Healthy eating: This vegan Eton Mess is a tasty tried-and-tested classic that can also power up your gut
This week, we're celebrating Eton Mess (not eaten mess, as my son tragically thought for over a decade and studiously avoided ordering them at restaurants). It is a classic British dessert, believed to have originated at Eton boarding school for boys during cricket season (it certainly beats a Dip Dab).
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The Irish Sun
an hour ago
- The Irish Sun
I was convinced my chair was blue for 7 years – I listed it, now people are saying GREY… I don't know what to believe
A WOMAN has been left baffled after discovering that after seven years, the armchair she thought was blue is actually grey. Kristin was originally made aware of the discrepancy when she listed the chair online for free, with the person interested in taking it pointing out its actual colour. 6 Kristin took to TikTok to ask for advice as to whether her chair was blue or grey Credit: 6 She showed the chair in question in the video, with the overwhelming consensus that it was grey Credit: 6 She couldn't believe that the chair, and the sofa, weren't blue Credit: 6 She tried comparing the colour of the chair to two blue colouring pencils Credit: She "Is this chair grey or blue?" she asked. "Cause I'm giving it away to someone and I'm sending pictures and I'm like, it's a blue chair and they're like, that's grey. "And I'm like, I'm pretty sure it's blue. "And she's like, can you get more pictures? It's grey. And I'm like, okay, but my couch and my chair have always been blue. "But now she's gaslighting me and I'm starting to believe it!" She showed the sofa and chair in the video, as she wondered if it was her phone playing tricks on her. "Also I shouldn't be stressing this much over a free chair," Kristin continued. Most read in Fabulous "You either want it or you don't, but is it blue or is it grey? So I can tell her the truth!" "What colour is this chair?" she asked in the video caption. I furnished my ENTIRE home with Facebook Marketplace finds - my stools were free & I saved £1k on a farmhouse table set And pretty overwhelmingly, the consensus was that it is, in fact, grey. "I wasn't prepared for how grey it would be," one gasped. "I was prepared for it to be like a blueish grey, not full on gravestone of a child who died of tuberculosis in the 1800s GREY," another joked. "I wasn't expecting it to be the oxford dictionary definition of grey," a third commented. "That is so very grey. I'm so sorry this is how you're finding out," someone else said. To which Kristin replied: "I am actually crashing out!" What is colour analysis? Colour analysis is a tool you can use to determine which colours flatter you most. It's based on your overall appearance and particularly the colouring of your eyes, hair and skin. You are then assigned one of twelve colour seasons. Each colour season comes with a colour palette, specifically designed to harmonise with your natural colouring. According to a British study, there is evidence that suggests that the colours worn by a person can affect how they are perceived by others. For example: red and pink are thought to signal sexual attractiveness, particularly when worn by women, while dark colours like black or navy may convey the impression of authority - in turn making the wearer seem less approachable. The theories of colour analysis also teach that certain colours are capable of emphasising or, conversely, de-emphasising an individuals attractiveness to others. Unflattering colours may make a person look pale, for instance, or draw attention to such "flaws" as wrinkles or uneven skin tone. Flattering colours are thought to have the opposite effect. "Is the blue in the room with us?" another asked. "Your grey-dar is off hunny. It's grey," someone else said. "Bestie if you think that is blue, what colour is the sky to you?" another questioned. While someone else said: "Are you colour blind by chance?" "If I am I am only finding out now," Kristin responded. "That chair is so grey I forgot what blue is!" another laughed. As someone else said it could be that Kristin has a condition called Tritanopia, a blue-yellow colour blindness where individuals experience a reduced sensitivity to blue light, and therefore struggle to distinguish between blue and gree, as well as yellow and red. "Specifically, grey may appear as a very pale blue or blue-green to someone with tritanopia," they added. Read more on the Irish Sun Kristin tried to prove herself right by laying blue colouring pencils and blue clothing on top of the armchair, before taking some colour blindness tests online and referring herself to the doctor. "The butterfly effect is crazy because if the Facebook lady never questioned me on this chair colour, I'd have a millennial grey living room for the rest of my life," she wrote over the top of another video. 6 She also used a blue coat to try and figure out the actual colour Credit: 6 As well as pair of grey jogging bottoms - before reluctantly booking herself a doctor's appointment to check for colour blindness Credit:
The Irish Sun
3 hours ago
- The Irish Sun
Inside world's seediest sex market dubbed ‘porno Disneyland' where Brit ‘sexpats' buy hook-ups for ‘price of McDonald's'
GRINNING from ear to ear, an overweight, bare-chested British pensioner shuffles along the streets of an exotic beach resort, clutching the hand of the Thai girl he's paid to be his lover. Nearby, randy holidaymakers visit so-called 'b***job bars', Advertisement 11 The explosion of sex tourism has seen online 'travel agents' give Brits advice on touring sex hotspots Credit: GETTY 11 Pattaya earned the nickname of 'the sex capital of the world' despite the fact that prostitution is technically illegal in Thailand Credit: Getty This is Pattaya - home to the world's seediest open sex market, where 'red light vacationers' indulge in prostitutes and 'happy ending' massages at bargain prices. The city, once a quiet fishing village in eastern Thailand, is now a neon-lit magnet for Westerners drawn to its sex shows, go-go bars, brothels, and 'barely legal'-looking girls. It has also become a hotbed of 'sex-pats' - older men who have moved overseas from Britain and elsewhere, on the hunt for girls often 40 years younger than themselves. Advertisement These 'sex-pats' are seen tottering through Pattaya's vibrant entertainment district, where bar names include Horny, Lips Lounge, Sexy in the City, Seduction, and Kittens. The sight is a far cry from other parts of Thailand, which is known for its stunning white sand beaches, picturesque islands, diverse cuisine, and beautiful Buddhist temples. 'The sex-pats own this area of town,' says British primary school teacher Sherri, who used to live and work in Pattaya but struggled to turn a blind eye to its 'in-your-face' 'They drive around on bikes like they're in a Harley Davidson promo… it's as if they live in a bubble erased of humanity and have happily invested in a porn version of Disneyland.' Sherri, 38, tells The Sun it isn't unusual to see 'old, white Western men' drinking in bars from 10am, eyeing up scantily-clad female workers and ladyboys ('Kathoeys' to locals). Advertisement 'It's also a very familiar sight to see older men walking down the street with a local woman or man who's half their age, as a legitimate partner or fleeting pay-per-hour worker,' she says. Yet, while these pensioners may be smirking with pride, experts warn that the 'girlfriends' on their sunburned, wrinkled arms may be victims of abduction and trafficking gangs. Shocking moment Brit tourists in Thai 'Sin City' fight locals in road rage brawl Some, they say, are sickeningly just children - with creeps obsessed with 'barely legal' pornography increasingly seeking out Thai girls and women because they often look young for their age. 'Not only is there an open sex market in Pattaya, it is flourishing,' top UK criminal defence lawyer Marcus Johnstone, who specialises in sex crime, tells The Sun. 'Many British men travel to Pattaya because they have unlimited access to very young Thai girls.' Advertisement He adds: 'Gangs are becoming ever more powerful. The internet has spawned a new interest in 'More and more girls are needed to service the sex tourists. This has resulted in many children being abducted from poorer areas of the country and trafficked to Pattaya.' Sex capital of world Marcus, of Cheshire-based And Pattaya - which has earned the nickname of 'the sex capital of the world', despite the fact that 'There's an ever-increasing number of sites and videos explaining where to go in Thailand to gain access to prostitutes,' says Marcus. Advertisement 'There are also men who make money out of arranging 'holidays' to Thailand – so the visitors can easily gain access to the young girls.' 11 Two shameless Westerners sparked a police investigation by romping in the ocean at the city's Jomtien Beach Credit: Facebook 11 In Pattaya's vibrant entertainment district, bar names include Horny and Lips Lounge Credit: Supplied 11 Amid the neon lights and blaring music, workers try to entice tourists inside Credit: GETTY 'To gain unrestricted access to Thai prostitutes, the men need to arrange apartments, rather than hotels, where prostitutes can come and go without concern.' Advertisement At these apartments, he says, 'nothing' is monitored. 'This, of course, allows easy access for the abuse of children,' Marcus tells us. 'The gangs can make more money from prostituting children.' Pattaya's now-notorious sex trade began in the 1960s, when it became an R&R (rest and relaxation) spot for American soldiers during the Vietnam War. Some servicemen are said to have dubbed the breaks 'I&I' instead - standing for "intoxication and intercourse". Advertisement Inside the life of a sex worker DR EMMA CUNNINGHAM, senior lecturer in criminology, with research interests in violence against women and girls, says: "Some sex workers insist this is just a job, and they are making lots of money from it. But there appear to be many more with awful experiences of violence and PTSD who become trapped in this work. Some women may be topping up low-paid employment. Some charities – Beyond Streets and Women's Aid – have said the cost-of-living crisis has pushed more women into the informal economy of sex and escort work. From films like Pretty Woman there is a romanticised notion of escorting, and it is not a crime to buy or sell sex between two consenting adults in the UK. Many sex workers end up with Many are trafficked and exploited and take drugs to forget the trauma they have experienced. Many female sex workers have experienced severe repeated violence. How can a woman who is selling sex to a man who is physically much stronger than her withdraw her consent if he hurts her? He is potentially capable of killing her. According to research, women selling sex are 18 times more likely to be murdered than those who do not." Today, the sun-soaked destination attracts more than 24million visitors each year - with families enjoying its water parks, zoos, aquariums, beaches, and famous botanical garden. But at night, some of its streets are the opposite of family-friendly - with the likes of Walking Street and Soi 6 packed with swarms of skimpily-dressed girls. Amid the neon lights and blaring music, these workers can be seen approaching tourists, hollering 'handsome man' and 'sexy man' to catch their attention before offering them sex. Some workers, it is said, charge less for sex than the cost of a McDonald's family meal deal. Many British men travel to Pattaya because they have unlimited access to very young Thai girls Marcus Johnstone Top UK criminal defence lawyer One Reddit user claims revellers in some streets of Pattaya can purchase a 'short-time' fling for just 500 Thai Baht (THB) - under £12. Others say the price is more like 1,000 THB (£23). Advertisement 'If they were really hot, I'd just do 2,000 [THB],' recalls one tourist, who visited Pattaya six years ago, when he was 28. He adds that workers aged over 30 'were down for 1,000'. Prices are reported to have soared in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, which stripped many workers of their income, with venues forced to close and foreign men unable to travel. Yet this week, a Facebook post advertising a bar on Soi LK Metro (an area less well-known among tourists) flogs beers in the company of 'sexy policewomen' for only 60 THB (£1.30). 11 Some workers charge less for sex than the cost of a McDonald's family meal deal Credit: Getty 11 Many British men travel to Pattaya for unlimited access to very young Thai girls, said UK criminal defence lawyer Marcus Johnstone Credit: Getty Advertisement 11 Thai tourism chiefs have previously vowed to clean up 'Sin City' Credit: AFP or licensors Another post from a different bar promotes a 'sexy stocking party' with 'cute ladies', while messages on the Telegram app show lingerie-clad Pattaya bar girls striking explicit poses. Thai tourism chiefs have previously vowed to clean up their 'Sin City' - yet men continue to flock to Pattaya's 'b*** job bars', where women are lined up and chosen 'like cattle'. Customers can choose whether to have the sex act performed on them in a private upstairs room or - for those less shy - in the middle of the open bar area in front of others. While it is impossible to put an exact figure on the number of sex workers in Pattaya, it was reported in 2017 that almost 20 per cent of the population were employed in the sex trade. Advertisement Some of the workers are freelancers, who promote themselves - with pictures and details of their height and weight - on online dating sites, as well as in freelancer-friendly bars. Unlike with bar girls, the customers of freelancers don't have to pay for so-called 'lady drinks' or fork out on a bar fine (a sum of money paid to take a bar girl out of the venue). Sherri, who runs the blog She had hoped she could 'turn a blind eye' to its seediness. 'Seedy s***hole' But she admits: 'The sex-trade in Pattaya is so in your face that it's hard to overlook.' Advertisement Sherri, who relocated to the city around a decade ago, says her first impression was that 'it was a seedy s***hole'. And, after a year of living there, she admits she still didn't love it. In fact, Sherri found herself 'counting down the days' until her work contract expired. The teacher, originally from London and now living in Saigon, Vietnam, tells us: 'Walking Street is where the main action happens. [It] is filled to the brim with go-go bars doing regular ping-pong shows, strip clubs, 'massage parlours' and short stay 'rooms for rent'.' She adds: 'While you often can't see what's going on inside through the blacked-out windows, everyone knows the craic.' While prostitution is technically illegal in the country, experts warn the law is complex - and that sex tourists can feel a false sense of safety because sex work is widely tolerated. Advertisement The sex trade in Pattaya is so in-your-face that it's hard to overlook Sherri Travel Mermaid 'This discrepancy creates a false sense of legality and security, particularly among British tourists, who may not realise the serious legal and reputational risks involved,' says Adam Jones, a tourism legal expert at He adds: 'For Brits considering soliciting sex services in Thailand, it's important to recognise that engaging in illegal activity abroad can still carry serious consequences. 'If arrested, individuals may face fines, deportation, or even imprisonment. 'More significantly, being accused of a sex-related offence – such as assaulting a sex worker – can lead to severe legal implications both in Thailand and back home in the UK.' Sadly, assaults are far from uncommon, with studies showing that 15 per cent of the country's female sex workers experienced physical or sexual violence in one week alone. Horrifyingly, this percentage soared to 25 per cent for those aged under 18, according to research by Dr Michele R Decker, a US expert in gender-based violence. And, with some attacks undoubtedly going unreported, the real number of victims could be much higher. Advertisement In 2020, a former British Army soldier was Just last month, a Chinese tourist was reported to have confessed to killing a younger Thai transgender woman in Pattaya after she refused to sleep with him. Fu Tongyung, 42, is said to have told police he wanted to 'play' with the 25-year-old's corpse, and later apologised for the crime. 11 Chinese tourist Fu Tongyung confessed to killing a young Thai transgender woman after she refused to sleep with him Credit: Chaiyot Pupattanapong The resort is also plagued by drunken violence, street crime and petty theft. In one incident in February a Western tourist in his 50s was found 'murdered' Advertisement Though sex tourism generates a hefty income for Thailand - more than £4.7billion annually - sex workers can be jailed for up to 20 years for earning an income as a prostitute. There are also 'laws against engaging in prostitution, soliciting, operating premises for prostitution (brothels), or being a pimp,' explains Marcus. 'To get around this problem, the 'brothels' operate as bars, massage parlours, karaoke clubs, and so on, where money is exchanged not for sex but for a drink or an entrance fee,' he continues. 'The bar owner (pimp) then allows the sex tourist access to the girls, who he will pay separately for sex.' These vulnerable girls, Marcus says, have 'little hope of escaping'. Advertisement Due to the nature of their work, they have no employment nor legal rights. 'They cannot report anything to the police for fear of being imprisoned or deported themselves,' says Marcus. 'They are themselves acting illegally and the police may be corrupted.' 11 It was reported in 2017 that almost 20 per cent of the population was employed in the sex trade Credit: Travel Mermaid Despite the country-wide tolerance for sex work, Thai police dramatically rounded up more than 50 alleged sex workers along Pattaya Beach earlier this month. Advertisement Officers stormed the popular area on May 21 in a coordinated operation aimed at banishing the city's reputation-damaging sex trade, It came six years after two shameless Westerners sparked another police investigation, further along the coastline, by romping in the ocean at the city's Jomtien Beach. It's yet to be seen whether the latest operation will make a dent in Pattaya's open sex market, which will undoubtedly get a boost from more sexed-up tourists this summer. Even Brits who have never set foot in Thailand are contributing to its sex trade - by sending messages, and money, to Thai girls and making sickening pornographic requests. 'Many men want access to 'barely legal' material,' Marcus says. Advertisement 'Thai girls often look much younger than they are. ' Horrifying cases Describing one case that was brought to him, Marcus tells us: 'A man was sending money to a Thai woman who he met online. He believed this was his girlfriend and that they may eventually meet and be together. He invited her to the UK. 'She needed financial help for her poor family so he started sending money to her. They exchanged photographs of one another, including some sexual images. 'He was arrested by the police. 'The 18-year-old girl he had been communicating with was, in fact, 14.' Advertisement And some cases are even more horrifying. 'I am aware of cases involving men based in the UK who pay Thai prostitutes to abuse their own children for money,' says Marcus. Yet again, ruthless gangs are involved. '[The abuse] is recorded and sent via encrypted sites,' Marcus adds. 'Crypto currency is used to pay the gangs controlling the prostitutes.' Advertisement Whether Pattaya's prostitutes are operating online or offline, in the resort's streets and brothels, it is clear many of them are desperate. Some have relocated from poorer parts of the country - such as Isan, Thailand's northeastern region - to make money. But it comes at a heartbreaking cost. 'All I want to do is get out of this job,' admitted one Pattaya sex worker, who told documentary makers she fell pregnant by a German client who then dumped her. 'But what can I do? There's no work in my village.' 11 Pattaya used to be a quiet fishing village Credit: Alamy Advertisement
RTÉ News
4 hours ago
- RTÉ News
Jessie J had 'worst day so far' since cancer diagnosis
Singer Jessie J has said she had her "worst day so far" since her breast cancer diagnosis, saying she struggled with "panic attacks, tears, big fears, anger and overwhelm". The British music star revealed last week that she had been diagnosed with "early breast cancer" and that she would have surgery after performing at London's Summertime Ball. Taking to Instagram Stories at the weekend, the 37-year-old singer updated her followers, writing: "Honestly, had my worst day so far yesterday since my diagnosis and the busiest three months I have had in years. Work. Toddler. Cancer. Life etc had my mind [drained]. "Panic attacks / tears / big fears/ anger / overwhelm. Bad. And you know what helped? "I ate a corn on the cob. Turns out it's extremely hard to panic or cry while eating one. Highly recommend. Instead (sic) mood shift." She added: "Tomorrow is a new day. The [rollercoaster] of cancer is [draining]. I won't be just talking about the highlights. And making jokes all the time. That isn't real life. Goodnight." Returning to Instagram on Monday, the singer shared some more thoughts, writing: "IMO [in my opinion]. It's [key] to acknowledge fear anger sadness panic overwhelm and let it come up and come out. "Holding it in won't make it go away. In any challenging situation in life. "So when I posted what I did yesterday about my current challenge in life, also while making light of the situation. "That was one day in 10 weeks that I just lost it and was completely drowned in all the negative and bed feelings any cancer journey can bring. Which is healthy and needed." "I say this because I have had a lot of people since I posted that say to me things like 'Don't think about the negative' and 'To beat this you have to stay strong', 'Good thoughts only', and don't get me wrong I know all are meant with well intention and love. "But it's sparked me thinking about how interesting it is in what we individually see as being strong is. I have always advocated for being real. Honest in your feelings. We cannot heal what we don't acknowledge." She continued: "So I will cry, I will be scared, I will panic, I will feel all of it for a minute or even a full day. "And then eat a [corn on the cob] or listen to a song that lifts me up or laugh with a friend. And then go and be a mum, and go to work and show up and be what I feel 90% of the time. "Strong, fearless, healthy, and make some jokes about it all because that's my way. But I will not ignore the 10% that is fear and the sadness."
