The onion-eating contest that draws thousands
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The Independent
an hour ago
- The Independent
Couple drowned in flash floods on Majorca hike, inquest hears
A young couple were drowned in flash floods while on a hiking holiday in Majorca, an inquest has heard. Climbing instructor and lifeguard Alexander Barrett, 32, tried to help his partner Sarah Thompson, 26, as a 'wall of water' cascaded down the canyon they were descending with a group of other hikers, Stockport Coroner's Court heard. Both were swept to their deaths, with Ms Thompson's body recovered by Spanish search and rescue teams on September 4 last year, the day after the flood. Mr Barrett's body was found on September 6 in the Torrent de Pareis canyon in the Tramuntana mountains. Ms Thompson's father, Peter Thompson, who lives in Berwick-upon-Tweed, said his daughter 'was never without a smile on her face'. She had represented Cumbria at fell running in national competitions, had a degree in photography from Manchester Metropolitan University, and had recently been promoted in the donations team at The Christie hospital in Manchester. Paul Rodman, Mr Barrett's father, said his son 'loved life' and relished the outdoors, from hiking to surfing, adding: 'He was genuinely a good person, a caring person, a kind person. 'The friends and family have developed a little saying, 'Be more like Alex' because that's what we aspire to be. 'He's missed so much by all his friends and family.' The couple, from Offerton, near Stockport, had gone on the informal trip with friends, all hiking and climbing enthusiasts, making their separate ways to Majorca. On the trip was Luke Weaver, who knew Mr Barrett as a friend and climbing instructor at Awesome Walls, an indoor climbing centre in Stockport. 'We all had a mutual passion for climbing and hiking,' he said in a statement read at the inquest. Mr Weaver, on the trip with his partner, said the hike they planned to do, which took three to four hours to complete, was well known globally and known to be 'challenging in places'. He had completed the hike before on several occasions, but neither Ms Thompson nor Mr Barrett had, but he considered it was 'well within the capabilities' of the group, he said. Mr Weaver said he was aware the gorge flooded so he checked the weather forecast on the morning of September 3 last year, which only predicted rain from 6pm, by which time they would be 'well clear'. He added: 'Had I known what was to happen, I would never have let them into the gorge.' Mr Weaver said he dropped the group of friends off for the hike and intended to catch them up after parking his car, but was delayed in heavy traffic by around two hours, before he could begin the hike himself. It had been a hot morning, but a storm had moved in and at around 2.30pm it began to drizzle with rain but Mr Weaver said this did not cause any concern as he continued the hike to meet with his partner and friends ahead of him. But a short time later it started to rain more heavily and he could hear thunder in the distance and he began to quicken his pace. He said as there was no phone signal in the gorge he could not make contact with them. As the downpour grew Mr Weaver said he spotted his friends, who were now with a German couple and two Spanish nationals, in a 'bottleneck' between two boulders. 'At this point the heavens opened,' Mr Weaver said. 'At this time the water was flowing like a small river.' Mr Weaver said he was helping the hikers through the bottleneck and he gestured to Ms Thompson if she was 'OK' and she replied yes but with a 'nervous smile'. He then heard someone shout, ' Water!' 'Seconds later a massive wall of water came down the gorge,' Mr Weaver said. 'The water appeared to come from nowhere. The sound was incredibly loud, people were screaming.' Mr Weaver said he could see one of the group had managed to grab on to a rock while one of the Spanish nationals had been swept into the torrent and was being carried away. His own partner managed to get out of the water and after a few minutes others emerged from the deluge, but Mr Weaver said the noise of the water was too loud to communicate with each other. 'I was shouting and screaming for the others. I could see no-one,' Mr Weaver said. Ms Thompson had been seen being swept away along with her partner, who had tried to help but the current had taken him too, the inquest heard. Later the survivors were airlifted out of the gorge by helicopter, suffering only minor injuries. Mr Weaver added: 'Everyone who survived that day is incredibly lucky, especially those who got caught in the water. 'I have never experienced anything like this and it is something I will never forget.' Post-mortem examinations gave the cause of death as drowning for both the deceased. Jyoti Gill, assistant coroner for Manchester South, recorded a verdict of accidental death caused by drowning for both Ms Thompson and Mr Barrett, whose legal name was Alexander Johnson, but was known by the name Alex Barrett. Ms Gill said the storm had caused flash flooding, sending a large torrent of water down the canyon. 'It appears water dragged Sarah, and Alex had tried to help her,' Ms Gill concluded. 'Sadly, both Sarah and Alex were unable to climb to safety and were swept away by the floodwaters,' she added.
Telegraph
4 hours ago
- Telegraph
I went to Ibiza with my autistic son to try out TUI's new sensory room. Here's what we thought
The plane touched down on the white isle on a dark Friday evening, and the passengers let out a loud cheer. It was after 11pm, and most of them – including the girls in curlers and false eyelashes sitting in front of us – were getting ready to go clubbing. My 13-year-old son Eddie and I, on the other hand, had rather a different sort of holiday in mind: we had flown to Ibiza to try out the new sensory room at the TUI BLUE Aura Resort in San Antonio. Let me explain. In 2019, Eddie was diagnosed with autism, sensory processing disorder (SPD) and demand avoidance (a condition that makes him overwhelmed when confronted with demands). We have been on something of a learning curve since then, and – along with our other two children, who are not on the spectrum – we have tried to adapt our holidays to accommodate Eddie's additional needs. This generally means planning ahead carefully so that Eddie knows what to expect, making sure we don't over-schedule and showing and talking him through any trips we have planned well in advance. It often affects our choice of destination, too. Happily, increasing numbers of travel companies and organisations – including Center Parcs and LEGOLAND – now provide sensory rooms for neurodivergent guests, or those who are particularly sensitive to noise and overstimulation. So, too, do a number of airports, including Bristol, Birmingham, Gatwick and Heathrow. These rooms typically feature soft lighting, interactive sensory equipment and a quiet space, and can be a vital resource – particularly for families travelling with neurodivergent children. However, no hotels offered such a feature – until earlier this April, when TUI BLUE (the TUI Group's 'personalised-service and experience oriented' hotel brand) opened the very first at its Nausicaa Beach property in Larnaca, Cyprus. This was closely followed, in May, by the opening of a second sensory room, at its sister hotel in Ibiza. I found myself curious and immediately arranged to visit, keen to see whether the new rooms were really the game-changing offerings they claimed to be. First impressions were promising: before our trip, the hotel manager kindly sent us a video of the resort and the room we would be staying in. We were also given the option to book TUI's assisted travel at the airport (which we did), meaning that at both Birmingham and Ibiza airports, we are assigned someone to help take us through security and passport control (Eddie always wearing his Sunflower Lanyard, which indicates an invisible disability). By the time we arrived at the hotel, it was after midnight, and we were glad of the kindly receptionist who met us and arranged for us to be shown to our room by a porter. It was on our way to breakfast the next morning that we spotted the sensory room – hard to miss, as it was right next to the main area and kids club in the centre of the resort; an admittedly odd choice for a space designed (in conjunction with Perfectly Autistic, a neurodiversity consultancy) to provide a calm, soothing and low-stimulation environment for frazzled guests. Undaunted, we headed straight to reception to pick up the room's key and gingerly let ourselves in. We were immediately struck by how dark it was – though agreed the low lighting was probably intentional – and it was a few moments before our eyes had adjusted sufficiently to take in the large, open space. Eddie was immediately captivated by the fishtank-like tube in the corner studded with glowing lights (though would admit only that it was 'pretty cool', and that he would have enjoyed it more when he was younger), as well as by the sparkly glitter boards, where he could draw or write his name, and the large balls which you could sit and roll around on. There were also bean bags and mats for families to sit on, and a few children's books – including ones from the 'That's Not My…' series – as well as puzzles, a clock and a writing board. Eddie was a little old for the playhouse in the corner (though he did remark he'd have liked that too, when he was younger), and for the interactive sensory equipment, but overall the atmosphere was cosy yet calm. In addition to the new sensory rooms, TUI says they have given all the frontline TUI BLUE Aura staff enhanced neurodiversity awareness training. And yet, when I casually asked one of the reps what sort of neuroinclusivity training he'd had, he told me there was a very short session (around 10 minutes) on how important it is to give neurodiverse people space and to remain calm. And that was it. He helpfully offered to show me the company intranet policy on neurodiversity, and we noted that there were a number of courses on offer – just none that he'd been made aware of. I suggested better training should, perhaps, be something for the brand to work on, and said he would ask about the other courses. That said, the hotel itself was, on the whole, well set up for neurodiverse guests. Though Eddie was too old for the kids' club (which accepts ages three to 12), he enjoyed making use of the newly introduced 'Now and Next' boards – a resource they also have at Eddie's specialist school, which helps children to be clear about what's coming next. The clubs have also introduced communication cards, so that children can clearly express their wants and needs. The staff were all excellent, too – warm and friendly, particularly the gentleman who ran the main snack bar, who Eddie took a shine to – and despite the fact that it was the school holidays, it never felt overcrowded, and a choice of pools meant we were able to head to a quieter option when the main area got too noisy. So successful was the atmosphere the hotel had created, that by the end of our week, we both felt rested and relaxed. On our last night, I decided to put our holiday to the ultimate test, booking dinner at the hotel's Japanese restaurant – a gamble, as Eddie had got into the routine of eating at the main hotel restaurant. But I needn't have worried. As soon as we arrived, we spotted the kind manager from the snack bar, who gave Eddie a friendly pat, and from then on – through the fantastic fire display, the sushi buffet and all the cooking – the whole evening was a big hit. We left Ibiza on a high, Eddie gushing about the doughnuts for breakfast, the water park and the pool. The sensory room seemed not to have made a big impression on him, though I suspected just knowing it was there had helped more than either of us realised. And after all, even a small step in the right direction is a step – and for families holidaying with neurodivergent children, every step makes a world of difference. Essentials
Telegraph
4 hours ago
- Telegraph
Skip the plane food and other ways to look after your gut on holiday
I always look forward to my trips to Spain – not for grand restaurant meals, but for the simple pleasures of local ingredients that put their dull British counterparts to shame. Often it's the most basic, affordable foods that bring the greatest joy. The first thing I seek out is proper tomatoes, which taste like a completely different fruit, and nothing at all like the bland versions back home. I made a salad with spring onions, local extra virgin olive oil, balsamic vinegar and fresh basil. The local anchovies are fantastic, and I'll have some served as tapas on some fresh bread soaked in tomatoes and olive oil. In summer, the peaches and nectarines are amazing, and I keep a large bowl on the table. Holidays are rightly seen as a time where we can relax and indulge in good food and drink. However, over recent years as I've become more immersed in how what we're eating affects our health, I've come to realise that there are still ways we can indulge that also look after our health. You can absolutely still enjoy wonderful food, and look after your gut. Travel, especially long flights, can quickly disrupt your digestive system. Dehydration, changes in routine, alcohol or sugary drinks, and unfamiliar foods can all upset your gut microbes, who are just as sensitive to change as you are. This might mean constipation, bloating, or sudden digestive upsets – even in the absence of any infection. Here are my simple tips on how to look after your gut while still making the most of your well-earned break. Bring travel snacks – and never eat on the plane Even on long haul flights to the US, I'll never eat a meal on the plane. Airline meals are usually mass-produced, over-processed, overpriced and not remotely gut-friendly. Worse still, eating at 35,000 ft can confuse your internal body clock – your gut microbes have circadian rhythms too – and eating out of sync can disrupt your digestion and sleep. Hold off until you land and eat a proper meal on solid ground. For most of us flying to European destinations this summer, the flight will be less than three hours, so there's no reason to accept the biscuits or pretzels either. These snacks are designed to make you thirsty, encouraging you to spend more on drinks. They're low in fibre, full of sugar and salt and are highly processed, and eating them will signal to your immune system that something's wrong – leading to fatigue, inflammation, and hunger pangs soon after. Instead, have a well-balanced meal before leaving home, so you're not at the mercy of what's available on your journey – the food you'll come across at service stations, in the airport and on your flight will be lousy. To avoid being tempted, I try to always bring a bag of mixed nuts and seeds (or a sachet of Zoe daily 30+ mix), the more variety of plants and the fresher the better, usually in at least a 50g bag or a jar, and bigger if I'm sharing with the family. If you forget, you can often pick up nuts at the airport. I think of nuts as a treat and look forward to eating them, knowing they are high in protein, healthy fats and also high in polyphenols and fibre for my gut microbes. Dodge the hotel breakfast trap Some of the worst dietary decisions you'll make on holiday happen first thing in the morning. Hotel breakfasts can be a minefield of heavily processed choices: white bread, pastries, jams, sugary cereals and fruit juices masquerading as healthy options. It's a sugar overload that leaves you crashing by mid-morning, more tired and more likely to overeat later in the day. Then there's the cooked breakfasts loaded with processed meats like bacon and sausages, full of unwanted unhealthy chemicals and additives that will irritate your gut microbes. My advice is to avoid all of these options. For the healthiest start to the day, fill a bowl with an unflavoured yogurt and top with any fruit, nuts and seeds that are available. Also put some of the local cheeses on your plate for some extra protein. These are all gut-friendly foods adding polyphenols or natural probiotics in the fermented foods that have been shown to improve your immune health. Don't assume this option will be boring or that it won't fill you up. The local fresh food will be delicious and healthy – reframe it as a proper treat you don't get to enjoy at any other time of the year. When I'm in Spain, I particularly look forward to eating the local goat's cheese on a pan con tomate or a slice of bread covered in olive oil and squeezed tomatoes. If there aren't many fruits or nuts available, seek out a good supermarket on the first day and stock up, so you can add your own healthy toppings to your yogurt the next day. Get your fibre fix – and enjoy some diversity When you find a nice restaurant for lunch or dinner, the salad and vegetable options can sound dreadfully boring on the menu. However, while the translation may just be 'boiled vegetables', these will often be a fantastic mix of local vegetables with a delicious dressing. I try to find fried artichokes, charcoal grilled aubergines and large flat green beans fried in garlic. Try to get some diversity into your diet by enjoying these vegetables that you wouldn't normally include in your meals back home. The more different plants you eat the more diverse your gut microbiome is supporting many different species. With Zoe, we have worked out that around 30 per week is optimal. Holidays in the Mediterranean also provide a great opportunity to try local fish. My favourite are fresh barbecued sardines which are great in Spain and Portugal. Bear in mind that many prawns and calamari on menus in Europe are likely to be imported from Asia and frozen, rather than being local and fresh. Try orange wines – and stay hydrated It's easy to overdo it on alcohol on holiday, but if you are going to drink then red wine is always a good option as it's high in polyphenols. But if red wine isn't your thing, it's worth trying local orange wines, which contain more polyphenols than their white counterparts. Polyphenols are essentially fuel for your gut microbes. While going about your day, remember to always carry water with you to keep hydrated. I don't bother in the UK, but it's really important in the heat. I carry my reusable water bottle with me when travelling, which I can fill up at airports now. Dehydration can make you easily constipated and your gut sluggish. Passing urine less often than usual, having dark urine or being constipated are all signs you need to be drinking more. For non-alcoholic options that aren't water, you'll be better off with a non-alcoholic beer than a sugary soda, like Coca-Cola or Fanta, or enjoy some fizzy mineral waters that have some taste, like the San Pellegrino in Italy or Vichy Catalan in Spain. Remember to eat fermented food Whatever damage you do to your gut by overindulging in food and alcohol on holiday, fermented food can help to counterbalance this. Fermented foods, if eaten daily, help protect your gut lining and reduce gut and body inflammation. Just three small portions a day can make a meaningful difference. One way to get them into your day is to enjoy fresh, local cheeses, many of which are naturally fermented and rich in beneficial microbes. I also always pick up some kefir (a fermented milk drink) from a local supermarket and add it to my breakfast each morning throughout my holiday. If I'm going somewhere like the US, where fresh fermented foods are harder to come by, I take no chances: I'll take a sachet of dried kefir grains and add milk to it on the first day, effectively making my own kefir. It will last me the holiday and is a guaranteed way of keeping your microbes happy – even in the most processed of food environments. Don't forget to move It's easy to slip out of your exercise routine when you're on holiday, but staying active is one of the best things you can do for your gut. Regular exercise prevents constipation, reduces bloating and even has a modest but meaningful impact on the diversity of your gut microbiome. Think about what you can do in the local area – climb the steps at the tourist attraction and make the most of sunny mornings and late evenings by going for a walk. Don't get stressed about it, but don't completely abandon your step count – I aim for at least 10,000 steps a day even when on holiday. Don't worry about holiday weight gain Your holiday won't damage your gut health irreparably, but you can get it back on track by getting back into a healthy routine when you're back home. Resuming your regular meal times and including enough fibre at each meal will help. I also find it helpful to try time-restricted eating, delaying breakfast until 11 am and not eating after 9 pm, to give my gut a break – but that's not as easy in the Med. Almost everyone puts on weight while on holiday – I often gain 2kg – but it should return to normal within two weeks without too much stress. While these tips can keep your gut in good shape while on holiday, don't be too obsessed about your health while on your break. Relax, de-stress and savour the local food, your gut – and your whole body – will thank you for it. Bon Voyage!
