This Lions tour was an SOS and they desperately need a revamp - from ending the media paranoia and stopping the one-nation domination to the four future stars who can take down the All Blacks, here's my blueprint for 2029: CHRIS FOY
They are adamant that all feedback will be welcomed and considered, so here, this column is offering a range of points, free of charge.
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The Sun
an hour ago
- The Sun
The pretty UK park that's perfect for a hot weekend with splash park, boating lake and miniature railway
WITH the temperature set to rise this weekend, Swanley Park is a great place to both stay cool and keep the kids entertained. The pretty park in Kent has plenty of family-friendly things to do during the hot weather and attractions start from just £1. 5 5 Over the weekend, the most popular spot is likely to be the children's splash park. The splash pool is designed for children in mind, with a large splash area and fun water features like big fountains and tipping buckets. Each child must be accompanied by an adult and it's a £1 entry fee per person. While the splash park does take walk-ins (for £1.50 per person), it's advised to book ahead. For anyone wanting to relax in the sunshine, you can even hire out a deck chair for £3. Another addition to the water activities is The Plunge. It's an inflatable waterslide which is four metres high, kids can climb up and then slide down into the pool below. For 10 minutes, it's an entry fee of £2.50. For more on the water activities, head to the boating lake. Huge £15million water park right by the beach to finally reopen after shutting for more than a year 5 There's plenty to do, from renting out pedalos, kayaks and rowing boats - prices vary from £5 to £11. Inside is the Barnyard which is a huge soft play area set across three floors with climbing frames, twisty slides, and a dedicated toddler area Tickets for children are £6 each and the accompanying adult goes free. There are some driving experiences for kids too, but don't worry, it's all around a track. Kids can hop in and get behind the wheel of battery operated cars around the track - it's well-equipped with safety bumpers. A loop around the track costs just £2. Swanley Park has its very own miniature railway too, and riders can join the train from either the New Barn Station or the platform Swanley Parkway. The track circles the lower section of Swanley Park so it's a great way to arrive and leave the site. A single journey costs £1.50 per person, and a return is £2 - under threes go free. In the park is also a play area with zip wires, roundabouts, swings, climbing wall, slides, and seesaws. Pooches are welcome in Swanley Park as long as they're on a lead, but they're not permitted in some places, like the children's play area and around the boat lake. After all the running around, families can get a bite to eat at the Swanley Park Cafe. It serves up hot meals like nuggets or burgers or fish fingers and chips for kids. There are choices for adults too, as well as sandwiches, toasties along with coffee, soft drinks and a choice of smoothies. Plus, check out the 10 best outdoor splash parks to take your kids to cool off this weekend – and some are even free. And all of the waterparks in the UK mapped – with lazy rivers and wave pools in time for the hot weather. 5
The Sun
an hour ago
- The Sun
Our tranquil village is being taken over by hordes of travellers with caravans & ponies for UK's BIGGEST horse drive
RESIDENTS of a tranquil village are worried that their home will be overrun by travellers with caravans and ponies this weekend. The two-day event called Tracy Cooper's New Forest Drive is set to take place in several parts of the district, including Ashurst and Woodlands. 2 2 The traditional family event has been running for more than 20 years. It sees hundreds of riders make their way across Hampshire to the drive on an eight-mile ride. Travellers bring along their prized horses and two-wheeled carts. But locals are not happy with the planned event and shared their thoughts on social media. One wrote: "Feel so sorry for the horses involved Please this needs to be stopped." Another said: "Should not be allowed to take place. And the Old Bill will be invisible as usual." A third commented: "Just NO! It was horrendous last year. I work in the community access was blocked to places I needed to be in, it was mayhem." "Thank you for the heads up, now we know to avoid the area this weekend," said a fourth. Authorities say they are working together following the controversy caused by last year's pony and trap ride-out. Cops launched an investigation after a pony broke its leg at an Ashurst cattle grid. And sharp objects were scattered at a popular picnic area near Brockenhurst, possibly in an attempt to sabotage the event. We live in UK's 'worst' seaside town – tourists say it's rundown and crime is a problem but here's why locals love it Speaking at the time, Hampshire's Police and Crime Commissioner, Donna Jones, vowed that concerns surrounding the get together would be fully investigated. She said: "The ride-out caused a traffic backlog in an already busy seasonal area and it is so sad that a horse had to be put down." In a separate statement, Ms Cooper stressed that the Ashurst incident did not take place during the drive itself. Forestry England said it was working closely with other authorities to minimise the impact of the event. A Hampshire police spokesperson added: "We are aware of a planned pony and trap event taking place across the New Forest this weekend. "We are working closely with our partners and have been engaging with the event organisers to ensure the safety of the people and animals involved as well as residents and visitors to the Forest." Ashurst and Colbury Parish Council has issued a similar statement. Every August, people travel from Totton, near Southampton through the national park. Their route from Totton traditionally ends at Balmer Lawn, where riders showed off their skills in the stream. Visitors can buy and sell horses, harnesses and dogs at the event. It is named and organised by Tracey Cooper, 50, who owns a burger van which she takes to local events and horse shows. The travellers gather to raise money for charity - before riding back to Totton for an evening of fun.
The Independent
2 hours ago
- The Independent
Edinburgh Festival and Fringe? Do us all a favour and move them to November
The good news: the Balmoral Hotel, which sprouts grandly from Edinburgh Waverley station, has space for next weekend. But you must commit to a three-night minimum stay. In a Deluxe Castle View room that indulgence will cost you over £5,000. The Balmoral is a magnificent hotel, but if you don't have the resources of J K Rowling (who famously finished writing Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows in room 552), you might prefer a simple two-star budget hotel – such as the Ibis in the Old Town. Next Saturday night is all yours for £427. Now, I have no problem with the travel industry responding to demand by raising prices. It is a sensible way to allocate scarce resources, whether hotel beds or seats on planes: next Friday, on a British Airways flight between London Heathrow and Edinburgh, some economy fares are touching £500 each way. Hoteliers and airlines are responding to the intense demand to be in the Scottish capital for the Festival and Fringe, which drape themselves across almost all of August. Audiences, performers and the media bid up prices. Heaven help the unwitting tourist who turns up unaware of the cultural frenzy that seizes the city each summer. In fact, divine intervention is not needed. But radical action is. The Edinburgh International Festival was a brilliant post-war concept. A Jewish refugee of the Nazi regime, Rudolf Bing, proposed a global celebration of human creativity. Since the first event in 1947, the festival has proved an extraordinary force – inspiring the counter-cultural Fringe, which has now become the most intense collection of performing arts on the planet. A lifetime has elapsed since that debut. And tourism, like culture, has blossomed. In 1947, Edinburgh was doubtless as seductive as it is now. Some British tourists passed through on the way to the Highlands, but probably only a handful of international visitors visited. Today, Edinburgh airport is in the premier league of UK hubs, alongside the London airports and Manchester. At least 25,000 passengers touch down every day in August, along with countless thousands of arrivals to the city by rail. The Scottish capital simply does not need to host a festival in August, let alone two massive, global celebrations. Move the events to make room for real tourists. Were the festivities to vanish, the vacuum created would be filled instantly by actual tourists. They would make the most of the superbly reinvented art gallery, the National; wandering the Royal Mile and spending in its implausibly large number of tourist shops; climbing Arthur's Seat; and enjoying the beguiling mix of ancient, modern and natural beauty. Edinburgh would be full every August. Hoteliers and transport providers would continue to make a tidy profit. And many people would be happy. But what happens to the festivities? They just need to be moved. I have two helpful suggestions. One involves time, the other distance. I confidently predict not everyone will like them. First, shift the International Festival and Fringe to November. That is a dull month in northerly nations, and it would cheer up the city no end. Hoteliers will also be glad to respond to increased demand; current room rates for November are typically between a quarter and one-third of those in August. It will provide a boost to the capital before the pre-Christmas and Hogmanay excitement begins. If you are unimpressed with that plan, you may be even more displeased with the alternative. Keep the cultural extravaganza in August, but shift it 40 miles west. To Glasgow. Edinburgh's great rival has plenty of performance venues and an expanding range of hotel rooms. While I love Scotland's most populous city, it does not have the same touristic charisma as Edinburgh. So while the international sightseers are frolicking by the Firth of Forth, the cultural masses are on the Clyde. Incensed by a geographical move? It could have been worse. When I first pitched the idea to my colleagues on the travel desk, I was going to recommend exporting the whole cultural caboodle either to November or… Birmingham. Let me know your thoughts to s@ Simon Calder, also known as The Man Who Pays His Way, has been writing about travel for The Independent since 1994. In his weekly opinion column, he explores a key travel issue – and what it means for you.
