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Save £275 on the UK safari Billie Faiers says is ‘wonderful' for entertaining kids of different ages
Save £275 on the UK safari Billie Faiers says is ‘wonderful' for entertaining kids of different ages

Daily Mirror

time04-08-2025

  • Daily Mirror

Save £275 on the UK safari Billie Faiers says is ‘wonderful' for entertaining kids of different ages

Billie Faiers recently took her family on an amazing UK-based safari adventure with an overnight stay, and we found a way to book the same trip and save yourself £275 If you're already struggling for ideas with what to do with the kids during the summer holidays, or you've always fancied an incredible safari experience but can't afford to visit the African Plains, then we've found the perfect solution. Or rather, Billie Faiers has found it, as she took her whole family to the Port Lympne Hotel and Reserve recently. In her Instagram post, Billie revealed the whole family had had an overnight stay and safari experience at the reserve, and there's no doubt it was a hit with all three children (not to mention the adults!). To make things even better, we managed to track down a brilliant deal at Red Letter Days, which lets you get the same experience as Billie, with a whopping £275 off. If you book directly through the Port Lympne Hotel and Reserve website, a one night stay in one room of the Hog Deer Creek shepherds hut (where Billie and her family stayed) would cost you around £389 for two adults and two children based on September dates. Then two days of safari park adventures would cost adults £35 per person per day, and children £29 per person per day, totalling £256 just for two days of the safari park experience for four. That would bring your total for an overnight stay and two days at the safari park to £645. However, when you book Red Letter Days' Hog Deer Creek Stay with Safari for Two Adults and Two Children at Port Lympne Hotel and Reserve, you can get an overnight stay and access to the safari park from the morning of your arrival until the afternoon of your departure for just £369.99 – a difference of £275. The experience is the perfect day out for the family, and appeals to kids of all ages – something that can be tricky to juggle if you have children varying in age! In her Instagram post, Billie said: 'A wonderful stay @portlympnepark, with the three kids being different ages sometimes it can be quite tricky to find a family day out / staycay that they can all enjoy. This place is one of our favourites they all love animals so it was the perfect little overnight stay.' You'll get an overnight stay at one of the Hog Deer Creek shepherd's huts which let you see wildlife in their natural habitat, and are located directly opposite a watering hole. You'll also have exclusive access to your own golf buggy to get around the grounds. Included in the price is a safari experience that's led by the site's staff who will take you on a guided tour through all 600 acres of the park with more than 900 animals and 75 different species including giraffes, speckled bears and tigers. You'll also have access to the reserve from 9.30am on the day of arrival until 5pm on the day of departure. If you don't have time to fit it in during the school holidays, you can use the experience year round with the only exclusions being Christmas Day, Boxing Day, New Year's Eve, New Year's Day and Valentine's Day. If you just want to do a one off visit to the park, rather than an overnight stay, Virgin Experience Days also offers a Port Lympne Reserve Visit, Truck Safari and Afternoon Tea for Two for £117, currently down from £142. You could also plan a visit to Longleat in Wiltshire, which is known for its beautiful historical house and grounds, and, of course, its huge safari park. With over 500 animals living there and the notorious drive-through money enclosure, it's a great alternative to the Kent-based Port Lympne Hotel and Reserve.

National Trust launches its Summer of Play events for the kids' school holidays
National Trust launches its Summer of Play events for the kids' school holidays

Daily Mirror

time22-07-2025

  • Entertainment
  • Daily Mirror

National Trust launches its Summer of Play events for the kids' school holidays

If you're looking for fun activities to get your children outside this summer holidays, National Trust's Summer of Play lets them try everything from nature walks to arts and crafts With the kids set to break up for their school holidays any day now, it's time to start planning how you're going to keep them active and engaged for the next six weeks. Lots of time outdoors is always a winner, which is why National Trust's newly-launched Summer of Play events are ideal. The events will take place at locations all over the country at various National Trust locations, and you'll get everything from pop up sports days and nature walks to arts and crafts and mini theatres for budding performers. This is now the third year that the Summer of Play events have run at the National Trust sites, making them a well-established way for the kids to pass the time during the school holidays. Whilst the Summer of Play events are completely free of charge, you will need to pay the standard admission fee to access the Trust's sites where they're held. All National Trust sites are free to under fives, carers and National Trust members, but older children and adults will need to pay admission to the sites. You can opt to pay a one off admission fee to the site you're wanting to visit, or you could always purchase an annual membership for the family which lets you access all of the UK's National Trust sites and saves you money in the process. Not to mention this gives you access to Summer of Play events across the country – perfect if you're planning a staycation or trip to visit family in other cities. If you don't want to commit to a full year's membership, you could also check out the National Trust Explorer Pass which is great if you're not a member but plan on visiting regularly over the summer months. Giving you access to most of the sites for all the family for four, eight or 14 days, it's priced between £36 for four days and a single adult, up to £108 for 14 days for a family of four with two adults and two children. There are also plenty of other ideas to keep your kids occupied this summer, with Visit Britain also offering passes to everything from historical sites and castles to theme parks and zoos. Red Letter Days is also great for kids of all ages (not to mention adults too), getting you discounts and easy-to-book activities ranging from safari parks to staycations and cinema tickets. However if you want to make the most of National Trust's Summer of Play events, you can visit the website now for more information on what's happening and sites near you.

This outdoor cinema is a ‘great day out' and an ‘amazing value' school holiday activity
This outdoor cinema is a ‘great day out' and an ‘amazing value' school holiday activity

Daily Mirror

time19-07-2025

  • Entertainment
  • Daily Mirror

This outdoor cinema is a ‘great day out' and an ‘amazing value' school holiday activity

If you're looking for things to do with the kids during the school summer holidays, an outdoor cinema is a fun activity for all the family, and you can get tickets for four for under £60 With the school summer holidays looming, it's time to start planning for some great activities that'll keep the kids busy and having fun, not to mention give the adults some well earned enjoyment too. If you want to make the most of the sunshine, heading to an outdoor cinema is a unique and fun activity that lets you have all the fun of heading to the movies whilst still enjoying the warmer weather. With Red Letter Days, you can currently get your hands on four tickets to Adventure Cinema's Outdoor Cinema for £58.99, which works out at just £14.75 per person. Not to mention you can get an extra 10% off when you use the code EXP10, although this is a limited time offer so you'll need to be quick! The extra 10% off takes it to £53.10 for four people, or £13.27 per person, making it a great affordable day out for the family. Red Letter Days also offers a best price guarantee, which means you'll be paying the same if not less than booking directly with any of their experiences. The voucher is also valid for 12 months, so there's no pressure on when to use it, and it allows you to book the experience at any of Adventure Cinemas 56 locations across the UK. That means if you're away on a staycation and come across one of Adventure Cinema's Outdoor Cinemas, you can use it there, or you can simply wait until you have a free day during the holidays and use it then. The locations are scattered across the country from Plymouth to Dundee, so you should always be able to find one nearby. Although what's on will depend on which location you visit, there's always a whole host of family friendly films available. You can pick from classics, thrillers and action movies, and there's showings both during the day and in the evening. If you want a more typical cinema experience, you can also visit Virgin Experience Days, where there's offers on different cinema franchises for groups of all sizes. From luxury experiences where you'll get champagne or cocktails with your popcorn, to saving on a simple trip to the movies with popcorn and snacks, there's an experience for everyone. However, the beauty of Adventure Cinema's Outdoor Cinema is that you get to be outdoors, bring your own snacks and popcorn, throw down a picnic blanket and just enjoy your time together doing something a bit different and special. Red Letter Day shoppers have also praised the experience, with one saying: 'It was a lot of fun, the space was great and the quality of the film was fantastic. A great day out.' Another chimed in: 'Watched The Greatest Showman at the open air cinema which was great.' With a third adding: 'We got these tickets through red letter as they were overall £15 cheaper but unexpectedly we received VIP tickets which was amazing as we got prime front reserved deck chairs and a bag of popcorn each. So amazing value and we had a great evening out. Giving 4 stars as booking process is slightly convoluted!' The final review is also positive, saying: 'Bought as a birthday present. Code received really quickly and was able to book event easily.'

Save almost £40 on a family day out to Chessington World of Adventures this summer holiday
Save almost £40 on a family day out to Chessington World of Adventures this summer holiday

Daily Mirror

time17-07-2025

  • Daily Mirror

Save almost £40 on a family day out to Chessington World of Adventures this summer holiday

If you're looking for things to do with the kids during the summer holidays, a family day out to Chessington World of Adventures is always a hit – and you can now save £40 As the kids get ready to break up for their summer holiday, it can suddenly feel like you've got an endless amount of time to fill to keep them busy. Booking family days out can end up being expensive, especially if you have more than one child, which is why we've tracked down a great way to save yourself almost £40 on one fun-filled family day out. When you book via Virgin Experience Days, you can nab yourself a visit to Chessington World of Adventures for a family of four with 24% slashed off the usual price. Whilst the experience would usually cost £152, for a limited time you can snap it up for £116 thanks to Virgin Experience Days' summer sale, saving you £36. By booking the experience, you'll get access for a group of four people to the whole theme park – it doesn't matter how many kids or adults make up the four people (although children obviously must be accompanied by a grown up!). Plus, anyone under 90cm will also get free admittance alongside your group, which makes it great if you have younger kids tagging along too. As well as granting you access to all 40 rides and attractions in 10 different themed lands, the Chessington World of Adventures experience will also give you admission into the zoo and the sea life centre with more than 1000 exotic animals, so you can make a whole day of it. The voucher will also be valid until October 2025, although be sure to double check this when you book! An experience day is always a great way to save some money on a family trip, not to mention handy for giving you some ideas on how to keep the kids entertained while they're off school. Other sites worth checking out for ideas include Red Letter Days and Visit Britain, which are both full of great day out ideas in locations across the country. There are also plenty of nationwide activities and experiences to book through Virgin Experience Days, so if you don't fancy making the journey to Surrey for Chessington World of Adventures, you can always find other things to do that are more local to your area. From theme parks and zoos to activities and even historical sites, there's no shortage of ideas on how to spend the six weeks holiday. For more details and ideas, you can visit the Virgin Experience Days website. Join our Shopping & Deals WhatsApp for the best bargains and fashion news WHATSAPP: Get the best deals and exclusive discount codes straight to your phone via our WhatsApp group. Users must download or already have WhatsApp on their phones to join in. All you have to do to join is click on this link, select 'Join Chat' and you're in! We may also send you stories from other titles across the Reach group. We will also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. Some of these articles will contain affiliate links where we will receive a commission on any sales we generate from them. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose Exit group. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.

Moonpig boss unexpectedly steps down
Moonpig boss unexpectedly steps down

Times

time26-06-2025

  • Business
  • Times

Moonpig boss unexpectedly steps down

The chief executive of Moonpig, the online greetings cards business, has stepped down after seven years, catching the City and his leadership team unawares. The company's share price dropped by 9 per cent on Thursday as the market digested the unexpected news of Nickyl Raithatha's departure, which was delivered alongside the annual results. Raithatha will serve out his 12-month notice period to ensure a smooth transition. 'It has been a great time in a business that I love and I want to leave on a high,' he said. 'I feel like I'll be able to do that with good momentum, good trading and a rock solid team. I'll miss it, but it should be a really strong platform for someone to come in and build on.' The card retailer's reported profit before tax dropped 93 per cent to £3 million because of a £56.7 million charge representing a loss in value for its experiences division. It bought the Buyagift and Red Letter Days businesses from Otium Capital for £124 million in 2022 to cash in on what it saw as a shift from physical gifts towards experiences such as afternoon tea at Harrods or a day driving supercars on the Top Gear test track. The unit, which marked the company's first acquisition since its £1.2 billion IPO in 2021, struggled as lower consumer confidence and economic challenges pushed down spending on gifts. The company's ebitda earnings were £96.8 million, up 1.3 per cent, slightly above analyst expectations of £94 million. Its revenue of £350 million, up 2.6 per cent from the year before, was at the bottom end of the guidance, due to a slower second half with consumers less willing to pay for extras, such as choosing a larger card or adding a more expensive gift. After the end of the financial year, sales growth bounced back with Moonpig's strongest Father's Day yet, the company said. • Moonpig launches AI-driven handwriting tool 'There's a lot of uncertainty in the world so people are holding back,' Raithatha said. 'The good news for us is that we have managed to start growing gifting meaningfully, despite that consumer pullback, which we're really proud of internally.' Moonpig was founded in 2000 by Nick Jenkins, a former commodity trader who named his company after his school nickname. Raithatha launched Moonpig on to the London stock market during the pandemic, one of a clutch of companies that went public in 2021, at a price of 350p with a £1.2 billion valuation, only to see its share price plummet when the lockdowns ended. It has never quite recovered. On Thursday, the shares retreated another 22½p, or 9.2 per cent, to close at 221p. Analysts at Peel Hunt described Raithatha's departure as 'more of an eyebrow raise than a shock. Nickyl has been an impressive figurehead and Moonpig has progressed well under his leadership'. RBC said: 'Whilst the resignation of Raithatha will be a key talking point, we focus on the business's performance. The group has delivered a 6 per cent adjusted PBT [profit before tax] beat in 2025, with growth at the core Moonpig brand now back in double-digit growth.' Reflecting on his tenure, Raithatha said: 'If you live and die by share price, you can become very depressed very quickly. I look back at the last seven years and we have quadrupled revenues, we have quintupled profits, the workforce is six times bigger and we have entered new countries. 'The fact that we've got 12 million customers, they're more loyal, they're more engaged. It means the strategy has worked pretty consistently over that time. The IPO was obviously a pretty big highlight which put Moonpig on the map. 'We've obviously come off the highs from a share price perspective. But the business is bigger, more profitable and faster growing than it was at the IPO. From our perspective we're delivering for customers and that should translate to delivering for shareholders.' On Thursday morning when Nickyl Raithatha explained to Moonpig staff in a company 'all-hands meeting' that he was leaving, they were taken aback by the news. His leadership team are, by all accounts, still processing it. Heart emojis filled the screen on the video call as staff expressed digitly that they were genuinely sorry to see him go. After celebrating Raithatha's seven-year 'Mooniversary', as it is cloyingly called internally, with a Moonpig card, he felt it was time to explore pastures new. Those who know him are not surprised. At just 42, the young chief is extremely ambitious and was unlikely to be celebrating Mooniversaries for the rest of his life. His parents were among the Ugandan Indians forced to flee Idi Amin's regime in 1972. Raithatha grew up helping in his father's pharmacy. After a degree at Cambridge, he went on to cut his teeth at Goldman Sachs and then, while the financial crisis took hold, left to do an MBA at Harvard. This planted the seed of working in business, which is where his career swerved away from the more staid world of banking, into tech and start-ups. He founded Finery, a fashion retail business, which he sold to Touker Suleyman of Dragons' Den. Moonpig was not an obvious next step and growing the business has not been straightforward. The share price has not kept pace with the growth of the company and been a constant disappointment to investors. However, he has gained a lot of experience along the way and quite a network: his chairwoman is Kate Swann, the former boss of WH Smith. While he has not decided what he wants to do next, it will be related to the worlds of tech and digital. 'I'm still early in my career, I've got plenty of time and capacity to take on new challenges and try new things,' he said. In this rapidly accelerating era of AI there is no shortage of tech excitement in the business world. No doubt the headhunters are already knocking. And it'll be the end of people singing 'Mooooooonpig dot com' at him.

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