Australia turn to son of Michael Lynagh — but it's a gamble
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Telegraph
17 minutes ago
- Telegraph
King embroiled in row over Highgrove gardens
The King is embroiled in a row at Highgrove amid claims gardeners complained about the monarch's demands and low pay. Gardeners at the King's Gloucestershire residence have reportedly quit while managers were told to offer mental health support and counselling to staff following an investigation into a complaint by one of the workers. The Sunday Times reported that two staff walked out earlier this year and that most of the full time gardeners who worked at Highgrove in 2022 have now left. The King has spent 45 years transforming the gardens at Highgrove, near Tetbury, and last weekend hosted a 'Harmony Summit' at the house to celebrate the connection between nature and humanity. He still regularly spends time at the nine-bedroom private residence where he tends to the exotic flowers and plants in the gardens, which are known as some of the most spectacular in the country. Before his accession to the throne in 2022, Charles transferred the land surrounding his personal residence to the Prince's Foundation, which became the King's Foundation. This preserved his influence over the property when he became King as it was due to be inherited by Prince William. According to an investigation by The Sunday Times, since March 2022, 11 of 12 full-time gardening staff have left, including two heads and a deputy head. The newspaper said that at the start of this year two staff walked out and that until recently the gardens were still advertising vacancies. One probationary gardener is said to have left after Charles complained 'Don't put that man in front of me again' when he made a factual error about a flower. Sources at the King's Foundation say the gardener failed to meet expectations and was not up to the job. The monarch's involvement with the gardens is said to include specific and emotional requests ranging from the size of peaches to the shade of roses. When in residence at Highgrove he makes daily walkabouts and when he is away he reportedly pens memos written in thick red ink. Formal complaint In 2023, a gardener launched a formal grievance against management claiming the team was overwhelmed, under-resourced and struggling to fulfil the King's requests. The complaint alleged that staff had been injured trying to keep up and morale was low. 'There is little management of HMTK [His Majesty the King's] expectations, and I know I would not be allowed to say we are understaffed,' he reportedly said. As a result of the complaint, WorkNest, a HR consultancy, was brought in to review the evidence of the management and conduct of the gardens' executive director. In late 2023 it upheld claims about staff shortages, inadequate management practices and low pay contributing to poor recruitment and retention. Many gardeners were paid minimum wage and complained that remuneration was well below industry standards. However, it did not uphold personal complaints about the director, who denied his conduct amounted to bullying or harassment. It is also understood that staff turnover is less than half the national average. Only one grievance was reported in the year 2024 to 2025 and staff pay is reviewed on an annual basis. On average, staff pay rises each year since 2022 have totalled, cumulatively, between 15 to 19 per cent. A spokesman for The King's Foundation said: 'At The King's Foundation, we take staff welfare extremely seriously and strive to be an exemplary employer. We are proud to regularly report very high satisfaction rates in our annual staff survey. 'Our staff turnover is well below the national average, as is the number of formal grievances raised. For the gardening team at Highgrove specifically, we regularly review guidance from the Professional Gardeners Guild for pay benchmarking. 'Highgrove has also seen many positive developments since The King's Foundation became the charitable custodian of the gardens. Since 2022, the operating profit has more than doubled, a new education facility teaching traditional heritage skills to hundreds of students has been established, and visitor numbers continue to reach over 40,000 annually.' Sources close to both the King and the Foundation suggested it was 'perfectly reasonable' that the monarch, as the visionary behind Highgrove Gardens, and one who is known for his passion for horticulture, would make suggestions in relation to their management and presentation. The charity's trustees are said to welcome his input, which ensures the integrity of the gardens is maintained, and visitors appreciate his personal involvement.
BBC News
an hour ago
- BBC News
Plymouth charity asks people to donate bedding directly
An animal charity is asking people to stop putting bedding into its off-site donation points due to health and hygiene Cats and Dogs Home in Plymouth said it was grateful for the much-needed donations but asked if people could take them directly to the charity instead. Manager Claire Sparkes said the collection bins, located at supermarkets and stores across the city, were becoming "overfull" with items including large said it meant people could not get smaller items, such as pet food and litter into the collection boxes. She said: "Duvets are quite big and take up a lot of space, but we do need duvets at Gables."The Greyhounds especially love them - as long as they're not feather ones - because as you can imagine, the chaos it causes. "When one gets ripped open the feathers go everywhere, and the staff spend hours trying to clean it all up."Ms Sparkes said they always needed duvets, towels, and blankets, as well as food, treats and toys for the said: "We always need old towels because we wash the dogs, especially if they get a bit muddy or wet." The collection bins also have a sign which states "no bedding in here please".Ms Sparkes said the charity had more than 100 cats and kittens in its care, some in foster homes, and between 45 to 50 dogs at the centre. "We are asking people to donate anything that we can use for animals like cat and dog treats and anything that we can spoil them with," she added.
Daily Mail
an hour ago
- Daily Mail
Shocking moment Delta Airlines's Boeing flight engine catches fire during take-off in Los Angeles
A Delta Airlines plane caught fire mid-air and was forced to make an emergency landing. Footage shows the moment orange flames start appearing on the Boeing 767-400 left engine shortly after take off. Josh, who co-owns the YouTube channel LA Flights with Peter, can be heard shouting 'look at that!' and 'woah!' as he films the video. The plane was heading to Atlanta when it had no choice but to circle around and land back on the runway. Josh said on its descent: 'Thankfully, the hydraulics are functioning and we got the landing gear down for the 767.' The avid plane spotter then zoomed into the left engine before commenting the plane had fortunately landed 'nice and safely'. Emergency vehicles could then be seen approaching the aircraft. An airline spokesman said: 'Delta flight 446 returned to Los Angeles shortly after departure following an indication of an issue with the aircraft's left engine.' Earlier this week another Boeing engine caught fire - also in Los Angeles. Video footage captured the terrifying moment the 737 jet began sparking and shooting flames into the night sky shortly after takeoff, with passengers describing what seemed like a mid-air 'explosion.' The FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) launched an investigation after the right engine of a Sun Country Airlines Boeing 737 experienced issues mid-air, just moments following take-off off from Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) on Monday night. The pilot was forced to make an emergency landing back to Los Angeles International Airport. Flight 430 was en route to Minneapolis–St. Paul International Airport with 166 passengers onboard when it experienced 'an issue' with one engine. The pilots declared an emergency and safely returned to LAX. Fire trucks and emergency officials were waiting for the plane.
