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Now in its fifth year, Windsor Illuminate snakes its way through the Great Park with a spell-binding array of displays and activities, including the world’s first LED snowman

Nothing says Christmas like a light trial, and Windsor Illuminated is up there with the best.

Now in its fifth year, the stunning display in Windsor’s Great Park’s Savile Gardens sees visitors walk a 2.2km loop through ancient forests enjoying the Windsor Express Train, Snowball Elves, Woodfest, a dazzling Water Show and ‘Frosty Fred’ – the world’s first outdoor LED screen snowman. It takes between one and a half and two hours to complete.

Dog friendly, the trail has ample stops for little legs – and thirsty adults alike – with cosy alpine bars serving mulled wine and open fires to toast marshmallows lining the route. Organisers warn that some areas as unsuitable for pushchairs but there were many families giving it a crack when I visited with seemingly relative ease.

At one point, owls fly out of the trees as deer scatter, escaping a hungry wolf that stalks through the forest – all projected on huge screens.

Another section sees guests walk through a magical tunnel of snow but the most incredible part came at Woodfest – a stage buried in the woodland featuring cute performances from animals.

Setting the scene was a bubble machine, but these aren’t regular bubbles. Reaching out to pop one, it disappeared in a puff of smoke. My confusion soon turned to amazement. Magic! The only problem was that I couldn’t get my four year old to leave.

There’s a traditional funfair featuring a carousel, heater skelter and big wheel that my son convinced me to go on. He loved every second. I’m scared of heights and did not.

We finished off with a stop at the cosy outdoor bar where we tucked into hot chocolate around the fire pit. A lovely festive treat for all the family.

The trail runs until January 3 with a family ticket for two adults and two children starting at £56.10. For more information, visit https://www.windsorilluminated.com/.

While the game didn’t provide any definitive answers about what LeBron James will do in his record-breaking 23rd season, it offered promising signs about what he won’t do.

He won’t disrupt what the Lakers are doing.

James indirectly said that leading up to his season debut on Tuesday and he indirectly said that again after.

The point was made most emphatically by how he played in the 140-126 victory over the Utah Jazz at Crypto.com Arena.

In the 30 minutes he played, James shot the ball only seven times, less than any other Lakers starter.

He didn’t have problems with Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves remaining the team’s primary options.

He didn’t mind picking his spots.

He didn’t mind spending most of the game as a peripheral figure on the court.

“Just thought he played with the right spirit,” coach JJ Redick said. “Very unselfish all night. Willing passer. Didn’t force it. Took his drive and his shots when they were there.”

The 40-year-old James acknowledged that his conditioning remained a problem — “Wind was low,” he said — but he played so much within himself that he never looked visibly fatigued.

This is what the Lakers needed from James on Tuesday, as it allowed them to build on the 10-4 record they compiled in the games he missed because of sciatica. And this could be the kind of mindset the Lakers will need James to adopt for the remainder of the season, especially if Doncic and Reaves continue to score at their current rates.

“I don’t have to worry about [chemistry],” James said.

James sounded offended by questions implying he could have trouble fitting in with the team.

“I don’t even understand why that was a question,” he said.

Concerns over his ability to meld with his particular team were never based on his basketball IQ or skillset but instead how open he would be to accepting a reduced role.

This is a player who was the centerpiece of every team on which he’d ever played. This is also a player who craves attention and is notoriously passive aggressive.

In retrospect, suggesting that James couldn’t adapt to a new role might have sold him short. Whatever he’s said off the court, he’s usually made the right decisions on them.

“There’s not one team, not one club, in the world that I cannot fit in and play for,” James said the day before his return. “I can do everything on the floor. So whatever this team needs me to do, I can do it when I’m back to myself.”

Or even before that.

James scored only 11 points against the Jazz, but he still had his moments.

Starting in the final second of the third quarter, James assisted on seven of the next eight Lakers baskets, a four-minute-30-second stretch over which the team extended its lead from eight to 17.

From the left wing, James found Gabe Vincent in the opposite corner for an open three.

Double-teamed at the top of the key, James dropped a bounce pass to Jaxson Hayes, who soared for an open dunk.

James flipped a couple of no-look passes to Deandre Ayton and delivered a backdoor assist from the post to Jake LaRavia.

James finished with a game-high 12 assists.

“Good player,” Reaves said.

Describing his frustration over not playing the previous 14 games, James said he was grateful to just be playing.

“A lot of joy,” he said. “You probably saw me smiling and talking a lot on the court today.”

But he also sounded as if he wanted to prove something.

“I said it, was it yesterday’s practice, post practice?” James said. “I can fit in with anybody.”

Carefully watching his teammates in the games that he missed, James said he pictured where he could position himself and how he could contribute.

James will average more than 11 points this season. He’s still too good to not. But the Lakers almost certainly won’t need him to average 24 points as he did last season. How open he is to that could determine if they are just a playoff team or a legitimate contender.

The start was optimistic.

The city of Reggio Calabria, in the Calabria region of southern Italy, is said to be home to the prettiest kilometre in the whole country

Italy – the land of pasta, pizza, gelato and dolce vita.

We all know Italy is packed with stunning cities, towns, lakes, mountains and beaches. From the splendour of Florence, the historic significance of Rome and the waterways of Venice to the peace and tranquility of Lake Garda, this really is a country with something for everyone.

However, the southern tip of this beautiful country has long been ignore for its more famous neighbours. Calabria, right on the toe of Italy and just a few miles from the coast of Sicily, it the country’s poorest region but many would argue also its most beautiful.

Its coastline is surrounded by azure blue waters and golden sandy beaches and pretty, and totally unspoilt, villages and towns pepper the seafront.

Inland, the traditional way of life is still very much in evidence, with churches and monasteries the heart of communities.

From the stunning town of Tropea, where we were staying and which has recently been voted the prettiest town in the whole of Italy, to the quaint fishing village of Scilla, a visit to Calabria is like a visit to no other part of Italy.

One of the big draws to the region is the city of Reggio Calabria, the largest in the whole region. Just a few miles from the coast of Sicily, separated only by the impressive Strait of Messini, Reggio Calabria is also said to be home to the prettiest kilometre in Italy.

The Lungomare Falcomatà is a seafront promenade with, on a clear day, spectacular views of the sea, the Strait of Messina, where the Tyrrhenian and Ionian seas meet, Sicily and Mount Etna.

The promenade is also home to some stunning sculptures, both natural and man-made. Some of these are the huge and must be seen to be believed magnolia trees which stand proud and tall along the street.

Elegant buildings line one half of the promenade not taken up by the breathtaking views of the sea.

On the day I visited, while I was blown away by this beautiful city, which is also home to the Riace Bronzes, life-size statues dating back more than 2,500 years and housed in the National Archaeological Museum, there was one major problem which hampered by enjoyment of Italy’s prettiest kilometre – it was absolutely chucking it down.

Don’t get me wrong, I was visiting at the start of October so putting up with some inclement weather should be expected but it was sad not to be able to see this wonderful city in all of its glory, especially the stunning walk alone the Lungomare Falcomatà. No views of Etna for me, and while I could just about make out the coast of Sicily, it was at best murky.

However, this just gives me the perfect excuse to return to the stunning region of Calabria.

Bellingham has scored 41 goals in 111 appearances for Real Madrid since joining two years ago, playing a key role in a side which has won La Liga and the Uefa Champions League.

He flourished under the leadership of Carlo Ancelotti, renowned for his ability to handle the personalities in Los Blancos’ squad, but like his team-mates has found things more difficult under new manager Xabi Alonso this season.

“He has a great reputation in Madrid,” said Jesus Bengoechea, a writer for Real Madrid fan media outlet La Galerna.

“The fans love him, not only for his technical quality but his commitment to the team. He comes across as somebody who is really dedicated to the shirt and what it represents.

“He plays a very influential role in the dressing room – he is one of the players who has stepped up after players like Luka Modric, Toni Kroos and Karim Benzema left. It surprises a lot of people that he is not more acclaimed in England.

“Lately there have been some rumours about him being not so disciplined in some ways, certain things about the level of intense work Alonso is asking the players to do. But we haven’t seen that on the pitch and I find it hard to believe.

“Alonso is like Tuchel, both quite cold characters and very tactical. I think it is a matter of personalities that don’t gel.”

WASHINGTON — President Trump’s problems with fixing the high cost of living might be giving voters a feeling of deja vu.

Just like the president who came before him, Trump is trying to sell the country on his plans to create factory jobs. The Republican says he wants to lower prescription drug costs, as did Democratic President Biden. Both tried to shame companies for price increases.

Trump is even leaning on a message that echoes Biden’s assertions in 2021 that elevated inflation is a “transitory” problem that will soon vanish.

“We’re going to be hitting 1.5% pretty soon,” Trump told reporters Monday. ”It’s all coming down.”

Even as Trump keeps saying an economic boom is around the corner, there are signs that he has already exhausted voters’ patience as his campaign promises to quickly fix inflation have gone unfulfilled.

Voter frustration

Voters in this month’s elections swung hard to Democrats over concerns about affordability. That has left Trump, who dismisses his weak polling on the economy as fake, floating half-formed ideas to ease financial pressures.

He is promising a $2,000 rebate on his tariffs and said he may offer 50-year mortgages — 20 years longer than any available now — to reduce the size of monthly payments. On Friday, Trump scrapped his tariffs on beef, coffee, tea, fruit juice, cocoa, spices, bananas, oranges, tomatoes and certain fertilizers, acknowledging that they “may, in some cases,” have contributed to higher prices.

But those are largely “gimmicky” moves unlikely to move the needle much on inflation, said Bharat Ramamurti, a former deputy director of Biden’s National Economic Council.

“They’re in this very tough position where they’ve developed a reputation for not caring enough about costs, where the tools they have available to them are unlikely to be able to help people in the short term,” Ramamurti said.

Ramamurti said the Biden administration learned the hard way that voters are not appeased by a president saying his policies would ultimately cause their incomes to rise.

“That argument does not resonate,” he said. “Take it from me.”

Biden on inflation

Biden inherited an economy trying to rebound from the COVID-19 pandemic emergency, which had shut down schools and offices, causing mass layoffs and historic levels of government borrowing. In March 2021, he signed into law a $1.9-trillion relief package. Critics said it was excessive and could cause prices to rise.

As the economy reopened, there were shortages of computer chips, kitchen appliances, autos and even furniture. Cargo ships were stuck waiting to dock at ports, creating supply chain issues. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in early 2022 pushed up energy and food costs, and consumer prices reached a four-decade high that June. The Federal Reserve raised its benchmark interest rates to cool inflation.

Biden tried to convince Americans that the economy was strong. “Bidenomics is working,” he said in a 2023 speech. “Today, the U.S. has had the highest economic growth rate, leading the world economies since the pandemic.”

Though many economic indicators compared with those of other nations at the time largely supported his assertions, his arguments did little to sway voters. Only 36% of U.S. adults in August 2023 approved of his handling of the economy, according to a poll at the time by the Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research.

Trump on inflation

Republicans made the case that Biden’s policies made inflation worse. Democrats are using that same framing against Trump today.

Here is their argument: Trump’s tariffs are getting passed along to consumers in the form of higher prices; his cancellation of clean energy projects means there will be fewer new sources of electricity as utility bills climb; his mass deportations made it costlier for the immigrant-heavy construction sector to build houses.

Former Biden administration officials note that Trump came into office in January with strong economic growth, a solid job market and inflation declining close to historic levels, only for him to reverse those trends.

“It’s striking how many Americans are aware of his trade policy and rightly blame the turnaround in prices on that erratic policy,” said Gene Sperling, a senior Biden advisor who also led the National Economic Council in the Obama and Clinton administrations.

“He is in a tough trap of his own doing — and it’s not likely to get easier,” Sperling said.

Consumer prices had been increasing at an annual rate of 2.3% in April when Trump launched his tariffs, and that rate accelerated to 3% in September.

The inflationary surge has been less than what voters endured under Biden, but the political fallout so far appears to be similar: 67% of U.S. adults disapprove of Trump’s performance, according to November polling data from AP-NORC.

“In both instances, the president caused a nontrivial share of the inflation,” said Michael Strain, director of economic policy studies at the American Enterprise Institute, a center-right think tank. “I think President Biden didn’t take this concern seriously enough in his first few months in office and President Trump isn’t taking this concern seriously enough right now.”

Strain noted that the two presidents have even responded to the challenge in “weirdly, eerily similar ways” by playing down inflation as a problem, pointing to other economic indicators and looking to address concerns by issuing government checks.

White House strategies

Trump administration officials have made the case that their mix of income tax cuts, foreign investment frameworks tied to tariffs and changes in enforcing regulations will lead to more factories and jobs. All of that, they say, could increase the supply of goods and services and reduce the forces driving inflation.

“The policies that we’re pursuing right now are increasing supply,” Kevin Hassett, director of Trump’s National Economic Council, told the Economic Club of Washington on Wednesday.

The Fed has cut its benchmark interest rates, which could increase the supply of money in the economy for investment. But the central bank has done so because of a weakening job market despite inflation being above its 2% target, and there are concerns that rate cuts of the size Trump wants could fuel more inflation.

Time might not be on Trump’s side

It takes time for consumer sentiment to improve after the inflation rate drops, according to research done by Ryan Cummings, an economist who worked on Biden’s Council of Economic Advisers.

His read of the University of Michigan’s index of consumer sentiment is that the effects of the post-pandemic rise in inflation are no longer a driving factor. These days, voters are frustrated because Trump had primed them to believe he could lower grocery prices and other expenses, but has failed to deliver.

“When it comes to structural affordability issues — housing, child care, education and healthcare — Trump has pushed in the wrong direction in each one,” said Cummings, who is now chief of staff at the Stanford Institute for Economic Policy Research.

He said Trump’s best chance of beating inflation now might be “if he gets a very lucky break on commodity prices” through a bumper harvest worldwide and oil production continuing to run ahead of demand.

For now, Trump has decided to continue to rely on attacking Biden for anything that has gone wrong in the economy, as he did last week in an interview with Fox News’ “The Ingraham Angle.”

“The problem was that Biden did this,” Trump said.

Boak writes for the Associated Press.

Rachel Hosie and her husband moved to the Côte d’Azur shortly after getting married, hoping to make a home for themselves in the popular holiday region – but made an irritating discovery

A newlywed couple who relocated to southern France following their wedding discovered that what had initially appeared to be a brilliant decision had transformed into a complete disaster.

Rachel Hosie revealed she and her husband moved to the Côte d’Azur shortly after tying the knot, hoping to establish a home for themselves in the sought-after holiday destination.

Relocating partly due to her husband’s career, Rachel explained that after she resigned from her position and the pair sold their Hampshire property, they embarked on the nearly 1,000-mile drive and began laying the groundwork for their fresh start.

Possessing sufficient French to manage in both verbal and written communication, they anticipated that establishing a home wouldn’t differ greatly from doing so in Britain — but they were mistaken.

Rachel explained that the primary issue with attempting to build a new life in France was the bureaucracy — whether securing accommodation, arranging a broadband provider, or even managing daily bin collections, reports the Express.

All of this, Rachel said, generated a degree of exasperation in their new existence in a region where summer temperatures consistently soar to 40C.

Writing in the Times about their early experiences, she said: “It wasn’t long before we realised how naive that was. Honeymoon destination it may be, but life on the French Riviera isn’t all rosé by the sea.

“My husband and I speak passable French (for the average Brit), but that hasn’t stopped us feeling utterly out of our depth when it comes to bureaucracy and etiquette.”

Rachel revealed that the red tape was so overwhelming that they had resorted to carrying around stacks of paperwork, just in case they were needed.

She explained: “We’ve been told it may take the best part of a year to get our cartes de séjour (residency permits), and then there’s the carte vitale for healthcare, carte grise for our cars, and various other cartes.

“We’ve taken to walking around with thick wads of documents, including our marriage certificate and my husband’s job offer letter, as we’ve been asked for them for everything from registering our car to registering with a doctor.”

Despite the administrative nightmare, Rachel insisted she was still glad they made the move.

She remarked: “So, as I take the recycling out for the umpteenth time, I try to remember that there are worse places to start married life. But the bureaucracy? C’est terrible.”

Rachel isn’t the first British expat to spotlight the potential downsides of relocating to France, with one expat posting on Reddit about their dissatisfaction with life there, reports the Express.

User ‘k0zmina’ argued on the platform: “Here’s the big problem with France: terrible job market, very little diversity, and limited new business creation.

“The country is very centralised, as most jobs and opportunities are in Paris. Then there’s the issue of employers choosing to discriminate against you based on which elite, expensive school you did or did not attend.

“Networking — who you know — is a huge deal! Outside of Paris, it’s true the cost of living is lower, but so are salaries and job opportunities.

“Ultimately, you have cheaper rent and apartments but very expensive groceries, technology, and electric bills, etc., because of taxes and other factors I won’t get into.”