Choose between a stay at the CBeebies Land Hotel, Alton Towers Hotel, Woodland Lodges, Luxury Treehouses, Stargazing Pods or Splash Landings – the last of which is attached to the waterpark.
With your stay you’ll enjoy one day’s theme park entry, and with the summer sale, you’ll also bag free waterpark entry for kids.
In one weekend you’ll be able to tick off the new Bluey children’s coaster and take on the high-speed flumes of the huge indoor waterpark.
Book the Kids Swim Free waterpark offer with an Alton Towers short break – from £87pp
Gulliver’s Theme Park
Bag cheaper entry to Gulliver’s World resort on WowcherCredit: Alamy
Head to Wowcher to save up to 57% on tickets to Gulliver’s Theme Park.
The offer is valid across their locations in Milton Keynes, Rother Valley, Matlock Bath and Warrington.
Across the parks you can take on the dizzying Gyrosaur, ride the Rocky Ridge Railway, or drop by the farm park to meet the animals.
At £12.50 per person, this Wowcher offer slashes the standard £25 ticket price in half.
Add in free parking and free admission for toddlers under 90cm, and it makes for a budget-friendly school holiday day out.
The theme park are also currently offering a save up to 40% deal on short breaks – check their website for more.
Book a day out at Gulliver’s World from £12.50pp
Chessington World of Adventures
The short break offer at Chessington World of Adventures starts at £88.13ppCredit: Not known, clear with picture desk
Book in for an affordable theme park staycation at Chessington World of Adventures this summer.
Short breaks at Chessington include an overnight stay in a themed resort hotel plus one day’s theme park and zoo entry, early ride time, hotel entertainment, a buffet breakfast plus free parking.
Older kids will love thrill coasters like Vampire, while little ones can tackle rides like Chase’s Mountain Mission at the newly-opened World of Paw Patrol.
Plus with the Summer Savings scheme underway until September 1, you’ll benefit from reduced VAT prices whilst you’re away.
Book a short break at Chessington from £88.13pp
Thorpe Park
The Thorpe Park short stay deal includes TWO days theme park entry whereas others include only oneCredit: Thorpe Park
Thorpe Park are also offering affordable short breaks this summer, bundling an overnight stay, breakfast, two-day theme park entry, free parking and one hour’s fast-track into one price.
Stay in the theme park’s cabins to be right in the heart of the action, or choose to stay at a nearby hotel.
Plus if you choose to stay in a themed cabin on-site, you’ll get an extra fast-track pass for one coaster per guest. You can use it five times on coasters like Colossus, Nemesis Inferno and The Swarm.
Whether you’re visiting to have a go on Hyperia, the UK’s tallest and fastest rollercoaster, or to to race down multi-lane rubber ring waterslides as a family, you’ll tick it all off with a staycation.
Book a short break at Thorpe Park from £34.13pp
Merlin multi-attraction tickets
Hop into a pod on the London eye for breathtaking views over the cityCredit: Getty
Heading to London? Plan ahead by booking a multi-attraction pass and bag some savings.
You can combine a mix of Merlin attractions like the London Eye, Madame Tussauds, the London Dungeon, Sea Life and more to spread across your visit to cut costs.
There’s loads of combo packages available – one example is a trip to the London Eye, Madame Tussauds and Sea Life bundled at £56 per adult (down from £64) and kids’ tickets at £50.31 instead of £57.50.
If you’re visiting London from elsewhere in the UK, you’ll want to make sure you tick off several of the big attractions in one go – and these multi-attraction passes are one of the most cost-efficient ways to do so.
Browse Merlin multi-attraction passes from £51.63pp
Legoland
Stays on-site at Legoland include a themed room, free parking and even a gift for kidsCredit: Not known, clear with picture desk
Immerse yourself fully in the world of Lego with a themed stay at Legoland Windsor Resort.
Short breaks include an overnight stay with hot breakfast and one day’s entry into the theme park.
Pick between an off-site hotel or a Legoland Resort Hotel – stays at the latter include a Lego-themed room, early park access, Legoland character meet and greets, a free gift for kids and free parking.
Guests also get discounts on Legoland Adventure Golf, which makes for the perfect rainy day activity if the weather decides to play up.
In the park, scan race on the Minifigure Speedway coaster, soar on the Flight of the Sky Lion, and get creative themselves in the massive playroom.
WITH all this warm and sunny weather, has there ever been a better summer for a camping staycation?
Known locally as Mochras, Shell Island in North Cardigan Bay, Wales, sits in the Snowdonia National Park and is the biggest campsite in the UK – and even one of the biggest in Europe.
Shell Island campsite in North Wales is the biggest campsite in the UKCredit: AlamyIt is also right by the beach, which is home to over 200 species of shellsCredit: Alamy
To get to the campsite, you’ll need to check tide times, as it is accessed via a Tidal Causeway – a raised road that can only be driven on at low tide.
With 800 pitches, there is plenty of space for campers across the 450-acre site, or if you don’t fancy sleeping under canvas, you could opt for one of the chalets on site.
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Guests have access to three large, golden sand beaches that look out across Cardigan Bay where you can even have a campfire on.
And what makes the spot even better is that the sunsets are some of the best in the country, painting oranges and pinks in the sky above the peaks of Llŷn Peninsula and Snowdonia.
At the park there are loads of things to do for guests including heading to the Tavern Bar for a tipple.
And for forgotten items, there is a useful supermarket on site as well as a gift shop, camping shop and off licence.
Kids can let off steam in the playground and football pitch or watch boats bob in the Mini Boat Pool before heading to the strawberry picking site.
There’s a large games room as well, next to the bar, where you can play pool, have a go on multiple arcade games and try and win on the penny machines.
At the campsite, you can head off on walks, head to the mini boat pond or visit the playgroundCredit: AlamyThe beach is just a few minutes away and is ideal for kite-surfingCredit: Alamy
Or head to the sports room, next to the games room, where you will find three TVs showing different sports.
The beach is just a few minutes’ walk away as well, which is a great spot to head kite-surfing, fishing and sailing.
The beach is known for having a large variety of shells, with up to 200 different species.
Along the beaches, there are a number of paths for walks as well as recommended swimming spots.
During the peak season, camping costs from £14 per adult per night and children cost £7 per night.
Dogs are welcome too, costing £2.75 per night.
And one of the most unique things about the park, is that you get to pick your pitch as there is no pitch allocation.
Says cost from £7 per child per night and £14 per adult per nightCredit: Alamy
This means you could opt for an area hidden in the sand dunes that overlooks the sea, to camp at.
One recent visitor said: “Shell Island is a fantastic campsite in an unbeatable location with a great mix of campers, mostly experienced old‑school types who know what North Wales coastal camping is really like.
“It’s great value for money; they keep pitch prices cheap.
“Loved the whole experience, can’t wait to go again, and the pub on site has great options on tap.”
Around Shell Island you’ll also find 13 species of wild orchid, amongst other wildflowers and crabbing spots.
Slightly further afield, there are a number of other to explore too, including Harlech Castle – a UNESCO World Heritage medieval fortress that’s just 10 minutes away.
And keen hikers can also head to Snowdon, Wales’ highest mountain.
The seaside town of Barmouth is nearby too, where you can explore cosy cafes and independent shops, as well as a large shingle beach.
Henry Pollock is set to demand a substantial increase on his current Northampton contract to stay at Franklin’s Gardens, with agent Eddie Hearn suggesting annual earnings of £1m are the going rate for the 21-year-old star.
“The way rugby’s going and what Pollock is doing, his value over the next couple of years will skyrocket, and I think the value of rugby will.”
Pollock’s current deal with Saints, signed in December 2024 and set to expire in summer 2027, is thought to be worth £150,000 a year.
Since agreeing those terms, the back row has made his England debut, toured with the British and Irish Lions and was a key part of the Saints side that reached the Champions Cup final last year and won the Prem title in June.
His exuberant on-pitch persona, relishing confrontation and celebrating tries with rehearsed routines, has attracted attention and a legion of young fans.
Northampton’s ability to match Pollock’s wage demands may be hampered by a league-wide £6.4m salary cap and their own generation of young stars.
Each team can have one marquee player whose pay is exempt from counting towards the cap. Fly-half Fin Smith is thought to currently occupy that place on the Saints’ payroll, while Tommy Freeman, who has reportedly signed a lucrative new extension,, external and scrum-half Alex Mitchell could also make claims to it.
Northampton failed to reach agreement with club captain George Furbank on a new deal last season, allowing the England full-back to leave for Harlequins as they sought to make space under the salary ceiling to improve the terms of young stars like Pollock.
The latest salary cap report, external – which detailed payroll from the 2024-25 season – showed Saints did not pay up to the £6.4m limit, with salary spending higher at Bath, Leicester, Sale, Harlequins and Saracens.
It also showed Pollock’s reported earnings being below average for both his position, with the average back row earning a mean of £192,000, and Test experience, with players between 11 and 20 caps around £224,000.
While Bath fly-half Finn Russell, another of Hearn’s clients, is believed to be the league’s highest earner on a deal worth about £1m a year, few clubs have the resources or space in their salary structure to accommodate such a highly paid figurehead.
Newcastle Red Bulls, recently taken over by the Austrian energy drink giant, are one of the exceptions.
Inspired by Agatha Christie’s Murder on the Orient Express
I visited Istanbul because of Murder on the Orient Express,even though the city only makes a fleeting appearance in the novel.
In fact, one of the things I love about Agatha Christie is that she doesn’t fart about with long descriptions of place. Part of the charm of her detective novels is that they are welterweights, all knotty muscle and six-packs, feinting one way then smacking you in the chops with an unexpected revelation. An extra stone of description would kill that energy.
And it’s possible to read Murder on the Orient Expressand miss how important the city is, both to the novel and its author. Christie is a master of misdirection and buried clues. Even her autobiography is notably guarded about her personal life. She doesn’t hide the fact, however, that her first trip to Istanbul was a landmark. She went as a solo traveller after her first marriage broke down and the city became the starting point for her life’s second chapter.
She often stayed at the Pera Palace Hotel and allegedly wrote a draft of Murder on the Orient Expressin one of its rooms. Pera Palace is still going; its suite 411 is named in Christie’s honour and kitted out with an antique typewriter and copies of her novels. From Istanbul, Christie undertook intrepid overland adventures to the Middle East. Amazingly, in those days you could travel from Haydarpaşa station on the city’s Anatolian side all the way to Baghdad, Mosul and Tehran.
Marcel Theroux in Pera Palace Hotel, Istanbul.
One Easter egg buried in the pages of Murder on the Orient Expressis the name of the hotel that Poirot visits in its second chapter: the Tokatlian. Christie is so sparing with details that this really stands out. The handsome facade of the Tokatlian is still intact. You can read the name carved on the masonry of its upper storeys, but today it houses shops and offices. It couldn’t be more central: it stands on a corner of İstiklal Avenue, the long, pedestrianised thoroughfare that runs through the heart of the Beyoğlu district. At one end is Taksim Square; at the other, the Tünel, the amazing Victorian funicular that is the second-oldest underground railway in the world, after the London Underground.
I sneaked into the Tokatlian and had an underwhelming wander: the hotel shut down many years ago. But once upon a time, this was the place to stay in Istanbul. It’s where Christie herself spent her first nights in the city. In her autobiography, she describes going to a restaurant on a nearby backstreet run by White Russians. That is almost certainly Rejans, renamed Istanbul 1924, and still doing good business serving Russian-inspired food and flavoured vodka.
Poirot doesn’t stay the night in Istanbul. He barely has time for a bath and a bowl of soup before he has to get across the Golden Horn to Sirkeci station and catch the 9pm train to Paris, which he finds mysteriously crowded. That train doesn’t run any longer, sadly, but the echoing interior of Sirkeci and its fetching pink facade give you a tantalising flavour of what it must have been like to travel by train in that era.
One thing that’s clear is that Christie knows far more about Istanbul than she makes explicit in Murder on the Orient Express. She doesn’t show off any local knowledge; there’s not a glimpse of a hammam or a mosque, no one smoking a shisha, no sense of Turkish food – or any food for that matter. But the book is still rooted in Istanbul and an intriguingly understated introduction to it.
Istanbul’s unique geography and blended cultures shape the opening chapters. Christie perfectly understands the logistics involved in moving Poirot around the city. And just as she leaves clues that enable an alert reader to solve the mysteries in her novels, she drops hints at what it is that makes Istanbul special. This is a gift: her reticence leaves anyone travelling in her footsteps free to make their own discoveries. Marcel Theroux
Yukon and Alaska
Inspired by Jack London’s The Call of the Wild
A grizzly bear in Yukon, Canada. Photograph: Robert Postma/Getty Images/Design Pics RF
I came to Jack London through Mr Hill, the best English teacher I ever had, and so from early on a love of the North – breathlessly capitalised – and a love of words went hand in hand. It’s the story of Buck, a Californian house dog, abducted to work pulling sledges in the Yukon gold rush who, chapter by chapter, frees himself from the shackles of civilisation.
I liked Buck but it was the Yukon that held me. “The stars leaping in the frost dance, and the land numb and frozen under its pall of snow.” Here was the midnight sun and endless spruce forest, the noble wolf and 50 degrees below, and solitary men grinding a living from the land. It was a place that seemed impossibly distant, not only in space but in time.
I made it there two decades later. I spent five months paddling the length of the Yukon River, from its source in the Pelly Mountains. It was a place of superlatives. The river is 2,000 miles long and, where it meets the Bering Sea, some of its channels can be seven miles from bank to bank.
Rereading the book this past week, placenames that once sounded like invocations have become familiar to me: Five Fingers, Little Salmon, Sixtymile. Outside Circle City, where Buck attacked the troublemaker Black Burton in a bar, I saw my first grizzly. In Dawson, where in a wager Buck pulled a sled that weighed 1,000lbs, I visited London’s cabin, or the half that remained (the other is on display in California).
Adam Weymouth at the rear of a canoe on the Tatchun River, Yukon. Photograph: Peter Mather
London spent fewer than nine months in Dawson, and most of those in bed with scurvy. His experience of this “Northland”, as he calls it, is not the one of the characters he beatifies. What he wrote was an idea, a backdrop for forging a new version of oneself. These lands were “new and naked”, operating under the “law of club and fang”, an ongoing tussle between the outsiders who had come into the country and the wild nature that they found there. Apart from their role in the tragic denouement, Indigenous people scarcely get a mention. If anything, they are one more facet of this wild nature to be contested, rather than people who built a communal, grounded life here for millennia before the rest of the world showed up.
As I travelled in the Yukon, and met the Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in and the Tlingit tribes, and heard about the terrible legacies of the gold rush, I came to better see through London’s fantasy. Yet I could not deny its lure. I could have moved to the Yukon in a heartbeat. “I may never in my life get to Alaska,” wrote the US essayist Edward Abbey, “but I am grateful that it’s there.” London’s writing acknowledges that need for such escape in all of us. For conjuring the seed that first led me to that place, it’s a book that I’ll always hold dear. Adam Weymouth
South of France
Inspired by Françoise Sagan’s Bonjour Tristesse
Menton on the Côte d’Azur. Photograph: Kirk Fisher
It was 1964 and I was a bored 15-year-old in Basingstoke. I’d already discovered that literature could be scandalous. A couple of years earlier, my girlfriends and I hid behind the rattan sofa in the living room of one of the more “alternative” family homes after school and read out the rude bits in Lady Chatterley’s Lover. When I got my hands on a copy of Françoise Sagan’s 1954 novella Bonjour Tristesse, labelled a succès de scandale by the French press and literary establishment, I was away. Away from my dull, small country town existence and my equally boring family.
I wanted to be French, like the protagonist, 17-year-old Cécile; I wanted to sit in a Paris cafe. I wanted to discuss philosophy with elegant adults while drinking an aperitif and smoking a Gauloises (untipped). My list of wants was endless. I dreamed of staying in a white-walled villa on the Côte d’Azur, the sun burning through the bedroom window on my bare body, gauzy curtains blowing in the warm wind. Not icy patterns on the inside of the glass in a semi on a new-build estate in Hampshire. I wanted warm caressing sea and hot sand, not the freezing English Channel and painful pebbles. I wanted to ride in an open-topped car along the corniche dressed in a Givenchy cocktail dress and Cartier jewellery to casinos, not a Westward Ho! holiday camp in the same hand-knit, turquoise sweater as my brothers. I wanted to be treated as an equal by grownups and live my life in dangerous colour. I wanted to write a hedonistic novel of shocking immorality – as Françoise did at 18. And I wanted to not be a virgin.
By 1969, I had an artist boyfriend and was staying in the apartment of a schoolfriend’s film-star uncle in Paris. So many boxes ticked! I marvelled at the sophistication of Parisienne women, swooned at the lemony chewing-gum smell of the Métro and the soft whoosh of the trains with different classes of carriage, the beauty of the regimented Tuileries. We bought baguettes and croissants and learned how to tear them apart to eat à la française, the proper way. Because in Paris it seemed there was a proper way for everything.
Elaine Kingett in Cap d’Antibes in 1979.
It was in 1971 that I finally got to the Côte d’Azur, to Port Grimaud and Saint-Tropez, and found the France I’d been searching for: heat, blinding sunlight, blue sky and sea. Sunbathing topless, covered in baby oil, reading Valley of the Dolls and smoking Gitanes. The pan bagnat, moules farcies and frites. The celebration of indulgence and liberation, such a contrast to the rules and regs of Paris.
In 1979, my husband and I were back there, on holiday with a load of friends, staying in a white-walled villa with two grand pianos in Cap d’Antibes, driving an open-topped, gold Beetle. And that’s where I conceived my longed-for first child, after dinner one night at the Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc. Seems dreams can come true. Now I just need to write that novel … Elaine Kingett Elaine runs writing holidays in Spain
Kyrgyzstan
Inspired by Chinghiz Aitmatov’s The White Ship
Rukh Ordo cultural complex. Photograph: Marina Pissarova/Alamy
The smoky smell of grilled meat drifted out of cafes and over sunbathers, swimmers and a group of elderly ladies dressed in sun hats selling dacha-grown berries by the bucket-load. After a long, hard winter in Kyrgyzstan, life looked sweet on Central Asia’s “beach”, sand-fringed Issyk-Kul, the world’s second largest mountain lake after the Andes’ Titicaca.
This visit in 2011 wasn’t my first to Kyrgyzstan but it was the first time I’d dipped my toes into the lake’s frigid water. I’d wanted to do so ever since reading The White Ship(first published in 1970 and translated by Mirra Ginsburg) by Chinghiz Aitmatov, who was born in a village in the north-west of Kyrgyzstan in 1928.
In the story, a lonely seven-year-old boy – abandoned by his divorced parents – dreams of morphing into a fish. That way he can better look out for his father who, he believes, captains the white ship that sails on Issyk-Kul. This moving novel, in which the lake features heavily, reads like a fable, mixing in Kyrgyz legends, clans and myths. There are many references, for example, to the “horned Mother Deer”; the Bugu clan – Kyrgyzstan has 40 historical tribes, each represented by a sun ray on the national flag – consider their earliest ancestor to be a deer.
One of the first people I met at Cholpon-Ata, the busiest stretch of the shoreline, was a Russian woman, a factory manager from an industrial city in Siberia, who was visiting Kyrgyzstan with her family. She told me that she’d just tried a fresh peach, rather than a canned one, for the first time. I have never forgotten the pleasure that spread across her face as she described it to me. She also believed that the environment – fresh mountain air and the lake’s slightly saline properties – to be health-giving, good for her asthmatic son. Just as in Aitmatov’s book, the lake was expected to offer hope and perhaps answers. Above us, paragliders hovered in the cloudless sky.
Caroline Eden with a statue of Chinghiz Aitmatov. Photograph: Caroline Eden
Issyk-Kul in summer remained a place of simple pleasures, of buckets and spades, sandcastles and blow-up beach balls. Only the backdrop of the chocolate-brown mountains of the Tian Shan range hinted at our altitude of 1,600 metres (5,270ft). Once I’d had enough sun, and enjoyed the cooling effects of fresh cherries and a Baltika beer, I set off to nearby Rukh Ordo, an open-air museum also on the lake.
The museum, pitched as a spiritual centre promoting world peace and respect for different religions, was a place to wander, with chapels and yurts scattered along the shore. Pleasingly, I learned that after Aitmatov’s death in 2008, Rukh Ordo was dedicated to his memory. Before getting a bus back to the town of Karakol, where I’d based myself, I found a statue of him and had my photograph taken alongside it. A final personal tribute to Kyrgyzstan’s beloved literary son. Caroline Eden
Cornwall
Inspired by Daphne du Maurier’s Frenchman’s Creek
Landmark Trust have a holiday cottage at the head of Frenchman’s Creek. Photograph: John Miller
I first read Frenchman’s Creek aged 12 or 13. I can’t recall how it came into my orbit; maybe it was on the bookshelves at home, or one of my worldly aunts pressed it into my hands. The effect was instant. From the dreamy, almost hallucinogenic opening chapter, I was swept up in this girls’ own adventure, gasping aloud at the daring feats of our sassy heroine, Lady Dona St Columb, as she escapes her stodgy husband and their feckless court life in Restoration-era London.
Retreating to their Cornish estate with her two children, she discovers their long-neglected country house is being used as a base for a wanted man – a French pirate (of the passionate, artistic variety, natch). They embark on a wild and dangerous romance in and around the Helford River, as she joins him on board his ship, even dressing as a cabin boy to launch raids on the oafish locals. But when her husband and his friends show up, determined to hunt down her swashbuckling lover, she must make a choice – sacrifice him to certain death, or risk her own life to save him.
As an adventure-hungry teen, it wasn’t just the bold Dona and her below-decks antics that lured me in, but the almost physical immersion in the setting. Like all Du Maurier’s novels, Frenchman’s Creek employs all the senses to transport the reader, conjuring a mysterious, untamed Cornwall that bore no resemblance to the muddy campsites and ice-cream vans of my childhood holidays. Here was a lawless land of secret tributaries, hidden pools and wooded riverbanks where anything could happen.
Reading the novel again recently (and still gasping at every turn), I was inspired to finally make my pilgrimage, summoning the spirit of Dona as I headed west from London.
Frenchman’s Creek is a real place. It’s about 15 miles south of Falmouth, part of a ria – a flooded river valley open to the sea – described in the book as “a narrow inlet, branching from the parent river, its short, twisting course running westward into a valley”. Nowadays it’s owned by the National Trust and apart from a few tastefully placed signs and footpath markers, it remains its enchanted self, unchanged from how it would have appeared to the novel’s 17th-century characters. It’s more accessible now, with a 3.8-mile circular walk from the village of Helford following the creek itself. Through the trees you can glimpse the sailing boats anchored in the main channel and it’s easy to imagine Dona wandering among the oaks, spying the white sails of the pirate ship hidden up the creek, her heart pounding as she descends to the water’s edge.
Lois Pryce reading Frenchman’s Creek in a creek.
Du Maurier excels not only at setting and plot but also at subversive female characters. Written in 1941 as an escape from the grim realities of war, and reflecting her own resistance to domesticity, the novel’s themes of female lust, infidelity and disregard for maternal duties would have been controversial, even shocking. Refreshingly, Du Maurier never attempts to justify or apologise for her protagonist’s actions.
This is a book that deserves to be read breathlessly in one sitting, far from the distractions of the modern world. Fortunately for today’s reader, there’s a remote holiday cottage owned by the Landmark Trust, tucked away in the woods at the head of the creek, with no wifi or phone signal. Ask yourself, what would Dona do? Lois Pryce
IF you’ve ever wanted to live like a celebrity, your chance has finally arrived.
A growing number of famous faces – from Hollywood A-listers to royalty – have opened up their lavish homes and cozy cottages to the public.
Alan Carr has announced he is to host luxury glamping trips in the grounds of his new luxury Scottish homeCredit: GettyThe comedian will allow people to camp out on the lawn of Ayton Castle in Berwickshire which he bought earlier this year for more than £3.3 millionCredit: Alamy
Whether you fancy relaxing poolside in a pop star’s hideaway, or spending the night on a royal estate, these exclusive stays let you step right into their world.
Here, we share some of the top celebrity-owned properties you can actually book this summer…
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1. Alan Carr – Ayton Castle Estate Glamping (Scottish Borders)
Fresh off his victory on Celebrity Traitors, comedian Alan Carr snapped up the historic £3.3million Ayton Castle in Berwickshire, Scotland, earlier this year to convert into a luxury retreat.
This summer, guests can stay in fully furnished luxury bell tents right on the 17-bedroom 160-acre castle grounds, just an hour’s drive from Edinburgh.
At a cost of between £140 and £160 a night, the luxury tents sleep up to four people, and are “fully furnished with comfy beds, warm bedding and pillows.”
Visitors have been promised ‘serene walks’ through the estate’s vast woodland and wellness offerings on site including sauna and cold water sessions.
2. George Michael – The Pool House at Mill Cottage (Goring-on-Thames)
You can also book out the late George Michael’s stunning Oxfordshire cottage on AirbnbCredit: GettySoak up the sun at the Mill Cottage pool house’s luxurious swimming poolCredit: Not known, clear with picture desk
Pop legend George Michael bought Mill Cottage in South Oxfordshire in 2001, where he spent 15 peaceful years living by the River Thames until his passing in 2016.
The current owners transformed the superstar’s private pool house on the estate grounds into an exclusive one-bedroom guest hideaway, which costs around £720 a night over summer.
Sitting right on the riverbank, the retreat features exclusive access to a heated outdoor swimming pool, sun loungers, an outdoor BBQ, and a cozy fireplace.
It has become a dream stay for music fans looking to sip a drink poolside and experience the peaceful surroundings George loved so dearly.
Ex Emmerdale star Kelvin Fletcher rents out his Stag Cottage in the Peak DistrictCredit: INSTAGRAMKelvin converted a three-bed property on the edge of his 120-acre farmCredit: Sykes CottagesThe cottage comes with a private outdoor hot tub that has incredible viewsCredit: Sykes Cottages
Featured on ITV‘s Fletchers’ Family Farm, the actor converted a stone building on the edge of the property into a luxury three-bedroom holiday home.
The interior combines a cozy country aesthetic with modern comforts, including a traditional AGA stove, flagstone floors, and a wood-burning fireplace.
Outside, guests can soak in their private outdoor hot tub while taking in sweeping views of the surrounding Cheshire countryside and Peak District.
4. Jules Hudson – Mole Hill Hut (Herefordshire)
Escape to the Country’s Jules Hudson runs his own Wye Valley retreatCredit: InstagramHe has a shepherd’s hut and a tiny cabin available to rent out for the nightCredit: molehillhut.co.ukMole Hill Hut is located in a private meadow on Jules’ landCredit: molehillhut.co.uk
As the longtime presenter of BBC’s Escape to the Country, Jules Hudson used his rural expertise to handcraft his very own bespoke shepherd’s hut.
Tucked away in a private meadow on his own land near the scenic Wye Valley, the hut offers a secluded, off-grid retreat designed strictly for two.
It features a cozy double bed, a functional kitchenette, and an adjoining timber lounge area affectionately dubbed “The Trough.”
Guests can spend their evenings around the outdoor wood-burning stove enjoying panoramic views of Herefordshire’s rolling hills.
5. King Charles III – Balmoral cottages (Scottish highlands)
Live like royalty in one of King Charles’ rental propertiesCredit: GettyThe monarch has a number of properties available to hire at Balmoral, including Knocks CottageCredit: Balmoral EstateThere are 10 cottages available on the estate, alongside Knocks CottageCredit: Balmoral Estate
Fancy a stay fit for royalty? It may be easier than you think.
If you want to earn ultimate bragging rights among your pals, these self-catered lodges could be the perfect opportunity.
And you’ve got a few to choose from, as the Balmoral estate has 10 cottages available: Connachat Cottage, Garbh Allt Shiel, Karim Cottage, Knocks Cottage, the three Milton of Braichlie properties (Farmhouse, Mill Cottage, and Stable Cottage), Rhebreck Lodge, Sterinbeg, and Tigh Na Garaidh.
Unfortunately, if you dream of bumping into the likes of King Charles or Prince William and Kate Middleton, you may not be in luck, as you can’t book when the royal family is in residence.
6. Adam Henson – Cotswold Farm Park Lodges (Cotswolds)
Adam Henson has a number of accommodations available at his Cotswold Farm ParkCredit: BBCHe has stylish lodges situated on a corner of the farm – along with glamping pods and safari tentsCredit: Instagram/@cotswoldfarmpark
Countryfile presenter and rare-breed conservationist Adam Henson grew up on the 650-acre working farm in the heart of the Cotswolds.
Each year, thousands of visitors flock to his Cotswold Farm Park, a rare breeds centre and country play park in a picturesque corner of his land.
To give visitors a true taste of country life, he also built a collection of wooden lodges, safari tents, and glamping pods on the grounds.
Each custom-built timber lodge comes with modern amenities, an outdoor deck with a private hot tub, and a fire pit for evening stargazing.
Stays include complimentary admission to the farm park, where guests can meet rare livestock breeds and participate in daily farm activities.
7. Sting & Trudie Styler – Villa Il Palagio (Tuscany, Italy)
Musician Sting and actress wife Trudie Styler have a jaw-dropping Italian villa available to rentCredit: AFPVilla Il Palagio is located in Tuscany and has panoramic views of vineyardsCredit: palagio.com/Take a dip in the property’s pool or try wine produced on the estateCredit: il-palagio.com/villa
Music icon Sting and his film producer wife Trudie Styler bought this sprawling 16th-century Tuscan estate south of Florence back in 1997.
When the couple isn’t residing there, they open up the grand nine-bedroom main villa and surrounding historic guest cottages to private rentals.
The 860-acre organic estate boasts manicured Italian gardens, private swimming pools, a tennis court, and its own wine cellars.
Guests can sample olive oil, honey, and biodynamic wines produced directly on the estate while taking in views of the Chianti hills.
If you want a holiday fit for Leonardo Di Caprio, it is now possible with his rental propertyCredit: GettyLeonardo’s Palm Springs home has six bedrooms and a tennis courtCredit: Not known clear with Features
If you want to get the full Hollywood experience, Oscar-winning actor Leonardo DiCaprio has provided a way.
The star purchased an iconic mid-century modern architectural masterpiece in Palm Springs back in 2014.
Designed in 1964 by renowned architect Donald Wexler for entertainer Dinah Shore, the six-bedroom estate drips with vintage Hollywood glamour.
The compound features floor-to-ceiling glass walls, sleek stone fireplaces, a cocktail bar, a heated pool, and a private lighted tennis court.
Located in the prestigious Old Las Palmas neighborhood, it offers full luxury estate staffing and concierge services for short-term stays.
How to Book: Book through the official estate manager at 432 Hermosa.
9. Kirstie Allsopp – Meadowgate (North Devon)
Location, Location, Location host Kirstie Allsopp also has her own holiday homeCredit: AlamyMeadowgate Cottage in North Devon can accommodate up to 14 guestsCredit: http://www.classic.co.ukThe transformation of Meadowgate Cottage featured as part of Kirstie’s Homemade Home seriesCredit: http://www.classic.co.uk
Situated in the peaceful village of Welcombe in North Devon, the six-bedroom period cottage accommodates up to 14 guests.
The renovation process was even filmed as part of her Kirstie’s Homemade Home series.
The TV star personally decorated the interior with bold wallpapers, handcrafted details throughout every room, and upcycled vintage furniture.
A short walk through country lanes near the home brings guests directly to the secluded Atlantic beach at Welcombe Mouth.
10. Wayne Rooney – Royal Westmooreland estate (Barbados)
Wayne Rooney and wife Coleen Rooney also have a holiday home in Barbados that you can bookCredit: Tim StewartThe Rooneys’ £3million villa at the Royal Westmoreland estate comes with an extravagant price tagCredit: Refer to SourceThe mansion has five bedrooms and boasts an infinity poolCredit: Refer to Source
If you have lots of cash to spare, you can holiday like Coleen and Wayne Rooney who have a mansion in Barbados.
The £5million villa – located in the gorgeous Royal Westmoreland luxury estate in the Caribbean island – costs up to £25,000 a week to rent.
For that, you can expect a week of luxury at the five-bedroom pad that sleeps up to 14, which includes an infinity pool.
Sitting by idyllic palm trees, Wayne and Coleen’s white mansion opens up with a covered gated entrance.
Inside, the colour scheme is white and summery, with doors opening to the outside and fans situated above the beds to keep things cool.
Ted Lasso star Annette Badland played villain Babe Smith in EastEnders for three years, and her portrayal was so convincing that the BBC received serious death threats on her behalf
Annette Badland in EastEnders as Aunt Babe(Image: BBC)
BBC bosses issued a rare “red alert” safety warning to former EastEnders actress Annette Badland after a crazed fan sent death threats that were deemed credible by security experts.
The individual behind the chilling threats was never definitively identified, Annette said. Speaking on Sally Lindsay’s podcast, Annette explained on Sally Lindsay’s podcast: “Because I was leaving, they racked up my villainy and I actually got thrown out of, literally, thrown out of the pub by Danny and cursed them.
“But I had death threats. I got the call from the BBC security saying, ‘We’re getting death threats. There are red alert code words in this, so we have to take it seriously’.”
She was warned that she should only leave her house if it was absolutely necessary, and that if she did go out, she shouldn’t tell anyone where she was going.
Annette says she was effectively under house arrest throughout the six-week investigation: “They eventually traced it to just outside Liverpool. It was in a school, but they didn’t think it was a child. But because it was a public computer they didn’t feel they could get much further.”
Despite that harrowing conclusion to her EastEnders tenure, Annette says she cherished her time on the BBC soap. She holds particularly warm memories of Danny Dyer, whom she describes as “bright, kind-hearted…and daft.”
She recalled Danny’s extraordinary generosity, revealing he taught her to “say the C-word,” which proved tremendously useful when she moved on to Ted Lasso and was handed a script riddled with crude language. She joked: “I said to myself, ‘I’ve worked with Danny Dyer, I can do this’.”
Ironically, however, that “very funny” scene ended up on the cutting-room floor and has never been seen by the public.
It was an unscripted moment, early in her EastEnders stint, that made the show’s writers recognise that in Babe Smith, they had the foundations of a truly iconic villain: “I had a scene with Tim [Timothy West, who played Stan Carter on the show] and he was watching the television.
“I’d been in love with him when I was young and he’d married my sister and I didn’t like that – that was the cause of all my pain and anguish.
“It wasn’t scripted,” Annette added, “but I picked up the remote control and turned the television off. I told him what I thought, put the telly back on, and left. And I think they thought, ‘Ooh, she can be nasty’.”
What followed was three years packed with drama, reaching its peak when Babe was locked inside a freezer and left for dead by an unknown attacker, who was ultimately unmasked as Lorna Fitzgerald’s Abi Branning.
In a dramatic farewell, Babe was caught red-handed stealing from the Queen Vic’s safe, but it was her savage outburst at Linda [Kellie Bright] – branding her a “stuck-up cow” – that saw Mick Carter finally remove her from the pub, and banish her from Walford for good.
YOU don’t need to spend a small fortune to treat the family to a stay at a top holiday park.
These award-winning parks are packed with indoor waterparks, loads of kids activities, coastal views and top quality entertainment.
Thornwick Bay holiday park in East Yorkshire has top quality family entertainmentCredit: Not known, clear with picture desk
Plus we found deals for families of up to six for as little as £2.88pp per night.
So whether you’re looking for a staycation in Scotland, an escape to Essex, or a beach break in North Wales, these top-rated resorts deliver non-stop family fun.
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Orchards Holiday Village, Clacton-on-Sea
This AA four-star rated Clacton-on-Sea park has an indoor and outdoor pool, mini Segways, a nine-hole golf course, and a summer Football Fun Factory – and that’s just the start.
Put your spare 2p coins to good use in the arcade, or head off on a bike trail for quiet afternoon cycling along the fishing lake.
Then settle down by grabbing some familiar eats from Papa Johns, Burger King, or the park’s own pub, The Mash and Barrel.
Just 17 minutes away, Clacton Pavilion adds extra thrills with exciting live shows and more than 20 rides. You can grab an unlimited ride wristband for £12.99.
The cheapest deal we found was for a four-night break for four people in November for £49 total, working out to just £3.06pp per night.
Click the button below to browse last-minute summer breaks or to book ahead for quieter seasons.
Book a stay at Orchards Holiday Village from £49
Thornwick Bay, Yorkshire
Splash about in the huge indoor waterpark at Thornwick BayCredit: Not known, clear with picture desk
East Yorkshire’s Thornwick Bay holiday park is ideal for outdoors-y families, with its very own private lake where you can hire pedalos, go kayaking, or try stand-up paddleboarding.
Indoors you’ll find a spacious swimming pool with a multi-lane waterslide, plus an action-packed Activity Barn with climbing walls, archery coaching, and slime workshops.
On sunny mornings, little explorers can hunt for fossils and explore the sea caves down at the bay.
When it’s time to refuel, there’s takeaway favourites like Chopstix noodles, plus sit-down dining options like the Lighthouse Bar & Restaurant. Just make sure to save room for dessert from Bertie’s Ice Cream.
With the dramatic Flamborough Headland’s moss-topped cliffs and breathtaking beaches on your doorstep, there’s endless options for things to do at this coastal holiday park.
It even won the TripAdvisor Traveller’s Choice award last summer, and is rated a five-star holiday park by AA.
Check holiday dates and caravan options by clicking the button below.
Book a stay at Thornwick Bay from £49
Craig Tara, Ayrshire, Scotland
Splashaway Bay at Craig Tara is one of the largest holiday parks in ScotlandCredit: Haven
Race down neon-lit slides and flumes at Splashaway Bay – one of Scotland’s largest indoor waterparks – which sits inside Craig Tara holiday park.
Outside of the amazing waterpark, kids can burn off energy at the Adventure Village, where there are aerial ropes courses and a giant six-metre high platform called ‘The Jump’.
Plus with dedicated sensory rooms for toddlers and a huge soft play hall, every single age group is catered to.
With plenty of indoor and outdoor activities, Craig Tara delivers the ultimate weather-proof staycation where a bout of rain could never dampen your holiday.
The cheapest deal we found was for a four-night stay for six people in September for £69 total, which is just £2.88pp per night.
Click below to browse holiday dates and caravan options.
Book a stay at Craig Tara holiday park from £69
Golden Sands, Rhyl
Golden Sands in Rhyl has caravans and chalets overlooking the sea shoreCredit: Away Resorts
Set right in the pretty seaside town of Rhyl, Golden Sands Holiday Park makes a brilliant base for exploring North Wales, and has collected awards from sites such as Hoseasons.
You can easily reach spots like Dyserth Waterfall and historic Gwrych Castle in just a short drive, plus Rhyl itself has its own miniature railway and golden beach.
Back on site, kids can burn off energy with NERF gun battles, an outdoor adventure playground and soft play, or splash around in the indoor pool.
This park also has fantastic evening entertainment, with family-friendly live shows, glow parties, bingo nights and mini discos.
Click below to browse dates and book yourself in for a staycation.
Book a stay at Golden Sands from £157
Combe Haven, Sussex
Take a spin in the massive Space Bowl flume at Combe Haven holiday parkCredit: Not known, clear with picture desk
In sunny St Leonards-on-Sea in Sussex, this lively resort is perfect for making a splash, with a huge water complex including a lazy river and a giant Space Bowl flume.
On-site activities range from archery coaching and footgolf to a giant climbing wall.
Head to Cook’s Fish and Chips for a chippy tea, and sea view drinks at The Saxon Bar to unwind in the evenings.
You’re also just 15 minutes from historic Hastings, where you can explore historic Hastings Castle and the underground caves of the Smuggler’s Adventure.
IF you’re trying to figure out which country is the absolute cheapest for a summer getaway, you’re asking the wrong question.
After digging through thousands of our Summer 2026 bookings, the data made one thing blindingly obvious.
Holiday expert Rob Brooks has found the cheapest resorts to book in popular holiday destinationsCredit: Rob Brooks
The biggest savings don’t come from swapping Spain for Turkey or Greece for Tunisia. They come from swapping one resort for another.
In almost every major holiday destination, there is one specific pocket quietly delivering far better value than the rest.
Sometimes it’s because it sits just a few miles outside a famous hotspot, and other times it’s simply because a place hasn’t shaken off an old reputation it no longer deserves.
The upshot is that you can bag the exact same week in the sun for a fraction of the cost just by shifting your search field a few miles down the coast.
I’ve crunched the numbers to find the cheapest resort in each of Britain’s favourite holiday spots to show you exactly where the system is breaking in our favour.
10. Hammamet, Tunisia – 18 per cent cheaper
Hammamet in Tunisia is one of the cheapest resorts to stay inCredit: The Russelior Hotel & Spa
Tunisia has quietly become the ultimate value play for guaranteed Mediterranean sunshine without the inflated price tags of Egypt or Turkey, but Hammamet is the real standout.
Our booking data has it tracking at 18 per cent cheaper than the average holiday in Tunisia, serving up massive white sand beaches and a proper, historic old town and marina that gives it way more character than a standard, purpose-built resort strip.
I spotted a seven night stay at The Russelior Hotel & Spa, flying from Gatwick in September, from £350pp on a Bed & Breakfast basis.
And the thing I love most at this property is their dedicated, ultra-quiet saltwater lagoon section hidden at the back.
It completely bypasses the noisy main freshwater pools, giving you a high-end, peaceful oasis for a rock-bottom price.
Book a holiday: Hammamet
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Book a seven night stay at The Russelior Hote & Spa, with return flights from London Gatwick from September 19, for £350pp.
Rob suggests skipping Albufeira and Vilamoura and booking an affordable stay in Praia da LuzCredit: Getty
The Algarve is dominated by high-premium names like Albufeira and Vilamoura, which completely swallow the search traffic and explains why Praia da Luz routinely slips under the radar.
But bookings here are coming in 26 per cent cheaperthan the Portugal average despite sitting on one of the prettiest, cliff-backed horseshoe bays on the coastline.
You can lock in seven nights atOasis Beach, flying from Stansted at the end of September on a self-catering basis, from £365pp.
Because the seafront is packed with incredible independent seafood spots, saving cash on the board is a no-brainer.
The biggest perk at this complex is that the clifftop walking trail starts literally right outside the reception gates, leading you directly up to the famous Rocha Negra headland for an elite sunset view without paying the premium prices of the frontline bars.
Book a holiday: Portugal
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Book seven nights atOasis Beach, flying from London Stansted on September 30 on a self-catering basis, from £365pp.
Helios Bay Chloraka in the Paphos area of Cyprus offers breaks 27 per cent cheaper than the average Cyprus holidayCredit: Helios Bay
When people look at Cyprus, not many people know that Chloraka even exists.
The data shows it is averaging 27 per cent cheaper than the Cyprus baseline while offering the exact same sea views and Mediterranean weather.
It’s a brilliant, simple switch if you don’t mind being slightly outside the main tourist hub.
I tracked down an early autumn week at Helios Bay from £460pp.
Don’t let the 3-star rating fool you – this place has an incredibly loyal following of repeat guests, and the easy local transport right outside the hotel is a big reason why.
The main municipal bus stop sits directly outside the hotel entrance, running a direct link straight into Paphos harbor every 10 minutes for pocket change, allowing you to entirely skip expensive car rentals or daily taxi fares.
How’s that for a hack?
Book a holiday: Cyprus
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Book a seven-night room-only stay at Helios Bay from September 28 for £460pp.
7. Naama Bay, Sharm el Sheikh, Egypt – 28 per cent cheaper
Rob recommends booking a holiday to Naama Bay to enjoy a trip to Egypt on a budgetCredit: Getty
Egypt has firmly established itself as a luxury-for-less destination, but the soaring popularity of its newest five-star resorts has started pushing average prices up.
Naama Bay completely bucks that trend, tracking at 28 per cent less than the average Egypt holiday while still putting you right in the heart of Sharm El Sheikh.
You can spend a week at Falcon Hills from £500pp, flying direct from Liverpool – and that’s all inclusive as well!
It’s a massive favorite for return visitors because it’s set back slightly from the central bustle, and this hotel even has a complimentary, on-site dive partnership.
The hotel runs a free daily shuttle to a private, sheltered coral reef section on the coast, meaning you can snorkel with incredible marine life straight from the shore without shelling out for an expensive commercial boat excursion.
Book a holiday: Egypt
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Book a seven-night all inclusive holiday at Falcon Hills from September 30 with return flights from Liverpool for £500pp.
6. Nuevo Horizonte, Fuerteventura, Canary Islands – 34 per cent cheaper
Book a holiday to Nuevo Horizonte in Fuerteventura and save up to 34% on a Canary islands holidayCredit: Getty
The Canaries are Britain’s ultimate holiday safety blanket because the weather is a safe bet all year round, but the downside is that peak-season markups can be savage.
That’s why Nuevo Horizonte is such a smart data loophole, sitting at 34 per cent cheaperthan the Canary Islands average.
I found an all inclusive week at the Globales Costa Tropical, flying from Bournemouth, from £390pp.
You are paying for Fuerteventura’s legendary white beaches here rather than a flashy marble reception lobby, which is a trade I will make every single day.
And being in Fuerteventura, this hotel’s bike hire program is a massive bonus.
The hotel rents out high-spec cycles from the front desk for next to nothing, and because the coastal path running directly into neighbouring Caleta de Fuste is entirely flat, you can cruise into town for an evening out without ever paying a euro for a taxi.
Book a holiday: Fuerteventura
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Book a seven-night all inclusive stay at the Globales Costa Tropical from September 29, flying from Bournemouth, from £390pp.
5. Sarigerme, Dalaman, Turkey – 38 per centcheaper
Rob found a week-long, all inclusive stay at the X Life Hotel in Sarigerme for £470ppCredit: X Life Hotel
Turkey is always at the top of my list for sheer value, but Sarigerme is currently outperforming the market, running 38 per cent lower than the average Turkish booking.
It is infinitely calmer and more unhurried than Bodrum or Marmaris, making it the perfect spot to turn your phone off for a week.
I clocked a seven-night all inclusive break at The X Life Hotel, flying direct from Bristol, from £470pp.
Because it’s strictly an adults-only property, the vibe around the grounds is incredibly laid-back.
The hotel also has a specialised beach shuttle – they run an exclusive, free tractor-pulled shuttle wagon that shuttles guests down to their private sand lot all day, which sounds a bit quirky but is an absolute lifesaver for bypassing the intense midday Turkish heat on the sun-baked sand tracks.
Book a holiday: Turkey
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Book a seven-night all inclusive break at the X Life hotel from September 2, with return flights from Bristol, for £470pp.
Visit Mgarr in Gozo to shave up to 40% off your Malta holidayCredit: Getty
Gozo is essentially Malta with the brakes tapped, and hopping on the quick local ferry drops your holiday bill by a staggering 40 per cent compared to the main island average.
Mgarr is a stunning harbour town where the water is crystal clear and the pace of life is completely relaxed.
A week at the Grand Hotel here starts from £495pp at the end of September on a room-only basis.
Booking room-only is a smart play here too, because the hotel sits directly above the active harbour, putting the island’s best independent seafood tavernas right at your feet.
And I’ve got a great tip for this hotel too: head down to the docks at 7am, because the local fishermen will sell you the catch of the day directly from their boats for pennies, and the harbour restaurants will happily grill it up for your dinner for a tiny prep fee.
Thank me later.
Book a holiday: Malta
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Book a seven-night room-only stay at the Grand Hotel from September 30 from £495pp.
3. Malgrat de Mar, Costa Brava, Spain – 42 per cent cheaper
The cheapest Spanish resort Rob found in his analysis was Malgrat de Mar in SpainCredit: Getty
Spain will always dominate summer bookings, but Malgrat de Mar has come out as the cheapest major Spanish resort in my entire analysis, sitting at 42 per cent less than the average Spain hol.
It gives you an incredible balance of wide beaches, long promenades, and proper tapas bars that don’t fleece you for chips.
If you just want a cheap week in the sun, the Alegria Cartago Nova is hard to ignore at £205pp for seven nights, flying direct from Stansted.
The location does all the heavy lifting here, and the real insider secret is that the hotel sits just a two-minute stroll from the coastal train line, giving you a direct, traffic-free route straight into central Barcelona for less than the price of a pint.
Book a holiday: Spain
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Book a seven-night stay with breakfast at the Alegria Cartago Nova from September 30, flying direct from London Stansted, for £205pp.
2. Montecatini, Tuscany, Italy – 59 per cent cheaper
Visit Montecatini in Tuscany, Italy for a surprisingly affordable break in a gorgeous spa townCredit: Getty
This was the absolute wild card of all the data I poured through.
Italy is rarely associated with budget package holidays, yet the Tuscan spa town of Montecatini came in at a mind-blowing 59 per cent cheaper than the national average.
The logic is simple: instead of paying eye-watering city-centre hotel rates in Florence or Pisa, you use this beautiful historic town as your base and commute in.
I spotted a week at the Boston Hotel from £285pp on a room-only basis.
And while you’re here, take the historic Funicolare cable car from the town centre up to Montecatini Alto.
It’s an ancient, red funicular railway that drops you into a medieval hilltop square packed with family-run trattorias where a proper plate of handmade Tuscan pasta costs a fraction of what you’d pay near the main tourist landmarks down in Florence.
Book a holiday: Italy
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Book a seven-night room-only stay at the Boston Hotel, with return flights from London Stansted, for £285pp.
Kavos came out on top with holidays here up to 69% cheaper than the average Greek holidayCredit: Getty
Across every single piece of data I analyzed for Summer 2026, Kavos delivered the biggest saving on the board, dropping an incredible 69 per cent below the average holiday anywhere in Greece.
I know the immediate reaction because Kavos has carried a rowdy party reputation for decades, but if you look past the main strip, the landscape has changed completely.
It now boasts excellent boat trips across to Paxos and some of the cheapest food and drink prices in Greece.
Take the Oula Maisonettes, where a week from Gatwick starts from just £255pp on a self-catering basis.
The property is run by a local family who harvest their own lemons directly on the grounds – perfect in a G&T, I might add.
So the insider play here is hitting up the pool bar for their homemade lemonade or evening cocktails – it’s entirely made from scratch using their own grove fruit and costs next to nothing compared to the commercial town bars.
I first went to this hotel in 2018 and it’s only grown in popularity since. Easy pick.
Book a holiday: Greece
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Book a seven-night self-catering stay at the Oula Maisonettes from September 25, including return flights from London Gatwick, from £255pp.
The little ones aren’t left out either, with Splash Port – an interactive water play zone.
However, the ultimate star of the show is Pirate Bay, which is the world’s first multi-adventure pool.
In the pool you can expect different obstacles to tackle, as well as a swimming area.
The land also has a new dining area called El Bucanero, along with rest zones.
Day tickets start from €35 (£29.93) per adult and €31 (£26.51) per childCredit: PortAventura World
Day tickets to the Caribe Aquatic Park cost from €35 (£29.93) per adult and €31 (£26.51) per child.
If you stay at one of PortAventura World’s hotels, you will get discounted entry to the waterpark.
For example you could stay at Hotel Roulette as a family of four for two nights in September, for £272.24, which works out at £34.03 per person per night.
One mum who recently visited said: “In under an hour we had been left rattled racing each other on wooden coaster Stampida, cooled off in the Grand Canyon Rapids and been blown away by multi-dimensional dark ride Uncharted and eight-loop coaster Dragon Khan.
“Luckily the park is not just bold, it’s also beautiful, with lush landscaping across the six themed lands of Mexico, Polynesia, China, Far West, Mediterranea and SesamoAventura, where we could recover from the adrenaline rush and soaring temperatures.”
It also has Ferrari Land, which has the tallest and fastest rollercoaster in Europe.
“Top Chef” alum and popular Food Network host Eric Adjepong has been ordered to stay away from his 7-year-old daughter following an investigation into abuse claims.
According to the Washington Post, a Maryland judge found that “there is a preponderance” of evidence to believe Adjepong physically abused his daughter, leading to a protective order that bars the celebrity chef from contacting or being alone with his daughter until he completes parenting courses and reunification therapy with the child.
Adjepong’s former wife, Janell Davis-Mack, posted a screenshot of the case information on Instagram last week, writing that she and her daughter had been quiet long enough.
“My daughter has watched me rebuild our life focused on our safety after I divorced her father four years ago,” she wrote. “I’ve also taught her about body autonomy, consent, boundaries, and to tell the trusted adults around her when she feels unsafe.
“My daughter was just granted a protective order against her father because she was brave enough to speak up against who should have been one of the most trusted adults in her life.
“Unfortunately for him — I’ll never stop believing her, protecting her, or reminding her that her voice matters.”
Judge Maurice C. Frazier issued the protective order against Adjepong on July 10; it will remain in place until July 10, 2027. The James Beard-nominated chef is mandated not to contact, harass, abuse or threaten to abuse his daughter or former wife. While the order is in place, Adjepong can have supervised visits with his daughter.
In May, Davis-Mack filed a petition in Howard County, Maryland, seeking protection for her daughter from Adjepong, citing alleged child abuse. Per the Washington Post, Davis-Mack claimed that a nurse who examined their daughter filed a report with the D.C. Child and Family Services Agency, which launched an investigation by D.C. police.
A spokesman for D.C. police told the Washington Post that its Youth Investigations Branch was prompted to investigate claims of “sexual abuse” but that detectives found no probable cause that sexual abuse had taken place and referred the case back to Child and Family Services. On Wednesday, Adjepong posted what appeared to be a screenshot of email correspondence from the D.C. Child and Family Services Agency stating that, on April 29, they received a report of potential neglect or abuse, investigated the claims and found sexual abuse claims “unfounded.”
“I am aware of recent media inquiries concerning a protective order entered on July 10, 2026,” the chef wrote alongside the screenshot. “Because this matter involves my young daughter, whom I love deeply, I intend to protect her privacy and will not discuss the underlying allegations or other sensitive family matters publicly other than to say that these allegations arose in the context of a long running divorce and custody proceeding, which finally concluded on June 2, 2026.
“The Court’s protective order followed careful reviews by law enforcement and the District of Columbia Child and Family Services Agency (‘CFSA’). The District of Columbia Metropolitan Police Department closed its investigation without filing charges. CFSA concluded its investigation with an ‘unfounded’ disposition, which its report defines as not true.
“I have the utmost respect for the Circuit Court that issued the protective order and am strictly complying with every facet of the order, which is designed to ensure that my daughter is safe and treated respectfully, and to ensure her reunification with her father. The Judge eloquently described the nature of my relationship with her at the hearing. My foremost concern is my daughter’s well-being. It is my fervent hope that in the future my ex-wife and I can resolve these matters privately and through the proper legal channels, rather than in the press, if only for the well-being of our daughter.”
Liverpool boss Andoni Iraola wants midfielder Alexis Mac Allister and goalkeeper Alisson to remain at the club.
Argentina international Mac Allister has two years left on the five-year contract he signed at Liverpool when he joined the Reds in 2023.
The 27-year-old has yet to begin talks over a new deal, which has prompted speculation he could leave Anfield this summer.
However, Iraola told a news conference in Chicago at the beginning of Liverpool‘s pre-season tour of the United States that he wants to hang on to the player.
“I think Alexis has been one of the best players at the club for the last few years, and he has had a very good World Cup, so it is normal that other clubs want our best players,” Iraola said.
“It always happens in other markets. But I want to keep my good players. I’m looking forward more to signing new players rather than losing the ones we have here.”
Alisson has a year left on his contract at Anfield and has been linked with a move to Juventus, but Iraola is keen to bank on the 33-year-old Brazilian’s experience in the forthcoming season.
“I’m very happy with the situation we have right now in the goalkeeping area,” explained the Reds boss.
“Alisson is someone also in a changing room that has lost some references in terms of experience, I think he’s someone that definitely will help us in this process of adaptation of the new signings, of the new players, the young players.
“We need the references like Virgil [van Dijk], like Alisson, like Joe Gomez, players that have been here for a long time.”
Iraola acknowledged he has one eye on bringing in defensive reinforcements during the summer transfer window, particularly at right-back given Conor Bradley is “months” away from playing.
The Northern Ireland international sustained a knee injury in January and will not be available for the start of the season.
“At the end, if you have a fully fit, healthy Conor Bradley, we are very happy, ready to go and we would not be asking ourselves these questions,” explained the Spaniard.
“I think it’s a situation that is tricky, because we trust Conor in the long term, we know we want him to be our right-back but right now he is still, I would say, a little bit far from returning.
“So, with the centre-back, with the right-back situation, in terms of defensive depth, we are, I think, very thin right now so I think it’s a solution that we are trying to find, yes.”
Dodgers pitching coach Mark Prior was worried. But how worried? He couldn’t say at first.
The team had taken major steps to address Shohei Ohtani’s lingering left knee condition, presenting him with a plan to skip his last start before the All-Star break and have his knee drained that Sunday. And he’d co-signed it.
The swelling in Ohtani’s knee, however, had been more persistent than the team expected. And pitching seemed to irritate it.
“I would say, moderately concerned,” Prior eventually said in a conversation with The Times last weekend. “But no more concerned than I probably am with anybody else who’s had to deal with aches and pains. Hopefully, this break and this rest will get it to calm down a little bit, and then we’ll see where we’re at next weekend.”
Coming out of the All-Star break, the Dodgers face the most pressing question for their second half: Will they be able to manage Ohtani’s knee condition?
Of course, plenty of other questions loom: What approach will the Dodgers take at the trade deadline? Will the pitchers coming off the injured list in the second half provide enough depth? Can they maintain the best record in the majors?
But naturally, Ohtani’s health is tangled up in all those answers.
The Dodgers have enough star power and enough of a lead in the division to still make the playoffs without Ohtani replicating his first half on the mound (8-2, 1.79 ERA). And they showed last year that they can win a World Series even if their postseason path begins with a wild-card series.
They’d prefer, however, to take a different route, with a strong second half that ensures home-field advantage all the way through the postseason.
“At the end of the day, it’s just trying to expect the best of your ballclub,” manager Dave Roberts said before the break. “And with the talent that we have, we expect to have the best record in baseball, and so that’s our standard. And so, what falls out of it is X, Y and Z. So that’s what we’re playing for.”
That’s also what they need a healthy Ohtani for.
Workload is part of the equation, and an aspect that’s garnered plenty of attention in Ohtani’s first full season balancing two-way duties since 2023.
“I’ve been much more open and watching … his workload, and not just taking for granted that he can be a two-way player, take every at-bat, pitch like a normal pitcher,” Roberts said. “I think that would be unfair. So for me, if anything, it’s just, keep having those conversations with him, bringing them to him, and saying, ‘Hey, this is what we see. This might be a different option, a better option for your best interest and our best interest.’ And I think that with that, he’s responded really well.”
That approach will continue in the second half. But refining Ohtani’s mechanics also will be vital to keeping his knee from becoming an issue again.
Ohtani said it himself, through interpreter Will Ireton, last week: “I have to kind of find a way to adjust my mechanics so that my knee doesn’t get affected.”
He’s been trying to do so since the swelling in his knee first cropped up.
“I think we’ve identified the issue,” Prior said. “Sometimes the fix isn’t always the easiest, especially with a guy who doesn’t spend probably the same amount of time on the mechanics of it.”
As a two-way player, Ohtani doesn’t have the “physical bandwidth,” as Prior put it, for things like multiple bullpen sessions between starts, even if they are a week apart. He has to keep the long, grueling season in mind when he’s also in the lineup every day.
“He fixed it, and then I’m wondering if it got aggravated just in-game,” Prior said. “These guys are extreme compensators, and in the moment they don’t necessarily know what they’re doing, but they’re finding other ways to pitch, and then afterwards you find out that things are a little sore.”
Ohtani had a dominant first half, but, whether because of the knee condition or mechanics or some combination of the two, he wasn’t quite as sharp in his last four starts (4.38 ERA).
“If he can fix the delivery, then he can fix a little bit more of the execution,” Prior said.
But will the delivery adjustment, All-Star break intervention and attention to workload fix Ohtani’s knee at least through the postseason? The Dodgers’ second-half trajectory will be tied up in the answer.
THERE’s a universal rule of thumb that ‘you get what you pay for’ – so when I booked a £23 hotel in one of the UK’s most popular seaside destinations, I was definitely apprehensive.
It’s estimated that Blackpool has around 500 to 600 hotels, B&Bs and guesthouses. And with that many, the choice can be overwhelming.
I found a £23 hotel in BlackpoolCredit: Cyann Fielding
Scouting for the cheapest option, I came across The Vernon costing from just £23 – or £11.50 per person, per night.
While alarm bells ring when I find something this cheap – will it be clean, is it even real – after a couple minutes of hesitation I pressed the looming booking button.
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Within 24 hours, my Booking.com reservation was confirmed, with a check-in time of 4pm and no further instructions.
The hotel itself lies on a street just off the main promenade and is only a couple of minutes’ walk from both the beach and the closest tram stop.
So when it comes to location, I really couldn’t have asked for better – far enough away from the hustle and bustle to not hear it, but close enough that I can enjoy it and pop back to the hotel in two ticks.
Standing outside the hotel, I could have easily mistaken it for a pub, with textured cream bricks, two large bay windows and a sign that has seen better days.
Though, it was still in a better shape than I had anticipated.
Stepping inside was rather like stepping back in time, with elaborate carpets, mahogany beams and textured plaster walls.
To check in, there was one man standing at an old counter with a notepad and pen at the ready.
With no computer in sight, I simply stated my name, which he then checked against his notepad and highlighted to signify that I had checked in.
Which means its costs from just £11.50 per personCredit: Cyann FieldingI stayed in a superior double, which had its own en suiteCredit: Cyann Fielding
Sometimes, the old school way is the simplest.
The old school theme continued when he handed me my keys (physical door keys rather than an electronic card) with one for the front door of the hotel and the other for my room.
The hotel has 15 rooms ranging from family options to singles, but I was staying in a ‘superior double’.
After a rather arduous 20 minute battle with the door lock, when it just would not open, I was in.
The room before me was flooded with light coming from a large window.
Mind you, you don’t get much of a glamorous view (not that I would’ve expected one for the price).
Instead, I peered out to see a flat grey roof, scattered with empty pill packets.
On the surface the room looked neat and tidy enough, and a decent size, with a double bed in the middle with two towels placed neatly at the end.
Deploying tactics learned from years of binge-watching Channel 4‘s Four in a Bed, I got straight to work.
The bed was comfortable and clean, with sufficient pillows on each side and there were no bed bugs in sight.
The room also has its own tea and coffee making facilitiesCredit: Cyann FieldingAnd downstairs there is a social room with a pool tableCredit: Cyann Fielding
But just when I felt pleasantly surprised at the cleanliness of the room, out of the corner of my eye I spotted a crescent in the carpet.
By the skirting board, there sat a rogue toenail clipping.
It felt like a budget hotel ‘rite of passage’, but it was definitely a souvenir I didn’t want from my time in Blackpool.
Two bedside tables also featured reading lamps, though the remains of two defunct wall lamps still hovered above them.
One wall boasted a TV and another had a full-length mirror.
By the window was also a chest of drawers where I found the kettle, tea, coffee and milk pots – of which there were plenty.
Expecting to find layers of crusty limescale, I popped the kettle lid and… nothing. It was spotless.
I was simultaneously disappointed and relieved – so far, so good, I thought to myself.
Then onto the en suite. While ultimately outdated with a cream-coloured bathroom suite, it was notably clean.
As if they knew I would inspect the cleanliness of the toilet (I was taking this very seriously), the seat was already lifted up to reveal a perfectly polished bowl.
The shower had the same clean sheen.
In fact, the only things to note in the bathroom were a broken tile, a slightly scruffy window seal and a watermark on the ceiling.
Overall, the hotel was pretty clean apart from a couple of thingsCredit: Cyann FieldingIt it is just a couple minute walk from the main promenade and beachCredit: Cyann Fielding
Just don’t expect any complimentary shower gel, shampoo or conditioner…
Obviously for this price you don’t get breakfast, but downstairs you can make the most of a social room with a large pool table and even an in-house pub.
Now, I’ve stayed in some pretty grotty places and I’ve also experienced my fair share of hostels.
While I am young, I might still opt for the hostel especially as these tend to be part of big chains that set a standard.
But if I wanted privacy, then The Vernon wouldn’t put me off.
While my experience wasn’t awful, it is worth noting other guests who have recently stayed have left reviews commenting that the milk in the room was out of date, some of the beds are uncomfortable and despite advertising there is a hairdryer in each room, there isn’t in some.
But for the price, and its location, can you really argue at any of the hotel’s imperfections? Personally, I think not.
One former Omaze winner has decided to let out their Cornish property, and if you’ve got a group of friends or family who want to take a break, you can enjoy it from just £35-a-night each
Kew House in Cornwall is the perfect place for a group getaway(Image: Lizzie Churchill)
If you regularly enter the Omaze draw, you may have plans for if your number comes up. Some winners choose to live in their home, others sell it quickly, and one property has been turned into a holiday home for the ultimate weekend break.
Set in the beautiful coastal village of St Agnes in Cornwall, Kew House was valued at over £3 million when it was put up for an Omaze draw in 2024. The five-bedroom, four-bathroom house is in the heart of the village and its elevated position means it enjoys stunning countryside views, as well as being just a short distance from the north Cornwall coast.
But you don’t need a winning ticket to enjoy this modern home. Luxury holiday letting company Perfect Stays is now offering both short breaks and longer stays at the property for groups of up to ten.
Week-long breaks at this country retreat start at £2,450, which works out at just £35-a-night when split among ten people. There are also three-night breaks available starting at £2,050. Guests will enjoy spacious accommodation, including an open-plan kitchen and dining room for entertaining, with seaside-inspired cosy neutral décor.
Outside, there are also landscaped gardens with a sunken hot tub, and the price includes bed linen, a welcome hamper, and concierge service. And if your loved ones have pets, up to two dogs can be brought along to your gathering.
The charming village of St Agnes is perfect for those seeking a peaceful Cornish escape, and you’ll find independent coffee shops, bakeries, and restaurants right on your doorstep.
Follow the sloping roads down to the coast, and you can visit Trevaunance Cove, where wild, rugged cliffs overlook a sandy bay that leads to the crystal clear waters. At low tide, there are rockpools full of marine life to explore, or you can hire a surfboard and hit the waves with an instructor in this idylic cove.
You can also visit the charming St Agnes Museum, where you’ll find exhibits on local natural history, Cornish mining, and the village’s maritime past. Walk along the South West Coastal Path and you’ll spot the Cow and Calf islands offshore, two tiny islands that are nesting spots for seabirds and a popular place for boats and divers to visit.
A short drive away, Chapel Porth Beach is popular with families, and you’ll often see kids bodyboarding off the coast in its clear waters. Its high cliffs keep it sheltered from the wind, and it’s accessed through narrow footpaths that make it feel like you’re exploring somewhere secluded and off the beaten track.
While at high tide it may seem like just a small pebbly beach, at low tide the ocean rolls back to reveal plenty of golden sands, although be careful when laying down your towel as the waves can be unpredictable.
Have a story you want to share? Email us at webtravel@reachplc.com
Home Bargains shoppers can improve their packing technique with the retailer’s travel set
The travel set could be ideal for the summer holidays (Image: Getty)
Many families are getting their luggage ready for the upcoming holidays. For those who struggle to keep their suitcases tidy, Home Bargains could have just what they need. Known for selling seasonal products, the retailer is stocking travel accessories.
The latest range includes the multipack of Travel Lightweight Travel Cubes. Priced at £4.99, Home Bargains said the set is designed to help customers enjoy “hassle-free packing.” The pack is available to buy online now, with three “lightweight travel cubes” included in each set.
The product description states: “Keep your luggage organised with this simple family three-pack of lightweight travel cubes, featuring durable double zips and breathable mesh panels for easy packing on the go.” The retailer added that the set is “perfect for hassle-free packing on the go.”
Home Bargains sells a range of travel accessories, including the £1.99 Let’s Travel Lightweight Folding Rucksack. The retailer wrote: “The Let’s Travel Lightweight Folding Rucksack is a durable, compact 15-litre bag that folds into its own pocket, with a black design and adjustable straps.”
The description added: “Designed for convenience and versatility, this lightweight folding rucksack is the perfect companion for travel, day trips, and everyday use. Despite its compact design, it offers a surprisingly spacious interior—ideal for carrying your essentials on the go.
“Crafted from durable yet lightweight materials, the rucksack is built to withstand regular use while remaining easy to carry. It features adjustable shoulder straps for comfort and multiple zipped compartments to keep your belongings organised and secure. One of its standout features is its foldable design.
“The bag conveniently packs down into its own compact pocket, making it easy to store in your suitcase, handbag, or luggage when not in use. Simply unfold it whenever you need extra storage space.
“With an approximate 15-litre capacity, it provides ample room for essentials such as clothing, snacks, travel documents, or daily items—without adding bulk or weight.” For £4.99, Home Bargains sells the Travel Adjustable Travel Pillow.
The retailer said: “Stay comfy on the go with this adjustable travel pillow made from soft memory foam, complete with a handy carry bag. Perfect for short trips or long-haul flights, it’s your simple travel essential.”
There’s also the £3.99 Travel Hanging Organiser. The description read: “Stay organised on the go with the Travel Hanging Organiser from the Simple family, featuring 24 mesh pockets and four hooks for versatile storage wherever you are. Compact and practical for hassle-free holidays.”
Trump’s name was removed from the centre’s facade and signage last month, after a judge ordered its removal.
Published On 9 Jul 20269 Jul 2026
A US appeals court has ruled that President Donald Trump’s name must remain off the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, while the organisation appeals an earlier ruling that found a name change illegal.
Trump’s name was removed from the centre’s facade and signage last month after US District Judge Christopher Cooper ordered the removal and blocked Trump’s plans to close the centre for renovations. An appeal against this ruling was struck down by a three-judge panel on Wednesday.
The conspicuous addition, and ensuing legal battle, became symbolic of Trump’s broader push to imprint his legacy – and, in this case, his actual name – on the nation’s capital in his final term.
The decision by the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit denied the Trump administration’s request to pause the lower court order in a lawsuit brought by Democratic Representative Joyce Beatty, a Kennedy Center board member.
“Today’s ruling again affirms that this administration’s efforts to rename the Kennedy Center were unlawful,” Beatty said in a statement.
“His name no longer desecrates this sacred memorial, which belongs to the American people.”
The panel of judges wrote on Wednesday that the board of trustees’ request “failed to show how they will be irreparably injured” if Trump’s name remains off the building through the appeal process.
The board had argued that the removal “threatens to impede” fundraising efforts, but the judges found that claim came without the support of “specific facts or evidence”.
The Kennedy Center did not immediately respond to an emailed request for comment from the Associated Press news agency.
When Trump first took office in 2025, he replaced the Kennedy Center’s board of trustees, who then named him chairman. His name was quickly added to the building, but a federal judge then ruled that the name change was illegal, prompting the ensuing legal battle.
July 6 (UPI) — A confusing situation played out Monday in the British royal family, as a representative for Prince Harry first said the prince had accepted an invitation to stay at the royal residence for one night — only for royal authorities to announce that he was not welcome after all.
Representatives for both Prince Harry, the duke of Sussex, and Buckingham Palace had different stories about the events leading up to the about-face, BBC News reported.
The prince’s camp said Buckingham Palace withdrew an offer that had been formally accepted. The palace, however, said it offered accommodation to the prince, who did not confirm if he would accept and then declined the offer, only to change his mind later that day. By then, the palace said, it was too late to make arrangements, The Guardian reported.
Prince Harry, his wife, Meghan Markle, and their children, Archie, 7, and Lilibet, 5, live in California. The prince and his wife stepped back from the role of senior royals in 2020.
Tension between the prince (the younger son of King Charles III) and other members of the royal family has continued, although Harry and King Charles met last year for a conversation. This trip was expected to be the first time his children met their grandfather since 2022.
Harry is in Britain to promote various charities and the 2027 Invictus Games for injured military personnel and veterans around the world. The games are expected to take place in Birmingham, where the prince will travel later this week.
Originally, the duke of Sussex’s entire family was going to travel to both London and Birmingham, but the government declined his request for a security detail outside royal residences. Meghan and the children may meet the prince in Birmingham for the second half of the trip. It was not clear if they would meet the king.
Buckingham Palace says Prince Harry will not be staying at the palace for part of his visit to London this week, despite his team announcing this morning that he had accepted an invitation to do so.
Royal sources say the duke had not formally responded to the offer of accommodation at a royal residence by the deadline, which was the end of last week, and was told over the weekend that he could no longer stay at Buckingham Palace.
It is understood that the palace requires a minimum notice period to ensure a guest can be hosted and staff from the Royal Household provided.
A spokesperson for Prince Harry said that despite their earlier statement they understood that the offer to stay at the palace had now been “withdrawn” – a decision they described as “disappointing”.
In Buckingham Palace’s version of events, there was an offer for Prince Harry to stay at the palace, but the Sussex team had failed to confirm whether to accept and had then declined.
According to the Palace, the Duke’s team accepted to stay there later, but it was too late to make arrangements.
The Palace says that this decision was communicated to Prince Harry.
In response, a spokesman for the Duke of Sussex described the situation differently, claiming Buckingham Palace had withdrawn an offer that had been formally accepted.
The Sussex version of events said that the timing of the court case result was already known last week and rejected it as being a factor.
“It is therefore unclear why, having formally accepted the accommodation offer, it has now been withdrawn at the last moment,” said the spokesman for the Duke of Sussex.
This acrimonious war of words is a row that shows how much distrust and poor communication exists between the two camps – the Sussex team and Buckingham Palace.
Both sides are putting out contradictory versions of the invitation to stay at Buckingham Palace – with no sign of either side accepting the other’s account.
This could make a meeting between King Charles and Prince Harry, which had been expected this week, even more complicated.
Like a good striker, Folarin Balogun never loses sight of the goal. And the goal for the U.S. team in this summer’s World Cup hasn’t been just to win, which they’ve done, but to inspire.
“Little kids are watching, and we have to show them the correct way to handle things, even when you think it’s unjust,” Balogun said Friday.
“It’s not an excuse to be disrespectful, to not do the right thing. I’m aware that the World Cup might be the first time a lot of American viewers are tuning in. So it’s important, whether things happen to you good or bad, just to continue to be yourself.”
That doesn’t mean Balogun didn’t think the red card was unjust. He does. And he definitely thinks something bad happened to him and his team since Balogun, the Americans’ leading scorer with three goals in as many games, will have to sit out the team’s most important game in a generation.
It’s just means that Balogun, who celebrated his 25th birthday Friday, is also mature enough to understand a game — even a World Cup elimination game — is just a game.
“It’s been a roller coaster,” he said before the team’s training session at the University of Washington. “There’s been lots of different emotions. I’ve been upset, I’ve been happy. But for me, it was just important to stay calm. I never want to react out of anger and out of emotion.”
Balogun, who had given his team a 1-0 lead in the waning seconds of the first half, collided with Tarik Muharemovic 16 minutes into the second half, and when the Bosnian defender planted his right leg below Balogun’s right foot, the American inadvertently stomped on his right ankle, twisting it awkwardly.
U.S. forward Folarin Balogun steps on Bosnia-Herzegovina defender Tarik Muharemovic’s foot and received a red card.
(Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times)
Both players went down and Claus did not signal a foul or pull card. But after the video assistant referee urged him to watch a replay, Claus walked away from the monitor and flashed the red card. That left the U.S. to finish Wednesday’s game with just 10 men and disqualified Balogun for Monday’s game. U.S. Soccer said Friday FIFA’s disciplinary committee did not add any games to Balogun’s suspension.
“There’s the scenarios that you simply can’t avoid,” he said, “and it has to be taken into context when it’s being reviewed. I felt it wasn’t on this occasion. There’s nowhere else to put your leg. It’s going to be unavoidable.
“I think a yellow card would have been fair. [But] it’s something that’s happened, so we have to move forward, and I have to accept it. The most important thing is just to focus on the bigger picture, which is Belgium.”
Replacing Balogun won’t be easy since he’s emerged as one of the team’s most effective and creative players, either scoring of setting up the go-ahead goal in all three of the U.S. wins.
“We’ve got guys that can fill in and have to be ready for the opportunity to step up,” midfielder Tyler Adams said. “When you miss a player like Balo, obviously things change a little bit. But we’ve been flexible. Guys have shown that they’re ready to play.”
The most likely replacements are Ricardo Pepi and Haji Wright. Pepi, who scored 16 goals for PSV in the Dutch Eredivisie this season, played 90 minutes in place of Balogun in the U.S. loss to Turkey in the final group-stage match. Wright, who had 17 goals for Coventry City in the English Championship, played in all four U.S. games in the 2022 World Cup, scoring once, but he has made just one appearance in this summer’s tournament.
“Balo is an important part of our team, and it’s a disappointing way for him to miss the next game,” said Wright, who grew up in Culver City and spent three years in the Galaxy academy. “But, I’ll always be ready and prepared for whatever comes.”
A victory over Belgium would send the U.S. to the quarterfinals of a World Cup for just the second time. It would also give it four wins in the tournament, double the number of victories in any previous World Cup and marking the first time the Americans have won twice in the knockout stages in the same tournament.
U.S. forward Ricardo Pepi pursues the ball during a World Cup match against Bosnia-Herzegovina at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara , Calif., on Wednesday.
(Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times)
It’s a moment, Adams acknowledged Friday, many players have waited for their whole lives.
“You need to embrace the moment, that’s for sure,” he said. “To have the opportunity to play in a round-of-16 game — which, obviously, last World Cup we did, but it was the first knockout game, not the second — it’s exciting. It was nice to get a little bit of a taste of what it feels like to play with something a little bit more on the line in the last game. I think that’s good preparation.
“Advancing and taking this thing as far as we can is the most important thing. We have a good opportunity here to do so.”
July 3 (UPI) — The Louisiana Supreme Court granted a stay on state Attorney General Liz Murrill’s indictment, less than 24 hours after a grand jury approved charges.
The New Orleans grand jury charged Murrill, a Republican, with 16 felony counts of malfeasance in office and public intimidation related to alleged threats contained in a letter she sent to Orleans Parish leaders in May.
The letter allegedly threatened recipients, including Democratic Mayor Helena Moreno and District Attorney Jason Williams, that they could lose their positions if they opposed a new law to combine New Orleans’ criminal and district clerks of court. The eliminates the position of newly-elected Clerk of Court Calvin Duncan, a Democrat.
The Louisiana Supreme Court halted the criminal proceedings Friday morning, citing potential conflicts of interest tied to special prosecutor Laurie White’s past actions representing Duncan.
The court’s ruling also questioned reports of incidents during the grand jury proceedings, including allegations that journalists were forcibly removed from the proceedings in handcuffs.
“While the record before this Court is undeveloped, there is considerable support for the view that the Attorney General is likely to succeed on the merits of a motion to quash this indictment on either a legal basis or due to apparent procedural irregularities,” The Hill quoted the ruling as stating.
“The Attorney General makes a compelling argument concerning the disturbing defects in the grand jury proceedings and in the trial court’s handlings of those proceedings. This indictment appears to turn the law on its head and flows from what appear to be extraordinary procedural defects and improprieties.”
Murrill praised the development in a statement posted to social media.
“I’m grateful to the Louisiana Supreme Court for swiftly issuing a stay in this matter. The constitution and laws of Louisiana impose a wide swath of duties on the Attorney General. I will continue to carry out those duties to the best of my ability,” she wrote. “This matter is not over. I will still need to file the necessary motions to seek a dismissal, which will be forthcoming.”
Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry, R, had earlier pledged to pardon Murrill.
“I would like to inform the great citizens of Louisiana who care about the rule of law, that our fabulous Office of the Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill will not have to worry about having her reputation tarnished by this kangaroo grand jury or the Orleans Kangaroo court as I will pardon her as fast as the law allows. The criminal justice system is a circus at its finest in Orleans and we will not have any of that,” he wrote on social media.
Pubs in England and Wales will now be allowed to stay open until 5am on Monday, allowing football fans to watch the Three Lions’ World Cup clash with Mexico to the final whistle.
The round-of-16 match in Mexico City kicks off at 1am UK time.
The government had initially said it would not relax licensing laws further than they already have been for the World Cup.
But Prime Minister Keir Starmer said on Thursday afternoon that pubs could stay open until the final whistle.
Monday’s match is not expected to finish until after 3am.
The government had initially decided not to extend licencing hours further, but u-turned on Thursday evening.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer that the decision was good news for both supporters and pubs.
“Football might be coming home but we’re making sure fans don’t have to,” he said.
Publicans and businesses welcomed the change. Emma McClarkin, chief executive of the British Beer and Pub Association, said: “We all know the best place to watch the match is down the local.”
Licensing hours had already been extended for the World Cup from 11pm to 1am for games with kick-offs from 5pm up to 9pm and up until 2am for kick-offs after 9pm.
Individual pubs normally have to apply to their local council for extended opening hours, at least five working days in advance.
