'Lockdown was announced while doing clients' hair'
"The lockdown was announced mid-way through doing clients' hair, and it was all a bit frantic."It was like: 'What do we do? Do we finish the clients or have we literally got to chuck them out of the door and shut the shop and off we go?'"On 23 March, 2020, during the Covid-19 pandemic, the then Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced the first lockdown in the UK, ordering people to "stay at home". Former Shrewsbury hairdresser Jodie Allen thought it would last for two weeks.Instead, it lasted several weeks but led to an epiphany which saw her pursue a career in teaching.
"I went back into the salon and I was just a bit like: "Oh, I don't know that this is what I want to do any more, forever'" she said.
"The stars aligned… it was about half 3 in the morning… I looked on Telford College website and there was a job advertised for a hairdressing lecturer."She got the job, working at the salon two days per week, and teaching for three days.She was put through university, got a teaching qualification and eventually became the learning manager for hair, beauty and catering at the college."I think the time out of doing the normal really made me think about what I wanted to do," she said.
Although much of the country ground to a halt, that year could not have been a busier time for teacher and former midwife Sarah Davies.She administered vaccinations at Ludlow Racecourse as well as doing her college teaching job."I felt like it was my duty, I should use my qualifications and my experience to give something back," she said."I would teach my lessons in the morning online and then in the afternoon I would pick up the afternoon shift at the racecourse.
"It's probably one of my proudest achievements in all of my career… I think there's not many people who will be able to tell their grandchildren that that's what they did during Covid," she added.Ms Davies said if she could go back, she would tell herself that it would be okay."We have all come out the other side, and there were many many negatives and we're still feeling the negatives, but we can take some positives."
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Wales Online
2 hours ago
- Wales Online
The number of parents fined and prosecuted for not sending their children to school in Wales
The number of parents fined and prosecuted for not sending their children to school in Wales One council said it tries not to fine or prosecute parents who don't send their children to school while others take a stricter approach More than 500 parents were fined across Wales last term for not sending their children to school with more than 100 prosecutions. The figures, obtained through Freedom of Information Act requests, were revealed as schools face the annual problem of families taking their children out of lessons to go on summer holidays before prices rise in peak season. The Welsh Government, councils, and and schools are struggling to get more children back into classrooms. Despite a very small improvement in school attendance this academic year it still trails pre-pandemic levels more than five years after classrooms first closed to the threat of Covid. Some children have never returned at all. Schools inspectorate Estyn recently warned it would take a decade, at the current rate of progress, to get attendance rates back to where they were before Covid and some schools believe fines and court action are the only answer. On average secondary-age pupils miss around one day of school a fortnight and now miss 11 days of school more each year than before the pandemic. More than one in 10 secondary school sessions – counted as half a school day – are now being missed on average in high schools across Wales with absence rates worst for less-well-off children and those in key GCSE year 11. Article continues below Education inspectorate Esytn has described low school attendance in Wales as "an important national concern". The watchdog said school leaders in some parts of Wales have told inspectors they are frustrated that their local authorities won't fine parents who don't send their children in. They have told Estyn this failure to act is is "restricting their ability to challenge families to improve pupils' attendance". The data shows while some councils are issuing fines and prosecuting parents for not sending their children to school others, such as Anglesey, are not. Sign up for our free daily briefing on the biggest issues facing the nation sign up to the Wales Matters newsletter here. Fixed penalty notice (FPN) fines for parents not sending their children to school are £60 rising to £120 if that's not paid within 28 days. Parents can be prosecuted if they do not pay those fines or if there is a recurring pattern of their children being absent from lessons. WalesOnline asked all 22 councils for data on fines, prosecutions, and fixed penalty notices issued in respect of children absent from school in the spring term 2025. Only 13 of the 22 councils responded to our requests, despite a statutory timeframe of 20 working days for doing so, meaning the true figures for fines and court cases will be higher. Only Cardiff, Wales' largest local education authority, provided details of total amounts that fines cost parents last term. The prosecutions listed may refer to absences before last term and may not be connected in all cases to the FPNs issued last term. Fines issued by each council to parents whose children didn't attend school in the spring term 2025 Anglesey Anglesey said it issues no fines and there were no prosecutions for parents not sending their children to school there last term but the council admitted this did not mean there was not a need to do so. A spokesman for Anglesey Council said: "This isn't because sometimes there hasn't been a need. However we have made a decision to focus on working with parents without having to resort to using legal channels." Blaenau Gwent Overall 77 FPNs were issued while there were 59 prosecutions which all resulted in financial penalties but the amounts were not specified. Bridgend Five FPNs were handed out but there were no prosecutions. A Bridgend County Borough Council spokesman said: 'In line with our latest policy a total of five fixed-penalty notices (FPNs) were issued to parents/carers in relation to school absences during spring term 2025. 'Our policy in relation to FPNs reinforces our positive messaging in local communities about the impact school attendance has on the overall development, learning, and wellbeing of our pupils. 'A range of factors are always taken into account such as the level of unauthorised absence, any equalities considerations, additional needs, history of attendance, the level of parental engagement, and any adverse effect a fine will have on the welfare of the family in question.' Caerphilly In total 75 FPNs were issued though six were withdrawn. There were eight prosecutions with seven fines and one remaining outstanding. The council said: "If a pupil who is registered at a school fails to attend regularly and attempts by the education welfare officer and the school fail to secure regular attendance consideration will be given to issuing the parent with a fixed penalty notice. Unless there are known mitigating circumstances the local authority could also consider taking legal action by issuing a summons against the parents to appear before the magistrates' court under section 444 of the 1996 Education Act. "In deciding whether to take legal action the EWO (education welfare officer) must be satisfied that there is sufficient evidence to provide a realistic prospect of conviction. It must consider what the defence case may be and how this is likely to affect the prosecution case." Cardiff Overall 220 FPNs were issued. There were also 34 prosecutions with outcomes as follows: Three parents were fined £40 Four parents were fined £60 Three parents were fined £80 Eight parents were fined £120 Two parents were fined £180 Eight parents were fined £220 Three parents were fined £440 One parent was given a six-month conditional discharge and ordered to pay £75 prosecution costs and a £26 victim surcharge One parent was handed a community order for a period of 18 months to include 25 rehabilitation order requirement (RAR) days plus a £120 fine, £150 prosecution costs, and £114 victim surcharge One parent was made subject to a 12-month community order with 10 RAR days and ordered to pay prosecution costs of £80 and a £114 victim surcharge In the first seven cases disposed of solely by fines above all parents were required to pay court costs of between £75 and £150 and a victim surcharge of between £16 and £176. Ceredigion The council said there were fewer than five FPNs and prosecutions initiated by the local authority last term. The council said: "Ceredigion local authority always aim to work in partnership with parents in order to resolve reasons for non-attendance and therefore any consideration of punitive measures is always used as a last resort." Conwy Overall 46 FPNs were issued between January 6, 2025, and April 11, 2025. None of the FPNs from this period have been prosecuted yet. Monmouthshire Monmouthshire council said it did not issue any FPNs or have any prosecutions go through in the spring term 2025. Neath Port Talbot The council issued 29 FPNs and there were seven prosecutions with six guilty pleas and one not guilty plea. Pembrokeshire In total 65 FPNs were issued with four prosecutions initiated for "entrenched school absence". Two parents were due to appear in court in May. The council said: "Each school within the authority has their own separate absence policy. The education welfare service are currently undergoing an evaluation of the service and will be writing a model policy for schools for September 2025." Swansea The authority sent 52 fixed penalty notice warning letters and this resulted in 33 fixed penalty notices being issued in full. There were no prosecutions last term. Torfaen Torfaen Council provided data for a different time period but it said the main reason for issuing FPNs has been unauthorised holidays being taken during term time. The council said between March 2024 and April 2025 there were a total 261 FPNs issued though 11 were later withdrawn. It said absence rates had fallen slightly but were still higher than pre-pandemic levels. Vale of Glamorgan The council issued 37 FPNs while there were no prosecutions last term. How school attendance has plunged since classrooms shut in the pandemic Latest Welsh Government figures on school absence, released on June 3, show average attendance for the 2023-24 academic year in Wales was 90.5% – down from 94.3% in 2018-19. This is a fall in attendance of 3.8 percentage points since the pandemic. Attendance is counted not in numbers of pupils but in numbers of half-day school sessions. The main reason for children not being in school was illness at 4% followed by all unauthorised absences, including holidays without agreement and being late, at 3.3%. Holidays alone represent 0.6% of unauthorised absence.. The law – under the Education (Pupil Registration) (Wales) Regulations 2010 – says head teachers can authorise absences for pupils to go on holiday but "save in exceptional circumstances" pupils should not be given more than 10 school days leave in any school year. Average attendance in 2023-24 was lowest among pupils in year 11 at 85.3% and highest amongst pupils in year three at 92.6%. Attendance among year 11 pupils was 7.9 percentage points lower than it was in 2018-19. Attendance in primary school year groups fell by 2.3 to 2.7 percentage points over the same period. The figures showed 53.3% of pupils eligible for free school meals were persistently absent in 2023-24, up from 30.4% in 2018-19. Persistent absence is when a child misses 10% or more of half-day school sessions. Article continues below Responding to warnings about attendance from Estyn last month the Welsh Government said: "Raising school attendance is a key commitment. School attendance has increased by 0.5% this year and we continue to invest in family engagement officers and community-focused schools to respond to the needs of learners and build strong partnerships with families and the wider community." The problem is reflected across other parts of the UK.
Daily Record
a day ago
- Daily Record
Ancient 5000-year-old tomb on scenic Scottish island set to reopen to the public
The tomb, known as Isbister Chambered Cairn, dates to 3200 BC and was used for 800 years but has been closed since the Covid pandemic After being closed since the Covid pandemic, one of Orkney's most fascinating ancient landmarks is set to reopen to the public thanks to a major funding boost. The Tomb of the Eagles, a Neolithic chambered cairn perched on the dramatic cliffs of South Ronaldsay, is often described as a 'jewel in the crown' of Scotland's rich archaeological heritage. Thought to be around 5,000 years old, the tomb has yielded an extraordinary collection of finds since it was discovered by local farmer Ronald Simison in the 1950s. Around 16,000 human bones from at least 324 individuals were found inside, along with talons and bones from white-tailed sea eagles, giving the site its distinctive name. Later research revealed the eagle remains were placed in the tomb up to 1,000 years after the human burials, suggesting the cairn continued to hold ritual significance for centuries. Analysis of the bones revealed a mix of health and hardship. The people buried there were believed to have lived active, robust lives, but roughly one in five showed signs of violent injuries, likely caused by wooden clubs or stone axes. The tomb, also known as the Isbister Chambered Cairn, dates back to around 3200 BC and was used for burials over a period of 800 years. Visitors previously accessed the site through a low three-metre tunnel, but it has been closed since the Covid pandemic. Now, the community's efforts to bring it back to life have taken a huge leap forward. The South Ronaldsay and Burray Development Trust has secured more than £100,000 in National Lottery funding, just weeks after a separate grant from the Scottish Land Fund. Ruth Owen, chair of the trust, said: 'We are delighted at the award of just over £100,000 to the Development Trust for the purposes of reopening the Tomb of the Eagles. "Not only does this provide essential funding that will bridge the final budget gap required to acquire the site, but importantly it provides the necessary match funding to set up staffing next year, for our first full season. 'This really is the final piece of the funding jigsaw to acquire and re-establish the site, and we can now say with confidence that the Tomb of the Eagles will reopen to the public. Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community! Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today. You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland. No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team. All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in! If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice. "We would like to thank the National Lottery players and indeed all our funding partners for giving the community this opportunity.' The site has remained in the care of the Simison family, who have worked alongside the trust to realise the vision of community-led ownership and reopening. Freda Norquay of the Simison Partnership added: 'We are so pleased that the Tomb will now reopen and forge its future under community ownership and feel that this is a fitting reflection of the Simison legacy. "It is a way forward that we fully support, and we believe that our parents, Ronnie and Morgan Simison, would have endorsed.'
BBC News
2 days ago
- BBC News
Surrey men fined after Lincolnshire hare coursing incident
Two men have been fined after they were found guilty of hare coursing in Connors, 24, and Jerry Connors, 19, both of Rectory Lane, Woodmansterne, Banstead, Surrey, were arrested and charged after an incident in Crowland in March pair, and two others, were found guilty of hunting a wild mammal with dogs and trespass during a trial in December for their arrests were later issued and they were sentenced at Lincoln Magistrates' Court on 29 May. Lincolnshire Police said officers had been called out on Sunday 12 March 2023 to reports of four men hare reported seeing the men walking across fields with one driving a blue Daihatsu Terios 4x4 through newly planted a short chase, the four members of the group were pair were both individually fined £875 and ordered to pay £4929.83 compensation and a £350 victim surcharge. What is hare coursing? Coursers will walk along a field to frighten the hare into the openThe dog catches the hare and kills it by "ragging" it - shaking the animal in its teethThe dogs - usually greyhounds, lurchers or salukis - are on a slip lead, threaded so it can be easily releasedThe dead hare is usually left in the field or thrown in a ditchHare coursing is illegal throughout the UK. The Hunting Act 2004, makes it an offence to hunt wild mammals with dogsSource: Lincolnshire Police Listen to highlights from Lincolnshire on BBC Sounds, watch the latest episode of Look North or tell us about a story you think we should be covering here.
