
Irchester lamb-feeding event expanded ahead of its spring return
Jane Bethea, director of public health, communities and leisure at North Northamptonshire Council, said it would teach visitors about the "dedication" it takes from the farming community to "raise and care for lambs"."We can't wait to welcome thousands of visitors to be part of this heartwarming tradition, guided by our expert lamb welfare team from Watermeadow Park," she said."The team have been working closely with colleagues in the public health team to ensure that everyone is safe whilst enjoying the experience."The event will take place between 5 and 21 April and will also offer quiet special educational needs and disabilities (Send) sessions.
Follow Northamptonshire news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Daily Mirror
15 hours ago
- Daily Mirror
'I sobbed outside Disney as we were turned away - we've still not got £650 refund'
Sue Batters paid more than £3,000 to treat her two daughters and five grandsons to a three-day break in Disneyland Paris - but things went wrong on the final day A grandmother was left in floods of tears when her dream family holiday to Disney turned into a nightmare after their park tickets were unexpectedly cancelled. Sue Batters, 68, splashed out over £3,000 for a three-day Disneyland Paris trip for her two daughters and five grandsons. The package deal, booked through Times and Travels UK, included Eurostar travel, hotel accommodation, and entry to the two main theme parks, Disneyland and Walt Disney Studios. However, the family's joy was short-lived when on the final day of their holiday, their Disneyland passes were unexpectedly cancelled. Sue, from Avery Way, Allhallows, on the Hoo Peninsula, said: "I was in tears. My grandchildren kept asking me why I was crying. What are you supposed to do when you have five children who want to go to Disney? They did not understand why we could not get in." READ MORE: Inside 'saddest ever' Grand Designs house that tore family apart as it FINALLY sells The London-based firm has since apologised and confirmed that the day passes were cancelled by its supplier without notice. Despite initial scepticism about the package deal, which she discovered on Facebook, Sue had done her due diligence, checking the company's website and reviews, all of which were positive, and ensuring its holidays were protected by a professional trade body. She then decided to proceed and reserve the getaway for late May, including herself, her daughters Rebecca and Hayley, plus her grandsons Archie, Alfie, Freddie, Stanley, and Parker. Everything was perfect until the final day when their passes ceased functioning while attempting to enter the Walt Disney Studios Park. The party of eight was informed by personnel that their passes had been revoked and they should telephone Times and Travels UK for help. After attempting to reach the travel company all morning, the family were eventually informed at 1pm that the tickets had been cancelled two days prior to their departure due to a £497 discrepancy. Sue, who works as a semi-retired driver, maintained that she had settled the complete cost of the holiday and ultimately discovered there had been an "admin error" which resulted in the cancellation. She continued: "This was a once-in-a-lifetime trip. I spent all my savings on a magical holiday, but this ruined it. I was meant to be a lovely trip away for the family, but instead we were standing outside Disney crying with five children." She was recommended to purchase fresh passes at the venue, which she did for £650, with assurances they would be reimbursed. Sue has yet to receive the reimbursement, but Times and Travels UK told her they were working to process the repayment and apologised for the delay in doing so. According to its terms and conditions, its package deals are financially protected, and it takes responsibility for its suppliers under the Package Travel Regulations. Sue revealed that the company has proposed a payment of £459 followed by two instalments of £100 each, but she has rejected this, insisting on a one-time full payment. The grandmother expressed her concern: "What if someone did not have the money to buy the tickets at the door? Not everyone has that option, and it is not a small amount that you might have extra. "I always book holidays with the likes of TUI and Jet2, but I checked it out and it looked fine. I did have a bad feeling, so I booked it on the credit card and made sure I was protected. In the back of my mind, I was worried." Times and Travels UK has yet to respond to a request for comment. However, in response to Sue's review on Trustpilot posted on 7 July, the firm explained that the day passes were cancelled by its supplier without prior notice. It added: "We acknowledge this was frustrating and we sincerely apologise for the stress it caused. As soon as you made us aware, we investigated and confirmed that you will be refunded for the cost of the cancelled tickets. This promise still stands, and we are working to process it. "We have never refused your refund, and at no point did we say we would not take responsibility. We understand the delay has caused frustration, and we truly are sorry." The firm stated: "Times and Travels UK is a registered travel business. We have helped hundreds of families and couples travel to Disney, Asia, and beyond, and we take our reputation seriously. "Our small team is still working through a backlog due to a recent internal change in management, but no one has been ignored or left behind intentionally, and every pending case is being resolved. We hope you will allow us to complete the process and make this right." Based on Trustpilot data, the vast majority of customer reviews for Times and Travels UK award the company five stars.


Scottish Sun
16 hours ago
- Scottish Sun
Travel chaos as ScotRail ticket and payment systems hit by network outage
Some of the country's busiest stations have been hit RAIL FAIL Travel chaos as ScotRail ticket and payment systems hit by network outage Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) TRAVEL chaos has been sparked after ScotRail's ticketing system was hit by a network glitch. IT issues are affecting passengers on the country's busiest train stations, including Glasgow Central, Glasgow Queen Street and Edinburgh Waverley. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 2 ScotRail said its internet service provider is experiencing a "network outage" at a "small number of locations" across the country. Commuters have been left unable to check train times or buy tickets on their phones or at stations because of the outage. Passengers are reporting problems buying tickets on the ScotRail app as well as station machines. Train-users have been warned some departure boards in stations are also not showing accurate times. A warning on the app for trains between Glasgow and Edinburgh also states: "Customer information screens and live departure boards may be showing inaccurately at ScotRail stations." Alan Manclark, ScotRail's head of IT, said: "We're aware of an issue being experienced by our internet service provider, which is affecting connectivity at a small number of locations across the country. "Our supplier is working hard to resolve the issue, and we're sorry to customers for the inconvenience while we await a fix." More to follow... For the latest news on this story keep checking back at The Scottish Sun. is your go to destination for the best celebrity news, football news, real-life stories, jaw-dropping pictures and must-see video. Like us on Facebook at and follow us from our main Twitter account at @TheScottishSun.


Daily Mirror
20 hours ago
- Daily Mirror
Woman shares how she visited 7 countries in a year without using annual leave
Claire Howard went on 13 extreme day trips - lasting no longer than 24 hours each - to overcome her fear of flying, which she has had for 26 years A mum managed to visit seven countries in just one year, spending just £2,600 and without taking a single day of annual leave. Claire Howard embarked on 13 extreme day trips, each lasting no longer than 24 hours, to conquer her fear of flying - a phobia that developed when she was 21. The English teacher from Solihull, West Midlands, found this intense approach to travel incredibly effective in overcoming her flight fears. Claire's journey began with an impulsive booking for a solo day trip from Birmingham Airport to Geneva in January 2024. Despite trying to cancel the next morning in a state of panic, she went ahead due to the high cancellation fee and her determination to overcome her anxiety. Claire said: "After a late night of scrolling I just booked one. "I decided to go on my own, I just thought 'if I can do this then I can do anything'. When I woke up the next morning in the cold light of day I panicked and tried to cancel. But there was a £40 cancellation fee and I had only spent £42 on the flights so I decided to just go." She added: "I was really anxious but also so excited. The feeling when I got back and I had done it was amazing, I was on such a high from it." The bravery can be traced back to a traumatic experience during her early travels, a terrible bout of turbulence on a flight from Perth to Singapore in the late 1990s, reports MyLondon. She recalled her ordeal: "I was young, I was on my own, and loads of people on the flight had started getting out prayer beads. "It was really terrifying. That was what really sparked my fear of flying. I did fly again, but I was at the point where I had to go to the doctor and get diazepam to get on a plane. "It starts a couple of days before. I start obsessing about getting on the plane and running through all sorts of scenarios. When I get on the plane, any sort of sound or judder will make me freeze. For me it is the lack of control, you can't get off." She added: "The fear is paralysing. I can't concentrate on anything but analysing to see any signs of something wrong. I become frozen from the fear. I am fine once I am there, but the build up to getting on the plane again overshadows all the fun and excitement." But everything transformed after she underwent a preventative hysterectomy due to her elevated cancer risk from carrying the BRCA 1 gene. The procedure meant she could cut back her working hours and gained an additional day off weekly. Refusing to squander this precious time, she discovered a Facebook group dedicated to conquering phobias. Claire said: "What I didn't want to do was spend my day off cooking or cleaning. That is when I saw the Extreme Day Trips group. I decided I was going to use my day off to do 12 trips in 12 months." Determined to conquer her phobia, Claire pledged to board a plane once monthly, even if just for a single day, to familiarise herself with flying. "I was going to force myself to get on a plane once a month," she said. "If I was only there for a day, I didn't have time to waste stressing about the flights. Flying has become much easier, I am now used to the routine of it. I now feel that I know what the noises are and everything is normalised." Throughout 13 intensive day excursions, Claire has not only mostly defeated her terror but also forged precious moments with her kids, Henry and Caelia. Among her travels, Poland has made a profound impact, with journeys to Warsaw, Bydgoszcz, and Poznan proving especially unforgettable. To keep her adventures budget-friendly, Claire has embraced bringing her own meals on flights and using the Too Good To Go app to discover reduced-price food whilst travelling. With return journeys costing between £27 and £65, each adventure, including attractions and meals, has totalled roughly £180 to £200. For 2025, Claire has already gone on a flight to Budapest and intends to undertake six additional journeys. She boldly declared: "I am not going to stop. I want it to continue being part of my life." Claire's trips so far: January 25, 2024: Flight to Geneva, travelling to Aiguille du Midi in Chamonix January 27, 2024: Alicante February 8, 2024: Montreux February 12, 2024: Bucharest March 2, 2024: Warsaw March 9, 2024: Bydgoszcz June 8, 2024: Beauvais June 18, 2024: Malaga July 10, 2024: Berlin July 23, 2024: Palma September 17, 2024: Howth October 28, 2024: Poznan December 7, 2024: Malaga