Blogs

TRYING to sleep when you’re hot and uncomfortable can feel like an impossible task.

Thankfully, Home Bargains shoppers can now pick up a budget buy that will keep them cool all night long.

Getty

A budget buy can help you to sleep easily during the summer heat (stock image)[/caption]

So if this weekend’s high temperatures have left you struggling and waking up in a pool of sweat, it may be time to switch up your bedding.

It’s time to put away your winter duvet and make the most of this budget cooling buy.

The Home Collections Cooling Mat/Pillow is available for just £3.99 from the bargain retailer.

Product details

According to the manufacturers, this buy will help you “beat the heat” this summer.

“This nifty little mat is perfect for easing pain and discomfort, thanks to its self-cooling gel,” the product description read.

To use, simply pop this mat/pillow in your fridge for about hour.

When you’re ready to cool down, take it out and enjoy the refreshing relief wherever you are.

As well as saving you from a sticky night’s sleep, this buy can also help to relieve pain and discomfort from injuries or heat.

It can be placed inside pillows or placed on a seat, wherever you need it in the hot weather.

This mat has self cooling inner gel, designed to react to your body temperature and absorb excess heat.

And the portable size means it can be used at the office or in the car on hot summer days.

A similar item can be found from Argos, but with a much higher price tag.

The Silentnight Restore Cooling Gel Pillow Pad is currently available for £15.

That means savvy shoppers can save a whopping £11 by opting for the Home Bargains buy.

Other cooling hacks

Experts recently revealed the exact position to keep your door at during hot nights for the perfect sleep.

And another quick trick will instantly cool down your home without costing you a penny.

Plus, more surpising ways to keep your bedroom cool during the summer heat.

Health experts have also revealed tips to help you sleep better in the hot weather.

More Lidl summer buys

You can spruce up your decking this summer with a handy middle aisle buy.

And another bargain buy from Lidl is perfect for a day at the beach.

Or if you’re jetting away this summer, Lidl is selling a dupe of a popular suitcase.

And you can transform your summer garden with the latest flowers to hit the middle aisle.

Home Bargains

Home Bargains shoppers can pick up a cooling mat/pillow for just £3.99[/caption]

Silentnight

Argos is currently selling a cooling pillow for £15[/caption]

A BUDGET-FRIENDLY buy can help to transform your garden this summer.

This buy not only elevates your space, it also helps to attract beneficial wildlife.

Getty

Adding a bird bath to your garden can instantly transform it into a ‘serene oasis’ (stock image)[/caption]

This affordable item is said to instantly elevate your outdoor area, without breaking the budget.

B&M shoppers can pick up Ceramic Bird Bath for just £5 and it comes in two colours.

You can choose between sage and green, depending on your garden’s aesthetic.

Bird bath benefits

“Transform your garden into a serene oasis and attract nature with this Ceramic Bird Bath,” the product description read.

Manufactuers pointed out an additional benefit to this garden decor buy.

They described it as a “great way to entice beautiful birds to come and take a splash, while elevating your outdoors”.

This in turn will help to control the amount of insects in your flowerbeds.

Bird bath cleaning hack

But the main drawback to bird baths is they tend to become a breeding ground for algae.

However, a quick trick can solve this problem, and you won’t even need to lift a finger.

The solution will only cost you pennies, and that’s because the solution is pennies.

According to the experts at House Beautiful, throwing a few pennies into your bird bath can help to ward off algae.

“Copper pennies do a pretty good job of keeping algae away from our bird baths,” they explained.

“Copper acts as an algicide, meaning it can help significantly slow down the growth of algae and make the water more inviting for birds.”

More garden buys

And a £4 Home Bargains buy will also help to add a “whimsical touch” to your garden while lighting it up.

And another Home Bargains buy will brighten up your space while making it look like something out of Bridgerton.

Plus, a tree helps to add privacy to your garden and it’s now cheaper than ever.

Or you can add a fast-growing flower to cover eyesore walls and fences in your garden.

Meanwhile, Amazon has a £14 privacy buy that is described as “perfect” for summer.

Another privacy fence is also available from Amazon, for just £5.

B&Q has an affordable privacy fence currently on sale, and you can put it up yourself.

B&M

The Ceramic Bird Bath is available from B&M for just £5[/caption]

3D LOTTO RESULT June 30, 2025 – The 3D Lotto draws are held today by the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) at 2PM, 5PM, and 9PM and here are the results: Draw Winning Numbers 2:00 PM 5:00 PM 9:00 PM The PCSO has decided to change the name of one of its minor lotto games. ... Read more

The post 3D LOTTO RESULT Today, Monday, June 30, 2025 appeared first on PhilNews.

PCSO Swertres Hearing Maintain Today Monday, June 30, 2025 – Here are the PCSO Swertres Hearing today, Swertres Hearing

RESIDENTS near a busy airport have blasted holidaymakers who they claim dodge parking fees by stealing their parking spaces.

The village of Takeley, Essex, is just an eight-minute drive from London Stansted Airport – but locals have been left furious by travellers filling their roads.

Paul Edwards

Takeley, Essex, is plagued by holidaymakers looking for cheap parking[/caption]

Paul Edwards

North Road is one of few areas in the village without parking restrictions[/caption]

SWNS

Residents have been left desperate for a solution to the problem[/caption]

Paul Edwards

Some residents have even used their own cones to reserve private parking spaces[/caption]

Opportunistic holidaymakers have been saving themselves as much as £268 in airport fees by parking in the village while away on their travels.

And while most of the roads in the village face some restrictions – from a yellow line imposing restrictions for one hour between 10am to 11am, to fully prohibited red lines – one street, North Road, is entirely unrestricted.

It left one resident in the road saying: “You’re terrorised by people going to the airport.”

While in the summer there’s a near-constant rotation of vehicles taking up street parking, he said it can be just as bad in the winter as “you’ll get people parking outside your house and leaving it for three months.”

Other residents expressed similar frustrations.

One retired woman said she counted 25 cars parked on the perpendicular road the other day, and it only gets worse as the summer holidays begin, with another counting 40 cars in previous years.

Parsonage Road offers a direct route to Stansted Airport, allowing drivers from south Essex to skip the M11 and making it a favoured shortcut.

She said: “It’s just a nightmare. It’s horrible. It’s horrendous.”

While it is frustrating for non-residents to make use of the on-street parking, the lack of restrictions does mean it is entirely legal.

However, residents have also been plagued by visitors using their private driveways.

The same retiree told us about an incident in which she came home from work to find a 4×4 parked in her only driving space near her flat on North Road.

When she confronted the holidaymaker and politely asked the driver to leave, she refused.

To add insult to injury she then threw her McDonalds takeaway out of the window when she eventually drove off.

She said: “They’ve just got no respect.”

Another resident expressed a similar sentiment as she said: “It’s just that human conscientiousness; some people just don’t give a shit.

“It just shows what sort of person they are.”

Landlady of the Four Ashes, Trish has said holidaymakers have left cars parked at the pub for up to a month.

Her sister who lives on North Road once had a black Audi parked on her drive for nearly six weeks.

Once the driver realised he could get away with it, he has come and gone from the spot over the last year.

She has grown frustrated by the number of people that come into the pub to ask her where to park when Stansted has plenty of parking available – travellers just don’t want to pay for it.

Parking booked online for four days at Stansted Airport starts from £59.99 — but paying on the day can cost as much as £268.

One particularly notable incident occurred several months ago when someone posted on the Takeley and Canfield Matters Facebook group.

Trish said someone had asked if anyone would be able to drop a family of four to the airport for a fiver as taxis cost £27.

Residents were quick to point out that an easy-to-access bus is available for just £1, as Trish said they then confessed to being unaware of local transport options because they don’t live in the area.

She said: “Not only did they want to park on the bloody road but they wanted a lift to the airport.”

The influx of holidaymakers also has a direct impact on workers in the area, particularly farmers.

One local farmer said that he had to put logs in the entryway after people started abandoning their cars for weeks on end.

Retired lorry driver Paul Masters reported similar problems throughout his career, although he said it has gotten increasingly bad.

Paul said: “I used to work for Stig’s grab service and sometimes we couldn’t get the lorries in because people parked there.

“When you beep at them to move they act surprised.”

He concluded: “It’s a beautiful town but the airport has just ruined it.”

It’s not only the parking that has impacted the town, as Paul pointed out that taxi drivers have contributed to local littering problems.

He also added: “It’s not just rubbish and litter if you know what I mean, you can picture during a long night shift – and I’ve had to shovel it up.”

Paul Edwards

Residents said that between 25 and 40 cars regularly park on the busy street[/caption]

Paul Edwards

Local retiree, Paul Masters said people block the drives of nearby farms[/caption]

Paul Edwards

Pub landlady Trish has had people leave their cars on her car park for a month[/caption]

Paul Edwards

Stingy holidaymakers then get a bus to Stansted Airport, eight minutes away[/caption]

The situation reached a head for many residents in 2023 when a young boy got hit by a car when trying to cross between two of the parked cars on the packed street near the social club.

It left the boy with a broken leg – and locals are grateful it wasn’t worse given how reckless drivers can be in the area, as travellers making a frantic dash to the airport are often unaware of their surroundings.

One of the retiree’s particular concerns is for children in the area as she said: “It is dangerous, you couldn’t let the kids go out there and cross on their own anymore.”

While the council did increase the restrictions on that stretch of road, locals feel the same safety measures should have been more widely applied as it is an “accident waiting to happen” according to Trish.

With residents frustrated about the lack of action from the local council, many have taken matters into their own hands.

The same retired North Road resident said she frequently confronts travellers when they get back to their cars.

Other neighbours have taken a more extreme approach as she said one of her neighbours was arrested after a fight broke out.

She said: “One day this sports car came and parked on his drive and he told him ‘you can’t park there, my wife’s gone into labour and we’re waiting for an ambulance’.

“The guy just said ‘I can park where I like’.

“It was like a red rag to a bull suddenly they were punching each other and he got arrested.”

She added: “Tyres frequently get let down.”

Another reportedly has her own cones that she puts in front of her house so drivers can’t park there.

However, some of this vigilante justice has actually made the problem worse for locals.

It has also left residents nervous about talking on the record for fear of repercussions and backlash from drivers.

Former local resident Kim said: “I know locals that have had their cars keyed because they’ve had to park in the street – it’s too difficult to know which ones are which.”

With local residents having their parking spaces stolen, they are then forced to park on the road typically used by airport-goers, leaving their own cars at risk of vengeance.

Kim added: “Absolutely it causes tension in the area.”

She has since moved to Little Canfield, where she believes the problem could spread next.

Recently she has started to notice people parking on the grass verges on the lanes between the villages as she said in the winter “it makes the whole area a mud bath.”

SWNS

Residents regularly ask people to move, but are met with rudeness[/caption]

Paul Edwards

A young boy was hit trying to cross the busy street, leaving him with a broken leg[/caption]

Paul Edwards

Trish’s pub car park is a hot spot for tourists looking for free parking[/caption]

To prevent the need for vigilante justice, residents would like to see more involvement from the council.

With the turf war dragging on for over a decade, fed-up residents are demanding a ban on non-residential vehicles along their road.

A recent petition gained 8,000 in a day, highlighting the desperation of locals to make a change to the area.

Despite the petition’s success, Trish said: “we’ve not heard anything [from the council].”

One resident said they had written to Kemi Badenoch (MP for North West Essex), the Highways enforcement team, Takeley Parish Council, Essex County Council – and yet “no one will do anything”.

The obvious solution to the problem would be to impose parking restrictions on all of the roads in the village, but this could impact locals without their own private drives.

Similarly, introducing residents permits feels like an imperfect solution which puts the burden on residents to foot the bill.

Kim said: “You’d have to pay for that – and some people are really skint around here.”

Another suggested that Stansted Airport should offer free parking to those flying from the terminal, removing the motivation for people to find cheaper alternatives.

Ultimately though, residents did acknowledge that Stansted is a vital part of the town, even if it has caused issues over the years.

One resident said: “It is good because it does bring jobs to the area.”

While Trish concluded: “We do need it, we need the jobs and the local infrastructure, what we don’t need is the knock-on effect.”

Paul Edwards

Some drivers have even used residents’ private parking spaces[/caption]

Alamy

A general view of Stansted Airport[/caption]

A STUDENT narrowly avoided being impaled after a huge strip of metal fell off a car and lodged in her windscreen. 

Alannah was driving on the M3 from Bournemouth to her parents’ home in Addlestone, Surrey, on Tuesday, June 24.

Supplied

The metal chunk splintered when it hit the windscreen, possibly saving Alannah’s life[/caption]

Supplied

Alannah holds the metal shard that almost killed her when it hit her Fiat 500[/caption]

Supplied

The terrifying incident occurred at 2.25pm, around a mile before junction four, which Alannah compared to film series Final Destination. 

The 22 year-old, a graphic design student at Arts University Bournemouth, had no time to react as the huge metallic pole smashed into her windscreen – leaving her inches from death. 

She told The Sun: “It looks like a step from the side of a car.  It hit me when I was going about 70 miles per hour. 

“I tried to swerve a bit but I was in the fast lane and there were cars to my side, so I couldn’t move lanes. 

“When I saw the item blow off the car, I put my hand on the horn and I didn’t let go, because my first instinct was to make everyone aware something’s happened.

“Then it hit. In that initial shock, I burst out crying because it was the biggest bang, everything sounded like it smashed.

“I thought the whole thing came through the windscreen, it was really confusing, I was just in shock that there was this massive thing in my car.” 

Alannah initially pulled over to the hard shoulder to ring her dad, but was terrified that her tiny Fiat 500 would be flattened by a passing lorry. 

She said: “I called my dad, and he knew that I was terrified of being on the side of the motorway. When a lorry goes past, it really shakes, it was petrifying.” 

After less than a minute she pulled back on to the motorway with the intention of reaching the next service station.  

Alannah’s plan was to stay behind a lorry to avoid any stones flying up and shattering what remained of her windscreen.

However, she was flagged by a fellow driver, who forced her to pull over and then called the emergency services. 

Alannah said: “He came straight up and helped me get out of the car and over the barrier to make sure I was okay.

“It’s so annoying that I don’t remember his name, but I’m so grateful for him because he helped calm me down, he helped get everything sorted. He was the one who called everyone to help me.

“He stayed with me until the emergency services arrived before leaving.” 

Fire services and police attended the scene while Alannah spoke to an ambulance team over the phone, but miraculously she sustained no physical injuries. 

Firemen told Alannah that a ‘guardian angel’  must have been watching over her because the metal object split when it hit the windscreen, stopping it from passing all the way through and potentially killing her.  

Alannah said: “The firemen actually did say the windshield actually helped the metal split.

Supplied

An interior shot of the car shows just how close the metal shard came to Alannah[/caption]

Supplied

Supplied

Police put duct tape over the whole so Alannah could drive on to the next services[/caption]

Supplied

Alannah holds the gigantic metal strip, which she said may be a step from a car[/caption]

“They said if it didn’t split, it would have come all the way through and hit me.

“It could have ended up being really, really serious, I’m incredibly lucky that I kept control of the car after it hit and carried on driving until I could pull over.

“The firemen, my friends and family all said that it was a guardian angel watching over me, which was lovely to hear.”

And shockingly, despite the huge gaping hole in the windscreen, Alannah’s car – her first ever vehicle, that she acquired in January 2020 – sustained no damage to the bodywork whatsoever. 

She said: “The policeman laughed, actually, when I had finally calmed down, because he said, ‘I can’t believe there is not one single scratch on your car’.”

Police removed the metal chunk and put duct tape over the hole, then closed off part of a lane of the motorway in order to escort Alannah to the next services. 

They conducted a short investigation at the scene but determined that the incident was entirely accidental, Alannah said.

The emergency services also commended the young student’s driving and said without keeping a cool head and remaining in control of her car, things could have been much worse. 

Alannah’s friends joked that her ordeal was like the famous scene from the action film Final Destination 2 in which logs fall off the back of a truck. 

She said: “A lot of people keep saying it reminds them of that scene. That’s been kind of the laughing joke today about it.”

She added: “I just feel very lucky with how it turned out. I feel very unlucky it happened, but very lucky I survived.

“Luckily, it’s only the windshield which is damaged, but it could have gone so seriously wrong.

“All my friends that I’ve told, they were like, you honestly could have died, you could have been seriously injured.

“I’ve walked out of it intact though, I haven’t even got a scratch on me.

“My parents were very grateful that I was okay. My mum said it was my granddad who was watching over me, and looking after me.”

Alannah is soon heading back to university but shared her advice for other drivers in similar situations.

She said: “I know it sounds stupid, but try and keep control of the car, and just try not to suddenly slam your brakes on.

“Just try and stay in contact and get yourself somewhere safe.” 

2D LOTTO RESULT June 30, 2025 – The Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) is holding a draw for 2D Lotto today, June 30, 2025, and here are the results of the 2PM, 5PM, and 9PM draws. Draw Date Winning Numbers 2:00 PM 5:00 PM 9:00 PM The PCSO operation is back and among the recent ... Read more

The post 2D LOTTO RESULT Today, Monday, June 30, 2025 appeared first on PhilNews.

MANCHESTER CITY are ready to dump European Championship-winning England u21’s captain James McAtee.

The midfielder led the Three Lions to glory in the Euros against Germany on Saturday night – after opting to play for his country rather than for City at the Club World Cup.

AP

James McAtee will leave Man City this summer[/caption]

Reuters

He captained the Three Lions to glory at the Under-21s Euros[/caption]

However he is unlikely to find a way back into Pep Guardiola’s squad when he returns from a break later in the summer.

City do not feel another loan would be worthwhile after previously sending the 22-year-old out twice to Sheffield United.

So a permanent exit looks to be on the cards – although it would need a bid in excess of £25million to persuade them to sell.

Ironically – after leading England to victory against Germany in the final – he could end up playing there next season.

Borussia Dortmund have registered an interest and have money to spend after allowing another ex-City youngster Jamie Gittens to join Chelsea.

Bayer Leverkusen have previously watched him while RB Leipzig, Stuttgart and Eintracht Frankfurt are also monitoring his situation.

However several Premier League clubs will also have been alerted by his performances at Euros over the last three weeks.

Last summer, McAtee decided he wanted to stay with his boyhood club for the season even if it meant he did not play much.

JOIN SUN VEGAS: GET £50 BONUS

He was given just nine starts in all competitions – with 18 more sub appearances – despite a difficult season for the fallen champions.

And he is likely to find opportunities even harder to come by if he decides to try to stay and fight for his place once again.

Pep has spent more than £125million on reinforcing the centre of his midfield since the turn of the year – bringing in Nico Gonzalez, Tijjani Reijnders and Rayan Cherki.

Ballon d’Or winner Rodri is also fit again after missing almost all the season with a cruciate ligament problem – making the competition for midfield places even more competitive.

Guardiola has spoken before about his admiration for McAtee as a player – but is now expected to reluctantly agree to let him leave.

Speaking in April, Pep said: “At his age I would like him to stay but I understand, the players want more minutes.

“He’s an academy player, he knows the patterns, he’s a lovely guy. He trains really good, plays in different positions. I like him but with the squad, it’s how we finish and we will see.”

Guardiola said last week he will have to let players go as he prefers to work with a smaller squad.

City are certain to ask for a sell-on clause in any agreement over McAtee as there are no doubts about his ability.

Meanwhile the Etihad club will not get anything from the deal which takes Gittens to Stamford Bridge as they only received compensation rather than a fee when he moved to Germany.

SWERTRES HEARING June 30, 2025 – Here is the result of suertres lotto draw by Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO). Updates of the Swertres hearing is refreshed every 2PM, 5PM and 9PM.See UPDATED results for the following draws: LOTTO RESULT Today, Sunday, June 29, 2025 (updated 9PM) EZ2 RESULT Today, Sunday, June 29, 2025 (updated ... Read more

The post SWERTRES HEARING Today, Monday, June 30, 2025 appeared first on PhilNews.

ANY bride knows the days leading up to their wedding are filled with various beauty treatments.

But one bride-to-be was left speechless after going for a haircut just 11 days before tying the knot.

TikTok/@chloecbanos

The bride-to-be left people stunned when she revealed her new style[/caption]

TikTok/@chloecbanos

Chloë was left with the disastrous hair cut days out from her wedding[/caption]

Chloë Baños-Fermin, from Miami, went viral after showing off the results from the haircut.

In the video, which amassed over 46 million views, Chloë started off with her locks in a half-up-half-down style, before unclipping the rest of her tresses .

“POV you get literally the worst hair cut of your life 11 days before your wedding,” the text over the video read.

Then, in a shocking moment, the rest of the beauty fan’s hair was revealed, and it looked like a completely different style to the rest of her luscious locks.

While the bottom half of her hair came down to near her waist, the new layers gave her a mullet-look, not exactly what she was hoping for.

“Alright guys… who made a voodoo doll? It’s not funny anymore. Anyone good at extensions,” she captioned the viral video.

Understandably, other beauty fans were just as stunned by the disastrous hairstyle.

“I am giving you full permission to Karen out on the hairdresser. This is one of the only valid times. My mouth literally popped open,” one person commented.

“Genuinely how does this happen? I have zero training as a hairdresser and can cut my own hair better with a blindfold on,” a second agreed.

And a third wrote, “I thought you must be overreacting. You are not.”

“Oh this hairdresser HATED you,” another joked.

But others used the comment section of the clip to warn others against getting a new haircut so close to a big event.

“Why would you get your hair cut just before your wedding? Especially a completely different style or with a new stylist,” one person pondered.

“Let this be a lesson girls. No big changes so close to your wedding,” another said.

Meanwhile, someone else fumed: “I would be seeing that hairdresser in court over this.”

Luckily, just two days later the hair hopeful shared an update on her locks and revealed she managed to get the haircut sorted in time for the wedding.

“I’ve never been happier for a stranger,” one person commented, on the update video.