Latest news with #LauraTrott
The Sun
3 days ago
- General
- The Sun
I transformed a £10.50 Aldi buy into a ‘jaw-dropping' garden feature & people think it's ‘really impressive'
A DIY enthusiast has shared the simple way she transformed a £10.50 Aldi buy into a jaw-dropping garden feature. So if you want to add some style to your garden for spring but your purse is feeling tighter than ever before, then you've come to the right place. 3 3 3 Laura Trott, a savvy DIY fan from the UK, used bargain buys from Amazon and Home Bargains to give an Aldi planter a new lease of life. Rather than put a plant in the planter, Laura made her own faux fish pond - and we think it looks fabulous. Eager to show off her DIY creation, Laura took to social media, sharing a breakdown of the costs of her purse-friendly project. Posting on BARGAIN LOVERS Poundland, Home Bargains, B&M, Primark, The Range & More, a public Facebook group with 835,300 members, Laura uploaded snaps of the Aldi planter, which she transformed with faux fish, a faux lily pad, a solar water fountain and stones. Alongside her post, Laura penned: 'I turned this £10 Aldi UK planter into a faux fish pond.' The bargain hunter confirmed that she nabbed the planter from Aldi for £10.50, which she filled with faux fish that she ordered from Amazon for £5.99. As well as this, she also added in a lily pad which she got from Amazon for £3.50 and also completed the feature with a solar water fountain, which was also from Amazon for £18.50. Laura explained that you can buy solar water fountains from just £8 online, but she opted for a slightly more expensive one that lights up at night. As well as this, she also added in stones that she got for just £4.50 from Home Bargains. While many garden features similar to this retail anywhere from £56 to £180 online, Laura spent just £42.99 in total on hers, making her DIY project a real steal. Mrs Hinch raves about £2 Home Bargains buy that 'adds charm to your garden' & a £10 product that's 'cheaper than Amazon' And it's clear that Laura's faux fish pond has left many very impressed, as her post has quickly racked up 1,100 likes and 512 comments. Users eagerly raced to the comments to praise the 'jaw-dropping' feature, which many thought looked 'beautiful'. Garden features that add the most value to a house A well-kept garden can add anywhere between 5-20% to the value of a property. carried out a study and consulted 36 estate agents, garden designers and property professionals from across the UK. And the experts revealed the garden feature which adds the most value to a property is a shed. Shed - 82% Patio or paving - 76% Secure fencing, walls or gates - 72% Outdoor lighting - 66% Sturdy decking - 62% Water features eg. fountain or pond - 58% Modern garden furniture - 54% Artificial lawn/grass - 40% One person said: 'Love it!! I'm going to do it with my boys! Thank you!' Another added: 'Really impressive.' A third commented: 'So cute.' Meanwhile, someone else beamed: 'Truly amazingly beautifully beautiful.' But that's not all, as another DIY enthusiast chimed in and wrote: 'Great idea! I'm going to try this!!' Unlock even more award-winning articles as The Sun launches brand new membership programme - Sun Club 8 must-have plants to brighten up your garden Nick Hamilton owner of Barnsdale Gardens has shared his favourite plants and flowers you should consider adding to your garden, borders and pots. Tricyrtis A spectacular plant that gives a real exotic feel to any garden with its orchid-like, spotted flowers giving the impression that this plant should be tender but it is 'as tough as old boots!'. Penstemon I love this plants genus of because most will flower all summer and autumn. They'll grow in sun or semi-shade in a well drained soil and produce a non-stop display of tubular flowers in an array of colours and colour combination to suit all tastes. Luzula sylvatica 'Marginata' With the evergreen leaves edged with yellow it's great asset is that it will grow in sun or shade in any type of soil and is great as groundcover in the hardest spot to fill - dry shade. Eryngium x zabelii 'Big Blue' A stunning, nectar-rich plant that will feed the beneficial insects in your garden. Leave the flowerheads once they have turned brown because they look stunning with winter frost and snow, extending the plant's interest period. Sarcococca hookeriana 'Winter Gem' If you need winter scent then look no further than this compact, evergreen shrub. The scent is stunning and the evergreen leaves create an excellent backdrop for the summer flowers. Cornus sanguinea 'Anny's Winter Orange' A dwarf version of 'Midwinter Fire' the very colourful stems create a stunning winter display, particularly on sunny days. Rosa 'Noisette Carnee' A very well-behaved climbing rose that is perfect for training over an arch, pergola or gazebo. The small, 'noisette' flowers are blush-pink and produce the most amazing clove scent constantly from June to November. Sanguisorba hakusanensis 'Lilac Squirrel' I've never seen a squirrel with a drooping, shaggy lilac tail, but this variety will give your garden an unusual and different look throughout summer. It does need a moisture retentive soil but will grow in sun or semi-shade.
The Irish Sun
3 days ago
- Lifestyle
- The Irish Sun
I transformed a £10.50 Aldi buy into a ‘jaw-dropping' garden feature & people think it's ‘really impressive'
A DIY enthusiast has shared the simple way she transformed a £10.50 Aldi buy into a jaw-dropping garden feature. So if you want to add some style to your garden for spring but your purse is feeling tighter than ever before, then you've come to the right place. Advertisement 3 A savvy woman has revealed how she transformed a cheap Aldi planter into a gorgeous garden feature Credit: Facebook/BARGAIN LOVERS Poundland, Home Bargains, B&M, Primark, The Range & More 3 Laura Trott used Amazon and Home Bargains buys to give the supermarket buy a glow up Credit: Facebook/BARGAIN LOVERS Poundland, Home Bargains, B&M, Primark, The Range & More 3 Many have been left incredibly impressed by the "beautiful" idea Credit: Facebook/BARGAIN LOVERS Poundland, Home Bargains, B&M, Primark, The Range & More Laura Trott, a savvy Rather than put a Eager to show off her Posting on Advertisement Read more Fabulous stories Alongside her post, Laura penned: 'I turned this £10 Aldi UK planter into a faux fish pond.' The As well as this, she also added in a lily pad which she got from Laura explained that you can buy solar water fountains from just £8 online, but she opted for a slightly more expensive one that lights up at night. Advertisement Most read in Fabulous As well as this, she also added in stones that she got for just £4.50 from While many garden features similar to this retail anywhere from £56 to £180 online, Laura spent just £42.99 in total on hers, making her Mrs Hinch raves about £2 Home Bargains buy that 'adds charm to your garden' & a £10 product that's 'cheaper than Amazon' And it's clear that Laura's faux fish pond has left many very impressed, as her post has quickly racked up 1,100 likes and 512 comments. Users eagerly raced to the comments to praise the 'jaw-dropping' feature, which many thought looked 'beautiful'. Advertisement Garden features that add the most value to a house A well-kept garden can add anywhere between 5-20% to the value of a property. And the experts revealed the garden feature which adds the most value to a property is a shed. Shed - 82% Patio or paving - 76% Secure fencing, walls or gates - 72% Outdoor lighting - 66% Sturdy decking - 62% Water features eg. fountain or pond - 58% Modern garden furniture - 54% Artificial lawn/grass - 40% One person said: 'Love it!! I'm going to do it with my boys! Thank you!' Another added: 'Really impressive.' Great idea! I'm going to try this!! Facebook user A third commented: 'So cute.' Meanwhile, someone else beamed: 'Truly amazingly beautifully beautiful.' Advertisement But that's not all, as another Unlock even more award-winning articles as The Sun launches brand new membership programme - Sun Club 8 must-have plants to brighten up your garden Nick Hamilton owner of Tricyrtis A spectacular plant that gives a real exotic feel to any garden with its orchid-like, spotted flowers giving the impression that this plant should be tender but it is 'as tough as old boots!'. Penstemon I love this plants genus of because most will flower all summer and autumn. They'll grow in sun or semi-shade in a well drained soil and produce a non-stop display of tubular flowers in an array of colours and colour combination to suit all tastes. Luzula sylvatica 'Marginata' With the evergreen leaves edged with yellow it's great asset is that it will grow in sun or shade in any type of soil and is great as groundcover in the hardest spot to fill - dry shade. Eryngium x zabelii 'Big Blue' A stunning, nectar-rich plant that will feed the beneficial insects in your garden. Leave the flowerheads once they have turned brown because they look stunning with winter frost and snow, extending the plant's interest period. Sarcococca hookeriana 'Winter Gem' If you need winter scent then look no further than this compact, evergreen shrub. The scent is stunning and the evergreen leaves create an excellent backdrop for the summer flowers. Cornus sanguinea 'Anny's Winter Orange' A dwarf version of 'Midwinter Fire' the very colourful stems create a stunning winter display, particularly on sunny days. Rosa 'Noisette Carnee' A very well-behaved climbing rose that is perfect for training over an arch, pergola or gazebo. The small, 'noisette' flowers are blush-pink and produce the most amazing clove scent constantly from June to November. Sanguisorba hakusanensis 'Lilac Squirrel' I've never seen a squirrel with a drooping, shaggy lilac tail, but this variety will give your garden an unusual and different look throughout summer. It does need a moisture retentive soil but will grow in sun or semi-shade.
Daily Mail
16-05-2025
- Politics
- Daily Mail
Labour 'kicking can down the road' over schools trans rules
Guidance for schools on pupils who identify as the opposite sex may not be published before the summer holidays, the Education Secretary signalled yesterday. In an interview with the Mail, Bridget Phillipson refused to commit to getting the rules to teachers by the end of this school year. Draft guidance published by the Tories in late 2023 urged caution when children ask to change their names or uniform and said parents should not be kept in the dark. But Ms Phillipson is yet to finalise the rules, despite renewed pressure after the Supreme Court said transgender women aren't female. It means transgender people must use facilities such as bathrooms that match their biological sex. Tory education spokesman Laura Trott accused Ms Phillipson of 'kicking the can down the road'. Dr Hilary Cass led a review into gender services for children, which found they had been let down by a lack of research and evidence on the use of puberty blockers. Ms Phillipson said: 'I am determined to make sure schools have got practical, workable guidance that aligns with the recommendations of Dr Cass's final review.' Pressed on when the rules will be published, she said 'it will be this year', adding that school leaders have told her there were 'gaps in the previous guidance'. Campaigners said they would sue Ms Phillipson, along with the Equality and Human Rights Commission watchdog, over their interpretation of the Supreme Court ruling. The Good Law Project announced a claim for a judicial review, claiming that the requirement for transgender people to use toilets according to their biological sex breaches Britain's obligations under human rights law.
Western Telegraph
28-04-2025
- Politics
- Western Telegraph
Government will not be hurried on school guidance after gender ruling
Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said it was important the right information was provided to schools, as she accused shadow education secretary Laura Trott of 'shameless opportunism' in asking why ministers had not published it. Draft guidance for schools and colleges on how best to support pupils has been on hold since Labour entered Government. It was published by the Conservative government in December 2023, with a consultation ending in March last year. The Education Secretary has got the draft guidance for schools on gender questioning on her desk. The final Cass report was a year ago. If she is serious about protecting women and girls, why hasn't she already published the guidance? Shadow education secretary Laura Trott Ms Phillipson said guidance would be issued later this year. Speaking at education questions in the House of Commons on Monday, Conservative shadow minister Ms Trott said: 'Despite the Education Secretary's best attempts to rewrite history, on this side of the House we didn't need a court to tell us biological sex was real. 'The Education Secretary has got the draft guidance for schools on gender questioning on her desk. The final Cass report was a year ago. If she is serious about protecting women and girls, why hasn't she already published the guidance?' The draft guidance from 2023 said parents 'should not be excluded' from decisions taken by a school or college relating to requests for a child to 'socially transition', such as wishes to change names, pronouns and clothing. Conservative shadow education secretary Laura Trott was speaking at education questions in the House of Commons (Stefan Rousseau/PA) The draft guidance said schools and colleges should make parents aware if their child requests a change – except in the 'very rare situation' where parental involvement may raise a 'significant risk of harm' to the child. It added that schools 'must always protect single-sex spaces' with regard to toilets, showers and changing rooms. In the aftermath of the Supreme Court ruling, teaching unions said they were 'concerned' about the implications for their pupils. One union, the NASUWT, passed an emergency motion at its conference days after the judgment to warn against introducing 'knee-jerk policy changes'. Ms Phillipson said she was serious about protecting the rights of women and girls, and pointed to her work running a women's refuge to help people 'fleeing some of the most unimaginable abuse that anyone could ever see'. The party opposite published guidance a matter of months before the general election in draft form, it is right that we take this issue seriously, that we get it right. We don't need this shameless opportunism, this is children's well-being Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson She added: 'This is a sensitive area. We are talking about children's well-being, often very vulnerable children experiencing distress. Whilst I recognise the important need to provide clarity for school leaders, and the guidance that they do need, we have to get this right. 'I would just to say to her, that it was only a matter of months before the general election that the party opposite published draft guidance for consultation. 'It is right that we take stock following the full and final review from Dr Cass, which we accept and should be the basis of how we take things forward.' Ms Trott asked if Ms Phillipson would apologise to women with 'gender-critical' views. She said: 'She's more concerned about listening to student union activists than women. Will the Education Secretary now apologise to these gender-critical women who were forced to spend eye-watering sums on legal fees, fighting for their rights, due to her actions?' Campaigners for For Women Scotland celebrate outside the Supreme Court in London (Lucy North/PA) Ms Phillipson said: 'From that question, I don't think you would really know who was in government for the last 14 years. They had ample opportunity to clarify the position, and actually the ruling of the Supreme Court was that Labour's 2010 Equality Act was the basis for the judgment that confirmed that biological sex should be before the provision of single-sex services.' She added: 'They were also clear that everyone within our country deserves to be treated with dignity and respect, and that trans people continue to receive protection within the law. 'The party opposite published guidance a matter of months before the general election in draft form, it is right that we take this issue seriously, that we get it right. We don't need this shameless opportunism, this is children's well-being.'
Sky News
18-03-2025
- Politics
- Sky News
'I banned my kids from using smartphones - headteachers who don't are wrong'
Headteachers who haven't banned smartphones are wrong, a senior Tory has told Sky News - as she revealed she won't allow her own children to have one until they are 16. Laura Trott, the shadow education secretary, told Politics Hub With Sophy Ridge smartphone usage in schools is a "massive problem across the country". She said there's "lots of evidence" to show allowing the devices in classrooms leads to students getting lower GCSE grades - yet only 11% of schools have a full ban. Ms Trott said she is so concerned about the impact of screen time, she has told her own young children - twin boys who are six and a girl who is eight - they won't be getting a smartphone until they are 16. "I have been very clear with them because I see all this evidence about what social media does to children, and they are not getting a smartphone until they're 16," she said. "And they're already not that happy about it." Government resists calls for ban Ms Trott was speaking ahead of a failed Conservative attempt in the Commons for a law that would force headteachers to ban phones in schools. The Labour government has resisted such a move, and a Tory amendment to its Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill - also backed by MPs from other parties - was defeated by 317 votes to 159. It was put to Ms Trott the Tories often say they have a proud record of trusting headteachers to make decisions, having pushed for most state schools to become academies under the promise of giving them more freedom. But she said a smartphone ban is a "safeguarding issue". Asked if that means headteachers who have not banned them have got it wrong, Ms Trott said: "Yes they have - absolutely." "The evidence is overwhelming," she added. "We know the impact it has on children and that's why it's important that every school up and down the country has this ban in place." 4:12 'Parents are asking for this' Government guidance says schools should prohibit the use of mobile phones, but it's right that school leaders make decisions about what works for their individual settings. Speaking during Monday's debate in the Commons, education minister Stephen Morgan said government monitoring of the guidance will be strengthened - and accused the Tories of "jumping on the bandwagon". Ms Trott denied the amendment was a "gimmick", saying "parents, teachers, children are all asking for this". There have been mixed studies about the merits of banning phones in classrooms. In February, research by the University of Birmingham found restricting mobile phones at school does not improve grades or mental wellbeing, or reduce their overall screen time in a day. But a study from last summer found schools that effectively ban mobile phones see better GCSE results. Earlier this month, a backbench Labour MP was forced to water down proposed legislation to stop children "doom-scrolling" so it would get government backing. Josh MacAlister had planned for his safer phones legislation to include a ban on the devices in classrooms, a well as raising the "digital age of consent" at which social media can be used to 16.
