6 days agoNew York StateComments Off on Unassuming house was seen by millions on beloved 90s BBC show – but would you recognise it?
Google MapsHomes featured in Keeping Up Appearances were filmed in Binley Woods in Coventry[/caption]
A HOUSE which featured in a classic 90s sitcom seems inconspicuous in a sleepy town – but do you recognise it?
Clue: The main character insisted her name was pronounced ‘Bouqet‘.
Google MapsHomes featured in Keeping Up Appearances were filmed in Binley Woods in Coventry[/caption]
BBCDame Patricia Routledge as Hyacinth Bucket and Clive Swift as Richard Bucket[/caption]
Hyacinth was accompanied by her henpecked husband Richard, played by late acting legend Clive Smith.
Next door to the Buckets lived upper-middle class characters Elizabeth, and her brother Emmet, with whom Hyacinth competed against.
The show was written by Roy Clarke, who also penned Open All Hours, and ran between 1990 and 1995.
It easily ranks as one of the UK’s most treasured vintage comedies, and has been sold almost 1,000 times to overseas broadcasters.
And the property where Elizabeth and Emet lived still remains, having gone on the market for £495,000 in 2019.
The four bedroom detached house’s exterior was visible to viewers of the show.
Annabel Dixon, writing on property website Zoopla said: “Hyacinth was often name-dropping her sister Violet, who ‘had a Mercedes, swimming pool, sauna and room for a pony.’
“So the grande dame would surely approve of this unusual opportunity to snap up the home of her twitchy neighbours, Elizabeth and Emmett.
“Its features include a landscaped garden, heated swimming pool, hot tub and wooden summer house.’
The real life owner of the house where the Buckets lived in the show, Rosemary Healey, has lived in the property for 47 years.
She told CoventryLive what it’s like living in a house which was part of a cult classic: “I’ve been here for 45 years and I was at work when the BBC first came round to ask about filming at my home.
“My son answered the door and told me they would come back the next day, which they did.
“They had contacted estate agents in the city looking for a property to film as Hyacinth’s home.
“Mine was chosen because, before we had the extension, you could talk door-to-door with my next door neighbour.”
The show may be 35 years old, but Mrs Healy says this doesn’t stop fans coming to pay a visit to the property.
“We get lots of people coming to take photos and occasionally get people knocking on the door,” she said.
“It’s never been a problem though.”
While the Binley Wood houses were used for external shots, most of the indoor scenes were filmed in a studio in London.
Nearby Warwickshire town Leamington Spa was also used for some filming.
AlamyPatricia Routledge, Clive Swift, Geoffry Hughes, Judy Cornwell & Mary Miller in Keeping Up Appearances[/caption]
6 days agoNew York StateComments Off on I adopted two siblings as babies – but when one pulled a knife on me 10 years later we gave her back & kept her brother
AS her 16-year-old adopted daughter threatened her with a kitchen knife, Sophie Chambers feared she might die.
She and husband Tim knew that adopting wouldn’t be easy but never imagined such grave danger.
GettySophie and husband Tim’s adoption dream turned into a nightmare as the siblings they welcomed into their home became violent (posed by model)[/caption]
GettySienna would throw epic tantrums, threatened her adoptive family with a kitchen knife and smoked cannabis (posed by model)[/caption]
The siblings they had welcomed into their home as a baby and tot had turned violent.
Eventually, things got so bad, Sophie and Tim returned Sienna to care.
“I wouldn’t blame anyone for being shocked we made our child homeless,” Sophie says.
“People must think I’m a monster. But we had been put in an impossible position.”
According to AdoptionEngland, around three per cent of adoptions are officially disrupted – meaning the children can’t stay with the adoptive parents.
Sophie and Tim, who wed in 2003, had always wanted a family.
But after battling infertility for five years, including three failed rounds of IVF, they adopted.
“Tim works as an IT manager and I’m in advertising. We live in a beautiful home in Cheshire. We had idyllic childhoods and thought we would replicate that.”
A year after starting the adoption process in 2008, the couple were matched up with siblings Sienna, two, and Jax, nine months.
Sophie recalls: “They’d suffered horrific abuse and we were told we would be able to access support — but it never came.”
On the day she brought the children home for the first time, she said: “We had been so excited. We spent hours playing with them, before bathing them and putting them to bed. We instantly loved them.”
But within a few weeks, things started to unravel.
“They were difficult children, but we didn’t go into this thinking it would be easy,” Sophie says.
‘Epic tantrums’
“Our daughter would throw epic tantrums, often lasting more than eight hours.
“The bedtime routine would regularly last until gone 2am.
“They’d been taken away from family after Jax sustained serious injuries and Sienna was found to have been physically abused.
“Their behaviour was terrible — they were mean and violent.
“On one occasion, my parents had put them to bed and they got up. When they told them to go back to bed, my son spat in his grandmother’s face.
“They also struggled to make friends. I tried to help them connect with peers and, for Jax’s 5th birthday party, we invited his whole class. Not a single child came. My heart broke.
Their behaviour was terrible — they were mean and violent
“Despite their behaviour, which we knew was the result of trauma, we loved them.
“We took them to dance and music lessons and on foreign holidays, but it made no difference.
“They often got into trouble at school, starting in primary school but escalating by the time they got to secondary.
“Our son took a penknife into class and our daughter walked out of lessons and backchatted.”
From when the children were as young as around six or seven, the couple begged social services for help, but were only sent on parenting courses.
GettySophie was left with no choice but to make her adoptive daughter homeless, and reveals their relationship is now stronger (posed by model)[/caption]
‘Kids have incredibly tough starts’
EMILY FRITH, CEO of the charity Adoption UK said: “Adoption is a vital option for children unable to safely grow up with any member of their birth family. These are children with an incredibly tough start in life.
“They have the same potential as any other child, which is limitless.
“With the right support, adoptive families can flourish. Right now, there are still too many children who aren’t getting the support they deserve.
“We’re working hard with adoption agencies, schools, the NHS and government to champion adopted children and adult adoptees.”
Sophie says: “The best we got was a charity taking the kids for an hour every other month.
“By the time Sienna was 13, things were horrendous. She fell in with a bad crowd and started sneaking out at night.
“The first time she did it, I’d found her bed empty. I was in a panic, rang friends and the police. It was 24 hours before she came back. It happened again and again.
“She and her friends would steal alcohol and trash the house.”
The couple put locks on all their doors to stop Sienna breaking out at night.
“I’d walk round with keys, like a prison warden,” Sophie says. “We bought safes for our valuables.
“I was too scared to go into my own home. While I loved Sienna, I was also starting to hate her.
“Although both Sienna and Jax were very difficult, Jax handled his trauma in a more insular way — he’d refuse to come out of his room. But he didn’t get as violent with us as Sienna.”
Things became so unbearable, Sophie contemplated suicide.
People must think I’m a monster. But we had been put in an impossible position
She says: “I remember thinking about driving my car into a tree.
“I later told Tim, but other than to hold me and tell me he was there for me, there was nothing he could do. I knew he was at breaking point too.
“We both felt that the training we’d had around bringing up adopted children was wholly inadequate, but Tim and I had spent years doing our own research.
You're Not Alone
EVERY 90 minutes in the UK a life is lost to suicide
It doesn’t discriminate, touching the lives of people in every corner of society – from the homeless and unemployed to builders and doctors, reality stars and footballers.
It’s the biggest killer of people under the age of 35, more deadly than cancer and car crashes.
And men are three times more likely to take their own life than women.
Yet it’s rarely spoken of, a taboo that threatens to continue its deadly rampage unless we all stop and take notice, now.
The aim is that by sharing practical advice, raising awareness and breaking down the barriers people face when talking about their mental health, we can all do our bit to help save lives.
Let’s all vow to ask for help when we need it, and listen out for others… You’re Not Alone.
If you, or anyone you know, needs help dealing with mental health problems, the following organisations provide support:
“If we’d had the right support, we might have been able to cope.
“When we told a social worker [Sienna] had been smokingcannabis, he said we should consider ourselves lucky it wasn’t more hardcore drugs.”
In May 2024, Sienna tried to walk out of the house on the day of a GCSE exam and Sophie put her foot down.
‘Couldn’t cope’
She recalls: “Sienna had run away for the night, and the police had just brought her back.
“We heard the friend she’d run away with back out on the street, shouting for Sienna to go back out with her. I was furious. I told her there was no way she was going out. She lost her temper worse than I’d ever seen it before.
“We were at the breakfast table, and she started screaming ‘Let me go!’ and grabbed a kitchen knife, waving it at all three of us and saying she was going to kill us.
“I honestly thought one of us was going to end up dead. Tim called 999 and a team of police officers burst into the house.
“The police arrested her, but the next day she came home.
“We knew we couldn’t risk that happening again. We had to protect ourselves and Jax, now 14.
“I rang social services and said we couldn’t cope. They said our only option was to make our daughter homeless.”
Reluctantly, Sophie drove Sienna to the council and did just that.
Sienna was crying and pleading to come home. It felt like the biggest betrayal I could make
She says: “Sienna was crying and pleading to come home. It felt like the biggest betrayal I could make.
“We were both in tears. I told her we loved her but this is the only way we could help her now.”
Sienna was moved into supported living, and the couple see her every few weeks.
Sophie says: “Our relationship is stronger since she moved out. At times, the guilt is impossible. Jax fears we will do the same to him, however much we reassure him.”
The couple have since found online support group PATCH, which helps adoptive families.
Sophie says: “I hope by sharing our story, it may help other families going through similar.”
Names have been changed
How does adoption work?
In the UK, there is lengthy process involved with adopting a child and it can take up to six months for the paperwork to be finalised.
To even be considered, you have to meet the following criteria:
You must be over 21
You must be a legal resident of the UK for at least 12 months.
No criminal convictions – especially any related to the endangerment of children. This applies to everyone your household.
You will also have to go through an inital background check and assesment, which will consider whether you are the right fit for adoption.
Potenital parents will also have undergo training and a process to match them with the right child.
6 days agoNew York StateComments Off on Baller League Finals format and rules explained
Ballers League reaches its climax as we approach the final at the O2 Arena in London on June 12, 2025.
The top four teams from the season will face off to determine the winner — here’s everything you need to know about the Baller League finals.
GettyDeportrio, managed by Alan Shearer, Gary Lineker and Micah Richards, topped the standings during the regular season[/caption]
GettyMaya Jama and Alisha Lehmann’s MVP United will also feature in the final four[/caption]
What is Baller League?
Baller League is a dynamic, influencer-led six-a-side indoor football competition that originated in Germany in 2024.
It has rapidly expanded to the UK — and will soon have a franchise in the US.
The league was created by entrepreneur Felix Starck, along with the support of professional footballers Mats Hummels and Lukas Podolski.
Twelve teams play in six-a-side matches, with the top four advancing to the final play-off in June to be crowned the champion.
Starck said: “Baller League is a brand new way to consume football.
“We’re redefining how the game is played by bringing an exhilarating and authentic approach to football, and one that will appeal to current fans along with future generations.
“Baller League is all about forward-thinking, aggressive, hyper-exciting football.
“We’re about creating a version of the game that’s impossible to ignore — thrilling, bold and packed with excitement.”
How does the Final Four work?
The four teams with the most points after 11 matches qualify for the Baller League Final Four.
There will be two semi-finals to determine the final, with the team who placed first in the league stage playing fourth, while second plays third.
In the event two teams are tied after 11 matches, the order will be first decided by goal difference, then goals scored, followed by the result between the two sides in question.
If, after these three stipulations, the two sides are still level, a shootout will determine who progresses.
In the event of a draw in the Final Four after the regular 30 minutes, a penalty shootout is held in which each team initially provides three takers.
Baller League is all about forward-thinking, aggressive, hyper-exciting football
Baller League CEO Felix Starck
If the shootout ends level, it will become sudden death until a winner is established.
Wembley Rangers is managed by Ian Wright and Chloe Kelly, while Yanited is under the guidance of YouTuber Angry Ginge
Who has qualified for the Baller League Final Four?
Just four teams remain from the 12 that started on Matchday 1 back in March.
Deportrio topped the standings on goal difference after 11 rounds of action-packed fixtures.
MVP United narrowly missed out on top spot by one goal, but they have secured their place in the final four.
Yanited and SDS FC complete the sides competing for Baller League glory on the night of Thursday, June 12, 2025 — with fans set to be treated to even more thrilling action at the O2 Arena.
Organisers have confirmed a Legends vs Creators match has been booked in with some blockbuster names taking part.
Baller League Final Four fixtures
As they finished top of the standings, Deportrio will face the lowest-ranked side in the Final Four, which is SDS FC.
The team that is victorious will face the winner of MVPs United vs Yanited in the grand finale.
UKLash went viral thanks to its popular eyelash growth serum, which has racked up over 50,000 positive customer reviews online, with many fans sharing that they are “amazed with the results.”
Beauty enthusiasts will probably have seen the brand’s cult products on TikTok or Instagram, even if they haven’t tried the range before.
So Black Friday is the perfect opportunity to try the collection loved by reality TV stars and influencers like Molly Mae and Sophie Habboo.
There’s still a little while to go until November, and we’ll be adding the best Black Friday deals and discounts as they come in, so be sure to bookmark this page to stay in the know.
It always takes place the day after Thanksgiving in the USA, as it was originally a US event.
In recent years, the sale has spread around the world, and in the UK, it is probably the biggest shopping weekend for deals of the year.
Price cuts start on Black Friday and go through to Cyber Monday, though more and more we’re seeing retailers extend their offers into the festive season.
Right now, it’s still too early to tell. We’d assume that the brand will be taking part in this year’s festivities.
UKLash has taken part in Black Friday before, releasing exclusive bundles alongside discounts on bestselling items, so we’re expecting big deals from the brand this year.
We’ll be updating this page regularly with all of the offers from UKLash as soon as they are announced, so you won’t miss any news in the run-up to the main event.
What to expect in the UKLash Black Friday sale 2025?
UKLashWe expect to see lots of bestsellers in the Black Friday sale[/caption]
We’re sure the Black Friday sale for 2025 will offer beauty enthusiasts significant discounts on key items from the brand, including its popular lash and brow-care products.
The brand’s rise to fame has been built on the popularity of its bestselling serums that promote lash growth, and in 2024, it offered 40% off its bestselling serums during the Black Friday sale.
UKLash’s Black Friday sale is a great opportunity to stock up on must-have items or try out their products for the first time at a reduced price.
It’s also the perfect opportunity to get a head start on your Christmas shopping for family and friends.
What was in UKLash’s sale last year?
UKLash shoppers were treated to an epic 35% discount on the brand’s bestselling eyelash growth serum in 2024, which slashed the price to under £25 for the first time.
The brand also launched 30% off sitewide, with savings across its beauty and hair ranges, shoppers could even get Christmas gift sets at a reduced price.
There was also the opportunity to save 10% on the Growth Shampoo and Conditioner Set, plus 23% off if you signed up for one of the subscription options.
Another bonus was the brand offering discounted delivery options and even free standard delivery for orders over a certain amount.
When is Cyber Monday 2025 and is UKLash taking part?
Wondering when Cyber Monday is? The event always takes place on the Monday directly after Black Friday, so for 2025, it falls on 1 December.
Typically, Cyber Monday was seen as the final day of the shopping weekend and was dedicated to online bargains.
However, now Cyber Monday has really become an extension of Black Friday, with just as many great deals and discounts.
In recent years, we have also seen various brands and retailers extending their offers well beyond Cyber Monday and into December, allowing savvy Christmas shoppers to snap up gifts at bargain prices.
Bookmark this page for the lowdown on UKLash Black Friday and Cyber Monday offers and discounts – we’ll be updating this page as they become available.
How much does UKLash shipping cost?
UKLash offers various delivery options to get your orders to you when you need them.
UK shoppers can take advantage of free standard delivery, while standard tracked delivery costs £1.99 or is free if you spend over £60.
Express delivery is available if you need your order in a hurry, this costs £6.99 or is free when you spend £80 or more.
If you’re sending your order somewhere in Europe, a free standard tracked delivery (3-7 business days) is available on orders over £34.
International shipping fees are generally higher and will depend on the destination country.
Does UKLash offer any other discounts?
UKLash does offer several ways to save money if you’re looking for a bargain.
They have a whole page dedicated to bundles and kits, which will typically save you around 20% versus buying the items individually.
Shoppers can also save up to 15% by signing up for subscriptions, using the brand’s subscribe and save options.
Of course, during holidays such as Black Friday and Christmas, shoppers can also find exclusive deals and flash sale offers.
GettyRocketman star Taron Egerton is looking for love again[/caption]
GettyIt comes after it has been revealed that he has reportedly split from Marvel star Chloe Bennet[/caption]
SplashTaron is reportedly back on celebrity dating app, Raya[/caption]
American Broadcasting Companies IncChloe is best known for starring in Marvel’s Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D[/caption]
6 days agoNew York StateComments Off on Carlos Alcaraz jets off to Ibiza for holiday with forgotten Premier League star as Wimbledon preparations begin
CARLOS ALCARAZ jetted to Ibiza after winning the French Open last Sunday.
The five-time Grand Slam champion, 22, has previously admitted that he loves partying on the Spanish island.
Instagram @carlitosalcarazzCarlos Alcaraz poses with pal Sergio Reguilon in Ibiza[/caption]
Shutterstock EditorialAlcaraz, 22, won the French Open last Sunday[/caption]
Alcaraz came back from two sets down to beat Jannik Sinner 4-6 6-7 6-4 7-6 7-6 in five hours and 29 minutes – setting a new record for the longest ever Roland Garros final in the process.
Following his triumph, the Spaniard jetted to party island Ibiza to let his hair down with his pals.
During his trip, Alcaraz posed for a snap with friend Sergio Reguilon – who captioned it: “Traditions.”
The full-back, 28, is set to be a free agent at the end of this month following his Tottenham release.
Reguilon is a huge tennis fan, and can usually be found at the Madrid Masters event each April.
The Spain international also attended Roland Garros last month alongside former Brentford team-mate Bryan Mbeumo.
Alcaraz is scheduled to begin his Wimbledon preparations at Queen’s next week.
The reigning SW19 champion is not expected in West London until Saturday.
6 days agoNew York StateComments Off on Messy singer Lola Young goes topless for racy new video for new single
MESSY singer Lola Young is seen going topless in her racy new video for her latest single.
Lola, 24, has seen her star soar over the last year, and is now unleashing her next song, which is already driving fans wild.
InstagramLola Young went topless for her new sexy video, One Thing[/caption]
InstagramThe star stripped off and just wore a pair of shorts[/caption]
InstagramThe singer drove fans wild with her new video[/caption]
PALola has enjoyed huge success thanks to her song Messy[/caption]
Lola’s song Messy, released last year, saw her hit the Number One spot, and she’ll be hoping to emulate that success with her new single, One thing.
In the new video – which she dropped on Instagram last night – the sexy star left very little to the imagination
In the racy video, Lola can be seen going topless, and covering her modesty with her hand.
She completed her daring look with a pair of red and white striped shorts.
The singer looked at the camera as she sang the song’s lyrics: “I wanna pull you closer/ I don’t even want your number
“Don’t care if you got another/ ‘Cause tonight, I’m your only lover/ And I’ma give you that one thing/ I’ma give you that one thing.”
At the end of the saucy song, Lola took her hands away from her chest and two stars flashed up on the screen.
The cheeky star captioned the post with: “One thing …. or two.”
Fans went into meltdown after the video dropped, with one saying: “You are a goddess!”
Another added: “Confidence and full glam is such a good combo on you!”
This one said: “True beauty!”
BECOMING A STAR
Lola started writing songs aged 11, and by 13 had competed in and won a national open mic competition.
She was a student at the famous Brit School in Croydon which counts Adele and Amy Winehouse has past pupils.
She’s a Scottish author, who used to write songs for children’s TV, and was the Children’s Laureate between 2011 and 2013, after she enjoyed her first major success in the late 90s.
