Latest news with #MartinLewis
Scottish Sun
14 hours ago
- Scottish Sun
I tried the unusual ‘midnight race' where the sun never sets – along with insane whale-watching and thermal baths
I'm in Iceland, where in the summer, there is almost 24 hours of sunlight every day MIDNIGHT SUN I tried the unusual 'midnight race' where the sun never sets – along with insane whale-watching and thermal baths Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) THE sun beams down on me as I run along the path. It's a beautiful running track, a little stream gurgles to my left, purple flowers and gorgeous greenery standing out against the bright blue sky as I sweat it out along with 2,500 other runners. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 3 The night run trail Credit: Supplied 3 On a whale-watching trip Credit: Supplied I look down at my watch to check my pace and notice the time – 10.30pm. Hang on. My bedtime is 10pm, what am I doing? I should explain. I'm in Iceland, where in the summer, there is almost 24 hours of sunlight every day. As a keen runner, I signed up to the Suzuki Midnight run to take on the summer solstice challenge and I'm in good company with more than 2,600 fellow runners. I meet a self-described 'little old lady' from Canada who wanted to explore Iceland for her 70th birthday and take on the run, an Aussie couple lining up for their race photo and a gaggle of Irish women who are raising cash for a pal with cancer. I've elected to do the 10km but you can sign up to the 5km or even push yourself to complete the 21km. And while I'm normally a morning runner, there's something fun about taking on this midnight challenge. As the race gun goes off, I soak up the sunshine and the gorgeous views. Afterwards, I'm met with an electrolyte drink and medal, and I'm swept up in the crowd of locals heading straight to the thermal pools to soak their tired muscles. Iceland also has plenty of other activities for any non-runners, thanks to its jaw-dropping nature. Martin Lewis warns about strict passport rule that could see you board your flight - only to get sent home on arrival The afternoon before the race, I spent two hours whale watching, spotting humpbacks and minkes. Gearing up in a thick red suit and strapping on a life vest, I jump onto the RIB. Soon, we're heading out on to the open Atlantic. Suddenly, our boat veers to the left – our skipper has spotted something. The boat's engine is cut and the air is still with anticipation. 'Fwissshhhhhh'. Everyone jumps at the sound and turns to the right – there a massive humpback whale has breached out of the water, rolling its body along the surface. 3 The Sun's Brittany Vonow with her medal Credit: Supplied It circles the boat, breaking the surface of the water several times until, with a final flick of its tail, it disappears into the depths. We spend two hours out on the water, spotting half a dozen humpbacks and even an elusive minke on the trip. We are also delighted to spot hundreds of puffins flying around a small island off the coast of Iceland's capital. It's a world away from the UK, despite being just a three-hour flight from London with Play Airlines. Later that night, as I finally drift off to sleep in my hotel room, the sky outside is still bright. My muscles might be a little sore, and my internal clock utterly confused, but it was definitely an adventure worth staying up past my bedtime.
The Irish Sun
14 hours ago
- The Irish Sun
I tried the unusual ‘midnight race' where the sun never sets – along with insane whale-watching and thermal baths
THE sun beams down on me as I run along the path. It's a beautiful running track, a little stream gurgles to my left, purple flowers and gorgeous greenery standing out against the bright blue sky as I sweat it out along with 2,500 other Advertisement 3 The night run trail Credit: Supplied 3 On a whale-watching trip Credit: Supplied I look down at my watch to check my pace and notice the time – 10.30pm. Hang on. My bedtime is 10pm, what am I doing? I should explain. I'm in As a keen runner, I signed up to the Suzuki Midnight run to take on the Advertisement Read More on Travel I meet a self-described 'little old lady' from Canada who wanted to explore I've elected to do the 10km but you can sign up to the 5km or even push yourself to complete the 21km. And while I'm normally a morning runner, there's something fun about taking on this midnight challenge. As the race gun goes off, I soak up the sunshine and the gorgeous views. Advertisement Most read in City breaks Afterwards, I'm met with an electrolyte drink and medal, and I'm swept up in the crowd of locals heading straight to the thermal pools to soak their tired muscles. Iceland also has plenty of other activities for any non-runners, thanks to its jaw-dropping nature. Martin Lewis warns about strict passport rule that could see you board your flight - only to get sent home on arrival The afternoon before the race, I spent two hours whale watching, spotting humpbacks and minkes. Gearing up in a thick red suit and strapping on a life vest, I jump onto the RIB. Soon, we're heading out on to the open Atlantic. Advertisement Suddenly, our boat veers to the left – our skipper has spotted something. The boat's engine is cut and the air is still with anticipation. 'Fwissshhhhhh'. Everyone jumps at the sound and turns to the right – there a massive humpback whale has breached out of the water, rolling its body along the surface. Advertisement 3 The Sun's Brittany Vonow with her medal Credit: Supplied It circles the boat, breaking the surface of the water several times until, with a final flick of its tail, it disappears into the depths. We spend two hours out on the water, spotting half a dozen humpbacks and even an elusive minke on the trip. We are also delighted to spot hundreds of puffins flying around a small island off the coast of Iceland's capital. Advertisement It's a world away from the UK, despite being just a three-hour flight from London with Play Airlines. Later that night, as I finally drift off to sleep in my hotel room, the sky outside is still bright. My muscles might be a little sore, and my internal clock utterly confused, but it was definitely an adventure worth staying up past my bedtime. GO: ICELAND GETTING THERE: Play Airlines flies to Reykjavik from Stansted and Liverpool with return fares from £99. See STAYING THERE: Hotel Reykjavik Grand has doubles from £286 per night, including breakfast. See RUNNING THERE: Sign up to the Reykjavík Marathon – August 2025 at Or sign up for next year's Suzuki Midnight Sun Run at
The Sun
14 hours ago
- The Sun
I tried the unusual ‘midnight race' where the sun never sets – along with insane whale-watching and thermal baths
THE sun beams down on me as I run along the path. It's a beautiful running track, a little stream gurgles to my left, purple flowers and gorgeous greenery standing out against the bright blue sky as I sweat it out along with 2,500 other runners. 3 3 I look down at my watch to check my pace and notice the time – 10.30pm. Hang on. My bedtime is 10pm, what am I doing? I should explain. I'm in Iceland, where in the summer, there is almost 24 hours of sunlight every day. As a keen runner, I signed up to the Suzuki Midnight run to take on the summer solstice challenge and I'm in good company with more than 2,600 fellow runners. I meet a self-described 'little old lady' from Canada who wanted to explore Iceland for her 70th birthday and take on the run, an Aussie couple lining up for their race photo and a gaggle of Irish women who are raising cash for a pal with cancer. I've elected to do the 10km but you can sign up to the 5km or even push yourself to complete the 21km. And while I'm normally a morning runner, there's something fun about taking on this midnight challenge. As the race gun goes off, I soak up the sunshine and the gorgeous views. Afterwards, I'm met with an electrolyte drink and medal, and I'm swept up in the crowd of locals heading straight to the thermal pools to soak their tired muscles. Iceland also has plenty of other activities for any non-runners, thanks to its jaw-dropping nature. Martin Lewis warns about strict passport rule that could see you board your flight - only to get sent home on arrival The afternoon before the race, I spent two hours whale watching, spotting humpbacks and minkes. Gearing up in a thick red suit and strapping on a life vest, I jump onto the RIB. Soon, we're heading out on to the open Atlantic. Suddenly, our boat veers to the left – our skipper has spotted something. The boat's engine is cut and the air is still with anticipation. 'Fwissshhhhhh'. Everyone jumps at the sound and turns to the right – there a massive humpback whale has breached out of the water, rolling its body along the surface. 3 It circles the boat, breaking the surface of the water several times until, with a final flick of its tail, it disappears into the depths. We spend two hours out on the water, spotting half a dozen humpbacks and even an elusive minke on the trip. We are also delighted to spot hundreds of puffins flying around a small island off the coast of Iceland's capital. It's a world away from the UK, despite being just a three-hour flight from London with Play Airlines. Later that night, as I finally drift off to sleep in my hotel room, the sky outside is still bright. My muscles might be a little sore, and my internal clock utterly confused, but it was definitely an adventure worth staying up past my bedtime.
The Independent
2 days ago
- Business
- The Independent
Martin Lewis' charity says DWP is ‘more aggressive than banks' in clawing back debt
The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) is carrying out 'aggressive and rapid' debt collection practices which are more severe than most banks, a charity founded by Martin Lewis has claimed. The Money and Mental Health (MMH) Policy Institute says that the way the DWP treats people who are overpaid benefits is 'harsh', and risks putting vulnerable claimants at risk. Benefit overpayments occur when someone is paid more by the DWP than they are entitled to, most often because of a change in their circumstances or due to a an error by the department. While these overpayments can accumulate over the course of many months without the claimants' knowledge, the DWP can rapidly begin taking payment within weeks of spotting the issue. Agents can then directly deduct 15 per cent of someone's monthly universal credit payment to recoup these overpayments. This can be a significant loss of income, MMH argues, with 15 per cent equating to a deduction of around £60 a month for a single adult aged 25 and over. Meanwhile, commercial lenders would need to go through the courts to recoup debts, in a process which could take months. Ahead of an expansion of the DWP's debt recovery powers, researchers from MMH argue that its powers should be reformed to be more manageable for those on low incomes. The Public Authorities (Fraud, Error and Recovery) Bill currently passing through Parliament will give the DWP more ways to recover debt, including forcing banks to share account holders' transactions, and being able to make direct deductions even from people no longer on benefits. The charity also argues that many people are unaware they are able to call the DWP to try to negotiate an affordable repayment plan. This process could be brought more in line with consumer laws they add, with creditors like banks and energy companies required by regulation to engage with people who owe money. The charity, which carried out research into the issue, said one person commented: 'Having money deducted from my benefits has made it difficult for me to make ends meet and some days I have been not eating because I can't afford to, which is leaving my mental health in tatters.' The charity also said that debt management standards guidance on how to protect people in vulnerable circumstances from harm, including people with mental health problems, should be strengthened for all government departments. MMH chief executive, Helen Undy, said: 'When people are paid more in Universal Credit than they are entitled to, it's often through no fault of their own, and sometimes the first they know of it is when the government takes sudden and brutal steps to claw those payments back. 'Many people we work with are already running out of money for food before the end of the month, suddenly taking £60 from what they have left plunges them into further financial hardship and needless distress.' Ms Undy adds that the charity would 'like to see better standards applied across all government debt collection,' adding: 'It cannot be right that the state is lagging far behind the standards that consumer creditors have to meet in treating people fairly and with respect if they fall behind on payments.' A DWP spokesperson said: 'While we would urge people to report a change in circumstances to avoid falling into debt, we understand debts do occur and will always support those struggling with repayments to agree affordable plans. 'We have introduced a new Fair Repayment Rate, which caps debt repayments made in Universal Credit at 15%, allowing 1.2 million households to keep more of their Universal Credit. 'Our new Fraud Bill will help us to identify overpayments at the earliest stage so we can help prevent people falling into debt, and to do so in a way that is fair and proportionate.'
Daily Mirror
2 days ago
- Business
- Daily Mirror
Exact date EasyJet customers can bag themselves cheap summer flights
The exact date to get "super cheap" EasyJet flights for next summer has been announced, according to Martin Lewis' Money Saving Expert, who shared the news to excited travellers on Facebook Most Brits love heading on a holiday abroad when the summer months come. However, with the ongoing cost of living crisis, many people find they don't have as much spare cash to spend on breaks away as they used to. If that's you, then listen up, as the exact date to get "super cheap" EasyJet flights for next summer has been announced, according to Martin Lewis ' Money Saving Expert. The MSE Facebook account shared the news in a post with its 412,000 followers recently, and the post quickly went viral as many travel lovers planned to bag their cheap flights. Sharing the news, MSE wrote: "Heads up! Super cheap EasyJet flights for summer 2026 are landing on Tuesday July 22. "If previous releases are anything to go by, being online bright and early is the key to bagging a bargain." According to the MSE website, Easyjet releases its flights in batches every quarter of the year – and if you discover what day they're going to be launched and you book them them quickly, you can get a far cheaper price. It adds: "EasyJet follows a dynamic demand pricing model – in other words, when there's lots of demand for seats, you pay more; when there's less demand, you pay less. Usually it can be tricky to predict, and prices are fluid. "There's one point when demand is almost always low... the very second seats are released. This happens in several tranches throughout the year. In the past, these seats have shot up in price within two or three hours of being made available, so being online bright and early is the key to bagging a bargain." just because the flights have just gone on sale, it doesn't necessarily mean you're getting the best deal. As founder Martin Lewis himself does warn that just because the flights have only just gone on sale, it doesn't necessarily mean you're always getting the best deal. He says: "This has been a very successful technique for many people, and indeed if you want certainty of a cheap price it's worth doing. Do benchmark what a good price on that route is beforehand, just so you can check if it's worth it. "Though of course, if a particular flight is very substantially under-booked later on, you could get seats even cheaper then – that's just far more difficult to predict." What time will the flights be released? Easyjet hasn't announced when the flights will go on sale. It says that customers looking to book early and get great fares for next summer should keep an eye on the Easyjet website from early in the morning." According to MSE, the tickets "tend to go on sale as early as 5am or 6am, but sometimes it hasn't released seats until 8am, and it could depend on the location."
