Waiting for her mariner fiancé to return from his latest trip to sea, 25-year-old Audra stationed herself in room 501 of the Grand Galvez in Texas’s Galveston. 

Whenever her love was whisked away for work, the young woman would take up residence at the hotel and climb onto one of the hotel’s turrets, where she would look out to sea, hoping beyond hope that he would return to her.

However, this time, he didn’t. After a storm hit the area, Audra learned that his ship had tragically sunk. 

Bereft after hearing the news, the heartbroken woman took her own life in the hotel – before her fiancé could return, having miraculously escaped the same watery fate as his shipmates. 

Almost 80 years later, 501 has become Grand Galvez’s most requested room, with guests keen to experience the paranormal activity this suite is now famed for. 

It has been kept in original 1900s style, featuring pink and green adornments, compared to the breezy blue and white decor of the other rooms. 

Not only that, but guests who want to try and make contact with Audra are left with a Ouija board. 

However, they might not be needing it as Audra is famous for making her presence known, whether the hotel’s inhabitants want her to or not. 

Guests have reported having their phones randomly play music through their room’s Bluetooth speaker, which inexplicably shows up as ‘connected to AUDRA’.

Others – including the hotel’s senior catering sales manager Angela Westhoff – have felt a ‘presence’ that has physically forced them out of rooms, including the downstairs loos opposite the bar.

But this could have been any one of the hotel’s ghosts – who some have even accidentally snapped pictures of when taking bathroom selfies. 

Before my trip around the hotel, I was told that it’s common for ‘do not disturb’ signs to rattle, and this is something I witnessed firsthand.

Sceptical, I checked for nearby air vents and monitored for the slightest breeze that could explain the activity, but I was left stumped.  

In all honesty, I don’t believe in spectres, but even I couldn’t deny being a bit spooked by it. Every time Angela told us another story about the hotel’s paranormal activity, I felt the hairs on the back of my neck rise up and a desire to leave the haunted rooms for the safety of their glorious bar.

Now, that could just be me getting wrapped up in the storytelling of the whole thing, or maybe ghosts are real – you decide!

Either way, I found myself apologising to Audra for laughing when I first saw the Ouija board. 

Perhaps in a bid to appease Audra and the other spirits, the hotel is – for the second year running – throwing a wedding party for our fallen heroine. The Ghost Bride Ball, which takes place on 28 October, encourages attendees to dress up in period costumes and ‘celebrate the undying love of the most treasured bride of the Grand Galvez’. 

You may think a luxury hotel such as the Galvez would lean away from ghost stories, instead focusing on their spa packages, high tea, and glamorous interiors – but this is no ordinary Marriott. 

It is one that fully embraces the spooky. In fact, the whole island seems to. 

Galveston, located 50 miles outside Houston, is utterly beautiful. It offers sandy beaches with warm waters, candy floss-coloured Victorian houses with gothic touches, tasty grub and a fascinating history. 

But it’s also an island touched by tragedy. In 2008, it was hit by Hurricane Ike, which killed 17, left Galveston declared temporarily uninhabitable and had a predicted economic impact of $22.16billion. 

Even more deadly, the 1900 storm claimed the lives of 8,000 people – and it is this hurricane that has given rise to most of the island’s haunting stories. 

Back then, 6702 Seawall Boulevard was the address of Saint Mary’s Orphanage, which housed around 100 people. In the face of the hurricane, the nuns tied themselves and the children together, killing them all. 

Today, the site is home to a massive Walmart. But not just any Walmart. A massive haunted Walmart. 

Each morning when opening the store, staffers have come to expect one thing: For the toy section to be in disarray, looking as if kids have invaded the shop overnight and played to their hearts’ content.

It is the children’s’ bikes that are most often found out of place.

What else to do in Galveston

• Have a dip! Galveston has a beautiful sandy beach with warm waters on the Gulf of Mexico coastline. September/October is the perfect time to visit with it being in the high 20s/low 30s and off-season for tourists.

• While you’re there, explore the Pleasure Pier’s rides and attractions, and follow it with a trip to the beachside shop Murdoch’s, an institution on the island (and where you can pick up a pet crab in a funky shell).
• Eat the best sandwich you’ll ever try at Maceo’s. They’re known mainly for their spices, and their colourful family history, but I will remember them best for their muffaletta. I have dreamt about that sarnie.

• Cross the road for a cocktail at DTO. I had the Chicha Chicha – frozen rum, purple corn, pineapple, spices, lime – delish.
• Take a self-guided tour of Galveston’s tree art. After Hurricane Ike destroyed many of the island’s trees, instead of chopping them down, residents paid for them to be turned into beautiful sculptures

• Get your history fix at the Bryan Museum, which houses one of the largest collections of artefacts and art relating to Texas and the American West.

While some shoppers and staff have attested that they’ve heard boys’ and girls’ voices and cries, others have witnessed electric toys start making noise by themselves. 

It’s these kinds of stories that have earned Galveston the title of one of the USA’s most haunted cities. And it’s a title the island embraces. 

Any avid ghost-hunters, paranormal fans, or sceptics can find plenty of tours on offer to whet their appetite.

From top haunted sites to themed tours, you can explore old cemeteries, the former red light district, Hotel Galvez itself and bars. 

And if that’s not enough, just an hour’s drive away you can find even more spooky tours in Houston, with The Heritage Society’s Halloween Tour of the city’s oldest houses being my first choice, followed by a drink in the dark and moody La Carafe, Houston’s oldest commercial building. 

While you might not get to meet Audra during a trip to Galveston, there are plenty more ghosts just waiting for a chance to spook you.

Do you have a story you’d like to share? Get in touch by emailing jess.austin@metro.co.uk. 

Share your views in the comments below.

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Today, a Solar Eclipse and a New Moon in Libra prompt introspection over the give and take in your life.

Are you giving your all but receiving nothing return? Are there areas where you’ve taken others for granted? A change may be needed if so.

Such realisations may be particularly acute for Aries and Gemini when it comes to relationships, while Cancer is considering switching up their home and Virgo is prioritising decisions around money.

Ahead, you’ll find all the star signs’ horoscopes for today: Saturday, October 14, 2023.

Aries

March 21 to April 20

With a turbo-charged New Moon or Solar Eclipse in your sector of relating, it’s time to take a partnership in a new direction. If it’s a romantic tie, you’ll be ready to commence a project, take on a challenge or move in a direction that will strengthen your bond by enlivening your attention and interest.

You’ll will also be ready to forge friendships that further your interests, Aries.

Head here for everything you need to know about being an Aries

Taurus

April 21 to May 21

Want to improve your lifestyle and become happier and more productive? Today’s Solar Eclipse could entice you to think about it. If previous efforts have been a disappointment, there’s something about today’s line-up that might encourage you to try again.

You may be inspired by a friend or find that teaming up with someone who shares your goals can make it easier to shift gears.

Head here for everything you need to know about being a Taurus

Gemini

May 22 to June 21

Want to enhance your creativity or take a romance to the next level? Today’s sparkling Eclipse acts like a powerful New Moon, encouraging you to take a chance. If you feel a strong urge to explore certain possibilities, then go ahead.

Falling for someone? Don’t be in too much of a rush. Wait a week or so, and find out more about them before you declare your feelings, Gemini.

Head here for everything you need to know about being a Gemini

Cancer

June 22 to July 23

Ripe for domestic change? Today’s Solar Eclipse in Libra, could encourage the stirrings of something big. The coming weeks and months can see your plans shaping up, especially if they involve a move, starting a family or altering the dynamic in some other way.

The essence of this lunation is a new beginning, which might also coincide with a homely makeover, if you’re ready.

Head here for everything you need to know about being a Cancer

Leo

July 24 to August 23

Keen to launch a new idea or project? You may be more aware of the obstacles than the potential for success. Today’s powerful Solar Eclipse encourages you to have a go anyway. You’ll be more inclined to reach out to others for advice.

If you’ve wanted to start an Internet business, are ready to market your latest business or eager to learn new skills, it’s time to go for it, Leo!

Head here for everything you need to know about being a Leo

Virgo

August 24 to September 23

The turbo-charged New Moon in your money zone, can be a call to take control of your finances and make some significant changes. If you’ve let things slip, this Eclipse could be a wake-up call, encouraging you to overhaul spending and create a healthy budget.

Thinking of starting a business? Go for it now, and you could see positive growth over coming months, Virgo.

Head here for everything you need to know about being a Virgo

Libra

September 24 to October 23

Today’s Solar Eclipse in your sign is an important turning point, so don’t allow yourself to feel you are being stymied by other people’s expectations. You may have to make your move regardless of what others think.

While not easy, you’ll feel so much better for getting started. The right actions and decisions and the determination to step out on faith, will lead to success.

Head here for everything you need to know about being a Libra

Scorpio

October 24 to November 22

Are you trying to come to terms with the pros and cons of a situation? If so, today brings renewed hope. A potent Eclipse in your psychological sector encourages you to view this issue from a different perspective, and one that could bring about a healing.

For now, let your thinking subside and relax into a peaceful state, and your deeper wisdom will lead the way ahead.

Head here for everything you need to know about being a Scorpio

Sagittarius

November 23 to December 21

Is your attitude standing in the way of a team project or community initiative? While you may be keen to get on board, you might be looking for problems rather than benefits.

Today’s lunation can coincide with a need for a decision which you could hesitate to make. If you don’t try, you won’t know! With many opportunities and experiences to be gained, why not go for it?

Head here for everything you need to know about being a Sagittarius

Capricorn

December 22 to January 21

The opportunity to do something that makes a difference to your career and reputation, may be shaken by complex emotions that could stop you in your tracks. And yet if you want to move further up the ladder, this will be your chance to do so.

If you can detach from such feelings, things might move in the direction of your dreams. Let them get to you, and they may not.

Head here for everything you need to know about being a Capricorn

Aquarius

January 22 to February 19

Today’s powerful lunar phase can put you in something of a quandary. And yet not doing anything might not be an option either.

With a Solar Eclipse encouraging you to take a step into the unknown, you’ll likely think of many reasons why it’s wiser to stay as you are. It certainly would prove less threatening. But what if this is the gateway to something bigger and better?

Head here for everything you need to know about being an Aquarius

Pisces

February 20 to March 20

Ready for a breakthrough? Today’s lively Eclipse in your sector of transformation, inspires you to make a move, even if friends and associates might not agree. If deep down, you feel this is right for you, then follow through, Pisces.

It’s true that certain people may wonder if you’re making the right decision, but this is your life and not theirs, and you know what’s best for you.

Head here for everything you need to know about being a Pisces

To order your unique personal horoscope based on your time, date and place of birth, visit patrickarundell.com

Your daily Metro.co.uk horoscope is here every morning, seven days a week (yes, including weekends!). To check your forecast, head to our dedicated horoscopes page.

Do you have a story to share?

Get in touch by emailing MetroLifestyleTeam@Metro.co.uk.

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As Brian Quavar was wheeled into the operating theatre at Guy’s and St Thomas’ hospital in London, he looked up at the surgeon and joked, ‘how much sleep have you had?’

Being the first patient of the day, he was about to have life-saving surgery after being diagnosed with prostate cancer. 

Although it was a shock diagnosis, it was one that Brian, now 60, had taken in his stride, despite the worrying lack of information surrounding the illness in Black men. 

‘One in four Black men, as opposed to one in eight in the general population, are more at risk,’ the 60-year-old tube driver explains. ‘Unfortunately, there hasn’t been enough research on Black bodies and prostate cancer even though it affects us more as a community,  so there is no understanding as to why.’ 

Like many men, Brian didn’t have any clear symptoms of the disease. He wasn’t in pain, or  felt any strange lumps – the only thing that gave any sort of indication was his need to pee more than usual. 

‘I had no real symptoms before my diagnosis,’ Brian, from East London, tells Metro. ‘I would say the only symptom would be getting up in the middle of the night to urinate regularly. I didn’t even think of it as a issue because I drink lots of liquid normally.’

However,  after frequently getting up for the toilet during the night, he was urged by his partner to visit his GP.

A PSA test (a blood test to help detect prostate cancer) revealed higher levels than normal and Brian was called in for further tests. Following a biopsy, MRI and PET scan, he was diagnosed with localised prostate cancer – which meant it hadn’t spread.

Brian, who grew up in Trinidad, recalls: ‘I had my partner with me when we got the news, so I had that support, and I had done some research. I knew it wasn’t likely to  have been fatal, or detrimental to my wellbeing – so I didn’t panic.’

‘I didn’t think: “Oh my god, this is the end of the world!”. I listened to diagnosis and I was told about the treatment options.’

Brian opted to have his prostate removed, rather than undergo radiation. However the operation, known as a radical robotic prostatectomy, came with risks, such as incontinence and erectile dysfunction. Both of these were dependent on the success of the surgery and how much ‘nerve spare’ (where doctors avoid cutting nerves near your prostate) surgeons could save.

Thankfully, the operation was a success, leaving Brian with 75% nerve spare. He was then sent home with a care plan, medical erection pump, and a catheter – which was removed after two weeks. 

On the whole, he says, his recovery went well. However, one thing that Brian feels has helped him enormously over the past two years has been a prostate cancer support group specifically for Black men, called Brother to Brother, Man to Man.

The group was set up by nurses at Guy’s and St Thomas’ hospital with the aim of being a safe space for Black men to talk about prostate cancer and, ultimately, help squash stigmas in the community.

‘Staff found that not many Black men attended the regular prostate cancer group and felt that Black men would be more responsive to being in a group of people similar to themselves. And I agree.

‘It’s important for us as Black men to feel comfortable in a space where we can talk freely amongst ourselves, and not to be seen as in the minority.

‘We meet once a month and we’re able to share personal experiences and hear from experts in the field. It’s very supportive.’

Brian adds that groups like this are especially crucial, as prostate cancer is still stigmatised within the Black community.

‘It’s taboo for a lot of reasons. There is still a struggle in terms of getting Black men to ask for PSA tests,’ he says. ‘A lot of them still think the only test is the rectal examination – which isn’t the case – and for some men this is taboo. They don’t want anybody putting a finger up their bum.

‘The other issue is the fact that prostate cancer has to do with your sexual function – however, until it’s in the advanced stages, it doesn’t really affect you in that way. So some people think “what they don’t know can’t hurt them”, and they prefer to not know about any kind of treatment that would affect their sexual function.

‘However, as a Black man, it’s also important to me that more Black people speak out to remove the stigma around being tested or being treated for prostate cancer, as it still remains a taboo for many, across Black communities.’

What’s more, with the statistics highlighting Black men are more at risk of prostate cancer, Brian feels passionately about firstly encouraging Black men to get a PSA test and secondly, urging GPs not to turn them away when they request one.

He also stresses this is particularly important as often prostate cancer can be practically symptom-less – like it was for him.

Meanwhile, there are other hurdles in the way, which could be more easily remedied, such changing how coverage of prostate cancer tends to focus on white men.

‘When people share their stories, it’s usually white men,’ Brian points out. ‘However, even if they’re speaking about white men, it should be reiterated, somewhere in the narrative, that Black men are more at risk of prostate cancer.

‘This narrative is still if you’re a man over the age of 50, get a PSA test. But it should be stressed this is for the general population. However, if you’re a Black man, and you’re over the age of 45, you should be getting a test – that’s the guidelines from Prostate Cancer UK.

‘That distinction should always be reiterated wherever possible when cancer is spoken about.’

Since Brian’s surgery in 2021, his PSA levels are undetectable and he attends regular check ups. But following his experience, he’s more passionate than ever about getting people talking and squashing stigmas.

I would like to reiterate the message to Black men, that there is no shame in having any kind of illness.

‘It’s a taboo for a lot of people in the Black community where you don’t talk about your illness whether it’s prostate cancer, or mental illness or any other kind of cancer, or any other sort of this medical diagnosis – it’s not openly spoken about. So there needs to be more openness within the community.’

Brian is also involved in Macmillan’s recent Find The Words campaign, which encourages men to open up about their experience of cancer and reach out for support.

If you’ve received a diagnosis or are going through treatment, you can get support via Macmillan on 0808 808 00 00.

Do you have a story to share?

Get in touch by emailing MetroLifestyleTeam@Metro.co.uk.

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We love a cooking hack as much as the next person, but this tip for removing excess fat from your frying pan just feels a little wrong.

TikToker Victoria, who is known for her cleaning, recipe and home hack videos, sparked a rather heated debate after she revealed how she soaks up the excess fat from her meat when she’s cooking.

In a 10 second video Victoria unpackages and places two new tampons in her frying pan while she cooks, allowing them to sit there and soak up all the liquid.

She even seasons and stirs her meal while the tampons are still in the pan.

Her controversial cooking technique has now been viewed over 3.4million times, leaving many TikTok users flabbergasted.

Many were mortified at the thought of the possible chemicals in the tampons leaking out into the food, while others suggested there were much cheaper and more ‘normal’ ways to get rid of excess fat in the pan.

One user wrote: ‘But the chemicals in the tampon cotton,’ while another agreed questioning: ‘Aren’t there carcinogens and glyphosate in those?’

Another outraged TikToker wrote: ‘Just drain it in a strainer, god lord is it that hard?’

Others suggested, paper towels, toilet roll or buying leaner beef that has less fat.

Some saw the funnier side to it, with one writing: ‘I will always avoid eating at people’s homes.’

One TikToker who stitched the video jokingly said: ‘We’re not going to sit here and pretend those tampons are seared to perfection. It’s the most edible thing on this plate.

‘That looks like halibut. If I looked at this photo for a second I would be like “yeah I’d totally eat those instead”.

‘They’re the perfect hors d’oeuvre, just pick it up by the string.’

Obviously, do not under any circumstances eat a tampon, and here’s why you probably shouldn’t cook with one either.

According to a journal in the US National Library of Medicine, tampons are a potential source of chemical exposure. 

It particularly highlighted elevated levels of mercury for tampon users but according to the UK Health Security Agency ‘swallowing small amounts of elemental mercury is unlikely to cause adverse health effects’. However, if large amounts are swallowed, nausea, vomiting and stomach pain can occur.

Most tampons are made of cotton or cotton blends, although some tampons are made solely of rayon.

According to the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics these products may contain traces of dioxin from bleach, pesticide residues from conventional, non-organic cotton, and mystery ‘fragrance’ ingredients.

Personally, we don’t think we really want any of those swimming about in our evening meal.

Do you have a story to share?

Get in touch by emailing MetroLifestyleTeam@Metro.co.uk.

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There’s nothing quite like the expression on a man’s face after he’s made a woman orgasm – that cheeky smirk and unmistakable glint in his eyes that’s just begging for some ‘good boy’ praise.

Ladies, you know what I mean… and gentlemen, I’m about to let you in on a secret.

That climax you were so proud to deliver? It might have been nothing but an elaborate show.

Most straight women I know have – at one point – faked, exaggerated or skipped their own pleasure. But we never pretend for our own benefit.

So, dear men, it’s time to sit up and pay attention as we tackle ‘the big O’.

Beyond faking it, I want to highlight how women can find it very embarrassing to discuss orgasms (or the lack thereof) and sometimes feel immense pressure to perform.

Just like some men may feel uncomfortable talking about erectile dysfunction because it can trigger feelings of shame, women who struggle with or can’t climax worry about being seen as ‘abnormal’ or ‘dysfunctional’.

Interestingly, a study from last year showed that women who have difficulty ‘getting there’ are more likely to feign enthusiasm in bed, too.

Sometimes it’s easier to fake it than admit, to ourselves and others that the orgasm is out of reach. This can happen at any time, to anyone.

A few years ago, my sex drive dipped due to side effects from medication. It was temporary and I knew that I’d eventually finish the course of drugs and everything would return to normal, but it still threw me off my game.

Don’t make orgasms the be-all and end-all of your pleasure because that’s a losing game

I was having regular sex with a partner at the time. I opened up to him about it all and, with a bit of coaxing, we were able to re-ignite my libido, but the orgasm didn’t follow.

The more my partner kept trying to help, the worse things got. He tried to use his hands, offered oral and was very enthusiastic, which I was very grateful for – but the enthusiasm just made the situation more pressurised.

He meant well but I could tell that he wanted that pat on the back for a job well done. To him, getting me off was a mission – to me, it was much more complex.

My vulva and vagina felt physically numb. It was as if someone had shut off the 10,000 nerve endings in my clitoris.

Determined to ‘fix’ the issue, I turned to masturbation, assuming that this would be easier because I was on my own, meaning there was no time limit.

One of the biggest concerns other women raise with me about orgasms is that they feel like there is a clock ticking, which prevents them from fully relaxing. This happens to me too, sometimes.

I eventually climaxed while playing solo but it took much longer than usual. The whole thing was unnerving, because the level of effort I’d had to put in just made me feel drained.

Without meaning to, I had taken the pleasure out of the experience. And this is a big part of the problem with orgasms.

In recent years, we’ve made great strides in closing the ‘orgasm gap’ (in short: men climax more often than women during sex and we’re trying to change that) but somewhere along the way, we missed a trick.

Because the point isn’t climax – it’s pleasure.

It’s time we stopped putting so much emphasis on ‘the big O’, especially when you consider that some women struggle with anorgasmia, a phrase used to describe the inability or difficulty for women to orgasm.

There are also those who enjoy sexual stimulation but don’t care about the ‘end goal’, who prefer to climax alone or who only do so if they have an emotional connection to a sexual partner. All of this should be acceptable and normal.

Don’t make orgasms the be-all and end-all of your pleasure because that’s a losing game. Besides, just because you can’t climax, it doesn’t mean you can’t have an amazing time in the sack.

The most important thing to do in the bedroom is to listen – to your body, yourself and to whoever else is in there with you.

Penetrative sex is not always enough and no, it doesn’t matter how big your dick is or which position you’re trying. Some women don’t enjoy penetration – as an example, if they suffer from vaginismus, this type of touch could be painful – and others need clitoral stimulation.

Then again, that doesn’t mean every woman likes having her clitoris played with, either. It is not a ‘button’ that automatically guarantees a happy ending.

And don’t just focus on the ‘main’ parts of our bodies (breasts, vagina, clitoris) – go further afield and discover other erogenous zones. I’ve heard of women who can climax from nipple play alone.

It’s complicated stuff, I know. But part of the fun is figuring out what makes your sexual partner tick.

Forget the orgasm. Think of it as a caramel glaze or colourful sprinkles on an already-amazing ice cream. A nice add-on, but not a key ingredient.

Do you have a story you’d like to share? Get in touch by emailing jess.austin@metro.co.uk. 

Share your views in the comments below.

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This six-bed Scottish castle is gorgeous, but it’s got one very… interesting, if not slightly dangerous feature.

You have to walk across a plank to get in one of the rooms.

The 16th-century home has six bedrooms and four bathrooms to its name, along with a library – complete with swords on the walls – a wine cellar, and a butler’s pantry.

There are still original period features, which are 480 years old, including an original oak door and panelled walls and ceilings.

But the mysterious plank has understandably left home hunters baffled, as that’s the only way to access one of the rooms that’s currently being used as a study in the three-storey castle.

As one person commented online: ‘I wouldn’t like to try that after a few whiskeys.’

Being sold by Savills, the listing for Blairlogie Castle, which was built in 1543 and sits in the village of Blairlogie, near Stirling, Scotland, doesn’t make any mention of the plank.

It reads: ‘The present-day house is a property of outstanding character which retains many original features.

‘The property offers comfortable rooms and a sensible layout for modern family occupation.’

Hopefully that family has a good sense of balance!

Set in 2.6 acres of land, the castle is Category A Listed, with an arched 16th century stone fireplace with a solid fuel stove and aumbry recess in the ground floor is a sitting room.

In the kitchen, you’ll find a four-oven gas AGA and a Belfast sink, and in the drawing room, there’s a decorative panelled ceiling, stone fireplace,and16th-century oak door, with another studded door leading to spiral stairs that go up to the library.

Said library has a ceiling made of ship’s timbers.

The listing goes on: ‘Blairlogie Castle is set in 2.6 acres of south-facing gardens which are laid out in terraces and are protected by mature trees. There are many unusual plants and specimens in the garden.

‘In front of the castle, enclosed by a castellated arch, is a gravel sweep. Between the castle and the old stables is a flat garden with a central sundial surrounded by hedges and herbaceous borders. A gate and steps lead up to lawns to the north of the house.

‘There is a lawn with a stone summerhouse above and a south-facing vegetable garden with fruit cages to the side. There are mature apple and plum trees in a small orchard. A gate at the top of the property leads onto the hill, from where a path leads to the top of Dumyat.’

Sounds gorgeous, to be fair. You can always build some more stairs later, right?

Do you have a story to share?

Get in touch by emailing MetroLifestyleTeam@Metro.co.uk.

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If reports of bed bug sightings in London following Paris’ epidemic have you itching, we feel you.

Councils have reported an ‘alarming’ number of calls reporting bed bug sightings. The main issue seems to be that bed bugs are becoming resistant to the pesticides that have historically been used to kill them. 

Thankfully, Nigel Bearmen, owner of cleaning company Daily Poppins, has shared the cheap household item you can use to get rid of the pests for as little as 65p — baking soda. 

‘The small granules of baking soda can also cause internal bleeding due to the fact that they can cut into a bed bug’s shell,’ said Nigel.

All you need to do is sprinkle some baking soda on your bed and around your mattress, and anywhere else you suspect the critters are hiding, and wait. 

The baking soda will dehydrate the bugs, killing them. 

To treat bed bugs with this DIY method, sprinkle baking soda around the mattress and the area around the bed, where bed bugs usually live.

Another option is lavender oil, which you can mix with water to deter bed bugs. 

‘To use it, in a spray bottle, combine 10 to 15 drops of lavender oil with 50ml of water,’ said Nigel.

‘Then spray it directly into the areas where bed bugs are present.’

Do you have a story to share?

Get in touch by emailing MetroLifestyleTeam@Metro.co.uk.

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Rejoice McNugget fans, for a new nug meal is landing in McDonald’s new October menu.

Now, for the first time ever, you can make your box of nine nuggets a meal at McDonald’s, costing £6.69 for a medium and £7.39 for a large.

You used to only be able to get a 6 Chicken McNugget meal (or a separate box of 9 or 20), but those days are gone.

Or at least, they soon will be, as this change is coming as part of the chain’s October menu that’s landing in the UK Wednesday, 18 October and available until 12 November.

Fans have been asking after a 9 Chicken McNugget meal and are looking forward to the change, with Metro.co.uk’s own nug fan Alice Murphy saying: ‘Everyone wants more don’t they?’

A friend of mine in the group chat adds: ‘More crispy goodness, I say. Let’s all get a layer of insulation in the energy crisis.’

And this new meal is just the tip of the fast food iceberg.

There’s a new The Philly Cheese Stack burger (£6.99) for the dairy-lovers, with two succulent beef patties, a cheese sauce, two cheese slices, grilled and crispy onions and pickles served in a toasted bun, and a McCrispy BBQ Smokehouse (£7.39), made with a crispy chicken breast fillet, BBQ sauce, cheddar cheese, and red onion, lettuce.

Chilli Cheese Bites (£2.49, £6.79 for a sharebox) are also making a comeback and the Halloween M&M’s Halloween McFlurry (£1.99), made with soft dairy ice cream, M&Ms and Halloween sugar shapes and topped with Galaxy Chocolate sauce.

It’s a great time to have a sweet tooth, because there’s also a Twix Toffee Apple McFlurry (£1.99), made with soft dairy ice cream swirled with Twix piece and topped with a toffee apple sauce, a Toffee Apple Pie (£1.99), which is a pastry filled with a spiced apple compote, toffee sauce, and toffee pieces, and a Toffee Apple Donut (£2.19), which is a ring doughnut filled with toffee apple compote, topped with crumble pieces and toffee sauce.

As if all that wasn’t enough, there’s also a chicken combo deal going live only on Just Eat until 17 October before it launches more widely.

Said meal, the aptly-named McDonald’s Chicken Combo (£16.99), includes 10 Chicken Selects, a 20 Chicken McNuggets Sharebox, four Selects dips and four Standard dips.

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If you’re in need of a holiday but can’t afford to break the bank, we have some serious inspo for you.

One savvy Brit managed to book a three-day holiday to Spain, all for under £100. 

Callum Ryan, 22, a social media content creator from Milton Keynes, managed to get a return flight from London Stansted Airport to Seve Ballesteros-Santander Airport for just £54 – the biggest expense of the trip.

To save money, he split a twin room in a hostel with his friend, with the pair paying just £30 each.

Callum also spent £13.50 on parking and £1.87 on a bus from the airport to the city centre.

In total, he spent £99.37 on flights, accommodation and parking, which are often the largest costs of a holiday.

Admittedly he did take an extra £150 for spending money, but he’d have been spending something on food and drink at home anyway. The total cost of his trip was under £250 and he kept costs down by spending (free) time on the beach and sightseeing.

‘I was surprised that we found somewhere so cheap,’ said Callumn, who often tries to find travel bargains. 

‘We decided to book the trip the day before and to get a full holiday for less than £100 last minute. 

‘I thought it would be impossible. It was a fun and enjoyable trip. The best thing for me was meeting the locals.

‘It was out of season and we mainly chilled with the locals – we have made friends for life.’

This wasn’t Callumn’s first rodeo: he also managed to snag flights to Spain for £10 earlier this year, and even flew to Dubai for £64. 

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From engaging in breath work to doing your kegels, there are plenty of methods people claim will increase the intensity of your orgasms.

But it turns out that there may be an even simpler way to have a mind blowing climax – by drinking a certain drink 30 minutes before you do the deed.

The beverage in question is none other than coffee – which is already adored by 63% of the UK population.

In a TikTok that has now amassed over two million views, Dr Karan Raj suggested that there could indeed be a link between drinking a strong cup of joe and a more powerful orgasm.

The doctor stitched a video with one TikToker claiming that drinking coffee before sex can intensify your climax by half, prompting TikToker Julia Grandoni to test it for herself.

Julia said: ‘Why would I not try this? Okay, so three solid shots of espresso.’

She then comes back later and simply exclaims: ‘That was wild.’

It looks like the pair could be on to something and Dr Raj agreed, saying: ‘At low doses, caffeine has mainly a vasoconstrictor effect – it narrows the blood vessels.

‘At very high doses it has mainly a vasodilator effect – it widens the blood vessels and improves blood flow.

‘Arousals and orgasms are largely based on the amount of blood flowing to your crown jewels. The better your circulation the more flow to your erectile tissue, thus the more likely you are to reach states of arousal that sets the stage for a great orgasm.’

Dr Raj did go on to explain, however, that there’s no real research on whether this extends to humans, despite a 2005 study that showed female rats engaged in more sex after having doses of caffeine.

He adds that caffeine is still a stimulant so it could just make us more sexually active.

It’s a pretty harmless experiment, according to the doctor – so why not try it for yourself and see if it gives you the big O you’ve been waiting for?

People in the comments certainly seemed eager to try it, with one writing: ‘*runs to kitchen at 21:46 for coffee* “Baaabbeee”.’

Another said: ‘Who wants a coffee date then?’ while someone else quipped: ‘Thank you Starbucks.’

But Dr. Hana Patel, NHS GP and GP Medico-Legal Expert Witness, tells Metro.co.uk that there is no actual evidence that this is true.

She says: ‘There are some studies that have been carried out looking at men and  their coffee intake, looking at how it may help for erectile dysfunction but that there was no evidenced showing that this helped intensify their orgasm.

‘There is also no evidence that drinking coffee will make a woman’s orgasm more intense.’ Sighs.

A study by the University of Texas has found that men who drank two cups a day where 42% less likely to suffer from erectile dysfunction compared to men who didn’t.

And two cups of coffee seemed to be optimum for this – so it seems it may really help increase blood flow after all.

We think in this instance it’s about giving it a whirl yourself to see if it works for you. Even if it is a placebo effect, we won’t be complaining.

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A freelancer has taken to TikTok to reveal the positives of no longer having colleagues, and it’s oh-so-relatable.

Comedian Holly Morris recently went from working a nine to five office job, to becoming a full time influencer.

And while she’s been open about how tricky the transition has been, she recently uploaded a video sharing the things she ‘no longer needs to pretend are funny/interesting at work.’

‘Admitting some of these things actually feels criminal,’ she said.

‘Going freelance was the best thing that’s ever happened to me and it’s because I miss out on these weird social things that happen in offices that just absolutely send alarm bells through my brain.’

Starting off strong with one ‘that’s going to offend a lot of people’, Holly she no longer has to pretend to care about ‘a dog being “assistant for the day”‘ – basically, when colleagues send you pictures of their pets.

Elaborating, she said: ‘When someone brings a dog in or there’s a [picture in a Slack channel]… the dog by the laptop or the dog in a basket by someone’s feet.

‘Everyone has to politely be like “haha, yeah…”

‘Why are you involving your dog in this sh*t chat? Just leave me and the dog both in peace.’

Next up was feigning to care about what people are getting up to at the weekend, as Holly said people are rarely truthful about what they actual do with their free time.

She said: ‘No one on there is saying, “I went out from 2pm on Saturday, Sunday I was just really anxious and I cried in the evening about the Sunday scaries.’

The third one, which Holly said ‘is bad’, is wishing people a happy birthday. ‘If you work in big offices, there’s a birthday every single day.’

Elsewhere on her hitlist, Holly said we all pretend to care about other people’s ‘mediocre updates’.

Holly explained: ‘Something like, “Claire in the pay team has managed to get a 2% RPI… blah blah blah.

‘You have to look like a team player so you have to be like “that’s great”… even though I’ve got no idea what you did.’

Another one that will be familiar to all office workers is ‘how someone made their lunch.’

She explains the scenario of sitting down to eat lunch when a colleague comes to sit by you – with nothing to say, you start sharing your lunch recipes. ‘They’d go through every single step slowly… please, please, unleash me from this wrath.’

And finally, Holly talks aim at the tea run. ‘I felt obliged to ask everyone if they wanted a tea or coffee.’

Holly says it would take up time and she’d ‘spend the rest of the afternoon questioning whether they like the drink or not.’

Whether you like to admit it or not, we know you agree with all of the above…

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If there’s one thing we can probably all agree on, it’s that airport travel can be a very stressful experience.

You’ve got unexpected flight delays and cancellations, big security queues and lets not forget fellow flyers blocking your path as you speed for the gate.

But, there’s now a smart tool that can help you prepare for the airport chaos by predicting the levels of stress you could face during your journey.

Flight Finder’s Airport Stress Calculator takes into account the frequency of flight delays at your airport, luggage restrictions and the amount of travellers at the airport during the time of your journey.

While it’s no miracle-worker and it can’t banish the stress of the journey altogether, at least you’ll know what to expect before you even leave your home.

Flight Finder says: ‘We have analysed data on three of the most common sources of stress for air travellers: the busyness of the airport at the time of your flight, the stringency of the baggage restrictions imposed by your airline and the likelihood of delays at your selected airport.

‘All you need to do is fill in your time of departure, the airline you’re flying with and the airport you’re flying from. Then, the calculator will work its magic and give you the percentage risk that you will have a stressful airport experience.’

Here’s an example below.

While it’s obviously not going to be 100% accurate (don’t you just love air travel), it can paint a fairly good picture of whether you’re going to want to tear your hair out or whether you’ll be able to relax with a pre-flight pint.

It might also help you decide whether to leave extra early for the airport.

What we can tell you is that if you’re flying from Gatwick your stress levels are probably going to be pretty high, according to a recent survey.

London Gatwick has seen the second-highest number of delays across the whole of Europe, with over two in five outgoing flights arriving late (41%) at the beginning of August.

Shahab Siddiqui, CEO of FlightsFinder, said: ‘One of the main reasons why delays are so rife at the minute is that there are simply far more global flights taking off than there have been in the past few years. 2023 has marked the real beginning of travel post-pandemic recovery.

‘They are struggling to hire people fast enough to keep up with demand. While flight timetables are getting busier and busier, the staff members are only increasing very gradually and unfortunately resulting in large numbers of delays.’

And let’s not mention the chaos at Luton Airport after a huge fire in one of its car parks.

So why not give the Flight Stress Calculator a try? At least that way you might know what you’re in for when you attempt to jet off for your autumn retreat.

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The train was cancelled. My car broke down. I had to stop and help an elderly woman across the road.

If you’re a chronically late person, you send one of these excuses to your friend/mum/employer at least once a week.

You don’t mean to be late – in fact, you hate it – but no matter how hard you try, you just can’t arrive on time.

So what’s going? Well, you might be a time optimist.

The phrase is translated from the Swedish word, ‘tidsoptimist’, which means ‘a person who’s habitually late because they think they have more time than they do.’

Swedish clinical psychologist Michaela Thomas recently said: ‘A tidsoptimist is a person who underestimates how long something takes, and also overestimates how much time they have at their disposal.’

Essentially you think that everything is going to run smoothly: your hair will be tamed as soon as you brush it, you won’t spend five minutes searching for your house keys, all of the traffic lights will be green and you won’t have to circle the carpark four times before you get a space.

There’s no accounting for life getting in the way of your timeline.

Nick Hatter, a behavioural expert and coach says there is an ‘epidemic of lateness’.

Nick says: ‘Many are juggling to meet the growing demands of work, childcare, whilst trying to squeeze in a social life, hobbies, studying, extra-curricular activities and of course, some sleep. No wonder that over a third of office workers are late for work.’

He also says that we do end up running late, we can fall into bad habits such as catastrophic thinking – thinking that we might be fired, or we will lose a client, for example.

‘All of a sudden, running late feels like a life-or-death situation, as our heart begins to pound, and as adrenaline pumps, we begin to feel stressed, agitated, angry and lose our ability to think clearly,’ he adds.

‘We might then think it’s okay to take unnecessary risks such as speeding, running into closing train doors, or rushing across busy roads, putting ourselves and others in potential danger.’

How to avoid being late

So, what can we do to break the habit?

• Under schedule and become a pessimist: Rather than trying to cram as much as you can into your schedule and be a time optimist, give yourself plenty of breathing space between meetings and activities and give yourself a buffer to account for mishaps, such as traffic, unexpected road works or public transport delays. Expect the worst to happen, especially if it’s a really important meeting or unmissable appointment.
• Accept ‘good enough’ and slightly lower performance standards: Trying to perfectly complete things can be a recipe for lateness, as can ‘just one more thing’. Accept the outcome of your timing and endeavours and stop trying to be perfect.
• Learn to say ‘no’ more: Setting boundaries is key to maintaining punctuality. Practice using phrases like, ‘I’m sorry, I can’t because I have an important appointment I need to make’. Using ‘because’ can be a useful and powerful way to justify your ‘no’.

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If you do your food shopping at Aldi, it’s worth being careful when you visit the self-checkout.

Customers of the discount supermarket have been warned they may not be getting the best deal by using these self-scanners, and advised to check their receipts to see if they’ve missed out on savings.

According to savvy shoppers online, Aldi’s self-checkout machines don’t automatically apply promotions to your purchase, meaning you need to ask a member of staff to manually do so.

So while you’ll still get to take advantage of the retailer’s regular low prices, you may miss out on additional offers.

In a 270,000-strong Facebook group for Aldi fans, one eagle-eyed user explained: ‘Any discounts don’t automatically apply on the self-checkouts. You have to ask a human employee to take the discounts off manually.

‘This applies for % off stickers and any multibuys etc. I don’t know if this is common knowledge.’

Commenters shared their own experiences under the post, with some claiming they’d been burned by not knowing what to do.

‘Staff have to apply the discount on a normal till so def will have to on a self-service till,’ said one person. ‘I’ve had a few missed then realised!’

Another highlighted that ‘staff have to apply the discount at normal checkouts too,’ and a third added: ‘Yes it’s because they don’t change the barcode to reflect the reduced price.’

Others argued that the supermarket should have signs to alert customers about this, including one user who called the issue ‘disgusting’.

Aldi confirmed to The Mirror that discounts on all tills required manual input from in-store employees, but claimed feedback around its self-checkouts (first introduced in 2019) was ‘overwhelmingly positive’.

A spokesperson also encouraged those who believe they’ve been wrongly charged to contact its customer services department.

Going forward, however, do flag down a team member before paying to make sure you get the prices you expect at the self-checkout. Alternatively, just brave the queue and kick it old-school.

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Forget oranges and reds, the in vogue colour this autumn is white – and there’s a reason the likes of Kate Middleton and Meghan Markle are leading the trend.

‘It was already considered the reserve of the very rich, given how readily it shows dirt and how rare decent laundry facilities were,’ says designer and dressmaker Holly Winter. ‘You know someone in a white suit isn’t about to get down to some heavy manual labour.’

Just this week, the Princess of Wales opted for a barely beige matching skirt and jumper combo for a visit to Nottingham Trent, after previously wearing an all-white Alexander McQueen suit to chat with the England Rugby Team in September.

Adding her own take to the look, Meghan Markle opted for an all-white off-the-shoulder top and trousers ‘fit to a summit in New York on Tuesday. Because nothing says wealth like donning white to a capital city or dirty rugby ground.

In a year where neutrals and tailoring have been popular with the masses, A Listers have to take things one step further to stand out from the crowd.

Forget ‘quiet luxury’, this is unapologetic ‘loud luxury’. But apparently, the royal obsession with white in steeped in history.

‘In the UK, we only started wearing white wedding dresses after Queen Victoria chose the colour for her own nuptials, which was pretty mold-breaking at the time,’ says Holly.

‘She was the first British monarch whose wedding was photographed and could be shared around the world.

‘As photography became more available to the masses, women quickly discovered that dress details such as lace were easier to see in sepia photographs on white dresses.

‘The Queen usually dressed publicly in a single, often bright, colour so that she would be easy to see in a crowd. And what’s brighter than white? So it actually can be a practical colour to wear.’

That would certainly make a lot of sense, given the royals get dressed for every public appearance knowing they’ll be in hundreds if not thousands of photographs by the end of the day.

Further to the fact that white used to be a colour for the non-manual-labour-reliant rich, Holly adds: ‘White has to be kept pristine as there’s no concealing a drip from a mug of tea or rub of make-up on a collar (the wise carry baby wipes for emergency spot-cleans and white chalk for quick cover-ups).

‘It has to look squeaky clean, and screams “no-dirt-on-me” innocent. You can read what you like into whether the wearers are trying to signal this.’

Holly also muses whether there could also be a certain ‘vulnerability’ to wearing the colour white, thus inviting trust.

‘You know how tempting it is to jump in a fresh blanket of pristine virgin snow,’ she explains, ‘so wearing it can say, “I’m trusting you not to wreck this for me; you in turn can trust me.”

‘There’s also the suggestion of look but don’t touch.’

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Welcome to How I Do It, the series in which we give you a seven-day sneak peek into the sex life of a stranger.

This week, we hear from Ellie*, a 30-year-old webcam model and camming coach.

Ellie, who’s single and describes herself as bi-curious, says she prefers being uncoupled.

‘It means I can do more exploring and don’t have the ties of a relationship,’ she says. ‘I’ve been to quite a few high-class sex parties, and I also have a lot of fetish encounters due to my line of work.’

But, she adds: ‘That doesn’t mean I don’t like the opportunity to date.’

Without any further ado, here’s how she got on this week…

Warning: The following is, as you might imagine, not safe for work.

Monday

On Mondays, I get a lot of submissives online. I call them my ‘Mistress Mondays.’

I can be doing anything from demanding they worship my feet, to encouragingto instructing them to punch themselves in the balls.

Being more dominant comes quite naturally to me and I do feel a sense of empowerment and arousal when I am in PVC and giving orders.

I was blessed with one of my favourite regulars today, too. What a great start to the week! He’s from Norway and loves extreme edging. And I mean extreme. He will only allow one or two drops of semen to drip out, then stop and repeat until he’s spent and exhausted.

I talk him through it and provide all the encouragement he needs. This takes some serious skill and self-control. Plus, this level of edging takes a while, and the longer the session, the more money in my pocket.

Tuesday

Camming was fun today (as usual), but I was more interested in the guy I bumped into while walking my dog. He was pretty hot, so I gave him my number. We’ll see what happens.

Dating can sometimes be difficult in this industry, as people can have preconceptions about the work, but I’m always honest and if they are not okay with it, then that’s their problem.

Wednesday

When I’m in front of the camera, I’m usually streaming, but not always.

Today I’m off to an office to film some girl-on-girl content. I always say my sexual orientation is bi-curious because, although I have had sex with quite a lot of women at high-class sex parties and while filming content, I haven’t actually dated a girl, so I wouldn’t say I was fully bisexual.

My gorgeous filming partner and I shot some foot content and had some fun fooling around, which I think would have happened regardless of whether the camera was rolling or not.

Thursday

More camming today but, yet again, it’s the dog walker that stands out in my mind.

He sent me a message in the hopes of meeting up over the weekend, which I eagerly agreed to. It’s been a while since I got physical with a man, and I’m craving it.

Friday

Fridays tend to be the most fetish-filled day of the week.

Today, role-play has taken centre stage. I’ve been a stepmum, nurse, secretary and cheerleader. I know, I know, incredible range. And before you ask, I do have a lot of dress-up outfits, costumes, and props for my shows.

Something I get asked a lot (and today was no exception) is if I ever actually orgasm during shows. And the answer is YES! My magic wand, remote-controlled toy, and glass dildo really do it for me.

Saturday

Today is the day of my date with the dog walker, so I chose a black dress to wear, which I made sure left very little to the imagination.

The date was going really well, and I was sure to tell him about my job early. I don’t want it to go smoothly, only to find that he’s too insecure to sleep with a cam model.

Thankfully, his response to this discovery was that of pure fascination. At this point, one thing was definitely leading to another, and it wasn’t long before we migrated from the bar to my bedroom.

There was a lot of foreplay and dirty talk before we did the deed. He stayed over, and I felt sure we’d enjoy round two in the morning.

Sunday

Well, I’m happy to report that round two certainly happened! He is a few years younger than me so has the energy to keep up with my sex drive.

After he leaves, I enjoy a lazy Sunday recovering from a busy and extremely kinky work week. But I still made sure to fit in some self-love later on, thinking about Mr Dog Walker’s aptitude in the bedroom.

This psyches me up for another week of the unknown…

Ellie shares her content on online fetish platform, MyFet.

*Names have been changed.

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I’m floating on my back, stark naked, in a private infinity pool gazing up at a cloudless, sunny blue sky.

A sea eagle flies overhead as I look towards the horizon and take in the panorama of traditional wooden boars gentling bobbing on the ocean. It’s blissful.

But I can’t get too lost in my reverie, there are some important decisions to be made: do I crack open a Bintang beer and have it in my my huge bath tub, or do I call a golf buggy to take me to the spa for a steam, sauna, hot tub combo?

Decisions, decisions.

While Bali is still a destination that’s unfamiliar to a lot of Brits, it shouldn’t be. You see, Indonesia’s most famous island has celebrity pedigree in spades, with a roster of A-list guests that span the fame gamut. But you don’t need to be a celebrity here to feel like one, you just need to splurge on star quality accommodation.

From private infinity pools and personal butlers, to swoon-worthy spas and decadent dining – here are the top five Bali check-ins that are favoured by Tinseltown’s finest…

Four Seasons Sayan

Lush rice terraces, ornate Hindu temples, yoga studios and organic eateries – Bali’s Ubud region has long been a spiritual and natural wellness haven.

Though its status as a hippy haven has been long-held, in recent years the success of the bestselling autobiography, Eat, Pray, Love (partly set in Ubud) has kicked things up a notch, putting the small town on the international map and attracting a new wave of travellers in search of their very own spiritual transformation. And the Four Seasons Sayan truly embodies the tranquility for which Ubud is renowned. Little wonder then, that this is the hotel where the movie’s lead star, Julia Roberts, chose to rest her fame-weary head for three months during shooting of the blockbuster.

Accessed via what is easily one of the most Instagrammed hotel entrances in the world – a teak footbridge suspended over a gorge overlooking a mass of jungle, which ends at an infinity lotus pond.

Nestled in the Ayung River valley 10 minutes from downtown Ubud, the manicured tropical gardens and rice terraces house a selection of hotel suites and 52 private luxury villas, all of which boast private outdoor pools, day beds, marble bathrooms, and outdoor showers. It is this seclusion that is a real drawcard for paparazzi-shy celebs. Certainly the ability to swim, shower, and sunbathe in total privacy is one of the reasons why former American President, Barack Obama, checked in with his family here after leaving the White House. The famous politico stayed at the resort’s Royal Villa – a three-story, three-bedroom palatial pad, which is also where Julia Roberts resided during her Ubud stint.

Celebrity endorsements aside, the hotel was also recently named by Travel + Leisure as its ‘No. 1 Hotel in the World’. Part of this accolade is undoubtedly the resort’s impressive wellness offering. From the anti-gravity yoga in the in-house yoga bale, and the resident ‘wellness mentor’, to the two-tiered riverside pool, outdoor heated spa pools and sauna and steam rooms, and sprawling Sacred River Spa.

Here, you can make like a real-life Elizabeth Gilbert and give your heart a healing once-over with an indulgent 120-minute Anahata Chakra Ceremony, which promises to ‘open the heart chakra.’ Perfect if you’re on the hunt for your very own Prince Charming.

MUST TRY:

The Chef’s table dinner at Sokasi. A tasty seven-course dinner and cultural immersion in one, the Sokasi Chef’s Table dinner offers visitors a unique selection of slow-cooked dishes that are normally reserved for ceremonies, including the renowned Babi Guling (roast suckling pig). Offered three times weekly, the communal tasting meal might mean that you end up rubbing shoulders with a VIP.

fourseasons.com

Mandapa Ritz-Carlton Reserve

Also in the Ubud area and set right next to the roaring Ayung River amidst Ubud’s lush jungle, Mandapa is one of only a few Ritz-Carlton Reserves in the world, which means that Mandapa is special – very special. In luxe hotel speak, this translates to serious exclusivity and a guest roster of V-V-IPs.

Designed to resemble a local village in miniature, accommodation is nestled in between a working temple and rice terraces and comprises only 35 suites and a mere 25 private villas, each of which is kitted out with everything a luxury hotel connoisseur could demand: heated, full-size infinity pools, plush daybeds, tropical outdoor showers, and deep freestanding bath tubs built for two.

Thanks to its stellar reputation, the hotel has become a magnet for visiting celebrities, including both Will Smith, and Crazy Rich Asians star, Henry Goulding.

Part of the appeal for famous folk is the ‘click-of-your-fingers’ service that this kind of luxury living affords. Each villa comes with a personal butler who will remain at your private disposal for the duration of your stay.

Four dining options, includes Sawah Terrace (a farm-to-table fusion of Balinese and pan-Asian cuisine) and Kubu, the fine dining Mediterranean-European. Top tip: request one of the private cocoons by the river, for an especially romantic dinner. Another fab standout is a tour of the local area’s highlights in one of the hotel’s convertible VW cars — driving one of these past vivid green rice fields and ornate temples is social media gold!

MUST TRY:

When chilling out by your private pool gets too stressful, you can head to the in-house Mandapa Spa. A complete wellness destination, the complex features a yoga pavilion, meditation temple, vitality pool, 24-hour fitness centre, saunas, steam rooms and experience showers, alongside an extensive treatments menu.

The Marma Massage – a massage using differing pressure and techniques that is designed to ‘balance and align energy centres’ – comes highly recommended.

ritzcarlton.com

Buahan, a Banyan Tree Escape

The newest opening of Bali’s luxury hotel crop is also one of the most unique. An adults-only resort with an innovative ‘no walls, no doors’ concept.

Set in the heart of the jungle with sweeping views of seven mountain peaks, lush rice paddies and the roaring Ayung River, Buahan, Banyan Tree Escape lets guests experience the jungles of central Bali in their purest form but without having to rough it.

A whopping 15 years in development, the property is comprised of just 16 ‘bales’ (villas) set across four levels over the steep mountainside and connected by charm-infused stone pathways. Each is positioned to offer maximum privacy and expansive views and each offers expansive open decks, private infinity pools, cosy day beds and gazebos, curtain enclosed huge beds, and open-air oversized, copper bathtubs – which allow for indulgent soaks paired with captivating jungle vistas – and then there’s the private butters (on call 24/7) to cater to your every whim.

Communal areas include The Open Kitchen and Living Room – the resort’s dining and lounge spaces respectively – that provide the space for interaction and exploration of Buahan’s farm-to-table, plant-forward, zero-waste food philosophy. Here, guests gather for delicious breakfasts and decadent dinners, both of which hero local ingredients that are often sourced direct from the resort’s on-site gardens.

And then there’s the tempting Toja Spa. The Banyan Tree brand is famous for its wellness concepts and the spa component here is sublime, especially given that treatments are performed in the open-air bamboo pavilions which overlook the babbling river.

MUST TRY:

Guests are encouraged to discover the surrounding nature and to engage with the local culture through a range of purpose-led experiential experiences – experiences that include a journey into the nearby countryside (in a vintage convertible no less) to join a local farmer for a tour of his land, foraging for fruits and edible plants that are native to the island of Bali.

Taste raw honey from wild bee hives, raw coffee cherries uncover the plethora of flavours that nature has to offer with traditional local delicacies hand-made by the farmer’s wife.

For a more spiritual experience, you can’t beat the water rejuvenation and meditation session, which takes place at Buahan’s own waterfall at the bottom of the valley.

escape.banyantree.com

Alila Uluwatu

Trading the jungle for the beach further south on the island and you’ll reach the cliffs of Uluwatu and Alila Villas Uluwatu.

Set on top a plateau near limestone cliffs that swoop down to the ocean – close to the famed Uluwatu Temple and 30 minutes from Bali’s main airport – Alila offers luxurious accommodations and breathtaking Indian Ocean views. Little wonder then that it has become a go-to for visiting jet setters.

According to insiders, David Beckham checked in a few years back and, given his penchant for all things Posh, his choice of Alila is unsurprising. Indeed, even the most demanding of VIPs would struggle to find fault in this all-villa resort where private pools, jacuzzi tubs, indoor and outdoor rain showers, and butlers come as standard.

Service here is designed to appeal to fame-weary stars. At at check-in, you’ll be asked whether you’d like it ‘invisible’ or ‘extra-attentive’ categorised into ‘private,’ ‘discreet,’ or ‘indulgent.’

Food-wise, Indonesian flavours take centre stage at the Warung restaurant and Mediterranean-inspired at CIRE. But the most famous amenity in the resort – and the most photographed – is undoubtedly its cliffside infinity pool.

Often ranked as one of the best resort pools in international travel magazines, the pool and its iconic Sunset Cabana (an overhanging cliffside platform with dramatic views over the ocean) is one of the most photographed hotel features in the world. It’s at the Sunset Cabana bar where the jaw-dropping sunset can be observed at its best, as such, expect a crowd of honeymooner types and influencers on hand getting happy snaps.

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Speaking of being loved-up with your belle or beau, for a romantic experience like no other, a massage at the Cliff Edge Spa Cabana is an absolute must.

Perched on the side of the Uluwatu cliff with a breathtaking view of the thunderous ocean below, a massage here will be an experience that lingers for a long time to come.

www.alilahotels.com

Four Seasons Jimbaran Bay

Sheltered in a calm bay along the chichi Jimbaran coast and enjoying dramatic ocean views, the Four Seasons Jimbaran Bay is one of the island’s original five-star hotels. As such, it has a lengthy history of welcoming stars from both the stage and screen, stars including chart-topper, Pink, who holidayed here with her family on a super-secret vacay.

Staying in one off the 147 villas – all laid out to resemble a traditional Balinese village – the performer enjoyed a private plunge pool and personal sun terrace, alongside spacious bathroom, outdoor shower and jaw-dropping views. Not that these features are unique to a handful of rooms. Here, each of the 147 villas enjoys these features.

Outside of the suite life in your own private villa, the rest of the resort has plenty to offer too. There are several large pools (one with a huge waterfall), tennis court, yoga, fitness centre and an array of inclusive activities, such as kayaking, blessing ceremonies, and beach games.

While leaving your plush pool villa may be a bit of a wrench, there’s plenty going on in the rest of the resort. A quick phone call will see gold buggy pull up at your door ready to transport you to wherever you fancy, whether you want to stretch your (water) wings in the waterfall pool, to feel the pristine sands of the private beach in-between your toes, or to indulge in one of the amazing massages, facials or herbal body wraps at the plush Healing Village Spa. This newly-opened, sprawling 2,000 square-metre wellness complex is the jewel in Bali’s spa crown. A fusion of Bali’s rich culture of healing and state-of-the-art health tech.

In addition to the more standard range of massages, spa hounds can expect transformative and indulgent ones, such as the Celestial Light Ritual – a treatment pairing chromotherapy lighting, singing bowls and crystal-infused oils, performed on on bed of crushed quartz crystals.

For loved-up couples, the intimate Longevity Garden is a DIY experience involving Indonesian volcanic mud, sun loungers topped with infra-red mats, and private shower, steam room and cold plunge pool. Plus, a luxe hair salon is on hand to ensure that guests are always red carpet ready.

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Sundowners at Sundara Beach Club. Happily for mere mortals, it’s not only the suites that have boastful vistas – regardless of whether you’re staying at the property or not, anyone can visit its hip and happening Sundara Beach Club to sink a sundowner and to soak in the VIP vibe.

Opening directly onto the sands of Jimbaran Bay, cool crowd with its large beachfront pool, glowing fire pits, decadent daybeds and yummy cocktails. It’s a place where you can easily linger from day into night. After all, if it’s good enough for Pink…

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With an average frequency of 1.72 times per year, Friday 13th sparks a wave of superstition and fatalism.

Considered unlucky throughout Western culture, the date prompts people to stay indoors, reschedule flights, and avoid certain dangerous tasks. In fact, it’s estimated that the US economy loses up to $900 million every time the day comes around.

While there’s no evidence to support the theory that bad things happen on Friday 13th, millions of people are so terrified of it that the terms friggatriskaidekaphobia and paraskevidekatriaphobia were coined to describe their fear.

But it’s not just random irrationality that causes people to have negative associations with this day; some argue it’s actually rooted in sexism.

The exact origins of Friday 13th as a day of misfortune aren’t known, but superstitions around both Friday and the number 13 can be seen in various cultures throughout history.

In Norse mythology, trickster god Loki was excluded from a feast in Valhalla with 12 attendees (making him the 13th) so arranged for Balder, the god of light and beauty, to be killed in retaliation. In Christianity, Judas Iscariot was the 13th guest at the Last Supper, while Jesus was crucified on a Friday.

And according to futurist and holistic intuitive Gina Spriggs, the bible offers even more symbolism that could be interpreted as having misogynist undertones.

‘Regarding Friday,’ she told Vice. ‘That is the day of the week that Eve [allegedly] offered “forbidden fruit’ to Adam” Friday was also the day that Adam was kicked out of Paradise, the day he repented, the day he died, and the day he was cremated.’

The story of Adam and Eve has been used as an allegory for the true nature of men and women throughout history, with many feminist scholars citing St Paul’s assertion that women should be subservient to men due to God creating Adam first, theologian Tertullian’s claims that all women were responsible for ‘original sin and the odium of being the cause of the fall of the human race,’ and countless Renaissance artworks portraying Eve as a temptress, as foundational elements of patriarchy.

The sexist undertones of Friday 13th could also be said to go back further than Judeo-Christian European society.

Sally Howard, feminist journalist and author of books including The Home Stretch (Why the Gender Revolution Stalled at the Kitchen Sink), tells Metro.co.uk: ‘There are 13 phases of the moon in a year, which have long been associated with the feminine and the menstrual cycle.

‘In pre-Christian cultures, the number 13 was considered to be a sacred feminine number due to this link to the moon and menstrual cycle with associations by extension to fertility goddesses such as Venus (the Roman goddess of love, beauty, and pleasure).’

Additionally, in Pagan times, Friday was believed to be associated with the divine feminine, and the name itself is derived from the Old English ‘day of Frigg’, which refers to the Norse goddess of motherhood, pleasure, magic and love.

‘When Norse and Germanic tribes converted to Christianity, Frigga was banished in shame to a mountaintop and labeled a witch,’ writes Charles Panati, author of Extraordinary Origins of Everyday Things, on how the links between this date, women, and all-round badness came to be.

Sally explains that such ideas are likely more to do with New Age spirituality than feminist theory, but references witchcraft as an example of the ways superstitions can stem from sexist viewpoints.

It may seem like we’ve come a long way since then, but stereotypes and cultural attitudes can last a surprisingly long time.

‘Ancient archetypes such as women being “angels of the house”, “virgins/whores” and “witches/hags” necessarily colour our language and reinforce patriarchy today,’ says Sally.

‘Look at how quick culture is to dismiss assertive older women as “hags” and to hymn subordinate, asexual and homely wives.’

Most of us don’t consider the meaning behind the superstitions we uphold; they’re instinctual rather than intentional.

Next time you touch wood, avoid walking under ladder, or salute a magpie, though, cast your mind back to the complicated lore of Friday 13th and how, for Eve, Venus, and Frigg, it was very unlucky for some.

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Is Friday 13th really so unlucky? You’ll realise enough is enough today and find the courage to make life changes that have been a long time coming.

Ahead, you’ll find all the star signs’ horoscopes for today: Friday, October 13, 2023.

Aries

March 21 to April 20

If there’s one thing that shows up in your chart, it’s the importance of not dwelling on your mistakes. The present blend of energies could see you zeroing in on events that conjure up intense feelings. However, the future also beckons, and can bring reasons to feel optimistic, despite the past. Need a distraction from too much self-analysis? A nature walk could help.

Head here for everything you need to know about being an Aries

Taurus

April 21 to May 21

The rather formal connection between Mars and Saturn can be excellent for meeting key people in social situations. You might feel awkward at first, but once you get into discussion the ice should melt, allowing for a little more spontaneity. While you may not become instant friends Taurus, you could still make an impression that counts for a lot now and over the long-term.

Head here for everything you need to know about being a Taurus

Gemini

May 22 to June 21

It’s a good time to continue with a project, as a strategic aspect reveals that it can quickly go from strength to strength. There’s less chance of mistakes and more of a determination to carry on, despite obstacles. Whatever you’re working on holds great potential, and the results will speak for themselves. And if you do have a business idea or career goal, set it in motion now, Gemini.

Head here for everything you need to know about being a Gemini

Cancer

June 22 to July 23

Mars, freshly in Scorpio, can pave the way for exciting developments on the creative front. A harmonious yet practical link, could encourage you to lay sound foundations so that a collaboration or entrepreneurial plan gets off to the best possible start. You might also connect with someone who may help bring your dreams to life. Let them show you the way, Cancer.

Head here for everything you need to know about being a Cancer

Leo

July 24 to August 23

Realistic influences bring opportunities to resolve a lingering matter. Engaging with this in a purposeful and constructive way is all that’s needed, so you can heal it once and for all. If it stems from earlier years, then a sustaining aspect could assist you in getting to the heart of the issue and may inspire major insights. With understanding comes the potential for healing, Leo.

Head here for everything you need to know about being a Leo

Virgo

August 24 to September 23

You could work productively with others, even if there are obstacles to overcome. Mars’s positive alignment with Saturn hints that you’ll get results if you persevere. Show that you can be a leader and make good decisions, and you’ll be welcomed with open arms. Plus, the Sun in Libra gives you an edge over coming weeks, whenever your natural talents might be needed, Virgo.

Head here for everything you need to know about being a Virgo

Libra

September 24 to October 23

Want to do well? A structured plan is a necessity. A down-to-earth aspect can help. And it could encourage you to persevere when the going gets tough. If you’ve got into a muddle or things have spiralled out of hand, the Mars/Saturn link will bring order out of chaos, Libra. It may assist you with sifting and sorting through mounds of information, and finally making sense of it all.

Head here for everything you need to know about being a Libra

Scorpio

October 24 to November 22

Feel frustrated because you’re worried about what the future holds? With Mars newly in your sign giving you courage, you’ll be ready to face key issues head on. It’s also possible that you’re holding yourself back by dwelling on the worst-case scenario. You deserve the best, and soon you’ll begin to believe it. Once you’ve taken the first steps to your goal it will get easier.

Head here for everything you need to know about being a Scorpio

Sagittarius

November 23 to December 21

After a time of frustration, you’ll realize that enough is enough. You’ll come to a decision that this time things will be different. And you’ll mean it. The effect of being so determined will empower you in ways that bring results. Had no luck before? Soon you’ll be flying high. On a social note, the Libra focus is excellent for aligning yourself with people on your wavelength.

Head here for everything you need to know about being a Sagittarius

Capricorn

December 22 to January 21

Once you commit to a project, it will bear fruit. If it’s linked to something that you’re passionate about and have been for some time Capricorn, you’ll be well on your way. The Sun currently in a prominent zone, means your hard work will be noticed. This is your chance to impress the right people and to showcase your efforts on social media. Be bold, and you’ll surpass yourself.

Head here for everything you need to know about being a Capricorn

Aquarius

January 22 to February 19

Have business to do or negotiations to attend to? Today’s line-up suggests it could all go very well and that your efforts will be rewarded. As fiery Mars aligns with prudent Saturn, you’ll be very methodical in the way you go about things. Even if you need to tackle obstacles along the way, you won’t flinch. Flaunt your talents Aquarius, and you’ll easily succeed against the odds.

Head here for everything you need to know about being an Aquarius

Pisces

February 20 to March 20

This isn’t a time to tone down your words in the hope that someone will be less offended. The Mars/Saturn transit encourages you to be honest about your intentions. With a potent lunar phase on the cards tomorrow, you’ll be gearing up for a fresh start. If you sense that you need to resolve an issue, get to it! Once it’s out of the way, new developments will quickly spring up.

Head here for everything you need to know about being a Pisces

Your daily Metro.co.uk horoscope is here every morning, seven days a week (yes, including weekends!). To check your forecast, head to our dedicated horoscopes page.

To order your unique personal horoscope based on your time, date and place of birth, visit patrickarundell.com

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Even when family relationships are fraught, intentionally excluding certain people from get-togethers is a surefire way to make things even worse.

This woman shared how her mother-in-law uninviting her from a family trip led to arguments with her husband and him describing her as ‘selfish’.

Offering context to the situation the 31-year-old explained in a Reddit post how, despite being financially secure, she and her spouse, 33, haven’t been able to afford to travel much with their eight-year-old twin sons. On the contrary, her husband’s family is ‘quite well off’.

While relations with her mother-in-law have long been tense, the situation came to a head recently.

‘My mother-in-law called my husband and asked if he wanted to bring our kids to go on a trip with her,’ the woman’s post read.

‘She apparently wanted to spend some time with her family. Her “family”, though, doesn’t include me.

‘She has always disliked me and never considered me part of her family. Partly because I’m not religious (my husband is, but he respects my lack of belief), and also because she just doesn’t like me.’

The woman was ‘upset’ to learn that her husband’s mum had offered to pay for him and their children to go on a two-week trip but refused to extend the invitation (or financial assistance) to her. Despite this, however, she considered how much the kids would enjoy the holiday and said ‘of course they should go’.

Although she tried to seem cheerful, her husband noticed she felt dejected and asked his mother to reconsider.

To this, she reiterated that her daughter-in-law was ‘not her family’, so aiming to keep the peace the younger woman asked her husband ‘not to push it’ – even though she remained ‘angry about the whole thing.’

Revealing how the issue took a turn for the worse, her post continued: ‘Yesterday when my son asked me why I wasn’t more excited about the trip, I told him I wasn’t coming because his grandma hates me. I said this in a bitter tone. They were pretty upset to hear this.

‘Later, my husband told me I was an a**hole for dumping my feelings on my kids, and making them feel guilty about looking forward to the trip. He said I was ruining it for them and also ruining their relationship with my mother-in-law (they’re pretty close), and that I’m being selfish.’

As a result of the argument, the woman took to Reddit to question if she was in the wrong for how she acted. And while some suggested she could have handled things slightly differently, the majority were in support.

‘Your kids deserve to know why you aren’t going, that is a common decency to them,’ said one person, while another wrote: ‘I guarantee the mother-in-law has already told the children how much she dislikes their mother, so the mother-in-law was the one who ruined the relationship with the kids.’

‘Grandmothers who mistreat the mother of their grandchildren do not get to have a close pleasant relationship with those grandchildren,’ added a third.

Many criticised the husband not standing up for his wife, including one who said: ‘He shouldn’t have even agreed to the vacation, from the jump he has condoned this behavior towards his wife and should be ashamed of himself.’

‘What did he expect? Did he want you to lie to cover for his mother?’ wrote another, as well as one more who chimed in: ‘If your husband has anyone to be mad at it should be himself for being spineless.’

Among the small minority who felt the woman was to blame, a Redditor said: ‘You should never bring your kids into a grownup fight. Completely inappropriate and your husband is right that you probably just ruined the trip for them.’

They’re likely not one of the 67% of people who’ve dated someone whose mother negatively impacted their romantic relationship.

Feuds with in-laws are remarkably common, so much so that they’re a running joke. From making insulting remarks to constantly butting in, many people report struggling with their partner’s parents’ behaviour.

Stephanie and Josh Ferry are one of the couples who’ve managed to stay together in spite of a ‘toxic’ mother-in-law, and Stephanie believes her husband’s support was vital in helping them get through.

She said: ‘Your partner needs to prioritise you and that needs to be communicated to everyone, because when you get married you become one unit, a team, and you have to keep it that way.’

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A woman has shared her secret to making a standout Halloween garland on a budget.

And all it took was three inexpensive items and a clever little Amazon find.

Tamara Bradshaw of @tamarabradshaw_home on TikTok recently shared a video captioned ‘How I made my outdoor garland’ to her page to help other viewers make the decoration too.

To make the seasonal décor piece, she purchased pool noodles and added four garland strips to each.

‘This makes it nice and full like I like it,’ she said in the post.

Using a total of eight noodles in total, she used the $16.99 (approx £13.85) DearHouse fall garland maple leaf from Amazon as the focal point.

She then used outdoor velcro and zip ties to attach the autumnal-colored garland to the brick.

Through her creation, Tamara showed how easy it was to instantly upgrade an outdoor area for the spooky season.

‘Put it on, snap that zip tie,’ she explained.

Finally, she added some fairy lights and complimented the overall look with a matching tree.

Those on the app were seriously impressed by her Halloween-inspired DIY.

‘The velcro and zip tie – genius,’ wrote one impressed follower.

While another added: ‘This got my attention. Looks really nice.’

In another video, Tamara shows off her full Halloween decor plan.

In the short clip, she can be seen adding a number of skeletons outside her home, as well as a selection of pumpkins, trees, a spider and netting to resemble a web.

The end result is spooky yes, but surprisingly stylish too.

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What exactly is Black history?

That’s the question I find myself asking every October when Black History Month rolls back around.

To me, it encompasses entire continents, thousands of years and ancient civilisations that cannot be placed into a single bracket.

How could all of this be condensed down into just one month of the year? I believe we should teach Black history all year round – but let’s just call it history.

My mother is from Zimbabwe and my father is Nigerian. Those two countries alone are poles apart in so many aspects.

I’m lucky enough to have been taught by my dad and uncles about the revolutions in Nigeria, the many languages spoken, the rival tribes, numerous coups, the liberation from British colonialism, and our problematic treatment of Ghanaians living in Nigeria.

As for Zimbabwe, I went to primary school there for just over one year so – along with my mum’s oral history – I was taught about both Portuguese and British colonisation, our rich soil or copper reserves and the freedom fighter Robert Mugabe who eventually became a tyrannical ruler. 

This enriched my understanding of both who I am and where I am from. The struggles of my forefathers and the current state of Nigeria and Zimbabwe is clearer to understand when you know the history of those countries.

Knowing the battles and obstacles of my elders also gave me a greater appreciation of the hardships endured by my grandparents to allow for more opportunities for their children, and in return my parents did the same for me and my siblings.

With both countries, I am barely even scratching the surface of their great histories. I can’t tell you everything that I have been taught in this column, and I certainly couldn’t do it in one month.

Black history can never be broken down into four weeks – it is too great and far reaching. Just because I am interested in the history of Nigeria, it doesn’t mean my Bajan friends are and vice versa. So what aspects of Black history will be handpicked and taught for the month?

Regarding Black history in the UK specifically, I think it should just be taught as British history.

It shouldn’t shy away from the tricky parts. Like the relationship between the Commonwealth and the millions of people around the world who were affected by it.

How the British Museum allegedly houses stolen artefacts from other countries. Or how Britain stole minerals and resources from other nations and still profits today from those actions.

How we only finished paying off the debt accrued by giving reparations to slavers in 2015, and those families that profited from slavery made millions of pounds, which is now passed down as generational wealth – but the descendants of slaves were passed nothing apart from their slave master’s surname.

But there are also plenty of Black British pioneers who should be taught about in schools.

Olaudah Equiano was a Nigerian born abolitionist. He bought his freedom and settled in Britain where he wrote and published one of the earliest arguments against slavery. The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano sold out and was incredibly popular in its day.

Many of us know the tragic end of Justin Fashanu but his life as a footballer was trailblazing. He was the first Black footballer to have a £1million transfer fee, and he was the first openly gay footballer in the top flight.

When children are taught about WW2 they should be told of the Black soldiers from all over the world who fought for our freedoms too. We cannot have women’s rights and the suffrage movement discussed without considering how Black and Asian women were treated.

Black History is too vast to be whittled down to one month with a few select bits of our lives and stories.

On top of that, Black history should be passed down from our parents. Thanks to my dad we can trace our family back to around 600 years ago, right to the spot on the Delta River where my family have their origins.

But it’s not just a personal history that needs to be passed on, it’s an oral history of the country that your parents are from too.

This is why I believe it’s so important for my son to attend Igbo lessons, where he learns the language and the culture. In his classes he is told stories of the old Nigeria, the reason that the flag is green and white, he’s taught why the land has lush green forests and what animals live there.

Eventually, as he grows up, he’ll be taught about the politics of the country and the issues and problems that have historically plagued the nation and what caused them. He’ll be told of Nigerian heroes, legends who fought for the country, Nigerians who were innovators, he’ll be taught about the Super Eagles and Jay-Jay Okocha.

The UK is made up of such a rich and diverse Black population, including – according to England and Wales census data from 2021 – almost 1.5million Black Africans, over 600,000 Black Caribbeans and nearly 300,000 people in the Black (other) category.

For me, Black History Month will never be able to tell all aspects of our history, so rather than have 30 days dedicated to it, we should instead teach Black British history all year round as part of the national curriculum.

Don’t treat it as a separate entity that can be diluted to simply a monthly gesture.

Do you have a story you’d like to share? Get in touch by emailing jess.austin@metro.co.uk. 

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With estate agents receiving an average of 25 enquires for each and every rental listing, landlords can afford to be picky.

And this person certainly made his requirements clear when advertising his home on SpareRoom.

The man said he was looking for a ‘gentleman’ to share his home with because says, ‘I deeply believe in being a gentleman as a way of life.’

Will he doesn’t explain what this means exactly, he does say that the space he’s offering is in a ‘well-kept, well-crafted, and quiet home’ and suitable for someone ‘who needs to rest and have a calm and harmonious lifestyle’.

He also added: ‘I am a designer, middle-aged man, who cares about his flat and enjoys conversation, respect, reflection, walking my talk, art, design, and photography.’

The £1,300pcm room in Elephant and Castle also has some other eyebrow-raising stipulations.

Firstly, if you decided to rent the room, you can’t have any guests over – at all. He writes: ‘NOT VISITS ALLOWED. Please this means the room is just for you.’

You’d also be sharing the walk-in wardrobe with your landlord.

‘It will need to be shared, half for you, half for me,’ he writes, which we can only assume means he could be wandering into your room to get his clothes whenever he pleases.

There’s also the slightly concerning fact that you seem to be prohibited from bringing much of any of your own stuff with you.

‘The room is fully furnished, it won’t allow you to bring any furniture with you, just your clothes and a TV,’ reads the listing.

Additionally, you wouldn’t be allowed to work from home, because ‘the room is not suitable as a home office’.

While the pictures of the home do look luxurious, with a design scheme that wouldn’t look out a place in a boutique hotel, it sounds like you’d be in for an interesting home life.

If you think you’re gentleman enough, you can enquire to view via the SpareRoom website.

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Worth the hype? Experts aren’t so sure about the allure of cannabidiol (CBD) anymore.

CBD is an active ingredient in cannabis taken from the hemp plant – except, it’s not addictive and won’t give users a high.

Instead, it’s said to be anti-inflammatory and advocates claim it’s an aid for poor mental health, helping sleep and decreasing anxiety. So, off it shot into the wellness boom.

In the UK, the CBD market has grown massively, with the ingredient available to buy in everything from supplements to teas to body creams.

The industry was projected to be worth £1billion by 2025 – whether that remains the same is yet to be seen in light of new health advice.

The UK’s Food Standards Agency has slashed the recommended ‘safe’ daily dose of CBD from 70mg to just 10mg.

Now, it seems experts fear our trend-led shopping habits may have come at the cost of our health – the very thing CBD was said to support. So what’s going on?

Why have the regulations changed?

UK food regulators have dramatically cut down the recommended safe daily dose.

Previously set at 70mg per day as of 2020, it’s now just 10mg.

The Food Standards Agency (FSA) and its Scottish equivalent have updated their guidance for adults, and this new limit is akin to four or five drops of 5% CBD oil per day.

The reason for the change comes as a risk of potential liver damage and thyroid issues have come to light, after two independent committees reviewed the ingredient.

FSA chief scientific advisor Prof Robin May, said: ‘The more CBD you consume over your lifetime, the more likely you are to develop long-term adverse effects, like liver damage or thyroid issues.

‘The level of risk is related to how much you take, in the same way it is with some other potentially harmful products such as alcoholic drinks.’

Is it safe?

The FSA says there doesn’t seem to be any ‘acute safety risk’ from consuming more than 10mg of CBD a day, so if you stick to new guidance, it’s deemed safe.

However, those who are pregnant, breastfeeding, taking medication or are children, shouldn’t be using CBD – as was the case before this new advice.

What this news does mean, however, is that now there’s a host of products on the market with CBD content above 10mg.

No products will need to come off shelves, as this is advisory information, rather than law. If you continue using CBD products, it’s worth checking the content before buying so you know exactly how much you’d be consuming.

This new advice has put the onus on shoppers to be more wary.

Emily Miles, CEO of the FSA, said: ‘We understand that this change to our advice will have implications for products currently on the market that contain more than 10mg of CBD per serving.

‘We will be working closely with industry to minimise the risk, to ensure consumers are not exposed to potentially harmful levels of CBD.’

CBD was a largely unregulated industry for a long time, which has meant it’s always faced criticism and skepticism. Although, some people rave about CBD products anecdotally, and claim it helps them on a day to day basis.

So if you’re going to use it, stick to the FSA guidelines and speak to your GP about any concerns – there isn’t a need to stop using it completely, only to cut back.

Has the wonder ingredient had its day in the sun? Let us know what you think.

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MORE : Can a CBD balm really cure our joint pain? Users call this one a ‘game-changer’

When it comes to Europe’s best attractions, what is your favourite?

Is it Stonehenge, the Eiffel Tour, or the Colosseum? All are magnificent and adored by the masses, and you would think that one of those three would be picked as the continent’s favourite.

However, one surprising attraction has beaten them all in the race to be Europe’s best.

Guinness lovers rejoice, because according to the World Travel Awards – a gala that has annually celebrated the best of travel, tourism and hospitality since 1993 – The Guinness Storehouse in Dublin is the leading tourist attraction in Europe.

The tourist hotspot beat some tough, history-rich competition in the likes of Buckingham Palace in London, Sagrada Familia in Barcelona and the Acropolis of Athens.

This isn’t the first time the Storehouse has won the accolade. It triumphed at the same awards back in 2015 and currently ranks as the very best tourist attraction in Ireland overall.

Situated in the heart of Dublin, The Guinness Storehouse celebrates the rich heritage of Ireland’s most famous export. Meanwhile, the city itself is a beacon of history, devilment, and of course, the best of craic.

And it really is a must-visit. Housed in a converted 19th-century brewery building, the seven-story museum offers an immersive journey through the brewing process, from the finest ingredients used to the distinctive brewing techniques that have made Guinness a worldwide phenomenon.

The Storehouse blends tradition and modernity and has to be seen and experienced by those seeking a taste of Irish culture and the unique story behind a globally adored beverage.

Not only can visitors can explore the various interactive exhibits, they can also take a trip up to the famous Gravity Bar at the top, which provides breathtaking panoramic views of the city while enjoying a complimentary pint of Guinness.

So, all that’s left to do now is book a flight to Dublin and enjoy.

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A mother whose baby suffered with eczema so bad it caused her skin to bleed and’weep’ found a solution thanks to viewers on TikTok.

Leigha Sorrell, 24, who works in recruitment, made videos asking for help after her little girl, Delilah, now 10 months, started to scratch her sore skin constantly and suffered allergic reactions to a number of eczema creams.

In so much pain and discomfort, Delilah would claw at her skin until she bled, withLeigha having to co-sleep with her for months to prevent the baby from scratching through the night.

Taking to TikTok to document Delilah’s skin problems, Leigha racked up over 10,000 followers and 117,000 likes on her videos, finding a high street solution, Balmonds, through advice given by viewers.

‘It was really awful to see my baby in pain, not knowing what to do to solve it,’ said Leigha, who lives in Harlow, Essex, with Delilah and her partner, Chey Douglass-McCarthy, 24, a business owner.

‘As her mum, I just wished it was me instead of her, she’s such a happy baby and her temperament didn’t change but we could see it was affecting her by her scratching all the time and making herself bleed.’

Delilah was two months old when Leigha first noticed what looked like a rash on her baby’s belly. A doctor confirmed it was eczema and she was prescribed steroid cream, but the situation only worsened.

Leigha said: ‘We hoped it would be a simple solution but things got really bad. The eczema was weeping constantly and it was so sore which was horrible for her.

‘I worried about Topical Steroid Withdrawal (TSW) so I started trying another cream that the doctors said would be good for skin but Delilah was allergic to it.’

Following her allergic reaction, Leigha said that her baby’s skin became ’10 times worse’, with sore patches of dry and red skin spreading across her face and body.

Yet trying alternative products gave Delilah more painful allergic reactions that would ‘burn’ her skin and result cause even more severe spells of eczema.

Things escalated further in June when then six-month-old Delilah woke up with what Leigha described as ‘the worst flare-up’ she’d ever experienced.

She said: ‘As a mum, you just want to take that pain away from her, I was trying everything to find a solution but I just didn’t know what to do.

‘Nothing worked, everything we tried made her skin worse and now she was completely covered in what looked like a huge rash all over her body.’

After trying everything from topical lotions to scratch mitts to ease Delilah’s discomfort, Leigha decided to document her daughter’s journey online and make videos asking for advice.

Within a month of creating her TikTok account, she’d received thousands of tips and messages of support from others with eczema.

‘I had a lot of people recommending different things to me and everyone was saying to not use steroids, which we stopped using,’ said Leigha. ‘Someone recommended trying Balmonds and it was around the time Delilah’s skin was really bad.’

As other creams had given her little girl a painful allergic reaction, Leigha didn’t have ‘much hope’ that the remedies suggested by viewers would help, but was shocked to discover that the £7.99 Skin Salvation balm didn’t cause any issues.

Leigha said: I didn’t think it would work because nothing else had. We tried it on her skin and her eczema cleared up in two days.

‘It hasn’t been back since which is crazy considering how bad her skin was before.’

While Delilah does get some dry patches, using the product each day keeps things manageable, and Leigha says she is ‘over the moon’ with the results.

‘The difference in her skin is like night and day,’ added the mum.

‘She’s back to normal now and is doing well, which is all I can ask for.

‘People don’t realise how difficult it is – I constantly worry that if I use a certain type of washing powder or try her with a new food that it’s going to somehow cause a flare up with her skin – but I’m just so glad that she is no longer in constant pain.’

Eczema affects around one in ten people in their lifetime, but for many it can be resolved by using emollients and moisturisers that hydrate skin and help it retain moisture.

Others, however, find that certain ingredients used in traditional eczema treatments (such as petrolatum or liquid paraffin) don’t help with symptoms – or if there’s an allergy, even make them worse.

In these cases, products like those from Balmonds can offer an alternative way to heal and protect the skin. The brand’s flagship Skin Salvation ointment uses beeswax and shea butter rather than mineral oil and is dermatologist-approved for sensitive skin.

Yet effective relief from eczema isn’t a one-size-fits-all thing. Some feel that GP-prescribed creams work well for them, while others swear by the likes of Childs Farm, MooGoo or Aveeno.

It’s all about what works for you, but if what you’re doing isn’t working, seeking advice from fellow eczema sufferers is a good place to start.

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For some royal engagements, Kate Middleton opts for designers: a McQueen suit or Beulah dress, perhaps.

But we really love it when she dons a piece from her high street wardrobe – mainly, because we can afford it.

Today, The Princess of Wales stepped out in a Zara blazer while visiting a SportsAid mental fitness workshop in Marlow, as part of her engagement for World Mental Health Day.

Eagle-eyed fans of the royal will notice it’s not the first time she’s worn the £59.99 jacket (which is now sold out) – fittingly, she opted for the cobalt blue number when touring Scotland with Prince William back in 2021.

And it’s certainly not the first time she’s worn Zara. The Princess will often be seen in pieces from the high street clothing giant – mixing and matching them with more high end picks.

It seems she’s a fan of the Zara blazer, as we’ve seen her in red, white and gingham versions.

And it’s not just her casual tailoring, she’s also worn summer dresses and skirts from the shop.

And, while we’re sure she’s got no shortage of dazzling jewels to wear, she’s been seen sporting Zara accessories too.

So, if your credit card is burning a hole in your pocket, and you’re in need of some Zara inspo, look no further – here at Kate’s best looks from everybody’s favourite store.

Kate Middleton’s best Zara picks

Red Blazer

Just last month, Kate sported a pillar-box red Zara blazer when she joined a family portage session at a specialist centre in Sittingbourne, Kent.

The textured, double breasted blazer, was once available for £59.99, although it’s no longer available to buy.

Kate was first spotted wearing it to watch the Euro 2020 England v Germany game in July 2021, and then wore it again in Copenhagen in February 2022.

Houndstooth skirt

A midi skirt is a staple – whether you’re wearing it in summer, or adding layers to keep you cosy on a chilly day, as the Princess did back in February.

Kate made two appearances in South Wales wearing the striking houndstooth skirt, which she paired with black boots, a cream roll neck, and matching coat.

It was originally available in Zara for £20, but is no longer listed on their website.

Statement earrings

Okay, we’ll admit it, Kate did wear these earrings with an Alexander McQueen gown, which we can only imagine cost an eye-watering amount – but it’s proof that high-street jewellery can still dazzle.

Everyone was surprised when she donned the £18 cascading floral earrings to the BAFTAS – and naturally, they soon sold out.

However, they do still pop on eBay and other reselling sites from time to time, so keep your eyes peeled.

The photographs of the royals enjoying a day at the Maserati Royal Charity Polo trophy back in June 2018 delighted fans at the time, as Kate could be seeing running around and playing with her children, George, then five, and Charlotte, three, as well as other members of the Royal Family.

She looked every inch the laid back mum in her off the shoulder blue and white Zara striped dress, which originally retailed for £39.99.

Gingham blazer

Kate doesn’t wear gingham often, but when she does, she does it well. The fashion world went wild in June 2022, when she wore a £129 Brora pink gingham blouse to bake Platinum Jubilee cakes with her kids.

And in June this year, she opted for the cheery pattern again, on a visit to the Windsor Family Hub.

She wore a blue gingham blazer from Zara’s SS21 collection which came with matching shorts. Again, it’s no longer in stock.

Embellished headband

The Princess went all Blair Waldorf (Gossip Girl’s very own royalty) when she wore a sparkly headband to the Festival of Remembrance service back in November 2019.

She pushed back her trademark glossy blow-dried hair with the black bejewelled headband from Zara, which cost just £17.99.

White blazer

Another double-breasted blazer, this time in white, was the chosen look for Kate’s visit to Derby in February this year.

The chic white look looked far more expensive than it actually was, which was listed at the time on Zara for £69.99. She paired the jacket with her white Veja trainers – another favourite of the royal’s.

Leopard print skirt

While the Princess might be known for simple, classic, prints, even she can’t resist a spot of animal print every now and then.

She wore the Zara midi pleated leopard print skirt when visiting a children’s centre in Cardiff in 2020.

This was one of her most budget friendly looks as, at the time of wearing it, the skirt was in the sale for just £9.99. It sold out within hours of her being pictured in it.

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Call me Mr Picky, but seriously, why do I need a jalapeño floating in my rosé or one of my shoes to uncork a wine bottle?

Isn’t the process of putting a glass to your lips, pouring the liquid inside your mouth and swallowing it enough? Obviously not, otherwise someone wouldn’t have invented TikTok.

It’s infuriating – no matter how hard I try to judge, I can’t help but be impressed by people’s ingenuity.

Whether it’s pulling a cork with a knife and fork or a lighter, pouring red wine into a blender to make it taste more expensive or putting it through a Brita filter to avoid a hangover (allegedly), these are the tips, hacks and tricks no one asked for.

As a drinks expert, I feel a duty to personally check out anything before I slate it.

So, first up, let’s start with a few of the rosé flavour enhancing tips and tricks that can be found on the home of #winetok (which has a jawdropping 735 million views, btw).

I’ll be using Snoop Dogg’s new fruity offering, Cali Rosé, £10 in Ocado. Why? Because it’s beyond opulent with flavours of summer pudding, aka deep pink and bordering on sweet.

It also needs a little toning down for my taste, so let’s see if these hacks can help.

WIN! A year’s supply of Wine PLUS exclusive tickets to the Naked Wines Winter Tasting Tour

Metro Drinks Club has joined forces with Naked Wines to give you the chance to WIN a year’s supply of delicious wine, plus exclusive tickets to the Naked Wines Winter Tasting Tour.

These aren’t any old wines. Every single bottle is made by a talented, independent winemaker. So whether you’re a fizz lover, Malbec nut or Sauvignon fan, you’ll get the perfect selection to savour.

5 lucky winners will also get tickets to the Naked Wines Winter Tasting Tour that’s hitting 5 UK cities (Leeds, Nottingham, Oxford, London and Ipswich) from 1st-5th November. Ticket winners will meet the likes of Carmen Stevens from South Africa, an award-winning trailblazer who gets a Beatles-style welcome at any tasting she attends.

Loved by over 330,000 UK wine drinkers, Naked Wines connects everyday wine drinkers with the world’s best independent winemakers. They support hundreds of talented winemakers, so they have the freedom to make the best wines they’ve ever made. In return, you get to enjoy better wine at insider prices.

You have until midnight on Wednesday 18 October to enter, so make sure you sign up soon!

Click here and fill in your details to enter. Good luck!

Using my experience with flavours, I also added additional suggestions that I thought might work better. Here goes…

Cinnamon Stick

I often describe certain rosés as having warm spice flavours, so what happens if I actually drop in a cinnamon stick? Pro tip, sieve the wine before drinking it if you don’t want cinnamon shards stuck in your teeth. Half a scroll and you’ll immediately get a noseful of autumnal spice. Palate-wise, cinnamon enhances the fruit flavours in the rosé, giving warmth and dimension. Love this hack.

Jalapeño

This has been doing the rounds for a while, so I couldn’t wait to dig in. Add a slice of fresh jalapeño to your rosé, ditching most of the seeds. On the nose, it delivers an immediate thwack of Pyrazines, the vegetal-smelling compounds found in peppers. In the mouth, the sting of chilli neutralises the wine’s sweetness, giving a warm buzzing sensation and making the wine nicely balanced and savoury.

Gherkin

This was my own riff on a jalapeño to illustrate what not to add, but unexpectedly, I’m in love. If I’m honest, I was convinced the vinegar would clash with the wine and cause a metallic taste, as it tends to do. It didn’t. If anything, the gherkin brings salty and vegetal notes to the party that offset the luscious sweetness of the wine. I would do this again.

Pickled Onion

Look, if it can work in a Gibson Martini, I was convinced a pickled onion would work in a rosé. Spoiler alert, it doesn’t. Note to self, there are sulphurous-flavoured compounds in onions that clash with, well, everything except gin and dry vermouth, apparently. It’s too overtly savoury and pungent to pair with the richness of Snoop’s rosé, better in a dryer-style wine. Provence rosé perhaps…?

Whipped Cream

I’m no stranger to the phrase ‘Wimbledon in a glass’ in my rosé tasting descriptions. It’s the wine version of chomping Eton Mess on Murray Mount. So, when I clocked the trend of adding whipped cream to rosé, I had high hopes for the combo. Granted, I squirted it way over the rim, but aside from looking like an Ice Cream Sundae, the whipped cream curdled immediately, tasted like alcoholic cake and made the wine turn cloudy. Zero points.

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Raechel Eastwood, 30, and husband Adam, 33, were on their honeymoon when they fell in love again – this time, with a sweet stray dog.

The dog, who they’ve called Sandy, approached them on a beach in Mauritius and even showed them her young puppies.

And now they’re hoping to re-home Sandy, and her babies too if possible, at their house in Golborne, near Wigan, Gtr Manchester, where they live with their German Shepherd Suki.

The newlyweds have launched a GoFundMe appeal in the hopes they’ll be able to bring the pooch back to the UK, with online inquiries showing it could cost around £2,000 just to bring Sandy home.

Raechel said: ‘We live in a detached house with a big back garden and a field nearby, there’s lots of space for her to run and play.

‘She’ll have a much better life here than she’d have on the streets over there, so we’re just hoping we can raise the money we need.’

Raechel and Adam got married on September 30 before jetting off to the island for a fortnight of honeymooning.

During their first week, they met Sandy when she approached them at a quiet spot, and they bonded in just a few short hours.

Raechel, a deputy store manager, said: ‘We were told there was a nice beach to go and watch the sunrise. As soon as we got out of the car, about 10–15 dogs surrounded us.

‘We set our towels down and this one dog came and almost shooed the others away as if she had claimed us as her own. We nicknamed her Sandy.

‘When we sat down, she came over and wanted cuddles. She sat with us for a bit, had a play, and even took a nap with us.

‘She followed us for around three hours when we went for a walk, and we thought she just wanted food, but we didn’t have any.

‘When we went back to the car, we thought she’d disappeared, but when we got to the path, she’d brought two of her puppies to us.

‘I thought “oh my god, she trusted us with her puppies.”

‘We sat and parked up and thought “this is awful”. She was just a lovely dog, and we felt such a bond with her, we wanted to bring her back with us.’

The couple got the help of charity Strays of Belle Mare, which helps to rehome dogs from the island, and the organisation found out from a staff member with a nearby hotel that poor Sandy was abandoned while she was pregnant.

Raechel and Adam went back to see Sandy during their honeymoon, but they fly home this week and are worried that, if they can’t at least take Sandy home, her age will see her staying a stray forever, while her adorable young pups make much more appealing adoptees.

The couple have donated to another charity to look after the pups, and if they’re able to raise more than they need, the excess funds will be donated to the charities that have helped Raechel and Adam to look after them and/or get them to the UK too.

Raechel said: ‘We went back to see them to make sure she was OK and still there. We went and fed her and discovered she had four puppies.

‘A worker at a hotel nearby said she’d had five, but one has been rehomed.

‘We think she was dumped while she was pregnant, presumably, her owner couldn’t afford to keep her and her puppies.

‘Realistically we need £2,000 to bring Sandy home.

‘Anything more can help the charities here for the strays, but it would be £9000 to bring mum and four puppies home.’

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Welcome back to the Slice, your weekly guide to what’s on in London.

It’s not every day you get to explore London’s best bars on a budget, but that’s what’s on offer this week! If cocktails aren’t your thing, there are rum and beer festivals, theatre transporting you back to 1974 West Africa and free DJ workshops for aspiring DJs. It’s gonna be a big weekend…

The Slice’s Pick

Le Petit Chef

Le Petit Chef is named after the tiny animated French chef who graces diners between courses with a cartoon skit of how the food about to be eaten has ended up on the plate. Think fun Tom and Jerry stuff, such as dramatically slicing a lobster in two in front of your eyes with a lot of muttering and the odd ‘merde’ drop. 

The projector lighting and limited tables create an intimate yet theatrical atmosphere but the food really delivers too. We opted for the Classic Menu, which starts with a fresh burrata salad, followed by beautifully fishy bouillabaisse, a lobster risotto, a perfectly pink Hereford beef, and the final course a delightfully creamy and sugar-cracking vanilla crème brûlée. It’s a lot to eat, and starting from £119 per head, there’s no getting away from the fact that it’s expensive – but if you’ve got that sort of money, this is definitely an enchanting foodie experience. Bon appétit! 

Set menus from £119pp, Juniors £59pp. Victoria House, Bloomsbury Square.

Food & Drink

WIN! A year’s supply of Wine PLUS exclusive tickets to the Naked Wines Winter Tasting Tour

Metro Drinks Club has joined forces with Naked Wines to give you the chance to WIN a year’s supply of delicious wine, plus exclusive tickets to the Naked Wines Winter Tasting Tour.

These aren’t any old wines. Every single bottle is made by a talented, independent winemaker. So whether you’re a fizz lover, Malbec nut or Sauvignon fan, you’ll get the perfect selection to savour.

5 lucky winners will also get tickets to the Naked Wines Winter Tasting Tour that’s hitting 5 UK cities (Leeds, Nottingham, Oxford, London and Ipswich) from 1st-5th November. Ticket winners will meet the likes of Carmen Stevens from South Africa, an award-winning trailblazer who gets a Beatles-style welcome at any tasting she attends.

Loved by over 330,000 UK wine drinkers, Naked Wines connects everyday wine drinkers with the world’s best independent winemakers. They support hundreds of talented winemakers, so they have the freedom to make the best wines they’ve ever made. In return, you get to enjoy better wine at insider prices.

You have until midnight on Wednesday 18 October to enter, so make sure you sign up soon!

Click here and fill in your details to enter. Good luck!

Supperclub Tube

Step aboard this decommissioned Victoria Line tube carriage and let Head Chef Bea Maldonado take you from London to Latin America. Each of the six courses promises a plate full of flavour with our highlights being the yellow corn-based arepas served under black beans and a tomato relish. With its original 1960s patterned seats, this unique supper club set within the Walthamstow Pumphouse Museum is sure to be enjoyed by both foodies and train enthusiasts alike. And if you’re neither of those… It’s a great spot if you’re looking to impress a date with your knowledge of the London restaurant scene off the beaten (train) track.

6-course menu from £67pp. Pumphouse Museum, Walthamstow.

Silverleaf

Scuttle across the Pan Pacific London courtyard plaza to its industrially chic destination bar, Silverleaf and taste the new ‘Building Blocks’ menu. Based around two core ingredients, each cocktail is a masterclass in mixology, art, science and design. Try the Tomato Shiso, Watermelon Sake, the Raspberry Vetiver, or any of them really. The bar team are ready to immerse you in the DNA of each drink, or not. This is cerebral sipping, if you want it to be, or just aesthetic and tasty cocktails if you don’t feel like braining. It’s well worth the scuttle.

Cocktails from £8 with London Cocktail Week (see details below ⬇). 3rd Floor, Devonshire House, 3 Bishopsgate. 

Find out more about Metro Drinks Club and its editor’s pick here.

RumFest

RumFest, the world’s longest rum festival is back in London this weekend for its 17th year! Perfect for rum enthusiasts, the festival will showcase over 400 rums from all over the world to test and try. Tickets include access to all 400 of the delicious rums on offer, cocktail masterclasses hosted by industry experts, tasting sessions, live Caribbean music and dancing during ‘Carnival Hour’, and delicious and perfectly paired Caribbean food stalls. And you get a tiny tasting cup to take home, of course. It’s a must for all rum and spirit lovers!

Tickets from £44. 14-15 October, 47 Lillie Rd, Fulham.

London's best... cocktails London Cocktail Week, 12 - 22 October

Every bar on London Cocktail Week’s list will offer at least one signature cocktail for just £8! Get your £15 wristband from any of the bars and show it when you order – as many times as you like during the week!

BEST EXPERIENCE: Gin Mare’s Med Transfers

Combining a bar crawl with a road trip around the Iberian peninsula, Gin Mare’s cocktail-quaffing expedition sees guests ferried around town in a VW campervan for a bar-hopping evening of perfectly paired gin cocktails and light bites at Parillan, Kwant and Bar Daskal.

Tickets from £20 (must be purchased as a pair, includes three cocktail and food pairings). 17-18 October, meet at Parillan, Coal Drops Yard, Kings Cross.

BEST SUNDOWNER: The Rooftop at One Hundred Shoreditch

London Cocktail Week is practically designed for post-work drinkies, and this blush pink hangout atop a trendy hotel is the perfect spot to sip and watch the sunset. Their £8 offering is the aptly named Shoreditch Sundowner – a punchy concoction with Patron reposado tequila, Cointreau, agave, lime juice and blood orange soda. Rock up with your wristband and stay till late.

One Hundred Shoreditch Hotel, 100 Shoreditch High Street.

BEST FANCY-PANTS: Baccarat Bar and Studio Franzten

It’s not often we can actually afford anything in Harrods, let alone swanky cocktails. But these are under a tenner! Start with a Pepper Berry Club (served in an exquisite Baccarat crystal glass) in the dazzling bar downstairs, then up to the rooftop for a knockout Vastkusten – with Don Julio blanco tequila, Mandarin Napoleon, Linie Akvavit Sherry cask and Montelobos mezcal.

Lower Ground Floor/ Fifth Floor, Harrods, 87-135 Brompton Rd, Knightsbridge.

What’s on

Black History Month

Start From Scratch: Free DJ Workshop

The Slice is celebrating Black History Month every week of October, and today we’re highlighting the Start From Scratch DJ Workshop series which looks to celebrate the contributions and achievements of Black DJs around the world and throughout history.

Join Pioneer DJ and KISS Fresh Breakfast presenter DJ Esi at the famous Fabric London for a free three-hour session where you will explore the fundamentals of DJing, try out Pioneer DJ’s latest gear and receive a complimentary 3-month license for the online educational platform Virtuoso. Spots are limited so make sure to sign up now!

Free. 18 October, Fabric, 77A Charterhouse, Farringdon.

Theatre

Rumble in the Jungle Rematch★★★

This immersive production transports you back to 1974 Kinshasa where Muhammad Ali and George Foreman fought for the title of undisputed world heavyweight champion. Taking place in a warehouse in London’s Docklands which doubles as the luxury Kinshasa Hotel, you’re left to walk around and experience the tasty Congolese street food and performances from James Brown tributes before the main event is recreated, cleverly mixing film clips and live actors. Ultimately, London’s latest immersive production is more party than story. The show is entertaining, but you only belatedly care about the fate of the fighters at its core.

Tickets from £30. Until 29 October, Dock X, Surrey Quays.

Culture

Pink Oktoberfest

Get ready for two weekends of Bavarian fun as Pink Oktoberfest, the world’s largest queer beer festival returns to Between the Bridges. Hosted by RuPaul’s Drag Race UK Series 5 star, Ginger Johnson, expect a night of hilarity and tasteful vulgarity. Joining her are renowned queer drag and alt-cabaret artists, including His Royal Hairiness, Dave The Bear, and The Sisters of Shesus. The six-piece synch-pop band, Topsie Redfern and the Morning Afters, will provide a camp twist to the festivities. Enjoy German sausage, cold Steins, games and table dancing, and join the party! Lederhosen or Dirndl optional.

Tickets from £18. 14 and 21 October, Between the Bridges, South Bank.

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