Inside West Midlands' most beautiful garden hidden away behind bungalow
The remarkable images reveal John Massey's garden in Dudley, on the fringes of the industrial Black Country, awash with vibrant summer hues.
John, aged 76, has poured nearly three decades into his passion project, cultivating an impressive collection of 20,000 different plants, trees, and shrubs over ten acres.
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The Chelsea Flower Show four-time gold medal winner admits that maintaining the splendour of his garden throughout the year demands a commitment of eight hours daily, every day of the week.
Generously, John opens his 'four seasons garden' to visitors, raising funds for charitable causes, and has recently celebrated the extraordinary achievement of generating £500,000 in donations.
Esteemed within the gardening world, John's serene haven is acclaimed as one of the nation's premier private gardens.
Originating as a simple lawn in 1998, the garden has flourished, showcasing native UK flora alongside more unusual varieties from Japan, South Africa, and Turkey.
Kingswinford's green-fingered John remarked: "The garden hasn't really been planned, it's just evolved over 27 years."
He confidently states: "We bigheadedly say we're a garden for every day of the year and that you would hopefully find something in flower every day you came.
"There's hundreds and thousands of different plants, we're all plant nutters and it's a full-time job looking after it.
"I usually get up at 7am and take the dogs out and I go around the garden all day from there.
"Then there's the last walk at night to check for snails and slugs, that's usually 10pm until 11pm.
"It really is an all-day thing. I started by the house and just moved out - and just kept going and going. I absolutely love it all."
The garden, which offers picturesque views of the scenic Staffordshire and Worcestershire canal, is a true horticultural haven.
Every nook is alive with striking blooms, lush greenery, an assortment of conifers and shrubs, complemented by intricately designed pots.
John, with a remarkable 57 years of gardening under his belt, reveals this botanical paradise has grown so extensive that it now takes a team of four to keep it pristine.
His passion was ignited by none other than Princess Greta Sturdza, the visionary Norwegian behind Le Vasterival, among France's most celebrated gardens.
After being honoured with the Victoria Medal of Honour from the Royal Horticultural Society, John remarked: "I was privileged to meet the late princess Greta Sturdza, a Norwegian.
"We became sort of friends and she invited me over and had, in my mind, the greatest garden that I've ever seen.
"She taught me how to garden. Her big thing was transparency pruning, you prune every tree, shrub and conifer so it was its own sculpture in its own right."
John, a passionate gardener who took the reins of the family nursery at just 18, has no formal training in horticulture but shares a deep-rooted love for gardening passed down from his grandad.
He's dedicated to maintaining a vibrant green space throughout the year, ensuring there's always something sprouting.
Speaking about the nursery that neighbours his home, John remarked: "Some beds are replanted twice a year."
He believes in constant renewal to keep visitors returning, saying, "If we want to keep people coming back we need change."
John's approach involves a three-tier system: "We work on three layers, the big trees we raise the canopies and lift the branches."
This technique allows for underplanting: "We lift the canopy of the shrubs so that we can work under that."
The garden boasts an impressive collection of witch-hazels, with John's Garden featuring over 40 different varieties.
Seasonal changes bring a variety of hues to the garden, with hydrangeas in summer and cornus and spindle trees in the colder months.
Springtime sees an array of hellebores, bulbs, and various flowering shrubs, keeping the garden brimming with life.
John explained his philosophy: "We're always trying to get happy plants, I wouldn't want to grow a plants that weren't healthy."
He's selective with his plants due to the local climate: "There are certain plants we don't grow as we're a real frost pocket. We try and grow plants that are hardy in this area."
The nursery is also known for its conifers and witch hazels: "We've got a wonderful selection of conifers, both dwarf and small. Then there's witch hazel, we've got 40 odd varieties."
And for the autumn spectacle, he added: "We've got the grass bed and the asters which look their best in September and October.
"I love it all, I do love the whole garden. We had the Danish horticulture society here the other day and they said each corner there's something different to look at. I think you should walk gardens both ways".
"The garden is constantly changing, with something majoring on different groups of plants right the way through the season."
John stepped away from day-to-day duties at Ashwood Nurseries next door in 2000 to focus on his passion for gardening.
The site opens its gates every Saturday from February to December, welcoming nature lovers for just £8 a pop.
John and his expert team have scooped more than 50 gold medals at prestigious Royal flower shows, bagging four from the renowned Chelsea Flower Show alone.
Additionally, they have proudly collected four Farrer Trophies, two Williams Memorial Medals and a couple of Gardeners' World Live golds.
He went on to share: "I've been in horticulture for 57 years and I'm still learning, it's one of those subjects where the more you learn, the more you realise you don't know.
"A friend of mine described horticulture as the slowest form of art as it takes 20 years to reach its maturity.
"We used to show a little alpine plant called Lewisia. What we tried to do is take a particular genus and try and get it to the highest possible level.
"Then take on another family of plants and try and get them to that level. The beauty of plants is you don't have to be monogamous and can keep building them up."
Since flinging open its doors to visitors in 2003, the garden has mushroomed over £500,000 for various charities.
John confessed: "I wouldn't like to think how much I've spent on it, I wouldn't know. It's a passion, but it would be frightening."
He further added, "The main thing is we've raised a lot of money for good causes in the process."
And he finished by saying, "The garden is constantly changing right the way through the season, and I love it."
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CNN
43 minutes ago
- CNN
‘They don't want the rabble anymore:' Why Europe is rising up against mass tourism
Source: CNN As protestors have taken to the streets across Spain, disrupted a billionaire's wedding in Venice, and even caused a shutdown of the Louvre in the shape of a staff mutiny about overcrowding, Noel Josephides has been watching with one phrase on his mind: I told you so . 'I could have told you that would happen 10 years ago,' he says. 'And I said so. I said, 'This is going to get out of control.'' Josephides is the longstanding chairman of Sunvil, a UK-based tour operator that has been sending comfortably-off Brits on vacation since 1970. He's also a former chairman of ABTA and AITO, both UK travel industry bodies, which makes him one of the big beasts of European tourism. And he says he saw Europe's current overtourism meltdown coming. 'I said there'll be enormous problems going forward,' he recalls of a speech he delivered to the ABTA annual convention, held in Dubrovnik, in 2013. He delivered that warning as the sharing economy — spearheaded in travel by Airbnb — was mushrooming across Europe. His concern, however, was not just short-term rentals. What he saw coming was a perfect storm: rapidly expanding budget airlines working in tandem with proliferating short-term rentals to create vast new vacation capacity, driving down prices and ushering in a new era of large-scale budget travel. Of course, as a tour operator, Josephides works in direct competition with short-term rentals and the independent travel-planning that budget airlines encourage. Yet today, he seems like a Cassandra figure — he foresaw the chaos, but no one acted. Now his worst fears have come to pass. 'The local populations are quite right,' he says about the spiraling protests. 'It's out of control. I'm on the side of the protestors, even though it affects my business.' The situation in Europe this summer is a far cry from the empty streets and clear waters of the summer of 2020. During the pandemic, many destinations vowed to reinvent tourism for the better. But once travel restrictions were lifted, things quickly reverted to the old ways — and in many cases got worse, thanks to what came to be known as 'revenge travel.' For some locals, the memory of lockdown has taken on a halcyon glow. 'I remember walking in the streets very close to Las Ramblas and hearing birds singing and church bells,' says Maite Domingo Alegre, who lives in Barcelona. 'I'd never realized the bells tolled. But I never get to hear them anymore. Tourism has brought so much noise it's unbelievable.' An English teacher and associate professor at the Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Domingo Alegre lives in the city's historic center near the cathedral and works near Las Ramblas. She says her city has changed beyond recognition. 'We've always had tourism, and mass tourism, but over the last 10 to 15 years this has changed dramatically,' she says. 'It's not seasonal anymore, it's 365 days a year. And the visitors are much more than the number of inhabitants.' Crowded streets are one thing; the knock-on effects, she says, are worse. 'Most of the shops — even food shops, clothes shops, restaurants, everything in the center — is basically addressed to tourists,' she says. 'Prices have gone up. Airbnb basically evicted many locals. Most of my friends have fled the neighborhood because they can't afford to live there anymore.' The pandemic, she adds, intensified the problem, attracting remote workers from across Europe. 'They don't really mingle with the locals. They're not interested in Catalan or even Spanish culture. They think it's cheaper, and they have nice food and cheap drinks, so most bars and restaurants are also thought of for them.' In Venice, it's the same story. The local pop musician Ornello's latest video shows him dressed as an astronaut, wading through the summer crowds. In his real-life identity, Alessio Centenaro, he feels equally out of place in his hometown. 'I'm a cyclist and on Sundays I take my bike from Piazzale Roma (Venice's road terminus). I'm going out and I'm going against all the tourists arriving on the island and I feel like I'm a salmon going against the flow. Sometimes when you're surrounded by tourists, with hundreds all around you, you feel like you're the foreigner.' Venice has always been a city of tourists, he adds, but it also once had a sizable resident population. 'There are 48,000 people officially, but nobody says what's the percentage of old people. I'd say it's perhaps 70% over 70. If they will live another 15 years, what will happen then?' For the past five decades, Josephides has watched destinations go from charming to overcrowded. The trajectory, he says, is nearly always the same. First a boutique tour operator like Sunvil identifies a little-visited destination that seems perfect for its clients — people in search of a vacation where they won't be surrounded by other vacationers. It'll add that destination to its books, usually chartering a weekly flight to get clients there initially. And so the first few seasons will be a halcyon period of relatively few visitors. They enjoy the peace and quiet; the residents enjoy the money they inject into the local economy. But then word will spread. A budget airline — because it's low-cost carriers, not legacy ones, who invest in lesser-known places — will start operating to the destination. The following year, its rivals follow suit, eager not to miss out. What if Jet2 knows something we don't? Suddenly, there's a surfeit of planes going to the destination, and to fill them airlines slash fares, meaning that the budget market becomes the 'volume market,' as Josephides puts it. Accommodation strains to keep pace with the growing number of visitors, prompting locals to invest in short-term rentals. Soon, that 'secret' destination is swamped — not just by the early, more affluent pioneers, but by that volume market, who fly in on the budget airlines, stay in an Airbnb and generally spend less locally. So the first wave moves on to a new place, and the cycle begins again. Josephides earmarks the Greek island of Samos as one of the next destinations to go through this cycle. This year there is one direct weekly flight from the UK, he says. 'Next year TUI (a German travel company) have Thursday and Sunday. Jet2 have put on four flights: two Manchester, one Birmingham and one Stansted. So wait to see Ryanair and easyJet pile in.' The mass market players, he says, 'move in like a vacuum cleaner. The nature of the island will change but local governments do not understand what will happen until it is too late.' Even established hot spots can be victims of their own popularity. Airports on the Greek islands of Corfu and Crete, Josephides notes, are inundated with flights. 'The volume market won't go to destinations that aren't known, so you get this bottleneck of cheap flights fueling the likes of Airbnb. The local population are quite right — it's out of control.' An Airbnb spokesperson said in a statement: 'Airbnb offers a different way to travel that better spreads guests and benefits to more communities. The fact is that overtourism is getting worse in cities where Airbnb is heavily restricted: in Amsterdam or Barcelona, the introduction of stringent restrictions on short term rentals have coincided with a steep increase in guest nights driven by hotels, and a surge in accommodation prices for travelers. Cities that want to have a significant impact on overtourism should embrace tourism that supports families and communities.' They added that 59% of 'guest nights' sold in the EU on Airbnb in 2024 are in destinations outside cities, while their research published in June shows that the majority of tourists still choose hotels. VRBO, another major short-term rental provider, did not respond to a request for comment. Pedro Homar knows this pressure well. As tourism director for Visit Palma, he's caught between visitors behaving badly in the Spanish city, and residents demanding action. 'We need to ensure that tourism is a sustainable industry, not just from an environmental point of view but also from a social and economic point of view,' he says. 'Our economy depends on tourism, so we either make sure we're physically sustainable or we will not have a future.' Since the pandemic, Palma has stopped promoting itself outright. Instead, it runs 'image campaigns' to shape perceptions — even running ads to call out antisocial behavior in certain resorts. In 2022, the city capped cruise ship arrivals at three a day, even though the port can handle six (Barcelona has followed suit, announcing in July that it will close two of its seven cruise terminals from 2026). It banned short-term rental apartments and Airbnbs in city-center residential buildings and has set a cap of 12,000 hotel beds: for a new hotel to open, another must close. Palma has also built up a 50-million-euro ($58 million) fund to buy and remove outdated hotels from circulation — typically cheaper properties that tend to attract budget tourists. 'It's a way of taking out of the market all these obsolete and old hotels that are no longer competitive and not the kind of product that we want for the destination,' Homar says. Palma's approach raises a question: Who has the 'right' to travel? Some destinations have long used high costs to deter mass tourism. Bhutan charges a $100-a-day 'sustainable development fund' fee. A gorilla-trekking permit in Rwanda costs $1,500 per person. Even Venice's 10-euro day-tripper fee has drawn criticism from locals for selling the city to the wealthy. Homar argues that destinations should have the right to choose their visitors, likening it to deciding whom to invite to dinner. 'I really do believe that as mature destinations, we have the right to choose the tourists that we want, and don't want,' he says. 'We want tourists that respect our personality, our way of living, our traditions. 'If you are thinking of coming over without a respectful point of view, we say, respectfully, we don't need you.' Josephides is blunter. 'They don't want the rabble anymore,' he says. 'It sounds awful to say so, and everyone's entitled to a holiday, but the numbers just keep growing. The whole thing is out of control. I can understand the democratization but it's up to the destination if they want clients without any money,' he adds. 'I'd like to drive a Ferrari, but I can't afford it.' For now, he says, most European destinations seem focused on capping numbers rather than pricing out budget travelers entirely. Restoring the goodwill of residents is just as important as tackling the crowds. 'A city where residents are not satisfied is a city that doesn't work,' says Ruben Santopietro, CEO of Visit Italy, a marketing company for various destinations across the country. 'It loses its identity completely. Residents feel excluded and neighborhoods become touristic.' Born in Naples, which saw protests over lack of housing and growing short-term rental numbers in March, Santopietro has watched his hometown surge in popularity — and housing prices — over the past decade. He warns that if growth continues unchecked, 'in five years, 50% of the città d'arte (Italian cities of culture) will become inaccessible.' Rome, Florence and Naples, he says, are already 'suffocated by tourism' almost to the point of no return. Visitors, he adds, actually want locals around. 'Venice belongs to the Venetians. If locals aren't there, they won't go. Putting residents at the center of tourism models is the only way to preserve our cities from becoming open-air museums.' Homar agrees, echoing the same phrase — 'putting residents at the center of the tourist strategy' — when talking about Palma's new five-year plan, adopted in 2023. Some hotels the city buys will be replaced with green spaces or converted to housing. In November, Palma will launch free cultural activities for locals — organ recitals, children's days in the old atelier of artist Joan Miró, theater concerts organized by Spanish national radio stations, guided architectural walks around the city — to 'uplift the sense of belonging and the pride of being a citizen.' 'All these initiatives will be in spaces that residents for some reason believe are just for tourists,' he says. 'We're seeing that the sense of belonging that residents used to have about being in Palma, they were slowly losing that and we need to change that dynamic.' Redistributing visitors can also help. The problem in Italy, Santopietro says, isn't that the country can't handle the numbers — it's that everyone goes to the same places. This summer, his agency launched a campaign, 'The 99% of Italy,' encouraging travelers to visit lesser-known destinations from Genoa to Tropea (some of which were their clients, but not all). 'We used social media platforms as they have created these imbalances,' he says, adding that they expect tangible results in the long term, as regional marketing campaigns take longer to take effect. Santopietro says that even in the busiest destinations, steps can be taken to disperse visitors. He suggests incentives — for example, discounted tickets to Rome's Colosseum for those who've already visited the ancient coastal town of Ostia Antica. In the short term, protests are likely to spread, says Estrella Diaz Sanchez, associate professor of marketing at Spain's University of Castilla-La Mancha. 'Some locals are frustrated about the number of tourists they receive, but I think the main factor is skyrocketing rents, driven by short-term holiday lets, pushing locals out of the housing markets,' she says. 'The solution isn't to reject tourism; it's to make it more inclusive and respectful.' Even Josephides, the tourism industry doomsayer, thinks recovery is possible. He points to Estoril, on the Lisbon coast, which in the 1970s was a mass-market destination. Authorities decided to push it upmarket, and succeeded. 'You can recover, but it takes time,' he says. 'It's much easier for a destination to control its growth rather than repair it afterwards.' See Full Web Article
Yahoo
5 hours ago
- Yahoo
Higher airfares and hotel prices predicted to push up UK inflation in July
Prices in the UK are set to have risen faster last month as school holidays boosted travel costs and grocery bills remain elevated, economists said. Some experts said an 'Oasis bump' could have contributed to higher accommodation prices in July. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) will publish the latest inflation dataset on Wednesday. The rate of Consumer Prices Index (CPI) inflation is widely expected to have increased to 3.7% in July, from the 3.6% recorded in June. The school summer holidays are likely to have seen airfares rise considerably, with airlines typically bumping up prices in July amid stronger demand from families. Analysts for Pantheon Macroeconomics forecast that airfares could surge by 17.1% between June and July. Rail costs and package holidays are also set to have jumped amid the spike in summer travel. July's Retail Prices Index (RPI) measure of inflation will also be announced on Wednesday. The Government has not confirmed how it will determine the cap on regulated train fare rises in England in 2026, but this year's 4.6% hike was one percentage point above RPI in July 2024. Banking group Investec has forecast this year's July RPI figure will be 4.5%, which means fares could jump by 5.5%. Pressure group Railfuture told the PA news agency 'it would be outrageous' if fares rose by that much. Meanwhile, economists have pointed to a possible spike in hotel prices helping drive up CPI inflation in July. Sanjay Raja, senior economist for Deutsche Bank, said this could partly be attributed to British band Oasis kicking off their reunion tour in July. The concerts brought in hordes of fans to arenas in Cardiff, Manchester, London and Edinburgh, which could have driven greater demand for hotel rooms. Accommodation prices could rise by as much as 9% in July, compared with June, 'with the Oasis concerts having a strong impact on Manchester prices alone', the economist said. Mr Raja is predicting headline UK inflation will have risen to 3.8% in July. Susannah Streeter, head of money and markets for Hargreaves Lansdown, said: 'The Oasis tour, which saw high demand for hospitality around the gig dates, has the potential to push up inflation in the sector during July. 'We are unlikely to see the Gallagher effect show up in quite the same way as Taylor Swift's bump to prices in June 2024. 'But demand for hotel rooms, beer, bucket hats and Nineties-style gear could be one of the factors that keep inflation heading higher.' Food prices have also been rising in recent months – partly driven by higher ingredients, labour and regulatory costs. Annual food price inflation increased for the third month in a row in June, hitting the highest rate since February 2024. Victoria Scholar, head of investment for Interactive Investor, said there were 'particular worries about domestic food price inflation as well as uncertainty around how (US President Donald) Trump's tariffs could push up prices'. The Bank of England is forecasting that inflation will increase further this year and peak at about 4% in September, before easing throughout the next two years. The central bank said accelerating food and energy prices have been key drivers in the uptick in inflation. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
6 hours ago
- Yahoo
Best credit cards for air miles
Credit cards aren't just about spending. They are also powerful tools that, when used wisely, can help you save money, manage debt and even earn rewards. Whether you're looking to cut down on interest payments, earn cashback on everyday purchases, rack up air miles for your next holiday, or avoid fees while traveling abroad, there's a credit card tailored to your needs. In this guide, we'll break down the best options on the market for balance transfers, purchases, cashback, air miles and travel spending. We'll show you how to use these cards to your advantage, ensuring you get the most value while avoiding common mistakes. Best credit cards for air miles If you travel frequently, a credit card for air miles can help reduce the cost of flights and even unlock perks like flight upgrades and hotel stays. By using these cards for everyday purchases, you can earn points that can be redeemed for flights with your favourite airline's loyalty programme. Read more: How to use your Avios points for more than flight tickets How it works: 1. Earn miles: Points are usually earned based on the amount you spend and the class of your ticket — premium tickets often earn more points. 2. Redeem points: You can use points to cover the cost of flights or upgrades, though taxes and fees may still apply. Kate Steere, a credit card expert at personal finance comparison site said: 'For big rewards, the British Airways (IAG.L) American Express (AXP) Premium Plus Card offers 30,000 Avios when you spend £6,000 in three months, while the Barclaycard Avios Plus Card gives 25,000 Avios for spending £3,000 in the same period. "Virgin Atlantic fans can earn 18,000 points with the Virgin Money Virgin Atlantic Reward Plus Credit Card by making their first purchase within 90 days. Just remember the cards with the biggest introductory reward offers are also the ones with the largest annual fees.' Best 0% purchase credit cards A 0% purchase card allows you to make new purchases without paying interest for a set number of months. This can save you thousands compared with using a standard credit card, assuming you pay off the balance during the interest-free period. Read more: How to build passive income These cards are perfect for planned, necessary purchases. Think of them as a tool for managing big buys such as a new TV or essential home improvements. Let's say you take out a 0% purchase card with a 10-month interest-free period and spend £2,000 on new appliances. If you repay £200 each month, you'll clear the debt before the interest kicks in. However, if you still have a balance after the 10-month period, you'll start accruing interest at the standard rate, which can be as high as 27% annually. Key points: 1. Make sure to pay at least the minimum each month to keep the 0% deal. 2. Borrow only what you can comfortably repay within the 0% period. Steere said: 'TSB currently has the longest 0% purchase deal on the market at 25 months, narrowly ahead of M&S (MKS.L) and Barclaycard at 0% for 24 months. 'If you're planning a large expenditure, the current range of 0% purchase cards gives you 2 years to pay off your balance. None of these cards come with annual fees, but all of them revert to very standard (read 'punishing') rates after the 0% periods end. If you haven't cleared your balance at that point, look at a balance transfer deal.' Best credit cards for holidays and travelling Planning a trip abroad? A specialist travel credit card can save you a bundle by offering near-perfect exchange rates without the usual foreign transaction fees. Most credit and debit cards charge around 3% on foreign transactions, meaning a £100 purchase abroad could cost you £103. On top of that, some cards add a flat fee for every overseas transaction. Specialist travel cards waive those fees, letting you spend abroad at the same rates your bank gets. Key points: 1. Avoid cash withdrawals, as they often come with fees and interest. 2. Use the card for spending abroad to enjoy near-perfect exchange rates. Steere said: 'If you're summer holiday is still coming up, there are great offers at the moment to help you avoid currency conversion fees overseas, and you can even earn cashback on your spending (at home or abroad). "NatWest offers 1% cashback on all eligible travel spending, while you can get 0.25% cashback with Barclaycard. Just be sure to pay your card off in full each month to avoid paying interest (which would soon outweigh any cashback).' Best 0% balance transfer credit cards If you're struggling to keep up with credit card payments, a balance transfer credit card can be a lifesaver. These cards allow you to transfer existing credit card debt onto a new card with a 0% interest rate for a set period, potentially saving you hundreds of pounds in interest. Read more: How to find the weak link in your finances However, there are some crucial rules to follow to make the most of these deals: Always pay the minimum monthly repayment. Missing a payment could result in losing your 0% interest deal, incurring fines, and damaging your credit score. Clear the debt within the interest-free period. To avoid paying interest after the promotional period ends, make sure you can pay off the entire balance within the 0% timeframe. Don't use the card for new purchases. The 0% deal usually applies only to transferred balances, and using the card for new spending could result in hefty interest charges. Check your credit score. The best deals are often reserved for those with a strong credit rating, so it's worth checking your score before applying. Steere said: 'There's healthy competition in the balance transfer market at the moment, with 4 big names offering almost 3 years at 0%. MBNA leads the pack with 0% for 34 months and a balance transfer fee of 2.99%. "If you're in the market for a balance transfer and don't think you'll need such a long period to clear your card debt, then first consider the longest no-fee deals on the market (Barclaycard currently offers 14 months with no transfer fee). But if you do know you'll need longer to clear your debt, then it's worth taking a slightly shorter 0% term to get a lower balance transfer fee.' Best cashback credit cards A cashback credit card rewards you with a percentage of your spending, effectively giving you back some of what you spend. For example, if your card offers 1% cashback and you spend £100 on groceries, you'll earn £1 back. This cashback is typically credited to your account or added to your statement. Read more: Analysts' top emerging market fund and trust picks Things to watch out for: 1. Limits: Some cards cap the total cashback you can earn. 2. Introductory offers: Cashback rates might only apply for the first few months. 3. Restrictions: Some cashback offers are limited to specific purchases or retailers. 4. Minimum spend: Some cards require you to spend a certain amount to qualify for cashback. Steere said: "Amex (AXP) currently offers the highest introductory cashback rate: 5% (up to £125) plus an extra £10 bonus cashback for the first 5 months. After the 5 months, with the Everyday Amex you can earn 0.5% ongoing cashback (1% on annual spend over £10,000) or you can upgrade to the Amex Cashback Credit Card (£25/year) for a slightly higher ongoing earn-rate. Afterwards, you can earn 0.75% ongoing cashback - the extra cashback covering the card fee once it kicks back in, provided you spend £10,000 on the card annually. "However, if you want an instant welcome bonus, then you can get a £20 Amazon (AMZN) welcome gift card with the Amazon Barclaycard.' Disclaimer: The opinions expressed are the author's alone (unless stated otherwise) and have not been provided, approved, or otherwise endorsed by the providers listed. Yahoo does not earn any commissions from the lenders, or any other third party from the content in this series.
