Latest news with #Hector
The Herald Scotland
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Herald Scotland
Scotland's best scenic walks with gorgeous bakeries at the end
Housed in a gorgeous, whitewashed building in the heart of Dunkeld, this bakery and patisserie is owned by Flora Shedden, who was the youngest-ever finalist on The Great British Bake Off when she took part in the TV contest back in 2015, then aged just 19. Flora Shedden on the Great British Bake Off (Image: PA) She opened Aran two years later. The menu includes sweet and savoury Danish pastries – from gooseberry, creme fraiche custard and shortbread to spinach, artichoke and radish topped with feta – as well as croissants, chocolate swirls and sausage rolls made from pork, sage and apple. The walk: There's some lovely routes around Dunkeld, including along the River Tay towards the majestic Birnam Oak and Beatrix Potter Garden. Another gem nearby is the spellbinding woodland setting of The Hermitage, home to a waterfall, folly and hermit's cave. The Fat Batard Bakery, Peebles Nope, that's not a typo. This memorably named shop has built a loyal legion of fans thanks to its award-winning bread and delectable array of baked goods. Sourdough takes centre stage here, utilised in everything from yummy loaves to brioche rolls, doughnuts, scones and brownies. The pastry selection is sublime, with a nigh-on-impossible-to-choose-from list of varieties – including butter, almond, chocolate, chilli & cheese – and not to forget the legendary 'cruffins', a delicious hybrid of croissant and muffin. The walk: For a history-themed amble, explore the paths and trails that link Neidpath Viaduct, Neidpath Tunnel and Neidpath Castle, along the banks of the River Tweed. Read more Narture Artisan Cafe, Ayr This cheery, brightly decorated eatery sells bread, pastries and cakes, made just around the corner at the Narture Sourdough Bakery. Not only is the food tasty, but the premise behind the social enterprise is rather brilliant too. The brainchild of artist father and daughter team Robert and Saskia Singer, Narture was founded during the coronavirus pandemic in 2020, a project aimed at repurposing empty spaces for cultural and creative uses, as well as helping to boost the regeneration of Ayr town centre. The walk: It would be remiss to visit Ayr and not take in the golden, sandy beach, with its views of Ailsa Craig and Arran. Or stretch your legs on a section of the River Ayr Way, a 44-mile route which concludes at Ayr Harbour, having wound its way from Glenbuck Loch. Arisaig Bread Shed, Lochaber This rustic bakery is a balm for the soul. We're talking sourdough loaves, baguettes, plum frangipane tarts, apple and blackberry Danish pastries, chocolate and hazelnut whirls, croissants and pain aux raisins. Arisaig Bread Shed also hosts seasonal pizza nights on Saturdays, based out of its converted 1974 Citroen H van nicknamed 'Hector'. Tuck into wood-fired, Italian-style classics, such as margherita, piccante and primavera – or plump for the meaty feast of a 'Highland', which is topped with haggis, pork and venison salami, chicken and red onion. The walk: For glorious coastal views, picture-postcard beaches and magical wildlife-watching opportunities check out the magnificent Rhu peninsula. Havn, Bridge of Allan Inspired by the bakeries of Copenhagen and others in a similar vein around Europe, this petite spot packs in the joy snacks – quite literally – with perfect pastries and heavenly sourdough bread. Havn exudes a wholesome vibe, where stepping through the door is akin to being embraced in a warm hug. The selection changes regularly as the in-house team experiments with fresh ideas. Pop in to pick up a croissant – or three – and a takeaway coffee. The walk: The Darn Road links Bridge of Allan to Dunblane, stretching roughly 2.75 miles (4.25km), passing along the Allan Water. It follows an ancient trackway, believed to date from Roman times. It can be done as a circular, or one-way returning by train or bus. Susan Swarbrick is a columnist and freelance writer who loves history and the outdoors. Follow her on X @SusanSwarbrick and Bluesky @
DW
3 days ago
- DW
Toxic Tourism - Mallorca's Housing Crisis – DW – 05/30/2025
The Spanish island of Mallorca is a popular holiday destination. But short term rentals and rising property prices are forcing more and more locals out of their neighborhoods. Millions of tourists come to the island every year. But many Mallorcans can no longer afford the rents here. Image: NDR 60-year-old Begoña is a parking inspector. She and her son Hector, who works as a waiter, live in a caravan in Palma, Mallorca's capital. Their combined income of 2,500 euros isn't enough to afford an apartment. Image: NDR A 22-year-old medical student, Christofer lives in a stuffy basement room in Palma and pays 600 euros a month. The conditions are catastrophic: the sewage pumps are defective and it smells awful, and the power is often out. These are just 2 stories from the growing problem of Mallorca's housing shortage. Broadcasting Hours: DW English MON 02.06.2025 – 18:30 UTC MON 02.06.2025 – 23:30 UTC TUE 03.06.2025 – 03:30 UTC TUE 03.06.2025 – 09:15 UTC TUE 03.06.2025 – 12:15 UTC TUE 03.06.2025 – 16:15 UTC TUE 03.06.2025 – 21:15 UTC WED 04.06.2025 – 07:30 UTC WED 04.06.2025 – 10:30 UTC WED 04.06.2025 – 17:30 UTC Lagos UTC +1 | Cape Town UTC +2 | Nairobi UTC +3 Delhi UTC +5,5 | Bangkok UTC +7 | Hong Kong UTC +8 London UTC +1 | Berlin UTC +2 | Moscow UTC +3 San Francisco UTC -7 | Edmonton UTC -6 | New York UTC -4
Mint
4 days ago
- Business
- Mint
Wondrlab bets ₹30 crore on SaaS platform Hector to cut e-commerce chaos
MUMBAI : In a digital economy increasingly defined by high-velocity clicks and algorithmic shelves, brands are grappling with the chaos of managing e-commerce and quick commerce campaigns across multiple platforms. Marketing technology (martech) company Wondrlab is attempting to bring clarity with the launch of Hector, a proprietary SaaS (software as a service) platform built by its performance marketing arm Neon Digital. After two years of product development and a ₹30 crore investment, the platform is being positioned as a full-stack operating system for digital commerce, already being used by over 100 clients. At its core, Hector brings together advertising and performance data from Amazon, Flipkart, Myntra, Blinkit, Instamart, Zepto and BigBasket, offering brands a unified dashboard to view, analyse and act on insights that were previously scattered across siloed platforms. The tool doesn't just visualise campaign data; it enables businesses to optimise spends, monitor competitor activity, and respond in real time to inventory, pricing and traffic shifts, all within a single interface. Also Read: Third time's the charm for this startup looking to ride India's gaming frenzy Unlike many martech products that are designed as reporting dashboards for marketers, Hector was built from the ground up by people who have lived the campaign trenches. 'We didn't start with a tech idea. We started with a problem," said Meher Patel, founder of Neon Digital. 'Every commerce platform has its own ad engine, its own language and its own reporting format. The knowledge is unstructured, and the learning curve is steep. Hector takes all of that and makes it intuitive." How Hector helps brands win The platform standardises performance metrics like ROAS (Return On Advertising Spend) and ACoS (Advertising cost of sales) across platforms, and consolidates advertising and organic revenue at the stock keeping unit (SKU) level. It enables users to track product-wise sales, ad attribution, regional performance and predictive inventory needs. For business leaders, it offers a top-down view of what's working and what's not, while also allowing deeper analysis for media managers. Saurabh Varma, founder and CEO of Wondrlab Network, sees Hector as a bet on India's growing digital commerce maturity. 'This is not just about efficiency. It's about giving brands control. The market has outgrown spreadsheets and patchwork dashboards. Hector is what a modern commerce control room looks like," he said. Also Read: Rooter picks up exclusive digital rights for esports tournament BGMI Masters Series One of Hector's standout features is its deep integration with Amazon Marketing Cloud, which enables brands to build audience cohorts based on every level of engagement, from those who simply saw an ad to those who added a product to cart but didn't complete the transaction. This kind of precision targeting, currently used by less than 1% of Amazon advertisers globally, has already helped Wondrlab clients reassess their media strategies. In one instance, a D2C mattress brand found that 65% of its Shopify and retail store buyers had interacted with its Amazon ads, prompting a rebalance of its YouTube and marketplace ad spends. But Hector doesn't stop at audience insights. It also facilitates campaign-level automation, including hourly performance analysis (dayparting), predictive alerts when top-selling SKUs are close to running out, and optimisation tools to tweak bids, placements or keywords in real time. The system also allows brands to build custom taxonomies, categorising products by size, gender, or material instead of relying on standard platform-defined hierarchies. The team is working towards a future where campaigns can be launched and managed across all marketplaces from one interface. A platform for future of commerce Hector is not licensed to other agencies and is only available via three engagement models: SaaS-only for in-house teams, full-service through Neon, or a hybrid approach. 'This is our moat," Varma said. 'We're not selling software. We're enabling commerce. If you're serious about scaling in this space, you'll need a platform like this." Also Read: From DRDO to Dinosaurs: India's listed 3D printing firm makes consumer pivot Wondrlab says the platform currently manages over ₹50 crore in monthly commerce and expects that figure to grow tenfold as it scales Hector to 500 clients over the next year. With increasing pressure on brands to demonstrate digital ROI (return on investment), especially on high-velocity platforms like quick commerce and marketplaces, Hector is being positioned as more than just a tool—it's a new way of doing business. 'In a market that's only getting noisier, you either have clarity or you're flying blind," said Patel. 'Hector gives you that clarity."
Hindustan Times
4 days ago
- Automotive
- Hindustan Times
MG Windsor Pro: What are the new changes?
The Windsor Pro is the new top-end variant of the Windsor EV. The Windsor Pro gets a larger with a claimed range of 449 km. The charging speed has been increased to 60 kW from 45 kW On a 7.4 kWh AC charger, the battery pack would take 9.5 hours, whereas the 38 kWh battery pack takes 7 hours. There is now an electric tailgate on offer. MG has also added ADAS to the Windsor Pro. The interior of the Windsor Pro gets beige theme instead of black. The Windsor Pro now comes with Vehicle 2 Load and Vehicle-to-Vehicle functionality There are new 19-inch alloy wheels on offer that are borrowed from the Hector. To check out the full review of the MG Windsor Pro Click Here
New Straits Times
23-05-2025
- Sport
- New Straits Times
JDT part ways with coach Bidoglio after stellar season
KUALA LUMPUR: Super League champions Johor Darul Ta'zim (JDT) have announced the departure of their Venezuelan coach Hector Bidoglio. The Southern Tigers issued a statement today, thanking the 57-year-old for his unwavering commitment and service to the club. "Hector joined JDT as head coach midway through the 2022 season before assuming a technical director role in 2023, and later returned as head coach in the 2024/2025 season, where JDT secured a quadruple," the statement read. "Hector won two Malaysia Super League titles, two FA Cups, two Malaysia Cups and a Charity Cup during his Southern Tigers tenure, unbeaten in all domestic competitions." Bidoglio, who was on his second stint with JDT, guided them to the Super League, FA Cup and Malaysia Cup titles last season. His first stint was a brief spell as JDT head coach from July-November 2022, guiding the Southern Tigers to the Super League, Malaysia Cup and FA Cup titles. He also repeated the treble feat last season, but could only guide the team to the round of 16 in the AFC Champions League Elite. JDT are expected to announce a new head coach soon and Spaniard Xisco Munoz has been linked to the hot seat. It was previously reported that the former Watford boss is finalising terms with the Super League giants, who are eyeing a new era of domestic dominance and greater success in the Asian Champions League Elite. Munoz, 44, guided Watford to Premier League promotion in the 2020–21 season. He has also managed in Georgia, Cyprus, Slovakia and Spain.
