iconic

Iconic indie band and 90s rock act lined up as Oasis 2027 support, say bookies

RUMOURS of who will be supporting Oasis on their 2027 tour have reached fever pitch.

The Sun has already revealed that The Verve’s Richard Ashcroft will be supporting the rock band, but now bands Cast and the Manic Street Preachers have also been tipped to join the stage on the international tour.

Liam (L) and Noel Gallagher are returning with their band Oasis next year on a European and U.S tour Credit: PA
One of the bands tipped to support Oasis is Cast Credit: Getty

Indie rockers Cast have already supported Oasis on their 2025 reunion to and bookies now have the at 5/4 favourites to play at Oasis’ Knebworth concerts.

Bookies William Hill also have Manic Street Preachers as the next favourite band to join the Hertfordshire gig after first supporting Oasis there in 1996.

Other rumoured acts rumoured to appear include, The Charlatans, Ocean Colour Scene, Kula Shakers, and The Chemical Brothers.

Bookies are also anticipating Noel and Liam Gallagher will release a new album as Oasis next year and have them headlining Glastonbury at 14/1.

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And Manic Street Preachers Credit: Getty
Oasis will also perform in Paris for the first time since 2009 Credit: Getty

But they are also giving odds that the brothers will split up before the Paris leg of next year’s tour.

 “With the inclusion of Knebworth in Oasis’ 2027 tour dates announcement – on what will be 31 years since their historic concerts at the Hertfordshire venue – there’s a frenzy of speculation on who will support the Britpop titans,” spokesperson for William Hill, Lee Phelps.

“It is safe to say next year’s Knebworth gig will be nostalgic for many, and we make it 1/5 for any of their 1996 support to make a reappearance in the 2027 revival of one of Britpop’s most iconic performances.”

Liam and Noel Gallagher are taking their comeback across 11 cities, and organisers confirming there will be no general onsale, the official ballot is your only route to securing a spot in the crowd.

Oasis will kick off their live shows on 21 May next year at Celtic Park in Glasgow.

From they they will perform at Manchester City’s ground, Noel, 59, and Liam, 53, will fly to Europe for a round of shows including France, where Oasis will play for the first time in Paris since the group split in 2009.

The shows in Paris will begin on 23 July, before they fly to Italy for shows at the Stadio Olympico in Rome which start on 29 July.

Noel and Liam will then move stateside after the European shows before returning to Ireland and, as The Sun exclusively revealed earlier this year, Noel and Liam will then end their triumphant run of shows at Knebworth.

The four performances there will begin on September 11.

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Inbetweeners’ Donovan star looks almost unrecognisable 18 years after iconic show

The Channel 4 star has continued to bag huge television and film roles

The Inbetweeners star Henry Lloyd-Hughes looks almost unrecognisable almost 20 years after he found fame on the hit comedy.

Fans will remember the British actor, 41, for playing school bully Mark Donovan in the now-iconic series. For those who missed it, the E4 drama aired for three seasons between 2008 and 2010.

It followed the wild adventures of pupil Will (played by Simon Bird) and his group of friends: Simon (Joe Thomas), Jay (James Buckley) and Neil (Blake Harrison). Donovan was known for picking on the main characters, and infamously snapped a picture of Will in the toilet on his first day of school.

We watched the schoolmates’ last adventure together over a decade ago, and Netflix is bringing them back for a third feature-length film. But whatever happened to villain Donovan?

Lloyd-Hughes, the actor behind the teenager, is almost unrecognisable these days. He has remained in the industry, just like most of his co-stars.

The London-born performer recently appeared in Netflix’s The Thursday Murder Club, opposite the likes of Helen Mirren and Pierce Brosnan. He has also enjoyed roles in Killing Eve and Steven Spielberg’s new thriller, Disclosure Day.

Although casual viewers may not instantly recognise the actor as a “grown up,” devoted fans can pick him out of a crowd even after all these years.

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Lloyd-Hughes shared the story of a sweet run-in with a fan back in 2021. “This is not a humblebrag but I was giving blood this morning. Obviously you’ve got to wear a mask,” he told Square Mile.

He went on to reveal that a nurse came over to him and said: “Excuse me, I’d like to ask a question. Have you ever done any acting?” To which he replied: “Yeah, sometimes.”

The healthcare worker then asked: “Are you The Inbetweeners?” Lloyd-Hughes went on to explain: “It was a middle-aged to elderly Indian man who recognised me.

“I was not expecting, when I was wearing a school uniform, filming for like £5 a week, that ten years later or whatever I’d be getting recognised. Even behind a mask!”

The Inbetweeners series is available to stream on Channel 4’s on-demand service. The Inbetweeners 3 will stream on Netflix.

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Iconic BT Tower to reopen as 400-room hotel

ONE of the most iconic buildings in the capital’s skyline is set to become a 400-room hotel.

The Grade-II BT Tower in London is being transformed into a hotel, with rooms in the tower itself.

The BT Tower in London is set to reopen as a hotel Credit: Orms
It will feature bedrooms in the tower itself Credit: Orms

Levels seven to 23 of the Tower will all have accommodation, with each floor featuring four curved rooms around the central structure.

As for the lower floors, a new building will be developed at the bottom of the Tower, with a rooftop pool on level six, outdoor seating areas and wildflower roof gardens.

The lower ground floor will then feature events spaces and restaurants, and the ground floor will have a wine bar as well as other Class E businesses which could include a gym, shops and cafes.

Hotel rooms will then start on the first floor as well as another events space with the same for levels two to six, with some outdoor terraces, too.

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At the top of the Tower (level 34) – which used to be home to a revolving restaurant and viewing platform – there will be a 360-degree visitor attraction including a ‘revolving floor’, with suggestions it could be a restaurant again.

There will then be another events space on level 35 with an outdoor terrace and level 36 will have two more events spaces and two lobbies.

Levels 31 to 33 will also have events spaces.

Levels 24 to 28 and 37 to 40 will all be used for storage and building maintenance.

There will also be a rooftop pool on level six Credit: Orms
The hotel is expected to open in 2033 Credit: Alamy

Outside the base of the Tower, a new public square will be constructed too.

The park will feature curved timber benches, large pebble seating areas and bronze metal artwork.

Construction is expected to start in 2029 and the hotel is then due to open in 2033.

The BT Tower first opened in 1964 as the Post Office Tower and was the capital’s tallest building until the NatWest Tower opened in 1980.

The Tower then closed to the public in 1981 – though, there will be some private events.

The hotel was then purchased by MCR, an American hotel chain, in 2024 for £270million.

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Iconic English resort’s pleasure pier is forced to CLOSE for ‘essential works’

AN ICONIC English pleasure pier has been forced to close while “essential works” take place this month.

The seaside structure shut today but is expected to reopen soon.

Long pier over calm water with distant houses and hills under a clear sky.
Weymouth Pleasure Pier in Dorset is closing while essential repairs take place Credit: Dorset Council

Weymouth Pleasure Pier will be closed for two weeks while essential surfacing repairs are carried out.

A refurbishment of the beach access steps is also set to take place during this period, while the new handrails will be finished off too.

Dorset Council has said that the beach access will be open in time for the town’s annual Ironman event, which will take place on Sunday, September 20.

News of the closure was shared via the council’s Facebook page in a post that read: “A reminder that the Weymouth Pleasure Pier will be closed for two weeks from Monday 7 September while surfacing works are completed along the wall.”

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It continued: “The beach access steps at the end of the wall will also be closed during this period to enable refurbishment works and completion of the new handrails.

“The beach access steps will be reopened ahead of the Ironman event taking place in Weymouth.

The council thanked residents for their “understanding and cooperation” while the essential works are carried out.

Weymouth Pleasure Pier was previously closed for seven weeks between June and July for more “essential maintenance”.

The site was shut down over the summer months to replace failing harbour walls and safeguard the seafront for the future.

The repairs are part of a wider plan in place to address longstanding deterioration in the seafront defences around the peninsula.

Other problem areas including corrosion and voids behind existing harbour walls, and small sinkholes near footpaths also cropped up in investigations.

Previous repair work to the structures was last completed in 1970, meaning they were no longer viable for withstanding pressure from rising sea levels and more frequent storm surges.

Work has been carried out to strengthen the existing structures to ensure they can serve their purpose for decades to come.

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Queen’s Nose’s Harmony star looks unrecognisable 31 years on from iconic show

The former BBC child star is leading a completely different life away from the spotlight

The Queen’s Nose star Victoria Shalet looks almost unrecognisable over 30 years since she rose to fame.

Fans of the nineties show will remember the actress playing Harmony in the children’s programme, which was based on Dick King-Smith’s novel of the same name.

It followed Harmony, a 12-year-old who was gifted a magical 50p coin by her uncle Ginger. The coin had powers to grant wishes when Queen Elizabeth II’s nose was rubbed.

Leading actress Victoria starred on the show from its debut in 1995 until season four, when the story took a new direction without her character.

But her career didn’t end there, Victoria went on to appear in TV shows like The Quest and Midsomer Murders.

The London-born performer also had memorable movie roles in the 1995 horror Haunted and 2003 drama Eroica. But even Victoria’s biggest fans would struggle to recognise the actress now, almost 15 years since her last role.

The 44-year-old is now a psychotherapist for individuals and couples, working in areas including abuse, grief and child-related issues.

Victoria recalls her past life on her website, writing: “Before becoming a psychotherapist, I spent over two decades working as an actor in film, television, theatre, and radio.

“This immersive experience of observing and portraying the human condition deepened my curiosity about why we do what we do—and how our internal world shapes our behaviour and relationships.”

She has previously opened up about leaving the industry, confessing that she simply lost her spark for performing.

Speaking to Glamour, she explained: “From the age of six, I was acting, but I got to my early twenties and realised my heart just wasn’t in it.

“Then I had some therapy myself and it really did make me re-evaluate what I wanted from life. I did a foundation year in counselling and knew I wanted to take it further.”

Victoria went on to describe the moment everything changed, sharing: “The crunch came when I was accepted onto a training course that would qualify me to be a therapist.

“On the same day, I got a call-back from an audition to be a regular in Holby City. When I didn’t get the part, I saw it as a sign that I had to give up acting altogether to do the three-year course. I had to make a choice and I’ve never regretted it.”

Old episodes of The Queen’s Nose are currently available to watch on YouTube

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Silent Witness star unrecognisable in first role in iconic BBC period drama

The star is a mainstay on British screens now but was just at the start of the their career in the costume drama

One of the stars of Silent Witness looks worlds away from their role on the BBC crime drama in these images from their first big screen role.

The star was just starting out at the time they landed a part in BBC’s iconic 1995 Pride and Prejudice adaptation with Colin Firth and Jennifer Ehle. Emilia Clarke took on the role of Mr Darcy’s younger sibling Georgiana Darcy in Jane Austen’s cherished romantic classic.

The role saw her character Georgiana making friends with Ehle’s witty Elizabeth Bennet, who was the object of her brother’s affections. The role was just the beginning of an impressive career that saw Fox going on to feature in the BBC’s 1999 Charles Dickens adaptation of David Copperfield, Randall & Hopkirk (Deceased), and Oscar-winning film The Pianist with Adrien Brody.

The BBC’s 1995 version of Pride and Prejudice is still considered by many to be the most faithful screen adaptation of the literary classic. However, Netflix will be hoping to steal this crown when it launches its version of Pride and Prejudice starring Emma Corrin and Jack Lowden.

Fox spoke last year on Kate Thornton’s White Wine Question Time podcast about starring in Pride and Prejudice. She explained how she had “tiny, weeny, weeny part in it” in the Regency series.

She went on to admit that she’d never actually seen Pride and Prejudice, despite starring in the series because she was at university at the time, studying at St Catherine’s College, Oxford.

Nonetheless, Fox said she still had plans to watch Pride and Prejudice at some point. She praised the cast of the drama, which also includes David Bamber, House of Cards actress Susannah Harker, Gavin and Stacey star Alison Steadman and Jonathan Creek’s Julia Sawalha.

Fox hails from an acting dynasty, with her brother being White House Farm and House of the Dragon star Freddie Fox. Meanwhile, her actor parents are Joanna David and Edward Fox.

Her uncle is The Remains of the Day actor James Fox and her cousins are Lewis star Laurence Fox, Sanditon’s Jack Fox, and Lydia Fox. The star has been portraying forensic pathologist Dr Nikki Alexander in BBC series Silent Witness since 2004 after taking over as the show’s lead from Amanda Burton.

Despite being busy on Silent Witness, Fox has managed to squeeze in other projects, such as Legend Has It, Signora Volpe, The Trial of Christine Keeler, and Delicious. She is next going to be featuring in the forthcoming season of Silent Witness, which will be out in 2027.

Pride and Prejudice is streaming on U and BBC iPlayer now

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Virgin launches new 14-hour non-stop route to iconic holiday spot

In a few weeks the new route will be whisking holidaymakers away to their dream destination

Virgin Atlantic is opening its newest route, offering travellers a direct 14-hour flight from London Heathrow to the largest island in Thailand. It will become the only direct route between London and Phuket, with most other direct flights to Thailand ending in Bangkok instead.

Phuket is Thailand’s largest island and a popular resort destination famous for its long sandy beaches, jaw-dropping scenery and rich culture. Phuket International Airport itself is a tourist attraction as the runway sits right next to Mai Khao Beach, making for some iconic photographs as beachgoers can watch planes coming in for landing just overhead.

Virgin’s new route is expected to launch on October 18, 2026, after being announced last autumn. The Boeing 787-9 planes hold more than 250 seats and will be taking flight seasonally to Phuket three times a week.

Phuket’s winter season runs from November to February, but even these cooler months can see average daytime highs hitting over 30°C and cooler evenings rarely dipping below 20°C. This is also the dry season for the island, following the heavy summer rains and monsoon season.

The new route adds to the winter sun destinations Virgin offers British travellers, with other hotspots including the Maldives, Dubai, Cape Town and year-round Caribbean options.

Juha Jarvinen, Chief Commercial Officer, Virgin Atlantic, said when the route was announced last year: “We’re thrilled to introduce our new direct service to Phuket, giving our customers a flavour of one of Southeast Asia’s most captivating destinations.

“As well as making the trip more convenient, they can enjoy exploring Thailand’s unique heritage, natural beauty and delicious cuisine. We can’t wait for our customers to experience our trademark hospitality on their next unforgettable journey.”

Virgin has also partnered with Bangkok Airways, allowing travellers to use the new Phuket route and get easy connections over land and sea to Thailand’s other islands, including Bangkok, Koh Samui and Krabi.

The London to Phuket flights will be taking off every Wednesday, Friday and Sunday this winter, with return flights leaving the island on Thursday, Saturday and Monday.

Travellers wanting to head to the Andaman Sea before October 18 are still able to book their holiday with Virgin Atlantic Holidays, but they will be flying on an Emirates plane with a connection in Dubai.

Seats on Virgin’s inaugural Phuket flight are currently priced around £1,300 for a one-way in economy and up to £4,097 for upper class seats.

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NASA’s Hunt To Replace Its Iconic T-38 Talon Jets Kicks Off

NASA is starting to explore options to fill the gaps that will be left by the eventual retirement of its iconic T-38 Talons. Since the 1960s, NASA has been using the jets to support astronaut training and as chase planes. However, the Talons are aging, supportability is already a problem, and challenges to sustain them further are expected to grow as the U.S. Air Force replaces its T-38 fleet with new T-7A Red Hawks.

The Johnson Space Center (JSC) in Houston, Texas, put out a contracting notice today seeking information about potential T-38 successors. NASA currently has 25 Talons in its inventory, according to the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) online database.

A trio of NASA T-38s at the Johnson Space Center (JSC) in Houston, Texas. NASA

“NASA JSC is conducting market research to obtain industry information regarding availability, capability, schedule, sustainment models, and cost efficacy for modern high-performance jet aircraft that could be used in evaluation and an evaluation program for supporting NASA’s astronaut SFRT [Spaceflight Readiness Training] requirements,” the notice explains. “NASA has operated the T-38N fleet in support of astronaut SFRT for several decades. With the U.S. Air Force planning to retire the T‑38 fleet in the 2030-2035 timeframe, NASA is evaluating options to transition to a more modern high-performance aircraft.”

The T-38N variant is specific to NASA and distinct from the T-38A/B/C variants the Air Force currently operates. The U.S. Naval Test Pilot School also has a handful of T-38Cs. Both the N and C variants are based on the original T-38A, which first entered Air Force service in 1961. The Air Force bailed the first Talons to NASA three years later.

A pair of US Air Force T-38 Talon jet trainers. USAF

The N models have received various upgrades over the years, including the integration of new modern ‘glass cockpits’ with digital displays starting in the 1990s. As of 2011, compared to contemporary C variants, “the T-38N aircraft includes differences in communications and navigation, such as the addition of weather radar, a data link weather system, the terrain avoidance and warning system, the terminal collision avoidance system, GPS with localizer performance and vertical guidance approach capability, and redesigned electrical, inlet, ejector nozzle, and flight management systems,” according to a report from the National Research Council of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.

NASA T-38 Jets In Flight - Cockpit View Captured by Astronaut | Video thumbnail

NASA T-38 Jets In Flight – Cockpit View Captured by Astronaut | Video




Now, “NASA is seeking information on existing, production, or near-production high-performance jet aircraft capable of supporting SFRT,” per today’s contracting notice from the JSC. “NASA is not restricting industry responses to a specific performance class or aircraft design heritage.”

The notice does provide the following list of desired characteristics:

  • “High reliability with established maintenance documentation”
  • “Self-starting engine capability”
  • “Performance comparable to a modern jet trainer/light fighter aircraft”
  • “Capability to support dynamic maneuvering, formation flying, and cross-country navigation”
  • “Dual-seat, dual-control configuration (tandem or side-by-side)”
  • “Modern avionics compatible with instrument flight operations”
  • “Aircraft capable of being single-pilot qualified from either seat is highly desired”

“Prior to any fleet transition, NASA seeks to conduct a limited-scope evaluation program using a small number of modern aircraft,” the notice adds. “This evaluation program is not a full fleet buy or replacement. It is intended to operate a small number of aircraft within JSC’s existing operational framework to assess compatibility, logistics, cost efficacy, and training impact.”

Furthermore, “NASA anticipates evaluating a small number of aircraft over a multi-year period,” it continues. “NASA requests information on potential procurement options such as lease, lease-to-own, barter, or other arrangements due to limited upfront procurement funding.”

A quartet of NASA T-38 jets flies in formation past Launch Pad 39B at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center. NASA

NASA is looking to be solely responsible for flight operations of the jets, but is expecting contractors to handle maintenance, whether the aircraft are government-owned or not.

The contracting notice does also say that “NASA is open to operating the aircraft under reasonable flight hour limits, maneuver restrictions, or operational envelopes consistent with contractor recommendations.”

Just what kind of limits and restrictions NASA might be willing to accept is unclear. The entire reason for operating the T-38s now is to offer a high-performance platform with a good degree of maneuverability to support the SRFT requirements. These are attributes that are also valuable when flying as a chase plane and otherwise supporting flight research and test activities.

NASA certainly seems to be willing to consider a wide range of potential operations, both in terms of aircraft and operating schemes. When Boeing won the Air Force’s T-X competition to replace the T-38 with what became the T-7A, TWZ noted the possibility that other Talon operators, including NASA, could follow suit.

One of the US Air Force’s New T-7A Red Hawks. USAF The first pre-production T-7A lands at Edwards Air Force Base. USAF

There are a wide variety of other jet trainers available on the open market. This includes Korea Aerospace Industries’ (KAI) T-50, a design capable of supersonic flight that has been offered on the U.S. market before through a partnership with Lockheed Martin. A version of the T-50 was one of the losing entrants in the Air Force’s T-X competition.

There are several private companies that operate relevant jet trainer types to provide flight training and ‘red air’ aggressor services, too. NASA’s current administrator, Jared Isaacman, founded one of those companies, Draken International, making him once the owner of the world’s largest private air force. He has also personally bought various demilitarized fighters and jet trainers over the years. During this year’s July 4th celebrations in Washington, D.C., he somewhat controversially flew over the nation’s capital in one of the F-5 Tiger II jets that he owns.

With expectations that funding for new jet trainers will be limited, at least initially, NASA could well seek to enter into some kind of new arrangement with the Air Force (or another branch of the U.S. military) just like it did in the 1960s. It’s also worth noting here that the T-7A program continues to suffer significant delays due to technical issues and other factors. This has led the Air Force to repeatedly push back its own T-38 replacement timeline. The service’s original goal was to reach initial operational capability with the Red Hawk in October of last year, but it is now targeting August 2027 to achieve that milestone. A full-rate production decision is now not expected to come until January 2029. So, NASA actually getting any T-7s anytime before the USAF gets all the jets in badly needs is questionable.

There are also no indications that NASA’s SFRT requirements will slow in the meantime, either. If anything, these training demands could grow as work continues toward the resumption of crewed missions to the Moon under the Artemis program. The Artemis IV mission, currently scheduled for 2028, is set to be the first time astronauts have set foot on the lunar surface since Apollo 17 in 1972.

A NASA T-38 wearing a special Artemis program paint scheme. NASA

From the wording of today’s contracting notice from JSC, NASA is still some years away from making a final decision on what will come after the T-38N, but the hunt is now on.

Contact the author: joe@twz.com

Joseph is TWZ’s Deputy Editor, helping to oversee the site’s highly experienced and dedicated team, while also writing informative and impactful defense and national security content. He lives right in the thick of it in the Washington, D.C. area.


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Iconic Palestinian artist Sliman Mansour passes away at age 79 | Israel-Palestine conflict

Sliman Mansour, the iconic Palestinian artist whose work became a symbol of resistance, has died at age 79. His art preserved Palestinian culture and heritage while documenting decades of struggle, displacement, and perseverance.

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I stayed at the English hotel right by iconic racing track with epic kids activities and one of the UK’s biggest spas

Collage of a man and two boys watching a race car, a brick building, and a man in knight armor on horseback.

THERE aren’t many places where you can watch the Grand Prix then have a round of golf before relaxing in a spa.

But at the Whittlebury Park Hotel — just a stone’s throw from Silverstone — you can do all that and much more.

Enjoy a grand day out at Silverstone Credit: Getty
The Sun’s Alex West and his lads take in the track Credit: Alex West

The privately owned 4* hotel in Nottinghamshire boasts one of the UK’s largest spas, while its championship golf course has played host to some of the world’s top golfers.

And better still, it is just a ten-minute drive from the mecca of motorsport and its brilliant museum.

In fact, it’s so close to Silverstone you can hear the cars bombing round the track while you enjoy a clotted cream tea overlooking the 300-acre estate.

The central courtyard is a great spot in the summer, thanks to the buckets of games for kids — including a pickleball court I struggled to tear my seven-year-old away from.

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It also has two fantastic games rooms stuffed with table tennis, air hockey, darts, a giant KerPlunk set, PlayStation 5, and loads more.

And next-door, a movie room is set up with dozens of films, bean bags and complimentary popcorn.

You could easily spend a day just chilling there.

But my kids don’t chill and they are up at daybreak — which is when the early opening time (6.30am) at the swimming pool came in handy.

We left the kids splashing about to indulge in some much-needed quiet time in the sauna and steam room.

Budding golfers, on the other hand, will want to get themselves out on the championship course to practise their swing.

And if that’s not enough, the hotel is also home to a driving range, simulators, PGA professional coaches and an award-winning clubhouse.

If you’re a mega fan, make sure to book a room overlooking the course.

Our lovely family room had great views of the green so I could watch people putt while the kids tucked in to the welcome hamper full of sweeties and biscuits.

Aside from the golf and kid-friendly fun, one of the best things about Whittlebury is its location.

Silverstone Museum is just five minutes away in the car, with tonnes of interactive stuff.

This includes a state-of-the-art immersive VR experience called Black Cats and Chequered Flags where visitors can try out life in the pit lane before taking to the track alongside F1 legend Alberto Ascari.

The hotel is in the perfect spot for racing circuit Credit: Alex West
The museum is home to vintage motors Credit: Alex West

There is also an incredible collection of classic racing cars and bikes.

And most days there is real-life action taking place on the circuit.

Guests can wander down to stand next to the Wellington straight and Luffield corner as the cars scream by.

When the kids tire of the car gimmicks, Warwick Castle is around an hour’s drive away.

Take in a bout of jousting at Warwick Castle Credit: Alex West

GO: TOWCESTER

STAYING THERE: An overnight Summer Family Break costs from £370 based on a family of four sharing two double rooms, arriving on September 1.

The package includes full access to Leisure Club facilities, a three-course dinner and hot and cold breakfast buffet.

See whittlebury.com.

The place tends to be heaving on Fridays in the school summer holidays (we learned the hard way) but the scale of the old fortress is certainly breathtaking — literally, that is, if you want to climb to the top of the tower and along the ramparts.

Its main hall is bursting with a staggering collection of weapons and chivalric suits of armour.

But the star attraction is the medieval jousting contest, set in a brilliant historical recreation of the War of the Roses.

There’s also a falconry show, archery and a terrifying dungeon experience (for kids aged ten and over).

Little ones don’t need to miss out, either, with Zog’s play area and a Horrible History maze.

At the end of our two-night stay, our very active children had barely had a moment’s downtime — racing round the attractions like the cars at the Silverstone race track.

So start your engines. You’re in for a great ride at Whittlebury.

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90s rocker looks unrecognisable 29 years after iconic smash hit with curly pink hair and specs

A NINETIES rocker with curly pink hair and specs looks almost unrecognisable, 29 years after her iconic smash hit song.

The performer, 68, appears world’s away from her previous on-stage persona, rocking a very different look these days.

A nineties rocker is looking unrecognisable these days with curly pink hair Credit: INSTAGRAM
She’s sporting specs in one recent snap on Instagram Credit: Instagram/ @meredithbrooksreal

Meredith Brooks was all the rage back in the late nineties following the release of her debut album in 1997.

In recent pictures posted on her Instagram, Meredith today sports big curly red locks, which is a far cry from her trademark jet black hair and rock chic ware from her stage heyday.

In one snap, she shows off her rouge hair in it’s natural curly state as she poses for the picture.

She captioned it: “I don’t think many of you have ever seen what my hair looks like before styling…

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She’s looking world’s away from her rocker days Credit: YouTube/ MeredithBrooksMusic
Her first song Bitch was a huge hit Credit: YouTube/ MeredithBrooksMusic

“I’ve always been a curly girl. What do you think?”

One fan commented: “Raw, authentic, true nature, beauty.”

Another follower gushed: “Wow!!!! I wish I had known this in 1997, when I was a young 20-something musician obsessing over your straight hair on the cover of Blurring the Edges. You’re as gorgeous as ever!!”

While a third added: “Your hair looks terrific. You are gorgeous Meredith!!!”

In another picture uploaded to her feed, she’s seen smiling while wearing a pair of specs and a black baseball cap.

Meredith landed a record deal with Capitol Records back in 1995 and went on to release her album ‘Blurring the Edges’ two years later.

It went to number 22 in the US charts and became a top 10 album in various territories including the UK, Switzerland, Austria and New Zealand.

Her first song from the album, ‘B****’ landed in the number 2 spot and became a huge hit.

Meredith bagged two Grammy award nominations in 1998 for Best Rock Song and Best Female Rock Vocal Performance.

She went on to release five more albums as well as many other singles but they failed to create the same impact as her first album and first track.

These days Meredith is managing and operating her production company, Kissing Booth Music.

She’s also producing, writing and coaching emerging artists and musicians.

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