thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-02-19--Greg James Is A Radio 1 No-Show After Partying At Brit Awards

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OK. An explanation on the ‘no show’...
It’s been a mad 12 hours. #WhosGotGreg pic.twitter.com/ZoDlGOJSqr — Greg James (@gregjames) February 19, 2020
Radio 1 DJ Greg James might have got a bit too carried away at Tuesday night’s Brit Awards it seems, as he has missed the following morning’s breakfast show.
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The presenter was a no-show for this 6.30am slot on Wednesday after attending the awards, leaving early breakfast presenter Adele Roberts to extend her shift to cover him.
Greg had been photographed arriving at the Warner record label’s after-party with wife Bella Mackie, following the ceremony.
Greg James missed his Radio 1 breakfast show after Tuesday's Brits Joe Maher via Getty Images
And while he had been due on air nice and early the next morning, it seems he slept through his alarm.
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After he failed to show for the start of his programme, Adele said: “Please don’t worry about Greg James. He is definitely safe and sound... He is just very much asleep.”
She was joined by fellow DJ Jordan North, who added: “He’s in a lot of trouble. It’s the biggest breakfast show in the world and he hasn’t turned up.”
Adele, whose show proceeds Greg’s, said: “To be fair he is usually punctual.
“This year though, it’s a no show. Do you think he’ll make it in? I have no idea what’s happening on the show.”
Greg James may have gotten a bit too merry at the #Brits2020 last night pic.twitter.com/tOCnmN7MkT — Scott Bryan (@scottygb) February 19, 2020
As they ploughed on without Greg, Adele later asked listeners when they had last seen him pop up on anyone’s Instagram.
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She said: “The last I saw him was… you know Grace on Breakfast, he was on Grace’s Instagram Stories about midnight. I saw a flash of him with Yannis from Foals.
“If you do spot him, please do send him our way.”
Adele Roberts was left to cover for Greg PA
Greg still hadn’t shown up for work by 9am, with Matt Edmondson, who’d joined Adele and Jordan in the studio, wondering if it was one of Greg’s stunts.
He has famously staged a number of Hide & Seeks since taking over the Radio 1 Breakfast Show from Nick Grimshaw in August 2018.
Matt said: “We all know Greg, and we know he’s not normally the type of person to sleep in.”
Greg’s wife Bella added to the speculation when she tweeted that Greg “didn’t come home last night” with some shoulder-shrugging emojis.
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Husband didn’t come home last night. 🤷🏼♀🤷🏼♀ — Bella Mackie (@bellamackie) February 19, 2020
If it turns out this is another of his stunts, it will certainly be the most memorable yet.
Radio 1 Breakfast with Greg James airs Monday to Thursday from 6.30-10am.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-02-19--The Brit Awards 2020 Highlights

The Brit Awards 2020 Highlights

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The Brit Awards 2020 Highlights
Lewis Capaldi was the big winner at the Brit Awards, bagging New Artist and Song Of The Year. It was also a big night for Dave, with “Psychodrama” winning the top Album Of The Year award, and a politically-charged performance by the rapper that took aim at Boris Johnson. Elsewhere on the night, Billie Eilish was the International Female Solo Artist of the year, and performed her new James Bond theme.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-02-19--‘Forget The Pain Of Birth? It’s Hard Not To Remember Having Two Spoons Wedged In Your Vagina’

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In HuffPost Birth Diaries we hear the extraordinary stories of the everyday miracle of birth. This week, Shilpa Bilimoria shares her story. If you’d like to share yours, email amy.packham@huffpost.com.
My pregnancy was pretty normal. I ODed on natural birthing videos, watching every single empowering clip I could. I was set on a water birth – 100% natural, no drugs. But it turned into the complete opposite.
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I went into the hospital with mild contractions – they were about three minutes apart – and immediately got put into triage. Looking back, that was where it went for wrong me. I didn’t like it in there. The bed was a plank, I was hooked up to monitors, and I felt like I couldn’t move. I know everyone was doing their job, but my back was killing me. All I could do was lie down – or go to the loo.
It was such a sterile environment and everyone was rushing around, so I didn’t feel relaxed. And I didn’t feel confident enough to ask to be moved because it was my first baby. I was just there, in my head, so aware of the pain I was in.
Finally, when a room became free, I was able to go up but my husband was sent home at this point as it was already night-time. Being alone in that new room in excruciating pain was scary, exhausting, and isolating. I was awake all night with contractions. I’d go and sit on the toilet whenever one came – and that eased the pain a little.
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The next morning, my husband came back and our mums visited. I spent the day trying to walk around, in absolute agony, with nothing happening. They finally took me down to the delivery suite that evening.
There was a lovely German midwife there – the most caring woman of the whole process – and I started to feel some sense of ease as she told what was going on. My waters broke shortly after getting into the suite but I was told my contractions weren’t coming quick enough. They injected oxytocin, which tripled up the contractions – and the pain. It was agony. I was screaming asking for a C-section, but they said I was too far gone.
My back hurt, badly. Next, they gave me pethidine – this wasn’t the natural birth I wanted at all. But it totally knocked me out. I didn’t know whether I was dead or alive. I hadn’t eaten or slept properly in two days and just wanted it to be over.
Then, when I got up to go to the loo, I suddenly felt the urge to push. The baby was coming. But when I started pushing, it never seemed to end. My daughter wasn’t coming out.
I had nothing left in me – I’d had all the drugs, and she still wasn’t here.
HuffPost UK Supplied
“You’ve got to push!” the staff were shouting at me, worried about my daughter’s heartbeat. “This baby is coming! Push in your bottom!”
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I couldn’t do it. I had nothing left. I had no strength to speak, let alone push. They reached for the forceps, as my daughter’s heart rate was dropping. I would’ve done anything to get her out of me at this point, I just wanted her to be safe.
The forceps were so painful. It felt completely unnatural. That feeling of them in there was awful – a smear test is nothing in comparison. Having a foreign object inside you like that, like two massive spoons wedged inside your vagina, was awful. But I was focusing on my daughter and hoping she was going to be okay.
When she was handed to me I felt absolute relief – 52 hours after going into labour. They say the moment they put your child on your chest you forget all the pain – I didn’t forget, I’ve never forgotten. But I was so glad she was there, my world instantly became better in that split second.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-02-19--Passengers On Coronavirus-Hit Cruise Ship Allowed To Leave After Two Week Quarantine

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Passengers stuck on a cruise ship in Japan where more than 500 people were infected with coronavirus have been allowed to start leaving the vessel.
The Diamond Princess was quarantined in the port of Yokohama for two weeks after a man who left the ship in Hong Kong was later diagnosed with the virus.
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More than 540 people have tested positive for Covid-19 on the cruise, which originally carried 3,700 passengers and crew, with those infected transferred to hospitals in Japan.
The country – which ranks second in the world after China in the number of confirmed coronavirus cases because of infections on the ship – has come under fire for its handling of the cruise quarantine.
Around 500 people were expected to leave the ship on Wednesday, a Japanese health ministry official said, with the operation completed by Friday.
A bus carrying the passengers from the quarantined Diamond Princess cruise ship leaves a port in Yokohama ASSOCIATED PRESS
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However, the quarantine is not over for all passengers – those who shared a room with passengers who tested positive for the infection will have to stay on the ship for another 2 weeks from the time the infected roommate left.
Meanwhile, crew members – who have been sharing rooms – will be moved to separate cabins and will undergo health checks, officials said.
One passenger, who had been tweeting about their experience on the ship, wrote: “Day:15: Everyone here, thanks for your support over the last two weeks. If you ever find yourself quarantined in a windowless room but with access to WIFI, note you can count on people around the world to help.”
Day 15: Everyone here, thanks 🙏 for your support over the last two weeks. If you ever find yourself quarantined in a windowless room, but with access to wifi, note you can count on people around the world to help. 🧡 #COVID2019 #DiamondPrincess #Quarantine — quarantinedondiamondprincess (@quarantinedond1) February 19, 2020
A passenger disembarks from the Diamond Princess cruise ship CHARLY TRIBALLEAU via Getty Images
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Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said on Tuesday there were 220 Australians on board and that a total of 169 would be evacuated. Those evacuated will be flown to Darwin, where they will be quarantined for 14 days.
It comes after the US evacuated more than 300 nationals on Monday. Meanwhile, a captain’s announcement on the cruise said that Hong Kong passengers would be evacuated over the next day and a Canadian charter flight would arrive on Friday.
Britain – along with Italy, Israel and Taiwan – is also reportedly preparing to evacuate citizens.
Among those on board the ship are Brits David and Sally Abel. However, in a Facebook post he said it was unlikely they would be on a planned evacuation flight to the UK after they both tested positive for coronavirus.
The Diamond Princess cruise ship in Yokohama ASSOCIATED PRESS
“We are going to a hostel because there isn’t a hospital bed anywhere around,” he said. “So, we’re going to a hostel and in four or five days we’ll be removed from the hostel and put into a hospital, where we will receive treatment.
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“So I can’t see that there’s going to be any way we’re on that flight to the UK.”
In mainland China, where Covid-19 is understood to have originated, almost 75,000 cases have been reported, while more than 2,000 people have died.
However, a new study has suggested that the epidemic may be slowing in China, with the number of new infections falling since early February.
The Chinese Centre for Disease Control and Prevention examined 44,672 cases of the disease which were confirmed in the mainland as of February 11 and found that more than 80% of cases were mild.
Meanwhile, severe symptoms such as pneumonia occurred in 14% of cases and critical illness in 5%. The fatality rate was 2.3%-2.8% for males compared with 1.7% for females.
The death rate is lower than for Sars and Mers, diseases caused by coronaviruses related to the one that causes Covid-19. But the new virus could ultimately prove more deadly if it spreads to far more people than the others did.
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thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-02-19--Trump Grants Clemency To 11, Including Michael Milken And Rod Blagojevich

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President Donald Trump on Tuesday announced a wave of sentence commutations and pardons, including for disgraced financier Michael Milken, who was convicted in 1990 of securities fraud.
As part of his clemency blitz, Trump also commuted the sentence of former Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich, who was convicted of federal corruption charges, including for an attempt to sell the US Senate seat previously held by then-President Barack Obama.
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Former New York Police Commissioner Bernard Kerik was one of the seven people granted presidential pardons on Tuesday. He pleaded guilty in 2009 to felony tax fraud and lying to the government.
Former San Francisco 49ers owner Edward DeBartolo Jr, who was convicted in a gambling fraud scandal in 1998, was also pardoned. Trump also granted clemency to Ariel Friedler, Paul Pogue, David Safavian, Angela Stanton, Tynice Nichole Hall, Crystal Munoz and Judith Negron.
“We have commuted the sentence of Rod Blagojevich,” Trump told reporters on the tarmac at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland. “I don’t know him very well. I’ve met him a couple times. He was on for a short while on ‘The Apprentice’ years ago. He seemed like a very nice person. Don’t know him, but he served eight years in jail. It was a long time to go.”
Trump on commuting sentence for Blagojevich: "It was a prosecution by the same people -- Comey, Fitzpatrick -- the same group." pic.twitter.com/gXigT20Fdc — Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) February 18, 2020
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Blagojevich served as the state’s Democratic governor from 2003 to 2009 before he was given a 14-year prison sentence in 2012. Blagojevich was convicted a year earlier on 18 felony corruption charges related to his illegal use of campaign finances and attempts to exchange bribes for political favours.
The most brazen of his crimes, however, was his attempt to sell the US Senate seat held by Obama when he was elected president. In a 2008 phone conversation wiretapped by the FBI, Blagojevich joked about selling the seat to Chicago Reverend Jeremiah Wright.
“How funny would it be sending Rev. Wright there?” Blagojevich said in the call. “I bet you he’d take it. Wouldn’t that be fucking funny?”
“Right there on the Senate floor, it wouldn’t be God Bless America it would be God Damn America!” Blagojevich added, laughing.
As the scale of his corruption became apparent, the Illinois House of Representatives voted in January 2009 to impeach Blagojevich. The bipartisan measure passed 117-1. Later that month, the Illinois Senate voted unanimously, 59-0, to remove the governor and bar him from ever holding political office in the state again.
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In 2016, the US Supreme Court denied for a second time a request from the disgraced ex-governor to appeal the corruption charge convictions.
Last August, the president told reporters he thought Blagojevich was treated “unbelievably unfairly.”
Blagojevich filed clemency paperwork in 2018 officially asking Trump to commute his sentence. Trump had said one month prior he was “seriously thinking about” commuting the sentence.
“Eighteen years is, I think, really unfair,” Trump said of Blagojevich’s sentence (Blagojevich was sentenced to 14 years, not 18). Trump added that Blagojevich was convicted “for being stupid and saying things that every politician, you know that many other politicians say.”
“I am seriously thinking about ― not pardoning ― but I am seriously thinking of a curtailment of Blagojevich,” Trump added.
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Trump and Blagojevich previously worked together on “The Celebrity Apprentice” in 2010, which the future president was hosting at the time.
Milken was known as the “junk bond king” in the 1980s. He was indicted in 1989 on 98 counts of racketeering and fraud. He pleaded guilty to fraudulent activities involving securities trading. By taking the plea bargain, Milken likely avoided a harsher prison sentence had he been convicted on the racketeering and insider trading charges.
He was fined $600 million and sentenced to 10 years in prison, of which he ended up serving 22 months.
Trump on Tuesday praised Milken for doing “an incredible job for the world” through his funding of cancer research. Milken was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 1993 and, upon his release from prison that same year, founded the Prostate Cancer Foundation. His cancer is currently in remission.
“He suffered greatly,” the president said of Milken. “He paid a big price ― paid a very tough price.”
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Trump also announces that he pardoned Bernard Kerik and Michael Milken. Kerik pleaded guilty to tax fraud and other federal charges. Milken was indicted for racketeering and securities fraud in the late 1980s. pic.twitter.com/gxhSNNKCRq — Oliver Willis (@owillis) February 18, 2020
Trump has shown an affinity for his pardon powers in the past, commuting the sentence of Alice Johnson, who was serving a lifetime sentence for a nonviolent drug offense, after reality star Kim Kardashian West requested he do so in 2018.
In November, Trump cleared Navy SEAL Special Operations Chief Edward Gallagher — who was accused of committing several war crimes, including posing with the body of a dead teenage Islamic State captive he had just killed with a hunting knife — of all wrongdoing and gave him a promotion. Navy SEALs who testified against Gallagher called him “evil,” with one soldier saying Gallagher was “perfectly OK with killing anybody.”
More recently, Trump alluded to pardoning his longtime political ally Roger Stone, who was convicted in November of lying to Congress and witness intimidation over his connection with Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election.
In the midst of Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation, which examined potential obstruction of justice committed by the president, Trump even claimed that he could pardon himself.
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“As has been stated by numerous legal scholars, I have the absolute right to PARDON myself, but why would I do that when I have done nothing wrong?” he tweeted in 2018.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-02-19--Caroline Flack’s Family Share Powerful Unpublished Instagram Post By Love Island Star Ahead Of Inque

Caroline Flack’s Family Share Powerful Unpublished Instagram Post By Love Island Star Ahead Of Inquest Into Her Death

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Caroline Flack’s family have released an unpublished Instagram post written by the TV star ahead of an inquest into her death today.
In the emotional post, which was written in January, the Love Island presenter said her arrest for assaulting her boyfriend meant her world had “collapsed”.
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She insisted she was not a domestic abuser and that her alleged assault on boyfriend Lewis Burton was an accident.
Caroline said she had written it “as the truth has been taken out of my hands and used as entertainment.”
Caroline Flack Joel C Ryan/AP
The 40-year-old, who took her own life on Saturday, had planned to share the message on social media, but was advised not to.
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However, her family have now decided to release it through the Norwich-based Eastern Daily Press newspaper.
Her mother Chris said: “Carrie sent me this message at the end of January but was told not to post it by advisers but she so wanted to have her little voice heard.
“So many untruths were out there but this is how she felt and my family and I would like people to read her own words.
“Carrie was surrounded by love and friends but this was just too much for her.
“Her friends Molly, Lou, Sam, Liam and Simon need a very special mention and lots of thanks for trying so hard to keep her safe.”
She added: “Jody, her twin sister, was there her whole life for her but this time nothing could take away the hurt of such injustice
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“As Carrie would say: ‘In a nasty world, just be kind.’”
Her mum added: “It was describing how she was feeling and what she had gone through - no more than that. It was not blaming anyone or pointing any fingers.
“We want people to read it and want it to be shared through the EDP who we really trust and always have done.”
Caroline Flack leaves Highbury Corner Magistrates' Court where she plead not guilty to assaulting boyfriend Lewis Burton. PA
An inquest into the TV star’s death is due to be opened at Poplar Coroner’s Court today.
This is the full message that Caroline Flack wrote and was advised not to post on social media.
“For a lot of people, being arrested for common assault is an extreme way to have some sort of spiritual awakening but for me it’s become the normal.
“I’ve been pressing the snooze button on many stresses in my life - for my whole life. I’ve accepted shame and toxic opinions on my life for over 10 years and yet told myself it’s all part of my job. No complaining.
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“The problem with brushing things under the carpet is .... they are still there and one day someone is going to lift that carpet up and all you are going to feel is shame and embarrassment.
“On December the 12th 2019 I was arrested for common assault on my boyfriend ...Within 24 hours my whole world and future was swept from under my feet and all the walls that I had taken so long to build around me, collapsed. I am suddenly on a different kind of stage and everyone is watching it happen.
“I have always taken responsibility for what happened that night. Even on the night. But the truth is... It was an accident.”
Caroline Flack ASSOCIATED PRESS
It continues: “I’ve been having some sort of emotional breakdown for a very long time.
“But I am NOT a domestic abuser. We had an argument and an accident happened. An accident. The blood that someone SOLD to a newspaper was MY blood and that was something very sad and very personal.
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“The reason I am talking today is because my family can’t take anymore. I’ve lost my job. My home. My ability to speak. And the truth has been taken out of my hands and used as entertainment.
“I can’t spend every day hidden away being told not to say or speak to anyone.
“I’m so sorry to my family for what I have brought upon them and for what my friends have had to go through.
“I’m not thinking about ‘how I’m going to get my career back.’ I’m thinking about how I’m going to get mine and my family’s life back.”


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-02-19--'I've Not Hurt Anyone': The Stories Behind TV Licence Prosecutions

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“I am not a criminal. I’ve been forgetful and stupid, but I’ve not hurt anyone or done anything purposefully wrong.”
Each year, more than 100,000 people – three-quarters of them women – get hauled before magistrates for not paying their TV licence fee. Earlier this month, Sara Smith was one of them.
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“I felt nervous and embarrassed,” the 26-year-old told HuffPost UK. “I had never been to court before and suddenly I was around criminals.”
A public consultation is under way to help the government decide whether not paying the TV licence fee should remain a criminal offence.
As things stand, people like Sara who haven’t paid up are summoned to court once a month.
Alongside her at Blackburn Magistrates’ Court when HuffPost UK visited were people facing financial difficulties and health issues, some who didn’t speak English as a first language, and others just down on their luck.
In the end, Sara was fined £40 and ordered to pay prosecution costs of £60 and a £30 victim surcharge – a total of £130, which she’ll pay in instalments of £10 a week.
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A mother of three who briefly fell behind on the licence fee while caring for her father, Sara didn’t know she’d done anything wrong until bailiffs turned up at her front door. She later developed pneumonia and ended up missing her first court appearance.
“I genuinely just assumed we had a TV licence,” she told magistrates. “I do have a TV licence now. I just fell behind on two payments while I was looking after my dad and had switched the TV licence to my partner’s name at the same address.”
Magistrates court The Magistrates Association
The next day, as her young children watched cartoons, Sara told HuffPost UK how her father had been dying of cancer at the time she missed the payments, and she was spending her days by his side while her partner worked night shifts and took care of their children during the day.
“We were literally crossing paths and I was coming home late at night and not checking the mail,” she said.
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Her partner, a forklift driver, had to take the day off without pay so she could go to court, so the family lost more financially than the £130 bill Sara was handed by the bench.
“My dad was in a really bad way but had outlived the prognosis given to him by specialists,” said Sara.
“I would be at the hospice all day, but then when I’d get home, they would ring and say ‘this is it’. I’d rush back, but then he’d pull through again.”
“I am not a criminal. I’ve been forgetful and stupid but I’ve not hurt anyone or done anything purposefully wrong.”” - Sara Smith, mum-of-three
As her young children watched television in the living room, Sara told HuffPost UK her four-year-old daughter had recently been diagnosed with autism. “She is fascinated with the TV,” she said. “Part of her autism is that she likes watching the same things over and over again.”
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The bailiffs, arriving at 7am one day in November, had threatened to get locksmiths to let them into her house, and said she now owed £800 for the privilege. What they didn’t bother telling her was who she actually owed the debt to, something she had to ring them up to find out.
“I was then supposed to go to court in December.” she said. “But two days before, I started having chest pains and had to go to hospital. They found blood clots on my lung and a shadow which was pneumonia. Then the next court date I was given for January was the same day as a CT scan appointment.”
In 2018, 72% of all prosecutions for licence fee non-payment were against women. It accounts for 30 per cent of all prosecutions against women, more than any other offence.
Campaigners say women are more likely to be living in poverty or affected by austerity and also the ones most likely to be present when TV licensing officers visit the property.
From April 2020, the annual cost of the TV licence fee will be £157.50. And from June, only over-75s claiming pension credit will be eligible for a free TV licence.
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For those who don’t have a bank account or don’t want to set up a direct debit, they can use a TV Licensing payment card. This allows them to spread the cost with weekly payments costing £5.60 a week. Using this method, people pay for their first licence in 26 payments, one each week. Once they’ve paid all 26 payments, they will pay fortnightly instead.
evgenyatamanenko via Getty Images
Former culture secretary Nicky Morgan launched a public consultation to look at whether non-payment of the TV licence should remain a criminal offence.
Currently, anyone who watches or records live TV or uses iPlayer without a TV licence is guilty of an offence.
While you cannot be jailed directly for not paying the licence fee, if they later fail to pay a fine they could end up behind bars.
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In 2018, more than 121,000 people were convicted and sentenced for evasion, and issued with an average fine of £176.
Launching the consultation, Morgan said many people felt it was wrong that “you can be imprisoned for not paying the TV licence” and that its enforcement punished the vulnerable.
She said: “We are launching a public consultation to make sure we have a fair and proportionate approach to licence fee penalties and payments that protects those most in need in society.”
“I still needed the TV for the kids. When you can’t afford to go out and do things, they need something to do."” - Mandy Griffiths, mum-of-two
Mandy Griffiths Aasma Day
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Missing three TV licence payments left Mandy Griffiths facing a four-figure bill.
“It cost me £6 every week or so for the TV licence,” she told HuffPost UK. “But sometimes, I just didn’t have the £6 to pay as I needed it for food, gas or electric.”
Mandy, a single mother of two, says access to TV is important for people facing financial hardship, particularly if they have children. “I still needed the TV for the kids.” she said. “When you can’t afford to go out and do things, they need something to do.
“I went from missing around three TV licence payments to being fined around £100 and court fees on top. It ended up going up to around £1,000 and it had to come out of my benefits money. At one point, I was paying £150 of my benefits a month to different people I owed. So now I try not to get behind on my TV licence.”
Financial struggles were a recurrent theme in the TV licences cases witnessed by HuffPost UK at Blackburn Magistrates’ Court.
One 32-year-old man had been listed for a hearing but told magistrates he had accidentally ticked the “not guilty” box and wanted to change his plea to guilty. He admitted using a colour television at his address without a licence when TV Licensing officers visited. He cited financial difficulties and handed over paperwork as proof.
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After giving him full credit for his guilty plea, magistrates fined him a total of £184 and told him the minimum repayment he could make was £5 a week.
A 45-year-old man who stood in the court coughing told magistrates he had some health issues and pleaded guilty to using a colour television without a licence. He was fined a total of £137 and, after telling magistrates he wouldn’t be paid until the end of the month, was given 28 days to make his first payment of £5.
A 41-year-old woman wearing a purple headscarf attended court with an interpreter who translated everything into Urdu. It transpired she had originally been fined £220 in her absence two years ago, with a victim surcharge of £30 and costs of £205.
Through her interpreter, she told the court a mistake had been made and wanted to know if the fine could be reduced. At the time the TV licensing officer called, she thought her husband was already paying for a licence. When she found out this wasn’t the case, she couldn’t make a payment as the couple were experiencing financial difficulties.
One woman was fined a total of £455 in her absence while another, described as unemployed, was fined £295.
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Another woman, who the court heard was suffering from anxiety and on a low income, was fined a total of £290 in her absence.
Still another had telephoned to say she wasn’t going to attend as she had suffered a head injury and gone to hospital.
Meanwhile, the mother of a man who was due to be tried for not paying the licence fee had written to the court to say her son hadn’t lived at the address in question for two months. She said suffered from mental health problems and autism and had gone missing before being sectioned. The mother explained she had called TV Licensing but three fines had still come out of the man’s benefits.
“When people have got very little money, they spend it on essentials such as food and heating."” - Roni Marsh, debt team leader for South West London law centres
Roni Marsh is the debt team leader for South West London law centres, which defend the rights of people who cannot afford a lawyer.
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She told HuffPost UK that many of the people prosecuted by TV Licensing are “vulnerable, have health issues, have English as a second language or are people with low literacy”.
“One of the saddest things is that the people we come across do not realise the consequences or realise what has happened until money starts coming out of their benefits,” she said.
“When they are in financial hardship, many people avoid opening their post. Some of them don’t understand the implications. I had one woman recently who told me she’d signed some paperwork to make TV Licensing officers go away – but she had no idea what she’d signed.”
Marsh says not having a TV cuts people off from a major part of life. “When people have got very little money,” she explained, “they spend it on essentials such as food and heating.
“I’ve seen people who are not paying their TV licences and taking the risk as they can’t afford it. But they still want access to a TV, especially when they have kids as it keeps them occupied. If someone said they didn’t have a TV, that would be viewed as unusual.”
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Marsh said having deductions made from benefits was pushing vulnerable people into food banks.
She added: “Being summoned to a magistrates’ court is frightening for anyone, but it must be terrifying for people with anxiety and mental health issues, and those already facing financial hardship.”
John Bache, national chair of the Magistrates Association, told HuffPost UK his organisation welcomed the public consultation.
He said: “It is concerning that, in 2018, 72 per cent of non-payment cases involved a female defendant.
“We would call for more research to better understand and address this disproportionality.
“It is important to note that an individual will not be sent to prison for licence evasion itself, but only for wilful non-payment of the ensuing fine, and prison is treated by sentencers as a last resort.”
Classen Rafael / EyeEm via Getty Images
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A TV Licensing spokesperson told HuffPost UK they were committed to operating fairly and prosecution was always an “absolute last resort”.
He said: “When someone doesn’t pay for their TV licence, they are given multiple opportunities to then do so. This includes them being sent multiple letters and the majority of first-time suspected offenders are not prosecuted if they buy a licence before their court hearing.”
He added a detailed government-commissioned review had already found the current system was “the fairest and most effective”. However, he said: “We do appreciate that some people struggle to pay for their TV licence and so we do everything we can to help.
“We offer a range of different payment options and we work with money advice and community organisations across the UK so they can advise those on low incomes.”
The consultation, launched on February 5, will last eight weeks with the government publishing its response this summer. It will also look at the viability of an alternative enforcement scheme.
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Decriminalisation would mean TV licence evasion would become a civil offence similar to non-payment of council tax or an electricity bill, rather than a criminal offence.
But for people like Sara, it comes too late.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-02-19--Why Is Recycling So Complicated?! 8 Common Questions Answered

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Recycling is complex. There, we said it. Yes, it should be the simplest thing in the world – popping your cardboard, paper and plastic bottle into that box – and Bob’s your uncle. But actually, there’s a lot more to consider when it comes to recycling your waste. Is it clean enough? Is it actually recyclable? And which item goes in which bin?!
To add an extra layer of confusion to your rubbish pile, the recycling process varies from local authority to local authority – so you’ll probably have to learn the process all over again if and when you move house. It’s confusing but worth getting to grips with, as you could save so much stuff from going to landfill. We’ve broken the basics down, to help get you started.
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1. How can you find out what your council recycles?
The first thing you should be doing when you move to a new area is checking out the recycling situation because, believe us when we say this, it can vary massively from place to place. Visit your local council’s website and head to the recycling and waste section, and you should be able to find a list of what can and can’t be recycled in your area. Or email your local council which should be able to provide you with a list or further details. Most councils recycle paper, card, clean foil, glass and some types of plastic.
2. So what type of plastic can be recycled?
This varies from council to council, too, but the most commonly recycled item is probably the humble plastic bottle – you know, the one you get your milk, water or fruit juice in. Wash the bottle out, squish it down and stick the lid back on before you drop it in the recycling. And this goes for many bathroom and cleaning products, too (though check the label if in doubt).
Some councils also recycle clear plastic tubs, pots and trays, but it really depends on where you live. According to Recycle Now, 79% of councils collect rigid plastic packaging such as these items in household recycling collections.
3. What type of plastic can’t be recycled, then?
You know the black plastic trays that supermarket ready meals tend to come in? They can’t be recycled. Nor can you recycle crisp packets, bubble wrap, polystyrene foam, cling film, food and drink pouches, bakery wrappers or salad bags. Toys are also a no-no though there are separate recycling schemes for those.
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4. What about plastic bags?
Most councils don’t recycle plastic bags either (some do, but only a very few!) That said, you can take your bags into supermarkets like Sainsbury’s, Tesco, Asda, Morrisons, Co-op and Waitrose, which have recycling collection points in their larger stores. Online food delivery service Ocado also offers to take your old bags away and will pay you 5p per bag – even if the bags aren’t originally from Ocado, which is a pretty good deal.
5. Why do you have to clean your recycling?
When you recycle plastic bottles or glass jars, you should be ensuring they’ve been washed and properly dried out, as any residue left on them can make it very difficult to recycle the item in question. And you don’t want the rest of your recycling to end up soggy as a result of you not letting a bottle dry out properly.
“Contamination is created when the wrong materials are put into the system (e.g. nappies in the recycling bin) or when the right materials are prepared in the wrong way (e.g. food left in containers),” a spokesperson for North London Waste Authority explains. “If contamination levels are too high when a recycling load arrives at the facility, it might have to be rejected. If this is the case, the whole load is sent to be burnt for energy or to landfill.”
Don’t be that person. For those worried about wasting water in the process, NLWA recommends rinsing your recycling after you’ve done your washing up (using the same water) or adding them in with your existing dishwasher load.
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6. What should absolutely not be making its way into the recycling bin?
Under no circumstances should nappies, sanitary products and dog poo bags (filled or otherwise) end up in your recycling bin – sadly it does happen but please think of the poor person who has to sort it out by hand. Grim. You also shouldn’t be putting dirty containers in your recycling including greasy pizza boxes – and textiles are a no-no, too.
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7. What about recycling clothes and old bedding?
How you recycle your old clothes very much depends on how intact they are – if they’re in perfectly good condition, consider sending them to your local charity shop which can sell them on and make money for charity. Winning. For clothes and old bedding which are stained or damaged, take them to your local clothes bank (usually found in supermarket or local car parks) or at your Household Waste Recycling Centre. If you don’t own a car, some charities like Traid will even come and take your old clothes away. Plenty of high street retailers such as H&M, & Other Stories and Marks & Spencer also host ‘shwop’ boxes to put your donations in.
8. Can you recycle gadgets?
Yes, you can. But most local authorities won’t collect from your home. Instead you’re best of dropping them off at selected retailers (Apple, Currys, Panasonic, BT all run ) or at the big Household Waste Recycling Centres.
Recycle Now says it’s easy to know if an electrical item, toy or game is recyclable if it has reached the end of its working life. Basically, if you answer ‘yes’ to any of the following questions, it’s recyclable:
Does it have a plug?
Does it use batteries?
Does it need charging?
Does it have a picture of a crossed out wheelie bin on it?
If your item still works perfectly fine but you don’t want it anymore, it’s worth noting that some charities do take electrical goods – but check with them first before turning up with a haul of goodies.
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thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-02-19--28 Reasons EastEnders' Sharon Mitchell Is The True Queen Of Albert Square

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In EastEnders’ 35 years, many soap icons have been born – but none quite as fabulous as Sharon Mitchell (née Watts).
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A Walford original, Letitia Dean’s character started out in Walford as “Den and Angie’s little gewl”, before transforming into a sex bomb who proved to be like catnip to the obsessed Mitchell brothers.
BBC/HuffPost
Later years have seen Sharon take on a classic soap matriarch role, but with a saucy twist, as she dangerously embarked upon a clandestine affair with young grease monkey Keanu Taylor behind husband Phil’s back.
After Sharon was revealed as the new owner of the Queen Vic in the final episode before the soap fell off the air due to the coronavirus pandemic, we’re remembering all the times she earned her title as the Queen of Albert Square.
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1. When her son was in the kitchen, eating a biscuit
2. When she came close to drowning after telling Sonia to go back to Kettering
3. She consistently serves face better than anyone who has appeared on RuPaul’s Drag Race
4. Seriously
“It became apparent that Sharon Watts had well and truly entered the building once more” love this. pic.twitter.com/PubL7ggzri — Dame Mariah. (@DameMariah) January 22, 2020
5. She can make any household item look provocative
BBC
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6. She always had a glib response for Peggy
7. When she really, really wanted Hunter to stay for pudding
“I would really like it if Hunter could stay for pudding!” pic.twitter.com/Up1XwTFKDI — Shirley Carter’s Pussy (@ShirleyPussy) September 19, 2018
8. Her trailblazing fashion
BBC
9. Case in point, this handbag
BBC
10. She even wears an entire jug of cream with sophistication
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11. And her hoodie of grief has become as iconic as the woman herself
BBC
12. When she refused to leave until she got what she came for
Me in the co op when I get asked for id but I left it in the car pic.twitter.com/ru2egxFGHO — sharon mitchells homeless weave (@sharon_weave) December 27, 2019
13. When she had beef with a cheese and pickle sandwich
14. When she had a shock pregnancy at the age of 49
BBC
15. She is the master of receiving a classic soap slap
@hannahaitken3 I’ll raise you a “DENNIS” to your “My son is in the kitchen eating a biscuit” pic.twitter.com/DMoWedG23r — michael phillips. (@_MPhillips96) September 28, 2019
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16. She refuses to be intimidated...
17. ...Because she’s just as ’ard as her old man
18. Woe betide anyone who crosses her
19. When she could have gone on all day, darlin’
20. When she had a dog that was literally her double
BBC
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21. When she had sex with a 19-year-old on Phil’s kitchen table
BBC
22. When she whipped out a pair of fluffy handcuffs
BBC
23. When she bettered the Leonardo Di Caprio “cheers” gif
24. Genuinely, she creates more gif-able content than any other soap star
25. When she took on an armed robber in the Albert
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26. When she made the mother of all comebacks and rightfully claimed her place behind that bar
27. When she tried to give parental advice to Linda like she was in any qualified position to do so
28. One word: Sharongate


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-02-19--Vitamin Deficiencies Can Mess With Your Mental Health

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You’d be hard-pressed not to stumble on a social media #ad for vitamin packs. Trendy supplement brands promise their products will help alleviate a series of vitamin deficiencies, which companies warn can cause health issues ― including problems with your mental health.
We know we need proper nutrients in order to function properly. But just how much of an impact do they really have on our minds?
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“Optimal mental health requires adequate availability and absorption of vitamins, minerals and amino and fatty acids as essential building blocks for our brain cells and neurotransmitters,” said Dr. Jennifer Kraker, a New York-based psychiatrist who specialises in nutrition and mental health. “When our nutritional biochemistry is imbalanced, our mental health is affected.”
For most people, a healthy diet will take care of that. For others, a doctor may need to prescribe a vitamin supplement if the body doesn’t metabolise nutrients properly. (And they don’t have to come in an aesthetically pleasing glass bottle or Instagram-worthy capsule.)
“Because we’re all unique, one person may tolerate lower levels of a certain nutrient (such as vitamin D) very well, and another might not,” Kraker said. “Rinse and repeat for most all micronutrients.”
Vaselena via Getty Images
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Nutritional deficiencies can tinker with your mental health on a sliding scale ― everything from mild to disruptive symptoms, depending on the person. Research has found certain deficiencies can contribute to anxiety and depression, as well as exacerbate symptoms in people with specific mental health disorders, such as obsessive compulsive disorder and bipolar disorder. A deficiency can also just slightly impact your emotional well-being.
“More commonly, nutrition-related issues are experienced as symptoms like reduced ability to manage stress, increased anxiety or edginess, lower mood, and poorer concentration or focus,” said Nicole Beurkens, licensed psychologist and board-certified nutrition specialist at Horizons Developmental Resource Center.
Of course, mental health is complex and nutrients may be a minimal part of the puzzle (or sometimes they don’t influence it at all). That said, there are some cases where they play a role. There’s plenty that scientists are still working to discover and debunk about the food-mood connection and the impact that specific deficiencies can have on our mind, but here are some of the key nutritional players they’ve managed to suss out so far.
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Vitamin D
This fat-soluble vitamin influences the expression of over 1,000 genes that regulate mood, sleep, as well as the protection and synthesis of neurons (the cells in our brain and nervous system that run the show).
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There are vitamin D receptors throughout the body and brain, some of which are located in regions that influence mood, alertness, motivation, memory and pleasure.
“Vitamin D also regulates genes that make the feel-good brain chemicals serotonin and oxytocin,” Kraker said.
Symptoms of a vitamin D deficiency can include depression, anxiety, irritability and fatigue.
Vitamin B12
Besides helping with the formation of those ever-important neurons mentioned above, vitamin B12 plays a role in regulating mood-boosting brain chemicals like serotonin and dopamine, as well as stress hormones like norepinephrine.
“It also functions on a molecular level to aid in the detoxification of homocysteine, a neurotoxin for the brain that’s associated with depression,” Kraker said.
Symptoms of a vitamin B12 deficiency can include fatigue, brain fog, numbness and tingling, shortness of breath and more.
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Vitamin B6
“Vitamin B6 concentrations are roughly 100 times higher in the brain than the body as a whole, implying importance in mental health function,” Kraker said. It’s a co-factor in making the brain’s feel-good chemicals, including serotonin, dopamine, and GABA.
And, like B12, vitamin B6 helps the body keep homocysteine levels in check, which helps with mood issues, Kraker said. People with kidney disease or malabsorption problems are the ones who are most likely to be deficient in B6.
Magnesium
In mental health, magnesium helps to regulate the stress response and is considered to be one of nature’s mood stabilisers, Kraker said.
It’s pretty uncommon to be deficient in magnesium, but it does happen. Symptoms that might indicate you are low can include fatigue, nausea, loss of appetite and mood changes.
Zinc
Zinc is a trace mineral with many important roles in brain function, Kraker said. It also helps vitamin B6 do the best job possible of making feel-good chemicals like serotonin and dopamine.
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Most people naturally get enough zinc through their diets. A deficiency can occur in women who are pregnant or breastfeeding, vegetarians and people with gastrointestinal disease. Symptoms can include loss of appetite or taste, loss of temper, depression and learning difficulties.
Iron
Besides regulating oxygen delivery throughout the body and brain, iron helps to create and balance mood-regulating chemicals like serotonin and dopamine.
“Those most at risk for an iron deficiency are fertile women, the elderly, and vegans who aren’t particularly mindful about how to eat to prevent an iron deficiency,” Kraker said.
Symptoms of an iron deficiency can include fatigue, difficulty concentrating and dizziness.
Omega-3 Fatty Acids
Omega-3s contain components called DHA and EPA, both of which play an important role in brain function: “They ward off inflammation, maintain brain cell health, and improve communication between brain cells,” Kraker said. They can also help with mood.
Symptoms of an omega-3 deficiency can include mood issues, often accompanied by dry skin, fatigue, allergies and chronic thirst.
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How To Figure Out If You Have A Deficiency — And What To Do About It
Before we go any further, one important note we want to reiterate: This all isn’t to say overhauling your diet or taking vitamin supplements on your own will completely cure any mood-related symptoms. Other interventions like talk therapy and medication are the best-known ways to improve mental health issues.
You should look at nutrition as “an important adjunctive treatment to maintain health and prevent relapse, or use lower doses of pharmaceutical interventions,” Kraker said.
There are several physical signs that can clue you into whether there’s a potential deficiency brewing, Beurkens said. These can include frequent headaches, GI symptoms (think: constipation, diarrhoea, gas and bloating), weak nails, dry skin or eczema, hair loss and many others.
“High stress levels also often accompany ... symptoms and can negatively impact nutrient levels,” Beurkens added.
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Similarly, adjusting to a new set of life stressors can impact how you take care of yourself and deplete nutrient stores in the process ― say, a recent move has you eating differently, a new job has upended your go-to lunch habits, or a newly diagnosed autoimmune condition has you adjusting to a whole new way of functioning.
Getting a comprehensive workup of your nutritional status can be helpful in getting to the root cause of what’s going on.
“Physical and mental health are interconnected, so nutrition should always be a part of the discussion when mental health symptoms are raised as a concern,” Beurkens said. “Unfortunately, this rarely happens.”
Start by opening up to your physician or psychiatrist about your suspicions: Share with them the symptoms you’re experiencing, a highlight reel of what your eating habits are like, and anything else you feel might be relevant, such as relatives who have the same deficiency.
Ask your doctor to either order relevant blood work that’s consistent with your symptoms or refer you to someone who specialises in both mental health and nutrition. (The Institute for Functional Medicine, Integrative Medicine for Mental Health, and the Walsh Research Institute all list doctors trained in this manner.)
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“You know your body and your life best, so if something feels off, it probably is,” Kraker said.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-02-19--The Definitive Ranking Of The 35 Greatest EastEnders Characters Of All Time

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As we celebrate 35 years of EastEnders, which residents of Albert Square from past and present have made the Top 10 of the greatest characters of all time?
And who has been crowned the king - or queen - of Walford?
Time to find out...
10. Dot Branning
June Brown 1985-93; 1997-
BBC
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“Oh, I say!” One of British TV’s most recognisable characters, chain smoking laundrette queen Dot started out as a prejudiced hypochondriac who would quote Bible passages as you collected your service wash. Not one to pry, she was also a shameless gossip. But seeing her cope with her scumbag son Nick endeared her to audiences – every time we heard the words “Ello, Ma,” we knew that Dot was due more heartache. Helping to end the suffering of her best mate Ethel left poor Dot tormented, but her late in life marriage to Jim Branning gave her some happiness. A true national treasure.
9. Michelle Fowler
Susan Tully 1985-95
BBC
In the show’s first year, a teenaged Michelle announced her pregnancy to her disappointed parents Arthur and Pauline. ’Chelle’s refusal to name the babydaddy caused a huge stir, and viewers learned it was Den Watts long before Pauline or Sharon (Michelle’s best friend and Den’s daughter) ever did. Michelle was an un-showy character who was also quietly determined to achieve a better life for herself and daughter Vicki. Her weakness for Queen Vic landlords would later lead to another paternity secret when she became pregnant following a one night stand with Grant Mitchell. Wisely fleeing to America, she stayed away for years before coming back with a new head…
8. Angie Watts
Anita Dobson 1985-88
BBC
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The original Walford drama queen, Angie did it all during her three years on the show. Neurotic and self-destructive, she was a force of nature whose big hair was matched by the scale of her emotional outbursts. Ange put on one hell of a show behind the Queen Vic bar and her flirty banter made her popular with punters, especially the men. But the one man she desperately needed to pay her some attention just wasn’t that interested. Angie’s doomed marriage to Den powered ’Enders to huge heights in the early days, and her alcoholism was truly painful to watch.
7. Phil Mitchell
Steve McFadden 1990-2003; 2005-
BBC
He’s survived prison, shootings, addictions, beatings, car crashes and numerous attempts to topple him from his perch, but Phil always bounces back. Ruthless, violent and controlling, he demands total loyalty from his faaaaamily. Anything less and his face turns red and his voice gets even growlier. He’s had feuds with plenty of pretenders to his throne, but for now Phil remains king of the castle. Phil destroys every romantic relationship he ever has, and no woman will ever live up to his dear departed mum.
6. Kat Slater
Jessie Wallace 2000-05; 2010-16; 2018-
BBC
One of the most complex creations to ever hit the Square, Kat is a combustible combination of vulnerability, strength, warmth and attitude. Standing out as the loudest of the Slater sisters – no mean feat – she instantly made an impression. Her leopard print wearing, all night partying, sarcastic good time girl persona masked a very dark secret though. The 2001 reveal that baby sister Zoe was actually Kat’s daughter through sexual abuse by their uncle Harry is still one of the biggest EastEnders shocks of all time. An absolute powerhouse of a character.
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5. Pat Butcher
Pam St Clement 1986-12
BBC
Introduced as Pete Beale’s ex-wife, Pat was A Woman With A Past, an ex-prostitute who immediately caused trouble by claiming that Pete wasn’t actually Simon’s father. Her take no prisoners approach mellowed over the years, and Pat really came into her own when she married Frank and took over The Vic. Playing step mum to Frank’s kids gave her a chance to start again, but heartbreak was always just around the corner. Her commitment to blue eye shadow, leopard print, massive earrings and cigarettes was constant and her clashes with Peggy were legendary. Pat is greatly missed.
4. Janine Butcher
Charlie Brooks 1999-2004; 2008-2014
BBC
Her daddy didn’t love her enough, and everybody’s paid the price ever since. Starting off as a teenage troublemaker who caused grief for Frank and Peggy, Janine became a manipulative cow who would trample over anyone to get her own way. She had the morals of an alley cat and the cunning of a rattlesnake, clawing her way back whenever she ended up in the gutter. Obsessed with money, the Black Widow bumped off several husbands to get her hands on their cash. Janine’s long running feud with her step mum Pat was glorious, but her finest moment came when she pushed Barry off a cliff and later mournfully wailed: “If only he’d worn slip-on shoes!”
3. Peggy Mitchell
Barbara Windsor 1994-2010; 2013-16
BBC
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All together now: “GET OUTTA MY PUB!” Pint-sized scrapper Peggy was proper East End, an old school landlady who could handle herself in most situations. Fiercely protective of her family, she was often blinkered when it came to her sons. Although she was fiery, she also had a vulnerable side and would hold her head high while crying on the inside. Her breast cancer diagnosis showed that she wasn’t invincible, and her marriage to Frank brought more grief. Frank’s affair with Pat was revealed in glorious style to a packed Queen Vic by Peggy on Bonfire Night 2000, followed by a slap for each guilty party.
2. Den Watts
Leslie Grantham 1985-89; 2003-05
BBC
“This, my sweet, is a letter from my solicitor telling you that your husband has filed a petition for divorce.” Over 30 million jaws hit the floor on Christmas Day 1986 when ‘Dirty’ Den Watts turned the tables on his trouble and strife, Ange. The record-breaking episode cemented Den’s status as a soap legend, but he’d already been instrumental in the popularity of the BBC’s still young soap.
An Alpha male who oozed charm and menace, Den spoiled his ‘Princess’ Sharon and drove wife Angie to drink. The original Queen Vic guvnor had a weakness for playing away from home and his involvement with local gangsters saw him ‘killed off’ with a bunch of deadly daffodils.
But like a bad penny, Den was resurrected over a decade later for one last stint. He hadn’t mellowed and he snarled his way around the Square, making an enemy of Phil and ruining the lives of Sam, Chrissie and Zoe only to end up clobbered with a doorstop and buried under The Vic. Oh, the indignity of it all.
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1. Sharon Mitchell
Letitia Dean 1985-95; 2001-06; 2012-
BBC
If Sharon didn’t exist, Gay Twitter would probably grind to a halt. Her facial expressions and glorious pout have been GIF’d up to within an inch of their life, but there’s so much more to the queen of Walford than merely being a camp icon.
Sharon began as a spoilt pawn in her parents’ volatile marriage whose best friend was Roly the poodle. As an adult she’s made some terrible choices, but Sharon is also a born survivor who’s much stronger than people realise. She went on to get tangled up with both Phil and Grant for years, while also going toe to toe with Peggy and living to tell the tale.
She’s left the show a couple of times in suitably exciting fashion, but Sharon is also a big fan of a dramatic entrance. (Or at least that’s what it says on the Vic’s toilet walls). Her best comeback was in 2001, when she swept back in looking sleek and glossy, triumphantly declaring that she was the new owner of The Vic. As Sharon purred “Ello Peggy, bet you never thought you’d see me again?” her ex mother-in-law’s snarl said it all. Long may Queen Shazza reign over Walford!
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thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-02-19--How To Improve Your Credit Rating So It's Positively Glowing

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Your credit report is like your financial CV, so it stands to reason that you’d want it in tip-top shape. You wouldn’t let a potential employer look at your CV without making sure it’s up-to-date, says James Jones, Experian’s head of consumer affairs – so don’t apply for credit before giving your report a little spruce up.
It might seem like an effort, but if you’re thinking about applying for a mortgage, credit card, phone contract or any other product where you’re lent money, then it’s important to be aware of it.
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First, check your credit score.
Get clued up on what a credit score is. The good news is this is free to do from the three main credit reference agencies in the UK: Experian, Equifax and TransUnion. They are all authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA).
Your credit history for the past six years is predominantly what affects your score. If you’ve used several lines of credit, and made expected payments on time, you’re likely to be in the lender’s good books.
Contrary to what people believe, it doesn’t impact your credit score when you check it online. Simply checking your score is called a “soft” inquiry, which doesn’t affect your rating. A “hard” enquiry however, such as when you apply for a new credit card, does affect it. So applying for lots of products in one go would probably ring alarm bells and bring your score down.
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If you want a more detailed copy of your credit report (not just your score), you may have to pay – it’s best to shop around. Ideally you should be applying for a copy of the report as early as six months before you start making new applications for credit, says an Equifax spokesperson.
Now, here are some steps you can take to ensure your credit rating is looking as healthy as can be by the time someone official looks at it.
1. Register on the electoral roll.
This takes about five minutes to do (you can do it here) and is seen as a sign of “stability and reliability”. On Experian, for example, doing this on its own would add 50 points to your score.
You can register if you’re aged 16 or over (or 14 or over in Scotland) and a UK citizen (or an Irish, EU or Commonwealth citizen with a permanent UK address).
2. Amend errors in your credit report.
Checking your credit report and asking for errors to be corrected could bump up your score. For example, if you’re penalised for a late payment to a credit card, but you paid on time, you can change this. In most cases the correction will appear on your credit report within 28 days.
You can also add what’s called a “notice of correction” to explain items on your report, such as missed payments, which may have occurred due to life changes like losing your job. “The notice of correction will only be recorded with the credit reference agency you provide it to and will stay on your credit file indefinitely. The lender will see it when considering an application,” says Equifax’s spokesperson.
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3. Build up your financial track record.
Sometimes, you have to focus on the long game. Lenders like to see a proven track record of responsible credit management – this could include having your own bank account, paying your phone bill every month, and having your name on some of the household bills. Make sure that, even if your bills are shared with housemates, your monthly payments are always made on time.
4. Get a credit card and pay on time.
It’s not the key to getting a good credit score, but it can help. A five-year-old credit card with a high credit limit, low balance and perfect payment record can boost a person’s Experian score by around 200 points, for example. This could make lenders more likely to let you open products with them.
Always keep credit card balances as low as possible and pay them off in full, on time. You could use your credit card to pay for petrol purchases, for example, then pay it off at the end of every month. You can set up a minimum payment to your card if you tend to spend the same amount each month, or simply set yourself a calendar reminder to pay the balance.
You should avoid exceeding your credit limit, particularly more than once, as this could indicate that you’re spending more than you can afford, advises an Equifax spokesperson.
It actually helps your case if you let your credit card mature (basically, have one for a long time). Having the same credit card for five years, for example, can add points to your score.
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5. Make your rent count.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-02-19--I’m A Heat Freak So This Rechargeable Hot Water Bottle Is A Must-Have

HuffPost may receive a share from purchases made via links on this page. Prices and availability subject to change.
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You’re reading Honestly It’s Life Changing, odes to the weird and wonderful possessions we can’t imagine life without.
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I remember the first time I was enlightened as to the joys of a hot water bottle: I was staying with my grandma at her house in Leeds, it was the middle of winter and, even with the heating on full blast, my attic bedroom just never seemed to warm up. So, to help me go to sleep, she took me to the bathroom and showed me how to fill up an old hot water bottle before tucking me back up into bed. I lay there clutching it as though it was my most prized possession – and I’ve been hooked ever since.
The problem is, I grew up into an impatient adult. An adult who hates going downstairs to wait for the kettle to boil and who, far from being knackered after a day of non-stop playing with her Barbies, finds herself tossing and turning until the warmth has all gone. We live in an age where we can get whatever we want almost instantly, yet water bottles were lagging shamefully behind… until now.
It’s the humble water bottle but reimagined, I can only assume, by someone who felt the fear of shivering in silk pyjamas beside the kettle in the middle of the night just as much as I did. By someone who refused to accept that, in order to feel warm in our own beds or on our own sofas, we must first scold our fingers trying to pour boiling water into the tiny hole at the top of a plastic heating device.
If you have a partner who insists on turning the heating off at night, windows that let in more breeze than they should, or you feel the cold in the office, then this, my dear friends, is for you. All you need do is reach down and plug the water bottle into the accompanying plug, give it five minutes to heat up and you’re ready to go.
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It’s the antidote to a hangover that feels as if it might kill you if you attempt to stand up; to crippling period pain that leaves you writhing in bed and to long car journeys with a menopausal mother who insists on blasting the AC in the depths of winter. Plus, it means that if you’re staying with in-laws or any place where you can’t access water without waking the house or tripping the downstairs alarm, you’re covered.
I’ve tried a few of these rechargeable life-savers out over the years, but this one stands head and shoulders above the rest for several reasons. Firstly, it stays warm for six whole hours – that’s Lord of the Rings twice! Secondly, it has a mini hand warming compartment, so you can heat your body and your extremities easily in one fell swoop, and thirdly, it’s small enough (25cm x 17cm x 5cm) to be slipped easily under your back to help sooth menstrual cramps.
I don’t mind admitting, if it wasn’t already obvious, that I am obsessed with it. I produce it, like a magic trick, when friends come around to watch a film and delight in showing them how it plugs in and miraculously heats up. In fact, I now have three at home because people so often ask for the magical, rechargeable water bottle before they ask for a glass of wine. I no longer check if the white is chilled but rather whether the water bottle is plugged in.
Do I miss sleepovers at my grandma’s house? Yes. Do I feel nostalgic about my childhood? Every single day. Do I ever miss the days of having to change my pyjamas because I’ve poured water down them while on tiptoes at the sink? No, no I do not. And neither does my grandma, who has purchased a rechargeable hot water bottle of her own.
In the same way that you might be a neat freak, I’m a heat freak and I don’t care who knows it.
Huffington Post UK Honestly it's life-changing
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thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-02-19--I’ve Had A Panic Disorder Since I Was Seven. Here's What I Want You To Know

HuffPost UK Courtesy of the author
I don’t seem ‘anxious’. I’m an adrenaline junky, I’ve traveled to over 80 countries by myself, and I’m very go-with-the-flow. But like many mental illnesses, anxiety can be invisible.
There were no near-death experiences in my childhood – no trauma or hardships that would naturally manifest as an anxiety disorder in a little kid. In fact, I look back on my childhood and I can’t think of anything I would change.
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I was a gymnastics and soccer-loving seven-year-old daredevil the first time it happened.
We were watching a movie together. My mom, dad, older brother and I were cozy in the den when suddenly I couldn’t breathe. It felt like someone was squeezing the inside of my chest and not letting the air in. I started hyperventilating, shaking, and I had pins and needles from my mouth to the tips of my fingers.
My mom wrapped me in a blanket and sat me on the countertop while she phoned the doctor. He thought I was having an allergic reaction to ibuprofen.
I was having my first panic attack.
When I was officially diagnosed with panic disorder at 10-years-old, my paediatrician compared it to a volcano. I rarely worry about anything, at least not consciously, which means that I worry subconsciously (and apparently that isn’t the ideal way of processing those feelings). The doctor explained that I push all my worry down, and down, and down until the pressure reaches a boiling point and it erupts into a panic attack. And that’s about the best explanation I’ve come across to this day.
“It’s uncomfortable to talk about my panic disorder. But every time somebody reaches out to me looking for help, that makes going public worth it”
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Nearly three out of every 50 adults in the US will experience a panic attack at some point during their lives, according to the National Institute of Mental Health. Around the world, that number could be as high as 13.2%.
It’s uncomfortable to talk about my panic disorder. But every time somebody reaches out to me looking for help, that makes going public worth it. The simple reassurance that someone else has been there can be a huge help to a person experiencing a panic attack for the first time.
Nowadays, I can go almost a year without having a panic attack. Or I can face multiple attacks per week.
The symptoms have stayed pretty consistent since I was seven. My heart (literally) skips a beat, I instantly gasp for breath, and I know what’s coming. I start wringing my hands together to try to maintain feeling in them for as long as possible. My mouth goes numb first, followed by the rest of my face, and then my hands and arms. Sometimes my abdominal muscles will tense up so badly that it feels like I’m ripping them to shreds when I try to move. Eventually, I’m hyperventilating, acutely aware of every sensation in my body and convinced that I’m dying. Or going permanently crazy. Or both.
When it gets really bad, I experience derealisation and depersonalisation. I’ll feel detached from both my body and my surroundings. It’s as if I’ve gone into a different dimension and I’m not viewing the same world that everyone around me is. Sounds aren’t quite right and movements are all wrong. It’s impossible to explain well, but it’s absolutely terrifying.
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After 23 years of panic attacks, I can keep my cool for longer than I used to be able to. It’s just a panic attack, I tell myself. It always goes away in the end. And I can hold onto that awareness for quite a while if I focus on keeping my breathing slow and shallow ― hopefully, long enough that I can get myself to a safe place.
“No matter how many times this has happened to me before, I lose all control over rational thought.”
But inevitably, no matter how many times this has happened to me before, I lose all control over rational thought. No amount of Just calm down or Chill out can change that.
On top of the sheer panic that my body is shutting down, I’m also worried about those around me. I’m worried that strangers are judging me as a crazy and potentially dangerous person. I’m worried that the acquaintance I’m having lunch with is questioning why I’ve been in the bathroom for so long. I’m worried the guy I just started dating is going to see me as a basket case, whether I explain my panic disorder to him or he experiences it firsthand.
I can be doing nothing — lying on the beach, watching Netflix, driving down the street — and in an instant, everything changes. People always want to know, What happened?! What started it? What were you thinking about? The answer is nothing.
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If someone around you has a panic attack, it’s not your fault and it’s not necessarily related to anything going on around you. For many people, panic attacks manifest completely out of the blue.
That being said, panic disorders vary from person to person. There are a few things I’ve come to realise for myself, however, that I hope can help you or a loved one cope better.
Taking deep breaths may actually worsen symptoms of a panic attack when you’re hyperventilating. Slowing your breathing is important, but try taking shallower breaths as well. Otherwise, you may exacerbate the symptoms of hyperventilation, which stem from expelling too much carbon dioxide. Research and try out different techniques like slow breathing and diaphragmatic breathing to find a technique that works for you.
“It’s hard to talk about at first, but the more you do it, the easier it gets. Today, I’m probably overly open about it”
Being upfront with others about my panic disorder helps, too. At the beginning, I didn’t realise how much the subconscious fear of having a panic attack around others affected me. But an invisible burden lifted off my shoulders when I slowly opened up to my best friends as a teenager.
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Hey, this happens to me. It can be really scary to be around so I wanted to warn you that while I may tell you I’m dying, I’m not. A paper bag helps. So do loving reminders that this has happened before and it will stop soon.
It’s hard to talk about at first, but the more you do it, the easier it gets. Today, I’m probably overly open about it. When I know I’ll be spending a lot of time with a new person, I find a way to mention my panic disorder. That way, if an attack happens, I’m less stressed and they’re less concerned (and confused). I figure if talking about my struggles with mental health ever drives another human being away, they’re not the kind of person I want in my circle anyway.
Over 43million adults in the United States experience some sort of mental illness every year, according to the NIMH. I’m far from alone. We’re all human and we want to relate to one another. We want to know there are other people who have felt grief, heartbreak, anxiety …
My panic disorder is not a secret, shameful part of me, and I don’t have to feel embarrassed, ashamed or terrified of people finding out about my mental illness. And that has done more for me than anything.
This article first appeared on HuffPost US Personal.
Have a compelling personal story you want to tell? Find out what we’re looking for here, and pitch us on ukpersonal@huffpost.com


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-02-20--Laura Whitmore Shares Video Of Paparazzi Who Refused To Stop Following Her

Love Island presenter Laura Whitmore has called out a paparazzi photographer for following her and boyfriend Iain Stirling in an airport, where they were reunited for the first time since the death of Caroline Flack.
Laura – who is in a relationship with the ITV2 show’s narrator – detailed the incident on Twitter, claiming that despite both herself and Iain requesting that the photographer give them some privacy, he refused to do so.
She explained: “I landed in Cape Town this morning and it is the first time I’ve been with Iain since Caroline passed away. It’s been really hard being apart.
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“At the airport a photographer took pictures of [us] both and we tried to ignore it, but he continued to follow us so we got coffee and left the building.”
Laura Whitmore and Iain Stirling at an event last year David M. Benett via Getty Images
Laura continued: “So I asked him to stop as he had what he wanted. I said we were mourning a friend and could he allow us some space. He said ‘can you give me a reaction. It’s a public space I can take pictures if I want’.”
The presenter added that she has “never courted the paparazzi” but “understands at work events it comes with the territory”, adding: “But this morning was too much. Iain filmed him and he didn’t like it.
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“I don’t like attacking people but we need to call people out when they do things like this. Iain and I just wanted some privacy.”
This post was accompanied by a minute-long video of Laura and Iain confronting the photographer in question, after which he walks away in frustration, only to turn around and take their photo at the end of the clip.
I asked the photographer to please stop taking pictures as I hadn’t seen my boyfriend since our friend passed away and we wanted some privacy pic.twitter.com/Yylse5K7o8 — Laura Whitmore (@thewhitmore) February 20, 2020
Since Caroline’s suicide over the weekend, both Laura and Iain have paid tribute to their colleague and friend in their own way, with the former delivering a powerful speech on her 5 Live radio show about the need for us all to be kinder to one another.
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Caroline Flack at the Brit Awards in 2018 Vianney Le Caer/Invision/AP
“Anyone who has ever compared one woman against another on Twitter, knocked someone because of their appearance, invaded someone’s privacy, who’ve made mean, unnecessary comments on an online forum need to look at themselves,” she said.
“To the press, the newspapers who create clickbait, who demonise and tear down success, we’ve had enough.
“I’ve seen journalists and Twitter warriors talk of this tragedy, who they themselves have twisted what the truth is. You don’t have to tear someone down to feel good about yourself.
“So to listeners, be kind. Only you are responsible for how you treat others and what you put out in the world. I’ve had messages, I’ve been harassed for just doing my job, and this is where the problem is. I want to use my platform – this platform – to call people out, because it’s gone too far. Your words affect people.
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“To paparazzi and tabloids looking for a cheap sell, to trolls hiding behind a keyboard: enough.”


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-02-20--Football Racism: No One Knows Conviction Rates – Despite Calls To Stamp It Out

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Police, prosecutors and equality campaigners have been left in the dark about racist incidents at football matches because of a lack of data on conviction rates, HuffPost UK can reveal.
No information is held on how many incidents have actually have led to convictions, making it difficult to identify obstacles in bringing racist hooligans to justice – or sentences that are unduly lenient. That is despite a spike in reports to police of racist incidents at football matches, and dedicated policing units for the sport.
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The organisations charged with curbing racism in the sport – the Crown Prosecution Service and the Ministry of Justice – told HuffPost UK they could not answer our requests for information as they did not hold the details we had requested.
“We are witnessing a worrying return of racism to grounds,” a spokesperson for Stand Up To Racism told HuffPost UK.
“Barely a weekend goes by without reports of racist incidents amongst fans or players. Given the racism coming from the top of society from the likes of Johnson and Trump, this is no surprise.
“Football is multi racial, multi-faith and racists will be the minority but far too often sanctions are slow and cumbersome.”
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"No room for racism" displayed on the screen during the Premier League match between Crystal Palace and Leicester City at Selhurst Park on November 3, 2019 Marc Atkins via Getty Images
IIffy Onuora, equalities coach for the Professional Footballers’ Association (PFA), said in December that a “strong message” had to be sent out that racism in football grounds could no longer be tolerated.
“We will be lobbying the government to increase punishments for those found guilty of racist offences at football,” he added. “That includes handing down custodial sentences. There needs to be a bigger deterrent. Enough is enough. These are hate crimes.”
Yet neither the CPS nor the MoJ could break down the number of convictions there had been for racist incidents at football matches.
MoJ data for public order offences at football matches lists “taking part in racist or indecent chanting” as one crime, with no specific details available for the former.
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Nor is there any category that collates other manifestations of racist abuse at these matches – such as physical attacks, missile throwing or drawing racist graffiti.
In 2018, the most recent year for which data are available, there was just one prosecution in the whole of the UK for someone “taking part in racist or indecent chanting”, which led to a conviction and fine. It is not known whether the case related to racist chanting or to indecent chanting.
England's Raheem Sterling celebrates scoring his side's fifth goal after hearing racist chants during their Euro 2020 group A qualifying match against Montenegro ASSOCIATED PRESS
Moreover, this data only covers what is deemed to be the most serious offence a person is charged with – so would not include cases in which a person charged with racist chanting at a football game also receives a longer sentence for another offence at the same time.
The United Kingdom Football Policing Unit (UKFPU), which works with the Home Office and the National Police Chiefs Council Football Lead in reducing antisocial behaviour in the sport, also does not have any breakdown of convictions for racist incidents at football matches.
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The latest Home Office figures show more than 150 football-related racist incidents were reported to police last season, a rise of more than 50% on the year before and more than double the number from three seasons ago.
The statistics reflect three years of increases in reported incidents across England and Wales, with a sharp rise from 98 to 152 between the 2017/18 and 2018/19 seasons.
HuffPost UK has approached the Home Office for comment.
In December the government appeared to reject the PFA’s call for it to lead an inquiry into racism in football, with Downing Street saying there remained work to be done by the football authorities to stamp out racism. However, it did not rule out taking further steps “if required”.
The 2019-20 season has featured numerous instances of players reporting racist abuse from the crowd, with Manchester United players pointing out issues at the Manchester derby just last month.
Anti-racism charity Kick It Out declined to comment on what it described as a “complex and challenging” issue when approached by HuffPost UK.
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A Football Association spokesperson told HuffPost UK: “While only participants fall under The FA’s jurisdiction, we investigate all reported forms of discriminatory abuse in English football, at every level of the game, and we work closely with the relevant authorities to ensure the matter is dealt with appropriately.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-02-20--Orlando Bloom Debuts Corrected Tattoo As He Laughs Off Morse Code Blunder

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Orlando Bloom has unveiled his newly-updated tattoo, after fans pointed out an unfortunate mistake in the original.
Last week, the actor debuted some new body art in honour of his son, Flynn, which spelled out the nine-year-old’s name in Morse Code.
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Or, at least, we think that’s what he was going for.
You see, no sooner did Orlando post the photo of his new tattoo on Instagram, than many fans began pointing out a mistake in the Morse Corde, suggesting he’d actually had the nonsensical word “Frynn” inked instead.
Fortunately, Orlando saw the funny side of the gaffe, and has now posted a photo of the corrected tattoo on his Instagram page.
“Finally dot it right,” he joked. “How do you make a mistake like that? #pinterestfail (read the small print).”
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He also showed off a second tattoo in honour of his late dog, Sidi, who died in 2016.
“Fortunately I know how to spell Sidi. Forever my boy,” he added.
Orlando’s Morse Code tattoo also features a string of numbers, which apparently reference the date and time that his son was born.
Orlando Bloom Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP
Flynn’s mother is the model Miranda Kerr, to whom the Lord Of The Rings star was married from 2010 until 2013.
In 2016, he began dating pop singer Katy Perry, and the pair announced their engagement around this time last year.
Meanwhile, Miranda is now married to Snapchat founder Evan Spiegel. The couple have two sons together, Hart and Myles, the youngest of whom was born in October 2019.
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thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-02-20--Tony Blair: Labour Party Will Die If 'Unrealistic' Membership Isn't Replaced

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Tony Blair has warned it will be ”the end” of the Labour Party if its membership does not become more reflective of the country as a whole.
In a speech to mark the 120-year anniversary of the party, the former Labour prime minister said there was no point “getting rounds of applause from your activists” if the party was seen as too left-wing by the public.
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Blair said while some of Labour’s 500,000 members were “an asset”, the “sectarian far-left” which had joined after Jeremy Corbyn became leader was damaging.
“I’m not sure what you can do with them – they are not an asset, I’m afraid,” he said. “They are always going to pull you to these unrealistic positions.
“The problem is the membership of the Labour Party tends to follow its leadership.”
He added: “One of the things that is going to have to happen when we get new leadership is you’re going to have to try and bring new people into the Labour Party.”
Speaking about the current Labour Party leadership contest, Blair said: “You cannot end up being obliged to have one conversation when you are talking to your party and another when you are talking to the public. That is the the end.”
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Blair also said this was the “risk of the Democrats in the US now” as the party chooses its nominee to take on Donald Trump.
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While the former Labour leader did not mention left-wing candidate Bernie Sanders by name, he added: “I would take a pretty careful look at the Labour Party if I was a Democrat.”
In his speech, Blair said: “I thought hard about taking stock on the Labour Party’s 120th anniversary – it’s not as if my advice is particularly welcome to today’s party.
“But then it occurred to me that there are only two people born in the last 120 years who have actually won an election for Labour. And alas Harold Wilson is long gone.
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“Out of 120 years, Labour has been in power for just over 30 of them. That is a stark statistic.”


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-02-20--Dave Doubles Down On Boris Johnson Criticism After Branding PM A 'Real Racist' At The Brits

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British rapper Dave has doubled down on his criticism of Boris Johnson, after branding the prime minister a “real racist’ during this year’s Brit Awards.
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The performance has obviously been blasted by some right-wing critics, including the following morning on Sky News, when Tory MP Priti Patel called the suggestion that Johnson is racist “utter nonsense”.
“I don’t know what those comments are based on,” she added. “It’s wrong to make judgements about individuals when you don’t know a particular individual, as in the case of the prime minister. He is not a racist at all and I just think those comments are highly inappropriate.”
Dave on stage at the Brit Awards ADRIAN DENNIS via Getty Images
Dave has now shared a snippet of this interview on his Twitter page, alongside past comments made by Johnson which have led to accusations of racism.
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Among them were excerpts from columns Johnson has written in the past, including one containing the phrase “flag-waving piccaninnies” and another in which he said: “Africa is a mess, but we can’t blame colonialism… the problem is not that we were once in charge, but that we are not in charge anymore.”
Dave’s Brit Awards rap also saw him hitting out at the media’s treatment of Meghan Markle, as well as calling for “support for the Windrush generation” and “reparations”.
The performance was reminiscent of when fellow rapper Stormzy closed the show at the Brits two years ago, and hit out at then-prime minister Theresa May over the way her government reacted to the Grenfell Tower disaster.
Johnson has been heavily criticised in the past for referring to Black Africans as “piccaninnies” with “watermelon smiles” in opinion pieces he has written, as well as using language that has been deemed homophobic, classist and sexist.
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thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-02-20--Ashley Graham Embraces Post-Baby Stretch Marks In Beautiful Instagram Photo

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Ashley Graham wasn’t shy about sharing the ups and downs of her pregnancy last year: The model, who gave birth to son Isaac Menelik Giovanni Ervin in January, wrote candidly about her pregnancy weight and learning to accept the changes in her body.
It’s no surprise, then, that the new mum is just as willing to get real about post-baby life. On Tuesday, the body positive icon shared a photo in the nude which revealed her post-baby stretch marks and included a very simple, very sweet caption: “same me. few new stories.”
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Graham garnered support from her model friends, including Karlie Kloss, Lily Aldridge and Joan Smalls in the comments, as well of words of encouragement from women who simply related to the post.
“16 year old me sobbed over my first set of these. I haven’t learned to love them but I have got to a place where I don’t give a sh*t about them,” fashion editor Jennifer Dickinson wrote. “You look (even more) beautiful to me.”
“So many years I was ashamed of my stretch marks and ‘baby pouch belly,’” one mom who follows the model wrote. “Now I love my body. I created life. I have war wounds. And that is what makes me who I am today. Kudos to you too.”
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Earlier this month, Graham shared a sweet photo of herself with the baby and her filmmaker husband, Justin Ervin.
Two months prior, the Sports Illustrated cover girl talked about how she struggled with her “new body” in the midst of her pregnancy. That insecurity was the exact reason she decided to post her first naked pregnancy photo, the model said on her digital series, “Fearless with Ashley Graham.”
“I had just announced that I was pregnant and I thought then I was going to feel good and I didn’t. I just felt terrible. And that morning, actually ... ” Graham said, fighting back tears. “I was like, ‘Get it together, Ashley, there’s other women out there that are going through the same thing as you — why don’t you have a dialogue?’”
Eventually, the model made peace with her body. In the final stretch of her pregnancy, the model shared a photo of herself posing in yoga class and wrote that she’d gained 50 pounds in her pregnancy so far — and noted that “the best part is, I don’t care!”
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“I have never felt better, and I am so thankful that my body and son have allowed me to be as mobile and flexible as I have been,” Graham added. “Between working out, yoga, acupuncture and lymphatic massages — I finally feel like I figured out this whole pregnancy thing and how to feel my best.”
Graham even debuted a new swimwear campaign with the brand Swimsuits for All during her pregnancy.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-02-20--How To Duck Out Of A Hen Or Stag Do When It's Abroad

Ulza via Getty Images
To fly or not to fly, that is the question. A growing number of brides and grooms are having their hen and stag dos abroad – and people aren’t happy about it.
Almost two-thirds think having these parties in a different country is too long, too expensive or involve too much travel. And when you hit your late 20s and early 30s – a.k.a permanent wedding season – multiple celebrations can eat up your annual leave and entire holiday budget.
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Just under half of all flights taken by men aged 20-45 in 2019 were for stag dos, according to the research commissioned by environmental charity Hubbub, while just over a third of flights taken by women in the same age group were for hen dos. These increasingly extravagant affairs are leaving many with a sour taste – a third of the 2,000 people surveyed said they’ve felt resentful towards the bride, groom or trip organiser.
Although some people have doubted the stats, it got us thinking, nonetheless, about how to turn down an invite. After all, what happened to a good old knees up in your hometown with your nearest and dearest, eh?
Weddings are meant to be happy times, so how do you keep everyone smiling if you can’t afford the trip abroad, can’t get the time off work, or simply don’t want to go?
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bernardbodo via Getty Images
Etiquette consultant Julia Esteve Boyd says you’re well within your rights to turn down an invite – even from a close friend – but it’s best to do it in person.
By doing it face-to-face, she says, you can make sure your friend understands your reasoning. “Sending a text could look like a brush off. If face-to-face is not possible, give them a call instead,” she says.
And when it comes to explaining why you can’t go, Boyd recommends being as honest as possible. “Kindly explain that you can’t afford it or have other commitments,” she says, “or you could even say, ‘You know I don’t feel comfortable at these parties but I’d still love to celebrate with you another time.’”
Suggest something simple like a quiet drink or a dinner out, she adds, just to show you care. This is something William Hanson, executive director of The English Manner etiquette school, advises to do, too. He says offering an alternative, low-key treat for your friend can soften the blow.
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“There is no need to feel too guilty if you say no,” adds Hanson. “I have a blanket policy with friends and relatives that I won’t attend any evenings of debauchery but I will take the bride or groom out for dinner to mark their new stage of life.
“This way seems less churlish and the bride/groom do usually admit they enjoyed the quieter, more intimate affair better than being tied to a lamppost in Prague.”