family

KIMBERLEY Walsh gave a fans a look at her sunny family holiday – where she rocked several designer swimsuits.

The former Girls Aloud star soaked up the sun at a lush resort in Cadiz, Spain with her three sons and hubby Justin Scott.

They looked tanned and relaxed on their holiday where the lads tried their hand at golf, they ate lots of yummy food and Kimberley looked sensational.

One of her eye-catching bikinis included an electric blue triangle set which showed off her incredible figure.

Kimberley sipped on a frozen margarita while wearing the suit and relaxing on a sunlounger.

The singer shared a photo dump from her holiday which showed the happy family having a great time.

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“Sotogrande [resort] you were the perfect way to round off the summer! The resort is absolutely BEAUTIFUL and we had the most gorgeous few days!” she captioned the post.

Last year, Kimberley had a mini-reunion with some of her Girls Aloud bandmates and paid a touching tribute to Sarah Harding who died from cancer in 2021.

She caught with Nicola Roberts and Cheryl to celebrate the opening night of musical Hadestown UK in London’s Lyric Theatre – where Nicola was one of the stars.

The evening also marked Cheryl’s return to the spotlight and it was more recently announced that she would become a judge on The Voice UK.

The former X Factor judge has not been on prime-time TV for six years, with filming for the new series of the ITV show beginning on September 11 in Manchester.

It would be her first prime-time TV role since she was a dance captain on BBC1 show The Greatest Dancer in 2020.

It would also be the first time Cheryl has been in the limelight since her ex, One Direction singer Liam Payne, died in October 2024 aged 31 after falling from a hotel balcony in Argentina.

The pair shared nine-year-old son, Bear.

There was a moment, not so long ago, when Bradley Barcola’s career appeared to have stalled.

Having earned rave reviews after nailing down a regular starting place in Lyon’s starting XI under Peter Bosz, the 20-year-old winger was out of favour and in the reserves by the time the Dutch coach was replaced by Laurent Blanc in October 2022.

According to L’Equipe,, external Barcola was close to joining Swiss club St Gallen in January 2023 in order to get more game time before an act of petulance by a team-mate helped pave his return to the side.

Fans were unhappy with the team’s poor form – making first-choice forward Karl Toko Ekambi a target for their frustrations.

The relationship between the Cameroon international and Lyon’s ultras fractured further when he stormed down the tunnel and kicked a rubbish bin in frustration after being substituted during a 2-1 home defeat by Strasbourg.

The incident was caught on camera and Toko Ekambi never played for Lyon again.

That presented Barcola with an opportunity which he seized. He started the majority of the remaining matches that season, scoring five times, including a winner at champions-in-waiting Paris St-Germain in April 2023.

Five months after that goal at the Parc des Princes, Barcola was a PSG player.

His reported £38.5m move – two weeks after Brazil forward Neymar swapped Paris for Saudi Arabia – came with Lyon struggling in the table and also unable to sign replacements because of financial restrictions.

“Barcola’s first game for PSG was back at Lyon,” Pierre-Etienne Minonzio, football journalist for L’Equipe, told BBC Sport.

“He was booed by the Lyon fans because it was just after the transfer. PSG boss Luis Enrique asked Barcola, who was very young at the time, if he was ready to play.

“He said yes, came on as a substitute, and it was impressive.”

Barcola, nicknamed the ‘grasshopper’ because of his speed, agility and slight frame, has since gone on to win three Ligue 1 titles and back-to-back Champions Leagues in his three seasons in the French capital. He broke into the France side two years ago, and scored three times as this summer’s World Cup as they reached the semi-finals.

With Liverpool having now completed a £123m deal to sign him, Barcola is on his way to the Premier League.

It has been quite the journey from kicking a ball about as a schoolboy on the playing fields of Vaulx-en-Velin – situated to the east of Lyon – to becoming a superstar worth nine figures. But the path has not been without challenges.

“Barcola is hugely ambitious,” added Minonzio.

“He is from a generation of young French talent who are prepared to work hard and want to be a better version of themselves.

“They will do whatever they have to do to get there. They don’t ask questions – they just do it.”

Family travel expert Hannah Britt says it’s time to add Marmaris in Turkey to your bucket list. An untapped gem, it provides a mix of history and nature ideal for children to explore

From paradisiacal waters to fascinating archeology, it’s time to add Marmaris to your family travel plans. A bustling, energetic coastal resort on the Turkish Riviera, framed by pine-clad mountains and a turquoise ocean, it blends a lively party scene and child-friendly beaches with a historic old town and scenic natural bays. Having heard tell of the “Maldives of Europe”, I packed my factor 50, swept up my two children, and went to see what all the fuss was about. And I’m pleased to report that Marmaris did not disappoint…

What to see…

Amos Ancient City

Perched on a scenic headland roughly 24km south of Marmaris, Amos is an ancient Carian settlement tucked between the modern coastal towns of Turunç and Kumlubük. Historically part of the Rhodian Peraia during the Hellenistic period (dating back to around the 4th century BC), Amos served as a key fortified coastal city.

The ruins sit atop the pine-and olive-clad hill of Asarcık, offering sweeping, panoramic views of the Mediterranean Sea and surrounding bays. Despite its modest size compared to larger archaeological sites in Turkey, Amos boasts remarkable historical remnants. Its standout feature is a well-preserved ancient theatre capable of seating roughly 1,300 spectators, where visitor seating, orchestra floor outlines, and structural bases remain visible today.

Beyond the theatre, visitors can explore sections of fortified polygonal city walls with defensive towers, the traces of a Temple of Apollo, and ancient grave structures (necropolis) scattered across the slopes. Free to access and far less crowded than major tourist hotspots, Amos offers a quiet mix of history and natural beauty, accessible via a short uphill hike from Amos Bay.

Little ones: The walk up to Amos is easy, even for the littlest legs – and it’s well worth it for the view at the top. A wonderful place to sit and feel the history of the place.

Marmaris Castle

A visit to central Marmaris would simply be incomplete without seeing Marmaris Castle – a historic hilltop fortress that overlooks the scenic harbour and city beyond. According to the Greek historian Herodotus, the first fortifications on this site were built around 3,000 BC during the Hellenistic period. The current structure was largely rebuilt in 1522 by Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent as a military base for his campaign to conquer nearby Rhodes.

A French warship damaged part of the castle during World War I. Local residents lived inside the fortress walls until 1979. Following major restorations, it officially opened to the public as a museum in 1991. Archeological galleries feature Hellenistic, Roman, and Byzantine artefacts, including amphorae retrieved from local shipwrecks, tombstones, and the Apollo Altar frieze from Knidos. Ethnographic rooms display traditional regional items, local crafts, and everyday objects from the Ottoman period.

Little ones: A walk around the ancient stone walls provided reenactment fun for my little ones, who pretended they were soldiers defending their very own castle.

Honey House

The Marmaris Honey House (known locally as Marmaris Bal Evi) is a unique, interactive apiculture museum and visitor centre located in the tiny mountain village of Osmaniye, near Marmaris. Built in an eye-catching, honeycomb-shaped architectural structure, the centre serves to educate visitors on the rich history of Turkish beekeeping and to promote Marmaris pine honey, a distinct, world-renowned regional product. In fact, the surrounding Muğla region supplies roughly 92% of the world’s pine honey, with Marmaris accounting for 30% of that total.

Indoor and outdoor galleries showcase the complete journey of pine honey production. Visitors can view traditional Anatolian hives, a glass-walled observation hive to watch live bees at work, and modern centrifuge and transport tools. Dedicated spaces demonstrate how bee products like royal jelly, pollen, propolis, and honey are used for healing and health.

Little ones: It’s fascinating to see the bees in the glass-fronted hives, and my six year old loved spotting the queen. Almost as much as she loved trying the pine honey at the end…

Where to eat…

Orfoz

Orfoz Restaurant is a popular riverside dining spot located directly on the edge of the crystal-clear Azmak River in Akyaka, Muğla. Tables are set right along the riverbank under the shade of mature trees. Some tables even allow guests to dip their feet directly into the ice-cold Azmak River while eating. Diners can watch ducks, geese, and passing river boats turn around near the restaurant.

Known primarily as a fish restaurant, it features a large cooler/display cabinet where guests can choose their own fresh fish to be grilled to order. Orfoz also offers a wide variety of traditional Turkish cold and warm mezzes, unique salads, and small plates (such as pomegranate, plum and parsley mezze, and grilled onions with yogurt sauce). We had the grilled octopus, which was cooked to perfection.

Little ones: a gaggle of friendly geese and ducks provided endless entertainment while we ate in the shaded spot, coming right up to the kids to say hello.

DEDE

Dede Restaurant is one of the oldest and most respected family-run dining spots in Marmaris, located right on the historic marina. Opened in 1973, the name “Dede” (grandfather in Turkish) was chosen in honour of the family patriarch, Ali Denizelli, a local figure who lived to 104.

Currently run by the grandchildren and fourth generation of the founding family, it sits on the marina front and provides a great people watching spot and specialises in fresh daily seafood, signature Aegean mezzes, Mediterranean dishes, and classic Turkish options. An upscale yet casual waterfront dining with views overlooking the bay and boats. The people watching is sublime – better than TV!

Little ones: Children are welcomed with open arms at this Marmaris institution and the menu, in particular the seafood, is divine.

The day trip

Turkist gulet cruise

The highlight of our stay in Marmaris had to be the day we spent on Diva Deniz, a 29m luxury ketch-style traditional Turkish gulet available for private cruise charters. We were picked up from our hotel pier and taken on board for a spectacular journey around the bays near Marmaris. Once moored, we could jump in the beautiful water to snorkel.

The boat, run by Gulet Point, was stunning, with places to lounge in the sun and shade – and a delicious freshly cooked lunch served, with garlic prawns, pan fried fish and mezze. When I say we did not want our day on the Diva Deniz to end, it’s an understatement. The cruise allowed us to see the real beauty of Marmaris, and is something we will remember forever.

Little ones: A paddleboard provided on the boat was brilliant, allowing the kids somewhere to sit awhile and bob on the lapping water.

Where to stay

Grand Yazici Club Turban

The Grand Yazici Club Turban Hotel is a four star all-inclusive resort nestled where pine forests meet the Aegean Sea. It sits directly on a pretty sand-and-shingle beachfront with its own private pier; connected by a scenic coastal promenade to Marmaris. It’s big, with over 500 rooms, but thanks to its leafy setting, feels incredibly tranquil.

For the hungry, there are plenty of places to eat, from upmarket restaurants to chilled out cafes. A main buffet restaurant provides something for all tastes, from pizza to local cuisine, alongside specialised venues like La Querida Beach Club & Restaurant and the Italian à la carte restaurant Le Farfalle, plus dedicated snack, pastry, and ice cream shops.

When it comes to activities, you’re spoiled for choice with multiple outdoor swimming pools (including a main activity pool, relax pool, and adults-only sections), an indoor thermal pool, and a mini water park with slides. Elsewhere, there are two spas featuring separate Turkish hammams and saunas for men and women, plus thermal bath facilities and massage rooms. There are tennis courts, volleyball, a fitness gym, live music performances, and evening shows in the amphitheater too.

We stayed in a family suite, with shared access to a private pool. It was spotless, stylish and absolutely huge, with a comfy living room to read in when the midday sun got too hot. A beautiful terrace overlooked the sea, on which we were served a daily Turkish breakfast with a well made flat white. A brilliant want-for-nothing family hotel less expensive than many of its five star counterparts.

Little ones: There’s a dedicated kids’ club, children’s pool, playground, trampolines, and a mini football pitch.

Cost: Grand Yazici Club Turban Hotel room prices start from around £63 per night for standard bookings in low season, while complete all-inclusive holiday packages start from approximately £369 per person.

*For more on planning a trip to Türkiye, see Go Türkiye

WASHINGTON — Natalie Harp has never been in the spotlight quite like this.

Before the 35-year-old White House aide made headlines for her close access to President Trump, much of her early life was spent in Southern California, where she was home-schooled and attended a mega-church on Sundays — a quiet upbringing that, her brother says, was defined by conservative values and Christian teachings.

Their mother taught them at home using educational materials written from a biblical worldview. The family would attend services regularly at Shadow Mountain Church in El Cajon, where pastors would deliver sermons like the one from a recent Sunday, calling on God to use its thousands of congregants “in a way that turns this world upside down.”

“We were raised with the idea that America was God’s gift to the world and it’s the only place that people really live in freedom,” Preston Harp, her brother, told The Times.

Years later, in 2019, Harp’s ascent into Trump’s orbit began, when she went on Fox News to credit a healthcare bill Trump signed into law with saving her from a rare form of cancer — a story that later caught the president’s attention.

As that relationship took hold, the California family bubble she’d been raised in was bursting behind the scenes, culminating with her father’s suicide in July 2020. A month later, Harp emerged on the national stage, introducing herself as a “formerly forgotten American from California” at the Republican National Convention, where she declared her devotion to Trump.

“I wouldn’t be alive if it wasn’t for you,” she said.

Natalie Harp speaks after being called onstage by President Trump during the Faith & Freedom Coalition 2019 Road To Majority Policy Conference in Washington on June 26, 2019.

(Mark Wilson / Getty Images)

Now, she spends her days working as a special assistant to Trump, a man she has described, in highly personal letters, as her “guardian and protector.” In those letters, published by the Daily Beast, she has thanked the president for “always being there” for her and alluded to a “promise” Trump made to her after she lost her dad.

Harp’s taxpayer-funded job, with its unmatched access to the president, mostly happens away from the public eye. She has been called the “human printer” because she follows Trump with a portable printer to provide Trump with hard copies of flattering news coverage or information the computer-averse president requires.

She also stays up late drafting social media posts with the president, the New York Times reported. Several of Trump’s Truth Social posts have generated controversy in recent months, including an AI-generated image showing him as Jesus in a white robe laying his hands on a sick man.

Those who know her describe her as detail-oriented and a “devoted staffer to the cause” whose tight-knit circle includes those closest to Trump, such as Susie Wiles, Trump’s chief of staff, and Karoline Leavitt, the White House’s former press secretary.

“Just like many of the administration officials, you become friends with your co-workers,” Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, a Florida Republican who talks to Harp on a weekly basis, said in an interview.

Harp is “almost always” with Wiles, Luna said. The congresswoman added that her relationship with the president is “100% professional,” and that any suggestion otherwise is an attempt to smear her.

“She’s been nothing but professional and an absolute killer when it comes to getting her job done,” Luna said. “I would kill to have someone like her on my team.”

To her brother, Harp’s integration in Trump’s inner circle is in line with her upbringing.

“My mom raised us as super conservative, and he’s everything that she taught us to respect,” he said.

The White House declined to comment.

A California native in Trump world

As a kid in the San Diego neighborhood of Carmel Valley, Harp played with old-fashioned dolls and spent a lot of time reading, her brother said. For school, their mother used a curriculum from Bob Jones University Press, whose material focused on “biblical worldview shaping,” according to its website.

The home in which Natalie Harp, an aide to President Trump, grew up in the Carmel Valley neighborhood of San Diego.

(Sandy Huffaker / For The Times)

“We start with God’s truth as the standard,” the website states. “Scripture serves as the blueprint for how we put together our textbooks so that every lesson begins with truth.”

Growing up, Harp spent most of her time with adults, especially her mother, and would rarely socialize with her peers, her brother recalled. Even at church, she would opt to sit with the adults instead of spending time with the youth group.

“There would be like skateboarding demos, there would be cool stuff going on, but my sister was just with all the grown-ups, and she preferred it,” he said.

Harp and her brother were close as young children but drifted apart as they got older. Preston Harp found an outlet skateboarding and surfing with friends, and Harp opted to stay close to home, he said.

At some point, their mother began policing their discussions, particularly as he started espousing more progressive beliefs, her brother recalled.

“I wasn’t really allowed to be in her life,” he said. “If we ever talked on the phone my mom was listening to everything we’d say, and they were talking on the phone together with me on speakerphone.”

Harp declined to comment for this story through a request sent to the White House. Her mother did not respond to a phone call seeking comment.

An aerial view of Natalie Harp’s family’s home in the private gated community of Woodbridge Cove, in Irvine.

(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

In her mid-20s, Harp moved with her parents to Irvine to be closer to their father’s work at Biola University, a private Christian institution in La Mirada, southeast of Los Angeles. He worked as a professor at the school of business and later served as the executive director of the Office of Innovation, according to the university.

The family lived in a home adjacent to a man-made lake in Irvine’s Woodbridge neighborhood, a master-planned community known for its peaceful, family-friendly atmosphere.

Both Irvine and Carmel Valley are silos from the problems of the outside world, places where everything might seem perfect, even when it isn’t, her brother said.

“My mom likes living in bubbles,” he said.

Within a few years of the family’s move, in July 2020, Harp’s father, 61, died by suicide at their home. When Preston Harp arrived at the house, he said his mother wanted him to go along with the story that their father had died in his sleep. Preston refused, he said, not wanting to downplay his dad’s pain to keep up appearances. It was the start of a massive rift in the family.

“That was the last time I ever talked to my sister,” he said.

Entering the national stage

Harp has shared little about her upbringing publicly. However, she has spoken at length about medical issues she experienced starting in her mid-20s.

In 2020, she said during remarks at the Republican National Convention that five years earlier she was “the victim of a notoriously deadly medical error.”

“I survived, but only to be diagnosed with a rare and terminal bone cancer,” she said.

She said she was diagnosed with Stage 2 bone cancer. It was that experience that sparked her interest in entering the political arena.

“I just wanted to get better,” she said on the program. “I started tuning in for the first time into politics because I had never had a representative before. All my representatives were Democrats, so I thought, why should I care about politics?”

Two rounds of chemotherapy did not help and she was rejected from clinical trials, she said. But in 2018 Trump signed the Right to Try Act, which allows terminally ill patients to access certain experimental drugs and immunotherapy treatments that have not received full approval from the Food and Drug Administration.

“I am not dying from cancer anymore thanks to President Trump, I am living with cancer,” Harp said on the program.

The White House did not respond to a request seeking comment on the treatment she received.

Natalie Harp follows former President Trump as he boards his airplane after speaking at an event in Manchester, N.H., on April 27, 2023.

(Jabin Botsford / The Washington Post via Getty Images)

During Trump’s 2020 reelection campaign, Harp’s role was to talk about the Right to Try Act, said Sarah Matthews, a former deputy press secretary for Trump.

“I remember we would correspond over Twitter DMs, and she just seemed very excited to be helpful in any way,” Matthews said. At the time, it seemed Harp was trying to make inroads with staffers, she said.

“My role would not necessarily interact with her, but … I could tell that she was trying to initiate a connection,” she said.

Although it’s not clear who on the team found Harp, Matthews said she was “very eager” to help the campaign.

“They found this woman who was eloquent and well-spoken and all the things, but it did just come off to me like she really wanted to be part of Trump world,” Matthews said.

In intimate letters, Harp has explained her devotion to the 80-year-old president.

Natalie Harp listens as former President Trump speaks outside the courtroom during his trial on charges of covering up hush money payments, on April 30, 2024 in New York City.

(Curtis Means / Pool Photo)

In one letter, she writes that she is “unworthy” of Trump and reminisces about the times Trump called during her “Talkshow days,” a reference to her stint in 2021 hosting “The Real Story with Natalie Harp” on the right-wing One America News channel.

“We’d talk about everything and nothing,” she writes. “I want to get back to that synergy. We shouldn’t have to talk about work all the time!!”

She adds: “I always felt like an in-betweener, somewhere between Staff and those you enjoy talking to on the Plane or at Dinner, because that’s who I used to be to you when I was a ‘Talkshow Host’ (as much as I hated that actual job!)”

Ossoff’s ‘Natalie’ reference brings attention

The public attention on Harp sharpened this month when Jon Ossoff, a Democratic senator from Georgia, told supporters in Atlanta that Trump wanted to “build his ballroom and travel with Natalie” rather than do the work of the presidency. The remarks came after it became public that Harp had been one of a select few who joined Trump on an alternate plane flying out of Turkey as a precaution amid a threat of attack by Iran.

President Trump and Natalie Harp, right, attend a dignified transfer for service members killed during operations in the Middle East, at Dover Air Force Base in Dover, Del., on July 22.

(Lau Loeb / AFP via Getty Images)

Ossoff’s comment drew the ire of Trump allies, from Capitol Hill lawmakers to conservative influencers, with many of them blasting the comment as sexist and inappropriate.

Although the White House and Trump allies have fiercely defended Harp in public forums, and dismissed suggestions of an improper relationship, Trump has sidestepped questions about his aide.

“People can be very mean to successful, pretty women,” Luna said. “And that is what is happening to Natalie.”

In their book “Regime Change,” New York Times reporters Maggie Haberman and Jonathan Swan write that Trump has told staff that Harp is the only one who loves him as much as his wife and kids.

“All of you will go off and make money,” Trump would say. “She’ll never leave me.”

Although Trump worked closely with other executive assistants during his first administration, Matthews said his relationship with Harp appears to be “a different level of closeness.”

President Trump,right, accompanied by Tiffany Trump’s husband, Michael Boulos, left, and aide Natalie Harp, center, looks out the window of Marine One as it lands on the South Lawn of the White House on Sept. 18, 2025.

(Andrew Harnik / Getty Images)

“I think it’s because of the way she fawns all over him and the love notes,” she said. “I think he just really trusts her. So she’s been able to, I think, develop an even closer bond.”

Despite the recent controversy, Harp remained by the president’s side during public appearances last week.

At the Freedom 250 Grand Prix in Washington on Aug. 23, Harp sat a few rows behind Trump and First Lady Melania Trump, chatting with the president’s son Eric. Days before that, she reportedly traveled with Trump to South Carolina for a campaign rally and to his northern Virginia golf club.

“She’s just all work,” Luna said. “She is one of the hardest workers and it is hard to find people who are like that.”

Natalie Harp looks on as President Trump visits the Mission Control Center at NASA Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center in Houston on Friday.

(Kent Nishimura / AFP via Getty Images)

Ceballos reported from Washington, Fry from Irvine.

If you or someone you know is struggling with suicidal thoughts, seek help from a professional or call 988. The nationwide three-digit mental health crisis hotline will connect callers with trained mental health counselors. Or text “HOME” to 741741 in the U.S. and Canada to reach the Crisis Text Line.

IT’S half nine at night on the summer solstice.

The light is doing the golden hour thing it only does in June, and my four-year-old is scattering dragonflies as she launches herself into the cold water.

“Can we go in the ‘cold pool’ again?” she asks the next morning. Again. She has asked roughly 200 times this week.

The pool in question is the natural swim pond at Tanylan Farm, on the coast road between Ferryside and Kidwelly in Carmarthenshire.

We stayed in Ty Llo (Calf House), one of a handful of holiday barns on site — and the pool was the single best thing that has ever happened to my daughter.

Rain or shine, morning or night, she was in it.

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There was a sauna next to it for the grown-ups, a private hot tub outside our holiday cottage, and the beach was 400 yards down the lane.

My wife and I, our daughter and baby son had travelled by train to Swansea then picked up a hire car and made our way to Carmarthenshire — that bit of Wales everyone drives past on the way to Pembrokeshire. Their loss.

On day one, the sun was out so we visited Pembrey Country Park — 500 acres of woodland backing on to Cefn Sidan, an eight-mile stretch of sand that was the first beach in Wales to win a Blue Flag.

The sand is absurdly fine and the water so shallow that by mid- afternoon it had warmed up like a paddling pool.

For small children, it is close to perfect.

The park itself is the showstopper, though.

There’s a dry ski slope, a toboggan run, crazy golf, a pirate adventure playground and miles of flat, traffic-free cycling on rental bikes.

We arrived planning to stay two hours and left after seven.

Next day, the National Botanic Garden of Wales, just over half an hour’s drive from the farm, was one of the most relaxing family days out we’ve ever done.

Monty Python fame

Think Eden Project but at a size you can easily get round with a buggy and a pre-schooler.

The Great Glasshouse, packed with plants of six Mediterranean climates, sits in the landscape like a dropped raindrop.

We ate our picnic sandwiches in the “Canary Islands”, with the smell of cedar and lavender.

Outside is 568 acres of restored Regency parkland, lakes, waterfalls — and a Gruffalo trail themed on the kids’ book character.

Kidwelly Castle, of Monty Python movie fame, is a 20-minute drive away.

“Let’s climb to the top, Daddy,” my daughter begged. So we did — and the views over the Gwendraeth estuary are worth the effort.

From on high, I told my princess-obsessed daughter about a real one, Gwenllian, who rode out from this castle to lead an army into battle against the Normans.

I left out how it ended (head lopped off) and she was suitably impressed.

Our final stop was the British Bird of Prey Centre which recently moved to a purpose-built site at Idole, near Carmarthen, after years at the National Botanic Garden of Wales.

It flies golden eagles, red kites, owls and peregrines, with three shows a day and an indoor arena for when the Welsh rain sets in.

We did get four days of rain but it barely affected our week’s getaway.

There was always a glasshouse, a castle, an indoor flying arena — or that cold pool.

We’ll be going back for more — she’s already asked.

Fred Sirieix was left in tears after a luxury hotel surprised him with a touching gesture featuring his beloved children

A touching gesture left Fred Sirieix in tears.

The First Dates star was given an unexpected Father’s Day surprise during filming for his new travel series. He became emotional when staff at a luxury hotel in Singapore arranged a personal gesture for him while he was filming Fred’s Ultimate Hotels, which is set to air on Monday (August 31st).

Fred was staying at the iconic Raffles Hotel Singapore, one of the city’s most famous landmarks, when the hotel team decided to mark Father’s Day in a very special way.

Speaking about the moment, Fred admitted he was completely caught off guard when he returned to his room and discovered a surprise waiting for him.

“I arrived there on Father’s Day on the 21st of June,” he explained. “My concierge picked some pictures off the internet of my kids. They used AI to mock up a card to say happy Father’s Day. ‘We love you’, blah, blah, blah, and he put it in my room.”

The thoughtful gesture proved too much for Fred, who admitted he immediately became emotional. “Wow. Oh my God, I knew my kids are everything for me and I just saw that card there,” he said. “It was just on Father’s Day. I cried.”

Fred has two children with his former partner Alessandra Spendolini – daughter Andrea Spendolini-Sirieix, a professional Team GB diver who won a bronze medal at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games and was named the BBC Young Sports Personality of the Year in 2020, and son Lucien, who stays away from the spotlight.

The emotional moment came during Fred’s stay at Raffles, which is one of Singapore’s best-known hotels and has become synonymous with the city since opening its doors in the 19th century.

The hotel is famed for its colonial architecture, luxurious suites and its connection to the Singapore Sling cocktail, which was created at its Long Bar.

It has 115 suites spread across nine categories, with no standard hotel rooms, while its Presidential Suite costs around £12,000 per night.

During his time in Singapore, Fred also took part in a number of experiences as part of the new series. His adventures included a sidecar tour, a visit to the city’s Botanic Gardens and a trip to a hawker centre, where he explored Singapore’s famous food culture.

He also learned Tai Chi from a master at Raffles before heading out on a yacht experience around Sentosa. The Botanic Gardens provided another glimpse into Singapore’s unique landscape, with the city being one of the few places in the world where primary rainforest can be found within its city limits.

The trip forms part of Fred’s Ultimate Hotels, in which the television personality explores some of the world’s most remarkable hotels while getting to know the destinations and cultures surrounding them.

But despite the luxury and extraordinary experiences on offer, it was the simple Father’s Day gesture that left the biggest impression on Fred.

Fred’s Ultimate Hotels airs on Monday, August 31 at 8pm on Channel 4.

DAVID Beckham kissed his wife Victoria on their “special” family holiday – without estranged son Brooklyn.

The former footballer, 51, took to his Instagram stories to give fans a sneak peek into the holiday as the Beckham clan visited Spain, France and Italy.

David and Victoria, 52, were joined on the trip by their children Romeo, 23, Cruz, 21 and 15-year-old Harper.

Also there were his mum Sandra, Victoria’s dad Tony and Romeo and Cruz’s girlfriends Kim Turnball and Jackie Apostel.

Their estranged son Brooklyn and his wife Nicola Peltz were of course noticeably absent from the trip.

In one snap that David uploaded, he and Victoria were seen enjoying a smooch while on a boat in Ibiza, Spain.

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PINT PANIC

‘The whole of Ireland wept’ – Brooklyn Beckham sparks fury with Guinness snap

Another showed the pair swimming in a stunning blue ocean as he penned: “Someone doesn’t love the ocean but she loved this moment.”

He posted individual pictures with Harper and his mum as he told them he loved them.

In one particular photo, the family are seen sitting around a table for dinner as David writes: “Family moments. Love you all.”

Brooklyn, 27, and his wife Nicola, 31, have been estranged from his family for the past three years.

While his family enjoyed their European holiday, he and Nicola posed up a storm in bed selfies as they were joined by their pet pooch.

The two were seen snuggled in their bed as they cuddled each other in one snap.

The chef released a bombshell statement in January and suggested public image and Brand Beckham was the biggest priority to his mum and dad.

He alleged that his mum cancelled making his wife’s wedding dress in the eleventh hour.

He claimed she was excited to wear one of Victoria’s designs and had to urgently find a new dress at the last minute.

He went on to say his mum called him “evil” for choosing to include his Nanny Sandra and Nicola’s Naunni on their table at the wedding because they didn’t have their husbands.

Brooklyn also claimed that his mum hijacked his wedding dance to dance “very inappropriately” on him and alleged she invited women from his past into his current life.

The former photographer said his parents cared more about keeping up with “Brand Beckham”.

Victoria said in an interview that when it comes to parenting, she has “always tried to protect” her children.

She told Emma Grede on her podcast: “Our children have had a very different upbringing to myself and David and I think the world is also a very different place now then to what it was when they were younger.”

The Beckham clan have made several attempts to lend olive branches to Brooklyn on social media, mentioning him on birthdays and special moments.

However, he’s remained firm on his decision to keep away from them as he continues his life in Los Angeles with Nicola.

Shelley Fabares’ cause of death has been revealed.

Fabares was known best for her television roles , including Christine Armstrong on the ’90s sitcom “Coach,” Francine Webster on the 1970s sitcom “One Day at a Time” and Mary Stone on “The Donna Reed Show,” as well as her Billboard Hot 100 song “Johnny Angel” and appearances opposite Elvis Presley in “Spinout,” “Clambake” and “Girl Happy.”

The actor died Saturday in Los Angeles surrounded by loved ones after battling pneumonia, her family told The Times on Thursday. In the 1990s, Fabares fell ill, but doctors struggled to pin down what the problem was. After years of health problems, she was diagnosed with autoimmune hepatitis. Doctors ultimately discovered severe liver deterioration, and she spent nearly two years on a waiting list for a liver transplant. She received the lifesaving surgery in the fall of 2000.

In 2011, Fabares told PBS Houston that after suffering liver failure and facing death, her outlook on life completely changed. “It really brought home the fragility of life and how fast everything can change and how extraordinarily lucky we are to be alive, and to have this opportunity to be here, and in my case, to get really an entire second chance,” she said during the appearance. “It does make things more precious.”

She said that, after the close call and lengthy recovery, she feared death less.

“To her family and friends, Shelley was a source of love, strength, laughter, and comfort,” Fabares’ husband, “MASH” actor Mike Farrell, said in a statement.

“She was a devoted wife, cherished stepmother, daughter, sister, niece, aunt, family member, and loyal friend whose warmth, generosity, humor, and grace made an enduring difference in the lives of everyone who knew her. She had a remarkable ability to make people feel welcomed, valued, and cared for.

“For millions, Shelley was a beloved actress whose work became part of the fabric of American television and film. … But to those closest to her, her greatest legacy was personal: the love she gave so freely, the friendships she treasured, and the family bonds she held dear.

“We will remember Shelley for her kindness, loyalty, wit, courage, and beautiful spirit. We will miss her deeply — not only as a celebrated performer, but as the loving and extraordinary person she was in our everyday lives.

“We are heartbroken by her loss, yet profoundly grateful for the years we shared with her and for the joy, compassion, and love she brought to so many. We ask that our family’s privacy be respected as we grieve. We take comfort in knowing that Shelley’s work and the memories she created with those who loved her will continue to live on.”

She is survived by her husband and her daughter, Erin.

Jeanie Buss is taking her siblings to court. Again.

Attorneys representing the Lakers’ controlling governor filed a petition in Los Angeles Superior Court on Wednesday to block her five siblings from trying to sell the family’s remaining 17.82% of the NBA franchise the Buss family has owned since 1979.

Jeanie contends that her siblings should abide by a 2017 court order that mandated the family’s co-trustees to “take all actions reasonably available to ensure that Jeanie is appointed and remains as the NBA controlling owner of the Lakers.” The 2017 legal battle installed Jeanie’s younger siblings, Janie and Joey, as her fellow co-trustees, two roles that were previously held by her older brothers Jim and Johnny, who were ousted after a failed attempt to wrestle control away from Jeanie.

The 97-page petition accuses Janie, Joey and the other siblings Jim, Johnny and Jesse of “devious behavior” for not including Jeanie in discussions to sell the family’s last stakes in the team earlier this month. While the other siblings elected to sell soon after Bob Iger and Joshua Kushner agreed to a record-breaking transaction with Mark Walter and released a statement attributed to the Buss family, Jeanie “never agreed to any sale, was never consulted and was never even informed,” the petition states.

“Jeanie thought she had put all of her siblings’ scheming and manipulations behind her in 2017,” the petition reads. “Sadly, that was not the case — and Jeanie must respectfully request relief from this Court a second time.”

Among five points on the petition, Jeanie hopes to declare her siblings’ votes to sell the team void, remove Janie and Joey as co-trustees for “breach of fiduciary duty” and hold both in contempt of court and hold Jim, Johnny and Jesse in contempt and liable for “aiding and abetting.”

Jeanie, the third-oldest child of former Lakers owner Jerry Buss, was hand-picked by the family patriarch to oversee his prized investment that grew from a $67.5-million purchase into a $12.5-billion world-renowned brand. Iger, the former Disney chief executive, and Kushner, founder of a venture capital firm, bought a majority stake of the Lakers from Walter earlier this month at a record valuation, and reports of five of the Buss siblings’ plans to sell their ownership stake in the team came days later.

To remain on the NBA board of governors, Jeanie would need to own at least 15% of the team. She was to stay in the leadership role for at least the next four seasons after the Buss family relinquished control of the team to Walter in 2025.

That unique aspect of the 2025 sale “demonstrated the co-trustees could fulfill their duties under the trust — and honor Dr. Buss’s intent — while also delivering extraordinary financial returns to the beneficiaries,” the petition states.

Jeanie contends that not only is her latest fight to maintain her governor role a way to “enforce of her parents’ intent,” but the petition says Jeanie also believes remaining the governor can “protect the strategic decision by the trustees less than a year ago to sell a portion of the team and retain an interest sufficient to maintain control and to benefit from the continuously skyrocketing value.”

Since Jerry Buss built the Lakers into the NBA’s most glamorous franchise during four decades of stewardship, the team will now have a third controlling owner in as many years. Walter, who previously owned a minority stake in the team, took majority control in 2025 when the team was valued at $10 billion. His reign was short-lived; he shockingly sold his shares of the team to Iger and Kushner for a 25% profit 14 months after Walter’s purchase offer was accepted by the Buss family trust.

The sale from Walter to Iger and Kushner is not expected to be affected by the Buss family’s legal proceedings, according to a source close to the matter but not authorized to speak publicly.

The petition adds that Lakers minority owners Patrick Soon-Shiong, who owns the Los Angeles Times and said he plans to hold onto his 4% stake in the Lakers, and real estate developer Ed Roski Jr. believe Jeanie is “the right person to continue as controlling owner and NBA governor of the Lakers to help preserve and continue to grow the value of the Lakers stock investments.”

The Lakers functioned as a family-run business for decades under the Buss family. Each child held different roles, but Jeanie is now the only one left at the organization. Jim and Johnny were ousted in 2017. Janie, Joey and Jesse were all fired soon after Walter’s sale was approved in November. Joey was the chief executive of the G League affiliate South Bay Lakers and Jesse was the Lakers’ director of scouting. Janie led the organization’s charity efforts. ESPN reported that Jim and Johnny had returned to roles with the team and were among those fired in November.

After Jeanie and her legal team announced their intention to contest the siblings’ attempt to sell, the five other siblings released a statement saying they were “united” in their decision and intended to “move forward thoughtfully, respectfully and through appropriate process.”

“The Los Angeles Lakers have never been just a basketball team,” the statement released Aug. 18 continued. “They have been one of the greatest privileges of our lives. Our focus has always been on what we believe is best for the Lakers, the fans who have supported this franchise for generations and the greater Los Angeles community.”

A court hearing to review the request is scheduled for Nov. 5, according to the petition. The Lakers will be two weeks into their season at the time.

An investment firm owned by the two youngest sons of late Lakers owner Jerry Buss has bought into the new ownership group of the San Diego Padres.

Buss Sports Capital, which was started in September by Jesse and Joey Buss, joins a Padres ownership group that includes husband-and-wife controlling owners José E. Feliciano and Kwanza Jones. Although neither the team nor the firm supplied financial details of the deal, multiple media outlets are reporting that the Buss brothers’ stake in the Padres is around 5%.

“We are honored to join Kwanza and José and have the opportunity to contribute to the future of a team that Jesse and I have loved since we were kids growing up in San Diego,” Joey Buss, 41, said in a statement. “Sports have always been a part of our family’s story, and great organizations have a unique ability to bring people together and create a lasting sense of community. …

“The Padres are on the cusp of something special, and through Buss Sports Capital, we look forward to bringing our experience and perspective to the ownership group and doing our part to build on the strong foundation already in place.”

Like their four older siblings, Jesse and Joey Buss took part in the family business of running the Lakers. When the Buss family sold the controlling stake to Mark Walter for $10 billion last year, team controlling governor Jeanie Buss told ESPN, the siblings were told their roles with the team wouldn’t change for five years.

In November, however, Jesse and Joey Buss, as well as the rest of their siblings except for Jeanie, were let go by the Lakers. At the time of their dismissal, Jesse had been the team’s assistant general manager and Joey was vice president of research and development.

Earlier this month, Joshua Kushner and Bob Iger agreed to buy the majority ownership of the Lakers from Walter for $12.5 billion. Soon after, ESPN reported that the Buss siblings had agreed to sell their remaining 17.8% stake in the team to Kushner and Iger. Jeanie Buss, however, filed a petition in Los Angeles County Superior Court on Wednesday to block such a sale.

The Padres are the first major acquisition for the brothers’ investment firm.

“Joey and I had the privilege of learning from our father and then spending nearly two decades building our own careers in professional basketball operations,” Jesse Buss, 38, said. “We saw firsthand what it takes to build a championship organization, and throughout our careers have applied those lessons across talent evaluation, roster construction, player development and long-term organizational planning. While every sport is different, we believe the principles behind building sustained success are universal. …

“We look forward to bringing that experience to the ownership group, supporting Kwanza and José’s vision for the Padres and doing everything we can to help bring a World Series championship to San Diego.”

LONDON — Prince Harry and his wife Meghan arrived in the United Kingdom on Wednesday, as they make a fresh start in Britain after six years in the United States, U.K. media reported.

The news comes less than a week after the couple surprised fans and critics alike with plans to return to Britain. The return was reported by media such as the BBC and the Daily Telegraph, with the newspaper reporting that their plane landed at Birmingham International Airport around noon.

Flight tracking websites showed a private charter flight from Van Nuys, arrived at the airport at 11:56 a.m.

The couple’s children, Prince Archie, 7, and Princess Lilibet, 5, have already enrolled at British schools and will start classes in September. The family plans to live at a private, nonroyal residence outside of London, but haven’t said exactly where that will be.

Harry and Meghan gave up their royal duties and moved to California more than six years ago to earn their living through lucrative contracts with Netflix and Spotify.

Relations with the rest of the royal family quickly soured as the couple said palace staff had been insensitive to Meghan’s mental health and leveled charges of racism and media manipulation at members of the royal family.

Harry recently expressed an interest in reconciliation so he could spend more time with his father, King Charles III, who is being treated for an undisclosed form of cancer. But relations with his brother, Prince William, who is heir to the throne, remain tense.

There are so many boys, girls, men and women with the name Rex living in Southern California that they could form their own football team.

“We have like 28 cousins,” said San Clemente High strong safety/receiver Jaxson Rex.

Every Christmas, the Rex adults and their children, ranging in age from 4 to 28, come together but the family football games have been put on hold.

“We don’t play football anymore because everyone will get hurt and the dads try too hard,” Jaxson said.

There were eight Rex siblings who grew up first in Hawaii, then Bellflower. All are married. The most famous is Bryon, who was an All-American tight end at Brigham Young and is Jaxson’s uncle. Byron’s son, Isaac, played tight end at San Clemente and BYU, and another son, Preston, is a senior running back at BYU.

Jaxson will follow the family tradition of playing at Brigham Young, committing during the summer despite a strong bid by UCLA’s new coaching staff to pull him away. “I loved how UCLA’s new coaching staff is,” he said.

Jaxson is so talented there isn’t a position he can’t play in emergency except on the line. The 6-foot-1, 200-pound senior was recruited by several schools to be a receiver but sees himself as a strong safety.

“What I’ve enjoyed is the physicality in football,” he said. “I grew up playing basketball and football and realized I wasn’t going to be 7-foot tall, so I tried to focus on football once I hit eighth grade.”

A motivational moment came when he was in sixth grade and moved from Long Beach to San Clemente. He ended up playing against seventh- and eight-graders, which meant he hardly played.

“I never want to be not on the field,” he told himself.

Jaxson doesn’t leave the field for San Clemente (2-0), returning punts and kickoffs besides catching passes and making tackles and interceptions on defense. If you like someone who creates turnovers, that’s Jaxson. He’s always trying to take the ball away from running backs, quarterbacks and receivers.

Last season he had five interceptions, two returned for touchdowns, and 68 tackles. He also caught 10 touchdown passes. He averaged close to 30 yards on kickoff returns. He had 12 solo tackles in the Southern Section Division 2 final loss to Los Alamitos.

“He does everything and then some,” coach Jaime Ortiz said. “He has a high football IQ. He’s tenacious.”

Former NFL tight end Dennis Pitta, an assistant coach with the Tritons, said, “He’s as hard of a worker and as good as an athlete you could ask for.”

Jaxson calls living in San Clemente “paradise.”

“We always have an ocean breeze, not too hot, not too cold,” he said. “I can always work out any time of the day.”

The end of the summer practices for San Clemente involves jogging from campus 1.8 miles to the San Clemente Pier.

“Everyone is honking their horn while we’re going,” Jaxson said.

Imagine if 28 Rex cousins were participating. The noise would be so loud the town might think a parade was taking place.

Jaxson has an 11-year-old brother learning to play safety.

As long as players named Rex keep coming through San Clemente, the football team will be more than fine.

AUGUST is traditionally seen as the sacred month for the big family holiday.

But a growing number of savvy parents are taking one look at the summer holiday mark-ups and deciding that October half-term will do very nicely instead.

When I dug into the data, I spotted a huge trend among families who originally searched for an August getaway but ultimately booked October instead.

The maths is simple: lower package prices, far better hotel availability and no daily battles for the final poolside lounger.

In the Mediterranean and North Africa, the heat becomes significantly more bearable too – still plenty warm enough for swimming, but without feeling as though you’re stepping into an industrial oven every time you leave the air-conditioned lobby.

So, I crunched the numbers and mapped out seven major hotspots where families are saving up to a third on their bill by choosing October over August. Here’s where the smart money is going…

7. Hurghada, Egypt – 12.4% cheaper

Even the smallest saving on our list leaves a serious amount of cash back into your bank account.

October half-term packages to Hurghada are around 12% cheaper than peak August departures and, if I’m honest, the autumn weather is far better suited to children.

Hurghada in August is brutally hot – the pavement turns walking barefoot around the pool into an interpretive dance – whereas October serves up comfortable temperatures of 32°C and a sea that sits at a balmy 27°C.

You can book five nights all-inclusive at the four-star Royal Lagoons Aqua Park Resort & Spa from £625pp, based on a family of four flying on 27 October.

This hotel’s brilliant too, with its private lagoon beach set-up.

They run a free, continuous pontoon-boat shuttle straight to its private stretch of sand, giving you access to a world-class snorkelling spot away from the busier public beaches.

Book a holiday: Hurghada

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Book a five-night all-inclusive stay at Royal Lagoons Aqua Park Resort & Spa from 27 October, with return flights, for £625pp.

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6. Antalya, Turkey – 20.2% cheaper

Antalya was the runaway favourite among families switching from August to October, accounting for 14% of all our autumn switchers, and a 20.2% price drop explains why.

For a family of four or five, taking a fifth off the total package price saves hundreds of pounds instantly.

The intense August heat gives way to a perfect 26°C, keeping the sea warm enough for swimming while making local day trips much more enjoyable.

I spotted five nights at the four-star, all-inclusive Sun Star Beach Hotel in Alanya from £405pp, based on a family of four departing from London Gatwick on 25 October.

The location of this hotel isn’t right on the beach, but its underground beach tunnel takes care of that problem for families.

It leads directly from the main pool deck, beneath the coastal road and straight onto the sand, meaning you don’t have to navigate busy resort traffic with toddlers in tow.

Book a holiday: Antalya

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Book a five-night all-inclusive stay at Sun Star Beach Hotel from 25 October, with return flights from London Gatwick, for £405pp.

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5. Majorca, Spain – 22.9% cheaper

Nearly 1 in 10 families making the seasonal switch chose Majorca, securing a huge 22.9% saving compared with August prices.

Majorca remains a stress-free staple because it’s familiar, the flights are short and the resorts are purpose-built for effortless parenting.

October temperatures average a comfortable 24°C, which is ideal for beach days without the suffocating peak-summer humidity.

I tracked down five nights at the four-star Hotel Mariant Park in S’Illot from £340pp, based on a family of four flying directly from East Midlands Airport on 25 October on an all-inclusive basis.

The standout perk at this property is its location between two beaches – you’re a flat, three-minute walk from both S’Illot and Sa Coma beaches, giving you easy access to sheltered, shallow water for young paddlers.

Book a holiday: Majorca

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Book a five-night all-inclusive stay at Hotel Mariant Park from 25 October, with return flights from East Midlands Airport, for £340pp.

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4. Costa Dorada, Spain – 25.9% cheaper

Ditching August for October in the Costa Dorada cuts holiday costs by almost 26%.

This region is a huge hit with children because it combines golden beaches with Spain’s biggest theme park, PortAventura World.

October brings the daytime temperature down to a comfortable 23°C, which is infinitely better for walking around a theme park all day than queueing in 35°C August heat.

You can get five nights all-inclusive at the 4-star Ohtels Les Oliveres in El Perelló from £268pp, based on a family of four flying directly from London Stansted on 25 October.

And this hotel’s great for families in October with its huge indoor heated pool and spa area, giving you a built-in, weatherproof back-up plan if you get a cooler autumn afternoon.

Book a holiday: Costa Dorada

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Book a five-night all-inclusive stay at Ohtels Les Oliveres from 25 October, with return flights from London Stansted, for £268pp.

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3. Costa Blanca, Spain – 26% cheaper

Tied for the second-biggest saving on our radar is the Costa Blanca, where an October half-term holiday is a huge 26% cheaper than during the peak summer period.

On a typical £3,000 summer booking, that saving keeps almost £800 in your pocket.

Flight times from the UK are short, transfer options are effortless and competition among local resorts keeps hotel prices fiercely competitive.

I found five nights at the three-star Port Denia Hotel from £318pp, for a family of four staying all-inclusive too, with flights from London Stansted on 25 October.

And the top feature here is its location at the foot of Montgó Natural Park.

You get a quiet, tree-lined pool setting just 50 metres from La Marineta Cassiana beach, giving you a calm, shallow bay for young children without the noise of a high-rise resort.

Book a holiday: Costa Blanca

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Book a five-night all-inclusive stay at Port Denia Hotel from 25 October, with return flights from London Stansted, for £318pp.

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2. Costa del Sol, Spain – 26% cheaper

Matching the Costa Blanca with a 26% saving is the Costa del Sol.

In August, these resorts are packed to capacity and carry a hefty peak-season price-spike.

By October, the crowds have dispersed, the temperature has cooled to an easy 23°C and exploring nearby places such as Malaga or Marbella is an absolute breeze.

I found five nights all-inclusive at the four-star Bakour Oh Nice Costa del Sol in Estepona from £315pp, for a family of four flying directly from East Midlands Airport.

And, for me, what makes this place a brilliant base is its traditional, low-rise Andalusian village layout.

The rooms are spread across quiet, subtropical garden courtyards rather than housed in a sterile hotel block, giving families plenty of space to relax. Bliss.

Book a holiday: Costa del Sol

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Book a five-night all-inclusive stay at Bakour Oh Nice Costa del Sol from 25 October, with return flights from East Midlands Airport, for £315pp.

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1. The Algarve, Portugal – 33.1% cheaper

Taking the crown for the biggest seasonal saving is the Algarve, where families can cut their package bill by a staggering 33% simply by moving their holiday to October.

August is peak season in southern Portugal, driving hotel rates through the roof.

By autumn, those same clifftop resorts have cut their prices by a third while still offering temperatures of 23°C and peaceful beaches.

You can book five nights at the four-star Muthu Clube Praia da Oura in Albufeira from £355pp, based on a family of four flying from Bristol on 25 October and, once again, this deal is all-inclusive.

The ultimate insider perk at this property is its direct, private sloping access to Praia da Oura beach.

You can step straight out of the tropical pool gardens and onto the golden sand, bypassing the steep coastal steps that usually make beach trips with buggies a nightmare.

Book a holiday: the Algarve

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Book a five-night all-inclusive stay at Muthu Clube Praia da Oura from 25 October, with return flights from Bristol, for £355pp.

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“Everywhere I go, the kids call me ‘the book lady.’”

Dolly Parton wore the moniker like a badge of honor, and she earned it too. Through her Imagination Library program, launched by the Dollywood Foundation in 1995, she put more than 330 million books into the hands of children across America, Canada, the U.K., Australia and the Republic of Ireland.

The program is rooted in a childhood of poverty and illiteracy — roots that those who knew Parton said she never denied or abandoned.

Parton, 80, died Tuesday after a brief battle with cancer. And although the country western superstar collected accolades — including 10 Grammy Awards, a National Medal of the Arts and two Academy Award nominations — across her storied career, Parton said her contributions to children’s literacy were most precious to her.

In 2023, the American Library Assn. awarded the singer-songwriter, book lady and philanthropist its highest honor — lifetime membership — to recognize her lasting impact on literacy and inspiring a love of reading in children.

“Dolly Parton represented the very best of America,” ALA President Maria McCauley told The Times on Tuesday, adding that, like people all over the world, she’s been playing Parton’s music since news of her death broke, particularly the song “I Can See the Light of a Clear Blue Morning.”

“That song has so much resonance right now,” she said, noting its lyrics capture a theme of resilience and faith in overcoming dark times.

“We want to make sure that Dolly’s vision, that reading is for everyone, becomes a reality. That’s something that we can all carry forward in memory of Dolly.”

Parton’s Imagination Library gifts a book a month to children signed up for the program from the time they are born until they are 5 years old. Parton described the program best when speaking with librarian Carla Hayden in 2018. “We send the book in the mail with their name on it. It’s not in the care of Mom and Dad — it’s got their little name on it, and they love to think, ‘This is mine.’ They wait at the mailbox. They get their little books, and to them, it’s personal.”

Parton understood the novelty of owning your very own book. Growing up in the Great Smoky Mountains town of Sevierville in east Tennessee, Parton was the fourth of 12 kids. Her father, a tobacco sharecropper, couldn’t read or write, and the family lived in a one-room cabin with no electricity. There were no books in the home, aside from the Bible.

The singer’s upbringing, particularly her father’s illiteracy and his shame around what he considered a shortcoming, was what inspired her to launch the Imagination Library. With the help of her dad, they set out to foster a love of reading in the kids of Sevier County. Reading, she believed, was the gateway to dreaming, and dreaming, the first step in the path toward success.

By 2000, the program had expanded beyond the Smoky Mountains and into a nationwide movement. By 2003, the Imagination Library had mailed 1 million books to budding readers. After the United States, the gifting initiative launched in Canada in 2006, then the U.K. in 2007, Australia in 2013 and the Republic of Ireland in 2019.

The program operates on a shared funding model split between the Dollywood Foundation — which manages the central overhead, administration, and global book-selection strategy of the Imagination Library — and local community partners including businesses, school districts, small or large organizations, or individuals who share in the mission.

Selina Brown, a U.K. author whose book “My Rice Is Best” was selected by the Imagination Library this year, said that 14,000 copies had been distributed across the U.K. to children in underprivileged areas. “To know that my book has gone into the hands of young children across the U.K. is absolutely incredible,” she told The Times.

Brown said that public figures often make shallow promises and vanity moves, but “with Dolly Parton, you can actually see her work manifest, and it really makes an impact. In the U.K. alone, there are children who do not have books in their house, and because of Dolly Parton, they now have their own library.”

Canadian author Melanie Florence, who penned “Sarabeth’s Garage” — another of Imagination Library’s picks — also grew up in a small town, with no bookstore, during a time with no online retailers. “If that had existed when I was a kid, being gifted a book that you get to keep, it’s a big thing, especially for a kid like I was, who just lived to read,” Florence told The Times.

“I think that’s such a beautiful legacy,” Florence said, “her music and this spirit of generosity.”

But it’s also a working legacy that Parton built to last, according to Dollywood Foundation’s president, Jeff Conyers.

“Dolly’s legacy was never meant to be something we simply preserve or look back upon,” Conyers said. “She built things that could keep doing good in the world.”

Conyers said the foundation was set to “make certain the love at the heart of her work continues reaching children, families and communities long into the future.”

Although the foundation is heartbroken after Parton’s death, he said, “the mission she gave us is as clear today as it has ever been, and we will carry it forward for generations to come.”

Dolly Parton marks the 100 millionth book donation by her Imagination Library to the Library of Congress collection in 2018.

(Andrew Harnik / Associated Press)

Washington, D.C., Councilmember Charles Allen said he was visiting family in east Tennessee more than decade ago when his 2-year-old niece went tottering off toward the mailbox. When her parents brought her back in, she was holding a book with her name on it. Allen said his brother had signed her up for Parton’s Imagination Library at the hospital just after she was born — “right then and there.”

Allen said he was inspired by “the joy on my own niece’s face when she opened up a book with her name on it” to write a D.C. law called “Books From Birth.”

“We basically borrowed that program and then partnered with them,” he said. “And now every child in D.C. from the time they’re born ’til they’re 5 years old gets a free book delivered.”

Allen said that the program is now 10 years old, and 4 million books have been distributed to about 100,000 kids: “It’s made a big impact.”

Allen met with Parton years ago and said she never forgot her roots.

“Watching her own parents struggle with literacy and kind of hiding it, she realized very quickly the power that she had as this just massive cultural and musical star,” he said, adding that she was going to use that power for something that would outlast her. “It’ll outlast me. It’ll outlast everybody.”

Children of D.C. “they know Dolly Parton,” he added. “They know she’s the lady that delivered the books. I have all the confidence in the world that she is smiling somewhere, knowing that so many people think of her as the book lady. That she was going to battle illiteracy, one kid, one family, one household at a time.”

In 2018, Parton donated her 100 millionth book to the Library of Congress.

During the ceremony Hayden, the librarian, asked the country star if she ever thought she’d be known so widely as “the book lady.”

Parton responded with her signature self-deprecating wit and wisdom: “I never thought about being the book lady — the painted lady, yes. The overexaggerated, overdressed lady — yes. But that just goes to show you that you can’t judge a book by looking at the cover, right? Or even a 100 millionth book by looking at the cover.”

In September, 336,004,951 books will have been distributed through Imagination Library. More than 3.6 million families have been registered globally.

Perez Hilton’s family has revealed new details about the blogger’s health before and after his mental health crisis earlier this month.

On Monday, Hilton’s brother-in-law, Tom (who did not provide a last name), appeared on “The Perez Hilton Podcast With Chris Booker” to talk about the 48-year-old’s self-harming incident that occurred Aug. 4 on a TikTok livestream.

Tom — who is married to Perez’s sister, Barbara Lavandeira — shared that the celebrity gossip columnist was now in a “lucid” state after receiving treatment for his physical injuries and his care would be “transitioning into the mental side of things.”

“He’s going to be going into a facility that is going to focus on his mental recovery,” he said on the podcast. “I don’t think you’re going to see him pop up in a few days.”

On Aug. 4, Miami police responded to calls around 9 p.m. concerning a TikTok livestream where Hilton harmed himself repeatedly with a box cutter and knife and expressed suicidal intent. After authorities safely recovered Hilton, he was placed in a 72-hour hold under Florida’s Baker Act, which allows for detention to assess mental health.

“There was some broken bones,” his brother-in-law said of Hilton’s physical injuries from his self-harming incident. “There [were] some other things stemming back from his sepsis.”

In March, Hilton was hospitalized in Las Vegas for 21 days due to severe sepsis, he shared a video, in which he said God presented himself to him and that he was a changed man. After recovering from the life-threatening illness, Hilton made the decision to relocate his family to Miami in June.

His brother-in-law — who said he had known the blogger for more than 20 years — did not believe the abrupt move was a red flag, considering past relocations to New York City in 2016 and to Las Vegas in 2023, though he did call it “a little surprising.”

“He can be a little impulsive at times; that’s part of his personality,” said Tom. “[But] we’ve never had a situation with him as serious as we’ve ever seen medically with that sepsis situation.”

Born Mario Lavandeira, the Cuban American has been a pop culture personality since the mid-2000s, running a popular online entertainment site. Originally from Miami, Hilton has a large familial support system in the area, which was one of the primary reasons for the move earlier this summer, according to his brother-in-law.

“That part made sense,” said Tom. “There is that structure of support there [in Miami] and he did just go through that near-fatal health scare.”

However, Tom revealed that Perez was not happy with his decision from the moment he landed in his new city.

“Mario, the moving truck isn’t even in Arizona yet,” Tom told Perez. “You’ve been to the airport and the house and you’ve now come to the decision in your head that this was a bad idea.”

Following the mental health crisis, Hilton’s mother, Teresita Lavandeira, filed a petition Aug. 7 for temporary custody of his three minor children, according to the Miami-Dade court case database.

Earlier reporting by The Times stated that Hilton was granted supervised visits with his children, but his brother-in-law said he had not had any contact. “They were not allowed in that section of the facility,” he said, “and eventually we’ll segue them back in.”

To deal with the fallout — and any misinformation out there — the family has hired a public relations team, said Tom. “We were concerned about what bad information was getting out there that [Child Protective Services] may be reading that was just simply not true,” he said.

While Perez undergoes treatment, the family is trying to figure out what could have triggered the mental health crisis.

As for whether Perez Hilton will continue being the saucy online personality the world has come to know — and criticize — Tom seems to have no doubts about that: “He does what he does because he loves doing it. He got into this because he loves celebrity gossip.”

Time staff writer Emily St. Martin contributed to this report.

The ITV show followed Natasha Carr and her sister Lee-Ann four years after their initial reunion

Two siblings were given tragic news about their biological father during the latest episode of ITV’s Long Lost Family: Born Without a Trace.

Natasha Carr was just one week old when she was abandoned in a toilet at St Thomas’s Hospital, Lambeth, in 1989. She turned to the ITV show for assistance in tracing her biological family in 2018, having no knowledge of her life prior to being fostered and ultimately adopted at the age of two.

While the show was unable to locate her biological parents, it uncovered, after three years of searching, that Natasha has a full sister named Lee-Ann, who is just 18 months older than she is.

Sharing 51 percent of Natasha’s DNA, Lee-Ann was also a foundling, having been left in the staff toilets at St James’s Hospital in Balham when she was just a few days old.

At the time of their reunion in 2022, Natasha told host Davina McCall: “It’s so lovely to have someone who has the same experience. No one will ever understand unless you’re in the exact same situation, and she literally was in the same situation,” reports MyLondon.

On Monday evening (August 24), the ITV show broadcast an update to Natasha and Lee-Ann’s story in Long Lost Family: What Happened Next, eight years after their initial search began.

While the team searched for further relatives of the sisters, they learned that their father had passed away only a few years earlier, following a battle with cancer. Natasha and Lee-Ann received the heartbreaking news away from the cameras.

“I’m on my way to give Natasha and Lee-Ann major information; sadly, their birth father has died, which we’ve told them away from the cameras,” Davina revealed.

Yet the sisters faced another stunning development as Davina confirmed their birth mother had been traced. “She’s still alive, and she would really like the chance to meet them and to start building a relationship,” she added.

Throughout Davina’s conversation with Natasha and Lee-Ann, she disclosed that their father was born and brought up in Jamaica until he was 14 years old.

“It’s really interesting to know our background and where we come from and who we are”, Lee-Ann shared, “That’s what started my journey, I wanted to know what flag.”

The siblings also learned their biological mother was alive and had additional children, leaving them both astounded.

Lee-Ann became visibly emotional and received support from Natasha as Davina confirmed their mum’s desire to reconnect with her two daughters.

Subsequently, in the episode, Natasha confirmed she had encountered her birth mum while Lee-Ann was still coming to terms with the revelation.

Long Lost Family: What Happened Next is available to stream on ITVX

EMILY Atack has shared a behind the scenes look at her “beautifully chaotic” family wedding held in her garden.

The Rivals actress tied the knot with Alistair Gardner in an intimate ceremony over the weekend at her home in Bedfordshire.

As the blushing bride continues to bask in her happiness, she’s taken to her Instagram to give her fans a sneak peek into the big day.

She looked incredible in a tailored bespoke wedding gown as she took to her feed to thank the designer.

In a series of photos, Emily appeared to be the picture of happiness as she wowed in her dress, complete with high-shoulders, lace detailing and of course, a veil.

The 36-year-old penned: “A moment for the dress.. The biggest thank you ever to Caroline at @eveliebridal and @josephinescottlondon @avenuebyjosephinescott.. beautiful detailing.

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“Tailored bespoke by @kulitabespoke and shoes by @charlottemillsshoes.”

The happy couple had a McDonald’s van parked up outside their home as the date was etched on the top of it.

It also got a personalised touch with “Mr and Mrs Garner” written on it as McFlurry’s were served to their guests.

The bride and groom posed in front of the van as they enjoyed a smooch.

Emily wrote: “Gifted the most amazing van for the day. Let’s face it. It’s all you want after about 23 glasses of champagne.”

The couple opted for two personalised cakes which included a showstopper with realistic looking figurines of Emily, Alistair and their two-year-old son Barney.

The trio are surrounded by plenty of greenery to replicate the forest theme of the garden wedding.

A second cake looked like something straight of Bridgerton, complete with a pink base, ruffled blue and white icing and adorned with pretty flowers.

The final personalised touched included an ‘E & A’ wooden cake topper.

Emily’s long-time pal Mario did the catering for the big day as she shared a snap of him serving up the delicious looking food.

The Inbetweeners icon said: “I really hope you are bollocking me about something mental I’ve done here @mariogdigiorgi.

“15 years of friendship and feeding us the most insane food.”

Her sister Martha took to her own stories to recall the wedding as she ran around after her nephew.

Sharing a photo of herself in a pretty Summery dress with Barney, she penned: “Maid of honour duty #52: Chase sticky nephew around the garden.

Martha also called it “our beautifully chaotic family garden wedding.”

Emily announced yesterday that she was a married woman as she told her followers on the social media platform.

“Yesterday we officially got married among close family and friends. It was absolutely perfect,” Emily wrote on Instagram.

“I can’t believe we get to do all that again in a few weeks time. Christ, we have fun don’t we @dralistairgarner.”

WE all know to take good care of your passport, but what happens if someone steals it?

One couple missed out on their holiday and lost thousands of pounds when their passport was stolen at a busy train station.

Talking to The Telegraph, Reverend Bruce Johnson and Sarah Johnson said they had their passports stolen in London St Pancras.

The couple were heading to Amsterdam when they discovered their travel bag with their documents had been nabbed.

Usually, Brits can opt for a premium one-day service for passport renewals if there is a problem with their documents, for example if it is damaged.

But, this service cannot be used when a passport is lost or stolen.

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In this case, it requires extra checks from the “Lost, Stolen and Recovered” team at HM Passport Office.

The quickest option for anyone with a stolen passport is the one-week Fast Track service.

As the couple were heading on their holiday on the same day, their plans were completely ruined.

Rev Bruce Johnson told the publication: “After speaking to the Home Office plus the Dutch embassy, they wouldn’t accept our other forms of ID, such as driving licences.

“So we had to go home – and lost the whole holiday.”

Eurostar refunded the couple’s tickets, but the loss of everything else from accommodation to train and taxi fares and replacement passports has cost them £2,219.

The couple’s travel insurance policy did not cover passport theft either.

Having a passport stolen is not uncommon – the Passport Office reported that almost 370,000 passports were reported as lost or stolen in the UK in 2025 by November.

This is 62 per cent more than all of 2024.

Advice on the GOV.UK website reads: “You must cancel a lost or stolen passport as soon as possible.

“This will reduce the risk of anyone else using your passport or your identity. You can report a lost or stolen passport for someone else if they cannot do it themselves.”

Advice from the Post Office reveals that if your passport has been stolen, you won’t be able to get a replacement quickly.

It says: “You usually can’t use the one-day Premium Service to replace a lost or stolen passport. This is only for renewing an existing adult passport, where you still have your old one.

“In rare cases, such as a serious illness or bereavement, you may be able to get urgent help. If this applies to you, you’ll need to contact HM Passport Office directly to discuss your situation.

“If you need a replacement quickly, the 1 week Fast Track service is usually the fastest option.”

For the one-week fast track, the earliest time you can get an appointment is the day after you apply.

The new passport is delivered by courier a week afterwards.

This costs £192 for an adult passport and £156.50 for a child passport.

If you want to find out more about other passport rules, head here.

The U.S. Air Force is looking for a new family of aerial targets that can replicate an extremely broad range of airborne threats, from small drones operating in swarms to stealth fighters, large uncrewed aircraft, strategic bombers, and airborne early warning aircraft.

The service wants these targets to be realistic enough to challenge modern sensors and weapons, but inexpensive and simple enough that they can be routinely risked, and even destroyed, during testing.

The requirements are laid out in a new Air Force Request for Information (RFI), which calls for a family of systems capable of representing the “full range of airborne threats, spanning from inexpensive ‘hobby drones’ to the most advanced adversary fighter and large-scale aircraft.” Responses are due September 28.

The service says the next-generation systems should be sufficiently inexpensive and straightforward to manufacture that they can be “treated as attritable or expendable when required.”

That represents a significant departure from the economics of certain existing aerial targets. The Air Force’s QF-16 full-scale aerial target, for example, is based on a converted fighter aircraft, and can be crewed when required. It solves the problem of putting a full-sized, high-performance target in the air, but consuming an F-16 for a test is fundamentally different from losing a purpose-built target designed to be produced and expended in quantity. The service also uses purpose-designed drones of many kinds as targets, as we will come back to later.

Test Missile Fired at Boeing’s QF-16

The new effort is also deliberately open to approaches outside the traditional defense-industrial base.

The RFI calls for industry proposals “including commercial, modified commercial, dual-use, and non-developmental solutions.” The government is “particularly interested in non-traditional, commercially derived, or dual-use solutions” that can offer advantages in “cost, scalability, and simplicity over legacy systems.”

That language suggests the Air Force is not necessarily looking for another clean-sheet aircraft program. Instead, it appears interested in exploiting existing commercial technologies, manufacturing methods, propulsion systems, electronics and other readily available components to produce targets in significantly larger numbers and at lower cost.

The proposed systems would cover several distinct threat categories, with requirements changing substantially depending on what the target is intended to represent.

For advanced fighter aircraft, the Air Force wants targets capable of “supersonic capabilities (up to and exceeding Mach 1.6 at 40,000 feet)” along with high-agility and high-G combat maneuvers.

Reflecting the need to mimic more advanced threats, including stealthy ones, the Air Force says the new targets should also provide precise low-observable radar cross-section profiles, multispectral infrared signatures, active radio-frequency emissions, and integrated electronic-attack capabilities.

That could be particularly important for testing weapons and sensors against fifth-generation-type threats — and what might come after. A conventional subscale target can reproduce aspects of an aircraft’s flight behavior, but it does not necessarily reproduce the radar, infrared, electromagnetic or electronic-warfare environment presented by a sophisticated combat aircraft.

The Air Force has been trying for years now to acquire new full-size target drones, or ones that can at least mimic real fast-moving tactical jets. As in the new RFI, the goal has also been for those drones to have stealth and other more modern features, or the ability to simulate those capabilities with a high degree of fidelity. So far, however, despite the launch of programs such as the 5th Generation Aerial Target (5GAT), progress in this regard has been extremely limited.

A different set of requirements are outlined for targets representing C-130-sized multi-engine aircraft.

Here, the RFI calls for “matching the physical scale, slow subsonic flight envelopes, and propeller or turbofan propulsion characteristics of larger multi-engine aircraft.”

Those targets would need representative physical volume as well as basic RF and IR emissions and realistic radar returns. The Air Force specifically says these characteristics are intended to help verify missile-seeker guidance and assess warhead lethality against large-airframe targets.

For still larger aircraft, such as strategic bombers and AEW&C platforms, the emphasis shifts toward physical scale and signatures. The service wants targets capable of reproducing the “massive physical dimensions, multi-spectral thermal signatures, and heavy-aircraft radar strategic threats” associated with these aircraft.

That requirement highlights one of the limitations of today’s subscale aerial targets. A small drone can be made to generate a particular radar return, but there are important differences between artificially reproducing a signature and putting a target into the test environment that physically occupies something approaching the volume and presentation of the aircraft being simulated.

The proposed family would also encompass multiple classes of uncrewed aircraft.

For Group 5 UAVs, the targets should be capable of operating at altitudes up to 50,000 feet.

Group 3 and Group 4 targets would need to fly at approximately Mach 0.5 to 0.8 and maneuver at between 3 and 6 Gs.

At the other end of the spectrum, Group 1 and Group 2 targets should fly below 150 knots and be capable of operating in swarms.

The inclusion of swarm operations reflects the fact that the Air Force wants at least part of the new target family to be able to reproduce the massed airborne threat that small uncrewed systems can present.

That could allow weapons and sensors to be evaluated against scenarios involving numerous inexpensive targets rather than a single isolated aircraft.

The Air Force has operated remote-controlled aerial targets for decades, but many of its existing systems represent very different approaches.

The BQM-167A, which entered service in 2007, is a subsonic subscale target roughly 20 feet long with an 11-foot wingspan. It is inexpensive relative to a fighter-sized aircraft, but its physical dimensions are nowhere near those of many of the aircraft the Air Force may need to replicate.

At the other end of the scale, converted QF-16s provide a full-scale target with genuine fighter performance, making them useful for testing against fourth-generation fighter-type threats.

But a converted F-16 is expensive to operate, cannot be expended in large numbers, and increasingly falls short when it comes to replicating a fifth-generation stealth aircraft, let alone a strategic bomber, an airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) aircraft, or a mass of inexpensive drones.

The new RFI appears designed to bridge that gap, and potentially eliminate it altogether by creating multiple classes of targets optimized for different threats.

Significantly, the effort put the requirement for targets to reproduce the characteristics that modern weapons and sensors use to find and defeat aircraft in the foreground.

That suggests the targets are intended to support testing across the entire kill chain, from initial detection and tracking through seeker acquisition, guidance, and terminal engagement.

There is also a strong emphasis on simplicity and scalability.

A target that costs almost as much as the system being tested is of limited value if the objective is to conduct repeated, realistic engagements. A target that can be manufactured cheaply enough to be routinely expended, meanwhile, would enable much more aggressive testing and larger numbers of test scenarios.

While it is relatively straightforward to produce a low-cost drone, the challenge will be producing one that can fly above 40,000 feet at supersonic speed, perform high-G maneuvers, generate controlled low-observable radar signatures, reproduce multispectral IR characteristics and conduct electronic attack.

The Air Force is therefore effectively asking industry to find the sweet spot where high-fidelity threat representation and mass-produced affordability intersect.

If it succeeds, the resulting target fleet could look very different from today, with the Air Force employing a family of relatively inexpensive systems that can be configured to represent almost any fixed-wing aircraft that might be encountered.

As well as training, the same family of drones could support development and evaluation of radars, infrared sensors, electronic warfare systems, air defense networks, and other technologies against a much broader range of realistic airborne threats.

The breadth of the requirement is noteworthy. If it achieves its goals, it could allow the Air Force to replicate large numbers of future Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCAs) as well as simulating swarms of small drones and barrages of one-way attack drones, reflecting the expected scale and diversity of future air warfare.

The new requirement ultimately calls for targets that can reproduce the speed, maneuverability, size, radar signature, infrared signature, electromagnetic emissions and electronic warfare capabilities of an increasingly diverse range of aircraft, while being cheap enough that losing them is an acceptable cost of testing and training.

Contact the author: thomas@thewarzone.com

THREE fab theme parks, three unique experiences – which one will you pick?

From magical fairy-tale worlds to high-octane thrills and waterpark adventures, there’s something for every family.

Efteling, The Netherlands

Lifestyle Editor Catherine Bennion-Pedley and her family fell for fairy-tale fun in Kaatsheuvel.

As we whizz past trolls swinging from trees and down to the sparkling rainforest floor, the kids are completely spellbound.

From this ride, Droomvlucht, we head back into daylight to find fairies twirling around the lawn, bubbles filling the air.

Efteling is the very definition of enchanting. From musical toadstools to talking bins that suck up litter through their mouths, we find ourselves staring in awe at all the quaint details.

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The Fairytale Forest brings much-loved stories to life through animatronics, and Poppy, seven, and Raffy, five, are delighted by a donkey that poos out gold coins when you pop in 50 cents.

But there are plenty of wilder attractions, too – wooden coaster Joris En De Draak feels way faster than 47mph as it swerves around corners, and Baron 1898 drops you into freefall for almost 40 metres.

Baby Switch cards mean husband Andy and I don’t need to queue twice for rides the kids are too short for, either.

Our best foodie finds in the park are the soft-serve ice creams, which cost less than £2, and hotdogs drenched in truffle mayo with parmesan and rocket, £5.50.

But it’s the Polles Keuken eatery that is unmissable, with its musical stove and huge pancakes – my favourite is stuffed with apple slices and topped with whipped goat’s cheese, candied walnuts and rocket, £15.

Opened last year, Efteling Grand Hotel is home to gorgeous art-deco interiors and luxurious bedrooms that are the antithesis of the bright and brash themed rooms at some parks.

Chocolate coins are hidden in the coffee drawer, superb Zenology toiletries are in the bathroom and there’s a sweet elf night light built into the wardrobe.

We also get early access to some rides and use of the sauna, steam room and pretty pool with its blue and white checkerboard tiles and impressive water chandelier – although it’s not a place for swimming lengths!

Brasserie 7, with its cascading faux-flower displays, serves up quality breakfasts with fizz, as well as a delicious, albeit pricey, dinner.

The greatest thing, however, are the miming piccolos, bell boys and girls dressed in cute purple uniforms, who have us giggling through mealtimes with their comedy antics.

As the rain hits on our last day, we drop by the on-site theatre to catch illusion show Magicaluna, which is packed with stunning tricks.

It sums up the Efteling experience in its final line: “You’re never too old to wonder.” Yep, this park is magic.

Stays for up to six at Efteling Grand Hotel cost from £496 B&B, including two-day park access (Efteling.com).

Futuroscope, France

Acting Senior Designer Sasha Cunningham and her son enjoyed robot rides, tech storytelling and making a splash in Poitiers.

Strapped into the hand of a giant robotic arm with my eight-year-old son, we are thrust into the air, twisting, flipping and turning.

The robot’s movements synchronise with the pumping music and flashing lights on this Dance With Robots ride.

And as soon as we’re released, a beaming Oscar announces we have to do it again!

Made up of Futuroscope Xperiences and Aquascope water park, the resort is home to more than 40 attractions housed in geometric buildings.

We hop on a rollercoaster to Mars and even get swept into the eye of a tornado on a 5D adventure.

Brightly coloured playgrounds and beanbag chill-out zones line the paths, while the Futuropolis zone lets smaller ones operate their own rides.

After a morning of adrenalin rushes, we kick back in Europe’s largest 360-degree circular theatre for nature documentary Antarctica, listening to Benedict Cumberbatch’s narration on our headphones.

But it’s the Key To Dreams show that closes the park that’s our favourite, with its spectacular projections, lasers and 3D water effects.

Oscar’s mouth drops open once again as his bright-blue burger, £14, spirals down the rollercoaster tracks covering the ceiling and lands at our table.

We’re dining at Space Loop restaurant – advance booking is essential – where my pork mignon, £14.50, also arrives amazingly intact and we dive into meringue tart, £7, and candy-floss-topped sorbet, £3.50, for pud.

Just over the road is Hôtel Ecolodgee and our lakeside lodge.

Come morning, a basket with pastries, yoghurts, breads and juice is delivered to our door, and we arrive at neighbouring Aquascope for 9am to beat the crowds.

Each of the eight large indoor slides has its own theme – from sudden drops and light shows to the mega-twisty Spiral.

One of the most fun is Alien, where we’re flushed down a chute in a double ring, racing against another pair.

We also meet octopus Kraki, the star of Europe’s first aquatic cinema, before floating down a glowing lazy river.

Looking for a theme park that’s out of this world? This is it.

Stays for four at Hôtel Ecolodgee with two-day access to Futuroscope plus Aquascope tickets cost from £431 (Futuroscope.com).

Paultons Park, England

Our pick on home soil gets better each year, says Lifestyle Editor Catherine Bennion-Pedley.

This place is consistently voted the UK’s fave theme park for good reason, and fun new zone Valgard: Realm Of The Vikings opened in May.

Climbing vertically up 75ft to then plunge down a 95-degree drop and be whizzed upside down makes Drakon the standout.

And while smart people pack budget-friendly picnics, the Feasting Hall does serve scrumptious chicken burgers, £11.95.

The best thing about Paultons is that an average-height seven year old can go on all the rides, and only a couple rule five year olds out.

We adore flying through the air on Flight Of The Pterosaur, hurtling backwards on Velociraptor and racing down Buffalo Falls in inflatable boats.

There’s also Peppa Pig World and a mini zoo with lemurs and flamingoes.

Close by is thatched gastropub The Potter’s Heron. Recently given a serious glow-up, it’s deceivingly huge and has a lively bar.

Bedrooms are decked out in rich colours and prints, bathrooms have rainfall showers and Bramley toiletries, and a Roberts Radio, coffee machine and home-made treats complete the package.

At dinner, highlights are a prawn and crayfish cocktail with paprika and lime mayo, £9.95, and signature pistachio soufflé, £8.95.

The kids’ chicken roulade stuffed with ham and gruyère, £7, is also a hit.

The next day, the Full English sets us up nicely for exploring the New Forest before our easy drive home.

Paultons Park day tickets cost from £43 per person over a metre tall (Paultonspark.co.uk). Family rooms at The Potter’s Heron cost from £199 per night (Pottersheronampfield.com).

Early Motown songwriter Janie Bradford Hobbs, who helped pen hits including “Money (That’s What I Want)” and “Too Busy Thinking About My Baby,” has died following an extended illness at a Los Angeles hospital, her family said Saturday. She was 87.

Bradford Hobbs was born in Charleston, Mo., and later moved to Detroit.

She was introduced in the late 1950s to Motown founder Berry Gordy by neighbor and singer Jackie Wilson. She joined Motown as a receptionist in 1958 and like many of the company’s employees took part in the creative process that helped make Motown a music industry powerhouse.

She and Gordy co-wrote “Money (That’s What I Want).” The song was recorded in 1959 by Barrett Strong and became an early hit. It was covered by the Beatles, which also become a hit.

“Too Busy Thinking About My Baby” first was recorded by The Temptations and later became a hit for Marvin Gaye. Bradford Hobbs also wrote songs for Stevie Wonder, the Supremes, Martha & The Vandellas and others.

“Janie was there with me from the very beginning, before there was even a Motown, and she will always hold a very special place in my heart and in the Motown family,” Gordy said in a statement.

“Janie was one of a special group I have always thought of as the original Motown family — the unsung heroes who believed in the dream before anyone knew what Motown would become,” Gordy continued. “She was one of the people who helped make Motown what it became.”

Bradford Hobbs later became head of writer relations for Jobete, Motown’s publishing company. After leaving Motown, she founded the annual Heroes and Legends Awards. The event spanned about 30 years, honoring music stars and awarding scholarships, according to her family.

She is survived by her husband, Wardean Hobbs; daughter, Nicole Hobbs; son, Lance Finney; and two grandsons.

Williams writes for the Associated Press.

Germany splits

At least two generations on both Guetinger’s maternal and paternal sides were from Babenhausen, a small Bavarian market town of about 4,000 people in the 1960s. Surrounded by a castle, it was once home to a merchant family said to have been prominent during the Middle Ages.

Guetinger’s father, Ernst, was among five siblings and the youngest of the three boys. Hans was the eldest, followed by another brother, Erich, and there was a four-year age gap between Ernst and Hans. Guetinger said this age difference played a role in his father’s and uncle’s relationship.

“My dad and uncle Hans didn’t have a very close relationship because they had grown up during wartime,” he said. “When war broke out in 1939, Uncle Hans was obliged to serve as a soldier.”

Soldiers were in short supply, so German boys aged 16 and 17 were drafted as “Flakhelfer” to work with anti-aircraft guns or man the huge lights that tracked enemy aircraft.

“My Uncle Erich was in this age range so served in this role, but my dad, being the youngest, did not have to serve,” he added.

After Nazi Germany’s defeat in 1945, the country was divided into occupation zones and then formally split into two separate countries in 1949.

Hans returned to Babenhausen, Bavaria, after the war and looked for work as a shoemaker. But jobs were scarce, and he had trouble finding work.

Amid their struggles, Hans’s homesick wife encouraged him to try finding work in the GDR, where she was from. They knew they would be welcomed, because the GDR was keen on people willing to buck the trend of those going west – roughly 2.7 million people moved to West Germany between 1949 and 1961 – for better economic and employment opportunities.

In 1958, Hans’s family moved east to Brieskow-Finkenheerd, a village near the Polish border, where Hans started working at a power station that also provided their accommodation. He was also able to indulge in his love of hunting as much as he liked.

“He was very happy hunting,” Guetinger remembered fondly. “In West Germany, you could only hunt if you owned land, but since the government owned all the land in the GDR, my uncle was told he could hunt wherever he wanted.”

Hans became so well known for his hunting abilities that when the big cadres wanted to celebrate something and eat some tasty meat like boar or wild swine, they would ask Hans to go hunting.

“The party had its own hunters, but they considered my uncle one of the best,” Guetinger said.

Meanwhile, Hans’s younger brother Ernst, back in Bavaria, became a father to Erich Guetinger in 1951.

In the 1950s, freedom of movement between the two countries remained largely unrestricted, but from the 1960s onwards, tougher measures were instituted. After that, East Germans were generally only allowed to travel to the West for urgent family matters, such as funerals or weddings.

In August 1961 – 65 years ago – the East German government began building the Berlin Wall, a 155km (96 miles) concrete structure surrounding West Berlin that effectively isolated it within GDR territory and severed the capital.

Outside Berlin, efforts to fortify the division led to the installation of new barbed wire fences, detectors, watchtowers, as well as booby-traps and extended powers for border guards to shoot and arrest escapees. Between then and 1989, when the wall came down, an estimated 75,000 people were imprisoned for trying to escape.

Guetinger says that in the early years of the division, there was barely any contact with his uncle and family.

“Eventually, we were able to start sending letters, but we shared very little in these because everybody knew the East German secret police, known as the Stasi, would carefully check the post between families, often reading our letters,” he said.

Like many families in West Germany, the Guetingers would often send Western products to their relatives in the East.

“For Christmas, we made parcels containing things we knew they would like, and which we knew it would be difficult for them to get, such as coffee and blue jeans,” Guetinger said.

“Blue jeans were particularly hot property, and my cousins liked this kind of clothing. And even though we would send parcels, there was always a chance that they wouldn’t reach them,” he explained, noting that shipments were closely monitored.

Guetinger says it is still hard to fully assess how the day-to-day disruption caused by the division impacted their family’s sense of safety and unity.

“Even if my parents had a heavy heart back then, they would rarely talk about it, so today, I have to rely on other indicators to try and understand. And one of the indicators is that my dad and his elder brother tried to visit each other as soon as it was possible for both of them.”