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The Irish Sun
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Irish Sun
Inside the most A-list lido in London that only costs £5 to enter – with Harry Styles and Andrew Garfield as fans
THE weather is heating up, summer is on its way, and there is a UK lido where you can go for a swim as well as a bit of celeb spotting. Celebrity-loved places are often exclusive to high-end clubs or restaurants, but Hampstead Heath is one where even 'normal' folk can visit for less than a fiver. 5 The Hampstead Heath ponds and lido are a popular spot for locals and A-listers Credit: Alamy 5 There are three outdoor ponds and a lido on Parliament Hill Credit: Alamy There's the mixed pool, as well as Kenwood Ladies' and Highgate Men's pond - and there's Parliament Hill Fields Lido just down the road. The natural bathing ponds attract around 700,000 people every year and are often described as "a treasure" and one of "London's fantastic green gems" by visitors. Despite feeling quite secluded by those who visit, there are lifeguards on duty. Read More on UK Lidos None of the swim spots have changing facilities, so you'll have to wear your swim gear underneath your clothes. There are toilets and an outdoor shower. Lots of swimmers like to clamber out and enjoy a picnic on the grassy banks afterwards too. With lots of celebrities calling Harry Styles, the ex-One Direction star, has been seen multiple times enjoying the bathing ponds. Most read in City breaks One summer, he had temperatures soaring even higher when he One onlooker said: 'He kept a low profile and went mostly unrecognised. He was swimming laps and practising his diving.' Easter Sunday sunshine shots on Hampstead Heath and in Kings Cross 5 Parliament Hill Lido is unheated and open all year round Credit: Times Media Ltd Hollywood A-lister According to Comedian Back in 2018, Kendall Jenner stripped off for a project that was filmed in the ponds for Love Magazine's 10th anniversary issue. Spider-Man, aka actor Talking to 5 During the summer swimming in the ponds has to be booked in advance Credit: Alamy During busy periods in the summer months (starting May 26), you will need to book a slot before heading down to the ponds or pool. Tickets are available through Bookable slots are between the hours of 12pm and 6pm with each being for for a 50 minute swim session. Tickets are released through Eventbrite on Mondays at 12pm for the following seven days (Tuesday to Monday). The morning sessions between the hours of 7am-11.30am and the evening sessions between 6.30pm-8.30pm are on a first come first served basis. If it's busy, then there will be queues outside - which there often are when temperatures rise. The and Kenwood Ladies' Pond are open year-round. Hampstead Mixed Pond is open from mid-April to October and in winter it's only open to members of the Hampstead Heath Winter Swimming Club . For any regulars, it could be worth investing in a season ticket. For Parliament Hill Lido this costs £240 for 12 months. A year-long membership to the ponds costs £150, and a combined membership is £268. For anyone not in the capital, And good news for any 5 The London lidos are a popular spot to cool off during the summer months Credit: Alamy
Scottish Sun
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Scottish Sun
Inside the most A-list lido in London that only costs £5 to enter – with Harry Styles and Andrew Garfield as fans
One Hollywood star even borrowed trunks from a lifeguard to make sure he could take a dip in the water SWIM UP Inside the most A-list lido in London that only costs £5 to enter – with Harry Styles and Andrew Garfield as fans Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) THE weather is heating up, summer is on its way, and there is a UK lido where you can go for a swim as well as a bit of celeb spotting. Celebrity-loved places are often exclusive to high-end clubs or restaurants, but Hampstead Heath is one where even 'normal' folk can visit for less than a fiver. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 5 The Hampstead Heath ponds and lido are a popular spot for locals and A-listers Credit: Alamy 5 There are three outdoor ponds and a lido on Parliament Hill Credit: Alamy Hampstead Heath has a choice of three ponds where visitors can swim for £4.80. There's the mixed pool, as well as Kenwood Ladies' and Highgate Men's pond - and there's Parliament Hill Fields Lido just down the road. The natural bathing ponds attract around 700,000 people every year and are often described as "a treasure" and one of "London's fantastic green gems" by visitors. Despite feeling quite secluded by those who visit, there are lifeguards on duty. None of the swim spots have changing facilities, so you'll have to wear your swim gear underneath your clothes. There are toilets and an outdoor shower. Lots of swimmers like to clamber out and enjoy a picnic on the grassy banks afterwards too. With lots of celebrities calling Hampstead Heath home, it's no surprise that a few familiar faces have been spotted cooling off in the ponds over the years. Harry Styles, the ex-One Direction star, has been seen multiple times enjoying the bathing ponds. One summer, he had temperatures soaring even higher when he practised his diving skills. One onlooker said: 'He kept a low profile and went mostly unrecognised. He was swimming laps and practising his diving.' Easter Sunday sunshine shots on Hampstead Heath and in Kings Cross 5 Parliament Hill Lido is unheated and open all year round Credit: Times Media Ltd Hollywood A-lister Woody Harrelson, who's known for his roles in the Hunger Games and Zombieland, has enjoyed the water at the Men's Pond. According to Camden New Journal, Woody didn't bring a pair of swimming trunks with him, so he borrowed a pair of swimming trunks from a lifeguard. Comedian Sacha Baron Cohen, actor Benedict Cumberbatch and broadcaster Dermot O'Leary are also said to be frequent swimmers. Back in 2018, Kendall Jenner stripped off for a project that was filmed in the ponds for Love Magazine's 10th anniversary issue. Spider-Man, aka actor Andrew Garfield, also revealed he's a regular in the London waters. Talking to Time Out, he said: "I love swimming in Hampstead Ponds. You feel close to nature – it's such a rare, beautiful thing." 5 During the summer swimming in the ponds has to be booked in advance Credit: Alamy During busy periods in the summer months (starting May 26), you will need to book a slot before heading down to the ponds or pool. Tickets are available through Eventbrite for £4.60. Bookable slots are between the hours of 12pm and 6pm with each being for for a 50 minute swim session. Tickets are released through Eventbrite on Mondays at 12pm for the following seven days (Tuesday to Monday). The morning sessions between the hours of 7am-11.30am and the evening sessions between 6.30pm-8.30pm are on a first come first served basis. If it's busy, then there will be queues outside - which there often are when temperatures rise. The Highgate Men's Pond and Kenwood Ladies' Pond are open year-round. Hampstead Mixed Pond is open from mid-April to October and in winter it's only open to members of the Hampstead Heath Winter Swimming Club. For any regulars, it could be worth investing in a season ticket. For Parliament Hill Lido this costs £240 for 12 months. A year-long membership to the ponds costs £150, and a combined membership is £268. For anyone not in the capital, here are the UK's best outdoor water parks and lidos. And good news for any outdoor swimmers in Portsmouth as the UK's deepest lido is reopening this summer.
The Irish Sun
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Irish Sun
Darts legend Bobby George who broke his back celebrating on live TV reveals he keeps amputated toe in a bottle of vodka
BOBBY GEORGE has revealed he keeps one of his four amputated TOES in a bottle of vodka behind the bar of his 18-bedroom Essex mansion. Eccentric ex-darts star 6 Bobby George was one of sport's most flamboyant stars Credit: Shutterstock Editorial 6 The King of Bling faced extraordinary pain from his toes Credit: Shutterstock Editorial Three of them had to be discarded but he was allowed to keep the first one chopped off 26 years ago — and stores it at his self-built home George Hall. Writing in a new book — Still Here! The King of Bling — George, 79, declared: 'Nobody believes me, or at least they don't, until they see me without my socks on. 'Or if they come to my bar in George Hall and see the evidence for themselves. 'There's some sort of gene in my body that has caused the toes to pop out of their socket and cross over. READ MORE IN DARTS 'It got so bad that I couldn't get my shoes on. 'I couldn't walk without checking my balance each step. 'It was so painful on some days that if I'd had a sharp enough knife I would have chopped them off myself. 'There was nothing that the medical profession could do, so it became 'Operation Toot-Toot-Tootsie Bye-Bye'. Most read in Darts 6 Geroge's new book details an amazing journey in life and darts BEST ONLINE CASINOS - TOP SITES IN THE UK 'The first one was cut off in 1999 and it was actually a great relief when it was all over. 'I knew the surgeon, a bloke called Phil, and he talked me through the procedure — something called a tulip operation. Luke Littler narrowly avoids being hit by object thrown onto O2 stage during Premier League Darts finals 'It's done under local anaesthetic, so I was able to watch him cut it off. 'It didn't hurt and once the deed was done, Phil showed it to me and I asked him if I could keep it. 'Phil presented it to me in a little jar but said that he couldn't give me the proper stuff — formaldehyde, maybe? — as it was poisonous. 'But if I used vodka instead, that would preserve it beautifully. So I took it home and popped it in some vodka and now it has a permanent home behind the bar in George Hall. 'Whenever anyone comes to the house for a drink, I whip it out and ask them if they want a cocktail or a cocktoe? 'It's also meant that, over the years, if I've been away from home for any length of time and my wife, Marie, is missing me, she can always suck my toe! 'Removing one tootsie wasn't enough, though, and eventually the procedure had to be repeated another three times, so I'm missing two toes on each foot. "Unfortunately, none of the other surgeons have been as obliging as Phil and they wouldn't let me take the sawn-off digits away with me. 'Losing four toes hasn't been as bad as it may sound, although when I go barefoot I do look like an alien.' 6 He spent much of a £16k runners-up cheque on surgery Credit: Shutterstock Editorial 6 Darts has few more colourful characters than George Credit: Times Media Ltd George — who lost in two BDO World Darts Championship finals, in 1980 and 1994 — says he pops '16 tablets a day for pain relief'. That is because he has 'shocking arthritis in my hips' and BROKE his back on the famous Lakeside stage 31 years ago. During a 4-2 win over Kevin Kenny in the quarters at Frimley Green, George leapt in the air in celebration and 'felt a sharp pain in my back'. He was in 'constant excruciating pain for the remainder of the match', which was broadcast on TV. Following X-rays the next day, a doctor told him: 'You can't play darts. 'You shouldn't even be able to walk. You've broken your back, Mr George.' The King of Bling — who used to come on to stage holding a candelabra to the Queen song 'We Are the Champions' — reached the final where he was thumped 6-0 by Canadian John Part. George said: 'I was fortunate not to have been paralysed but I still required immediate surgery, which my £16,000 runners-up cheque helped to finance. 'Eight titanium screws, each around two inches long, were inserted into the base of my spine to help me on the long road to recovery.' STILL HERE! The King of Bling, published by Pitch Publishing, is out today. 6 George was part of a golden era for darts, alongside Eric Bristow and Co Credit: Getty
Scottish Sun
12-05-2025
- Scottish Sun
I'm braving shipwreck graveyard & Europe's largest WHIRLPOOL in bid to be 1st person to row solo around Britain
OAR-SOME I'm braving shipwreck graveyard & Europe's largest WHIRLPOOL in bid to be 1st person to row solo around Britain Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) A SHIPWRECK graveyard, Europe's largest whirlpool, vicious tides and the world's busiest shipping lane. These are just four of the hazards facing intrepid adventurer Angus Collins when he starts his mission to row around Britain in less than three weeks' time. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 4 Adventurer Angus Collins will brave deadly seas solo in an attempt to become the first to row unassisted around Britain and raise £250k for suicide prevention Credit: Times Media Ltd 4 Angus and pals Joe Barnett, Jack Mayhew and Gus Barton win 3,000-mile Talisker Whisky Atlantic Challenge in 2016 Credit: ©Ben Duffy If successful, his challenge will raise £250,000 to save lives — and he will be doing it solo, with no assistance, in a boat just 20ft long. As well as his own 6ft frame, Angus's specially designed craft will have to carry 60 days' worth of food, a desalinator to turn sea water into drinking water and all his tech equipment to plot his route and monitor the weather. No one has ever managed to row solo and unassisted around the British coastline before, although many have tried and failed. But not only is the 35-year-old the country's most successful ocean rower, he also has a powerful motivation. Angus, who has broken records when crossing the Atlantic — twice — as well as the Pacific, said: 'Five years ago it looked like I had it all. Suicidal crisis 'I'd broken records, I had a successful boat-building business and I was travelling around the world to work with elite rowers and their teams. 'It was all I'd dreamed of, but inside I felt empty. Nothing I'd achieved gave me any happiness and I couldn't work out why. 'I started experiencing anxiety and panic attacks, and began to isolate myself from my friends and family, not replying to messages or answering their phone calls. 'I was living on a boat in Essex, and on my 30th birthday I told my family I was celebrating it with my friends, and told my friends I was with my family. 'What I actually did was attempt to take my own life, because I couldn't see a way that things would ever get better.' Mystery as huge WHIRLPOOL appears off the coast of Britain as everything from spawning fish to explosion blamed Angus was subsequently diagnosed with depression. He is now taking on one of the world's most dangerous rowing challenges to raise £250,000 for the charity James' Place, which offers immediate, free therapy and support to men in suicidal crisis. Angus, who lives in Hampshire, said: 'After I'd planned to take my own life I saw a psychiatrist who told me I had nothing to worry about, as I had a good support network, a good business and good friends. 'It just reinforced all the guilt I felt at having depression, when on the surface it looked like I had nothing to worry about. 'It wasn't until I met my partner Elsa that I finally found someone I could open up to, and she encouraged me to talk honestly about my mental health with a couple of close friends. 'I also found a psychologist who I could work with, and got medication to help with my depression. 'But talking honestly about how I was feeling is what really helped me, and that's exactly the kind of expert and essential therapy that James' Place provides immediately to men at risk of taking their own life.' This is Mental Health Awareness Week, which provides a moment to reflect on the fact that suicide is the biggest killer of men under 35 in the UK, and that the male suicide rate in England is three times higher than the rate for females. 4 Angus' route around the UK, leaving from Portsmouth on the south coast James' Place estimates that one life-saving intervention costs the charity £1,800, which means that by hitting his £250,000 target, Angus will save almost 140 lives. The charity was set up in 2018 by parents Clare Milford Haven and Nick Wentworth-Stanley in memory of their son James, who took his own life aged 21 in 2006 after he reported feeling suicidal following a minor operation. Specialist team It now has three centres, in London, Liverpool and Newcastle, where men receive six to eight free therapy sessions focused on helping them through a period of suicidal crisis. Angus first became aware of James' Place when he met James's brother Harry when they were competing for different teams in an Atlantic rowing challenge. He recalled: 'Harry's team was rowing to raise funds for James' Place. Each morning a bird would come and land on their boat, all the way to Antigua. 'I've probably seen three birds do that in over 300 days at sea, and it felt like something special was going on. I knew I wanted to do something special for them too.' A year ago, Angus began planning the challenge, named A Great British Odyssey, and designed and commissioned his rowing boat, which was built over the winter by a specialist team in the village of Millbrook, near Saltash in Cornwall. He said: 'The main reasons other people have not succeeded in this challenge before are the wrong boat and not managing the weather. "My boat has been specially designed for this challenge — for example, at 89kg it's very lightweight, and every kilogram counts, as I have to power it around the coastline. 'And while I can't control the weather I have a lot of experience in what's known as 'weathering' for other rowing teams. 'That means plotting the quickest and safest route, taking into account storms, tides, winds and other weather conditions.' Angus will set off from Portsmouth Harbour on June 1, and plans to complete the row in 30 to 60 days. He will be rowing almost 2,000 nautical miles clockwise around the coastline, and one of the first major dangers he will face is the shipwreck graveyard of Portland Race, a treacherous stretch of water off the coast of Dorset. One of the most feared tidal rapids on the British coastline, Portland Race is where several tides meet, causing monstrous waves. Consequently it is a notorious shipwreck site, with more than 400 documented sinkings. At almost the opposite end of the country, Angus will also have to negotiate the Corryvreckan whirlpool off the Isle of Jura, on the west coast of Scotland. Depending on the weather and the tides, Corryvreckan — meaning cauldron — has whirlpools up to 50m wide, waves which can reach 9m tall, and a roar that can be heard up to ten miles away. Angus said: 'I know it's going to be hard and there will be points when I'll definitely regret being out there, but I'm not fearful. Haribo sweets 'If there isn't a phone signal then I have satellite communications, so if something goes wrong I can always call for help.' He aims to row for up to 18 hours a day. He will row for eight hours, drop anchor and sleep for around four hours, then start again. Depending on tides and weather patterns, he will often be rowing through the night, which he prefers, as the temperature is cooler. The rules of the challenge mean he cannot accept any help with navigation or supplies, he can't come ashore, and at no point during the voyage is another boat allowed to touch his vessel. Before he departs, Angus will load up his boat with freeze-dried, protein-packed food, along with bags of Haribo sweets for quick energy, as he will be burning more than 6,000 calories and rowing 15,000 strokes per day. He said: 'At times during the row I'll be so close to the coastline that I'll be able to see families having a picnic on the beach, or people having a pint in a clifftop beer garden. 4 Angus's wife Elsa helped him open up to friends about his depression Credit: Instagram/anguscollinsbe 'It's at those moments that I'll really wish I was on dry land.' Angus comes from a seafaring family. He was born on the Pacific island of Guam, as his parents were setting up a scuba diving school there. His sister Bella has broken records rowing the Atlantic and mid-Pacific, and his grandfather was a world champion sailor in the Flying Dutchman world championships in 1965. Angus continued: 'I often say that my family are better on the water than we are on the land. 'I've taken on a lot of endurance challenges before but this will be the hardest 60 days of my life. 'But knowing that every stroke I row has the potential to save the life of a man like me is the best motivation I can imagine.'
The Irish Sun
12-05-2025
- The Irish Sun
I'm braving shipwreck graveyard & Europe's largest WHIRLPOOL in bid to be 1st person to row solo around Britain
A SHIPWRECK graveyard, Europe's largest whirlpool, vicious tides and the world's busiest shipping lane. These are just four of the hazards facing intrepid adventurer Angus Collins when he starts his mission to row around Britain in less than three weeks' time. 4 Adventurer Angus Collins will brave deadly seas solo in an attempt to become the first to row unassisted around Britain and raise £250k for suicide prevention Credit: Times Media Ltd 4 Angus and pals Joe Barnett, Jack Mayhew and Gus Barton win 3,000-mile Talisker Whisky Atlantic Challenge in 2016 Credit: ©Ben Duffy If successful, his challenge will raise £250,000 to save lives — and he will be doing it solo, with no assistance, in a boat just 20ft long. As well as his own 6ft frame, Angus's specially designed craft will have to carry 60 days' worth of food, a desalinator to turn sea water into drinking water and all his tech equipment to plot his route and monitor the weather. No one has ever managed to row solo and unassisted around the British coastline before, although many have tried and failed. But not only is the 35-year-old the country's most successful ocean rower, he also has a powerful motivation. READ MORE UK NEWS Angus, who has broken records when crossing the Atlantic — twice — as well as the Pacific, said: 'Five years ago it looked like I had it all. Suicidal crisis 'I'd broken records, I had a successful boat-building business and I was travelling around the world to work with elite rowers and their teams. 'It was all I'd dreamed of, but inside I felt empty. Nothing I'd achieved gave me any happiness and I couldn't work out why. 'I started experiencing Most read in The Sun 'I was living on a boat in Essex, and on my 30th birthday I told my family I was celebrating it with my friends, and told my friends I was with my family. 'What I actually did was attempt to take my own life, because I couldn't see a way that things would ever get better.' Mystery as huge WHIRLPOOL appears off the coast of Britain as everything from spawning fish to explosion blamed Angus was subsequently diagnosed with depression. He is now taking on one of the world's most dangerous rowing challenges to raise £250,000 for the charity James' Place, which offers immediate, free therapy and support to men in suicidal crisis. Angus, who lives in Hampshire, said: 'After I'd planned to take my own life I saw a psychiatrist who told me I had nothing to worry about, as I had a good support network, a good business and good friends. 'It just reinforced all the guilt I felt at having depression, when on the surface it looked like I had nothing to worry about. 'It wasn't until I met my partner Elsa that I finally found someone I could open up to, and she encouraged me to talk honestly about my mental health with a couple of close friends. 'I also found a psychologist who I could work with, and got medication to help with my depression. 'But talking honestly about how I was feeling is what really helped me, and that's exactly the kind of expert and essential therapy that James' Place provides immediately to men at risk of taking their own life.' This is Mental Health Awareness Week, which provides a moment to reflect on the fact that suicide is the biggest killer of men under 35 in the UK, and that the male suicide rate in England is three times higher than the rate for females. 4 Angus' route around the UK, leaving from Portsmouth on the south coast James' Place estimates that one life-saving intervention costs the charity £1,800, which means that by hitting his £250,000 target , Angus will save almost 140 lives. The charity was set up in 2018 by parents Clare Milford Haven and Nick Wentworth-Stanley in memory of their son James, who took his own life aged 21 in 2006 after he reported feeling suicidal following a minor operation. Specialist team It now has three centres, in London, Liverpool and Newcastle, where men receive six to eight free therapy sessions focused on helping them through a period of suicidal crisis. Angus first became aware of James' Place when he met James's brother Harry when they were competing for different teams in an Atlantic rowing challenge. He recalled: 'Harry's team was rowing to raise funds for James' Place. Each morning a bird would come and land on their boat, all the way to Antigua. 'I've probably seen three birds do that in over 300 days at sea, and it felt like something special was going on. I knew I wanted to do something special for them too.' A year ago, Angus began planning the challenge , named A Great British Odyssey, and designed and commissioned his rowing boat, which was built over the winter by a specialist team in the village of Millbrook, near Saltash in Cornwall. He said: 'The main reasons other people have not succeeded in this challenge before are the wrong boat and not managing the weather. "My boat has been specially designed for this challenge — for example, at 89kg it's very lightweight, and every kilogram counts, as I have to power it around the coastline. 'And while I can't control the weather I have a lot of experience in what's known as 'weathering' for other rowing teams. 'That means plotting the quickest and safest route, taking into account storms, tides, winds and other weather conditions.' Angus will set off from Portsmouth Harbour on June 1, and plans to complete the row in 30 to 60 days. He will be rowing almost 2,000 nautical miles clockwise around the coastline, and one of the first major dangers he will face is the shipwreck graveyard of Portland Race , a treacherous stretch of water off the coast of Dorset. One of the most feared tidal rapids on the British coastline, Portland Race is where several tides meet, causing monstrous waves. Consequently it is a notorious shipwreck site, with more than 400 documented sinkings. At almost the opposite end of the country, Angus will also have to negotiate the Depending on the weather and the tides, Corryvreckan — meaning cauldron — has whirlpools up to 50m wide, waves which can reach 9m tall, and a roar that can be heard up to ten miles away. Angus said: 'I know it's going to be hard and there will be points when I'll definitely regret being out there, but I'm not fearful. Haribo sweets 'If there isn't a phone signal then I have satellite communications, so if something goes wrong I can always call for help.' He aims to row for up to 18 hours a day. He will row for eight hours, drop anchor and sleep for around four hours, then start again. Depending on tides and weather patterns, he will often be rowing through the night, which he prefers, as the temperature is cooler. The rules of the challenge mean he cannot accept any help with navigation or supplies, he can't come ashore, and at no point during the voyage is another boat allowed to touch his vessel. Before he departs, Angus will load up his boat with freeze-dried, protein-packed food, along with bags of Haribo sweets for quick energy , as he will be burning more than 6,000 calories and rowing 15,000 strokes per day. He said: 'At times during the row I'll be so close to the coastline that I'll be able to see families having a picnic on the beach, or people having a pint in a clifftop beer garden. 4 Angus's wife Elsa helped him open up to friends about his depression Credit: Instagram/anguscollinsbe 'It's at those moments that I'll really wish I was on dry land.' Angus comes from a seafaring family. He was born on the Pacific island of Guam, as his parents were setting up a scuba diving school there. His sister Bella has broken records rowing the Atlantic and mid-Pacific, and his grandfather was a world champion sailor in the Flying Dutchman world championships in 1965. Angus continued: 'I often say that my family are better on the water than we are on the land. 'I've taken on a lot of endurance challenges before but this will be the hardest 60 days of my life. 'But knowing that every stroke I row has the potential to save the life of a man like me is the best motivation I can imagine.' To donate to Angus's challenge visit
