St Helier businesses take part in Battle of Flowers
He said the shops, cafes and restaurants have decorated their shopfronts in partnership with one of the floats which will feature in the event.Ms Rouse said: "We wanted to go big and bold and didn't want to restrict the display to the window."The Friends of Galaad wanted to do tulips from Amsterdam and our team is going to help with the painting of the float."She said people have noticed how "lovely and vibrant" the town felt since the displays, which Ms Rouse said she had no intention of taking down, weather permitting.
She added: "We have worked something we know we will use again and again and keep the shop and the town looking vibrant."There is real potential for this to roll out and be a seasonal thing not just for Battle of the Flowers and just make the town really inviting."Deputy Morel said there is a "real link between Battle of Flowers and retailers"."At the end of the parade, the main pieces on the floats will be given to the shops who have worked with it," he said."I'm hoping it will bring a new vibe to the Battle of Flowers and allow people to be closer to it and allow the town to be part of the battle."
He said he hopes this year's plans would "bring a new vibe" to the event and allow people to feel closer to it. "The fact we are bringing colour to town and making it look even nicer will help people come to town and tourists will be delighted to see the floral displays throughout the town."Deputy Morel said if the event went well this year, he would like to see the initiative continue between local businesses and the event. He said the displays should all aim to be sustainable."If we can play a little part of raising awareness of a clean and healthy environment through this, then that's really good," he added.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Guardian
9 minutes ago
- The Guardian
Two-fifths of mobile phones stolen in Europe are taken in UK, data reveals
Nearly two in every five phones stolen in Europe are taken in the UK, according to data collated an insurance firm. An analysis of claims made to the American insurance company SquareTrade showed that 39% of all phone thefts across the company's 12 European markets were in Britain. This was despite the UK only making up 10% of the company's European customers. The data revealed that phone theft claims in the UK had increased by 425% since June 2021 and 42% of phone thefts in the UK occurred in London. This equated to 16% of all phone thefts in Europe. The data, reported by the Times, comes amid growing concern about phone snatching, with police saying gangs are now stealing handsets as an easier way to make money than drug dealing. The Metropolitan police said about 80,000 phones were stolen in London last year, describing the phenomenon as an 'organised criminal enterprise'. The stolen devices had a street value of about £20m, with iPhones being targeted most frequently. James Conway, a Met police commander specialising in phone thefts, said phone theft had become more prevalent among gangs partly due to a growing demand for such gadgets in overseas markets, creating opportunities for 'huge profitability'. Conway said: 'These are the same sort of gangs that are also running county lines operations and dealing [drugs] but are getting increasingly involved in robbery and theft … They can make a far greater profit than from dealing drugs in the same period of time with a lower risk from a criminal justice perspective.' The commander added: 'The sort of sentences you see for drug trafficking or drug dealing offences, and those you might receive for a series of thefts as a young person are very different.' The police have called for phone companies to cut off cloud services on stolen phones in an effort to reduce their resale value. Representatives of Google and Apple told the House of Commons science and technology committee last month that security features were already in place to protect customer data. Simon Wingrove, a software engineering manager at Google, said its system for such situations was 'robust and works very well'. Gary Davis, a senior director in regulatory and legal at Apple, said the company was concerned about the potential for fraud. He said there was a risk of bad actors attempting to obtain data and the power to delete accounts for blackmailing victims. The Apple representative added the company had invested 'many hundreds of millions' in designing protections for its customers against phone theft.
Daily Mail
9 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
I earn £100,000 a year but don't feel rich - I've downgraded to PureGym and holidays in Europe, ditched M&S groceries and only eat out once a week
A Gen Z professional who earns £100,000 a year insists that, despite having no dependents to care for, he doesn't 'feel rich at all'. Jack Kim, 28, works as a strategy consultant and brings home around £6,000 a month after tax but calls himself a 'HENRY' – which stands for 'high earners not rich yet'. HENRYs are young people in the UK's top 10 per cent of earners who say they are left with little at the end of the month after bills, taxes and lifestyle inflation. Living in central London in a two-bedroom property he bought with his partner for £550,000, Jack – who covers all their expenses – says he is feeling the cost of living. His monthly expenses include £2,630 on his mortgage payment and council tax, £420 in bills, £250 on groceries and £400 for socialising. Jack claims he's had to adjust his lifestyle due to cost-of-living – ditching a weekly M&S shop for Sainsbury's, having to swap luxury holidays in Asia for European mini breaks and opting for Pure Gym instead of the more expensive chain Gymbox. Jack, from East London, said: 'Even though I'm on a six-figure salary, I don't feel rich at all. Jack pays £2,630 a month for the mortgage and council tax on the two-bedroom flat he shares with his partner 'Everyone knows living in London is extremely expensive. 'It comes to four main things – higher tax rate for people on six-figure salaries, higher living costs, lifestyle inflation and debt. 'As income rises, so does your lifestyle. 'I don't wear flashy, high-end clothes or own expensive watches, I opt for high street brands like Uniqlo. 'We try and live below our means by limiting eating out to once a week at a good quality restaurant. 'Other than a drink at special occasions like weddings, I don't drink alcohol, which is very expensive. 'We feel the cost of living just like anyone else. I don't feel upper-middle class.' Jack sends £500 a month to his parents in South Korea and after all his expenses are paid, he's left with about £320 which goes on clothes, one-off expenses such as gifts or saving for a holiday. After graduating from the London School of Economics with a bachelor's and master's degree in management in 2019 – which cost £99,000 in tuition fees – Jack began his career as a strategy consultant on a £21,000 salary. He quickly progressed to £45,000 and began saving for a £82,000 deposit to buy a property with his partner. 'We collectively needed roughly £82,000 for a deposit, and we did that in two years with some help from our parents,' Jack said. 'It meant we stopped eating out and primarily cooked at home. During that time, it was Covid which did help because it meant we weren't spending as much or travelling at all.' And in December 2021, Jack and his partner got on to the property ladder, purchasing their two-bedroom flat. 'Being on a combined income helped us for sure, but alongside our own drive and determination,' he added. 'I can only imagine how hard it is for young people to get on the property ladder now. Especially if they're single and doing it alone. 'Affordability and the goalposts for a mortgage have changed – even in the last four years. Despite getting several pay rises since the start of his career, the 28-year-old doesn't feel it's made a big difference to his lifestyle 'It's not affordable to get a mortgage these days – unless you have generational wealth. 'Growing up, my family and I were considered a lower-income family. From the ages of seven to eight, my mum, dad, brother and I lived in a studio flat in Seoul, South Korea. 'Since gaining my education and career in London, I'd say as a whole, my family are middle class. But we certainly don't feel it in the grand scheme of things. 'I don't have an expensive watch or a car. No luxury yacht or Monaco, St Moritz holidays like my friends who are bankers. 'Consulting is an industry where you can see fast income growth. Even though my income has increased, our lifestyle hasn't changed that much.'
The Sun
9 minutes ago
- The Sun
British beer giant is shutting NINE pubs today including its flagship bar with 100 jobs at risk – is one going near you?
IT'S a sad day for BrewDog fans as NINE of its iconic pubs are closing today. On Friday, the former punk poster child for craft beer even axed their most popular London watering hole in Camden. Union officials have blasted bosses at the pub chain on social media following claims that staff were given just three days' notice. The full list of BrewDog pubs closing today are: Aberdeen flagship (Gallowgate) Brighton Dundee Leeds North Street Oxford Sheffield Shepherds Bush Shoreditch York The brand's huge Camden branch closed on Friday, despite it being one of the company's most popular pubs. Details on the number of potential jobs that could be lost as a result of the closures are unknown at this stage. However, bosses at BrewDog have said they are undergoing an appropriate consultation process with all affected staff which will last a minimum of two weeks. They added that there will be one-to-one meetings with every member of staff who is at risk of redundancy. But they confirmed that "every effort will be made to made to redeploy as many members of staff as possible." Unite Hospitality shared the news with a post on X, formerly known as Twitter. It read: "Brew Dog have announced that they are closing 10 flagship bars from Aberdeen to Camden, as soon as THIS FRIDAY! "In what universe is THREE DAYS a morally (or legally) acceptable notice period for a proper redundancy consultation for the workers impacted?!" BrewDog's James Watt & fiancee Georgia Toffolo spark backlash with 'cringeworthy' video about their relationship A statement from CEO James Taylor was posted on the shareholders' forum announcing that closures come as part of a "strategic review". He explained that the firm has "faced continued challenges" in the UK, including "rising costs, increased regulation, and economic pressures", which have resulted in the closures. He said: "Despite our best efforts, it has simply not been possible to find a formula to make these bars viable due to their size, location and other limiting factors." Taylor added: "Keeping them open would put pressure on the wider business, making it harder to invest where we know we can grow. "This decision is not simply a response to the challenging UK hospitality market but a proactive decision to redefine the bar division's focus. "This is not a decision we've taken lightly. But as we evolve BrewDog into a more focused and sustainable business, we've had to be honest about where we are - and where we're heading". In an internal note shared amongst staff, Taylor said: "To everyone who worked in these bars, and every customer who supported them - thank you. "These bars helped make BrewDog what it is today, and we're grateful for your support over the years." 4 A spokesperson for BrewDog told The Scottish Sun: 'We can confirm that following a review of our bars business, we have made the difficult decision to close ten bars. "This reflects a more focused strategy and a rationalisation of our bar footprint. "Despite our best efforts, and the hard work of our teams, it has simply not been possible to make these bars commercially viable. 'We are working hard to minimise the impact on our people, and we expect to redeploy many affected team members across the BrewDog network. " For those leaving the business, we're providing as much support as possible during this transition. "We remain passionate and firmly committed to our bars, and optimistic about the future, as we still see significant long-term opportunity'. The Sun has also contacted BrewDog representatives for comment. BrewDog was founded in 2007 by James Watt and Martin Dickie. It bulldozed its way into the beer scene, flipping two fingers to the lager giants and slapping 'anti-establishment' on every can. In 2024, Watt stepped down from his CEO role after 17 years in the hot seat. He passed the baton to chief operating officer James Arrow as the "business pushed forward into its next phase of growth". But in March this year, Arrow stepped down from the hefty role due, citing "personal reasons". 4 4
