Latest news with #HighgroveHouse
Daily Mail
2 days ago
- Automotive
- Daily Mail
Furious neighbours of King Charles's Highgrove say they have nowhere to leave their cars due to hordes of tourists - despite paying for one of Britain's most expensive parking permits
Furious neighbours of King Charles 's country home say they have nowhere to park because of hordes of tourists visiting the estate. Residents living in Tetbury, Gloucestershire, near Highgrove House, pay for one of Britain's most expensive parking permits. But despite the hefty fee of £640 they can't park their vehicles outside their homes and claim the town is used as a 'car park'. 'They're about £600 a year, a hell of a lot, and there's no allocated spots for residents so it's just a free for all,' explained resident Steve Tayler, 72. Another resident, Kenneth Ford, 68, added: 'Personally I think it's a lot of money to be paying. 'If you go somewhere with your car you have nothing to say that you had that space. 'So every time you go somewhere and come back you could not have a space, so you could be paying the £600 a year for nothing. 'At the end of the day, like in all these towns, it's set up more for people coming into the town rather than the residents.' Despite the hefty fee of £640 residents can't park their vehicles outside their homes and claim the town is used as a 'car park' The price of the permits are double the cost of some of London's most expensive boroughs. And only half of the spaces in West Street are allocated to locals, meaning they struggle to find a place to park. John Evans, 87, said: 'I was looking out my kitchen window one day and there was a coach full of tourists that had come from Germany, parked in West Street. 'And because there's a real need for large vehicles to have places to park, I've seen coaches in the car park here. It happens all the time. It's crazy.' Dee Buss, 78, added: 'It has really been bad. 'I have no choice but to buy a permit because parking in the street is nigh on impossible. 'This my eighth year with the parking permit and the price has just gone up and up and up. 'We have a situation where because we have so many Airbnb's and second homes, people literally park where they see a space without thinking. 'In the house across, there's an elderly disabled lady who had a hospital appointment on Saturday but couldn't get her car out because another had been parked over her entry. 'Obviously we're happy to have King Charles over at Highgrove, but there's so many tourists and it seems to leave Tetbury as the car park.' However, the council does provide free parking for all at the Old Railway Yard car park in the town. Councillor Paul Hodgkinson, portfolio holder for parking at Cotswold District Council, said: 'With officers from the council, I have spent time in Tetbury talking to residents, local businesses and other stakeholders so have a good understanding of the issues they are facing. 'In recognition of the needs of season ticket holders, half of the standard parking bays in the West Street Car Park on Old Brewery Lane are allocated to them. 'While we understand that holding a season ticket does not guarantee a parking space and that these tickets are not exclusively for residents, opportunities to expand off-street parking in the town are unfortunately limited. 'In addition, we also provide the old rail yard carpark in Tetbury which is free of charge. We remain committed to ongoing dialogue with local residents and businesses.' The estate, bought in 1980, is the private residence of King Charles and Queen Camilla. The house runs public tours for charity from April to October. And the gardens are managed by The King's Foundation, the charitable organisation which oversees all of Charles' philanthropic initiatives. They attract more than 40,000 visitors a year with proceeds being ploughed back into the Foundation's work promoting traditions heritage skills and building sustainable communities.
Daily Mirror
19-05-2025
- Lifestyle
- Daily Mirror
Gardeners urged to plant 3 flowers with huge blooms in King Charles's grounds
The King is famously hands-on when it comes to his own gardens, but even if you don't have the budget to recreate his stunning green spaces, then you can still take a leaf out of his book with these plant recommendations Highgrove House's gardens, under the diligent care of King Charles for many years, attract numerous visitors annually with their exquisite beauty. The King has always been instrumental in the design of his gardens, renowned for his passion for the outdoors and his commitment to sustainable gardening practices to create stunning green spaces. Since ascending the throne, he has also turned his attention to the gardens at Sandringham, crafting a new eco-friendly topiary garden at his Norfolk residence. For those with a green thumb, this season is an ideal time to start planting. If you're aiming to elevate your own garden and populate it with plants worthy of royalty, then these three suggestions from one of his gardeners are worth noting. Jack Stooks, a member of the Highgrove Estate team, shared his top three plant recommendations for those looking to enhance their garden design, while keeping within a budget, in a chat with Fabulous. When planning your garden, it's crucial to consider various plants for different levels to ensure no space goes unused - especially if your outdoor area is on the smaller side. The Royal gardener suggests that if you're looking to add some height to your planting, a clematis would be his first recommendation, reports the Mirror. Jack swears by clematis for adding vertical interest to gardens. "I always recommend for height you want like a clematis which are really really good. The Montana Clematis - they normally like either pinks or whites - and once you've got them and they go up and over a wall or a fence, they do amazingly and they just keep coming year after year after year." He assures garden enthusiasts that investing in these climbers won't break the bank, as Jack points out the higher-end price is around £10, but savvy shoppers can find these blooms at a steal, especially with a watchful eye during supermarket visits. For those seeking hardy yet strikingly beautiful flowers, Jack suggests the Hydrangea Annabelle. Unlike its more soil-sensitive counterparts, this hydrangea isn't picky and thrives in all sorts of earth, boasting large, spherical white blossoms. Eager to spread the joy of horticulture, Jack loves this plant because it grows robustly, "What that tends to do is it tends to just increase in size and get bigger and bigger and bigger and you can actually start chopping bits off it and having plants from the parent. And then you can say to somebody 'Oh I love your plant' you can say 'Here's the baby' and you can pass it on to your family and friends." So not only does this plant amplify garden aesthetics affordably, it also offers a delightful way to share greenery with loved ones without extra expense. Jack's final tip for a quintessentially British garden must-have is the ever-popular lavender. This hardy, vibrant plant not only adds a delightful fragrance to your garden but is also adored by pollinators, helping to bring essential wildlife into your outdoor space. For those new to gardening, lavender is an excellent choice due to its low maintenance needs, as Jack points out: "It doesn't need much watering, it doesn't need too much in the way of care. And if you get them in the right spot - not too wet a spot, but a good sunny position - they'll do really well for you year after year."
News.com.au
19-05-2025
- Health
- News.com.au
King Charles shares huge health update amid cancer battle
King Charles has shared an important update on his ongoing cancer battle. Charles was seen visiting local business owners in the Yorkshire town of Bradford in the UK when he shared a meaningful exchange with a resident. Safeena Khan, who runs a local floristry business, presented King Charles with a bouquet inspired by his gardens at Highgrove House in Gloucestershire. She told the King that she too had battled cancer, and this sparked Charles to make his own admission. Khan said: 'He asked me how I was, and I asked him how he was. There were some pleasantries towards the end, but it was a lovely conversation.' The King, who still undergoes a weekly cycle of cancer treatment, gave her the 'thumbs up', when asked about his health, and told her: 'I'd like to think I'm on the better side [of my cancer journey]'. Khan continued: 'It is not something easy to discuss. Two years on [from my own cancer journey], I still find it difficult. 'I think you have to accept that you're going through it first, and then the fight begins. I think the key is that you don't give up on yourself. The biggest form of disrespect to yourself is giving up.' The King has been undergoing regular cancer treatment since his diagnosis early last year, and concerns were sparked last month when it emerged that he'd been taken to hospital after experiencing 'temporary side effects'. 'Following scheduled and ongoing medical treatment for cancer this morning, The King experienced temporary side effects that required a short period of observation in hospital,' the statement from Buckingham Palace read, adding that a string of engagements had had to be postponed. The monarch returned to his London residence, Clarence House, following his hospital stay before travelling to his country home, Highgrove, to recover over the weekend. It was first revealed that he had an undisclosed form of cancer last February, following unrelated surgery for an enlarged prostate. It came just weeks before it emerged that his daughter-in-law, the Princess of Wales, was also suffering from an unspecified cancer, which she revealed in an emotional video message in late March. Following months of treatment, Kate announced in September that she had completed her course of chemotherapy and later confirmed she was in remission.
