Action promised in Canterbury to protect 'iconic' Westgate blooms
Tourists trampling on flowers to get the perfect picture at a public garden have been reminded to stay "respectful".Westgate Gardens by the River Stour, an area owned by Canterbury City Council, boasts colourful seasonal displays, along with punts and a backdrop of Medieval houses which attract large numbers of visitors.But signs asking people to keep off the grass have failed to stop some from walking through the plants and causing damage.The authority said it is "actively looking" at more measures to protect the flower beds.
The council turfed the area in 2021, but later removed it with agreement from the community that flowers would be planted.Yvonne, a visitor from France, crossed the barrier and took photos on the mud path which has been created from constant footfall.She told BBC Radio Kent: "It says keep off the grass but there is no grass there, so I thought I wasn't walking on the grass."If it's got to be more firm then maybe they need better signage to say no trespassing."
A Canterbury City Council spokesperson said: "The flower displays in the Westgate Gardens are stunning and we enjoy seeing pictures popping up worldwide on Instagram, Tik Tok and other social media sites."The park is becoming increasingly iconic and being visited more and more as a result, and most people are very respectful of the displays.
"But we are aware of the concerns of residents that a tiny minority of visitors are causing damage to the flowers through their over-exuberance to get that perfect snap."We are currently actively looking at measures we can put in place that would protect the flowerbeds while still allowing photographs to be taken."In many ways it's a nice problem to have, and we are sure that through a combination of common sense and some small changes to the layout at that area of the Westgate Gardens, everyone can continue to enjoy the park and its flowers."
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Scottish Sun
32 minutes ago
- Scottish Sun
Devastated Big Brother star Imogen Thomas admits she's ‘traumatised' after ‘last' holiday with seriously ill mum
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) IMOGEN Thomas has called out easyJet for breaking her seriously ill mother's wheelchair on a flight. The 42-year-old star has flown to Italy with her mother Janet, who was diagnosed with Motor Neurone Disease (MND) in 2023. Sign up for the Entertainment newsletter Sign up 5 Imogen Thomas has been left 'traumatised' after a troubled flight with her mum Janet Credit: imogenthomas/Instagram 5 Imogen pleaded with Easyjet on social media for help after getting nowhere with their service helpline However, after suffering trouble on the flight, her mother's wheelchair is now broken, and the Big Brother star has blamed the airline for their lack of communication and called on them to help her. Sharing a photo of the broken chair, Imogen wrote on Instagram: "We've arrived in Italy but are traumatised. Easyjet have broke my mums electric wheelchair. "It will not fold and is unstable. We are beyond upset and I'm here trying to console my mum as much as possible." Explaining she went on social media as a last resort, Imogen shared her frustration with the airline's customer service system. READ MORE IMOGEN THOMAS WHO IS SHE? Big Brother's Imogen Thomas strips completely naked for bath in sizzling snaps "I've been on the chat to make a claim now it's disappeared," she said. "Called Easyjet and they told me nothing can be done on the phone only on the live chat. "Now I can't start a new chat as my old one is already open and it doesn't allow me although it's disappeared from my phone." "Please help me Easyjet this is our last holiday abroad as my mum's MSD is progressing," she added. "We are only here for a couple of days and it's ruined. "How on earth can this wheelchair break during transit in the hold? Beyond devastated. We had every reason to be nervous about this flight." When approached for comment, an easyJet representative told The Sun Online: "We are very sorry for the damage caused to Ms. Thomas' mother's wheelchair during transit and for the difficulty she experienced trying to get in touch with us. Big Brother star Imogen Thomas looks incredible as she strips off to black bikini on holiday "We have been in contact with the family to apologise and offer any assistance we can. "We understand how important it is for our customers to feel confident that essential items like this will be well cared for when travelling with us. "We are urgently looking into this with our ground handling partners." Imogen revealed her mother's motor neurone disease in January last year, six months after the initial diagnosis. Imogen went on to explain that she and Janet have decided to speak out publicly for several reasons. The star, who has two daughters of her own, said they are keen to raise awareness of MND and also hope Janet will be able to connect with others "who understand what she is going through". They added they were inspired to go public with the diagnosis after Coronation Street aired a storyline where character Paul Foreman had the disease. Motor Neurone Disease, which currently has no cure, is a rare disease that affects the brain and nerves, and causes weakness that gets worse over time. It slowly robs patients of the ability to walk, talk and eat, although every sufferer is different. 5 Janet and Imogen spoke out about the diagnosis last year Credit: imogenthomas/Instagram 5 Janet has been living with motor neurone disease since 2023 Credit: imogenthomas/Instagram
Scottish Sun
4 hours ago
- Scottish Sun
We bought a huge 3-bed home in Bulgaria without viewing for £25k, we've quit the UK with our kids, every day's a holiday
The mum revealed the tiny amount of tax they pay annually HOUSE ABOUT IT We bought a huge 3-bed home in Bulgaria without viewing for £25k, we've quit the UK with our kids, every day's a holiday BUYING a home can be expensive in the UK - and one couple decided to think outside the box. TikTok users RenovateBulgariaWithUs shared how they managed to snap up a huge three-bedroom house in the European country for just £25,000. 2 A British family have shared how they bought a home spontaneously in Bulgaria for £25,000 Credit: 2 The couple have been sharing their renovation story on TikTok Credit: Relocating from the UK with their kids, they have now set about turning it into their dream home. The large family pad needed quite a bit of work to it, and they have been updating following with their renovation journey. On their @renovatebulgariaw account, they revealed that they bought the house on a whim. They wrote: 'We bought this three-bedroom house in Bulgaria without viewing on a spontaneous Wednesday afternoon. 'Three bedrooms, half an acre of land, outbuildings.' One of the first jobs they tackled when they moved in was adding a working toilet to the bathroom, as it didn't have one. Thankfully they did have a working shower and sink to get them started. They've also replaced the windows, laid a new stylish floor and added a fire, which looked perfect for winter. The couple shared how they have decked out the house with bargain furniture that they have upcycled to make them look stylish. This included £15 chairs and a £15 dresser. I fled the UK for sunny Dubai - life back home is miserable & no-one has any cash Given the national average house price in the UK was reported at £264,500 in 2024, the family's Bulgarian home is an affordable alternative. As well as managing to snap up a cheap property, the couple shared how living costs are less in Bulgaria too. The mum wrote: 'You pay a tax yearly, like council tax, which is around £45. 'Then there is water and electric to pay, costs are very low compared to UK.' While the renovation appears to be a large project, the family have been taking advantage of a nearby pool and stunning lakes and hikes. And thankfully the kids are said to love their new home, with the mum saying: 'It's lovely.' Many people were impressed with their DIY renovation, with one saying: 'amazing house.' Another added: 'Everything you've done so far looks incredible!' A third commented: 'What a life.'
Daily Mirror
10 hours ago
- Daily Mirror
Uber Eats driver makes delivery in odd way as people say it'll 'take a while'
There are hundreds of Uber Eats couriers across the UK and while most deliver takeaways by car, bike or on foot, one courier came up with a very unique alternative An Uber Eats courier has come up with a very inventive way to deliver takeaways. You'll be familiar with couriers making deliveries on foot, or by car or bike, but one delivery man had a unique take. This courier took to a canal in east London all set with a green kayak, a double-ended paddle and the matching green Uber Eats delivery box at the back of the boat. A woman named Hannah caught him on video peacefully rowing while taking in his urban surroundings. Hannah shared the clip on TikTok and humorously said: 'If you've just ordered Uber Eats in Hackney it may take a while.' It is thought the video may have been taken on a section of Regent's Canal, which flows through the borough. While London boasts an expansive network of rivers and canals, it is not common to see delivery professionals complete their jobs via the capital's water ways. Hannah captioned her TikTok post with one simple word: 'Wholesome.' It has amassed more than one million views and over 500 comments at the time of writing. One comment uses a funny play on words as it reads: 'CanoeberEats.' Another user said: 'God forbid a man takes the scenic route.' A third asked: 'Does it say on the app ' arriving on a canoe'?' as the Uber Eats app typically lets customers know how their courier is making their way to the final address. A fourth joked: 'He's avoiding ulez, leave the man.' The Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) is an area in the capital where an emissions standard based charge is applied to non-compliant road vehicles. LinkedIn joined in on the fun as it commented: 'We spend a lot of time on LinkedIn but we've never seen this job ad.' "God forbid a man take the road less travelled," said another viewer. Someone else remarked: 'All these jokes in the comments, I legitimately want to know why he's in a canoe.' A different TikTok user responded: 'That's a pretty clear route from Islington to Finsbury Park. Bridge crossings are about a mile apart. There's few locks to move around. 'Far less chance of an accident than taking the towpaths. It's not a bad move.' Uber Eats couriers can use a variety of vehicles to make deliveries including motorbikes, bicycles and scooters but the most common method of transport is by road in a car. Delivering with Uber Eats is a flexible way of earning money as you can manage your own schedule by choosing when you want to make deliveries. There are many courier jobs in major cities across the UK, including London, Manchester, Liverpool and Edinburgh, as well as smaller cities around the country.
