NOISY protesters marched through shocked holidaymakers sunbathing on a busy beach yesterday in the latest in a series of anti-tourism rallies.
Flag-waving local residents beat drums and blew whistles as they wandered along the shoreline in Playa de las Americas in Tenerife.
One carried a poster which read: “Tourists, go f***ing” home.”
Another poster stated: “The Canaries have a limit. More trees, less hotels.”
The 2,000-strong group had diverted from a planned march route after gathering in a nearby shopping centre.
The protest was among six coordinated to begin at midday, each on a different Canary island.
Another was at Maspalomas — a popular resort with Brits on Gran Canaria.
Several thousand people there demonstrated over problems campaigners blame on mass tourism, such as a lack of affordable housing and environmental damage.
Some walked behind a banner which read: “We’re foreigners in our own land.”
One man was arrested after marchers shouted at police.
Further protests were held in Lanzarote, Fuerteventura, La Palma and El Hierro.
THERE may be precious few reasons to raise a glass when Chancellor Rachel Reeves unveils her Budget next week.
But she could lift spirits by pulling out all the stops to give the hospitality trade some help.
After brutal years of Covid, a near-recession and the wholly unnecessary threat of banning smoking outside, pubs and restaurants in the UK are already on the brink of bankruptcy.
But they now face another collective £1billion hit.
Failing to extend their 75 per cent business rate discount — due to end in April — would be a fatal mistake by the Chancellor.
It would decimate already-fragile takings and put thousands of jobs at risk.
Ms Reeves would do well to maintain that protection and by doing so throw a lifeline to an industry vital to so many in our depressed communities.
It could also give her something she so desperately needs — some economic growth.
LAST week another 979 migrants arrived illegally in Britain on 16 new boats.
They will join the big-city-sized group of asylum-seekers now being housed in hotels at a cost of £4million per day before most are inevitably allowed to live here permanently.
Among those trying to cross this weekend was a baby boy who drowned after falling overboard as his dinghy sank.
“He slipped out of my hands,” says his shattered father.
Families desperate to get to Britain are still prepared to ignore the obvious dangers.
Which is why these journeys must be stopped before boats even leave the beaches.
In Belgium police are doing just that.
Only one boat has arrived in Britain from there this year.
In neighbouring France — handed £500million by Britain to tackle the problem — cops stand and watch as the migrants gamble with their lives.
What are we paying them for?
IT is scarcely believable that a man with such superhuman strength and fitness as Sir Chris Hoy should be struck by terminal cancer.
Sir Chris conquered all his rivals in the Olympic velodrome.
It must have been a crushing blow to this born winner to be told he can never beat his illness.
Yet his courage — and that of his wife Sarra, now diagnosed with MS — remains undimmed.
We salute his bravery as he now no doubt proves a huge inspiration to all those affected by this cruel disease.
A MORTUARY worker has lifted the lid on her job and some of the bizarre requests she gets.
Mortician Hayleigh appeared on the Tea At Four podcast and revealed how she even does acrylic nails and fake lashes on dead bodies.
Speaking to hosts Lauren and Billy, she revealed what it’s like to work with the dead.
She shared: “I basically prepare the deceased.”
Lauren asked her if people can request to be placed in certain poses in their coffin, and Hayleigh revealed you can.
Demonstrating her hands crossed in front of her, she answered: “We have girls who want their hands.
“And we get the lid on you as well, so we don’t want to be hammering your knees down, really.”
Hayleigh shared how she also does beauty treatments on corpses so they look their best.
She added: “I mean, I can do acrylics, eyelashes, eyebrows.”
Billy was amazed and asked if she does teeth whitening on deceased individuals.
The mortician replied: “Why would you want your teeth on show when you’re dead? That’d be terrifying.”
Billy agreed saying: “I didn’t think of it like that.”
The host then joked how he wanted to be buried with his hands crossed on his chest and with his face in an open-mouthed smile.
Hayleigh laughed: “I was gonna say, I’ve never had that one before.
“I think I would be like, oh no.”
The mortician said that one of the only treatments that doesn’t work so well is fake than as it “doesn’t sit right.”
She explained: “You look like a drumstick.
“It won’t sit right, I’m afraid, ’cause there’s no moisture in the skin, it just sits.
“Even if you do a bit of mousse, it doesn’t look great.”
Billy came to the conclusion that he didn’t want to be embalmed and perhaps would opt for a closed coffin instead.
Hayleigh revealed: “Yeah, that’s what I’m going with.”
IT’S the one industry all of us are guaranteed to use yet working as a funeral arranger is still seen as an unusual career choice.
The sector is relatively small with around 20,000 undertakers, mortuary and crematorium assistants working nationally, plus jobs in support services such as coffin making and headstone and memorial carvers.
A rise in eco-friendly funerals and more families choosing highly personalised celebrations rather than traditional mourning means the industry is attracting a wider range of talent.
Dubbed the “Youngertaker”, many staff are joining straight from school or college, attracted by the caring nature of the profession.
A spokesman for the National Association of Funeral Directors explains: “Funeral service is not always included in the list of caring professions recommended by career advisors, but it should be.”
More people are also joining the sector later in life, often after seeing how funeral staff cared for one of their own loved ones.
As well as practical aspects, the job also requires emotional skills to provide support and advice to families.
Salaries are slightly below the national average, but most staff point to the immense job satisfaction.
Large firms such as Dignity and Co-operative Funerals have launched apprenticeship schemes.
Many people were amazed at the revelations, with one person writing: “This is soooooo reassuring cos I dare my family to let ONE person see me without lashes.”
Another added: “This was so insightful and emotional to watch.”
Morticians or undertakers prepare a deceased’s body for funerals, and can assist with urn or coffin selection and aid with the transport of the body from the funeral home.
They also may help cremate or preserve the body, making it presentable with makeup, clothing, and hair styling.
A MAN who bought a crumbling house has transformed the ruin into a retirement fortune worth millions.
Richard Morris and his wife, Joy, got their hands on the Newton Court Farm in Monmouth after finding retirement too boring and struck gold with their decision.
The 72-year-old told WalesOnline how he built Ancre Hill estate piece-by-piece with the winery now consisting of three vineyards totalling 22 acres.
Richard has now made the decision to put the site, which produces around 30,000 bottles a year, up for sale for a whopping £3.4 million.
Originally looking to retire in his 40s, Richard sold his transport and logistics company to travel with his wife and visit as many vineyards as they possible could.
However, the retiree “soon got bored” and “felt it was too early to call it a day” and so bought a seven-bed house surrounded by vacant fields.
He even returned to school, achieving a diploma in viticulture from Plumpton College, Brighton, to learn about the technical processes of vineyards.
Richard said: “It’s been fantastic. Instead of being stuck behind a desk all day or sitting in a car all day, I’m out in the fresh air in the vineyard or I’m in the winery but I can’t go on forever.”
Being one of the most sustainable wineries in the world, the structure was originally made from straw and rendered lime mortar.
The first vines were planted back in 2006 and since then Richard and his wife have developed the site to what it is now.
Describing the original farm house as “basically falling down” the money the couple have spent to renovate has clearly paid off in the long run.
Their venture in producing wine has developed beyond a retirement hobby with the pair establishing sales in Michelin star restaurants and others across the globe.
Richard even found a South African winemaker, Jean Du Plessis, to oversee the incredible feat ensuring the smooth-running of the wine produce.
Despite the challenging weather that the UK climate can bring, Richard continued to explain how much he enjoys the process.
Beyond the environment, Richard has other factors that are out of his control including the steep levy which UK wine is subject to.
From February 1, the number of tax bands for wine is expected to increase from one to 30 and Richard claims that supermarkets have been frustrated with the move to hike up taxes on the products.
Despite the few negatives, he still works three days a week across the different vineyards which have pinot noir, chardonnay, albarino and other hybrid varieties planted.
With the wine being particularly popular amongst young people, the business has been exported to Canada, Singapore and Hong Kong.
They now hope to find further buyers elsewhere, including Scandinavia.
LIVERPOOL ace Curtis Jones went viral as he opened up about recently becoming a dad in a wholesome post-match interview after a man of the match performance against Chelsea.
Jones, 23, led the Reds to a 2-1 win over the Blues at Anfield as he won the penalty that was followed by Mohamed Salah’s opener and scored the winner after Nicolas Jackson’s equaliser.
The midfielder dedicated his first goal of the season to his newborn daughter Giselle Delilah Jones and girlfriend Saffie Khan.
The couple made headlines with the joyous announcement in May that they are expecting their first child, with Saffie giving birth last week.
The pair shared photos of them holding their baby as they beamed with joy.
The ex-England youth international spoke to Sky Sports about his incredible performance against Chelsea and hinted it was a result of some extra confidence he acquired the last few days.
Jones said: “It’s the best thing ever, I’m playing with a smile on my face. It’s a different type of joy.
“I was in the spare room [last night]! But she’s a little dream, she wants a feed and change and back asleep.
“So I wouldn’t have missed much sleep anyway. But I thought it was wise [to sleep in the spare room]. So I had some energy. Sorry dads around the world!”
Social media went wild after the Liverpool ace’s heartwarming statement with many praising his inspirational words.
One tweeted: “Loved that Curtis Jones interview.”
Another commented: “That Curtis jones interview was f*****g mega! What a boy man, been a dad for a week and scores the winning goal and MOTM, killing it.”
A third wrote: “Curtis Jones genuinely seems like a top bloke. Doesn’t interview like he’s reading from a script and seems like a lad who’s just buzzing on life. Fair play to him!
This one said: “What a brilliant interview with Curtis Jones that was.”
That one stated: “I love that Curtis Jones came on to that interview and spent a quarter of it talking about his new baby.”
And finally this post read: “Happy dad Curtis Jones put up an amazing performance and an even better post match interview.”
JEREMY Clarkson joked that he is banned from emptying the dishwasher after having life-saving heart surgery.
The Clarkson’s Farm star told how he was days from death in the major health scare.
Jeremy, 64, revealed he needed an operation to clear blocked arteries after feeling ill on a recent holiday.
Last night he told The Sun: “I’m very grateful to everyone who sent supportive messages but I’m fine.
“I just have to not do any manual labour or dishwasher emptying for the next four years.
“At least I think that’s what the doctor said.”
Clarkson first felt unwell while on a break on an Indian Ocean island.
He wrote in The Sunday Times: “I was at the breakfast table and when I stood up to leave, I had to take a moment to make sure my limbs were working properly.”
He later had issues trying to dive, swim and walk which continued after his holiday.
One day he felt “clammy and there was a tightness in my chest”.
And later, after working on his Cotswolds farm — which features in his Amazon Prime hit series — a doctor was called when he noticed “pins and needles” in his left arm.
Jeremy was then taken by ambulance to the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford.
He said: “It seems that of the arteries feeding my heart with nourishing blood, one was completely blocked and the second of three was heading that way.
“The question was this.
“Were the arteries so ruined that I’d need an emergency heart bypass?
“Or could he use Dyno-Rods and ultrasonic battering rams to loosen them up before inserting a stent?
“Mercifully, this turned out to be possible.”
Jeremy, who also hosts ITV’s Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?, went on: “I was off to the operating theatre.
“Because my bankruptcy was most definitely just around the corner. Days away? ‘Maybe’, he (a doctor) said.”
A stent was then inserted into the blocked artery to keep it open and restore blood flow to the heart.
Jeremy said: “It wasn’t especially painful. Just odd.”
He returned home the next day, and said he thought: “Crikey, that was close.”
He previously said he is worried about his health and admitted: “I don’t have long left.”
Jeremy has also shared fears over developing dementia, admitting his “memory is shot”.
And he was fitted with hearing aids last year.
But the star has shown no signs of slowing down, with a new book about life on Diddly Squat Farm.
Series four of Clarkson’s Farm is also in production.
Earlier this year Jeremy opened a refurbished pub — The Farmer’s Dog — near Burford, Oxon.
BIG Brother viewers have claimed a kiss between two housemate was ‘forced’ and ‘absolutely rancid’.
Sunday night’s episode saw the Housemates dealing with the aftermath of the latest eviction.
On Friday night, Daze was banished from the ITV2 house after the public vote.
The remaining Housemates comforted each other, but two of them took that to a whole new level.
Baked Potato (Rosie) and Nathan have been growing closer in recent days, and shared a three-way kiss with Lily.
But tonight, the lovebirds were seen sharing a snog on their own, but not before staring at each other for an awkwardly long period of time.
They finally broke eye contact to lock lips on the sofa while no-one else was around, but the moment left many Big Brother fans horrified.
Taking to X – formerly Twitter – one wrote: “Genuinely feel sick watching that kiss. It felt soooo forced as if they were forced to.”
Another added: “That kiss was absolutely rancid, truly evil personified.”
A third commented: “Baked potatoes has kissed Nathan which genuinely disgusts me and probably increase his chance of being in the final of this season of big brother like last year.”
Meanwhile a fourth tweeted: “This kiss seems soooo forced. They really do have 0 chemistry.”
Rosie is called ‘Baked Potato’ after she completed a series of dares, one of which included changing her name.
Others took issue with the fact that Nathan had cold sores when he kissed Baked Potato.
One wrote: “I cant believe she kissed him with those sores on his lips, i feel sick.”
Another commented: “Nathan has a massive cold sore and he kissed Baked Potato. Christ.”
A third shared: “Baked Potato kissed that square head with a big ole COLDSORE on his lip!!!! Nasty work.”
Big Brother airs on ITV2 and is available on ITVX.