Orphaned ducklings saved from Pickering sewage site
Ms Atkinson said: "When I arrived at Thornton-le-Dale treatment works, I noticed there were seven ducklings swimming in the tanks near the final effluent sample point."There was no mother duck to be seen and there was no exit point for the ducklings."I called the RSPCA for advice and they decided they were going to send someone out to help rescue the ducklings."
RSPCA animal rescue officer Caitlin Houston attended the call.She said: "I got all my PPE on, got a net - luckily there was a platform that stuck out into the middle of the tank, so I was able to lean down."They were very good at diving, so it did take about five or 10 minutes to catch them."The ducklings were too young to be released, so they were handed over to a rehabilitation centre."'They'll rear them until they're old enough, they'll put them in a lovely enclosure with a heat lamp, a straw bed and a little paddling pool for them," Ms Houston said."They'll have everything they need, the centre really knows their stuff."
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The Sun
15 minutes ago
- The Sun
I'm Britain's oldest quads mum at 50 & also a gran-of-12 – haters tell me I'm selfish manufacturing so many children
BROWSING the school uniform aisle Tracey Britten piles 40 pairs of socks and underwear into her trolley, as well as 20 vests. At home Tracey, 57, already has eight new lunch boxes, matching bottles, four school bags, PE kits, and logoed cardigans and jumpers ready for September. 10 10 10 But Tracey isn't shopping for her 12 grandchildren but rather for her six-year-old quadruplets. In October 2018 T racey became the oldest mum in Britain to give birth to quads at the age of 50. She was also the oldest verified mum in the world to give birth via IVF to quadruplets using her own eggs. A team of 35 medics including specialist doctors and nurses delivered the IVF tots - three girls and a boy - defying eight million-to-one odds. For Tracey it was nothing short of a miracle, but the gran-of-12 admits that not everyone sees it that way. 'When people realise I have quads and they're nearly seven, you can see them doing the maths,' Tracey says. "I'm proud of what I have achieved. 'Some people are horrified and I've been accused of manufacturing children but I don't care what the haters think.' Tracey, an aesthetic practitioner and author, lives in a three-bedroom council house in Enfield with roofer husband Stephen, 46, and their six-year-old quads: George, Francesca, Fredrica and Grace. She's also mum to a daughter aged 39 and sons aged 38 and 28 from a previous marriage and nan to 12 grandchildren ages 18 to four months old. Britain's oldest mum of quadruplet's Tracey says she is the 'happiest woman alive' now all four of her babies are home for Christmas Tracey, who first became a mum at 18, divorced her older children's dad in 2003 and admits she wasn't interested in finding love again let alone extending her family. But in 2005, Tracey met roofer Stephen, ten years her junior, through locals in her area. She says: 'Despite the age gap, I was smitten, I knew he was my soulmate.' The couple married in April 2012, on Tracey's mum and dad's wedding anniversary, and while Stephen didn't have any children Tracey says she 'sensed' he wanted a family. 'I couldn't ignore my maternal urge even though I was 48,' Tracey says. 'When my mum had died of heart disease in 2007 she had left me some money which I'd put aside and Stephen and I decided to use it to make our dreams come true.' At 48 Tracey was too old to qualify for NHS funded fertility treatment and so sought out a specialist clinic in North Cyprus, where IVF is available up to age 55 or even 58 if the woman is healthy. Tracey explains as part of her IVF regime she had to use hormone patches and injections to thicken her womb lining. 10 10 10 This also encouraged her ovaries to produce more eggs on her first cycle with the clinic for harvesting. "We had a donor on standby but I didn't need her,' Tracey explains. Of the eggs Tracey produced on her IVF stimulation cycle consultants selected four of her best quality eggs. They were used to create four embryos with Stephen's sperm. 'On implantation day, I was shaking with excitement and nerves, holding Stephen's hand,' Tracey recalls. In March 2018, four embryos were transferred and three weeks later the couple got their wish - a positive pregnancy test. It was during their nine week scan that the parents discovered that they were expecting not one, not two but four babies. 'I sat there, stunned,' Tracey says. 'I felt a mix of joy, fear, relief, and disbelief - it all hit us at once.' The chances of naturally conceiving quads at 50 are almost zero via IVF and carrying them to term and using her own eggs is one in eight million according to CDC and Society for Assisted Reproductive Technology research. "One did not take, of the remaining three - one of the embryos had split resulting in identical twins alongside the two other babies," explains Tracey. While Tracey and Stephen were over the moon, the pregnancy wasn't without controversy. Back in the UK, doctors warned that carrying four babies at 50 was high risk and urged Tracey to consider selective reduction. 'They wanted to terminate Francesca and Fredrica,' Tracey explains. 'I was devastated, I cried to my daughter, who told me to trust my gut. I couldn't give them up.' While the majority of doctors in Britain warned Tracey against carrying all four babies to term she did additional research into multiple births. After speaking to specialist multiple birth consultants one here and one in the USA, Tracey and Stephen felt reassured it could be done. 'I knew I'd need a C-section and that my babies would be premature but I refused to let anyone take them away,' Tracey says. At the 30 week scan, doctors discovered one of the baby's blood flows was slowing and they made the decision to deliver them early. On October 26, 2018, at 31 weeks pregnant, Tracey delivered her quads via C-section at London's University College Hospital with 35 medical staff in the room including a specialist team of doctors and nurses for each baby. Francesca arrived first at 10.01am, weighing 2lb 12oz. 10 10 Her identical twin Fredrica followed one minute later, at 1lb 12oz. Grace came next at 10.03am, 2lb 7oz. Last was George, born at 10.05am, a healthy 3lb 10oz. 'It was a true miracle,' says Tracey. After seven weeks in ICU, the family finally brought their fab four back home. What followed was a 24-hour whirlwind of feeds, nappy changes and broken sleep. 'Having one baby is exhausting bringing home four was a military operation,' Tracey recalls. 'I was lucky to get two hours of sleep a night. It was like running a baby bootcamp.' Stephen left for work at 6.30am and Tracey was up at 6am to start her strict routine. 'Each baby was fed every two to three hours,' she recalls. 'I did two at a time - feed, change, burp, start again. We went through 24 bottles a day, 25 nappies, and about eight outfit changes.' Tracey kept the washing machine going five times a day and was in bed by 7pm while Stephen took over. 'People thought I was mad but the quads loved the routine,' she recalls. Despite suffering from sciatica, she never missed a park trip or supermarket run. "In my 50's I had more patience than I did as a teen mum,' she admits. "I had more knowledge and experience than I did as a younger mother. "Sometimes I wished I had the energy I did when I was a young mum but at 57 I know I achieved a near impossible feat.' While Tracey delighted in being a mum again she admits that she did struggle with her emotions at times. 'Sometimes I just sat and cried,' she says. 'Stephen and I would look at each other like, 'What have we done?' But we never regretted it. 'When I looked at them my heart would burst.' In September 2022, just as the quads were preparing to start reception, the family faced a massive blow. The rental house that the family had called home for two years was sold and they faced homelessness and the family left 12 months later in February 2023. 'The council put us in a Travelodge in Finchley,' Tracey says. 'We were there for nearly five months, all six of us in one room. It was horrible but we made it work.' In July 2023, the family were finally offered a three-bed council house in Enfield. 'It became our sanctuary,' Tracey says. 'We could finally breathe and get the kids into a proper routine ahead of starting school that September. 'At the school gates I still get the odd look, but the other mums and dads are great. 'I wouldn't swap the school run for a retirement cruise.' The quads settled into school life well but in December 2022, George was diagnosed with autism. 'I could see he wasn't developing the same way as his sisters,' Tracey admits. 'Getting a diagnosis was a relief. We knew he needed extra support to shine differently' As they have grown Tracey has seen her four children develop their own separate personalities. 'George prefers Lego and rough-and-tumble to his sisters' games,' Tracey says. 'Francesca is quick-witted and loves jokes, Grace is bossy and sociable while Fredrica is shy and loves cuddles. 'The four have separate friends at school but are still thick as thieves. 'They'll gang up on each other one minute, then be best friends the next like totally normal six-year-olds.' When the quads aren't in school they are likely enjoying a family holiday with the well-travelled kids visiting Greece in 2021 and then Benidorm in 2022. 'Last year, they went to Egypt and it cost us £6,000 for two weeks, including flights,' Tracey says. 'I find the best deals I can.' It's not just holidays where Tracey has learned to budget. The mum and dad spend around £700 a month on groceries. 'For a family of six that's around £150 a week," she says. "Like everyone, gas and electric is a worry so I shopped around and have a great flat rate deal. "To economise I am a keen bargain hunter and use loyalty cards and vouchers because over the years the points add up,' she says. 'We batch cook and we have lots of days out by finding amazing spots to go for free.' Despite their hectic schedule, Tracey says that she and Stephen, 46 still have plenty of time for each other. 'We're still madly in love and only have eyes for each other,' Tracey says. Her extraordinary story has seen Tracey build a loyal following online, with more than 25,000 followers and some of her videos hitting a million views on her @againstallquads TikTok account. 'There's so much curiosity and love,' she says. 'Older mums message me every day asking about IVF and having kids at 50. "I do get plenty of trolls too. 'They tell me I won't be alive to see them grow up and I shouldn't have had kids at 50 but my response is to ignore them.' Despite the hate, Tracey says that becoming a mum again at 50 is still her greatest achievement. 'It was the best, bravest decision I ever made,' Tracey says. 'I look at my four now—super smart, full of beans—and I'm so glad I didn't give up when doctors told me to.' 10
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39 minutes ago
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Top agencies reveal secrets to rewarding referrals as loyalty schemes rise
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BBC News
43 minutes ago
- BBC News
Wakehurst celebrates American Prairie anniversary
Wakehurst Botanic Gardens is celebrating five years since its six-acre American prairie was sown. The 500-acre site in Ardingly, near Haywards Heath in West Sussex, is also celebrating 10 years since its Coronation Meadow was opened to the public by King Charles, who was then Prince of Wales. Wakehurst, which is home to the Millennium Seed Bank, said the American Prairie was one of its "most ambitious horticultural projects", with more than 75 species of plants. Ian Parkinson, head of landscape and horticulture at Wakehurst, said mixing American prairie species with British soils was "horticultural alchemy". "The prairie lights up the Wakehurst landscape with colour and character and teaches us that when plant communities are allowed to evolve organically, beauty, biodiversity, and climate resilience naturally follow," Mr Parkinson said. The project began in 2019 when scientists from the Millennium Seed Bank travelled across Illinois and neighbouring states in the USA to hand-collect seeds to create seed-mixes tailored to Sussex's chalk-clay soils. Horticulturalist Jack Harrison, who is in charge of the prairie, said: "You will not be able to predict what plant is going to grow in what spot and the benefit to doing this is that the plants will germinate in spaces that suit them."This means that you will never plant the wrong plant in the wrong place." The Coronation Meadow is also celebrating a decade since it was created as part of the then Prince of Wales' call for more wildflower meadows to mark the 60th anniversary of Queen Elizabeth's coronation.
