every morning, Harvard-Westlake tennis player Chase Klugo’s house shakes like it’s in the middle of a small earthquake. His alarm clock, a big and bulky machine that’s Bluetooth-connected to the house’s fire alarm, rattles his room until he finally shuts it off.

Klugo’s moderate-to-severe hearing loss requires hearing aids to navigate life, a daily reminder that he isn’t like his teammates. Instead of forgetting his sneakers or a racket at home, Klugo might mistakenly leave without his hearing aid’s batteries.

He also worries about the California state government more than his SATs, college enrollment or his future in tennis matches, despite Harvard-Westlake winning the 2026 CIF Southern Section Division 1 boys tennis championship.

In Sacramento, Gov. Gavin Newsom is negotiating with the legislature to pass the 2026-27 budget by a June 15 deadline. Klugo wants to add language to the budget to include hearing aid coverage — an idea that, despite bipartisan support, has stalled on Newsom’s desk multiple times.

“It’s been instilled in me since I was young that it’s important for not only yourself to thrive, but your community to thrive,” Klugo said, sitting in his family’s house in the San Fernando Valley. “I find it insane how someone can be denied one of their five senses, and not only one of their five senses, but one of the most important senses that you could possibly have.”

Off the court, Klugo is quieter, more reserved. His coach at Harvard-Westlake, Robert “Bo” Hardt, described him as a 45-year-old man trapped in a 17-year-old’s body. Hardt reminds Klugo to go to parties and enjoy his high school experience, but it’s the furthest thing from Klugo’s mind.

Instead, he does community outreach for the about 20,000 deaf or hard-of-hearing children in the state whose hearing aids are not covered by their insurance. He works with Michelle Marciniak, the founder of Let California Kids Hear, to share his story.

California’s current $30 million plan, the Hearing Aid Coverage for Children program, had just 314 active participants as of April. The $6,000 out-of-pocket cost every three years of hearing aids can force some parents into debt or to delay or skip treatment, Marciniak said.

An insurance mandate would decrease the taxpayer money spent on the HACCP, reducing the number of children who need the program’s assistance. Instead, more private insurance companies would cover costs associated with hearing aids for children and young adults under 21-years-old, she said.

Harvard-Westlake tennis coach Robert “Bo” Hardt described Chase Klugo as a 45-year-old man trapped in a 17-year-old’s body.

(Courtesy of Harvard-Westlake)

Newsom has cited concerns about the precedent of adding requirements to California’s affordable care act insurance and raising prices for those who don’t need the hearing aid coverage, favoring expanding the state-funded program instead, according to Cal Matters.

Let California Kids Hear and Klugo have been steadfast in their response that insurance costs would be minimal and the state program falls far short of fulfilling needs throughout the state. Thirty-five other states require coverage of children’s hearing aids — through a state mandate for all insurers, their affordable care act insurance or both.

Klugo is persistent for a reason. Those most affected by any legislation can’t knock on state representatives’ doors or write letters to Newsom, he said. Deaf and hard-of-hearing children are more likely to achieve a high quality of life personally and professionally when hearing concerns are identified and intervened with before they’re 6 months old, according to the World Health Organization.

Children who don’t receive treatment for hearing loss are more likely to be at risk for developmental issues in speech perception, language, cognitive and social skills, according to the World Health Organization’s 2021 world report on hearing.

“These babies, they can’t tell their stories about what’s actually happening. I’m sure the parents are obviously furious and they can advocate, but they don’t have that experience of what it’s like to actually firsthand experience it,” Klugo said. “So I think it’s my job to do that.”

Marciniak has worked with hard-of-hearing teenagers like Klugo to spread awareness for nearly a decade.

“It’s a really heavy weight,” Marciniak said. “Every single person, every single year has supported this. It’s not a red, it’s not a blue issue. This is about a child’s ability to hear, and it shouldn’t be dependent on their zip code or their family’s income.”

“It haunts me.”

Tennis has been Klugo’s outlet to release the weight he feels on his shoulders sometimes, he said. An overflowing duffle bag of tennis balls sat by the front door, the only chaos in a tidy house. Klugo’s parents — Karen, a former tennis player in high school, and his father, a Penn State swimmer — each carried the genes that could lead to hearing loss. Neither, though, was affected.

Karen first found out about hearing loss when Klugo’s older sister failed a routine newborn auditory test. Klugo did, too. The family adapted to its new normal, and Klugo and his sister enrolled in athletic programs.

Still, Klugo’s hearing loss couldn’t be brushed away. In fourth grade, he was reading a book and had turned off his hearing aids. He only realized something was wrong when he looked at his teacher, whose face was drained. He looked around. All his classmates had pushed in their chairs, and he was the only one left in the classroom in the middle of a fire drill.

Not every situation is life-threatening, but most that Klugo encountered in school required self-advocacy. Sure, teachers needed to talk louder, especially when they turned around and Klugo couldn’t read their lips. But he also needed his friends to be more patient. Sometimes it took one or two times to understand what they were saying.

When the family moved from Ohio after his freshman year, Klugo’s self-reliance helped elevate the tennis team. In return, Klugo joined a built-in support system.

“He’s intense, but he’s good, and they respect the way he works, and that rubbed off on a lot of the team, too. It’s like a pro in his practice habits and his work,” Hardt said. Take his doubles teammate Aaron Chung, for instance. Chung speaks in a low, hushed tone, but to accommodate Klugo, he becomes a bit louder — though not too loud to give away their attack plans to their opponents.

“I told him that you got to speak up, because I’m not gonna be able to hear if it’s super loud and you’re very quiet,” Klugo said. “He’s typically a pretty quiet person too on the court, which has been cool to see him transform a little bit. He’s been doing a great job helping me out.”

After Chung and Klugo huddle, they line up on the court like two halves of the same body, moving in tandem as the balls ricochet off rackets. It’s a flow of squeaking of tennis shoes and the pitter-patter of the ball hitting the concrete court until either Klugo or Chung scores. The same teenager who drafts op-eds to send to places like the Times plots his next battle attack.

When either of the two scores, Klugo releases a full-chested yell in celebration, and they slapped hands, a rhythm that repeats until the sets are over, until the game is over. From a distance, his mom watches in the shade on the benches. His dad paces in the background.

Every so often, the sun catches on the small, clear wires of Klugo’s hearing aids. Otherwise, they’re shielded from the sun under his white baseball cap and his curly hair.

Klugo’s teammates help out with more than winning sets. Klugo’s Bluetooth alarm clock isn’t portable, and the hotel alarms ring too softly for him to hear. He can’t sleep in his hearing aids. The device will completely block the ear canal and cause a low buzzing noise that makes drifting off hard. So, when Harvard-Westlake travels, one of his teammates wakes him.

Klugo wears his hearing aids while competing, but even then he might miss something. Karen has watched her son accidentally miss his opponents saying something as he turns to get a stray ball.

Nonetheless, Klugo’s leadership as a junior on the team makes him a leading team captain candidate next season, Hardt said.

On the court, the well-spoken, thoughtful Klugo sheds any semblance of the person who takes time to answer questions and lists off numbers about hearing loss.

But, tennis doesn’t change who Klugo is, Karen said. The sport only amplified his personality.

“It’s helped me be a better person off the court,” Klugo said. “On the tennis court, too. It’s a game of who’s going to be better on that day, and I feel like the person who wants the most and is advocating the most for themselves is going to end up winning.”

Emmerdale’s Dr Todd, played by Caroline Harker, has been causing chaos in the village but the actress comes from a famous acting family

Dr Todd has caused nothing but chaos since her arrival on Emmerdale.

After bullying young trainee doctor Jacob Sugden (Joe-Warren Plant) at the hospital, Dr Todd, played by Caroline Harker, turned her attentions to Charity Dingle (Emma Atkins).

On Sunday night, Dr Todd sexually assaulted Charity after weeks of blackmailing her over the true parentage of baby Leyla.

Charity served as a surrogate for granddaughter Sarah Sugden and Sarah’s husband Jacob, giving birth to baby Leyla. However, Charity has failed to tell the new parents that she and Ross Barton are actually Leyla’s biological parents following a short fling together.

After Dr Todd discovered this secret, she demanded £100,000 from Charity, and things took a horrifying turn when Dr Todd sexually assaulted Charity on Sunday’s episode.

With Dr Todd currently dominating storylines on the ITV soap viewers may be interested to learn that actress Caroline, 60, hails from quite a distinguished acting family.

Who is Dr Todd star Caroline Harker’s family?

Away from the soap, it transpires that Dr Todd actress Caroline comes from quite a celebrated family. Her mother, Polly Adams, is an accomplished actress who has worked extensively across both the UK and the US.

She is perhaps best known for playing Mrs Brown in the 1990s television series Just William, with further TV credits including Kingdom and The Cinder Path.

In 1975, Polly made her Broadway debut in the award-nominated role of Grace Harkaway in a revival of London Assurance. However, Polly isn’t the only celebrated family member Caroline has.

Her sister is Susannah Harker, who has featured in hit BBC 1995 series Pride and Prejudice as Jane Bennet, alongside Jennifer Ehle, who played Elizabeth Bennet, and Colin Firth, who played Mr Darcy.

Other roles include Midsomer Murders and Grantchester. She also received a BAFTA TV Award nomination in 1990 for her portrayal of Mattie Storin in House of Cards.

Who is Dr Todd star Caroline Harker’s husband?

Caroline is wed to actor Anthony Calf, and together the couple have three daughters: Louise Emma Calf, Cecilia Ann L Calf, and Anemone Georgiana Calf.

The 66-year-old boasts an extensive acting career and is best known for his roles in The Madness of King George, Beau Geste, and I Came By, alongside his appearances in Lewis.

Between 2023 and 2025, Anthony portrayed Lord Brightlingsea in the costume drama The Buccaneers, and has also featured in the film A Teacher’s Gift (2025) and the series Insomnia (2024).

From 2005, Anthony spent a decade playing DAC Robert Strickland in New Tricks, having previously taken on the role of Michael Beauchamp in Holby City (2005 – 2006).

In 2019, Anthony stepped into the role of William Wickham in the hugely popular series Poldark, and also appeared in Doctor Who as Godsacre (2017) as well as Death in Paradise in 2021 as Phillip Carlton. His former brother-in-law is Game of Thrones star Iain Glen.

What else has Dr Todd star Caroline Harker been in?

Away from her work in the Dales, Caroline has cropped up in a host of productions, including Harry Enfield and Chums, Holding On, The Man Who Lost His Head with Martin Clunes, Auf Wiedersehen, Pet, Midsomer Murders, and Doctors.

In 2012, Caroline took on the role of Alicia Davenport for a brief stint in Coronation Street. She is also widely recognised for her portrayal of PC Hazel Wallace in A Touch of Frost, starring opposite Sir David Jason.

Her most recent roles include Julia in the Apple TV series Hijack, Bethany Hastings in The Stolen Girl, and Mrs. Taylor-Brown. Back in 2011, she made a one-off appearance in New Tricks, sharing the screen with her husband, portraying the character Tabitha Hall-Chalmers.

Emmerdale airs Monday to Friday at 8:00pm on ITV1 and ITVX

IPSWICH isn’t the first destination that most of us think of when looking for a UK staycation or weekend break.

But it has recently been revealed to be one of the country’s most underrated towns, and it has an award-winning attraction owned by TV presenter Jimmy Doherty.

Jimmy’s Farm and Wildlife Park started out as nothing but an abandoned barn and a big dream.

Now, it’s a multi-award-winning attraction and sees Brits travel all over the country to Ipswich to visit.

Jimmy’s Farm and Wildlife Park was recently crowned ‘England’s Best Large Visitor Attraction’ by VisitEngland.

Not only that, but this year it won Visitor Attraction of the Year at the 2026 Suffolk and Norfolk Tourism Awards and a Tripadvisor Travellers’ Choice Award.

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On Tripadvisor it has over 1,800 ‘excellent’ reviews.

Reviewers have described it as an ‘amazing day out’ with others calling it ‘magical’ for the whole family.

Jimmy first eyed up the space in Suffolk for the attraction back in 2002 when it was nothing but an empty barn.

Talking to Sun Travel, Jimmy said: “It was humble beginnings really, it’s been an incredible journey and it’s all about having a really great team with you.

“We’ve moved from being a rare-breed, free-range farm to being a farm park to now a fully-blown wildlife park with all sorts of animals.

“I would love to say this was a well-thought out plan, but it wasn’t at all.”

On the farm are more than 100 species and breeds, from classic farm animals all the way to lions and arctic wolves.

Talking about his favourite ones to see, Jimmy confessed: “I love our ring-tailed lemurs, most of those are rescues.

“They sometimes come and jump on you, and they’ve got youngsters at the moment.”

For those who want to visit the farm, it’s very easy to get there from London.

Just hop on the train from Stratford or London Liverpool Street to get into Ipswich in just over an hour.

The town of Ipswich itself was revealed one of the most ‘underrated’ in the UK by The Telegraph earlier this year.

Found in the south of the country of Suffolk, it was praised for its ‘traffic-free shopping streets lined with ancient buildings’ as well as its open parklands.

The waterfront is a popular spot for ‘trendy cafes, bars, restaurants and galleries’.

Talking about the town, Jimmy said: “Ipswich is a fantastic place, it’s interesting and vibrant, and there’s lots to do down on the waterfront.

“If you’re into football, Ipswich Town has just gone up into the premiership again.

“We’re less than hour from Stratford, and Ed Sheeran is a local – what’s not to love?”

Singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran is regularly popping up in Ipswich and last week played a surprise gig near the town’s university.

Being a Suffolk resident Jimmy has lots of recommendations when it comes to other local spots to check out, alongside wider Suffolk which he calls the ‘gem of England’.

Jimmy said: “As a family, we love going to Easton Farm Park in Suffolk, it was one of the very first farm parks to open.

“Then, in Waldringfield, go to the Maybush Inn. It’s great on a sunny day and if you’ve got a paddleboard you can have a paddle in the water there.

“I love Sutton Hoo which is run by the National Trust, the history of it is incredible.

“Other spots are Bury St Edmunds which is brilliant for shopping and markets. Then there’s Woodbridge, which is fantastic for antique shops, and Snape is a great spot too.”

Jimmy is pals with celebrity chef Jamie Oliver having first met when they were kids growing up in Essex.

The pair are still in touch and regularly catch-up at their old stomping ground.

Jimmy said: “When we catch-up, it tends to be over a good dinner or lunch with a bottle of red wine.

“But when we were growing up we went to The Eight Bells in Saffron Walden which is still the same today.

“Growing up there, we used to call it Saffron ‘boredom’, but now it’s a mecca – it’s brilliant.”

If you fancy a trip to Jimmy’s Farm and Wildlife Park this summer – it’s open seven days a week.

You can book tickets from £25 for adults and £20 for children – or buy them at the gate.

Jimmy has teased some new arrivals for the summer season too.

He told us: “We’ve got loads going on over the next few months, including some very exciting animals that I can’t tell you about now – but they are arriving at the end of this summer.

“We’ve also just rehomed two Asiatic lions called Rani and Kamal, and a beautiful called Kalinka tiger who are all retiring with us.”

Potential new arrivals could be five Moon Bears which Jimmy is currently trying to save from South Korea.

Jimmy told us: “We’re trying to bring back and give them the life they deserve.”

If successful, the bears could find themselves living out final years and being rehabilitated at the park.

If you want to find out more about the ‘Bears Behind Bars Mission’, click here.

OSCAR-nominated actor Terence Stamp left ­£1million in his will, ­documents show.

The star, who died last August aged 87, played villain General Zod in the original Superman movie and its sequel Superman II.

High Court records seen by The Sun show Stamp — who was divorced and had no children — left £1,015,564 to his wider family.

Stamp was born in London’s East End in 1938 and worked in advertising before ­winning a drama school scholarship in the 1950s.

His movie debut, Billy Budd in 1962, won him an Oscar nomination.

He dated actress Julie Christie and became a Sixties cultural figure.

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In 1994, he shocked fans by playing trans woman Bernadette in The Adventures Of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert.

The role won him a Golden Globe nomination.

Stamp went on to appear in a string of other films, including Valkyrie with Tom Cruise and Yes Man with Jim Carrey.

He continued to act well into his 80s with parts in various films and in TV’s adaptation of His Dark Materials.

But despite appearing in dozens of productions, he said he was annoyed he had not done more. He revealed: “My only regrets are the films that I passed on because I was fearful.”

Stamp died on August 17 last year, with tributes flooding in from acting royalty.

A month away from its closure, onetime gambling oasis Primm, Nev., located along the state border with Southern California, has a new lease on life.

The Primm family, owners of the land that includes three casino resorts and other businesses along the 15 Freeway, announced Tuesday a partnership intended to save the struggling state-line strip and hundreds of jobs.

The deal allows Las Vegas-based Terrible’s, owned by the Herbst family and perhaps most famous for a string of gas stations and convenience stores, to operate the properties.

“What we saw with them is the same energy that we had in rebuilding Primm,” said Cory Clemetson, describing the new deal with Terrible’s in an interview with The Times. Clemetson is president of Primm South Real Estate Co. and a grandson of Primm founder Ernie Primm, who made a name for himself in Southern California in the 1930s and ’40s with his Gardena card rooms.

In the summer of 2025, signage blocks an entrance at Primm Mall, a once-popular site along with the trio of casinos at the California-Nevada state line.

(Bridget Bennett / For The Times)

“Primm has long been one of Nevada’s most recognizable destinations,” said Tim Herbst, president of Terrible’s, in a statement. “This partnership reflects our commitment to preserving that legacy while creating new opportunities for growth, investment, and tourism for decades to come.”

Terrible’s takes over for Affinity Gaming, owned by private equity company Z Capital Partners, in the full-circle world of southern Nevada gaming. In 2010, Herbst Gaming declared bankruptcy and saw Primm taken over by Z Capital Partners.

An email to representatives for Affinity Gaming was not immediately returned.

The process for the return of Terrible’s to Primm kick-started May 5, when Affinity confirmed the closure of Primm Valley Casino Resorts.

Affinity’s subsidiary, Primadonna Co. LLC, sent termination notices to more than 300 employees effective July 4.

The closure was devastating, Clemetson said.

“It felt like a gut punch,” he said. “I mean, you’ve got to be kidding me that they would announce something like that for the Fourth of July. Laying off in excess of 300 Nevadans who are mostly paycheck to paycheck with nowhere to go didn’t sit well with my family.”

Primm Valley was the last of three resorts built between 1977 and 1994 at the site that remained in full operation.

Buffalo Bill’s, the largest of the three resorts, closed 24-7 operations in July 2025, after Whiskey Pete’s, the original casino, shuttered in December 2024.

Affinity Gaming declined multiple requests from The Times to speak about Primm’s struggles.

In a letter presented at a Clark County Board of Commissioners meeting, Erin Barnett, Affinity’s vice president and general counsel, wrote in October 2024 that “traffic at the state line has proved to be heavily weighted towards weekend activity and is insufficient to support three full-time casino properties.”

Scott Butera, Affinity’s chief executive and president, offered a few comments about the closure at the May 21 Nevada Gaming Commission meeting.

“As a tenant with a difficult lease and an expensive property and increased competition every day in California … it just became a very difficult thing,” he said, “and we’ve been losing money for years there.”

Clemetson said that Affinity asked for help over the years, such as potential rent reductions, but that the Primm family was unaware of Affinity’s finances.

As for the future, Clemetson said Terrible’s was in the process of reacquiring a gaming license for Primm, which he hoped would happen in the next three weeks.

He also said it was the goal of the Herbst and Primm families to try to keep all workers who received a termination notice employed.

Clemetson said he was excited about Primm’s future under Terrible’s and chalked up its bankruptcy in 2010 to the Great Recession.

“They suffered a similar fate of many big brands like MGM and Caesar’s,” Clemetson said.

“They’re very well thought of in Nevada and they’re a very successful family who’s done well,” he added.

Speaking of Primm’s chances of regaining its former glory, Clemetson reached back into his own past as a young sports agent for players on the L.A. Galaxy soccer team.

“I can’t tell you how many people told me I was dumb to get involved representing soccer players because soccer would never make it here,” he said. “Now, Major League Soccer has a few franchises over a billion dollars.”

As for Tim Herbst and his family, “we believe Primm’s best days are still ahead.”

SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic — A pilot and co-pilot from the United States have died in a fiery plane crash as they attempted an emergency landing in the Dominican Republic, authorities said.

The incident occurred Sunday near the southern coastal town of La Romana, according to a statement by the Dominican Institute of Civil Aviation, which identified the pilot and co-pilot as U.S. citizens. It wasn’t immediately known what caused the crash. No passengers were aboard.

Major League Baseball All-Star former catcher Yadier Molina said on social media that the plane was bound for Texas to pick him up, along with family and friends.

“My condolences to the pilots and their family!” he wrote. Molina and his group were headed to Puerto Rico.

Officials said the plane had departed from Puerto Rico and landed in the Dominican Republic to refuel before heading to Texas.

The pilot and co-pilot reported an emergency shortly after taking off from the Dominican Republic, authorities said.

Nigerian troops say they have rescued 360 people abducted during a deadly terrorist attack on Ngoshe, a resettled community in Gwoza Local Government Area of Borno State, northeastern Nigeria, more than three months after terrorists overran the town, killing residents and forcing thousands to flee.

Solomon Ali Talake, a primary school teacher and survivor of the March 3 attack, said community members had received information about the rescue.

“I was told they have been rescued,” Solomon told HumAngle on Sunday. “Families have been informed, but they have not allowed us to see them yet. They said they are assessing them and will release them to their families afterwards.”

The March 3 attack on Ngoshe was one of the deadliest assaults on a resettled community in southern Borno in recent months. Residents said the attackers first struck a military formation in the town before moving into the community. Homes were set ablaze, civilians were killed, and hundreds of residents were reportedly abducted.

Solomon survived by hiding in a tree throughout the night while the attack unfolded beneath him. From his hiding place, he watched as gunmen moved through the community, burning houses and pursuing fleeing residents.

The attack displaced thousands of people, many of whom fled to Pulka, a neighbouring community about 12 kilometres away. Others sought refuge in Maiduguri, Cameroon, and other locations. The exact number of people killed or abducted remains disputed. While some media reports estimated that about 100 people were killed and more than 300 abducted, residents told HumAngle that the scale of the attack made precise figures difficult to establish. Victims were later buried in a mass grave, according to survivors.

Among those abducted were two of Solomon’s nephews, aged 14 and 11. On Sunday, he said he had not yet been able to confirm whether they were among those rescued.

Asabe Ali Talake, Solomon’s sister and the children’s mother, also said she had received reports of the rescue but remained uncertain about the fate of her children.

Asabe said she was still waiting for confirmation from authorities. Relatives of the freed victims say communication with them remains restricted while security agencies conduct assessments.

Military authorities typically screen and profile people freed from insurgent-controlled territories before reuniting them with their families. The process is intended to establish identities, assess physical and psychological conditions, and determine whether further investigation or rehabilitation may be required.

This comes amid a broader wave of insecurity affecting communities across Borno State. In recent months, terrorists have launched repeated attacks on military formations, reconstruction projects, and resettled communities, raising concerns about the sustainability of government resettlement efforts in conflict-affected areas.

Part of a broader rescue effort

A politician from Gwoza, who spoke to HumAngle on the condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to discuss the matter publicly and who was involved in advocacy efforts for the victims’ release, claimed a ransom was demanded for the release of the victims. HumAngle could not independently verify the claim, and the military has not publicly indicated that any negotiations took place. 

This development is the latest in a series of operations by troops of Operation Hadin Kai targeting terrorist enclaves in the Mandara Mountains and surrounding areas.

Three days earlier, troops rescued a woman and her infant child after killing several terrorists. On May 1, troops rescued six abductees during an operation around the Mandara Mountains. Six more victims were rescued on May 14. In April, 12 victims, including men, women, and children, escaped during a military operation targeting a terrorist camp.

The latest operation, however, represents the largest reported release linked to the March 3 attack on Ngoshe, offering renewed hope to families who have spent months waiting for news of their relatives.

While military authorities described the operation as a rescue, questions remain about how the victims regained their freedom.

‘Exploring Finland with our baby was a delight’

Finland has been named the world’s happiest country for nine years running, but arriving in Helsinki, dishevelled from one of my first flights with my nine-month-old baby, I was less interested in national rankings and more in having a nice nap. My husband, Jake, and I had emerged from the fog of newborn life and the idea of a holiday felt possible again. My ambitions were small: a sunset beer, a walk in the woods, reading a few pages of my book uninterrupted.

But Finland, with its famously family-friendly culture, made exploring with my tiny new travel companion a delight. Finnish parents are supported with generous, gender-equal parental leave, affordable childcare, and free healthcare and education. No one bats an eyelid at a pram parked beside a restaurant table or a baby snoozing outdoors in the cool air, and the terrifyingly efficient public transport system is a dream with children.

In Helsinki, we found ourselves in the cool neighbourhood of Kallio, where locals spilled out on to terraces in the late evening sunshine. We stayed at Hobo Hotel, which, despite attracting a hip crowd, was kitted out with travel cots and highchairs. At a bar aptly named Holiday, my daughter, Sylvie, sat happily chewing a spoon while we drank paloma cocktails in the long golden evening light of July, when the sun barely seems to set at all.

Part of Finland’s appeal for me lies in jokaisenoikeudet, or “Everyman’s Right” – the law that gives everyone freedom to roam the country’s forests and lakes. On the southern coast, we hiked through pine forest and over moss-clad rocks towards Lake Kukuljärvi, with Sylvie snoozing, strapped to my front. At a traditional laavu – a simple wooden shelter with a communal fire pit – Jake and I cooked sausages and boiled coffee over open flames. Sylvie eventually deigned to wake from her nap and gnawed on flakes of pink salmon like a tiny woodland creature. Then I handed her to Jake and jumped from the rickety jetty into the lake for a swim.

In summer, Finns are all about escaping to remote cabins. At Santalahti in Kotka, simple self-catering wooden cottages were just steps from the sea, but my favourite tiny houses were Majamaja, four minute off-grid cabins perched on rocks on the Baltic Sea. A stay here felt truly wild, yet we were a 10-minute drive from Helsinki if we ran out of nappies.

On our last day, we boarded a little ferry which chugged the 15 minutes from Helsinki to Lonna island, a tiny military outpost turned summer escape. Now uninhabited and carpeted in wildflowers, it has a wood-fired sauna overlooking the sea. Inside, women of all ages sat side by side as steam curled from the stove. Finnish children grow up going to saunas from infancy, and two locals showed me how to plonk Sylvie into a bucket of cool water, where she spent the entire time grinning with her four newly minted teeth at the sauna-goers smiling back at her. “She’s Finnish now!” one woman laughed.
Sian Lewis

‘I struck gold with the Vespa tour’: Naples with my teenage son

On a wing and a prayer, I took my 13-year-old son, Ned, to Naples. Just the two of us. He was old enough to carry his bags, young enough to bunk in the same bed and keep the cost down. I’d booked a small apartment in the centro storico with decent wifi in case single parenting got the better of me and we simply needed to play Fifa.

My worry didn’t last long. I struck gold by booking a Vespa tour with Michele and Luigi at NeaTour, who took our brief – “Show us where you wouldn’t normally go” – as a personal challenge. We wove through the city under balconies dripping with washing, past giant graffiti and smelly fish stalls, and shared fruit with elderly women sitting outside on old chairs. We stopped at Bar Nilo to pay homage to Maradona and check out a lock of his hair, then scootered on to a towering mural of the icon himself.

Michele handed Ned a cornicello, a small red charm to ward off bad luck. Legend has it they only work when given as gifts, and we bought into it immediately, wandering off into the Quartieri Spagnoli (Spanish quarter) despite all the warnings of theft and danger. Doors were open everywhere. It was tempting to peep in. One family were inside finishing lunch. Without ceremony, they invited us in. Wine appeared. A Pepsi for Ned. Three generations shifting to make space for strangers who weren’t strangers any more.

Naples worked like that. You needed to give in quickly. We took the smallest alleyways, watched football with the locals, stayed out until the early hours. Not because of the place itself, but because of the interruptions: conversations, offers, eye contact that turned into something wonderful.

Of course, it wasn’t all a success story, despite the cornicello. It was a terrible idea to climb Vesuvius in the midday heat. Blisters, lack of water, wishing we wore hats. Then, on the same day, Pompeii. Crowds, dust, exhaustion and the surreal shock of carved penises everywhere.

Capri proved the antithesis. Beautiful and polished. Botox clashing with bougainvillea. We neither wanted nor could afford the restaurants or designer shops, but lovely assistants indulged us as we tried on sunglasses and handbags costing more than my monthly salary.

Sixteen years earlier, I’d photographed boats arranged like petals outside the Blue Grotto, and wanted to see if we could make it happen again. What I never expected was the same boatmen agreeing to recreate it, carefully positioning themselves into a floating flower.

Trusting local knowledge, we left everything on the old iron stairs leading into the water and swam through the tiny cave entrance. The azure blue was so dense, like liquid moonlight lit from within. After diving and GoPro posing, we swam to the back and sat watching the regulars in their cave cathedral.

As we climbed back up the cliff, salt-dried and tired, Ned turned to me and said, “That’s the best thing I’ve ever done.”

“Me too,” I replied.
Jill Mead

‘One for the family album’: glamping with granny in Norfolk

Sitting on the veranda with a glass of rosé, my mum and I watched rabbits hop through ferns while birds of prey soared overhead. We decided the view from our “safari” tent was pleasingly wholesome – the only howls were coming from the teenagers inside …

Last summer, I took my twin daughters, my mum and my dog, Miss Babs, on holiday to north Norfolk. Aged 19, the girls are fully embroiled in their own lives – Lola has the travelling bug, Nancy’s away at university – so it was a rare opportunity for us all to get together.

We stayed on the edge of the Sandringham estate, the royal family’s Norfolk retreat, where Experience Freedom, the glamping arm of the Caravan and Motorhome Club, has smart safari tents for us commoners to enjoy (from £69 a night).

While a week in Norfolk is not quite “Ibiza with the girls”, the twins adore their granny and jumped at the chance to come along. A child of the 70s, I grew up holidaying with multiple generations. Every year, my very extended family would head en masse for a week at St Margaret’s Bay holiday camp near Dover. We went the full hokey cokey, joining glamorous granny contests, donkey derbies and a highly competitive fancy dress competition. I adored those holidays with my beloved grandparents, aunts, uncles and numerous cousins, plus aunty Joan and uncle Dick, my nana’s neighbours, who always came, too.

This trip didn’t involve such a large crew, but we had a lovely time in Norfolk. I enjoyed early morning dog walks through the Sandringham estate while the twins slept in. My mum cooked us a full English breakfast every morning, drawing the girls out of their beds with the smell of sizzling bacon. Afternoons were spent on the beach at Old Hunstanton or bobbing around the twee villages that dot the north Norfolk coast. We’d head back to camp in the late afternoon for a glass of rosé on the veranda, when the girls would entertain their grandmother with some inappropriate TikTok reels. One night after dinner, Nancy and Lola challenged us to a game of Cards Against Humanity, only to be utterly horrified when their grandmother won.

Sating the different wants and needs of teenagers and a septuagenarian was not always easy. Tensions did rise, particularly when the sisters snipped at each other or bickered over doing the washing up. More than once, I had to throw the girls a stern look when they dropped the F-bomb in front of their grandmother. And as the unelected leader of the pack, by day three I had decision-making fatigue over what to do, where to go and what to eat.

On our last afternoon, we popped to the main house to see our royal neighbours. Sandringham House is not dog-friendly (unless you’re a corgi or an assistance dog), so Lola stayed back with Miss Babs. Wandering through the hallways of the royal family home, I watched Nancy and her nana, arm in arm and nattering happily, and thought: “This holiday is definitely one for the family album.”
Tracey Davies

‘We would have happily carried on going to who knows where’: Interrailing to Turkey with our boys

I was due a sabbatical, my wife, Vicky, is a teacher and so gets long school holidays, and our boys Tom and Jack were nine and 11, which created an opportunity for an adventure beyond the usual Cornwall. So, in the summer of 2023, we took the train – to Asia.

I never did the Interrail thing in my youth, so why not in middle age? And kids up to 11 go free. (You still have to pay for reservations, and sleepers; it’s really not a cheap holiday). We got passes that give you 10 days travel within two months, and on an August morning we set off with backpacks to the tube, the boys mortified at the prospect of being spotted by their school friends.

Our route in brief: Eurostar from St Pancras; a couple of nights in Paris; Stuttgart; the first sleeper to Budapest (paprika chicken and a thermal bath); another overnight to Brasov, where we got off the train and spent a week travelling round Romania (Carpathian hiking, Ceaușescu opulence-ogling, birding in the Danube delta). Then on through Bulgaria to Istanbul, Ankara, İzmir, Selçuk. Ancient ruins (boo!), waterparks (yay!), the best breakfasts and bazaars, then cooling off in the Aegean. Back via Vienna and Amsterdam.

The trains were more than just a way of getting from A(ustria) to B(ulgaria), they were a big part of the whole thing. They started off lightning-quick, smooth, pointed at the front, with western Europe flashing past on fast-forward out of the window. As we got farther east, they got older, slower and clankier, but more romantic. We liked the ones with steps up to the carriages, and a window at the back to watch the track disappearing behind, literally a window to the past.

And we liked the overnighters – apart from a rude and rather retro awakening on the border between Romania and Turkey. There was a sharp knock on the door, then uniformed men were shining torches in our blinking eyes. “Your papers, please!” Is this a summer holiday, or a thwarted escape from cold war repression? Still, holidays are about memories, right? And now it’s one of them, and a story to tell.

That aside, there is something special about boarding a train at dusk, finding the right compartment, unpacking dinner – simit bread perhaps, interesting stringy cheese, tomatoes, a glass (plastic cup) or two of rough red, with the sun going down outside the window. Then a game of cards before pulling down our bunks and drifting off to the clickety-clack of steel wheels passing over the joints in the rails. That was the heartbeat soundtrack of our month away – that, and Kraftwerk’s Trans-Europe Express, which I definitely overplayed.

Yes, of course there were strops and disagreements, times we longed for a washing machine, a pool, wifi. But had there not been tedious things like jobs and school to get back for, we would have happily carried on – clickety-clack, clickety clack – to who knows where. And, possibly because we were often literally on top of each other, I don’t think we’ve ever felt closer as a family.
Sam Wollaston

‘Reclaiming the spirit of adventure for all of us’: a healing family trip to Norway

“Miss Butler says there’s a real live Viking ship in Norway and you can go and see it!” Challenge accepted. I’d been looking for inspiration and found it in my eight-year-old, buzzing with enthusiasm at the school gate. There was more to it: I’d been widowed three months previously and felt as though I had something to prove. When someone you love is ill, your world gets very small: it was our flat, the hospital, and then the hospice. My husband, Jay, and I loved to travel, living in China when our two boys were toddlers; they were now six and eight. I wanted to reclaim that adventurous spirit for all of us.

Walking across Oslo in the early hours of the morning, I wondered what on earth I was doing. Bus tickets could only be bought in convenience stores, which were all closed, so we walked for miles over dark bridges between islands of white light. Our Airbnb host left directions to find a key, hidden behind a rock in a park near his flat: funny looking back, but stressful that night in the dark after too many Scandi noir dramas.

Norway is expensive, so I packed plenty of snacks and tried to keep costs as low as I could. In Oslo, a 24-hour travel pass could last two days: an afternoon hopping on boats and buses, then ensuring we were within walking distance of the flat when it ran out the following morning. We explored brilliant galleries and played games on the roof of the opera house. We took a ferry to Hovedøya island and found 12th-century ruins in the woods, before sprinting to catch the last boat back. We walked round Sognsvann lake picking wild blueberries. The Viking Ship Museum did not disappoint, the dark carved wood so beautifully intricate, gleaming in the pale light (the museum is now being refurbished, due to reopen in 2027). With time left on our bus tickets, we visited Huk on a whim, which, it turns out, is one of Oslo’s nudist beaches. All part of a European education.

From Oslo, we took a train to Myrdal, then the steep Flåmsbana line to Flåm for a night in the youth hostel, before continuing by boat along the Nærøyfjord, then two trains to Bergen. It was thrilling. The boat trip was our favourite, passing remote villages and watching thundering waterfalls tumble down the sides of the fjord.

In Bergen, the cheapest place to stay was a berthed yacht in the harbour. When our host had to change mooring, we went along for the ride. A planned quick transfer became a longer trip when he saw how excited the boys were to be out on the water. He produced fishing rods and gave them their first fishing lesson.

The kindness of this young man felt like a gentle squeeze of encouragement from the universe. It was a trip that reminded me of my capabilities as a parent, my boys’ resilience, the inherent goodness of people, and the power of big skies and new horizons to help start to heal a broken heart.
Ailsa Sheldon

Kyle Busch‘s family has dealt with a lot since the NASCAR legend’s sudden death at age 41 last month.

On Friday, however, his wife Samantha and their two children — son Brexton, 11, and daughter Lennix, 4 — “wanted to take a moment to say thank you” for all the support they have received.

“The prayers, messages, flowers, meals, hugs, and countless acts of kindness have carried us through the most heartbreaking days of our lives,” they said in a note posted Friday on Samantha’s Instagram page. “While our hearts are absolutely shattered, we have felt God’s presence and arms wrapped tightly around us through each and every one of you.”

Busch, a two-time champion of the NASCAR Cup Series and the winningest driver in the association’s history, became unresponsive while in a racing simulator on May 20 in Concord, N.C., and was transported to a Charlotte hospital. He died the next day.

According to his death certificate, Busch died from hemorrhagic shock and disseminated intravascular coagulation after complications from bacterial pneumonia led to sepsis. He had been experiencing symptoms of bacterial pneumonia for “days to weeks” before sepsis set in, the certificate states.

The Busch family released a joint statement with NASCAR and his team, Richard Childress Racing, honoring Busch on the day he died. Friday’s social media post marks the first public comment directly from Samantha and her children since then.

“The love that has surrounded our family during this unimaginable time has brought comfort in the middle of so much pain,” they said in the post.

“Knowing the impact Kyle had on others and seeing how they are honoring him through each unique act of generosity is a true testament to how special Kyle is to so many people. There are moments when the weight of this loss feels impossible to carry, yet time and time again God, through you all, has shown us we are not alone.”

Kyle and Samantha Busch were married on Dec. 31, 2010. She and their children were among those who appeared at the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway on May 24 to honor Busch’s memory.

“From family and friends to fans and complete strangers, thank you for showing up for us. Thank you for loving our family so well,” their post concluded. “Thank you for loving Kyle. Thank you for honoring him. We may never find the words to fully express what your support has meant to us, but please know that we are deeply grateful.

“❤️ Samantha, Brexton & Lennix”

It’s said the 19th-century Parisian flâneur, intent on not rushing past the beauties of the street, would take a tortoise on a lead to set the pace. I thought about this as my donkey bent his head to another thistle and I turned my attention to the view, waiting for him to finish. Every way I looked, layers of mountains receded in deepening shades of eggshell blue. There were no sounds but the wind, the squeals of marmots and the giggles of my two young kids. I was extremely, uncomplicatedly happy.

Our donkeys were on loan from Burrotrek, a small outfit run by Swiss-born Denise Wirth. Twenty years ago, Denise spent four and a half months walking the Camino from Switzerland to Santiago de Compostela with two donkeys. She liked Spain, and she loved donkeys, so she settled on the idea of offering donkey treks in the Pyrenees. She has not looked back. For much of the year she is based where she settled, near Cadaqués, and offers a variety of self-guided itineraries through the vineyards in the foothills and along the Mediterranean coast, with trips lasting between a day and a week. But for the summer months, when temperatures soar, she relocates with her donkeys to Cal Jan de la Llosa in the province of Girona, a gorgeous ruin of a farm several miles up an unpaved track. From here, she lends her animals to people who, for whatever reason, have a romantic notion of what it might be like to take a donkey up a mountain.

My family (myself, Ulli, and our two kids, aged five and seven) bought Interrail passes (under-12s go free) and caught the sleeper down from Paris, crossed the border to Catalonia at Puigcerdà and, after a late lunch of tapas at the station bar, piled into a taxi for an hour’s drive up a long series of switchbacks to the farm. That first night we pitched our tents in a field behind the barn. The dark welled up from the valley floor and house martins shuttled through the dusk. We fell asleep to the rushing of the river and the occasional braying of a donkey.

The next morning we met our animals. We would be borrowing two donkeys, Om and Rebot, which we called Robot or, in moments of frustration, Roadblock. Om was described by Denise as “sporty”, and seemed up for most things, while Rebot was older and content to bring up the rear. Denise ran us through the basics: how to saddle them; how to groom them; how to check their hooves. A donkey can carry a fifth of its bodyweight, which meant around 30kg each. It was just as well, as we had a lot of stuff with us: a week’s worth of food and the explosion in camping gear that seemed to have occurred along with having children.

We had not taken our children to the mountains before, and I hadn’t had an interaction with a donkey since Bournemouth beach about 35 years previously. The learning curve was steep. The donkeys had a powerful sense of what they wanted, which didn’t always align with ours. Yet they were generally amenable, and we soon grew very fond of them. Denise waved us off with our children clutching the ropes and Om and Rebot trotting amiably behind them. She had suggested a loop that would take a week, with a mix of wild camping and mountain huts.

The going was easy, along wooded valleys, through pretty stone villages. At lunchtime, we tied the donkeys up to graze beside a stream while we splashed around, and then lay basking on the rocks, eating bread and cheese. Four hours in and I felt like Laurie Lee.

On the second night, we camped in a meadow during the worst storm I’ve ever known. It came out of a wide blue sky and suddenly it was hailing, the ground blanketed white. The donkeys stood stolidly beneath a tree, ears drooping. The downpour continued until dawn, the thunder like cannon fire. The kids, of course, slept through it, while Ulli and I sat up all night, watching their faces in the lightning. Were we out of our depth? Our tents were not meant for such weather and by morning the kids were the only dry things we had. The sun was out and the grass was steaming. We saddled the donkeys and carried on.

We dried out in Refugi dels Estanys de la Pera, a wonderful cabin alive with warm hospitality and good food. And then the path began to climb in earnest, winding up towards Andorra. At times it felt as though we were carrying two donkeys up the mountain. A group of Spanish hikers advised us to shout “arré,” an Arabic word imported by the Moors. It was unclear if it worked, but it gave us something to do. The donkeys took cautious, dainty steps, selecting each foothold before placing it. We were learning that they set the pace, and we should follow where they led.

By the time we made the border at the Perafita Pass, at an altitude of 2,574 metres, we were in the cloud and giddy with success. We squatted in an ancient corral of stones and ate biscuits. But as we descended the cloud burned off and Andorra opened up before us. A vast plateau of long grasses and crooked, lightning-struck spruce trees, scattered with lakes in craters gouged by ancient glaciers. It was achingly beautiful, silent and wild. A herd of chamois, flushed from their hiding place, took off down the slopes at full pelt.

The path unwound along a series of thin rivers that burst out of the mountainsides, Riu de Perafita, Riu Madriu, rattling urgently along their rocky beds. We drank straight from springs bubbling out of the rocks and plunged into small pools, blisteringly cold. A herd of horses approached us one morning to examine their diminutive relatives, and Om and Rebot stood there, stoic as ever, until the horses galloped on.

I had worried this trip might be a hard sell to the kids, but their capacity to create fun proved boundless. Every time we stopped, and we stopped a lot, they found a stream to paddle in, a frog to play with, a marmot to sneak up on. The days weren’t long, six or seven miles at most, but if we try a walk at home we rarely get beyond the car park. The donkeys and the mountains meant they scarcely noticed we had tricked them into walking. In the evenings, they groomed the animals and charged about the camp. They ate everything we gave them – noodles, lentils, pasta – and fell asleep in seconds. It was a revelation.

We spent our last night in Refugi de l’Illa, a vast, metal-clad, solar-panelled structure on a barren plateau that appeared to have touched down from space. We washed in hot water, drank wine at dinner and slept on a mattress. It was nice, but I hadn’t missed it. We were keen to get going again. As we walked back into Spain, the donkeys seemed to know they were nearing home. The path eased down across pastures of wild flowers and by dinner time on the eighth day we were back at the farm.

Some of my happiest moments as a parent are when I am doing something that I loved before having kids, but now with these brilliant, curious people – sharing the basic pleasures of cooking after a long day outside, or looking up at a sky bright with stars. We pitched our tent for one final night outside and reluctantly handed our donkeys back. They trotted into their field with the others, nosing each other’s necks in welcome. We were very sorry to see them go.

The trip was provided by Burrotrek; donkey hire from €55 a day including an introductory course and equipment. Half-board at Refugi de l’Illa, €61 adults/€48 children. Half-board at Refugi dels Estanys de la Pera, €46 adults/from €33.50 children

Lone Wolf by Adam Weymouth is published in paperback by Penguin on 25 June (£11.99). To support the Guardian, order your copy at guardianbookshop.com. Delivery charges may apply.

BOSTON — A federal judge on Friday struck down a Trump administration policy enacted after the shooting of two National Guard members that made it harder for immigrants from dozens of countries to stay and enter the U.S.

In a ruling harshly criticizing the administration, U.S. District Chief Judge John McConnell Jr. said the policy “threw the lives of countless immigrants living in the United States into indeterminate legal limbo,” and he accused the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services of ignoring the law.

“In enacting its latest immigration policies, USCIS: claims statutory and regulatory authority that it does not possess; makes decisions without the reasoned explanations that it must provide; acts without regard for the reliance interests of applicants that it must consider; and justifies its actions with pretextual concerns of ‘national security’ that mask anti-immigrant sentiments that it is forbidden from letting influence its decision-making,” he wrote. “In legal terms that means USCIS’s actions are contrary to law and arbitrary and capricious.”

A spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The policies enacted after the National Guard shooting last year meant that immigrants from 39 African, Asian, Latin American and Middle Eastern countries have been “categorically barred” from receiving final decisions on, among other things, their asylum, work permit, green card and citizenship applications.

“This ruling reaffirms a basic principle: the federal government cannot shut down lawful immigration pathways or discriminate against people based on where they come from,” said Skye Perryman, president and CEO of Democracy Forward, which represented the plaintiffs in the case. “These unlawful policies caused enormous harm to families, workers, asylum-seekers, and communities across the country who were left in limbo, unable to work, access protections, or move forward with their lives.”

The policies apply to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, which approves applications for immigrants to work and become citizens. The agency, which is within the Homeland Security Department, often grants asylum, but only for those already in the United States when they apply. Immigration judges grant asylum to those who are stopped at the border; the ruling does not affect them, and neither do the policies that sparked the lawsuit.

It is part of an ongoing effort by the administration to tighten U.S. entry standards for travel and immigration, in what critics say unfairly prevents travel for people from a broad range of countries. The administration suggested it would expand the restrictions after the arrest of an Afghan national suspect in the shooting of two National Guard troops over Thanksgiving weekend.

In its motion to dismiss, which the court denied, the government argued that Congress gave the executive branch broad authority over immigration policy, including “the entry of aliens into the United States as well as discretion within the statutory scheme to confer as well as withdraw various discretionary benefits.”

“This case rests on a remarkable premise: that a federal court should prevent an agency from issuing the very policy guidance that provides government personnel with the guardrails necessary to ensure consistent, non-arbitrary, and individualized decisionmaking consistent with federal law,” the government wrote in its brief.

Immigration groups celebrated the ruling.

“This ruling sets a powerful precedent that the administration cannot ignore the law as laid down by Congress and cannot arbitrarily bar immigration benefits on the basis of national origin by fiat,” said Jamal Abdi, president at the National Iranian American Council. “Fortunately, this is still a nation of laws, and those who uphold America’s values have recourse to challenge and push back on such discriminatory, arbitrary policies.”

Shawn VanDiver, a Navy veteran who heads a coalition that supports Afghan resettlement efforts called #AfghanEvac, said the ruling was a “significant victory for the rule of law and for thousands of Afghan allies and other immigrants who followed every requirement asked of them.”

“Just this week in Dallas and Fort Worth, we met people who feared losing jobs because delayed work permit renewals threatened their livelihoods, families who postponed education, travel, and homeownership because they did not know when their cases would be resolved, and future Americans who had expected to become citizens only to see their applications stall without explanation,” VanDiver said.

Casey writes for the Associated Press.

Japanese filmmaker Chie Hayakawa isn’t afraid to look death in the eye. The writer-director’s 2022 feature debut, “Plan 75,” imagined an unsettling future in which the elderly are offered a subsidy by the government to be euthanized. For her follow-up, she travels into her own past, drawing from memories of her father’s battle with cancer.

But while “Renoir” features no sci-fi elements, the nearness of oblivion remains just as prominent. Shorn of sentimentality, this gentle drama follows a quietly observant fifth-grader who feels the grim shadow of mortality all around her. How the character will absorb that realization is anyone’s guess — including Hayakawa’s.

Newcomer Yui Suzuki stars as Fuki, who lives in a nondescript Tokyo suburb in 1987. Her soft-spoken dad, Keiji (Lily Franky), is suffering with terminal cancer in its final stages, the emaciated man spending as much time in the hospital as he does at home. Fuki’s mother, Utako (Hikari Ishida), doesn’t seem very despondent, though: One senses an emotional exhaustion that comes from preparing so long for the inevitable that she’s now mostly numb, her anticipatory grief having given way to frayed nerves.

Fuki’s pre-mourning process is equally complicated. Outwardly, she shows no signs of being devastated by her dad’s imminent passing, happily playing with him, almost in denial of his fate. But “Renoir” subtly suggests the impressionable girl is more aware than she lets on, surrounding her with random reminders of death. Local news breathlessly reports on random domestic murders. Even when Fuki gets away from the city, the camera lingers on her watching a campfire’s dying embers. The film derives its title from the girl’s interest in “Little Irène,” a painting by influential French impressionist Pierre-Auguste Renoir. She asks if Renoir is still alive. No, he’s dead too.

Hayakawa pulls from her childhood in multiple ways for her sophomore feature, which premiered in competition at Cannes last year. “Renoir” takes place in 1987 specifically because that’s the year she turned 11, and, like her protagonist, she was infatuated with “Little Irène.” But there’s a refreshing absence of nostalgia in Hayakawa’s conception of Fuki and her quizzical processing of her father’s fatal illness.

For school, Fuki writes an essay about her wish to be an orphan. She becomes obsessed with hypnotism and mind-reading, an unorthodox strategy to create a sense of control. And, occasionally, she wanders into daydreams that Hayakawa presents so matter-of-factly that viewers may sometimes be unsure if what they’re seeing is actually happening. In “Renoir,” Fuki’s flights of fancy are as naturalistic as her everyday life — a sharp reminder that, for children, imagination and reality are often indistinguishable.

If death has been integral to Hayakawa’s two features, it’s society’s callous reaction to aging that is her primary focus. “Plan 75” eschewed dystopian-thriller conventions to ponder how Japan might one day treat its senior citizens, viewing them as little more than a drain on resources. “Renoir” makes a similar point within a memory piece. Keiji is the one dying, but it’s telling that Hayakawa centers the story on Fuki and Utako, who each, in their own way, seem more concerned about their own personal dramas.

As Keiji’s situation grows more dire, Utako enters the orbit of Toru (Ayumu Nakajima), a workplace advisor with whom she’s instantly smitten, pondering pursuing him romantically. Ironically, Toru preaches the importance of good communication skills in the office, a lesson the film’s guarded family would be wise to heed. While Utako hides her feelings for Toru, Fuki begins a secret odyssey in which she impulsively joins a phone dating service, engaging in conversations with a creepy college student (Ryota Bando) who pushes her to meet in person. This potentially traumatic subplot is the closest “Renoir” gets to traditional suspense, but even here Hayakawa adopts a muted approach, sidestepping shock value for bittersweet commentary about young people’s confusion around love. Both Utako and Fuki chase after human connections fraught with danger, each trying to insulate themselves from the tragedy waiting at home.

“Renoir” may be a delicate wisp of a film, but it’s flecked with thoughtful questioning about whether childhood’s sorrows leave permanent scars on us as adults. Suzuki exudes the fragility and buoyancy of adolescence, playing Fuki as someone constantly imbibing the world, rarely revealing what she’s doing with that stimulus. The simplest moments resonate the strongest, such as when the moody 11-year-old holds a balloon over the balcony of her family’s high-rise apartment, casually releasing her grip so that it tumbles to the ground far below. Does it speak to a desire to jump herself? “Renoir” won’t say, but the character is so poised you feel confident she’ll survive her father’s death. Who knows: Maybe years from now, she’ll even make a touching, emotionally astute movie about it.

Glaciers aren’t stationary. Immense and imposing, formed through the downward trajectory of water from mountains as it collects and freezes, they have always moved. Now, however, they’re leaving. The demise of glaciers is a fact inherent in all the bad news about the effects of climate change on what once seemed permanent. But for Icelanders, whose connection to glaciers is ancient and mythic, our human epoch has become an extended hospice for the landscape of their lives.

Somehow, though, Sara Dosa’s documentary on this matter, “Time and Water,” avoids playing like a funeral in waiting. Built around Icelandic writer Andri Snær Magnason’s voiced lamentations on a vanishing frozen world, along with archival footage of his family, it’s no simple howl of grief, even when it takes us to a publicly held memorial in 2019 for Iceland’s Ok glacier, the first such “death” diagnosis in the country’s history. Rather, Dosa’s film is a meditation on change — both the kind that we accept with a heavy heart and something more general. “Time and Water” is a curiously vibrant elegy, teeming with appreciation for the intimate majesty that is all life, generational and geologic.

Dosa has finessed this emotional-meets-elemental space before in her Academy Award-nominated 2022 documentary “Fire of Love,” about married volcanologists Katia and Maurice Krafft. That was a wonderfully eccentric romance forged in molten lava. Here, she’s in a collaboration of sorts with her subjects, both human and elemental. Magnason’s opening narration over spectacular footage of glaciers — up close and from far away — gently informs us that we’re watching a time capsule, one where the bonds of family and environment are intertwined.

We learn how Iceland’s glaciers, essentially rivers of varying pace, begat their unique ecosystems, but also how they provided the breathtaking terrain upon which Magnason’s grandparents Hulda and Árni fell in love. (Grandma Hulda was the first woman to fly in Iceland, itself a very cool fact.) The onset of dementia in Árni spurs his grandson to consider what’s lost when the markers of memory depart. “Time and Water” touches on the epic verse called rimurs, passed down via chanted song by Icelandic women, their descriptive, sorrowful tales like dispatches from previous ages.

“Tone poem” is an overused term in cinema, but the humbling “Time and Water,” graced with a playful, atmospheric Dan Deacon score, earns that distinction. Naturally, it helps that you can never tire of all the air-crisped glacier imagery, captured digitally and in 16mm. Folded into the cozy slide-show vibe of Magnason’s home videos and the carefully chosen archival footage, the movie plays like a scrapbook portrait in which home just happens to boast the grandest of backyards.

How much longer will Icelanders enjoy it? The glaciers are predicted to be gone within 200 years. That’s an eternity or a drip, depending on whose survival we’re talking about. Still, “Time and Water” collapses the notion that we are somehow separate from these ancient, essential formations: an encouraging hello to the future from inside a sobering goodbye.