Section: Fabulous:Real Life

THERE’S nothing like a lovely relaxing autumnal dog walk, but there are plenty of hidden dangers pet owners need to look out for, it turns out.

This comes as new research from dog walking insurance providers, Protectivity, reveals that the majority of pet insurance claims are linked to dog walking.

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Since these hazards can end up not only being dangerous for your pet, but costly when the vet bill arrives, it’s good to know what to avoid.

Luckily, Protectivity has partnered with three certified canine experts to share practical tips and advice to safeguard dogs on their autumn walk.

Ingesting slugs or snails 

The damp weather that autumn brings can lead to an increase in slugs and snails that can carry lungworm larvae, a potentially fatal issue if left untreated.

Sadie Geoghegan-Dann, Canine Welfare Expert & Dog Trainer at Nervous Rex warned: “Having personally lost one of my own dogs to lungworm, I can’t emphasise enough how dangerous it is to let your dog play around with slugs and risk eating one.”

The expert added that lungworm can take hold very fast and can be fatal in no time if not spotted.

Terry Cuyler, Certified Dog Trainer and owner of Pawsitive Results Dog Training added: “My default solution to this problem is to train a good “drop it” command.

“Occasionally, despite our best intentions, a dog will grab something while we’re not able to intercept them. An effective ‘drop it’ guarantees that they’ll drop the object at once, and this can be a life-saver.”

Fallen fruits from apples, pears and plum trees

As autumn rolls around, fruit trees start to shed their sweet-smelling fruit and while it may seem enticing to dogs, fallen fruit can cause severe stomach upsets and present a choking hazard. 

Dog owner, Shakira Sacks, from Leeds, explained how her four year old cocker spaniel, Autumn, had to receive medical treatment after ingesting a fallen plum on a walk.

Shakira said: “Being a cocker spaniel, Autumn is forever eating things she shouldn’t. Over the years, we’ve implemented lots of training commands but on a recent walk in our local park, she ate a fallen plum, including the stone. 

“After speaking to our vet, they asked us to bring her in immediately and two hours of induced vomiting and a £350 bill later, Autumn was her happy self again.

“It was, however, a very scary experience and has made me even more hyper-vigilant of hazards that I wasn’t aware of previously. I had no idea that although plums are usually safe for dogs to eat, the stones can be toxic, as can the flesh when it’s mouldy.” 

Acorns on the ground 

The phrase ‘are acorns poisonous to dogs’ has been searched 7,000 times on Google in the UK in the last month alone, revealing the very real concern owners have. 

Terry warned: “In my experience, one of autumn’s most underappreciated perils is the abundance of acorns. I have worked with dogs who have come to significant injury from eating them.”

Acorns contain tannins, the dog pro explained, which can cause stomach issues and even kidney damage in dogs. For smaller breeds they also pose as a chocking risk.

Fallen conkers

Conkers are another highly toxic risk for dogs on autumnal walks, with severe cases costing up to £2,000 in veterinary treatment. 

Terry said: “I see this process repeat itself time and time again during autumnal walks. Dogs have an instinct to be attracted to conkers, acorns, and fallen fruits, as these trigger their hidden foraging instinct and carry scents of wild animals to them.”

He recommended looking out for key warning signs, like over-sniffing at ground level, sudden stops during walks, and that familiar head-down posture showing keen interest in something to eat.

But mostly, pet owners should be aware of the “freeze and stare” posture just before their strike and correct immediately with a high-reward treat and a ‘leave it’ command.”

A SURGERY addict has spent over £100,000 to get the ‘world’s biggest bum.’

But now, pictures of Natasha Crown, 29, ‘before’ going under the knife have left the internet open-mouthed. 

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Revealing all to Truly on a recent episode of Hooked on the Look, the glamour model, who is originally from Serbia, got candid on her surgery journey.

Natasha, who is 6’1 and describes herself as an “Amazon,” said she first realised she wanted a super-sized bum at the age of 17.

Three years later, she started her cosmetic journey from an “athletic teen to a curvy goddess.”

Now, Natasha has spent over $150,000 [£111,650] going under the knife and has had five Brazilian Butt Lifts (BBL).

A Brazilian Butt Lift (BBL) is a painful surgery where fat is taken from the stomach, lips, lower back, or thighs and transferred to the buttocks.

This results in an hourglass figure and a larger bum and can cost up to £8,000.

Not only is it expensive, but it is incredibly dangerous and has in some cases led to death.

But Natasha has no desire to stop surgeries any time soon, as she explained: “When I was 17, I saw a girl with a really big bum, and I was sold. 

“I have added 100lbs [7stone 1lbs] to this big bum.

“I love having big curves. Everything needs to be big.

“I love surgery and I will keep going. I’m growing my bum to be over 100 inches.”

As well as five BBLs, Natasha, who is “famous” for her big bum and believes “the bigger the booty, the better,” has also had breast implants, Botox and fillers.

When I’m out, people stare. Online, people are mean, but it doesn’t affect me

Natasha Crown

But she doesn’t have any fears the impact of such procedures will have, as she added: “I don’t have any concerns about my health.”

Getting candid on the public’s reaction to her look, Natasha claimed that her “body shape scares men.”

She continued: “When I’m out, people stare. Online, people are mean, but it doesn’t affect me.”

Discussing the reality of having such a large derrière, the content creator admitted: “Things that are difficult having this big butt – when I fly, I need to have two seats. I bump into people when I’m at restaurants.”

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Social media users gasp

YouTube users were left gobsmacked by Natasha’s surgery transformation, but were particularly stunned by her ‘before’ photos. 

One person said: “I wish she knew how beautiful her natural self was.” 

Another added: “The before is better.” 

She was gorgeous before

YouTube user

A third commented: “She was so gorgeous.” 

Meanwhile, alongside a crying emoji, someone else sobbed: “She was gorgeous before.”

Not only this, but another user chimed in and claimed: “Delusion at its finest.”

At the same time, another wrote: “The doctors should have their licenses revoked! This is insane! I could find way better things to spend all that money on!” 

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A SHOPPER has sparked a debate among bargain hunters after sharing an incredible yellow sticker haul on social media – and admitting she cleared the shelves of highly reduced items.

The savvy shopper managed to scoop up 51 cartons of fruit juice for less than £4, along with a massive discount on cleaning essentials.

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The post quickly racked up comments after the woman declared: “Yes I cleared the shelves who wouldn’t,” justifying her massive purchase.

The focus of her shopping spree was Morrisons, though she noted the deal might not be nationwide. 

The woman, who shared her impressive savings in the popular Facebook group Extreme Couponing And Bargains UK, basket was full of discounted everyday essentials.

She bought 17 multipacks of juice cartons (4x apple and blackcurrant, 13x orange juice) that were priced at a mere 20p per pack. 

This means she paid just £3.40 for 51 individual juice cartons, a saving of over 90% on the original price.

The money saver also grabbed a huge stock of Dettol cleaning wipes. 

These were marked up at 75p but scanned at an even lower 37p per pack of 70 wipes.

She bought 13 packs, grabbing a year’s worth of cleaning supplies for just £4.81.

But her post soon quickly got a reaction from other money savers. 

Many users congratulated her on the incredible luck, insisting that any serious bargain hunter would do the same but others disagreed. 

“I wouldn’t have cleared the shelf actually,” one wrote.

A second also stated: “It’s lovely to hear of people getting a bargain but when you say…

“I cleared the shelf, surely you didn’t mean that figuratively.

“I mean you did leave some for someone else to ‘get a bargain’?”

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“I’m sorry but I get annoyed when people clear the shelf.

“I just think it’s a great bargain but please be fair to others to have the opportunity to get as well,” a third added.

But someone else said: “Why not, great find. That pack lunches are sorted.”

And another added: “Well done you…I would have as well…always share with relations and friends.” 

A Facebook user also commented: “Well done you, who wouldn’t take the lot I would , to split between my family.” 

IF your heart races at the thrill of a massive bargain, prepare yourself. 

Shoppers are in a frenzy over a chain of retail outlets where you can snag Amazon customer returns and overstock for an unbelievable fraction of the price. 

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TikTok user ‘meganmariac’ posted a video of her haul from one of these locations, often referred to as a Trade Outlet. 

Her video, which showed aisles filled with discounted goods, quickly racked up 180,000 views in less than 24 hours. 

Meganmariac explained that she was initially on the hunt for a few personal bits, but the sheer volume of discounted goods – especially in the kids’ and tech sections – was impossible to ignore. 

A toy originally priced at £30 was just £5, while an iPad case (RRP around £20) was a ludicrous £3. 

You can find entire sections dedicated to children’s books, games, and paint-by-numbers sets for as little as £2, making these stores an absolute cheat code for Christmas and birthday gifting.

She also grabbed a £45 wireless camera for just £5, and a fancy smartwatch that would normally cost around £90 was only £20. 

Even health and beauty items, like a box of Vitamin C and Hyaluronic Acid serums retailing for around £33, were down to a mere £6. 

Her ultimate haul of an iPad case, a screen protector, and some adorable croc charms came to roughly a tenner.

The Golden Rule

If you’re expecting a curated retail experience, think again.

“It’s really overwhelming. It’s so busy here,” Meganmariac admitted.

This is the liquidation zone: the home of customer returns, minor packaging damage, and overstock. 

Many of the best items are still sealed in plain brown delivery boxes, which means shoppers have to check the tiny labels to be sure of what the item is. 

Where to find them?

While there are many places that sell liquidation stock, the specific “Trade Outlet” chain meganmariac visited has become famous for its Amazon-heavy returns. 

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If you’re based in the North West of England, you’re strategically placed for a bargain dash.

The chain has several locations, including major sites near Chester Gates (often situated opposite a Costco), Liverpool, and Trafford Park.

A 20-YEAR-OLD mother has revealed how she really spends her Universal Credit payments. 

Skye Byrne, a young mum from the UK, claimed that not only has she treated herself to a holiday, but she even splashed the cash in Sainsbury’s on a huge homeware haul.

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And as well as stocking up her daughter’s wardrobe, she also indulged with a McDonald’s takeaway.

Posting on social media, the content creator who lives in a council house, revealed a typical day in her life. 

She said: “What I spend in a day, UC Benefit Britain Edition.”

Skye kicked off her morning with a Universal Credit appointment and was quick to clap at trolls who have criticised her for booking a trip abroad.

She said: “For everyone that said, ‘you shouldn’t be going on holiday when you’re on UC,’ well, I told my work coach and she cried, she actually cried because she knows how much I’ve been wanting so badly to take my daughter on a holiday and she was so happy and thrilled for us, so, yeah, suck on that, everyone.”

Following this, Skye then headed to her local supermarket and stocked up on homeware buys and clothes for her daughter.

She added: “I went into Sainsbury’s and picked up these little bits and bobs for the house – I got three pillows and a blanket.”

As well as this, Skye also nabbed some tea towels and place mats, bringing her interior purchases to a total cost of £48.

However, Skye then picked up two pairs of £3.50 leggings and a pair of £7 jeggings for her child.

Following this, she also nabbed a pair of beige trousers and a PAW Patrol bottle, but was lost for words when she went to the till and saw the total cost of her haul.

The benefits recipient shared: “Honestly, I almost had a heart attack when I saw the price – this all came to £88, I was stunned.”

But the money spending clearly didn’t stop there, as Skye ended her day with a takeaway.

So glad my taxes are being spent wisely

TikTok user

Although Skye didn’t splurge masses on her fast food as it cost her just £2.99. 

“Then went into Maccas cause I was quite hungry, so I picked up a triple cheeseburger,” she concluded.

Social media users react

Skye’s TikTok clip, which was posted under the username @skyebyrnex, has clearly left many open-mouthed, as it has quickly racked up 32,100 views. 

But social media users were fuming by how Skye spent her money and many raced to the comments to express this. 

One person said: “So glad my taxes are being spent wisely.” 

I am allowed a nice home for my daughter to live in. I’m also allowed to take my daughter on holidays and enjoy her childhood

Skye Byrne

Another added: “How can you afford to shop in Sainsbury’s on UC? I’m lucky if I can afford Primark nowadays.” 

A third commented: “Workshy and diet shy.”

To this, Skye responded and alongside a kiss emoji, cheekily wrote: “Don’t be jelly.” 

At the same time, one user questioned: “Isn’t UC designed to help you survive when you aren’t working? Not for pillows? And apparently a holiday.” 

In response, Skye shared: “1. I am allowed a nice home for my daughter to live in. 2. I’m also allowed to take my daughter on holidays and enjoy her childhood.” 

Meanwhile, someone else asked: “How on earth do you afford to go on holiday?”

Setting the record straight, Skye wrote back and confirmed: “I save. I make sure I can do these things for my daughter.” 

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SHE described her stint on Dragons’ Den as the “biggest and the most public rejection” ever – but Zara Saleem has had the last laugh.

The 37-year-old mum-of-two, who quit her underpaid £27k-a-year job, now has a business worth £5 million – and she started it all with just £500 at her kitchen table.

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But things haven’t all been smooth sailing for Zara, who has two daughters, aged eight and seven and her thriving beauty brand, Delhicious.

Not only did she deal with a huge plummet in sales during the coronavirus lockdown, but she’s also been faced with numerous rejections by top high-street retailers too.

However, now sales are flying for the award-winning skincare brand, which is approved by dermatologists and clinically tested. 

Opening up on her business journey, Zara exclusively tells us: “I had no money when I started – we had no more than £500.

“We started with just buying a small batch of ingredients and a tiny bit of packaging. Everything else that we could do for free, we did for free, including making the website. 

“The first year of revenue was very low. It was around £50,000 in year one. But now, we’ve made over £5 million since we launched.

“We’ve sold over 100,000 bottles of hair oil – we sold 10,000 bottles in three days.

“We are currently on track to make between £2 and £3 million this year and are hoping to scale the business to £8 million in the next two to three years.” 

Making products in the kitchen

It was when Zara found herself having to mark up to 150 school books a day that she realised being an “underpaid” teacher was no longer for her.

And it was when Zara, who is married to her co-founder Zak Ismail, 36, came face to face with skin challenges in 2018 that the mother began making products in her kitchen.

Zak helped out too and whilst on maternity leave, things really took off, as the beauty guru, who lives in Wembley, London, explains: “I had really dry skin and really ugly, scaly patches that were really painful. 

“I didn’t really want to use steroid creams and that’s when I started to experiment with ingredients that I knew had anti-inflammatory properties.

“I used to use black tea as a face toner, so I would brew the tea and add some oils, and I knew that it was a good anti-inflammatory.

“I formulated the body scrub in my kitchen and it had incredible results. Within a couple of days, my skin had almost completely cleared.”

We were really scared in the beginning but we took the risk. We were quite delusional

Zara Saleem

At the time, while Zara was employed as a teacher, her husband Zak was working in a corporate job. 

However, their lifestyle was far from lavish, as she adds: “I wasn’t living a luxurious life at all.

“The money wasn’t great – teachers are incredibly underpaid for the amount of work that they do.”

The GlossyBox deal that changed everything

Unsure of the brand’s future, Zara shares: “It was never really meant to be a proper beauty brand – I didn’t really have it in my head how far I could take it. 

“It was literally just me and my husband with the scrappy website that we made, hoping that we would get some sales.

“I had 20 bags of body scrub at the time and we had no sales coming in. 

“I was like, ‘if I sell a couple of body scrubs, I’m great,’ but I was very much at home with my two children under two.”

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But it was a huge deal with GlossyBox that really made the business take off, as Zara recognises: “Once we’d launched and started to get a couple of sales, I was adamant that I wanted to try and get some press, so I started to reach out to a couple of journalists.

“I went on the radio and then after that, we got approached by GlossyBox, who at the time were the biggest beauty box around, and beauty boxes around that time were really taking off. They wanted to place an order of 100,000 units.

“We were still making products in our kitchen. We had no manufacturer, we had no idea how we would actually be able to fulfil the order, but we took it on and turned our house into a factory.

“Our neighbours very kindly took our furniture in, we had our family and friends coming and filling body scrubs for us and we had a crazy four months where we hand-packed and made 100,000 body scrubs.

“I think it was at that point that we kind of thought, ‘this could actually be something.’”

Going viral on TikTok

After the success with GlossyBox, Zara and Zak turned to body balms – now one of their bestselling, award-winning products. 

Zara explains: “We made our body balms which went super viral on TikTok because they had incredible results for people with eczema and psoriasis. 

“Our fridge was full of balms and we couldn’t make enough because the minute we would put them online they were gone.

“We created waitlists. I think we had a waitlist of around 50,000 people at one point. It was actually insane. 

“We started hitting five-figure sales a month. We were growing, growing, growing and sales were pouring in.”

Whilst running the business, Zara returned to her teaching job, but shortly after, realised it was time to quit for good and focus on her business full-time. Soon after, Zak followed suit.

The couple were initially fearful to take the risk and Zara describes her actions as “delusional.” But in just three months, she had matched her monthly teacher wage.

The businesswoman shares: “We had no business background whatsoever. We were really scared in the beginning but we took the risk.

“We were quite delusional. I don’t think we thought things through enough to be honest.

“We were really lucky. We had a really supportive circle of family and friends who helped us get through. 

“Who knows, if anyone did doubt us, but it wasn’t to our face.”

Rejection after rejection

But things haven’t always been easy for this couple, as Zara shares: “When we first launched, we aimed to get into Boots and buyers rejected us straight away.

“They were like, ‘no you’re not ready’, and I agree with that now.

“We’ve had multiple rejections – every single retailer you can think of rejected us.” 

After sales plummeted in lockdown, just four years after launching the business, Zara decided to go on Dragons’ Den, where she asked for £50,000 for 15% of the business.

But Zara left the infamous den without an investment, as she shares: “I felt like the Dragons didn’t quite get the brand.

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“But also, what had happened was, we had a spike in our sales with the GlossyBox order, and then after that, it was lockdown, which meant that I had both of my very small children at home, so I had to step back because I didn’t have any childcare available.

“I had to make that conscious decision to not invest as much time as I could in the business and obviously to the Dragons that didn’t sound good.

“I think they just didn’t really get it and they thought we were a TikTok brand. It felt like a little bit more of an excuse as to why they may not have wanted to invest.”

Reflecting on her time on the BBC show, the mother admits: “Dragons’ Den was probably the biggest and the most public rejection I’ve had, which was really difficult.

“Even before it aired, I was really nervous because I felt like I’d let myself down, I felt like I’d let the brand down because I didn’t get the investment.

“It was a really tough experience and at the time, I felt like I doubted everything about the brand.

I thought it would be good if I could have secured the investment, not for the money but more for the guidance, because obviously I didn’t have a mentor and we didn’t really know what we were doing

Zara Saleem

“They didn’t think it would scale and they didn’t think it was investable because of that one dip.

“And actually, rejection is always redirection and it’s something you need to overcome if you truly believe in whatever it is that you’re building.

“And I do fully believe in the brand, I believe in the ethos and the values of it, so I guess that keeps me going.

“I wasn’t relying on Dragons’ Den for the success of the business. I thought it would be good if I could have secured the investment, not for the money but more for the guidance, because obviously I didn’t have a mentor and we didn’t really know what we were doing.” 

Expansion and £120,000 salaries

But despite walking away empty handed, it didn’t take long for things to pick up again for Delhicious. 

As well as being online for Debenhams, Zara says: “Retail was a big move for us – we always wanted to be on the high street. We are in store in Beauty Base and exclusively in store with Superdrug.”

Things have since expanded from Zara and Zak’s kitchen and now, Delhicious is a team of five.

Zara adds: “We’ve got all UK manufacturers now – that process took us quite a long time.

“Obviously when you’re making products at home, it’s a very different process – you’re making a couple of hundred to now making thousands at a time.”

“We used to pack every single order that used to come in. Now we have a fulfilment centre and it’s a very, streamlined process compared to how it was before, which was very hands-on by me and Zak literally seeing every order coming in, making the products, printing labels, and packing them ourselves.

“We’ve outsourced all of that so we can actually focus on the growth of the business.”

Being able to focus on the business growth has proved profitable for Zara and now, both she and Zak are on £120,000 salaries. 

Life-changing success

Reflecting on the company’s success, she acknowledges: “We’ve had six-figure months – we’ve done at least £200,000 in one month.

“It’s been so life-changing in so many ways. Financially, to have that ease of mind, it’s incredible.

“I’m not a big spender but if we want to go on a nice holiday, we can go on a nice holiday.

“We’ve recently done a big house renovation, which was amazing – it’s something we’ve always wanted to do.

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“Going from a £27,000 salary to then being able to be on six-figures now – I would never have been able to get that in teaching.

“We’re very, very blessed and very lucky, but we’ve worked really hard for it.

“I’m still very modest, I’m very conscious of the way that I spend my money, and that’s something that I pass on to my children as well.”

Now that Zara is her own boss, she has much more flexibility over her life, as she beams: “I absolutely love that I can do all the school drop-offs and pick-ups. I have a lot of flexibility over my time which is so nice.

“Of course, we still do work a lot. People get the impression that when you run your own business, you’re not working as much.

“We work a lot but it’s on our own terms – that was the one thing that I couldn’t get in teaching and it used to break my heart.”

Zara is now on a mission to get more women into the industry, as she continues: “I’m a really big advocate for women going into business. I think it’s such a great way for women to be independent, but still be able to be present in their other roles. We need more women in business.”

Discussing the future of the business, Zara concludes: “Hopefully we’re going outside of the UK now as well and hoping to be able to expand distribution and go to more multiple retailers as well. 

“We’ve definitely got our eyes on Australia and the US, as well as Kuwait and Dubai.” 

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FROM competitiveness to narcissism – if Noel and Liam have what it takes to patch things up, you have no excuse!

WITH the whole world watching, the Gallagher brothers have been taking to the stage for the Oasis reunion tour – and off the back of their 16-year feud, have proven sibling reconciliation is possible for anyone (though the jury is still out on Princes William and Harry. . .).

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One of the most impactful relationships you will ever have is with a sibling, who can be a best friend and confidante from day one to the end.

But the dynamic is complex.

Just because you have the same parents, it doesn’t mean you had the same experience growing up.

Likewise, you can share DNA, but not the same outlook on life or values.

Fallouts will occur, and that can lead to long-held feuds.

In fact, one study found 28% of people had experienced at least one estrangement episode with a sibling.*

“Our siblings have known us in our formative years in deeply intimate ways, sharing baths, bedrooms, road trips and battles over broccoli,” says Ali Ross from the UK Council for Psychotherapy.

“During this time, there’s a tension between them being your closest allies and greatest threats.”

How do you navigate tensions when they reach boiling point, or bring up long-standing resentments that are now having a big impact?

“Those conversations can be painful and difficult, especially if this is unprecedented for you in your relationship,” says Ali.

“But they can also be helpful to establish a new way of relating as siblings. It can also be a relief to name the elephant in the room, or to expose that you’ve been misinterpreting something and dispel long-held assumptions.”

But sometimes forgiveness feels impossible, and the healthiest thing to do is to walk away.

Here, Ali explains how to cope with each type of sibling and their typical traits.

The Competitive Sibling

Whether it be over board games or job salaries, sibling competitiveness can seep into every crevice of your life.

Exhausting, right? Often it’s just light-hearted banter, but if micro-aggressions are thrown around by your sibling, it can put a strain on your relationship.

“The truth is, people like to be in charge of their narrative and identity – and the way people see themselves within the family, or when compared to siblings, can challenge both those things,” says Ali.

“It is how much you want to buy into that game.”

WHAT NEXT?

When you feel the competitive urge, acknowledge it’s just a reflex, then redirect your energy.

“If you’re casting judgements about a sibling without attempting to understand what it’s like to live their life, challenge yourself to genuinely, compassionately understand them better, then do this for yourself,” says Ali.

He suggests imagining a version of yourself that doesn’t have a sibling to compete with. What would you care about?

“Once you understand the context, the desire to compare and compete diminishes,” he says.

Fallouts will occur, and that can lead to long-held feuds

The Narcissistic Sibling

However much you want to forge a stronger relationship with your sibling, the reality is that sometimes it’s near-impossible.

Does it feel like they won’t take any responsibility for their actions, and don’t seem to be capable of any empathy for you or your viewpoint?

“These are signs of narcissistic behaviour,” says Ali.

“But rather than writing your sibling off as a narcissist and trying to change this other person’s way of being, it is more empowering to understand what you are encountering, what that means for you, and to consider how you are going to navigate that.”

WHAT NEXT?

Ask yourself if your sibling shows any signs of understanding you or caring for you.

“If they don’t, do you really want to have a relationship with them?

“The answer may be hard and upsetting, but it means you can move forward from a more informed position,” says Ali.

There’s a tension between them being your closest allies and greatest threats

Ali Ross

The Peter Pan Sibling

Some people might describe your sibling as a “free spirit”, but you only see them as a big kid.

Ali suggests thinking about why your sibling’s Peter Pan energy irritates you so much.

“Do you feel like you got too old, too soon, or took on more responsibility and feel resentment?” says Ali.

Perhaps you took on caring responsibilities for other family members.

“Ask yourself honestly if there are feelings of being a martyr on your part,” says Ali.

“Have you rushed straight in to put out the fire before anybody else smelled something was burning?”

WHAT NEXT?

Try telling your sibling how much you are struggling.

“Say something like: ‘This is the burden I’m carrying, and you’re not helping,’ and follow it up with some actual strategising to prompt a practical shift,” Ali says.

Our siblings have known us in our formative years in deeply intimate ways, sharing baths, bedrooms, road trips and battles over broccoli

Ali Ross

The Controlling Sibling

Is your sibling overbearing or dictatorial? It’s likely to come from a fear of being vulnerable, says Ali.

“They’re taking power in a situation because they can’t bear the idea of not being in control. However, this feeling is often buried so deep that your sibling won’t recognise it for what it is.”

People under control can end up feeling resentment, but may be too oppressed to express their true feelings.

WHAT NEXT?

“Be aware that calling it out is a threat to their control in itself,” Ali warns.

“It is why they are likely to double-down on their control, or find another insidious way to try to resume or re-establish control.

“It is much better if the controlling person is left to try to figure it out for themselves, and you spend as little time as you can in their orbit.”

It can also be a relief to name the elephant in the room, or to expose that you’ve been misinterpreting something and dispel long-held assumptions

Ali Ross

The Disengaged Sibling

Of course, not all siblings are close.

Or perhaps you once were, but can’t make sense of how your friendship fizzled out.

“Too often, we draw conclusions too early, then base our response on that,” says Ali. There can be a multitude of reasons why your sibling is being elusive.

“Let’s say someone has been abused or neglected in some way [by the family], and they just want out. You cannot force someone to confront something if they do not want to, and you need to respect their space.”

Maybe you’re their problem, in which case, are you ready for some criticism?

“It might be that you are both very different people, and they’re just not that interested in having a relationship with you.

“This will hurt, but at least you’ll hear it for what it is and know what you are dealing with.”

WHAT NEXT?

It’s a tricky conversation, especially if it comes after years of distance.

“Say to them: ‘I feel sad that we don’t have much of a relationship, as far as I see it, and I don’t know why that is. Do you want to feel closer, because I do?’” says Ali.

“You can then try to suggest ways you can bridge that gap or, even better, leave it with them.”

IT was the Autumn equinox on Monday – which means the days are about to get a lot shorter.

Before you know it, it will be dark when you get home from work and when you get up in the morning.

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And although that means less gardening time – there’s still loads you can get in the ground or your greenhouse.

In fact, Autumn is a great time to get planting – simply because the soil is still warm but the weather is cooler – which means roots can establish well before Winter.

Whether it’s for produce or colour before Christmas – or flowers after – I’ve put together a guide on what can go in the ground now.

FLOWERS

You can always tell from what’s on sale in your local garden centre or supermarket as to what will bring you colour in the run up before Christmas.

But staples like container grown Geums, Cyclamen, Astor, Japanese Anenome, and Chrysanthemums can be bought in flower and planted now.

Plus racks of bedding plants like pansies, viola and primroses are filling supermarket shelves.

I managed to find three packs of eight viola plugs from Asda for just a fiver last weekend – which means each of the 24 plugs are only 20p.

Plus the gorgeous colour combinations will fill your garden with rainbows of colour.

And a lot of the garden centres are offering Winter Bedding packs – which takes the decision of what to buy out of your hands – and provides you with a lovely rainbow of colours for your outside space.=

Seeds-wise – you can plant sweetpea, poppies, calendula, cornflower, nemesia, forget-me-nots, and lavender under cover.

BULBS

Daffodils, crocus, alliums and grape hyacinth bulbs are good to go in September and October – as well as the more unusual large Fritalliaries  and Camassia – which look really like bluebells.

But hold fire until November until you plant your tulip bulbs – they love the colder weather.

If you put them in too early, you’ll risk the change of Tulip Fire, which is a fungal disease that causes distorted leaves and spots – that look like scorch marks – on the tulips themselves.

A lot of online garden centres have big bulb sales on at the moment, so it’s worth shopping around.

Suttons Seeds are offering Sun Gardening readers an exclusive link to get 80 per cent off their bulb sales right now.

Access it now at www.suttons.co.uk/sunoffer

VEGETABLES AND FRUIT

Butterhead and Lamb’s lettuce actually like the colder weather – so under a cloche or cold frame, or in a greenhouse – sow the seeds thinly, about 1.5cm deep. Sow every 2-3 weeks for a continuous supply.

Overwintering cauliflower seeds like ‘All The Year Round’ and ‘Autumn Giant’ can be planted now – under protection.

Plus onion seeds, winter greens, garlic, pak choi, spinach and kale.

There’s a lot of fruit you can grow in pots – including cherries, raspberries, strawberries and blueberries.

Then wait until November for bare root season

Also in Veronica’s Column this week…

Gardening news, top tips, Plant of the Week plus a chance to win a £200 Gardening Express voucher.

Fore more gardening content and competitions follow me @biros_and_bloom

NEWS! Did you know that 22 billion carrot seeds are sown each year in the UK, and we eat our way through 700,000 tonnes of carrots annually?
This works out to be around 100 per person, and laid out end to end they would stretch 1.4 million miles – two and a half trips to the moon.  
And as British growers provide 97 per cent of the carrots consumers buy in the UK, there is almost no need to buy imported carrots.
They’re also worth £290m to the UK Economy yet are one of the cheapest vegetables – with loads of nutritional benefits.  
The incredible stats have been released in time for British Carrot Day on Friday – which celebrates the UK carrot growing and encourages people to buy, get creative, eat, and cook with carrots.
For more information visit www.britishcarrots.co.uk 

NEWS! A whopping leaf four metres long has been grown at the Eden Project, Cornwall. Lodoicea maldivica, more commonly known as coco de mer, is native to the islands of the Seychelles and is famous for producing the world’s largest and heaviest seed.
The mature leaf has taken around ten years to develop to this stage. And over the next decade, it could reach a massive eight to ten metres. A coco de mer can live for up to 800 years, reaching up to 112 feet tall.

TOP TIP! September is the start of baby hedgehog (hoglet) season, and you may find that they need your help.
Autumn Juvenile hedgehogs are old enough to be away from their mums, but often too small to hibernate successfully.
Guidance from the British Hedgehog Preservation Society  says that “if the hedgehog is a regular visitor to your garden, is only seen at night, appears active and you are prepared to feed it every night then it can be left in the wild.
But  if the hedgehog goes off its food, wobbles and staggers or starts coming out in the day, then it needs extra help as soon as possible.
The best way to ensure wild hedgehogs are well-fed is to create organic wild spaces, leafy corners and log piles where they can forage for natural foods, like grubs and insects.
To supplement their diet in the wild, you can offer hedgehogs a good quality meaty hedgehog food, meaty cat or dog food or dry biscuits for cats.

NEWS! If you fancy turning your hand to growing houseplants, Unwins have launched a brand new Houseplant Seed Collection, a curated range of eight varieties that have been specially selected and bred to flourish in UK and Irish homes.
Including Asparagus Ferns, Sempervivum, Bird of Paradise and Dichondra Silver Surfer, the packs are available now in your local garden centre.
Natasha Lane, Head of Seed, for Unwins, commented: “We’re very excited to be launching a collection of houseplant seeds for the first time. It now means that it’s easier than ever to create your very own indoor jungle. Whether you’re looking to enhance wellbeing, purify the air, or simply add style to your space, our houseplant seeds are ready to grow with you.”

WIN! One lucky reader can win a £200 Gardening Express voucher to spend online. To enter, visit www.thesun.co.uk/EXPRESSVOUCHER or write to Sun Gardening Express competition, PO Box 3190, Colchester, Essex, CO2 8GP. Include your name, age, email or phone. UK residents 18+ only. Entries close 11.59pm. October 11, 2025. T&Cs apply

PLANT OF THE WEEK! Japanese Anemone. Blooming now, they’re graceful and tall with long stalks and single or double flowers – great for brightening up shady corners, but prefer a bit of sun. Spread by rhizomes.

JOB OF THE WEEK! If you’ve got a pond it’s time to get it ready for winter – net it before leaves start to fall and trim back any overgrown pond plants. Put a tennis ball in to help prevent freezing.

IF you’re looking for a stylish buy to add to your home that will also make it feel cosier, B&M has got you covered.

The bargain retailer’s extra large shaggy faux rug is perfect for warming up your feet as temperatures dip over autumn and winter.

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It’s also an affordable way to spruce up your space for the colder months after being marked down in the sale.

The cream shaggy faux fur rug was originally priced at £18.

But it’s currently scanning for just £4.50. This works out at a huge £13.50 saving.

And it’s not just an insulation solution for your floors.

A savvy bargain hunter revealed she has been using the rug as a throw for her bed and sofa after snapping up two in her local store.

Posting on the BARGAIN LOVERS – Poundland, Home Bargains, B&M, Primark, The Range & More Facebook group, which boasts 910,000 members, Jayne said: “Bargain down to £4.50 at B&M.

“iv put one on my sofa and bed “

Other shoppers are now racing to pick one up, as one gushed: “I need.”

A second asked a loved one: “Have u any in if so please save me 2 an let me know.”

Meanwhile, a third cried: “I need a new rug!!! When we going?”

Elsewhere in store, a mum has revealed the top B&M buys you can grab now to spread the cost of Christmas shopping.

Kirsty, who jokingly describes herself as ”Christmas crazy”, recently shared the epic haul of goodies she got her teenager ahead of the festive season.

While some people reckon Christmas shopping in September is ”too early” – and even her hubby reckons she’s ”lost the plot” – sorting out the presents months in advance is a great way to spread the cost.

”I start shopping [for Christmas] straight away, soon as the year starts – especially once we get to February, March, April, I’m in full-swing Christmas,” Kirsty told her 29k followers on TikTok.

The monster haul included just some of the items the mum will be treating her 16-year-old daughter to during the festive season.

The majority of the goodies she snapped up as long as six months ago were purchased at B&M and included a range of items.

Mums are also snapping up a £10 festive buy that guarantees an hour of peace from your kids.

AN INFLUENCER with dwarfism has urged people to think twice about the way they speak to “little people”.

Lucy Sleight has made a name for herself as someone to watch in the social media world, and has a whopping 20.7 million likes on her TikTok page.

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She uses her platform to share fashion and beauty advice, but recently shared a video in which she opened up about some of the things she finds most difficult about being somebody with dwarfism.

One thing she can’t stand is when people “full on get on their knees” to talk to her, as she said it gives her “second hand embarrassment” for what they look like.

Instead, she urged them to sit down while she stands up, so that they’re at similar heights.

And don’t even think about patting her on the head – or using her as an armrest.

“Like girl please!” she sighed in the TikTok, which she captioned “things I find patronising as a little person”.

“This hasn’t actually happened to me many times thank God.

“Because if somebody did I’d literally be like excuse me. Like who do you think I am?

“I am not an object!”

She can’t stand it when people call her “cute”, which happens a lot – especially when she’s out with her boyfriend, who also has dwarfism.

“I want to be gorgeous. I want to be beautiful,” she said.

“I want to be amazing. I want to be incredible.

“And I feel like me personally. I associate the word cute with like small things or younger things.

“Like I’d call my nephew cute.

“I’m 26. I don’t want to be cute!”

Lucy also took aim at people who call her “inspirational” just because she’s a dwarf, as she said she wants to be considered an inspiration to others because of the things she does with her platform – not just because of her condition.

And she can’t stand it when people “overcompensate” in the way they talk to her, and end up talking to her like she’s “three years old”.

“I just want to reiterate like I know all those things I’ve mentioned are like are harmless,” she concluded the video, which has had over 357,000 views on the social media site.

“People are being nice, but it’s just sometimes the way things come across.”

The comments section was immediately filled with people having their say on Lucy’s advice, as one wrote: “I hate it when people infantalise people with dwarfism or visible disabilities.

“All of these comments must be so infuriating and annoying.”

“What is wrong with people?” another sighed.

“I don’t see you as anything different.

“You’re a beautiful human with an amazing personality!”

“As a wheelchair user and someone with cerebral palsy, I relate to all of these! Drives me mad,” a third admitted.

IF you think you are good at spotting tiny details, this latest visual brainteaser might just put you to the ultimate test.

The puzzle shows a dazzling grid of colourful rings, and lurking among the glittering chaos is a single prize engagement ring.

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The engagement ring has been designed to blend almost seamlessly with the surrounding jewels. 

However, somewhere among the sparkly mix of rings lies just one special design: a diamond set in a gold band.

This sparkling stumper isn’t as straightforward as it sounds. 

The creators at image editor experts Remove Background have challenged players to find it in under 15 seconds..

Some smug puzzle pros claim to have spotted it in the blink of an eye, while others admit they spent minutes staring before finally giving up.

Experts say that challenges like this can give your brain a mini-workout, sharpening attention to detail and boosting focus. 

Are you able to spot it or will you be left scratching your head?

Time is tight, but if you ace this task, you must have 20/20 vision.

It might seem a bit daunting at first, but the key is to carefully examine each element of the scene.

You might wish to start from the bottom right corner of the image and work your way up.

Did you manage to spot the hidden ring? If so, congratulations!

Still struggling? Don’t worry as there will be a solution image at the bottom.

Fancy giving a go at more brainteasers? Check if you have a high IQ by trying to find the hidden elephant in just eight seconds.

This mind-boggling brainteaser has even the most professional puzzlers scratching their heads in pursuit of the answer.

Everyone can spot the elephant but the challenge is to count her legs.

Still up for one more? This tricky optical illusion has left puzzle-lovers questioning the quality of their eyesight.

Finding the hidden baby rhino buried in this group of elephants is a challenge – can you do it in less than ten seconds?

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AS I watched the scene playing out on the TV, my heart started pounding.

Estate agent Cherry was meeting her boyfriend’s mum, Laura, for the first time – bringing back memories of the real-life monster-in-law who tried to destroy me in ways you wouldn’t believe.

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Hoping to make a good impression, she arrived with a beautiful bunch of flowers, but her future mother–in-law callously tossed them on a table, dismissing them as rubbish.

It’s a tale as old as time: son introduces the woman he loves to his mum, who instantly feels jealous that a new female will take her place.

So she makes her life HELL.

The reason The Girlfriend had such a strong impact on me was because, in many ways, I’d been there myself.

My ex’s mum hadn’t just disliked me, she’d hated my guts from day one.

She too had thrown down the flowers I’d given her the first time we met – not onto a table, but on the floor.

And the memories of the awful things she did while I was with her son still make me shudder.

Courteous to my face, but nasty behind my back, my monster-in-law, Jackie, constantly bad-mouthed me to friends and family – even my own neighbours.

She regularly told her son, Simon, that I wasn’t good enough for him and urged him to leave me, despite us having a child together.

Eventually, she succeeded and we split up. I simply couldn’t cope with her twisted games anymore.

Thankfully I’ve had no contact with her since the split, but I still have nightmares about it – and watching TV show The Girlfriend brought them all back.

I won’t spoil the story for those who haven’t seen it, but although Cherry isn’t all that she seems, Laura’s actions beggar belief.

For me, though, there’s one big difference.

Courteous to my face, but nasty behind my back, my monster-in-law, Jackie, constantly bad-mouthed me to friends and family – even my own neighbours

Cherry

While Laura’s awful behaviour pushes her son into his lover’s arm, the same could not be said for me and my ex.

His mother’s constant interference created a crack so wide that we still don’t talk to one another, despite sharing a six-year-old.

‘Overbearing’

I’d hoped the unappreciated flowers might be a misunderstanding, but soon I was being subjected to constant put-downs.

Sometimes we’d pop to her house for breakfast and if I asked for a bit of fruit instead of bacon and egg, she’d tut and mutter that I was ‘strange’.

She’d also get in a huff if Simon chose to spend a Saturday night out with me, instead of going round to see her.

He’d tell me his mum was ‘in a mood’ because he wasn’t paying her as much attention now.

I thought he was joking – at that point I had no idea how bizarre their relationship was.

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Just like obsessed Laura in The Girlfriend, Jackie had to know where Simon was at all times.

She’d call and text him multiple times a day, despite only living around the corner.

On one occasion, we were having sex at 11am when she messaged him six times in a row.

“Can you turn it off?” I pleaded as Jackie’s impatient alerts threatened to kill the moment.

I’m not alone in having a difficult relationship with my partner’s mum.

A two-decade study by Dr Terri Apter, a University of Cambridge psychologist, found that more than 60 per cent of women admitted their relationship with their mother-in-law caused them long-term unhappiness and stress.

Two-thirds of daughters-in-law also believed that their husband’s mother frequently exhibited jealous, maternal love towards their sons.

This was definitely true of Jackie.

She relished standing in front of me with her arms wrapped around Simon’s waist or shoulders.

And she had a key to his flat, so would often turn up unannounced.

One morning I plodded, half-awake, into the kitchen wearing nothing but a pair of knickers, only to find Jackie casually washing his dishes.

I complained that I found her actions overbearing and gently tried to explain to Simon that it wasn’t normal for a mum to be so involved in her adult son’s life.

But he responded saying she only did so because she “cared about him so much” and wanted to help.

Two-thirds of daughters-in-law also believed that their husband’s mother frequently exhibited jealous, maternal love towards their sons

During the three years we were together, Jackie would constantly gaslight me, telling Simon she’d sent texts inviting me to the cinema, or out shopping, and that I’d ignored them.

And if he dared take my side, she’d burst into tears on the phone so that he’d have to go round and console her.

Her words were vicious, but her actions were even worse.

If I invited her and her doormat of a husband round for dinner (yes, she controlled him too) she’d politely accept, then not turn up, secretly texting Simon afterwards to say she felt my invite was “fake”.

About a year into our relationship, I found out I was pregnant with our son, Josh.

For a while, Jackie softened – but within minutes of his birth, she reverted to type.

I had a terrible labour which culminated in an emergency c-section. Josh then had to be rushed to intensive care.

I felt exhausted, broken and bloody, so we requested that loved ones give us time to rest.

Everyone respected our wishes – except Jackie.

An hour after I’d got off the operating table, she burst into the room armed with balloons and a giant teddy bear.

“We’ve all been through it, you know,” she crowed as I burst into tears and begged Simon to get her out of there.

She even insisted on sneaking into the intensive care unit to see our newborn, even though I hadn’t been able to see him yet.

Jackie’s treatment only worsened when we finally brought Josh home.

She would message me constantly, telling me which wet wipes to use and what kind of vests I should be putting on him.

I even saw messages on Simon’s phone telling him to hide clothes I’d bought for the baby and replace them with ones she’d supplied instead.

The bullying was so bad, I even went to see a counsellor.

Jackie’s interference caused countless arguments and at one point, I even left Simon after she texted him claiming that I was “lazy” and “a useless mum”.

What hurt even more was that he never defended me.

That’s when I realised the level of control she really had over him.

It was relentless and in the end, I left for good.

I realised I would never be able to have a healthy relationship with such a mummy’s boy and that Jackie would never change.

Thankfully, I have little to do with her now, although she did try to continue her antics after we split.

She bombarded my friends and family with messages claiming that I was mentally ill, an unfit mother and needed help.

Luckily, they knew what she was like and blocked her.

But I’ve had to write my story anonymously, for fear of any backlash.

As a mother of a son myself, I understand it can be difficult seeing your child growing up, moving on and having another woman take centre stage.

But I’ve vowed never to be like my ex’s mum and to try to love whoever my son brings home.

I know all too well what it feels like to be on the receiving end of a hate campaign from a woman it is impossible to compete with.

A FORMER flight attendant has revealed some of her shocking mile-high experiences – from love rat pilots to passenger deaths.

Alanna Pow joined the cabin crew when she was just 19-years-old and worked on short-haul flights for three years before leaving the industry behind.

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The 22-year-old, who is now a model with three million followers across social media @alannasworldx,liked her job but admits certain situations could be very challenging.

And she was left stunned by some of the things she witnessed.

“What happens on flights is crazy,” said Alanna.

“For one thing, passengers die on planes more than people think.

“On our way from Melbourne to Cairns, an old man was in the toilet for half an hour or so.

“We opened the door to check on him and his body fell out onto my colleague.

“He was unresponsive and his poor wife was on the plane.

“We have a defibrillator onboard so we tried to resuscitate him, but it was too late.

“So, we just had to lay the passenger’s body down on the floor until we landed.

“What flight attendants go through and what we have to be trained in makes me sad.

“I was only 21 at the time and it’s such a big responsibility.”

The adult model also revealed that romances between cabin crew, pilots and passengers are rife.

She herself admits to having flings with three pilots – and even once hooked up with a passenger who slipped her his business card in first class.

Alanna said: “Some pilots are so flirty that you get warned about them by other colleagues and they can do what they want, because they’re in charge of the plane.

“Most of them are cheats.

“I slept with three pilots and one had a girlfriend.

“Sometimes they would see my name on the sheet and invite me into the cockpit for take-off and landing.

“One pilot would come over to mine when he had layovers even though he had a girlfriend, which was really bad.

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“When you have stopovers, all the cabin crew and pilots spend it together.”

Alanna also shared two tips for passengers who want a smooth ride.

She said: “Always be nice to flight attendants.

“And always have cash on you in the right currency to bribe people if your bag is overweight.”

The model quit flying and joined OnlyFans in 2023 after rumours circulated that she was already an adult star.

She said: “Passengers and colleagues always assumed I was on OnlyFans before I was because of my body type and the photos that I posted on Instagram.

“They weren’t too crazy but because I had really big boobs they always were out.

“I love flying and I love traveling as every flight attendant would say, though it got a bit boring after one year because the flights I was on were domestic.

“And the early mornings and long hours are hard.

“I don’t think I’ll ever be able to go back to a normal job.”

A YOUNG woman has moaned about how the Jobcentre has found “yet another way” to get on her nerves. 

Serena Lola, a 23-year-old who receives Universal Credit, described the Jobcentre as “dumb” and “poorly run.”

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The content creator, who is currently unemployed and is “vibing her way through life” took to social media to express her frustration at her situation, leaving many open-mouthed.

As she travelled to her local Jobcentre, she fumed: “The Jobcentre has found yet another way to p**s me off.”

The youngster acknowledged that she was sent money to pay for travel to an interview, but the ticket didn’t cost the full amount she was given.

As a result of being overpaid by the Jobcentre, she now owes them £15.

After receiving a letter requesting the overpaid money back, Serena explained: “They told me that I have to come into the Jobcentre and hand them cash – now this just seems illogical to me, especially in a day and age of technology where we can bank transfer money.

“I’m now having to pay £1.75 to go to the Jobcentre, when I don’t have a job or an income, to hand in cash.

“So now that’s £1.75 I’m wasting to go to the Jobcentre, when that’s something that could be done online.”

Serena was fuming with the circumstances, after being forced to go to a cash point, withdraw money and then “physically trek” to hand the payment back.

While Serena recognised it was a “minor, non-issue,” she was clearly very irritated by the “illogical” situation,.

“But come on – it just shows you how poorly run the system is and they could be doing things a lot better and a lot easier,” she concluded.

Social media users react

Serena’s TikTok clip, which was posted under the username @serenaxlola, has clearly left many open-mouthed, as it has quickly racked up 359,600 views, 9,177 likes and 445 comments.

Social media users were stunned by Serena’s situation and many flocked to the comments to express their thoughts. 

One person said: “So ridiculous.” 

They have to make everything 10 times more difficult for no reason

TikTok user

Another added: “Ring them and raise a complaint. You are out of pocket for travelling to the Jobcentre to pay them back, defeating the purposes of supporting you in the first place. That’s not okay.”

In response, Serena wrote back and penned: “It’s such a silly system.” 

A third commented: “They have to make everything 10 times more difficult for no reason.”

To this, Serena responded: “Tell me about it.” 

Meanwhile, someone else questioned: “Can’t they just take it from your next UC payment?”

Clearly baffled by the situation, Serena responded: “That’s what I thought?!? But clearly not.” 

Unlock even more award-winning articles as The Sun launches brand new membership programme – Sun Club

THERE’S been a lot of talk about bedding plants recently.

Rebranded as ‘Seasonal Interest’ they’ve annoyed some folk in the gardening industry because of environmental concerns.

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You’ll know them better as those lovely flowers in garden centres and supermarkets that bring an instant burst of colour to your outside space – like petunias, marigolds, begonias, nemesia, cosmos and lobelia.

Often you’ll buy them in plugs to plant straight into the soil before the frost sets in.

Naysayers reckon that because they’re not perennial, need a lot of watering and are bred in greenhouses – which use lots of energy – they’re bad for the environment.

But there’s one man in particular who couldn’t have loved them more – holding firm in the face of all the negative comments.

Sun Gardening Editor Peter Seabrook took on Floral Fantasia at RHS Garden Hyde Hall in Essex back in 2019 and right up until his death was championing bedding plants.

I was lucky enough to visit recently and was overwhelmed with the astonishing array of beautiful planting – showcasing swathes of stunning colours and species – which are crucially all affordable.

“‘We sell smiles’ is what Peter would have said,” Mike Smith, chair of the Floral Fantasia Working Group told me.

“His vision was to be ‘the centre of excellence for seasonal plants’ and although we’re not quite there yet – we’re definitely on our way.

“When I first came to Hyde Hall I was in awe of the gardens there, but appreciate they’re quite overwhelming to try and recreate in the average garden that is less than 15 metres square.

“We want to inspire people to have a go, show them something achievable – and this is where the Seasonal Interest comes in.

“They’re not grown in peat any more, they bring happiness to the consumer and they’re manageable.

“But also, it’s worth recognising that ornamental growers add over £1bn to the economy.

“Alan Titchmarsh agreed with Peter, and said after he died: ‘We all need to take up the baton from him to keep fighting our corner and explain what this means and how important horticulture is and it’s value to the British economy.’

“And that’s what we’re trying to do. We’re showing visitors to Hyde Hall the latest UK plants – and we’re celebrating Fleuroselect’s Year of the Begonia with over 150 varieties being trialled in beds and containers – they’re a stunning splash of colour.

“The public get to see all manner of cultivars that they’ve never seen before and everyone comes out smiling.”

Peter’s son Roger Seabrook told Sun Gardening: “‘Floral Fantasia at RHS Hyde Hall meant so much to Dad – he saw the garden as a way to show what could be achieved with seasonal planting and to inspire people to get growing, however small their space.

“He put a huge amount of energy into championing Floral Fantasia and rolled his sleeves up to spend long hours working in the garden himself.

“For this reason it’s a special place for our family and it’s just fantastic to see it looking so vibrant and colourful.

“I’m sure that Dad would have been delighted to see the progress made, a testament to all the hard work of those involved over the years.’

Tim Kerley, of Kerley Plants, Cambridge, which provides blooms for Floral Fantasia added: “They’re bright, cheery flowers that will put a smile on your face all summer long! Modern varieties are low maintenance and thrive in our varied climate.

“They’re great for your mind and pollinators -all for the price of a cup of coffee.”

Annual chrysanthemum’s are also considered bedding plants. And they’re a fantastic way of bringing colour to your garden in Autumn when everything is dying back a bit.

Lidl has one on sale for £1.99 from next Saturday and it’s going to be my cheap secret weapon to bring colour to my outside space.

Also in Veronica’s Column this week

News, top tips, plant of the week and a firepit competition

For more top tips and gardening content follow me @biros_and_bloom

NEWS! THE Cuprinol Shed of the Year results are in – and the winner is engineer Mike Robinson from South East London with his spectacular shed, ‘The Tiny Workshop.
Designed to slot neatly into a garden with limited room, it wowed judges with its imaginative use of space. With off-the-shelf sheds too big for his plot, Mike built the shed using two sets of heavy-duty steel shelving, bolted together and clad with wood’
Two doors flap open at the bottom and top to provide flooring and handy rain protection, with a smart overhanging green roof to store garden tools and welcome nature to the garden.
Mike wins this year’s top prize of an overnight nature getaway, £1,000 cash and £250 of Cuprinol product.

TOP TIP! Time to start thinking about feeding the birds in your garden a little bit more. And Alex Gill, founder of Awesome Wildlife Company, has some unusual advice.
“By providing food and shelter now, we can give birds, hedgehogs, and insects the best possible chance of thriving through the winter, and in turn, we get to enjoy a garden full of life.
“Both dried and fresh fruit works. Apples and pears are very popular with garden birds. If you do choose to put any spare fruit that you might have out, make sure it’s fresh as mouldy fruit isn’t good for birds.
“Dried fruits, like Raisins, are also well loved by some bird’s species. Just remember to be careful and avoid if you have a dog, as raisins are toxic to dogs.
He added: “During the colder months, birds benefit from high-energy foods, such as sunflower seeds, peanuts, mealworms, and suet. These kinds of foods help them build up their fat reserves so that they can survive the colder months.”  

NEWS! THE CANNA UK National Giant Vegetables Championship will be taking place at the Malvern Autumn Show next weekend. It showcases some unbelievably large vegetables – which often break Guinness World records. Taking place at the Three Counties Showground, Malvern, you’ll also get the chance to see talks by Monty Don, Adam Frost, August Bernstein, and RHS Ambassador Manoj Malde. And there will be fabulous flowers, plants, bulbs, seeds, tools and equipment to marvel at.

NEWS! BBC TV presenter, keen gardener and National Garden Scheme Ambassador, Fiona Bruce will host a very special National Garden Scheme Ask the Experts event at the Royal Geographical Society, London on Tuesday 2nd December at 7pm. Answering a range of pre-submitted audience questions and covering all aspects of gardens and gardening will be a panel including Arit Anderson, Danny Clarke, Rachel de Thame, Joe Swift.

NEWS! There’s a beautiful new book called The Essential Guide to Bulbs, by Jenny Rose Carey, coming out next month. Published on October 16th by Timber Press, its a fabulous guide to growing bulbs all year round in gardens and containers. The pictures are gorgeous and it’s really informative too, it would make a lovely present for the Gardener in your life.

WIN! As the evenings draw in – warm up with an eco-friendly, low carbon Eco Fuego fire pit worth £179.99 and a wax refill worth £26.99. To enter visit www.thesun.co.uk/ECOFIREPIT or write to Sun Eco Firepit competition, PO Box 3190, Colchester, Essex, CO2 8GP. Include your name, age, email or phone. UK residents 18+ only. Entries close 11.59pm. October 4, 2025. T&Cs apply

PLANT OF THE WEEK! “Verbena Officinalis Bampton” Still flowering now – it’s an unusual looking bushy drought-resistant perennial with small purple flowers on the end of wiry branches. Prefers full sun, south facing borders.

TOP TIP! Raise your pots now to prevent waterlogging – you don’t have to pay for proper feet – you can use bottle caps, coasters, tiles, bricks, or even logs cut to size. There just needs to be drainage space under the pot.

IF you’ve managed to end this summer with a lush green lawn, and no unexplained bald patches or a depressing brown sheen – then well done you.

The majority of people I’ve spoken to have been left with grass that’s definitely looking a bit under the weather (literally).

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But fear not.

One of Britain’s biggest shorts-wearing lawn lovers has got some golden rules for Sun Gardening to whip that outside space back into shape.

Jonny Hinks – AKA @gardenwithjonny on social media – describes himself as a self-taught gardener, firefighter and full time garden obsessive from Warwickshire.

And with nearly two million followers on instagram alone – it’s not just his comedy videos that have caught the attention of garden lovers everywhere.

His lawn is spectacularly well maintained – and even in the midst of one of the hottest summers on record, it still managed to look a lot better than most.

“Now is the perfect time for Autumn lawn care”, he told Sun Gardening.

“It’s nice and moist, the soil is warm from the summer. So in terms of germination for grass seed, it’s just the perfect conditions.

“And it’s also a good time because the grass is still growing and if you get it all sorted now –  the roots will be established enough to take the Winter cold that’s on its way.

“Everyone’s lawns have been suffering and turning brown from all the sun – and although it will come back if it hasn’t already, there’s a few things you can do now to help it along.”

FEEDING

“Be careful you buy the right feed. What you need now is high potassium Autumn feed, which helps the grass improve its root strength.

And low nitrogen – as you don’t want too much leaf before Winter as there’s a risk if it’s too leafy it will be prone to disease.

SCARIFY

“This is like exfoliating your face. Basically you just need to take off all the moss and thatch, which is a layer of dead grass and roots – and too much of it prevents water and nutrients from reaching the grass.

It lets the lawn breathe, which is so important. I use a battery-powered scarifier, but there are manual ones, or you can use a rake.

Go diagonally in one direction and then again in the other direction. It’s a great work out

AERATE

“This is when you create air pockets within the lawn which reduces compaction, and like scarifying, allows water and nutrients to penetrate the earth.

“This makes for better root systems. I don’t like using a fork or aerating shoes for this – that just spreads the soil apart.

“Instead I have a tool a bit like a fork, but with hollow tines,  that takes plugs out the lawn.”

TOPSOIL AND SEED

“As soon as I’ve finished all these jobs – I scatter a covering of grass seed over the area – and then cover with a thin layer of topsoil.

“I have been known in the past to do a mix of both together, but I’ve found this way works well. And then water, of course.”

Also in Veronica’s Column this week…

Top tips, Gardening news, competition and Plant of the Week

FOR more gardening content, tips, news and competitions, follow me @biros_and_bloom

PLANT OF THE WEEK! Nemesia Melody Morello Ice – still bringing colour to your garden now – this lovely Nemesia is totally hardy, with masses of dark green foliage, flowers from March to October, perfect for filling baskets, containers, beds and borders and has a sweet scent. Grow in moist well drained soil in sun or partial shade.

JOB OF THE WEEK! Prune climbing and rambling roses, remove any leaves covering pumpkins to get them ripe for halloween, if you’ve got rotten apples on the tree, remove them to prevent disease.

TOP TIP! It can be confusing as to which bulbs should be planted when – so here’s a few tips. This month – September – you can go for early spring-flowering bulbs like daffodils, hyacinths and crocus.
Especially daffodils – as it will help with their root establishment.
You can also get hardy summer flowering bulbs like Alliums and Lillies in now as well. None of the above mind the soil still being warm.
But wait until November for Tulips – as they much prefer the colder soil to get them going. Always plant bulbs in groups to get a better display. And they like the warmth and sun – so keep that in mind. Try and plant them three times the depth of the bulbs – this is when a sturdy bulb planter comes in handy.

TOP TIP! If you’ve noticed dead patches, loose turf and even holes appearing in your lawns, you could be under attack from Leatherjackets – the destructive larvae of crane flies, AKA daddy long legs.
They feed on grassroots and seedlings, and can also attract birds, badgers and foxes that dig up turf in search of a snack, adding to the damage. But there is help at hand.
Nowadays you can basically water in a beneficial nematode – called Steinernema feltiae – which are basically microscopic worms that naturally target and kill leatherjackets. They enter the grubs body and then release bacteria that kill the pest from within. Sounds grim, but it works. There aren’t many brands on the market – I’ve used Nemasys, which was great – but you can also find them from Dragonfli and Dobies online.

TOP TIP! Clean out old pots to make sure they don’t have old compost/bits of dead plants – that can hide pests and diseases over winter and check online to see if you’ve got local recycling – some garden centres take them. 

NEWS! Great Comp Garden’s Bulbs N Things Autumn fair has doubled in size this year. Taking place at the seven-acre Kent garden, it will have a huge range of unusual bulbs, including dwarf iris, crocus, anemone, hyacinth, erythronium, fritillary, hermodactylus, leucojum, muscari, puschkinia, scilla and more. There will also be gardenware, handmade gifts, rare and unusual plants and curated sellers at the two day event October 11 and 12. 

WIN!! Two lucky winners will receive a Westland Autumn Lawncare bundle worth £100 each – including feed, seed, a scarifying rake and aerator. To enter visit www.thesun.co.uk/WestlandAutumn or write to Sun Westland Autumn Lawncare competition, PO Box 3190, Colchester, Essex, CO2 8GP. Include your name, age, email or phone. UK residents 18+ only. Entries close 11.59pm. September 27, 2025. T&Cs apply

NOW that autumn has officially arrived, there’s no better time to give your home a refresh.

While the new season brings comfort and cosy vibes, not everyone enjoys the lack of sunshine and colder days.

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Which is why interior experts have revealed that now is the perfect time to add some colour back into our lives.

And it’s all about “edible” interior colours this year, with the quirky new decor style dominating trends.

Food-inspired interiors and, specifically, fruit-inspired paint colours are in high demand in 2025, experts have said.

A new study by pros at The Paint Shed has revealed that over 2.4million people across the globe have been searching for it so far this year.

And the most in-demand colours range from lime and apple to cherry and wine — a palette the brand has dubbed “sugar drenching.”

Colour and paint expert Michael Rolland said searches showed that 40 per cent of the top 25 shades that people are looking for are “edible” colours.

And he has revealed the top ten most sought-after “edible” interior colours in 2025.

Green dominates the list, with four of the top five spots collectively attracting over 1.2 million searches.

At the top of the list is Lime, which is a bright and bold colour, followed by the slightly softer but warmer Apple and then the earthy, calming tones of Olive.

Chocolate makes a surprising appearance at number four in the list, with its deep richness impressing homeowners this autumn.

Another green colour rounds out the top five, adding a touch of tranquillity, freshness, and optimism to the home.

Classic fruit colour Peach comes in sixth on the list, with many drawn to its soft and delicate, yet light and cheerful tones.

Lemon follows close behind, injecting some energy and brightness into the home, and then Salmon for its cosy, welcoming finish.

Duck Egg Blue is ninth on the list with the soft, muted tone that offers a versatile, calming, and fresh aesthetic.

While Mocha rounds out the top ten, with homeowners drawn to it for creating a relaxing, intimate, and cosy atmosphere.

Other Beverage tones, such as red wine and espresso, also proved popular, totalling over 152,000 searches.

PERFECT PAIRINGS

FOR those keen to incorporate these colours into their home, Michael has shared his top tips on styling these tasty tones. He says:

Lime Paint – “Lime is bright, bold and a little avant-garde, perfect for accents. Pair with emerald or neutrals so its zest doesn’t overpower and wash across kitchen cabinets and feature walls.“

Apple paint – “Apple green paint is ideal for kitchens, where it brings warmth and freshness. It pairs beautifully with warm wood tones and toasted neutrals.”

Olive paint – “Olive green paint works well in smaller spaces such as bathrooms, cosy bedrooms or studies. It complements natural textures and suits both colour drenching and single accent walls.“

And psychotherapist Amy Thomas-Owen said our growing obsession with dessert-based paint palettes is deeply rooted in psychology.

She explained that more and more people are being pulled to this because food is associated with offering safety and comfort.

And this, in turn, is exactly the feeling we want to have when we enter our homes.

Amy said: “In the wake of ongoing uncertainty, from cost-of-living stress to digital overwhelm, people are understandably turning to their homes for a sense of emotional safety and comfort.

“Food-based tones tap into this need by evoking positive emotions and memories, and help to create spaces that feel soothing, tactile and emotionally safe.”

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A WOMAN has sparked fury after taking aim at a young family who “photobombed” her park proposal.

Sydney’s other half pulled out all the stops to pop the question to her in their local park, and had arranged a red runway on the grass lined with candles, with a huge heart display at the end.

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He then got down on one knee to ask Sydney to be his wife, but the magical moment was delayed slightly when a group stopped at the heart to take a selfie.

While the proposal then went ahead, and Sydney happily said yes, she decided to call out the “photobombers” in a scathing video on her TikTok page.

In a green screen clip of the proposal scene, she pointed to the three people who stopped by the heart, as she said: “If you are the family right there that’s walking up to my proposal heart as I’m about to get engaged…

“And you pick up your kid and you take a selfie and take your leisurely time doing so…

“And we’re just standing there waiting, waiting patiently for you to be done.”

Sydney then stuck both of her middle fingers up at the screen and mouthed “F**k you”.

“That is so rude!” she fumed.

“You didn’t even say anything when you like…” Sydney trailed off as she failed to conceal her anger.

“Had to pause the crying to almost cuss them out lol,” she added in the video caption.

Despite her fury over the situation, the comments section of the TikTok was immediately filled with people criticising Sydney for the video.

“First lesson in life, the world does not revolve around you,” one wrote.

“Let’s all remember we don’t own public spaces,” another insisted.

“A public park isn’t your studio,” a third pointed out.

“Well this groom is in for one hell of the rest of his life. Yikes!” someone else wrote sarcastically.

“Did they not see the signs that the world revolved around you?” another questioned.

“I totally would’ve assumed that the large display in the PUBLIC PARK was set up by the park for everyone – not just you,” someone else wrote.

“Trying to be the main character in a public space is WILD,” another scathed.

But there were also those who defended Sydney.

“It takes zero time to ask if something is for the public or private,” one argued.

“The level of entitlement some of y’all have by saying it’s a public space is ridiculous.

“They clearly had to have permission to set something like this up and clearly no one else is jumping in/on the staging area.”

“So shocked by these comments!!!” someone else wrote.

“It’s just common curtesy and just a few brain cells to see a red heart and roses and know someone is about to have one of the biggest moments of their life.

“Maybe not take a picture and just stay away from that area? people in these comments for real need to get a grip.”

WE’VE all done it.

Spotting a plant you think will look amazing in your garden – rushing out to buy it – and then realising that on its own it suddenly looks, well, a bit naff.

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But happily, a new book by Jamie Butterworth could be about to banish the embarrassment of a badly put together garden for good.

‘What Grows Together’ – which comes out next weekend – offers up over 60 ‘fail safe plant combinations for every garden’ with no confusing horticultural jargon or lecturing.

You may recognise Jamie from his RHS Show Feature Dog Garden at Chelsea Flower Show this year – which he created alongside Monty Don and DJ Jo Whiley.

He’s appeared many times on Gardeners World, and cites Monty Don as the gardener who inspired him to get into horticulture.

His nursery Form Plants also supplies plants to Windsor Castle – and when he met King Charles at Chelsea Flower Show, the King said: ‘I know Jamie — you are delivering plants to me on Wednesday. Please don’t be late.’”

But it was another famous Jamie that actually inspired his book.
“I love cooking, but I never know what ingredients to put together as to what will taste nice,” he told Sun gardening.

“But when I came across Jamie Oliver’s Five Ingredients Book – where he just goes – take these ingredients and do this and this is what you’ll get, it was just brilliant. It was exactly what I needed.

“I just thought – we need to do this for gardening. We’ve even laid it out like a recipe book – in terms of making it look really crisp and simple – it’s like no other gardening book that’s ever been written.

“There’s so much synergy between cooking and gardening – people want to garden, they want to have nice gardens but they’re time poor and they don’t know what to plant that will a. Survive and b. look good, and that was the starting premise of the book.

“We’re forever learning with plants – my particular passion is growing plants, putting them together and making nice displays – it’s how I like to make people happy.

“It’s about getting rid of the old gardening rules – the ‘you must do this, you must do that, you must plant carrots at this exact time or everything will fail.

“What I wanted to do was make growing more accessible – there is no right way – but learning even just a few combinations and what will grow well together – then that gives people confidence to have a go themselves.”

“Jamie’s an idol of mine – and I want to make gardening as accessible as he did for cooking.

“You pay garden designers hundreds of pounds to tell you where to put plants – hopefully this book will negate all of that and give people the accessibility they need to go ‘oh actually this is what I need to do’ and it’s that simple.”

JAMIES’ FAVOURITE COMBINATIONS

COMBINATION ONE
Hydrangeas Limelight and Agastache Blackadder – both plants individually are brilliant and will flower for a long long time each – Hydrangeas from June to Autumn and even once they’ve finished flowering they’ll hold their seed heads and look great in the winter. Agastache Blackadder is a perennial and has dark purple liquorice flowers and if you plant the two together the darkness of the Agastache looks brilliant against the white of the hydrangea – but will also grow up through it. If you want to add to it – just add in some yellow Cosmos.

COMBINATION 2
Calycanthus ‘Aphrodite’, Japanese Forest Grass, Penstemon ‘Pensham Plum Jerkum’
Calycanthus has really rich ruby wine red flowers which look stunning in their own right. It flowers from late May through to September/October, leg it up by taking off lower branches – then you’ve got a specimen rather than just a shrub – and underplant with Hakonechloa Macra – AKA Japanese forest grass and the Penstemon with dark rich ruby colour flowers the same as the calycanthus. Individually they’re great plants – but put together that’s an incredible combination.

 What Grows Together: Fail-safe Plant Combinations for Every Garden by Jamie Butterworth (11 September, DK)

Also in Veronica’s Column this week…

News, top tips, Plant of the Week and a competition to win two hedge trimmers

NEWS! Catherine’s Rose is finally available to buy on the high street – with B&Q taking the honours as the main bricks and mortar stockist.
Named after HRH Princess Kate, and launching in store at the end of this month, funds from every sale will go to the Royal Marsden Cancer Charity.
The pink ‘Catherine’s Rose’, which is scented, was developed by Harkness Roses – and in May we ran a competition for Sun Readers to become the first in the world to own a rose.
Now everyone can get one from their local B&Q..
The RHS and Harkness joined forces with Kate after she underwent a “very spiritual and very intense emotional reconnection” with nature after undergoing treatment for cancer.
The princess announced in January she was in remission after completing a course of preventative chemotherapy.

WIN! WIn one of two Webb ECO 20V 15cm Cordless Mini Chainsaw/Pruning Saws with Telescopic Pole Reach PLUS battery – worth £124.99 each. To enter visit www.thesun.co.uk/WebbPruner or write to
Sun Webb Pruner competition, PO Box 3190, Colchester, Essex, CO2 8GP. Include your name, age, email or phone. UK residents 18+ only. Entries close 11.59pm. September 20, 2025. T&Cs apply

PLANT OF THE WEEK! Heuchera Berry Timeless is evergreen and will still be sending up sprays of pale pink flowers well into September. It’s heat resistant and hardy – and doesn’t seem fussy about soil or shade or too much sun.

JOB OF THE WEEK! You can start with your onion sets now – to overwinter and get a bountiful crop next year. Red Winter is a great one to get in the ground. Potatoes and raspberries are ready to harvest and sweetpeas can be sown under cover.

TOP TIP! IF you fancy growing your own salad leaves over Winter – now is the time to start.
Lambs Lettuce is very hardy and perfect for Winter Gardens. Get the seeds in the soil now – either in pockets you know are milder – or in a cold frame.
The best thing about sowing rocket is that you’ll get your first crop with four to six weeks – and it also thrives in cooler temperatures.
If you plant Arctic Spring butterhead lettuce now – you’ll get a crop early next year. But also keep an eye out in garden centres, as they often sell a ‘Winter Mix’. Sarah Raven currently has one that includes ‘Can Can’, ‘Salad Bowl’ and ‘Merveille de Quatre Saisons.’

NEWS! Harrogate Autumn Flower Show is taking place from September 19th to 21st. As well as the usual floral marquees – there’s an Incredible Edible pavilion showcasing the best fruit and vegetables – as well as the giant versions – including a National Onion Championship. Plus talks, live demonstrations, expert gardening advice and competitions. And there’s a plant creche so you don’t have to carry your purchases round all day.

A WOMAN has been left totally lost for words after receiving a passive-aggressive letter from a neighbour she’s never spoken to.

So if you thought your neighbours were bad, you may want to think again.

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Not only was the typed-up letter extremely harsh, but it even accused the anonymous woman and her husband Joe of being ‘creepy’ and ‘strange.’

Stunned by the note and unsure on what to do next, the woman who lives in a flat with her hubby, took to social media to ask for advice.

Posting on Reddit on the r/BadNeighbors thread, the woman uploaded a snap of the direct letter and titled her post “At a complete loss.”

She then asked: “What would you do if you received this letter from a neighbour you’ve never spoken to?”

The long letter read: ‘Can you please stop with all of the noise. I live below you. I work from home full time and I am in school full time, online, at ECU for accounting. 

‘I am also having to take care of my 13 year old dog in-between those times. In case you haven’t noticed, I am always home. 

‘Your loud banging and stomping around is in all of my recorded WebEx meetings and proctored exams. 

‘Can you please, for the love of God, stop with all of the noise.

‘Every time you bang your dining room table chair on the floor, slam your kitchen drawers, and have a martial argument you are also causing my animals, and myself, to be in a constant state of hyper awareness and stress. It makes me jump and scares my animals.”

The neighbour then accused the woman of being ‘creepy,’ as the letter went on: ‘Why are you coming home 5 times a day in different cars and sometimes parking on the side of the building and creeping past my window? The other day you were staking my apartment out. Why? 

‘It’s creepy. I’m installing a camera to keep track of your strange activity because it is not normal. Please stop looking in my window while walking your dog and please stop parking your truck directly in front of my apartment window.’

The neighbour, who claimed to have been a property manager since 2016, continued: ‘I am not sure why it bothers you so much that I am home all the time. A lot of people work from home and do school remotely. 

What would you do if you received this letter from a neighbour you’ve never spoken to?

Reddit poster

‘I am at a loss as to why it bothers you so badly and makes you suspicious of me. I have family and friends in law enforcement. If l have to report you for noise complaints and suspicious activity I will. 

‘I have lived in this apartment for 5 years and you guys are the only neighbours that I’ve had that intentionally try to make my life a living hell. 

‘Per the NC lease agreement, it is my right to live in a safe quiet place. You are currently not respecting that law.’

As well as keeping a copy of the letter, the neighbour also stressed that they would be ‘keeping track of all activity to further support my case in the instance I need to show proof.’

The letter continued: ‘I really hope we can be done with the passive aggressiveness and become civil neighbours. You may be accustomed to living in a loud angry household, but I am not.’

Reddit users react 

But Reddit users were left gobsmacked by the letter and many eagerly raced to the comments to share their shock and advice. 

One person said: “So YOU have to change your life because THEY work odd hours? Umm no. 

“They are trying to threaten you…tell them to go ahead and call the police. 

Ignore it, but keep it if they try any other type of communication with you

Reddit user

“They can’t do anything about your living noises if they aren’t excessive. This person feels entitled.” 

Another added: “Talk to the landlord and inform them of your confusion and that these allegations are groundless.” 

A third commented: “Ignore it, but keep it if they try any other type of communication with you. They should be contacting property management if they have a noise issue with you.” 

Meanwhile, someone else penned: “My response would depend on what complaints were valid, if any.”

I had a two-year bin war with my next door neighbour

Gemma Smith and Sophie Wood were engaged in a weekly feud for a year over their wheelie bins.

When Gemma moved next door to Sophie, 34, who is unemployed, in November 2020 they were civil to one another.

Gemma, who is single and doesn’t work due to stress, says: “Sophie seemed nice and we’d stop and exchange pleasantries.

“But it all changed at the beginning of 2022, when Sophie’s bin was full and she put her rubbish bag in mine.

“I took it out and put it on top of her bin.

“It fell off, gulls pecked at it and there was rubbish everywhere.”

Both women refused to clear up the mess, claiming it was the other one’s fault.

Gemma says: “I felt so angry.

“There was cat litter spread all over my drive — it was absolutely disgusting and we ended up shouting at each other.

“We were both as bad as each other — we’d walk past each other and I’d tell her she was a lazy cow and to clean up after herself.

“We’d scream insults at each other.”

Within six months Sophie had set up a CCTV camera and threatened to report Gemma to the council.

In retaliation, Gemma set up the baby monitor — which can record video — to try to pin more wrongdoing on Sophie.

Then last July Sophie spotted Gemma in tears on her doorstep following a burglary at her home.

Gemma says: “Sophie came straight round and asked if there was anything she could do.

“We are now the best of friends and help each other out all the time.”

In response, the woman shared: “The complaints are not valid at all.” 

At the same time, one user suggested: “Perhaps talk to her, and explain the noise? If you do make noise, just shift things around and show an effort.”

To this, the frustrated woman wrote back and explained: “I was really upset and anxious about it.

“We joke about it now, whenever my husband farts (it can be LOUD) or I drop my phone, we roll our eyes and say the cops might be on the way.” 

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