All I want for Christmas is… a fun day out with the family! Our travel correspondent YourDaysOut.com’s Ciaran Dunne shared the inside scoop into the best events happening across the country this weekend. It’s the last weekend before Christmas and most of us are still rushing around trying to tick off our to-do lists. RELATED: Where […]
The post What’s on for families this weekend (December 21st – 22nd) appeared first on RollerCoaster.
Although the shops are only closed for one day, families across the country tend to stock up their cupboards with what feels like months of supplies to get them ready for Christmas. No matter how much preparation, list making and organisation we do, there’s always something that gets left behind, which inevitably leads to a […]
The post 10 things we always forget on Christmas Day appeared first on RollerCoaster.
As the country went to the polls on November 29, newsrooms all over the country were busy beavering away making sure the tallies were reported correctly and key figures were interviewed. It sounds very exciting – and it is – but as Virgin Media’s news anchor Colette Fitzpatrick knows only too well it’s a grueling […]
The post VMTV’s Colette Fitzpatrick hopes for a quiet family Christmas after hectic general election appeared first on RollerCoaster.
Delivery giant DHL has confirmed that a viral message about a new scam is in fact true. A message has been circulating on WhatsApp in recent days showing a photo of a missed delivery slip that looks legitimate, with instructions as to how to re-direct or collect the missed parcel. Customers are advised to go […]
The post DHL warn anyone expecting Christmas deliveries of scam delivery notes appeared first on RollerCoaster.
PASSENGERS traveling this month are being warned not to take huge suitcases onboard in an airline-style crackdown.
Great Western Railway has introduced the new rules ahead of Christmas travel, due to fears of overcrowding on trains.
A combination of the expected busy season and a shortage of trains has resulted in the stricter luggage request.
Usually, passengers can take up to three suitcases onto the train with them – two large ones and a smaller one.
This is similar to some airlines, who allow two bags in the hold and one in the overhead lockers.
The National Rail website states: “You’re generally welcome to bring up to 3 pieces of luggage onboard, at no extra cost.
“These items may include satchels, backpacks, suitcases and the like.
“However, some train companies have different luggage policies, so it’s always a good idea to check their website before you travel.”
The new rules are asking passengers to take just one “sensible-sized” suitcase instead.
It is hoped that this will allow more people on the trains by avoiding bags blocking the corridors.
A GWR spokesperson told the Telegraph: “We’re seeing more and more people struggling on station stairways and trying to board trains with unwieldy, super-sized luggage, which can then block aisles, exits and seats.
“Instead, we’re asking them to consider bringing a standard-sized suitcase which fits comfortably in the boot of a car and can be stored in luggage racks at the end of a carriage.
“Or even better, a couple of pieces of cabin-style luggage which can be stored in overhead racks or under seats.”
Both GWR and Heathrow Express have cancelled all trains to and from Paddington between December 27 and 29 due to engineering works.
And train staff are not contracted to work Sundays, with it on a volunteer basis – which can cause last minute cancellations.
They aren’t the only train company to have recently cracked down on luggage.
French train operator SNCF introduced strict new rules back in September.
YOU may be able to get compensation for train journeys that have been delayed or cancelled.
You’ll usually need to apply as you won’t get it automatically.
Train companies have adopted “delay repay”, a national scheme used to compensate you for unexpected delays.
Passengers are entitled to compensation for a delay of 15 minutes or more.
How much you get back depends on how long the delays are and the type of ticket you have.
Compensation ranges from 25% of the ticket price to 100%. You’ll get a full refund if your train was delayed by 120 minutes or longer.
It doesn’t matter which train company you are travelling with – the scheme is nationwide and all firms are part of it.
But how you claim the money back will be up to each train company and you’ll have to apply directly. You can usually do this online.
You’ll probably need a picture of your ticket and information about the train service you were on to claim.
You can find each train line and how to claim at: www.nationalrail.co.uk/travel-information/find-a-train-company/
If your train is delayed or cancelled and you choose not to travel, you can get a refund on the ticket from where you bought it and there are no fees.
Passengers can only take three suitcases onboard, which is two cabin-sized bags and a smaller hand luggage bag.
Each bag must also have the person’s full name on it, with fines of €50 (£42).
ELEVATED levels of potentially toxic “forever chemicals” have been found in several smartwatch wristbands.
The chemicals may be more common at certain price points, say scientists.
PFAS (Per- and polyfluorinated alkyl substances), also known as forever chemicals, are a large family of more than 10,000 long lasting chemicals, whose components break down very slowly over time.
Smartwatches and fitness trackers have become popular forms of wearable tech, strapped to many people’s wrists day and night.
But new research by American scientists warns that they may expose the skin to forever chemicals in the process.
More expensive wristbands made from fluorinated synthetic rubber revealed “particularly high” amounts of one forever chemical, perfluorohexanoic acid (PFHxA), according to the study published in the journal Environmental Science & Technology Letters.
Author Professor Graham Peaslee, of the University of Notre Dame, Indiana, said: “This discovery stands out because of the very high concentrations of one type of forever chemical found in items that are in prolonged contact with our skin.”
Because PFAS repel water, sweat and oil, manufacturers include the chemicals in many consumer products, such as stain-resistant bedding, menstrual products and fitness wear – including smartwatch and fitness tracker wristbands.
The bands contain fluoroelastomers – synthetic rubbers made from chains of PFAS – to prevent discolouration and repel dirt.
Though the durability makes the bands great for sweaty workouts, the researchers say it might also make it easier for these compounds to get under the wearer’s skin – literally.
Prof Peaslee plus co-authors Alyssa Wicks and Heather Whitehead examined several commercially available watchbands for the presence of fluorine, as well as 20 individual PFAS.
They screened 22 wristbands from a range of brands and price points, most of them newly purchased but a few previously worn.
All of the 13 bands advertised as being made from fluoroelastomers contained the element fluorine.
But two of the nine bands that did not advertise being made from fluoroelastomers also contained fluorine, indicating the potential presence of PFAS.
Of those tested, wristbands that cost more than $30 contained more fluorine than those under $15.
Next, following a chemical extraction, all the wristbands were checked for 20 different PFAS.
PFHxA was found to be the most common, appearing in nine of 22 tested wristbands.
The median PFHxA concentration was found to be nearly 800 parts per billion (ppb), and one sample exceeded 16,000 ppb.
Comparatively, previous research by the team in 2023 on cosmetics found a median concentration of around 200 ppb of PFAS.
Prof Peaslee said: “We have never seen extractable concentrations in the part-per-million range for any wearable consumer product applied to the skin.”
PFAS – or polyfluoroalkyl substances – are known as ‘forever chemicals’ because they may never leave the body once consumed.
They are prised for their indestructible and non-stick properties.
They are used in household products such as non-stick frying pans, clothing, cosmetics, food packaging and fire extinguisher foam.
PFAS are linked to a handful of serious health issues, including liver damage, high cholesterol, thyroid disease, obesity, fertility issues and cancer.
It is even feared the chemicals could lead to low birth weight, developmental delays and behavioural changes in infants and children.
The team suggest that the large amounts of PFHxA found in the wristbands may be a result of the compound being used during the fluoroelastomer manufacturing process.
Scientists don’t currently understand how much PFHxA transfers into the skin, nor how it could affect health once it gets there.
But Prof Peaslee says recent studies suggest that a significant percentage of the chemicals could pass through human skin under normal conditions.
Study lead author Ms Wicks says the team recommends buying lower-cost wristbands made from silicone.
She added: “If the consumer wishes to purchase a higher-priced band, we suggest that they read the product descriptions and avoid any that are listed as containing fluoroelastomers.”
PFAs were detected in fruit and veg sold in the UK earlier this year.
You may not realise it but chances are you already have come into contact with PFAS, a lot.
They have been detected in air, water, soils, sediments, and in rain at levels that would be considered unsafe in drinking water in some countries.
Here is a list of all the things the chemicals have been found in, so far:
Source: WebMD
A PLAYBOY model who dated Raheem Sterling died days after returning to the UK following a Brazilian bum-lift, an inquest heard.
Tabby Brown, 38, had travelled to the Dominic Republic for the surgery, which also required her to have liposuction, in October 2023.
An inquest heard she died suddenly just three days after returning to the UK when she developed a “fat embolism”.
Tabby’s mum Mahasin had tragically found the model, who worked for Playboy and appeared on The Bachelor, collapsed in her South London home on October 13.
The court heard she had two “puncture wounds” in her pelvis, which confirmed she had undergone plastic surgery, Mail Online reports.
Oliver Harley, a cosmetic surgeon expert, told the inquest: “Tabby travelled to the Dominican Republic for a Brazilian Butt Lift, this is where fat is harvested from the torso by liposuction and injected into the buttocks to increase their size.
“The BBL is known to cause potential fat embolism and death and Tabby died as a consequence.”
Tabby, who previously dated footballers Raheem Sterling and Mario Balotelli, had kept her surgery hidden from her family.
She instead told her mum she had gone on a two-week trip to South America, the court heard.
Mum Mahasin looked after Tabby when she fell ill hours after her return to the UK but believed her daughter had picked up a viral infection while travelling.
She said the actress and dancer did not want to seek medical advice and instead took painkillers.
Mahasin told the court Tabby “felt weak” before she discovered her daughter not breathing on the floor.
Recording a narrative verdict, coroner Julian Morris said Tabby had “enjoyed a successful career as a model and was well liked professionally and personally”.
She had a big laugh, smile and a personality that charmed many and matched her beauty.
Tabby's devastated family
He added: “‘The postmortem concluded that Tabby’s cause of death was fat embolism caused by liposuction.
“Fat embolisms are a known and rare complication but can occur with this type of surgery.
“The expert concluded that liposuction caused her death as fat embolisms do not occur naturally.
“She was fit and healthy, visited the Dominican Republic for surgery and on her return became unwell and collapsed, on balance the operative procedure caused her death.”
Tabby’s devastated family paid tribute to the model, who they said was the “face of many ad campaigns for recognised brands”.
The family added: “Tabby had enjoyed a successful career as a model, having featured in music videos of several well-known British and American artists.
“She had a big laugh, smile and a personality that charmed many and matched her beauty.
“Close family and close friends take solace from the fact that she experienced many years in which she lived out her dreams.
“But we are also saddened by her premature departure, we love and miss Tabby very much and will always keep her memory close to our hearts.”
Tabby dated former Man City star Balotelli for around seven months after they met in 2011.
She later said she “really fell” for the Italian footballer “against my better judgement”.
Tabby later enjoyed a date with England star Sterling at a posh Manchester hotel in March 2016.
Buttock enlargement surgery – known as a Brazilian bum-lift (BBL) – is used to make the bum look bigger, rounded and lifted.
Surgeons transfer fat, inject filler or insert silicone-filled implants.
It is the fastest growing cosmetic procedure but also one of the most dangerous, according to the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons (BAAPS).
Many patients are travelling to the likes of Turkey or seeking out unregistered surgeons in the UK and are not given full information on the risks.
BBLs carry the highest risk of all cosmetic surgeries – with more than one death occurring per 4,000 procedures.
Due to celebrities undergoing such ops, many women are hoping to emulate their looks.
Consultant clinical psychologist Dr Anu Sayal-Bennett, a chartered member of the British Psychological Society, told the BBC: “Despite there being so much about body positivity, there are pressures for women – and men too – to look a certain way.”
Many people travel abroad for the procedure because it is cheaper and advertising is “terribly seductive”, combined with the idea of a beach holiday, added Dr Sayal-Bennett.
Her death is the latest in a series of tragedies to hit Brits who go under the knife.
In August, Kaydell Brown, 38 died after paying £5,400 for the procedure, as well as a tummy tuck and a boob job.
While mum Alice Webb died in September after allegedly undergoing the surgery in the UK.
Brazilian butt-lifts, also known as buttock augmentation procedures, involve injecting fat or filler into the bum to shape it.
But wrongly injecting too deep into the buttock can pump chemicals into the bloodstream and cause deadly clots, infections or sepsis.
They can also go wrong if the anaesthetic is botched or people have an allergic reaction.
