How to survive the British school gates, by an American mother
Back in the States, school drop-off and pick-up is generally done in your car, drive-through style. But I’m on my second child now, and I think I’ve finally cracked the west London code. In fact, the daily microdramas, status jockeying and parental scheming inspired my debut novel, All the Other Mothers Hate Me. Here’s everything you need to know to survive the gates. I’m sorry to tell you there will be a class WhatsApp group, and you’ll be expected to join.
Source:The Times
March 23, 2025 15:02 UTC
Britain government orders probe over Heathrow power failure chaos
Tens of thousands of travellers affectedBroader concerns over Britain's infrastructure'A clear planning failure'British government launched an urgent investigation into the country’s energy resilience after an electrical substation fire forced Heathrow Airport to shut down for nearly a day. The scale of the disruption has prompted frustrated passengers, airlines, and politicians to demand answers.“This is a huge embarrassment for Heathrow airport. There is an element where you have to make sure you're available for just in case.' You have to plan for things going wrong,” he said.As one of the world’s busiest airports, Heathrow handled 83.9 million passengers last year. Its CEO, Thomas Woldbye, defended the airport’s response, insisting that staff had done a “fantastic job” under the circumstances.“The airport didn’t shut for days.
Source:The Times
March 23, 2025 12:18 UTC
Closing time change at Christchurch Park, Ipswich, was error
That is the message from Lucy Trenchard, portfolio holder for parks and climate change at Ipswich Borough Council. She was speaking after a dog owner voiced their concern that Christchurch Park had recently started closing at 5.30pm. He also asked if the council had plans to change the park's hours in the future. "Those savings hours were then miscommunicated and published without the authority being sought. Under the current opening hours, the park is meant to close between 6pm to 7.30pm between March and June, and then at 8.30pm from June to September.
Source:The Times
March 23, 2025 12:03 UTC
Why the Spring Equinox is my favourite day of the year
No, my favourite day is the Spring Equinox which fell on Thursday this week. ‘Equinox’ comes from the Latin ‘equi’ (equal) and ‘nox’ (night). This year the actual moment of ‘equinox’ in the UK was at 9.01am on March 20. Of course in the Southern Hemisphere, the opposite is happening, and they are welcoming Autumn as their daylight hours reduce in length. So depending on which one you prefer, the equal 12 hours of daylight and 12 hours of night time fall on different dates.
Source:The Times
March 23, 2025 12:01 UTC
Life in post-war Lancashire mills captured in archive footage
Scenes of Lancashire from a BFI film about the cotton industry after WW2. (Image: BFI) Titled ‘Lancashire’s time for adventure,’ the video explains how the cotton industry was trying to bounce back after the war. Lancashire mill workers from an archive 'cinemagazine' film in the BFI archives. The narrator describes Lancashire and its people: “Here, in the cotton region, are 70 towns within 30 miles of Manchester. At the same time, a large number of cotton industry workers had become munitions operators during the war and never returned to the mills.
Source:The Times
March 23, 2025 11:58 UTC
U.K. Launches Investigation into Heathrow Airport Blackout
The British government has ordered an urgent investigation into how a fire at an electricity substation left Heathrow Airport in London in darkness on Friday, crippling one of the world’s busiest airports. “We are determined to properly understand what happened and what lessons need to be learned,” Britain’s energy secretary, Ed Miliband, said in a statement late on Saturday. Friday’s closure disrupted more than 1,000 flights, leaving planes and aviation crews out of position and stranding passengers — some of whom may not reach their destinations for a few more days. The fire, which the authorities believe was likely accidental, raised questions about the resilience of Britain’s key infrastructure and whether the country has invested enough to maintain it. But some experts said the blackout was probably unavoidable given the scale of the blaze at the substation.
Source:The Times
March 23, 2025 10:22 UTC
F1 schedule 2025: Dates, start times, and race results for every Grand Prix
Formula 1 has sped back onto the sporting calendar for 2025, with this being the final season before the new regulations. Max Verstappen is on a historic run of four successive drivers championships, but Ferrari are now armed with Lewis Hamilton. In addition to his 2021 title rival Verstappen, Hamilton will also be competing against two of his former teams Mercedes and McLaren. Here is the schedule for the 2025 season...What is the next Grand Prix? If you want to watch Formula 1 races in 2025, you'll need a Sky Sports subscription.
Source:The Times
March 23, 2025 10:01 UTC
Value for money is now money for value
Value resides not in the intrinsic worth of the object under consideration but in the cost that it commands, the amount of money that a purchaser pays for it.This equation turns inside out the Wildean observation that a cynic is someone who knows the price of everything but the value of nothing. That's the Big Bang Theory of 21st-century marketing.It had to happen. As motor mogul Henry Ford said about his Model T Tin Lizzie: 'You can have it any colour you want, provided it's black. What the customer is paying for is the hole, an un-mint of nothingness.This is not selling the sizzle on the steak. Your buck couldn't get more banged up.
Source:The Times
March 23, 2025 07:36 UTC
Four Takeaways From Keir Starmer’s Conversations With The New York Times
President Trump’s overture to President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia to end the war in Ukraine has rattled leaders across Europe. Now, Mr. Starmer finds himself striding the world stage, at a fateful moment for the trans-Atlantic alliance. He has mediated between Mr. Trump and President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine. And he is lobbying Mr. Trump not to leave Europe at the mercy of an aggressive Russia. Here are four takeaways from a series of recent conversations Mr. Starmer held with The New York Times.
Source:The Times
March 23, 2025 07:16 UTC
Flights Resume at Heathrow After Substation Fire Shut Down Airport
Heathrow Airport in London was plunged into chaos after a fire at an electrical substation shut down operations at one of Europe’s busiest air hubs, forcing the airport to cancel or divert more than 1,000 flights on Friday and removing a global linchpin of air travel. Heathrow’s chief executive, Thomas Woldbye, described the disruption as “unprecedented,” telling reporters on Friday that the airport had lost power equal to that of a midsize city, and that though backup systems worked as they should, there had not been enough power for the entire airport. Some flights resumed late Friday. But Mr. Woldbye said, “We expect to be back in full operation, so 100 percent operation as a normal day” by Saturday. The Metropolitan Police in London said later on Friday, “After initial assessment, we are not treating this incident as suspicious, although inquiries do remain ongoing.” The police said counterterrorism officials would lead the investigation into the cause of the blaze, which broke out Thursday night at an electrical substation northeast of Heathrow.
Source:The Times
March 23, 2025 06:37 UTC
UK living standards to decline by 2030, low-income families hit hardest with 6% income drop: Report
AI image (Credit: Lexica)UK families face declining living standards by 2030, with lower-income households experiencing twice the decline compared to middle and high-income earners, according to recent data from the Joseph Rowntree Foundation (JRF).This challenges Keir Starmer 's commitment to improve working people's financial situation. The poorest third will particularly suffer from increased housing costs, reduced real earnings and static tax thresholds.As a possible solution, JRF's Alfie Stirling advocated increased taxation for wealthy individuals rather than cuts to address declining living standards. "There is no doubt the government is facing an unenviable list of economic pressures and uncertainties, ranging from the domestic to the international. "It is wrong, and ultimately counterproductive, to try and rebuild the public finances through cuts to disability benefits. Instead, government should be addressing hardship and raising living standards directly, as part of their strategy for growth.
Source:The Times
March 23, 2025 04:31 UTC
Britain’s first part-time school, where children go in just once a week
In early March 2020, just before the UK went into Covid lockdown for the first time, Reggie was a sporty, confident 11-year-old boy, enjoying his final months of primary school. “My primary school was great. It didn’t look like I was going to have any issues with anxiety whatsoever,” he said. Like so many children of his generation, Reggie, now 16, who is taking his GCSEs this summer, developed anxiety. London Park School Hybrid, in Mayfair, costs
Source:The Times
March 23, 2025 01:35 UTC
Full list of North East tip opening times including Newcastle, Sunderland and Northumberland
There are recycling centres all over the region, but the opening times vary across all of them, which can be a massive pain. For example, it can vary from tip to tip, so we lay out the rules for rubble too. Tip opening times in North TynesideWallsend Road NE29 7SH: Monday to Sunday: 8am to 8pmYou can dispose of some types of DIY waste, but there will be a cost associated. Tip opening times in NorthumberlandAll Northumberland tips close at 6pm from November 1 to March 31. You can bring a maximum of 6 rubble bags and any amount of other DIY waste with no associated charge.
Source:The Times
March 23, 2025 01:05 UTC
Walk-in degrees, sham students and a giant university fraud scandal
Thousands of students are suspected of fraudulently claiming hundreds of millions of pounds from Britain’s university loan system. A Sunday Times investigation has discovered that individuals with “absolutely no academic intent” are enrolling on degree courses every year to take out loans, with “no intention of paying it back”. The majority of students under scrutiny are believed to have enrolled at so-called franchised universities — which are small colleges paid to provide courses for established universities but often have low grade requirements. There are at least six franchised providers where fraudulent claims from students have been identified, it is understood. The investigation reviewed leaked financial documents and company accounts, and interviewed a dozen sources
Source:The Times
March 22, 2025 22:29 UTC
The hotel named the best in the UK has Peak District views and guests say is ‘worth every penny’
Plus, four of our favourite hotels across the UK from castles to cosy stays with secret doorsTOP TIER The hotel named the best in the UK has Peak District views and guests say is ‘worth every penny’THERE are almost ten thousand hotels across the UK - so when it comes to picking the best place to stay, it can be daunting. The Cavendish Hotel has 28 rooms, two restaurants and incredible views of the Peak District. They also crowned Saltmore in North Yorkshire the 'best beach hotel' and New Park Manor in Hampshire as the 'best family-friendly hotel'. And the best hotel according to TripAdvisor that has been called a 'hidden gem'. Here Are Our Favourite Hotels You Should Visit in 2025 Four of our favourite hotels across the UK from countryside retreats to city pads...
Source:The Times
March 22, 2025 21:52 UTC