Latest news with #LauraAshley
Scottish Sun
2 days ago
- Business
- Scottish Sun
Poundland confirms closing dates for THREE Scots stores as 25 to shut across UK
SHUTTERS DOWN Poundland confirms closing dates for THREE Scots stores as 25 to shut across UK Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) THREE Poundland branches across Scotland are set to close down following a major restructuring effort. The bargain retailer will shutter a total of 25 stores in the UK in August. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 2 Three Poundland stores in Scotland are set to close down next month Credit: Alamy Ten stores will shut on August 10 while 15 will close their doors for good on August 17. And three of those are in locations across Scotland. It comes after a restructuring plan was launched in June to close 68 stores. The chain was sold to investment firm Gordon Brothers, the former owners of Laura Ashley, for £1. The retailer had previously been owned by Polish company Pepco Group since 2016. Poundland's store in Port Glasgow, which is located in the Gallagher Shopping Park, is set to close on August 10. Earlier this month, department store Matalan lodged plans for a new branch in the unit currently occupied by the Inverclyde shop. Two more branches in Broxburn, West Lothian, and Perth will shut down a week later on August 17. Staff at the branches earmarked for closure were told in June, Poundland confirmed. Darren MacDonald, retail director, said: "It is of course, sincerely regrettable that our recovery plans include any store closures, but sadly that's necessary if we're to achieve our goal of securing the future of thousands of jobs and hundreds of stores. Poundland to be sold for JUST £1 as frontrunner for shock takeover is revealed after wave of store closures "While our anticipated network of around 650-700 stores remains a sizeable one, we entirely understand how disappointing it will be for customers when one nearby, closes. "Nevertheless, we look forward to continuing to welcome them to a nearby Poundland. "It goes without saying that we will work closely with colleagues through a formal consultation process in stores scheduled to close, exploring any suitable alternative roles. That work is underway." Poundland, owned by the Pepco Group, was sold for "just £1" in June as part of a deal struck with investment fund Gordon Brothers. The ex-owner of Laura Ashley agreed to buy the discount chain for the nominal fee as it said it would move forward with a major restructuring plan. This included pumping £80million of financing into Poundland. Later that month, Gordon Brothers laid out the details of the restructuring plan, which included closing 68 stores and negotiating rent reductions at a number of other locations. The firm is also getting rid of frozen food products across all stores where they're currently sold and reducing the number of chilled food items sold.
Daily Record
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Record
B&M's 'stunning' £10 mirror looks 'just like' £110 Next version
The mirrors look almost identical - but there's a huge price difference between the two B&M is selling a "stunning" new mirror that looks very similar to a much more expensive version. The retailer is well known for its stylish, affordable homeware - and there may be a new must-have in stock. The bargain retailer is now selling what some shoppers are calling "the bargain of the century" - a £10 mirror that's been dubbed "beautiful" and "stunning." The mirror bears a striking resemblance to a version sold by Next - but for a fraction of the price. The mirror was shared online by Instagram page @anotherbeigeterrace, who shared several photos of the product styled in their home. The medium sized mirror is rectangular and features a wavy wooden frame. The post was captioned: "My new mirror has more personality than my Monday mood. This could be one of my favourite home buys yet!! "I've been eyeing up a wave edge mirror for a while but couldn't justify the £80-£110 price tags. The price of this one however is on the last slide and NOT a typo." The post recieved many likes and comments from excited shoppers. Among them, one person said: "TEN BRITISH POUNDS?!" and a second wrote: "I have this! It's gorg isn't it." A third shopper added: "Love," and a fourth said: "Oh what a beauty. I need!!" A fifth wrote: "That's gorgeous!" The praise for the mirror continued, with one shopper saying: "Okay I need to get this! What a barg and so beautiful." A second wrote: "Love this!!!" and a third added: "Wow what a steal, it's gorgeous!" A different shopper said: "How fab! I love this" and a second wrote: "Love this! I've been looking all over for it but I can't find it." A third added: "Stunning" and another said: "The bargain of the century." The B&M mirror looks almost identical to the Laura Ashley Natural Wooden Wavy Pine Rectangular Wall Mirror from Next. The two feature matching wavy frames in a similar shade and size. The B&M mirror, which is not yet listed on the retailer's website, is priced at £10, while Next's comes in at £110. This means shoppers could save £100 by opting for the budget alternative.
Irish Examiner
06-07-2025
- Lifestyle
- Irish Examiner
Save or Splurge? Two outdoor rugs for patio dining and relaxation
SAVE Designed with multiple geometric patterns, the Ruskin dark terra flatweave mixes soft cream and red for a more contemporary finish and can be used indoors out of season; €110, 160x230cm, SPLURGE Laura Ashley's Porchester rug is designed around traditional geometrics and florals on a solid poppy red background for both outdoor and indoor use; €299 140x200cm,
The Independent
29-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Independent
‘I used to be scared of being alone': Charlotte Church on burnout, boundaries and building a new kind of wellness
There was a time not too long ago that Charlotte Church 's mornings began in hotel rooms, ears still ringing with the roar of arenas from the night before, days run in tight schedules of gigs, press junkets and backstage chaos. Once life was fast, loud, unrelenting – a whirlwind that thrust Church into the spotlight aged 12 and swept her into global stardom. Things look a bit different now. Today her morning began in silence, save for the birdsong ringing in the muddy, wooded hills of south Wales. This is the landscape she says 'called her home' after pop stardom left her seeking something deeper. Now, at 39, she's never felt so rooted. 'I never would've seen this path for myself,' she says with a soft laugh, speaking from her home just outside Cardiff, where she lives with her partner and three children. 'But now I look back, it all makes sense. I've always been this person; someone who wants people to feel calm, to feel held.' Church now leads The Dreaming, a wellness retreat nestled in 47 acres of woodland near the Elan Valley. Rhydoldog House – the former home of interior designer Laura Ashley – officially opened in 2023 and is, according to recent reports, the reason that Church is no longer a millionaire, since she spent 'pretty much' her life savings on the eco-development project. Unlike so many celebrity wellness ventures, hers is free of gimmickry and influencer gloss. While guests are served vegan meals and encouraged to avoid technology and alcohol, there are no chakra-aligning face mists, no press trips to Bali. Instead, Church is building something grounded, radical, and distinctly Welsh. 'I see the planet as a giant school,' she says. 'And wellness, for me, is about learning how to be with the almost intolerable – grief, burnout, injustice – and still find joy, love, and strength.' Church's pivot from singer to wellness facilitator may seem surprising, but in her telling, it's a natural evolution. A long journey towards living 'closer to [her] values and ethics'. Her early fame brought extraordinary success, but also invasive tabloid attention, ridicule, and intense pressure. She hasn't exactly shied away from that world entirely: this autumn, she'll star in the next series of BBC One's Celebrity Traitors. But, she says, it's about finding the right balance. 'There was a time I didn't want to be alone – maybe I was even fearful of solitude,' she admits. 'But now? I delight in it. I need it.' That shift has been hard-won. Over the past few years, Church has cultivated what she calls 'non-negotiable boundaries'. 'I've got ADHD. Phones, notifications, scrolling – it's like constant dopamine hits. I block social media for five, six days at a time now. It's the only way I can function.' She's also swapped her jam-packed paper diaries for minimalist wall planners and small notebooks, 'just to see the shape of my life.' This might sound like a small detail, but for Church, it's been transformational. 'I used to overwork constantly. Now I'm asking: where is the rest? Where's the solitude? Where's the fun?' In conversation, Church often returns to joy as a political and spiritual act – one that begins in the body. 'I regulate through singing, dancing, walking in nature,' she says. 'I pray to my ancestors. I make rituals. None of this is expensive. Most of it is free.' That matters to her. She's deeply critical of what she calls the 'snake oil' side of the wellness industry – the curated products often with huge price tags attached with little grounding in actual care. 'Wellness has been co-opted like everything else. But we try to keep it simple, accessible, and real.' At The Dreaming, every retreat offers 'pay what you can' spaces. Some guests pay £5 a night. Others more. She works with experienced facilitators from psychotherapists to somatic bodyworkers and is intentional about who leads each residency. 'We're not a mental health facility,' she clarifies. 'We're not here to 'fix' anyone. We're here to remind people: you already have what you need. You are your own best healer.' It's a philosophy that's infused in every aspect of the retreat. 'The word we use is 'remembering',' she says. 'It's not about newness or reinvention. It's about returning to what was already within us.' That doesn't mean it's without boundaries. 'I'm passionate about my work, but I've learned how easily that passion can tip into burnout,' she admits. 'My nervous system tells me. I start to feel fizzy, obsessive, overly neurotic. That's my cue to slow down.' Though she doesn't speak Welsh fluently, she's drawn to the pre-Christian, Druidic traditions of her homeland. 'There's so much richness in our stories, in the way our language connects to nature. I think that's why The Dreaming had to be here.' Does she think the wildness of the land influences the people, or the other way around? 'It's both,' she says. 'The health of the land shapes the people. And the health of the people shapes the land. That's community. Not just humans. All of it – the web of life.' One of the most progressive aspects of The Dreaming is its 'kindred series' – residencies tailored specifically for marginalised groups: queer people, Black and brown women, Muslim women. They're designed, Church explains, around the principles of liberation psychology. 'A lot of therapy focuses on the individual, as if it's all your fault, all your trauma. But context matters. Systems matter,' she says. 'Sometimes people need to heal in spaces where they don't have to explain themselves.' This is particularly evident in 'returning to the queer heart', a retreat for LGBTQ+ people that Church calls 'deeply moving'. 'So many queer folks come carrying so much and leave lighter. Not because they've 'fixed' anything, but because they've had space to be fully seen.' So is she done with showbiz? Not quite. 'I want to keep my platform,' she says. 'I'm using it in a way that feels conscientious now. I've got shit to say.' Her next music project, she hints, will fuse her two worlds – art and ritual, performance and healing. 'I'm taking everything I learned from [live show] Late Night Pop Dungeon and using it to build something new.' And yet, there's no mistaking where her soul lives these days: on the land, in the stillness, in the early morning silent discos where guests dance up the dawn under a Welsh sky. 'People cry,' she says. 'People say they haven't danced without alcohol in years. They haven't watched a sunrise in years.' She pauses. 'And I think – yeah. This is it. This is the work.'
Yahoo
25-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
The Tile Shop Expands Exclusive Collaboration With Jeffrey Alan Marks, Launching Two New Coastal-Inspired Designs
MINNEAPOLIS, June 25, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Tile Shop, a leading specialty retailer of natural stone and specialty tiles, is proud to announce the expansion of its exclusive Jeffrey Alan Marks Collection with the debut of two new tile designs: Natural Zen Birchwood and Sand new designs reflect Marks' signature California-casual aesthetic and offer customers elevated options for creating timeless, relaxed spaces with natural texture and coastal-inspired hues. With a palette of soft blue, sand, and white tones, the collection captures the calming rhythm of the coast. 'With Natural Zen Birchwood and Sand Dollar, I wanted to create tiles that feel grounded, organic and refined, like the shimmer of the sea,' says Jeffrey Alan Marks. "My time spent in nature every day in the Santa Barbara mountains and Summerland beaches inspires the laid-back feel my tile collections bring to the home, anchoring the space for casual living." 'Working with Jeffrey is always an inspiring, collaborative process,' says Kirsty Froelich, Senior Director of Design and Product Development at The Tile Shop. 'He brings a clear point of view—elegant, approachable and deeply rooted in natural materials—and we work closely to translate that into tile in a way that feels both design-forward and easy to live with. Natural Zen Birchwood and Sand Dollar add beautiful dimension and versatility to the collection. We're so excited to offer our customers even more ways to bring Jeffrey's relaxed, coastal style into their homes.' About the Designs Natural Zen BirchwoodAvailable colors: White, Sea Blue and Ash Inspired by the simplicity of Japanese spa design, Natural Zen Birchwood is a 4' x 16' ceramic tile with soft, neutral tones and subtle dimensional texture. The understated, organic elegance of this glossy wall tile makes it ideal for serene bathrooms, backsplashes or wellness-inspired spaces. Sand DollarAvailable colors: Ocean and Ash Add a touch of seaside serenity to walls and floors with the intricate motif and sunwashed coloring of this 6" x 6" matte porcelain tile. With a pattern reminiscent of hand-painted designs, Sand Dollar infuses any room with the relaxed elegance of coastal living. The expanded Jeffrey Alan Marks Collection is available now at The Tile Shop's more than 140 retail locations nationwide and at This exclusive collection is part of The Tile Shop's growing roster of exclusive designer collaborations, including partnerships with Nikki Chu, Kelli Fontana, Alison Victoria and Laura Park (coming summer 2025), as well as iconic British brands Laura Ashley and Morris & Co. These exclusive offerings are only available at The Tile Shop, bringing designer vision and premium materials together in one destination for tile. ABOUT JEFFREY ALAN MARKSJeffrey Alan Marks' design work is infused with equal parts good nature and good taste. Recognized as one of today's most influential American designers, Jeffrey begins each project with an effortless sense of timelessness, and then infuses each space with casual livability. Devoid of trend or artifice, Jeffrey provides what today's consumer is craving: products and places connected to craft that are more meaningful and more accessible. ABOUT THE TILE SHOP Tile Shop Holdings, Inc. (Nasdaq: TTSH) is a leading specialty retailer of natural stone, man-made and luxury vinyl tiles, setting and maintenance materials, and related accessories in the United States. The Tile Shop offers a wide selection of high-quality products, exclusive designs, knowledgeable staff and exceptional customer service in an extensive showroom environment. The Tile Shop currently operates 141 stores in 31 states and the District of Columbia. The Tile Shop is a proud member of the American Society of Interior Designers (ASID), National Association of Homebuilders (NAHB), National Kitchen and Bath Association (NKBA), and the National Tile Contractors Association (NTCA). For more information, visit Join The Tile Shop (#thetileshop) on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, Pinterest and YouTube. Tile Shop Media Contact: A photo accompanying this announcement is available at in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
