Latest news with #MercureHotel
The Sun
4 days ago
- The Sun
I tried the European train that runs from seaside to city – it felt like a first class flight but cost just £40
AFTER tucking into the smoked salmon, pesto and cream cheese brioche handed to me by a smiling attendant, I reclined in my seat while the landscape flashed by. It might sound like the first-class cabin of an airline, but I'm actually on a Polish train. 5 5 The intercity high-speed trains that run from the pretty port city of Gdansk on the Baltic coast down to the stately southern city of Krakow are the finest way to see Poland. And a first-class ticket, complete with food, drink and a rolling vista of wonderful views, costs around £40 for the 300-mile journey. The British equivalent would be taking a train from London to Glasgow. But you'd need to add a zero to the price at peak times. Gdansk wears its history lightly but respectfully. This is where World War Two started, when the German battleship Schleswig-Holstein bombed the port of what was then called Danzig. There's a huge museum in a slanting building dedicated to the conflict ( which takes pains to concentrate on witness testimonies from ordinary Polish citizens who lived through the war. The sheer size of the tank that sits on a recreated city street puts paid to any Hollywood notions of war being anything other than an exercise in terror. Gdansk's nightlife is every bit as lively as you would expect from a port city, but the cliché of rough sailors' pubs has long gone. The Mercure Hotel offers knockout cocktails in its chic bar, while I also sampled sublime local vodkas to a DJ soundtrack amid the battered Chesterfield sofas inside Bar Lamus. The train south to Krakow takes just over five hours and runs right through the centre of the country. Leaving the Baltic coast, we passed vast fields of racing green, clusters of birch trees, red painted barns and deserted rural stations with flowerbeds outside. Arrows of sunlight pierced tapering lanes and turned the glossy, depthless rivers and streams the colour of pewter. For a country that has seen so much bloodshed, from a high-speed train, the nation looks ordered, calm and reassuringly familiar — like the landscapes of Lincolnshire or Kent from half a century ago. As I order a glass of white wine, we run through the teeming cluster of Warsaw, with its mowed parks and jumble of new skyscrapers in the background. An afternoon nap was inviting, but I was once again transfixed by the landscapes as we rolled further south. Ice-cream-scoop clouds hung above stout houses with roofs the colour of strong tea. 5 5 I felt I could sit on this train for ever. But Krakow is the end of the high-speed line, and so I made my way on foot into the Old Town — a pleasing maze of arcades and courtyards that meanders past the majestic royal castle and cathedral on Wawel Hill and down to the Vistula River. Dinner came courtesy of Pod Baranem ( which looks like a Polish granny's living room but serves delicious plates of local classics such as dumplings stuffed with cottage cheese and roast veal with mushrooms. Back at the funky, loft-style Mercure Fabryczna hotel, I fell into bed feeling I needed to rethink my definitions of luxury travel. You don't need five-star cruise liners or infinite air miles to travel in style. A Polish train can make you feel pampered in a way that's unlikely to ever occur on National Rail.
The Irish Sun
4 days ago
- The Irish Sun
I tried the European train that runs from seaside to city – it felt like a first class flight but cost just £40
AFTER tucking into the smoked salmon, pesto and cream cheese brioche handed to me by a smiling attendant, I reclined in my seat while the landscape flashed by. It might sound like the first-class cabin of an airline, but I'm actually on a Polish train. 5 The intercity high-speed trains that run from the pretty port city of Gdansk on the Baltic coast down to the stately southern city of Krakow, pictured Credit: Getty 5 A first-class ticket, complete with food, drink and a rolling vista of wonderful views, costs around £40 Credit: Getty The intercity high-speed trains that run from the pretty port city of Gdansk on the Baltic coast down to the stately southern city of And a first-class ticket, complete with food, drink and a rolling vista of wonderful views, costs around £40 for the 300-mile journey. The British equivalent would be taking a train from London to Glasgow. But you'd need to add a zero to the price at peak times. Gdansk wears its history lightly but respectfully. READ MORE ON TRAVEL This is where World War Two started, when the German battleship Schleswig-Holstein bombed the port of what was then called Danzig. There's a huge museum in a slanting building dedicated to the conflict ( which takes pains to concentrate on witness testimonies from ordinary Polish citizens who lived through the war. The sheer size of the tank that sits on a recreated city street puts paid to any Hollywood notions of war being anything other than an exercise in terror. Gdansk's nightlife is every bit as lively as you would expect from a port city, but the cliché of rough sailors' pubs has long gone. The Mercure Hotel offers knockout cocktails in its chic bar, while I also sampled sublime local vodkas to a DJ soundtrack amid the battered Chesterfield sofas inside Bar Lamus. Most read in News Travel The train south to Krakow takes just over five hours and runs right through the centre of the country. Leaving the Baltic coast, we passed vast fields of racing green, clusters of birch trees, red painted barns and deserted rural stations with flowerbeds outside. Iconic steam train Tornado delights crowds as it powers through Cornwall on rail tour Arrows of sunlight pierced tapering lanes and turned the glossy, depthless rivers and streams the colour of pewter. For a country that has seen so much bloodshed, from a high-speed train, the nation looks ordered, calm and reassuringly familiar — like the landscapes of Lincolnshire or Kent from half a century ago. As I order a glass of white wine, we run through the teeming cluster of Warsaw, with its mowed parks and jumble of new skyscrapers in the background. An afternoon nap was inviting, but I was once again transfixed by the landscapes as we rolled further south. Ice-cream-scoop clouds hung above stout houses with roofs the colour of strong tea. 5 Gdansk wears its history lightly but respectfully Credit: Getty 5 There's a huge museum in a slanting building dedicated to the conflict Credit: Getty 5 Soviet tank in Gdansk museum Credit: Alamy I felt I could sit on this train for ever. But Krakow is the end of the high-speed line, and so I made my way on foot into the Old Town — a pleasing maze of arcades and courtyards that meanders past the majestic royal castle and cathedral on Wawel Hill and down to the Vistula River. Dinner came courtesy of Pod Baranem ( which looks like a Polish granny's living room but serves delicious plates of local classics such as dumplings stuffed with cottage cheese and roast veal with mushrooms. Back at the funky, loft-style Mercure Fabryczna hotel, I fell into bed feeling I needed to rethink my definitions of luxury travel. You don't need five-star cruise liners or infinite air miles to travel in style. A Polish train can make you feel pampered in a way that's unlikely to ever occur on National Rail. GO: GDANSK & KRAKOW GETTING THERE: Book high-speed Inter City train tickets from Gdansk to Krakow in advance at Ryanair flies from Stansted to Gdansk from £18.99 one way. See Easyjet flies from Krakow to Gatwick from £61.88 one way. See STAYING THERE : There are Mercure Hotels in both Gdansk and Krakow where doubles start from £105 B&B. See MORE INFO : See
Wales Online
03-06-2025
- Business
- Wales Online
UK government accused of 'contempt' after sole PIP cuts meeting in Wales cancelled
UK government accused of 'contempt' after sole PIP cuts meeting in Wales cancelled No impact assessment has been made public about how many people in Wales would be impacted by the changes and the decision to cancel the only event scheduled in Wales has been labelled 'unforgivable' The UK Government has shown "contempt" for Wales by cancelling the single public consultation event there about its planned changes to PIP and Universal Credit. A single event for Wales was organised for the Mercure Hotel in Cardiff North, but it has now been cancelled and no replacement organised. In March, the UK Government announced proposals to change eligibility for Personal Independence Payments (PIP) and Universal Credit. For our free daily briefing on the biggest issues facing the nation, sign up to the Wales Matters newsletter here Chancellor Rachel Reeves announced major changes which will affect people claiming welfare payments saying there was both a "moral and economic" argument to reform the benefits system and that many people wanted to get back into work but needed help to do so. They say the changes will save £5bn. Despite repeated request from journalists and their political counterparts in Wales, no impact assessment has been made public by the UK Labour government about how many people in Wales would be impacted by the changes. There has been huge opposition with concerns about how people would be pushed into poverty by the proposals. Article continues below The UK impact assessment shows: 3.2m families – some current recipients and some future recipients – will financially lose out as a result of this package with an average loss of £1,720 per year compared to inflation 370,000 current recipients to lose entitlement to PIP and 430,000 future PIP recipients who do not get the PIP they would otherwise have been entitled with an average loss of £4,500 per year 250,000 people could be pushed into relative poverty, including 50,000 children, after housing costs You can read the data we have about that here. Protesters, angry at the changes, and who say the out-of-town location meant it was inaccessible for many people, instead met in Cardiff Central to protest. Plaid Cymru Senedd member Sioned Williams said the decision to cancel the sole consultation event showed contempt for Wales. She said: "It's unforgivable that the UK Government's one and only in-person consultation event in Wales on the proposed disability benefit cuts, which we know are going to push thousands more families and children into poverty has been cancelled. "It's contemptuous and yet another sign that Wales' voice doesn't matter to those in power at the UK level. "I would urge the First Minister, on behalf of the people of Wales, to use her good office, to ensure interested parties can take part in the consultation as is their democratic right and as is morally correct". It is understood the Welsh Government has asked the UK Government to rearrange the consultation event. A spokesman for Disability Rights UK said: "Welsh disabled people have a right to be completely outraged by the DWP's cancellation of the only consultative event in the country. 90% of people in Wales who claim the standard rate of Personal Independence Payment could lose money from these cuts, yet the DWP doesn't even want to speak to them. Article continues below "Last month, we had to write to the secretary of state because we believed that this consultation was sham-like. Today's events prove us right. How is it democratic for the DWP to be operating like this? These changes will affect millions, but the government is treating them like a foregone conclusion – undermining our basic democratic rights as disabled people. If I were a Welsh MP, I'd be very worried about disabled voters, friends and family and I wouldn't be putting my faith into supporting a department that is operating like the DWP is right now. We hope they all take this as yet another reason to vote against these dangerous cuts." The Department for Work and Pensions was contacted for comment.
Daily Record
28-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Record
Writers on the same page as club enjoys annual awards dinner
Members swapped pens and pencils for knives and forks for one night only in order to celebrate each other's writing successes. Frocks were worn, suits donned, and shoes polished as Ayr Writers' Club held their 2024/25 awards dinner, writes Matthew Richardson. Members swapped pens and pencils for knives and forks for one night only in order to celebrate each other's writing successes. Formed over 50 years ago, the club is one of the biggest and most successful writing groups in Scotland. Members meet weekly at the Mercure Hotel in Ayr to pen poetry, short stories, drama, and much more. Guest speakers over the year have included Scottish crime novelist Tony Black, 'Hear No Evil' author Sarah Smith, and award-winning poet Alison Chisholm. The awards dinner marked the end of the formal 2024/25 season and members celebrated their success over the previous year. Trophies were handed out for competitions including scriptwriting, flash fiction, non-fiction, and children's fiction. The club also marked a successful year for published writing, with club members having their prose and poetry circulated online and in print in a variety of publications. The 2025/26 season will mark a change of presidency for the club, with co-presidents Linda Brown and Carrie Watts handing over to Fiona Johnson. Planning for the forthcoming session is already underway, with another programme of guest speakers, workshops, and feedback nights in the offing. Those interested in joining the club are encouraged to visit to find out more.
Press and Journal
21-05-2025
- Press and Journal
Peterhead Indian restaurant workers sexually assaulted teenage girls
Two Indian restaurateurs from Peterhead have been convicted of sexually assaulting a pair of teenage girls after taking them on an all-expenses-paid night out in Aberdeen. Zara's Indian Cuisine chef Muhammad Abdur Rakib and manager Muhammad Abdul Kaium stood trial at Aberdeen Sheriff Court, and a jury found them guilty after four days of evidence. Their victims – who were aged 16 and 17 – described how the men, both aged 37, took them to a nightclub for drinks before leading them to a city-centre hotel. Rakib, who was described as being the head chef at the Indian restaurant during the trial and as an Uber delivery driver in his police interview, was found guilty of sexually assaulting both of the girls in a room at the Mercure Hotel on Union Terrace. Kaium was found guilty of sexually assaulting one of the girls in the car journey into Aberdeen. Giving evidence over two days, both teenagers – named Witness One and Witness Two to protect their identities – said they were invited to Zara's Indian Cuisine after closing on February 11 2023, to help themselves to alcohol from the bar ahead of travelling into Aberdeen. As they drank, Rakib finished an order for Cruden Bay, which they brought along in the car to deliver. It was after making that delivery that Witness One, who was 17 at the time, was sexually assaulted by Kaium in the car. 'He started trying to pull me closer,' she said. 'I tried pushing his hands away, or slapping his hands. He kept trying to get his hand into my trousers. He kept trying to lift my top or unbutton my trousers. I froze. I was trying to move his hands away. I just froze.' In Aberdeen, following drinks at a bar in the city, Rakib would attack both of the girls at different times in a room the Mercure Hotel. After ordering room service at 3.33am – the invoice said it was for four vodkas and Diet Pepsi – Witness One said Rakib pounced. She said: 'He was taking my top off. Every time I would pull it down he would take my hand away. 'He put his hand on my thigh. He just wouldn't stop. He would pull my face back, he kept trying to move my hand so I was touching his groin.' Rakib, she said, would eventually mount and pin her using his knees to trap her wrists and remove her top. 'He was trying to get me to do things to him,' she said. Witness Two, who was then 16, also gave evidence against Rakib. She described the atmosphere changing after they encountered other men in Soul Bar, which prompted Rakib to tell her: 'Tonight is about us.' She told the jury: 'I think he meant he wanted some favours, if you know what I mean. That he wanted some sexual favours. 'He kept on saying 'tonight is about us, tonight is about us'.' At the hotel, she said Rakib began touching her inappropriately. 'He was touching me on my bottom and on my breasts,' she told the jury. 'He got on top of me. Like, he straddled me. He had one of my whole breasts out and he started biting me. He started squeezing me. 'He was trying to kiss me on my lips and on my breast. I was telling him to get off me. Eventually I managed to kind of shove him away with my leg. 'He had his hand in my waistband to start with and kept trying to move his hand lower and lower. I was telling him to get off and that I didn't want this. I can't remember how it came to an end. I was scared that it was going to go a lot further.' CCTV footage shown to the jury showed the girls eventually escaping their ordeal at about 4.50am. Both men, who relied on interpreters, maintained their innocence throughout the trial and neither gave evidence during the case. But excerpts of Rakib's police interview were read to the court. In it, he told constables he agreed to drive the girls to Aberdeen because they told him they needed to get to the city to meet friends. He also accused the girls of telling him they were both 19 and of 'trying to plan harm' to him. On the third day of the trial, Rakib had claimed through his solicitor that he was unable to understand the court-ordered translator because the Bengali she spoke was unfamiliar to him. His defence agent, Leonard Burkinshaw, said Rakib could have understood '60% at best' of what was said on the second day of the trial and called for it to be abandoned and new dates set. Fiscal depute Brian Young objected to the claim, saying: 'It's the accused simply looking to evade justice.' Rakib had previously caused the trial to be delayed at its last calling because he decided he wanted an interpreter for the hearing. The court also heard he had refused one for his police interview on the day of his arrest, and had communicated with his own solicitor in English. Referencing this in his decision, Sheriff Ian Wallace instructed Mr Burkinshaw to keep his client updated with what he may have missed and ordered the trial to continue to its conclusion. 'I'm satisfied there would be limited impact on his trial', he said. On the fourth day of the trial, Andrew Ormiston, representing Kaium, also requested the trial be deserted after new defence evidence came to light. Kaium had provided screenshots of CCTV footage from within Zara's, filmed in 2023, that the defence wished to use in its evidence. Mr Ormiston said his client's reason for not producing it earlier was: 'I didn't realise the witness was going to lie in court.' Sheriff Wallace also rejected this request, saying there was 'not a sufficiently good reason for it being submitted late'. The men, both of Rose Street in Peterhead, will now return to court in July for sentencing. Before allowing them to leave the court on bail, Sheriff Wallace said: 'I must now inform you that because of the sexual nature of the offences of which you've been convicted, you're now subject to the notification requirement of the sexual offences act. 'You must now notify the police of your name and address and subsequently any change of name or address.'
