Latest news with #Lianne
Daily Mirror
7 days ago
- Daily Mirror
'I bagsie a sunlounger before pool opens despite rules - my holiday is sacred'
A mum was left furious after discovering all the sunbeds at her all-inclusive resort were being nabbed as early as 8am - so she came up with her own solution to ensure she didn't miss out A mum who swore she'd never get involved in dreaded sunbed wars now says it's the only way she can enjoy her family holiday. Lianne Smith, from Bristol, jetted off to Menorca with her husband, two kids, parents and brother for a sunny week in Cala'n Bosch. But her hopes of chilling by the pool were left shattered when she realised her hotel was plagued with so-called "sunbed warriors" who like to wake up at the crack of dawn to reserve loungers. Despite clear signs saying it wasn't allowed, that didn't stop hotel goers from claiming their sunbeds in prime positions as early as 8am. After a few mornings of her family being separated around the pool, Lianne finally gave in to the "if you can't beat them, join them" mentality. It comes amid a warning to Brit tourists planning all-inclusive holidays to Spain as travellers are targeted by a crime spate. Determined to enjoy the £3,500 break, the mum-of-two found herself sneaking out while the kids were still snoozing to bag some beds. "It goes against what I think is right," the 39-year-old told What's The Jam."It's annoying, but you pay all that money - and if you can't beat them, join them. It's the downside of going on holiday. I dread it. They say you're not allowed to do it, but no one stops it." Lianne says the hotel pool didn't officially open until 10am, but by 8.30am, around 30 percent of the lounges were already gone. Many of them were reserved for children who spent most of the day in the water. Lianne, who returned from her trip earlier this month, said: "The first morning we tried to get sunbeds together, but by the time we arrived, people had already staked their spots well before the pool even opened. "When we showed up, there was no way to sit next to each other – everyone was spread out all around the pool. "We tried arriving later on another day, but it was the same story every time. We had to start waking up early and sneaking out while the kids were still asleep just to get towels down. "What really gets to me is when people reserve beds for their kids – it feels unfair. We'd never reserve spots for all 10 of us. The kids are usually in the pool anyway, so we just share beds." Lianne shared her experience on TikTok, where most commenters agreed with her approach. While she praised the hotel's kids' entertainment and overall atmosphere, the mum admitted the daily dash for sunbeds left her longing for a lie-in. So much so that she's now considering booking a villa next time. She said, "Most people agreed it's super frustrating. We spent one morning at the beach, but usually, we prefer to hang around the pool. "There were loads of people, and some didn't mind as long as you were actually using the sunbeds from early on. One person mentioned they'd been somewhere with a ticket system to book sunbeds in advance. "I'm honestly surprised there isn't a better way to manage it all. I like the idea of booking spots, but I'm not sure how much that would actually help." 'It's frustrating having to get up so early - it takes the relaxation out of the holiday when you have to wake up, get dressed and rush down just to save a sunbed."
Scoop
16-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Scoop
Joy On Display: Taupō Museum Opens Uplifting New Exhibition
'Every time I walk past that painting of yours, I smile,' a collector once told artist Lianne Adams. That single expression helped inspire the theme of Joy, the latest exhibition at Taupō Museum. Opening this Friday 18 July, Joy celebrates the simple but powerful emotion of happiness, and invites visitors to pause, breathe, and reconnect with the uplifting energy that art can bring. The title of the exhibition also reflects the feeling that the three artists experienced when they made the life-changing decision to leave the daily work grind to pursue careers in the arts. Lianne began her painting journey at Active Arts in Taupō creating modern acrylics, whimsical collages, and mixed-media pieces that evoke nostalgia and warmth. Nicki Mclaren, a familiar face at Market Central Taupō with her handcrafted resin domestic ware, presents a striking selection of large-scale resin art and contemporary paintings. Alison, a Tauranga-based metal artist and painter, celebrates female strength and creativity through works crafted with a welder, blowtorch, and brush. Despite their distinct styles, the three artists are united by a shared passion and a desire to spread joy through their work. Joy opens with a special launch event on Friday 18 July at 6pm at Taupō Museum. The public is warmly invited to attend. The exhibition will be on display from 19 July to 31 August. Taupō Museum is open daily from 10am to 4.30pm and entry is free for locals with proof of address. Come along, take a moment, and experience the joy for yourself.
Daily Record
24-06-2025
- Business
- Daily Record
Bannockburn golf range plans to be shelved after ministers' refusal
The businesswoman behind the plans - which would have seen a driving range, clubhouse and community space - said she felt she had a "very good case". A disappointed Bannockburn businesswoman has completely shelved plans for a new golf driving range for the area. Lianne Muirhead's application for the driving range, clubhouse and multi-purpose community space 250 metres east of Bridge Cottages was initially rejected by Stirling Council's planning panel in January 2024 when all but one councillor backed planning officials' recommendation to refuse the bid. The plans had attracted 11 individual objections plus others from Historic Environment Scotland and the National Trust for Scotland. However, a total of 38 submissions of support had also been lodged. Council planners had backed objectors' concerns, saying the proposals failed to protect the cultural significance of the Bannockburn Battlefield, as well as failed to protect landscape features, character and setting of the battlefield. Most recently, the Scottish Government planning appeals reporter and then Scottish Ministers refused permission for the proposal, citing its impact on the battlefield - the same reason given for refusing a bid by a separate applicant for a trotting track on a neighbouring site. Lianne previously told the Observer that every aspect of the design had been carefully considered and environmental issues looked at sensitively plus it was hoped the project would create a community asset, whilst generating new employment to the area. Supporters had said the project would be a 'much needed replacement' for the loss of the former Brucefields driving range in Bannockburn, which closed in 2020, and would 'be a benefit to the area and the community' and bring jobs and consumers to the area. Following the Scottish Ministers' decision, however, Lianne told the Observer she would not be pursuing the plans any further. 'We are obviously very disappointed as you can imagine. We felt we had a very good case to provide a facility that would reinvest in our community and benefit those both living and working in Stirling. 'While we appreciate the significance of the battlefield, we hoped that the mitigations we had put in place to limit the view, allowed us to provide a community and economic benefit that would outweigh any detriment to the site of a possible battlefield. 'A lot of time, effort and money went into us putting in the very best application we could. 'Two golf facilities, along with a racetrack, have been removed from our area with no plans to have these facilities replaced anywhere. 'Scotland is the home of golf yet we are denying local children from being able to even take the game up never mind practice. Not to mention the health and wellbeing benefits of people being able to play the sport or just be outside in the fresh air. 'I believe we have a need for new houses but we need to provide infrastructure and facilities for people to use. We have the South Stirling Gateway already started and work commencing soon on Durieshill yet we are providing no new facilities for the community.' Lianne said she felt there had been a 'really disappointing start to the application process' having been denied meetings with the planning department and Historic Scotland to work through their concerns, and that she felt reports she had provided 'as and when required' hadn't been read fully by either the planning team or the local councillors. She added: 'When we had our appeal with the [Scotland Government's appeals] reporter it really did feel like they had listened and read the proposal fully. Disappointingly this has not gone our way either. 'A new application will not be submitted.' In their decision, Scottish Ministers stated: 'The Scottish Ministers agree with the reporter that the proposed development would be clearly visible to the observers directly beyond the [battlefield] interpretation panels and that the driving range building would be a prominent addition to the restricted and framed landscape view when observed from this viewpoint. 'The proposed development does not effectively integrate with its sensitive landscape context owing to its scale and position and therefore, does not accord with the relevant development plan policies regarding siting and design.'
Newsweek
15-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Newsweek
Mom Films Toddler Watching 'Ms Rachel', Captures Milestone Moment Instead
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. A couple filming their son accidentally captured his first unaided steps on video, as he became distracted by the TV. Lianne, 42, lives in Buckinghamshire UK with her wife, Jordan, and their 15-month-old son, Grayson, who has recently learned to walk on his own. And, by pure accident, the couple captured his first unaided steps on camera—because he was distracted by the global YouTube phenomenon Ms Rachel, beloved by babies, toddlers and many parents worldwide. As Lianne explained to Newsweek: "We were doing a video to capture Grayson's progress from crawling, to walking with a walker, to walking," which is a popular trend on social media, as parents create video montages of their babies growing up. "As we were filming the 'walking with a walker' video, he decided to take his first steps into our living room where Ms Rachel was on the TV!" Lianne shared the adorable moment to her TikTok account @liannel2810 on June 8, captioning it: "When Miss Rachel [sic] ruins your crawling to walking baby video," along with a laughing emoji. Grayson uses a walking toy to move down the hall, but gets distracted by the TV. Grayson uses a walking toy to move down the hall, but gets distracted by the TV. TikTok @liannel2810 And in words over the video itself, she added: "When your toddler gets distracted by Miss Rachel [sic] whilst doing the crawling to walking trend and takes their actual unaided first steps." It shows Grayson using a wooden toy walker, slowly making his way down the hall as viewed from a camera set up in the family's sitting room. But as Grayson uses the walker to continue down the hall, he looks into the room and then stops, as he's recognized the educational YouTuber on the TV screen. The baby then casually lets go of the walker—and walks, barely wobbling, into the room to get a better view—and Lianne and Jordan can be heard bursting into laughter as they witness, and record, their son's first steps. Lianne, who gave her first name only, told Newsweek: "We were both shocked, as prior to this he would only walk with us holding his hands or using his walker." And it appears Grayson isn't the only one whose first steps were towards Ms Rachel, as commenters flocked to the video, viewed more than 83,000 times, to share their own stories. Grayson stops to watch Ms Rachel, then walks unaided for the first time to get a better look. Grayson stops to watch Ms Rachel, then walks unaided for the first time to get a better look. TikTok @liannel2810 "Love this, I defo [co] parent with Miss Rachel [sic]," one user wrote, as another admitted: "My little boy did his first unaided steps to walk to the TV where Ms Rachel was on." Another joked Grayson had "definitely been having a sneaky run round when you [have] not been looking." On average, babies take their first unaided steps around 14 months old, and may indicate they're ready to begin walking independently after learning to do so while holding a parent's hand or furniture for balance, according to a medically-reviewed report from What to Expect. Lianne said: "We are always super proud of all Grayson's achievements and milestones so it was really lovely to see—but also really funny. "It's almost like he was thinking, 'why am I in the hallway when Ms Rachel's on?'" Do you have funny and adorable videos or pictures you want to share? Send them to life@ with some extra details, and they could appear on our website.
Daily Mirror
03-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Harry Potter-obsessed teen given magical surprise of her life at Warner Bros
Saffron Crickley from Blackpool was whisked on a magical trip to London for her first ever holiday A Harry Potter-obsessed teenager who lives with a rare genetic condition got the surprise of her life when she was whisked to the Warner Bros Studios in Watford to see how her beloved films were made. Saffron Crickley, who was born with the incredibly rare chromosomal disorder Mosaic Turner Syndrome, lives with hearing and vision loss, scoliosis and ADHD. Despite her challenges, the 14-year-old from Blackpool remains upbeat and full of life, says mum Lianne. 'She's a miracle baby,' says Lianne. 'Everything she goes through she faces with a smile. She just wants to be part of the world, to belong, to laugh, to experience everything.' Saffron was taken on a once-in-a-lifetime trip by charity Dreams Come True, which organised for her to travel with her family to London for a three-day holiday - the first time Saffron had ever left her home town. She and her family - brothers Kyron, 15, and Greyson, 11; dad Lee, grandma Gail, 18-month-old foster brother Noah and mum Lianne - were treated to a slap-up meal at Frankie & Benny's, where they feasted on Saffron's favourite: burgers, without the bun! The next morning they were taken to the world-famous toy store Hamley's in central London, which pulled out all the stops with entertainers, high tea and a private tour of the seven floors of toys, games and fun. And that wasn't the only surprise in store for the youngster, who has loved Harry Potter since watching the very first film when she was four. Saffron found herself standing outside The Making of Harry Potter, home to hundreds of thousands of props, sets and costumes that were all used during the filming of every Potter film. And just to top it all off, two of her heroes - David Ricardo-Pearce and Thomas Aldridge, who are currently playing Harry and Ron Weasley in the stage production of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child - had recorded a special video message just for her. 'She's absolutely Harry Potter obsessed, this is something she's talked about for years,' says Lianne. 'To finally go to London, and not only visit The Making of Harry Potter but also to receive a personalised message from the stars of the stage, Harry and Ron themselves, is beyond anything we could have imagined. It's truly magical.' Her favourite film is The Chamber of Secrets, and her favourite character is Harry's best friend Hermione, 'because she's brave and bossy - just like me with my brothers,' laughs Saffron. Her mum agrees. 'Hermione keeps the boys in line and under her thumb, and so does Saffron,' smiles Lianne. One of her highlights of the trip was trying Butterbeer, which in JK Rowling's magical universe is a slightly alcoholic butterscotch-tasting drink. In Muggle land, however, it's not boozy at all. 'I had it all over my face,' Saffron laughs. 'It was like a moustache!' But the ultimate highlight was walking into the room containing the 50-foot model of Hogwarts Castle, which was painstakingly built and painted by the art department for the first film, Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone. 'It took Saffron's breath away,' says Lianne. 'She couldn't believe her eyes. It was the real Hogwarts, right in front of us.' The one scary moment came when Saffron found herself face-to-face with a roaring dragon, which in the Harry Potter series lives deep underground the wizarding bank Gringotts - until it is freed by Harry, Ron and Hermione. 'It was so loud I had to turn off my hearing aids,' says Saffron. But she left happily in possession of Hermione's very own wand, all the better for keeping her brothers in line. It comes as research finds more than half of families with children who have disabilities live beneath the poverty line. Dreams Come True is a wish-granting charity focused exclusively on children living in the highest areas of deprivation with serious medical needs or disabilities, and chief exec Lisa King OBE says: 'This is what it's all about: creating unforgettable experiences for children who deserve the world. For Saffron and her family, this is more than a holiday. It's hope, joy, and magic brought to life.'
