Coronation Street fans are convinced Cassie Plummer and Becky Swain are linked in some way, and now a scene on the ITV soap featuring a phone call has added fuel to the theory
22:41, 05 Nov 2025Updated 22:42, 05 Nov 2025
Fans think there’s a secret link between two Coronation Street characters(Image: ITV)
Fans think there’s a secret link between two Coronation Street characters, and the latest episode may have ‘confirmed’ this.
Cassie Plummer spoke about helping someone with business in Spain, before speaking in Spanish on the phone. With fans already suspecting prior to this that Cassie could be somehow linked to villain Becky Swain, this scene left fans wondering if it was a given now.
After all, Becky returned from the dead months ago and it was revealed for the past four years, she has been hiding out in Spain. She’s now being told she has to return there to stop her cover being blown, with Becky wanting daughter Betsy to go with her, as well as her ex Lisa Swain.
All the sudden talk about Spain, and a scene last week that involved both Cassie and Becky, has sparked a theory that they secretly know each other. So when Cassie spoke in Spanish and revealed all about her link to the country, fans wondered if this was proof that she and Becky know each other, and that Cassie knows all about her dodgy dealings.
Taking to social media, one fan said: “Cassie speaking Spanish and knowing someone in Spain… helped him with his business… she must know Becky!! The links are starting to link.”
Another fan agreed: “If this isn’t a clue to Cassie knowing or recognising dodgy business in Spain *couch* Becky I don’t know what is. Surely this isn’t coincidence.”
A third fan added: “So Cassie can speak Spanish and helped an ex out with his ‘business’ in Spain. Oh she is so gonna be the one to reveal backhand Becky’s dodgy dealings!”
A final comment read: “So, Cassie’s talking about a Spanish boyfriend, Peter’s name being dropped recently, and Becky’s been living in Alicante. Is this all a coincidence??”
It follows another theory suggesting Cassie might know Becky, and could trigger her downfall. Fans noted her watching as Carla Connor confronted Becky for kissing Lisa Swain, and she seemed very interested.
Viewers may recall Cassie was sleeping rough while she was taking drugs. She’s now in recovery, but could Cassie and Becky have crossed paths when Cassie was on drugs?
One theory is that Becky was her dealer as others wondered if she arrested her. A fan commented: “Cassie looked like she thinks she’s seen Becky somewhere before!”
Another said: “Right it can’t just be me, it’s going to transpire Cassie knows Becky somehow isn’t it? ISN’T IT?!” A third fan wrote: “That was a look of recognition for Cassie surely. Has Becky arrested her in the past?”
A theory suggested: “Oh she’s come across her before in her past… drugs?” as another read: “I reckon she was a mate of that Tia and was in the shadows and witnessed her murder/death.” A further tweet said: “Sold her drugs is more like it.”
The theories kept on coming with one reading: “Has Becky arrested her at some point?” as someone suggested they met in Spain. A final tweet said: “I’m thinking Cassie may have had some dealings with Rebecca in the past.”
A village in the UK has been hailed for its “insane” chippy and for providing visitors with an accurate taste of life in the past thanks to its “trapped in time” aesthetic and feel
Jess Flaherty Senior News Reporter
15:02, 04 Nov 2025
The retro village attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors each year(Image: Paul Maguire via Getty Images)
One such place is Beamish, an open-air museum village located in County Durham, England – north-east of Stanley. It offers 350 acres of rural countryside, as well as being a “living” museum, complete with vintage shops and restaurants, Georgian gardens, historic modes of transport like trams and buses, and much more. This charming and fascinating destination has been designed to give visitors a realistic glimpse into the history of northern England, attracting hundreds of thousands of people each year who come to experience it first-hand.
The official Beamish website states: “Step into the past at Beamish, The Living Museum of the North.
“Beamish is a world famous open air museum which brings the history of North East England to life at its 1820s Pockerley, 1900s Town, 1900s Pit Village, 1940s Farm, 1950s Town and 1950s Spain’s Field Farm exhibit areas.”
It’s a mix of original buildings, replicas, and relocated structures that together create a functional “living museum” that visitors can experience as if it were the real thing.
Food content creator Callum recently embarked on a journey to the village, which look like a seemingly untouched, historic British town.
He made a stop at the renowned Davy’s Fish and Chips, known for its traditional cooking methods.
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In a video tour of the chippy and the town, Callum said in a voiceover: “This is the fish and chip shop trapped in time – one of the last in the world that uses coal to heat the original 1950s fryers, with fish and chips cooked in beef dripping.”
He added: “The sweet shop makes candy by hand, the bakery makes the same cakes as a century ago. There’s no mobile phone reception up here so people actually have to talk to each other.
“A slice of England unchanged. It’s one of the most incredible fish and chips, it’s Davy’s in Beamish.”
In the caption alongside the video, he added: “Insane chippy stuck in history. Absolute scenes. Davys Fish and Chips, Beamish”.
TikTok users were quick to share their thoughts in the comments section. One user enthused: “Beamish museum if you’ve not yet been then go, it’s brilliant, them chips and fish best ever”.
Another reminisced: “We went on a school trip to Beamish when I was about 10. Loved it! I’m 57 now”.
A third said: “Wonder if no mobile reception is a specific tactic. What a world with no mobiles and social media.”
One enthusiastic fan shared: “I’ll just tell ya right now fish in beef dripping from that shop heated by coal is the BEST fried fish you will ever eat in your f***ing life”.
Another declared Beamish’s fish and chips the “best fish and chips [they] have ever had.”
While another user pleaded: “Make the WHOLE of the UK like this”.
A final commenter confessed: “Not me Googling if people live here, in attempt to escape modern society”.
PLUGS with USB ports feel like a godsend when travelling abroad, as you don’t have to worry with adapters.
But it turns out that they risk doing more harm than good – and could end up costing you a fortune.
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Travellers have been warned to not use USB ports at airports as it could lead to ‘juice jacking’Credit: Getty
The US Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has warned passengers that using USB ports in airports can potentially make your phone vulnerable to a cyber attack.
In a Facebook post, TSA said: “Hackers can install malware at USB ports (we’ve been told that’s called ‘juice/port jacking’).
“So, when you’re at an airport do not plug your phone directly into a USB port.
“Bring your TSA-compliant power brick or battery pack and plug in there.”
Juice jacking is essentially a form of cyber attack, where public USB ports are used to steal data from or install malware on a device.
The issue isn’t just limited to airports either, as any sockets with USB ports in a public place could be at risk – on board the plane, at train stations, in hotels and in coffee shops.
Through juice jacking, hackers can gain access to sensitive information such as passwords, emails and financial information.
Malware could also be installed, which allows hackers to track online activities – or even fully take over your device.
Firmware could also be impacted, meaning that the security measures on a device could be rendered useless.
The TSA also warned that travellers should not use public Wi-Fi, especially if planning to make online purchases.
So how do you protect your device?
According to cybersecurity company McAfee, “the most straightforward way to avoid juice jacking is to use your own charging cables, plugs and adapters.
They said: “By plugging into a standard electrical outlet rather than a public USB port, you eliminate the risk of data theft or malware installation through compromised USB ports.”
You could also carry a battery pack with you, but make sure to check your airline’s regulations as some do not allow power banks on board planes.
You can also use a USB data blocker, which is a small adapter that attaches to the end of your wire and blocks any transmission for a USB port.
This then only allows power to go through the cable to your phone.
Phone snatchers often use e-bikes or mopeds to make off at speed
The Metropolitan Police’s newly appointed lead on phone theft says its work in tackling the crime has not been “good enough”.
Just over 1% of phone thefts in London result in a charge or conviction, according to the force’s data, compared with 11% for robberies.
London Assembly member Neil Garratt urged more to be done to tackle the issue of phone theft, which he compared to an “epidemic” in the city.
Appointed two months ago to focus on phone theft at the Met, Cdr Andy Featherstone said the force’s revised strategy, which involves targeting organised crime, was making a difference.
Cdr Andy Featherstone said involvement of the serious crime directorate signalled how “seriously” phone theft was now being taken
Cdr Featherstone said the issue of phone thefts had been an “outlier” for the Met.
“But the bottom line is that isn’t good enough,” he said. “The public deserve better.”
Earlier this month the force made 18 arrests and seized 2,000 handsets in what the Met claimed to be the UK’s largest-ever operation targeting phone thefts.
“We think they are responsible for approximately 40% of all phone thefts in London,” Cdr Featherstone said.
“Our serious crime directorate has been involved in these operations, which they wouldn’t normally be. They would normally be involved in firearms offences, drug importation, et cetera.”
He said the involvement of the directorate signalled how “seriously” phone theft was now being taken, adding: “We’re putting our very best resources and assets pointed at this crime type.”
Christian D’ippolito lost tens of thousands of pounds as a result of having his phone stolen
Christian D’ippolito, was in Hackney when he had his phone stolen by a group of four men while it was unlocked.
“I couldn’t believe it,” Mr D’ippolito said. “I could not believe that had just happened.
“You see, never in a million years did I expect this to happen to me,” said Mr D’ippolito, who is founder of the Spartan Project, a charity supporting vulnerable young people.
Earlier this month the force made 18 arrests and seized 2,000 handsets in what the Met claimed to be the UK’s largest-ever operation targeting phone thefts
He said his digital wallet, PayPal account and business banking details were compromised and the thieves even tried to take out loans in his name.
“It’s quite incredible, actually, to see how, when given the opportunity, individuals can literally clear you out for everything you have in a very relentless way,” he said.
He lost tens of thousands of pounds as a result.
Mr D’ippolito added: “The general public tends to view phone theft as the loss of a valuable piece of hardware, whereas the criminal mind would take that for granted and view what lies beyond the value of the phone as the real opportunity.”
The Met Police said organised crime groups have pivoted to dealing in stolen phones because of how lucrative it can be.
The force said a phone-snatcher could make up to £400 per stolen phone, with devices fetching up to £4,000 when sold in China, given they are internet-enabled and therefore attractive to those trying to bypass censorship.
According to Met Police figures, 117,211 phones were stolen during 2024, up 25% on the 2019 figure of 91,481.
Neil Garratt, who represents Croydon and Sutton on the London Assembly, has repeatedly called for more action to deal with the rising numbers of mobile phone thefts in the city.
“I challenged the mayor (Sir Sadiq Khan) to show leadership last year, but he refused,” Mr Garratt, a Conservative group member, said.
“So I produced a report showing how to tackle phone theft without breaking the bank.”
That report, published in February, recommended targeting a “small group” of criminals which was “committing the most crime”.
“News that more will be done by the Met is extremely welcome,” Mr Garratt told the BBC. “But I am disappointed that the mayor has yet to take political leadership on this issue and has abdicated responsibility to an overstretched and underfunded police force.
“If Khan had pulled his finger out, how many thousands of phones may have not been stolen since?”
In response, a spokesperson for the Sir Sadiq said: “Nothing is more important to the mayor than keeping Londoners safe and Sadiq is supporting the Met to double down on every level of mobile phone crime, with operations to tackle street robbers as well as the handlers and organised criminal groups driving criminality in our communities.
“Last month the mayor backed the biggest-ever Met campaign to tackle mobile phone crime, successfully disrupting an international major criminal network linked to 40% of all phones stolen in London.
“This work is happening in tandem with record funding from City Hall boosting visible neighbourhood policing and deploying specialist operations in hotspot areas like Westminster and the West End.
“But the police can’t defeat this on their own.
“The mayor has long been clear we need decisive and co-ordinated action to halt the global trade of stolen phones and he will continue to push the mobile phone industry to go much further in preventing stolen phones being used, sold and repurposed, to build a safer London for all.”
It’s clear from the existence and execution of “Black Phone 2” that Universal and Blumhouse never expected 2021’s “The Black Phone” to be a hit. If there was ever an inkling that the first film might have been more than a quick and dirty ’70s-style riff on a boogeyman tale, there’s no way those in charge would have let their big baddie, the Grabber, be killed off at the end of the movie.
But a hit it was and so, for a sequel, supernatural elements must be spun out and ’80s slasher classics consulted, especially since it’s now four years later, in 1982. Masked serial killer the Grabber, played by Ethan Hawke (we never really see his face, though we do hear his voice), continues to haunt, torment and maim children, despite the inconvenience of death.
Scott Derrickson and C. Robert Cargill co-wrote both films, with Derrickson behind the camera as director. The first was based on a short story by Joe Hill (the son of Stephen King) and is set in 1978 Denver, where plucky Finney Blake (Mason Thames) had to escape the clutches of kidnapper the Grabber while fielding phone calls from the ghosts of his previous victims, offering tips and tricks. What distinguished “The Black Phone” was its shocking approach to violence with its young characters, who all sported entertainingly profane potty mouths. While it was daring in its hard-R riskiness and played on our basest fears, it didn’t reinvent the wheel, or even try to. However, the film’s phone conceit played well enough and young star Thames was outstanding.
In “Black Phone 2,” Finney’s now a high school student, drowning his trauma in weed and schoolyard fights, sometimes the bully himself. He’s protective of his sister, Gwen (Madeleine McGraw), who has the gift of psychic sight, but mostly he just wants to check out from his own brain. The sequel is primarily Gwen’s movie. She starts lucid dreaming and sleepwalking, receiving phone calls from beyond — like from their dead mother when she was a teenager beyond.
The messages bring Gwen, Finney and her crush, Ernesto (Miguel Mora), to a winter retreat for Christian youth, Camp Alpine, now run by Mando (Demián Bichir) and his niece, Mustang (Arianna Rivas). As it turns out, this camp is rife with the ghosts of young dead boys — the phone keeps ringing and it won’t stop until Finney picks it up.
If “The Black Phone” dabbles in crimes that are taboo and is even unforgivable in its depiction of brutality against innocent children, “Black Phone 2” commits its own unforgivable crime of being dreadfully boring. This movie is a snooze, not just because all of the action takes place entirely during Gwen’s dreams.
The film can’t shake its lingering scent of “Stranger Things,” but the filmmakers have also turned for inspiration to another iconic ’80s-set property: The whole movie is a “Nightmare on Elm Street” ripoff, with a disfigured killer stalking his prey through their subconscious. Those sequences are fine, action-packed if not entirely scary, but at least it’s something more rousing than the awake scenes, where the characters stand in one place and make speeches to each other about their trauma and backstories. The entire affair is monotonously one-note and dour, with only a few pops of unintentional humor.
You realize almost immediately what the deal is with these ghost boys, but the film takes its sweet time explaining it all. It’s a fairly simple story, so you do understand why Derrickson gussies it up with grainy dream sequences and shaky 8mm flashbacks, and a pretty terrific electronic score composed by his son, Atticus Derrickson.
It’s also a bit surprising that “Black Phone 2” turns out to be so pious and deeply Christian, which is a bit of an odd mix. For a film about Jesus and the power of prayer, it also features a scene in which a kid’s face gets sliced in half by a windowpane. Then again, horror’s trend toward the faith-based isn’t a surprise when you take a look at the success of the Bible-thumping “Conjuring” franchise.
However, it seems like this might be the Grabber’s last hurrah. You’ll root for the characters to vanquish him only because then the drudgery might finally end. Who knows, maybe it’ll be a hit and they’ll figure out another way to reanimate this utterly uninspiring horror villain. Personally, I’ve had my fill of the Grabber’s grabbing.
Katie Walsh is a Tribune News Service film critic.
‘Black Phone 2’
Rated: R, for strong violent content, gore, teen drug use and language
Prince William has revealed his strict parenting rules when it comes to his kids – Princes George and Louis and Princess Charlotte – and mobile phones
Kate and William have strict rules for their kids(Image: PA)
Prince William has revealed his stern parenting when it comes to his kids and mobile phones. The future King revealed Princes George and Louis and Princess Charlotte are banned from owning a device by himself and his wife, Princess Kate.
He made the revelation while speaking with Eugene Levy, shortly after Kate had confirmed the pair try to limit their children’s screen time. And he also admitted they regularly sit down for dinner together no matter how busy his schedule gets, labelling their chats “really important’.
“None of our children have phones, which we’re very strict about,” he confessed before revealing the kids’ other obsessions. “Louis loves the trampoline,” he admitted. “He’s obsessed. And Charlotte loves it too.
“As far as I can tell they just end up jumping up and down, beating each other up, most of the time. Apparently, there is an art to it.”
As well as enjoying the trampoline, William, 43, says daughter Charlotte, 10, takes part in netball and ballet. William claimed both he and Kate think it’s really important to ensure their kids are involved in sports and outdoor activities.
As for 12-year-old George, William says his eldest is a staunch football fan, like himself. He said he is also keen on hockey.
William also opened up on the pain he felt as he watched both his father, King Charles III, and his wife be diagnosed with cancer. The Royal Family were left devastated by the double cancer diagnosis last year. They came just months apart.
Buckingham Palace announced in February 2024 that the King had been diagnosed with an unspecified form of cancer following a prostate exam. Then in March, the Princess of Wales confirmed she too had been diagnosed with cancer following tests that were conducted after major abdominal surgery in January.
Speaking to Eugene for his The Reluctant Traveler series, William described having his father and wife sick at the same time was like “having the rug pulled from underneath you”.
He candidly admitted: “We’ve been very lucky, we hadn’t had many illnesses in the family for a very long time. My grandparents lived until they were in the high 90s.
“So, they were the vision of fitness, and stoicism, and resilience if you like. So we’ve been very lucky as a family.” He then went on to reference his father King Charles ‘ cancer diagnosis and his wife Kate’s diagnosis.
“But I think, when you suddenly realise that the rug if you were, the metaphorical rug can be pulled from under your feet quite quick at any point. You maybe think to yourself ‘It won’t happen to us, we’ll be okay.’
“Because I think everyone has a positive outlook, you’ve got to be positive. But when it does happen to you, then it takes you into some pretty not great places.”
The chips – made by US firm Qualcomm – are already among the most powerful around, used in phones by Samsung, OnePlus, Xiaomi and more.
These are essential for the smooth running of devices and power consumption among other things.
Every year, Qualcomm announces start-of-the-art chip enhancements at a huge Snapdragon Summit event in Hawaii.
We were invited along to see what’s in store and for 2025 bosses revealed the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5.
Qualcomm says it is the fastest mobile system on-a-chip.
It means users can expect “lightning-fast” multitasking and seamless app switching so you can have loads open at once without causing major sluggish performance.
The upgrade is also good news for gamers, with “incredible performance and power efficiency”.
And in a mobile landscape increasingly filled with AI apps and tools, the new chip can better understand and learn from your habits to provide more useful personalised recommendations – and better still, it’s all handled on the device, so no data is sent off.
Qualcomm claims the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 boosts performance by 20 per cent compared to its last Snapdragon 8 Elite chip.
“With Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5, you are at the center of your mobile experience,” said Chris Patrick, senior vice president and general manager of mobile handset, Qualcomm Technologies, Inc.
“It enables personalized AI agents to see what you see, hear what you hear and think with you in real time.
“Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 pushes the boundaries of personal AI, allowing you to experience the future of mobile technology today.”
The new chip is expected to appear on flagship smartphones from a number of huge names, including:
Honor
iQOO
Nubia
OnePlus
OPPO
POCO
Realme
REDMI
RedMagic
ROG
Samsung
Sony
Vivo
Xiaomi
ZTE
Qualcomm teased that new devices will be launched with the chip in the coming days.
Must-know Android tips to boost your phone
Get the most out of your Android smartphone with these little-known hacks:
Over the past week, as the summer holidays draw to an inevitable close and the return to work and school looms, searches for ‘how to get over jet lag’ have risen by more than 400%
There are ways to fight the misery of jet lag (Image: Getty Images/iStockphoto)
A flight attendant has suggested that passengers switch on one setting to maximise their chances of beating jet lag.
Returning from summer holidays can feel less than fun when jet lag hits. Over the past week, as the summer holidays draw to an inevitable close and the return to work and school looms, searches for ‘how to get over jet lag’ have risen by more than 400%.
A British Airways flight attendant, who spoke on condition of anonymity, has shared her tips for overcoming the worst of the timezone-based ailment. Here are her top techniques:
A bright phone screen could be blasting you awake(Image: Matt Cardy/Getty Images)
1. Adjust your phone’s blue light settings
One of the primary causes of jet lag is the disruption of your body’s natural sleep-wake cycle. To counteract this, change the setting on your phone to automatically switch off blue light after a certain time. Blue light, similar to natural daylight, tricks your eyes into staying awake, hindering your ability to wind down to a restful sleep.
2. Wear sunglasses upon arrival
If your destination is ahead of your body’s time zone, wearing sunglasses upon arrival can be a clever hack to block out excessive daylight exposure. Flight crews always suggest donning sunglasses during your journey from the airport to your accommodation to help your body adjust to the local time and ease into a more relaxed state without straining your eyes.
3. Gradually adjust your sleep schedule
When travelling east, it is often the time difference that presents the most significant challenge for combating jet lag. To prepare your body for the shift, adopt a gradual approach. Start adjusting your sleep schedule one week before your trip by going to bed an hour earlier each night. This pre-emptive step will make the time adjustment smoother and help you feel more refreshed upon arrival.
4. Nourish with light snacks
During instances when you need to stay awake a little longer, especially when the clocks go back, we recommend having a light snack. Some travellers might be hesitant to eat during the nighttime of their home country, but it’s important to remember that food is fuel. A light snack can provide a much-needed energy boost and keep you alert during extended periods of wakefulness.
5. Brush your teeth
A common tip among flight crews is to brush your teeth. The mint in the toothpaste can provide an invigorating sensation, giving you a quick burst of energy and temporarily fighting off fatigue.
6. Gel eye patches for revived eyes
Travelling can take a toll on your eyes, leaving them feeling tired and dehydrated. Flight attendants swear by gel eye patches as an effective remedy. These patches combat tired eyes and help rehydrate the delicate skin around the eyes, leaving you looking and feeling refreshed. You can find some great gel eye patches on Cult Beauty.
7. Take short naps strategically
Napping can be tempting, especially if you are feeling fatigued after a long flight. However, taking long naps or napping at the wrong time can disrupt your sleep schedule even further, so as soon as you arrive, adjust to the local time. And opt for short power naps (20-30 mins) to recharge without interfering with your nighttime sleep.
MOJAVE NATIONAL PRESERVE — With only the lazy Joshua trees and hovering buzzards out here to bear witness, this isolated expanse of high-desert plain could well be among the quietest places on the planet.
By day, the summer heat hammers hard and the dull whistle of the wind is the only discernible noise. Come nightfall, the eerie silence is often pierced by the woeful bleat of a wandering burro.
Classic stories from the Los Angeles Times’ 143-year archive
But wait. There’s another sound.
Along a line of wooden power poles running to the horizon in both directions, 14 miles from the nearest paved road, a solitary pay phone beckons with the shrill sound of impatient civilization.
Then it rings again. And again. And yet again, often dozens of times a day.
The callers? A bored housewife from New Zealand. A German high school student. An on-the-job Seattle stockbroker. A long-distance trucker who dials in from the road. There’s a proud skunk owner from Atlanta, a pizza deliveryman from San Bernardino and a bill collector from Denver given a bum steer while tracing a debt.
Receivers in hand, they’re reaching out–at all hours of the day and night, from nearly every continent on the globe–to make contact with this forlorn desert outpost.
They’re calling the Mojave Phone Booth.
Here comes a curious caller now:
“Hello? Hello? Is this the Mojave Phone Booth?” asks Pher Reinman, an unemployed South Carolina computer worker.
Told by a reporter answering the line that he has indeed reached what cult followers call the loneliest phone booth on Earth, he exclaims: “Oh my God, I can’t believe it! Somebody answered! There’s actually somebody out there!”
Calling to See What Happens
Like Reinman, callers everywhere are connecting with the innocuous little booth located not far from the California-Nevada border, along a winding and treacherous dirt road accessible only by four-wheel-drive vehicle.
Out here, where summer temperatures soar to 115 degrees and cattle often wander by en route to a nearby watering hole, there’s rarely anyone on hand to answer the calls, but persistent phoners don’t seem to care. If someone does pick up, of course, so much the better.
Some of those who do answer are previous callers who, for unknowable reasons that make sense only to them, also feel compelled to visit the booth.
“For us,” wrote screenwriter Chuck Atkins of his recent trek to the booth, “it was about driving into nowhere for no good reason, meeting fellow netizens who shared our sense of childish glee at the coolness of a phone booth in the middle of nowhere.”
Indeed, this public phone, first installed in the 1960s and operated with a hand crank by nearby volcanic cinder miners and other desert denizens, has been popularized by the globe’s most advanced communications system: the Internet.
The so–called Mojave Phone Booth is shown as it looked in Jan. 1998, in Cima, Calif.
The craze began two years ago after a high-desert wanderer noticed a telephone icon on a Mojave road map. Curious, he drove out from Los Angeles to investigate and wrote a letter to a counterculture magazine describing his exploits and including the phone number. After spotting the letter, computer entrepreneur Godfrey Daniels became so captivated by the idea he created the first of several Web sites dedicated solely to the battered booth.
Since then, word of the phone has been beamed to computers virtually everywhere.
It has evolved into a worldwide listening post straight from the mind of a Rod Serling or a David Lynch, captivating countless callers.
There’s Preston Lunn of San Bernardino, whose wife reluctantly let him take a long-distance shot at reaching someone at the phone, a call he made “just for the hell of it, just to see what happens.”
There’s Debbie, the 20-year-old baby-sitter from Boston whose older sister, “the one who goes to college,” told her about the phone. Bored, with her infant wards asleep, Debbie decided to take a chance and telephone the desert.
“So, what’s out there?” she asked tentatively. “Just, like, cactuses and a dirt road and stuff?”
And there’s Atlantan Jim Shanton, who heard about the phone “from one of the ladies on our pet skunk e-mail list.” Added Shanton: “And I was just crazy enough to call. For me, this is like calling Mars. It’s that far away from everything I know.”
‘If You Call It, They Will Come’
What callers reach is just a shell of a phone booth, actually–its windows long ago blasted out by desert gunslingers desperate for something to shoot at, its coin box deactivated so that only incoming calls and outgoing credit card calls are possible.
But fans have taken the neglected old booth under their wing. Outside, they’ve posted a sign that reads “Mojave Phone Booth–you could shoot it, but why would you want to?” Next to that is another placard reading: “If you call it, they will come.”
On top of the pay phone perches a nude Barbie doll. Scratched into the booth’s metal frame are its longitude and latitude coordinates. Inside, along with plastic-coated children’s magnets spelling out “Mojave Phone Booth,” are mementos such as candles and license plates. Visitors have covered the booth’s bullet holes with Band-Aids.
Nearby, fist-sized stones form the phone’s number along with a huge arrow pointing to the booth. The message can be seen from the air so, as one Mojave phone fan put it, “even aliens can find it.”
The booth-oriented Web sites multiplied when their creators saw the phone on other sites and–after calling numerous times–decided to document their own pilgrimages to the desert phone.
James Wielenga, left, and Gerald Zettel survey the spot where the so–called Mojave Phone Booth formerly stood on May 19, 2000. The booth was removed under an agreement reached by the National Park Service and Pacific Bell.
There’s the lighting designer from New York who was so thrilled to finally reach the Mojave phone that she stripped naked “and ran around like a giddy little girl.”
And two L.A. writers, who later chronicled their trek to the Mojave, headed out just to return the receiver to its cradle after learning the phone was off the hook. They arrived to find the phone temporarily out of order.
Rick Karr, a 51-year-old spiritual wanderer, has no Web site, but says he was instructed by the Holy Spirit to travel to the desert and answer the phone. The Texas native recently spent 32 days camping out at the booth, fielding more than 500 calls from people like Bubba in Phoenix and Ian in Newfoundland and repeated contacts from a caller who identified himself as “Sgt. Zeno from the Pentagon.”
“This phone,” he said with a weary sigh, “never stops ringing.”
While she would not provide statistics, a Pacific Bell spokeswoman said the phone experienced “very low outgoing usage.”
Still, the booth is sometimes used by locals to conduct business or check messages.
“I’ve passed that old phone booth just about every day for more than 20 years now and I’ve never given it as much as a second thought,” said Charlie Wilcox, a sun-wrinkled 63-year-old tow-truck driver who has become the booth’s unofficial tour guide. “And I’ll be damned. Now it’s a celebrity.”
Phone booth callers, Web site creators and Internet intellectuals alike are trying to figure out just why this far-flung phone has gripped the imagination of those who come across it.
Some say calls to the booth are an attempt to create community in a disconnected world. Others view the calls as pure phone fetish, a sort of long-distance voyeurism.
The Attraction of Exotic Isolation
“It’s the kick of reaching out and touching a perfect stranger in a completely anonymous and indiscriminate way,” said Mark Thomas, a New York City concert pianist who created a Web site listing the numbers of thousands of public pay phones worldwide, including the Mojave Desert phone.
Many of the phones on his list are located in urban areas–such as the one at the top observation deck of the Eiffel Tower–and Thomas said the Mojave Phone Booth may attract so many callers because of its exotic isolation.
“You could make a chance contact at any pay phone, but the odds of reaching someone out in the desert are incredibly remote,” he said. “That’s why people call.”
Others say calls to the phone are made out of sheer boredom.
“It’s the get-a-life factor,” said UCLA sociologist Warren TenHouten. “Some people just have nothing to do, so they pursue shreds of information that have no value. It amuses me, but there’s something pitiful about it too. I mean, what’s the most interesting thing that could happen by being so mischievous as to call a public pay phone?
“Someone answers, a person you have absolutely no connection with. You exchange names and talk about the weather. What a thrill.”
One of the 60 callers greeted by a reporter on a recent visit acknowledged that he was shocked anyone was there to answer.
Cows run past Rick Carr and the Mojave Desert Phone Booth located about 20 miles from I–15.
(Los Angeles Times)
“I thought I’d just call and wake up the coyotes,” said a purchasing agent from San Bernardino County, who buzzed the phone from work. “Modern times are passing us by and it’s just sort of romantic–just the idea that it’s out there.”
Daniels, a Tempe, Ariz., resident, is considered the father of the phone booth. He was hooked in the spring of 1997, after reading of the Mojave phone in the cryptic letter to the magazine “Wig Out.”
The 36-year-old, who once ran for the Arizona Legislature and tried to start a country called Oceania, had discovered a new adventure: He began calling the booth every day. And he forced friends to call whenever they visited him.
After weeks of long-distance dialing, someone picked up.
“I was probably more surprised than he was that we were having a conversation on that phone,” said Lorene Caffee, a local miner who answered the Mojave line in 1997.
Daniels transcribed the conversation on his new Web site. Later, after making several trips to the phone, he included such features as a 360-degree view of the surrounding desert from atop the phone and pictures of a bust of composer Richard Wagner–which he carries with him on his travels–inside the booth.
Soon came the call blitz. On one two-day trip to the booth, Daniels answered 200 of them, including a confused connection from Albania during the war in Kosovo.
Daniels plans to return on New Year’s Eve to take Y2K reports from around the globe.
“I like the fact that you can have people who have never met or never will meet and they have this little intersection,” he said. “Two people who have no business talking to one another.”
Surprised to Get an Answer
Since most callers don’t expect an answer, they gasp when a visitor actually picks up, many quickly hanging up like teenage telephone pranksters.
One call answered by a reporter came from 17-year-old Jan Spuehamer of Hamburg, Germany. “This is costing me a lot of money, but I think it is very funny,” Spuehamer said. “One magazine article said you have to be very lucky to have someone pick up this line. Because this is the loneliest phone in the world, no?”
And so people keep calling the Mojave Phone Booth. And visiting.
On a drive home from Las Vegas, Wade Burrows and Brian Burkland impulsively decided to visit the booth. They walked around for 10 minutes scratching their heads, finally leaving behind their own memento: a car license plate they both autographed.
Said the 21-year-old Burkland: “Dude, this is, like, so cool!”
Then Burrows, a San Bernardino pizza deliveryman, placed a call from his favorite desert phone booth.
“Hey, Mom,” he said, holding a cigarette burned down to the filter. “You’ll never guess where I’m calling from–a phone booth in the middle of nowhere.”
He paused, listening.
“Why am I out here? Well, Mom, that’s a long story.”
Attorneys for a documentary filmmaker who sued the city of Los Angeles for excessive police force said Wednesday that they had reached a settlement over claims their client was assaulted by an LAPD officer at a 2021 protest.
The settlement came abruptly after the first day of the civil trial, when the plaintiff, Vishal Singh, was accosted by a man, with his phone out recording, as Singh walked out of the federal courthouse downtown. Christian Contreras, an attorney for Singh, identified the man who confronted his client as Tomas Morales, a prominent alt-right livestreamer.
Proceedings had just wrapped up for the day Tuesday when Morales approached Singh, Contreras and others as they walked out of the glass-paneled building at 1st and Hill streets, according to video posted on social media.
Morales posted a clip on his Instagram account in which he can be heard demanding to know whether Singh still wants to “burn LAPD to the ground” and asking whether he is a member of “antifa.” The barrage of questions continued as the group walked up Hill away from the courthouse, the video shows.
Morales didn’t immediately respond to a message sent Wednesday to his account on X.
Contreras said Singh was so shaken by the encounter that his attorneys pushed the judge to declare a mistrial on the grounds that Morales was trying to intimidate a party to the case. After the judge declined to grant their motion, the two sides agreed to settle for an unspecified amount of money, Contreras said.
Larger settlements require a final sign-off from the City Council.
Even if the case ended in an “anticlimactic” fashion, Contreras said that “there has been some accountability” since jurors saw videos of Los Angeles Police Department officers using excessive force against Singh and others.
“He was looking forward to taking this case to a full resolution at trial, and this issue came up,” Contreras said. “It’s unsettling, but he just wants to move forward in his life.”
Singh said in the lawsuit and interviews with The Times that Singh was standing in the middle of Coronado Street outside a Koreatown establishment called Wi Spa, filming a confrontation between left-wing and far-right groups. Bystander video showed Singh rapidly walking backward as instructed by police and filming with a phone from behind a parked car when an officer leaned over and swung his baton at Singh like it was a “baseball bat.” The impact fractured a joint in Singh’s right hand and two of Singh’s fingers, the lawsuit said.
The officer, John Jenal, argued in court documents that he did not perceive the object in Singh’s raised and outstretched hand to be a phone, and that he saw Singh as an immediate threat.
“I’m relieved that there’s both compensation and validation for what Vishal has experienced through this settlement,” said Adam Rose of the Los Angeles Press Club, adding in a text message that Singh has been a “figurative and literal punching bag for far-right extremists for years.”
In one instance, the online harassment threats got so bad that Singh was forced to bow out of a speaking appearance at the Asian American Journalism Assn.’s annual conference, Rose said.
“It shows that there is this prevailing threat toward journalists of all types, but in particular it can happen to independent journalists,” he said.
The settlement comes as a federal judge is expected to make a ruling in two lawsuits brought by press advocates against the LAPD and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security for the treatment of journalists covering the recent pro-immigration protests.
State parole officials had not yet publicly announced that Erik Menendez would remain behind bars, but word of the outcome was already spreading among his family members early Thursday evening.
Stunned and angry at the decision, some relatives took to social media just as news broke that Menendez, 54, had been denied parole for the 1989 shotgun murders of his parents, a grisly crime committed with his older brother, Lyle.
“How is my dad a threat to society,” Talia Menendez, his stepdaughter, wrote on Instagram. “This has been torture to our family. How much longer???”
In the all-caps post, Menendez’s daughter castigated the parole board, calling them “money hungry media feeding pieces of trash” after the decision.
“You will not have peace until my dad is free!!!!” she wrote in a following post.
A hearing for Lyle, 57, began Friday morning, leaving family members who support his case clinging to hope his ruling will be different.
Originally sentenced to life without parole, the brothers eventually qualified for resentencing because they were under 26 years old at the time of the killings.
Several petitions and legal filings went nowhere for decades, but their case received renewed attention after the popular Netflix series “Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story” sparked a social media interest in their case, and the sexual abuse the two siblings alleged was perpetuated by their father, Jose Menendez.
A superior court granted their resentencing petition in May, paving the way for the parole hearings this week.
More than a dozen relatives of the two brothers testified in favor of parole during the Thursday hearing for Erik Menendez, and were also expected to speak for Lyle as well.
After a nearly 10-hour hearing Thursday, Parole Commissioner Robert Barton commended the support Menendez received from his family.
“You’ve got a great support network,” he said Thursday before pointing to Erik Menendez’s repeated violation of prison rules by using a contraband cellphone. “But you didn’t go to them before you committed these murders. And you didn’t go to them before you used the cellphone.”
Erik’s wife, Tammi Menendez, blasted the decision.
“Parole Commissioner Robert Barton had his mind made up to deny Erik parole from the start!” she wrote on X. “This was a complete setup, and Erik never stood a chance!”
Anamaria Baralt, a Menendez cousin and the family spokesperson, tried to remain positive in a video posted on Instagram, noting he could re-apply for parole in three years.
“Erik was given the lowest possible denial time,” she said. “It’s disappointing. we are certainly disappointed as a family.”
However, she said she was proud of Menendez as he addressed the parole board for the first time, something the family did not view as a possibility a few years ago.
“We knew this was a steep climb,” she said in the video. “California is very rigorous in its standards. Not many people get out on parole on their first try. So it wasn’t entirely a surprise. But it is nonetheless very disappointing.”
According to the Prison Policy Initiative, a research and advocacy group that pushes for criminal justice reform, the vast majority of inmates who go before the board are denied parole.
A recent study of parole rates across the states by the Prison Policy Initiative found that 14% of parole hearings in 2022 resulted in approval.
“While we respect the decision, [Thursday’s] outcome was of course disappointing and not what we hoped for,” the Menendez family said in a statement. “But our belief in Erik remains unwavering and we know he will take the Board’s recommendation in stride. His remorse, growth, and the positive impact he’s had on others speak for themselves.”
Family, friends and cellmates have commended the two brothers for their work inside prison in the past few years, referring to them as “mentors” for other prisoners and spearheading programs inside prison walls.
Lyle Menendez spearheaded a beatification project at Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility, and his brother has organized artwork for the project.
The two have started programs dealing with anger management, meditation, and assisting inmates in hospice care.
But Thursday‘s hearing also aired struggles and issues the younger sibling has faced during more than three decades in prison, including drug and alcohol use, fights with other inmates, instances of being found with contraband, and allegations he helped a prison gang in a tax fraud scheme in 2013.
Members of the parole board spent several minutes in particular asking about being caught multiple times with a cellphone, which he said he used to speak with his wife, watch YouTube videos, pornography, and look for updates on his case in the media.
Menendez said he paid about $1,000 for the phones, and said he did not consider the impacts the devices could have in the prison system.
“I knew 50, 60 people that had phones,” he said Thursday. “I just justified it by saying if I don’t buy it someone else is going to buy it. The phones were going to be sold.”
It was in January that he said a lieutenant had an extended talk with him about the impacts, including how someone must smuggle the phone, how it must be paid for, how it corrupts staff, and how they can be used for more criminal activity.
Despite the connection phones provided to the outside, Menendez said, it was later that he realized the effect that using one was having on his life, now that the prospect of freedom was possible.
“In November of 2024, now the consequences mattered,” he told the board. “Now the consequences meant I was destroying my life.”
Los Angeles County Dist. Atty. Nathan Hochman, who has opposed parole and resentencing for the two brothers, applauded the decision by the board.
“The California Board of Parole has rightly decided against granting parole to Erik Menendez,” he said in a statement. “This ruling does justice for Jose and Kitty Menendez, the victims of the brutal murders carried out by their sons on Aug. 20, 1989.”
Hochman said that, during their time in prison, the brothers have continued to claim they killed their parents in self-defense, but pointed out that their parents suffered shotgun blasts to the back and at point-blank range during the killings.
“The Board correctly determined that Erik Menendez’s actions speak louder than words, and that his conduct in prison and current mentality demonstrates that he still poses an unreasonable risk of danger to the community.”
Russia says both sides affirm intention for Putin-Trump meet in Alaska on Friday, where Ukraine war set to be discussed.
The top diplomats from Russia and the United States have held a phone call ahead of a planned meeting this week between US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin, according to Russia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
In a post on Telegram on Tuesday, the ministry said Sergei Lavrov said the two sides had reaffirmed their intention to hold successful talks. The US Department of State did not immediately confirm the talks.
But speaking shortly after the announcement, White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt revealed that Trump would meet with Putin in the city of Anchorage. She said the pair would discuss ending Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
“On Friday morning, Trump will travel across the country to Anchorage, Alaska for a bilateral meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin,” Leavitt told reporters.
She added that Trump “is determined to try and end this war and stop the killing”.
On Monday, Trump told reporters he was “going to see” what Putin “has in mind” when it comes to a deal to end the fighting.
Trump also said he and Putin would discuss “land swapping”, indicating he may support an agreement that sees Russia maintain control of at least some of the Ukrainian territory it occupies.
Kyiv has repeatedly said that any deal that would see it cede occupied land – including Crimea, Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhia – to Russia would be a non-starter.
On Tuesday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that Putin wants Ukraine to withdraw from the remaining 30 percent of the Donetsk region that Ukraine controls as part of a ceasefire deal, saying the position had been conveyed to him by a US official.
He reiterated Ukraine would not withdraw from the territories it controls, noting that such a move would go against the country’s constitution and would serve only as a springboard for a future Russian invasion.
Moscow has maintained that any deal must require Ukraine to relinquish some of the territories Russia has seized since 2014. He has also called for a pause to Western aid for Ukraine and an end to Kyiv’s efforts to join the NATO military alliance.
Friday’s planned meeting will be the first time Putin has been in the US since 2015, when he attended the UN General Assembly.
The pair met six times during Trump’s first presidency, including a 2018 summit in Helsinki, during which Trump sided with Putin – and undermined the US intelligence community – by saying Russia did not meddle in the 2016 election.
Holidaymakers have been urged to stop using their mobile phones for one thing at the airport. According to gaming expert, Dmitry Kandratsyeu, the mistake could be “costly”
There’s one thing you really need to avoid doing (stock image)(Image: Getty)
While many of us love the thought of going on holiday, sometimes the airport experience can be quite stressful. From the queues to worrying if you have everything packed – all sorts of things cross your mind when you travel, which means it’s not always an easy process; however, an expert has warned there’s one activity you may want to steer clear of.
It you’re hoping for a peaceful and stress-free flight there’s one thing you may want to avoid doing at the airport to make your air travel experience a lot better. It’s advice you could really want to follow if you’re known to use your mobile phone a lot, as it could actually have a big impact on your journey.
With holiday season in full swing at the moment, there are all sorts of viral tips doing the rounds. But, when it comes to looking after yourself, and your tech, there’s vital advice people need to be aware of.
Games expert Dmitry Kandratsyeu, Head of Product at Solitaires.com, explained: “As a games expert with an interest in gaming habits, I’ve noticed that a lot of popular mobile games are designed to keep your brain on high alert. Fast-reaction titles like Candy Crush, Stack or Duet are all about quick thinking, bright visuals and constant rewards. It’s a recipe for staying engaged, but also for feeling overstimulated.
“In my view, when you play these kinds of games for long stretches during a flight, you’re not giving your mind much chance to switch off. Instead of helping you unwind, they can leave you feeling wired and restless. Your brain is processing rapid taps, colourful animations and pop-up messages all at once.
“That flood of stimulation doesn’t exactly set you up for a smooth nap or an easy adjustment to a new time zone, which can have a negative effect on jet lag symptoms.”
An expert has issued vital advice (stock image)(Image: Hinterhaus Productions via Getty Images)
The expert added: “There’s also the matter of blue light from your phone or tablet. Research has shown that blue light can suppress melatonin, the hormone that helps signal when it’s time to sleep.
“Combined with cabin lighting and the general disruption of your usual sleep routine, it’s easy to see how hours of fast-paced gameplay could make jet lag feel even worse.
“Of course, games can be a great way to pass the time on a long-haul flight. But it pays to think about what kind of experience you’re choosing. I’d recommend mixing in slower-paced options like Solitaire, word puzzles or audiobooks.
“These still help you stay occupied, but they don’t demand the same intense focus. If you do prefer fast-action games, try limiting your sessions and giving your eyes and brain regular breaks. Even something simple – like turning off your screen an hour before landing – can help you feel calmer and more rested when you step off the plane.
“Ultimately, it comes down to balance. Games are a fantastic way to make travel feel shorter but, in my opinion, it’s wise to be aware of how certain titles affect your mental state.
“Even just switching off your screen an hour before landing could make you feel noticeably more refreshed and ready to adjust to your destination.”
So, there you have it, how you use your phone at the airport can actually hinder your travel experience, espeically if you play games. While fast-paced games can overstimulate your brain, making it harder to relax during a flight, bright screens and quick reaction gameplay may disrupt your body’s natural sleep cues.
Choosing calmer games or offline puzzles could help you wind down and arrive feeling fresher, which means they are often the better choice if you feel the need to keep your brain active.
LYING in bed at night 68-year-old Melanie O’Reilly lay awake worrying about how she couldn’t afford to quit her £23,500 a year, 37.5-hour a week job working in a call centre.
She was £13,000 in debt and knew she couldn’t afford to pay the £500 a month repayments to the bank – but she was desperately unhappy in her job.
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Melanie O’Reilly, 68, thought she’d never retire due to debt
Her days were spent fielding angry calls from Hounslow residents complaining about council tax and housing benefit.
She had moved from South Africa to England in September 2019 with no savings but found a job quickly due to her past career in office furniture sales.
However, the pandemic hit and in October 2020 she was made redundant before struggling to find a job at a call centre in the local council in Hounslow, West London in February 2022.
“I couldn’t stand it anymore. I was sitting there most days in full-blown migraine feeling like I had sandpaper in my eyes, until I couldn’t see the screen anymore,” Melanie, now 69, said.
“I had been very good at my job in South Africa, and I was excellent at sales.”
“Suddenly I was being micromanaged by a 26-year-old, who would count how many times I went to the toilet in a day, and tell me off if I took 31 seconds on a call instead of 30 seconds.
“The staff turnover was ridiculously high and it started to affect my physical and mental health.”
Melanie, who had previously worked as an insurance PA in London before the move to South Africa, was utterly fed up, and knew she had to retire – but had no idea how she could do so with her mounting debt.
She had lent her son and daughter-in-law, who had also moved to the UK, money for a deposit on a home in Colne, Lancashire – but then disaster struck.
Suddenly her daughter-in-law was made redundant shortly after they had their first child, meaning they couldn’t pay Melanie back as quickly as they’d planned.
Melanie was also dealing with the financial fall out of splitting from her partner and she took out a £15,000 personal loan and she had mounting credit card debt of £3,000.
Worryingly one in three people approaching retirement now have debt, with the average over-65 borrower owing £17,000, according to Money Wellness.
Financial anxiety among the 65 to 74 age group has more than doubled since 2021.
“I had the personal loan, but I was not behind in my payments and I just knew, ‘I’ve got to leave. I have to retire.
“If I don’t, I am going to have a breakdown’,” Melanie said.
“I decided to retire and I did, in April 2024. I called up Lloyds Bank and I said, ‘I’ve got this personal loan with you and I know that a few months from now I’m going to end up not being able to pay you.’
“I knew I had to take preventative measures before I got behind in any of my payments.
“I was hugely concerned about how to get Lloyds Bank to agree to a reduced monthly payment.
“I knew I couldn’t pay them back £500 a month, and I knew they wouldn’t negotiate a new loan with me because I was unemployed, as I was now retired with no real income.”
Lloyds put Melanie in touch with Money Wellness, one of the largest providers of debt advice and debt solutions in the UK.
Money Wellness provides free, confidential support to anyone struggling with money or debt, with support available online 24/7 or over the phone, so people can get help in the way that suits them best.
Melanie still owed £13,000 of the £15,000 personal loan. She called Money Wellness, and they asked her to draw up an income and expense statement.
Advisors went through her statement in detail, making allowances for everything from clothing to haircuts, and calculating how much she could afford to pay back each month to help Melanie put a debt management plan in place.
“They were so empathetic and professional,” Melanie explains.
“We revised the budget down to a manageable figure that I could pay Lloyds Bank back and by the end of it, it felt like this was too good to be true.
“They took the burden of negotiations off my shoulders and it was all done seamlessly for me without me having to worry about anything.”
The adviser told Melanie that they would negotiate the figure she had to pay back directly with Lloyds Bank, to the extent of setting up a debit order.
“After the call, I sat back and wept,” Melanie remembers.
“I was hugely concerned because when I was working at the council, I had people calling me up saying, ‘I’ve got the bailiffs at my door. They’re bashing my door down. What do I do?’
“I did not want to be in that position, and I knew that that is a reality that can and does happen.
“I did not want to go anywhere near being that person who’s got the bailiff bashing at your door. That is why I nipped it in the bud before it became a problem.”
From paying £500 a month back, Melanie now pays back £134 a month, with no added interest.
She lives in a HMO in Burnley so she doesn’t pay utility bills or council tax and receives housing benefits and pension credit.
Her repayments come from a small state pension, pension credit and housing benefits.
She receives £456.64 state pension, £451.56 pension credit and £368.20 housing benefit every four weeks.
She’d had to spend her small private pension on replacing her car after a car accident, and buying essentials like furniture.
Money Wellness reviews her plan annually, adjusting the amount if her income changes.
Melanie feels positive about the future and says the debt advice she received from Money Wellness is “the best decision I ever took”.
“For so long, I’d sat with this worrisome burden, thinking ‘I need to retire but I’ve got this debt. What do I do?’ Then these angels from heaven stepped up and helped me,” she adds.
“I feel as though a mountain had been lifted off my shoulders.”
How to cut the cost of your debt
IF you’re in large amounts of debt it can be really worrying. Here are some tips from Citizens Advice on how you can take action.
Check your bank balance on a regular basis – knowing your spending patterns is the first step to managing your money
Work out your budget – by writing down your income and taking away your essential bills such as food and transport If you have money left over, plan in advance what else you’ll spend or save. If you don’t, look at ways to cut your costs
Pay off more than the minimum – If you’ve got credit card debts aim to pay off more than the minimum amount on your credit card each month to bring down your bill quicker
Pay your most expensive credit card sooner – If you have more than one credit card and can’t pay them off in full each month, prioritise the most expensive card (the one with the highest interest rate)
Prioritise your debts – If you’ve got several debts and you can’t afford to pay them all it’s important to prioritise them
Your rent, mortgage, council tax and energy bills should be paid first because the consequences can be more serious if you don’t pay
Get advice – If you’re struggling to pay your debts month after month it’s important you get advice as soon as possible, before they build up even further
Groups like Citizens Advice and National Debtline can help you prioritise and negotiate with your creditors to offer you more affordable repayment plans.
There are a number of hazards that can pose a risk to your devices on holiday, and travellers are being urged to be aware of them before they head away this summer
Amy Jones Lifestyle & Features Writer and Liv Clarke
15:38, 05 Aug 2025
Holidaymakers have been warned about using their mobile phones abroad (Image: Getty Images)
When jetting off abroad, mobile phones enable us to stay connected with family and friends, navigate unfamiliar locations and capture every precious holiday memory. However, taking your phone on holiday exposes certain risks.
There are the standard threats you encounter daily, such as damage from accidental tumbles and bumps, or the possibility of theft. Additionally, there are extra perils you encounter when holidaying at coastal resorts or scorching destinations.
There are three dangers holidaymakers must be aware of when it comes to using their phone abroad (Image: Getty Images)
Even minuscule sand particles can inflict considerable harm to your gadget, increasing the likelihood of malfunction or potentially making it trickier to trade in later.
Lee Elliott, chief product officer at Compare and Recycle, warned: “Our phones are a lifeline while we’re abroad. We use them for navigation, keeping in touch with people and for spending money.
“Unfortunately, most phones aren’t as durable as we think they are when exposed to sun, sea and sand. Knowing what not to do if your phone gets damaged can be the difference between saving it or losing it for good.”
The three dangers holidaymakers must steer clear of are: saltwater corrosion, sand infiltrating the charging port and heat-related overheating, reports the Manchester Evening News.
Holiday-goers are advised to ensure they take the following precautions:
If you’re taking your phone in the sea or pool making sure you use waterproof pouches – or avoid taking it out when next to the water altogether because not only would you need a new phone, but your old one would be worth nothing – as any water damage at all completely devalues your device when it comes to selling it on to a mobile phone recycler. If your phone does go for a dip, it’s best to turn it off immediately to stop the water damaging the phone any further, and have it be repaired by a professional as soon as possible.
Never poke sand out of your charging port with anything metallic. The experts advise opting for a soft-bristled toothbrush to try and dislodge the sand granules, using Blu-tack, or trying another type of soft putty. If it won’t budge, don’t force it and avoid blowing hot air into the port too as this can induce moisture.
If you cannot keep your phone in the shade (for example, if you’re sunbathing) turn it onto flight mode or battery saver to help it stay cooler and put it in your bag – and if it does overheat, always remove the case to help it cool down faster.
HISTORY fans should keep their phones close for a special TV series that will air with extra augmented reality tonight.
7 Wonders of the Ancient World will transport viewers with a simple QR code each episode to scan for virtual and immersive experiences delivered by Snapchat.
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Historian Bettany Hughes hosts the seriesCredit: Snapchat
People will be able to “explore” world-famous ancient sites across the Mediterranean and Middle East from the comfort of their living room.
This includes the Great Pyramid of Giza, the Mausoleum at Halicarnassus, the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, and the Statue of Zeus at Olympia.
The show is hosted by renowned historian Bettany Hughes.
“The past is a living place, a place that’s relevant to all of us,” she said.
Read more about the 7 wonders
“Using this meticulously researched augmented reality allows viewers at home to explore right inside these ancient wonders.
“It’s an immersive experience that we hope will bring the past to life for millions.”
The three-part series launches on 5 tonight at 6.30pm.
Ever wondered why you have to put your phone on airplane mode during a flight? Here, people share the real reason behind the long-standing rule, and it may surprise you
Some people are only just finding out the real reason why you should put your phone on airplane mode on a flight (stock image)(Image: Mongkol Chuewong via Getty Images)
As your plane ascends, you’re well aware that your mobile phone must be switched to airplane mode. But have you ever pondered why this is necessary, especially considering your phone probably wouldn’t function at 42,000 feet anyway? One curious traveller took to Reddit’s ‘ask’ forum to find out what could possibly go wrong if they used their phone mid-flight and whether it could lead to disastrous consequences.
And they finally uncovered the true reason behind the need to switch off your phone on a plane. They queried: “Why do they ask us not to use our phones during flights? I am just curious, what are the stakes here? Will it go boom?”
A response came: “No. There are two reasons for this:
Against popular thinking, the main reason is that it was feared that as the plane is taking off and landing, the phones would be connecting/disconnecting to multiple phone towers rapidly, which would cause issues with those towers. However, this isn’t really a problem in this day and age, especially. It was a precaution anyway.
It could mess with flight instrumentation, especially the radio. Ever had a speaker or radio open and when you get a call, you can hear sounds from the speaker? This does still happen, but is more rare nowadays as you need to receive GSM call really”.
Another Redditor chimed in: “And to have a better chance that people will listen to the safety briefing. Pay attention, people! It might just save your lives!”
“Honestly, that’s probably 100% the reason. Using your mobile on a plane shouldn’t interfere with any instruments. Doesn’t even make sense. We are surrounded and being bombarded and flying through all sorts of electronic signals. Plus they offer WiFi ON some planes,” someone else added.
Another person shared: “It’s for peace and quiet and to control a herd of people. It’s the only place left on earth where you can disconnect and nobody cares. I hope it never changes”.
One bloke stated: “I’ve read it largely has to do with potential interference with the pilot’s headset”.
When somebody responded saying it’s been tested and showed no interference, he replied: “That small sample size doesn’t dismiss the risk, nor does it take into account future headsets. I’d rather play it safer than sorry during the statistically most dangerous parts of flying”.
What is the real reason you can’t use your phone on a plane?
The genuine reason you’re told not to use your phone for calls or texts during flights is chiefly down to regulations and potential interference concerns, rather than any immediate threat to the aircraft.
Previously, there were worries that signals from numerous phones might potentially disrupt the delicate navigation and communication systems on board, particularly during take-off and landing.
Today’s aircraft are well-protected, and the likelihood of interference is now deemed extremely minimal.
Nevertheless, rules have stayed cautious.
Another factor is that at flying altitude, your mobile would attempt to link with several ground-based cell towers, potentially creating network issues for phone companies and rapidly depleting your battery.
Furthermore, airlines and aviation authorities wish to preserve a peaceful cabin atmosphere, and permitting voice calls might disturb fellow travellers.
For these reasons, you’re usually required to activate aeroplane mode, which switches off cellular connectivity whilst still enabling Wi-Fi access if the carrier offers it.
Therefore, it’s advisable to turn off your phone, or activate flight mode, whenever you step aboard an aircraft.
