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Returning from a few days up north last week, I took a taxi from Grantham railway station to my home off Harlaxton Road.
We get to the lights at Harlaxton Road , where there is ‘no left turn’.
Why not for heaven’s sake. Instead we had to go through four sets of lights, each one with the meter ticking, until we got under the bridge.
It is bureaucracy gone mad!
Whether you want some memorabilia or some fun during your celebrations, check out these games
Top Trumps have rounded up 30 moments across Her Majesty The Queen’s life and reign. With everything from births to marriages and pets to residences, celebrate the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee with this Top Trumps pack.
Top Trumps has been an iconic card game for almost 50 years and over this time has launched hundreds of titles across the world, in many different languages and is the UK’s #1 card game. From cars to skyscrapers and films to TV shows and now ‘HM Queen Elizabeth II’ Top Trumps.
This limited edition pack includes 30 beautifully presented cards showing iconic moments from across Queen Elizabeth II’s life and reign as she approaches her Platinum Jubilee. All cards pack into a sleek, limited edition, cassette style case, making it the perfect memorabilia and collector’s item.
The Top Trumps pack includes the births of her children and grandchildren, as well as weddings. Key moment’s throughout her reign when she has ‘united the nation’ are highlighted, including her coronation, London 2012 Olympics as well as World War II’s Children Hour.
Iconic residences feature such as Windsor Castle, Buckingham Palace and Balmoral, as well as showcasing her love for animals including Corgis and Horses.
RRP £9.99
Available on Amazon
HM Queen Elizabeth II
Waddingtons No1. Playing Cards
Commemorate the life and enduring legacy of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II with this magnificent new deck of Waddingtons Number 1 playing cards.
Now you can capture the essence of this magnificent monarch and the rest of the British royal family with every card game, from Snap to Poker. Each card features high-quality photographs of some of the country’s most recognisable faces, like the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, the Prince of Wales, and the Duke and Duchess of Sussex.
RRP £3.99
Available on Amazon
Now you can relive some of the highlights of this magnificent monarch’s reign in these stunning, officially-licensed 1000-piece puzzles.
RRP £12.99 each
Available on Amazon
A young woman from Daventry is heading off to Grantham this July as a Miss Voluptuous England finalist. And she’s doing it with a strong message for online trolls.
Justyna Tobiasiewicz entered the Miss Voluptuous last year after hearing about it online. Since then, she has grown her platform by combatting unhealthy images and comments of women’s beauty online.
Originally from Poland, Justyna has lived in Daventry for seven years. She is completing her final year at university and already works as a makeup artist for photoshoots and Film Northants, not to mention she has her own prosthetics shop.
The Miss Voluptuous Pageant began six years ago. It welcomes any woman aged 18-plus and size 14-plus and, unlike Miss World, entrants can be any age, married, and have children. The Miss Voluptuous England finalists will compete against their other home nation winners at the UK Grand Final held at the Guildhall Arts Centre, Grantham on July 16 to be crowned Miss Voluptuous UK.
They then fly over to Pittsburg, Pennsylvania for the International pageant next April for the chance to become Miss Voluptuous International. Women from across America and as far as Australia take part. Justyna discovered Miss Voluptuous after Googling it in May, 2021. “I was at my lowest and I needed something to change something. I was looking for something to gain more confidence.
“”So I thought I’d enter a beauty pageant. I’ve met amazing women from all ages and I have a great connection with them”
Like Miss World, every entry needs a platform or campaign they want to address. Justyna’s is women’s mental health in social media. It is something Justyna has had personal problems with in the past.
She told Northants Live: “I got into this trap that I might not be good enough. There were too many filters and it’s time to change it.
“Platform is the most important part. It’s to show you’re not just beautiful and you have something in your brain.”
Candidates are selected based on their pictures but more emphasis is placed on their response to the questions in the forms.
“It’s not like you just sit and do the form, you need a lot of time to do it. There’s plenty of things you have to think about within your platform.”
At the two-day pageant itself, over 50% of an entry’s score is her response to an interview about her platform. The rest is decided during a pageant on the first day.
The Miss Voluptuous Pageant is all about embracing female beauty in all its forms. This theme of inclusivity and friendship means that competition takes a back seat.
“I feel a really close connection with Rosie who is also representing England”, said Justyna. “We should be in competition but we’re really not, we both love harry potter”
“It’s really fun and we all have a great connection. I talk to them on a daily basis, we’re going on a beach holiday in June.”
Sales of used pure electric cars have reached a record high. New figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) say 14,586 used battery electric cars were sold between January and March. It is more than double the total of 6,625 sold during the same period in 2021.
Experts at car leasing giant LeaseElectricCar.co.uk and sister company LeaseCar.uk have also reported a huge surge in demand for its lease electric cars.
A spokesperson for LeaseElectricCar.co.uk said: “The increase in fuel prices coupled with the increase in the availability has seen a huge surge in demand for both electric and hybrid vehicles.
“This is evidenced in the fact that we have witnessed a 371 per cent increase in demand for hybrid vehicles since the turn of the year – even in a time of global uncertainty and rising fuel prices.
“It’s clear that the UK sets its sights on reducing the number of petrol and diesel cars on our roads and with recent Government announcements suggesting new homes will have EV chargers by law, the culture towards electric cars is experiencing a shift.
“There remains something of a stigma around electric vehicles when it comes to their price point. Many people will feel the cost of buying an electric car is out of reach, but there is also the option to lease, and leasing one can cost in the region of £200 a month. This is certainly more affordable than it has been previously to drive an electric vehicle, especially when you compare it to buying an EV outright.
“The change in price has come from advances in manufacturing and technology in recent years, which makes this a more feasible option than might have been the case in the past.”
March, and the frost still lingers
People passing, warming fingers
Staring at the bare dark lines
Of my trunk, looking for signs
That Spring will soon bring shoots of green
Migratory birds that wash and preen
Crocuses and daffodils, bursting into life
A hope to shake off winter’s strife
As noon approaches, the Sun appears
To put some warmth on cold young ears
The Park Keeper begins to toil
Prods and pokes at frosted soil
Hoping that his efforts may
Help dormant seedlings on their way
But as the afternoon wears on
Those early signs of life are gone
As cooling winds begin to blow
Threatening thoughts of fresh new snow
Just a fluttering or two
Nothing much to worry you
But as I watch the flurries start
And covers all my boughs and bark
Then I change colour, white from grey
And Winter will not go away
© Don Holmes (18/05/2022)
Car finance experts at Zuto have conducted research to uncover the nations habits when it comes to directions and reliance on satnavs.
With 92% of those surveyed admitting to using a Sat Nav on some occasion when driving, it’s clear that we’ve put our map reading skills to one side.
From uncovering which gender and age groups are most likely to rely on a satnav and maps to find locations, Zuto highlights how much we turn to this technology as a nation.
Male drivers rely on Sat Navs more than female drivers
Research found that male drivers are more reliant on the technology than women, as one in seven (13%) of male drivers use a sat nav every time they drive, in comparison to only one in twelve of female drivers (8%).
However, when driving to a new destination, one in three female drivers (30%) feel nervous, in comparison to just one in ten (9%) male drivers in the same situation.
When asked what the most important feature in a car is, two fifths of both male and female drivers (41%) deem having an installed satnav an important feature when purchasing a new car. Showcasing just how important this technology is in our modern-day life.
Drivers in older age groups are less likely to use a sat nav
Research has found that the age group least likely to ever use a Sat nav is those aged 55-64, with 20% of drivers claiming they never use one. This is in comparison to the 25-34 age group where just shy of a quarter (23%) claim that they use a Sat Nav every time they drive. Highlighting how age affects drivers’ reliance to technology.
How drivers reacted under pressure
When travelling to new locations, the research uncovered that almost one fifth (19%) of Brits feel some level of nerves, which could be a reason why 93% of us either have a satnav installed in our car already, or turn to our phone before making a journey.
With this in mind, and to investigate this research further, Zuto conducted an experiment with two couples from different age groups, one with a sat nav and one without, to see which pair would reach an unknown destination the quickest. The full video can be viewed here.
Commenting on the research, Lucy Sherliker, Head of Customer at Zuto says:
“The modern-day society which we live in is becoming increasingly technologically advanced. Because of this, we wanted to research how reliant drivers are on Sat Nav technology and what difference the use of them makes in how drivers feel about travelling to a new destination.
“Whilst looking at various variables such as age and gender and our physical experiment, we have highlighted just how reliant we are as a nation on Sat Navs.”
To find out more information about the research, visit here: https://www.zuto.com/blog/sat-nav-dependency/
Have you ever enjoyed a date until you’re turned off by your date’s behaviour or hygiene? You aren’t alone. In fact, Google searches1 for terms like ‘biggest turn offs for guys’ saw an increase of +70% in the past 12 months.
Surveying the nation, greeting card marketplace, thortful.com has set out to find the UK’s biggest icks2, to see whether they differ between females and males… and they do!
So, what are the UK’s top 10 biggest turn-offs? Well, number one is bad hygiene!
Half of Brits find that having bad personal hygiene is a big turn-off, often resulting in them ‘getting the ick’, and there’s a fine line between being confident and starting to become arrogant in other people’s eyes.
Though hygiene and personalities topped the list of the UK’s biggest turn-offs, some funny ones appeared among the crowd with 6% of the voters claiming that bad grammar turned them off, and others can’t deal with heavy breathing (5%) or mullets (4%).
For females, the biggest turn-offs are:
For males, the biggest turn-offs are:
Differing from their male counterparts, 12% of females claimed they weren’t a fan of long fingernails, although this didn’t appear to be an issue for males. Both genders agreed that someone being obsessed with their phones would inevitably turn them off. Over half (51%) of females claimed they’d experienced being turned off when going on first dates with someone new, compared to as little as 38% of men.
Commenting on the study, a spokesperson at thortfulcom said: “It’s interesting to see the biggest dating turn-offs across both males and females. We hope that our study helps Brits across the UK to avoid doing something that will make their lover’s toes curl!”
To read more about the study, please visit thortful’s blog here.
Karen says,
There is a thriving Ukrainian community now living in Grantham and the ladies have said it would be really helpful to have access to a gym for their mental health. Gyms in other local towns have given 6 months free membership but so far we have no success here.
Are there any Grantham gym owners that can help? Thank you
Hay fever is the most common seasonal allergy, affecting one in five of us at some point in our lives, and the symptoms can make life very difficult for sufferers. It can come and go at any time in life so for those that haven’t had it before it can take us by surprise.
But it doesn’t have to stop you from enjoying the warmer weather outdoors. Your local pharmacist can recommend treatments to ease the symptoms.
Although there is no cure for hay fever, there are many over-the-counter remedies available from your local pharmacy to help make life, and the condition, easier to manage during the summer months.
Pharmacists are fully trained health professionals who can offer useful advice on treatments for hay fever, such as antihistamines.
Antihistamines are commonly used for hay fever. They block the action of the chemical histamine, which the body releases when it thinks it is under attack from an allergen like pollen.
Decongestants can also help to relieve a blocked nose which is often caused by hay fever, as well as dust allergies and pet allergies.
For those already taking regular medication, pharmacists can advise on the most appropriate treatments that won’t interfere with it.
Hay fever is caused by an allergic reaction to pollen and the hay fever season lasts for several months, with tree pollen released in the spring, grass pollen in late spring and summer, and tree pollen in the autumn.
Symptoms include sneezing, a runny nose and itchy eyes as pollen causes the nose, eyes, throat and sinuses to become swollen, irritated and inflamed. As well as seeking advice from your local pharmacist to ease its symptoms, sufferers can take some basic precautions to help prevent hay fever, including applying a small amount of Vaseline (petroleum gel) below the nostrils to trap pollen grains, and wearing wraparound sunglasses to stop pollen getting in the eyes.
It’s also a good idea to take a shower and change your clothes after being outdoors, and try to stay indoors when the pollen count is particularly high (over 50 grains per cubic metre of air).
To find your nearest pharmacy visit www.nhs.uk and put your postcode in the search box, along with the service you need.
For more information about treating hay fever, visit www.nhs.uk.
Motorists are being urged to avoid leaving their beloved pet dogs on their own in cars for any amount of time – regardless of the weather.
The experts at LeaseCar.uk and its sister site LeaseElectricCar.co.uk have been exploring the changing internal temperatures of a car with different temperatures outside. And the stark message is dogs can die and suffer if left in a vehicle even in what might be considered mildly warm weather.
This is because the temperature inside increases the longer a dog is left on its own and that is a huge risk to a pet’s health and wellbeing.
To illustrate, 21 degrees C outside can see a car’s internal temperature shoot up to over 45 degrees C in just an hour – more than double what it was at the start.
For humans, high environmental temperatures can be dangerous to your body. In the range of 32˚ and 40˚C, you can experience heat cramps and exhaustion. Between 40˚ and 54˚C, heat exhaustion is more likely. Dogs, with layers of warm fur to account for, who learn to pant to try to keep cool, therefore face grave danger in any sort of raised temperature.
A spokesperson for LeaseCar.uk said: “Animal welfare messages have been extremely effective in recent years educating people not to leave their dogs in cars on a hot day due to the risks of overheating.
“But the simple truth is even on what might seem a mild or warm day where temperatures are around the 20 degrees C mark, the internal temperature of a car can quickly multiply to dangerous and fatal levels.
“We are therefore urging motorists to NEVER leave a dog unattended, whether wind, rain or shine. Don’t make that ‘quick dash to the shops’ result in a fatal error which will stay with you forever by leaving your pet on its own in a car and potentially at risk.
“Instead, practice good habits by always ensuring that when you leave the car to run an errand, if your dog has been traveling with you, it also goes with you.”
The experts at LeaseCar.uk have discovered the following temperature changes can occur inside a car:
| Time in minutes | Outside temp in C21.1 | Outside temp in C23.9 | Outside temp in C26.7 | Outside temp in C29.4 | Outside temp in C32.2 | Outside temp in C35 |
| 0 | (Internal temp in C) 21.1 | 23.9 | 26.7 | 29.4 | 32.2 | 35 |
| 10 | 31.7 | 34.4 | 37.2 | 40 | 42.8 | 45.6 |
| 20 | 37.2 | 40 | 42.8 | 45.6 | 48.3 | 51.1 |
| 30 | 40 | 42.8 | 45.6 | 48.3 | 51.1 | 53.9 |
| 40 | 42.2 | 45 | 47.8 | 50.6 | 53.3 | 56.1 |
| 50 | 43.9 | 46.7 | 49.4 | 52.2 | 55 | 57.8 |
| 60 | 45 | 47.8 | 50.6 | 53.3 | 56.1 | 58.9 |
| >60 | 46.1 | 48.9 | 51.7 | 54.4 | 57.2 | 60 |
Source: https://goodcalculators.com/inside-car-temperature-calculator/
LeaseCar.uk
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