Somerset in Pictures: Hot air balloons and new artworks
Float away: To celebrate the launch of a new Somerset festival, five hot air balloons lifted off at sunrise, soaring over the Somerset countryside and Glastonbury Tor. Bruton's Show of Hands will debut over the May Bank Holiday in 2026 at Gilcombe Farm and aims to offer revellers the "the wild, raw energy that festivals used to capture".
What a night: Somerset chased down 230 in the final over to beat Middlesex at the County Ground on Thursday, sparking well-deserved celebrations.
Small but mighty: No.1 Royal Crescent in Bath has been named the best small visitor attraction in the country. The historic house museum and gallery, run by Bath Preservation Trust, achieved the Gold award in the 'Small Visitor Attraction of the Year' category in the VisitEngland Awards for Excellence 2025.
Intricate work: A new wall hanging has gone on display in St John the Baptist church in Axbridge, depicting the town's heritage trail - the idea coming from local woman Margaret Cowie.
Channel challenge: A group of pupils from Taunton Prep School are training to swim the English Channel. The pupils, aged 13, will undertake the swim in August following almost two years of training and will become the eleventh group of swimmers from the School to complete the challenge since 2016.
Miniature Langport: Nine local women have completed a picture map of Langport, painting in miniature every building in the town. It took 20 months and over 1,000 hours to complete the map.
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Times
19 minutes ago
- Times
Fantastic low and no-alcohol fizz
In April I took my 16-year-old stepdaughter south to see the cherry trees bloom. Not so far south — just to Mei Ume, the Japanese restaurant at the Four Seasons Hotel in London. Handcrafted paper cherry blossoms sprouted from the light fixtures in the elegant, high-ceilinged room, with its Chinese and Japanese art on the walls to match the blend of those two countries' cuisines on the menu. For Cherry Blossom Season, the head chef Peter Ho had concocted a series of delicious small plates, matched to cocktails based on Saicho Sparkling Tea. Mine contained Saicho Hojicha (a green tea made smoky by roasting over charcoal), as well as Hennessy XO and Grand Marnier. Nora, being slightly younger, had a mocktail with Saicho Jasmine, green apple puree and vanilla. Mine was good but hers, with the bite of that apple and the perfumed NoLo fizz, was better — and I don't even much like vanilla. • This article contains affiliate links that will earn us revenue This was a revelation. I already knew I liked the Saicho drinks (£17.99, — adding bubbles to the delicate aromas and structured tannins of good tea is a brilliant idea. A recent dinner with the teens involved us all sharing a magnum of Fortnum & Mason's Sparkling Tea (£45, Its lemon-peel and thyme flavours were a great complement to one-pot Basque chicken and, especially, an orange, fennel and radish salad. And pouring a magnum for four is a lot more fun than sharing a bottle between two while the young people dissolve their teeth in sugar-loaded soda pop. I am not giving up alcohol any time soon. But there is, as Maggie Frerejean-Taittinger points out, a pleasure balance. She is the co-creator of French Bloom, one of the best non-alcoholic sparkling wines on the market. She has made canny use of fine chardonnay grapes from Limoux in the Languedoc and of the Champagne expertise available via her husband, Rodolphe Frerejean-Taittinger, who heads Champagne Frerejean Frères. There is even, now, a vintage French Bloom, La Cuvée 2022 (£95, Frerejean-Taittinger has made it her mission to create a sparkling no-alcohol drink from grape juice that is as pleasurable as a champagne. She doesn't think they are quite there yet. 'We hope, in five to seven years, to be able to share a bottle with as much complexity as a wine,' she said at Women in the World of Wine, a conference on the future of wine (alcoholic and otherwise), held last autumn at the sumptuous Royal Champagne & Spa hotel. I'm sure she will get there. But my assumption has always been that for real complexity, alcohol helps. That Saicho experience made me think again. I experimented with a mocktail of my own: a version of one of my favourite cocktails, the kir royale, champagne and crème de cassis. A slug of Jukes 6 — The Dark Red (£43 for 9x30ml bottles, a savoury black-fruit cordial that is part of the Jukes Cordialities range, topped up with French Bloom's Le Rosé. It was lovely, softly floral with just a touch of blackberry acidity. After all, the only necessary beverage is water. Everything else is a luxury, intended to elicit the same sensations of delight as gazing at the ephemeral loveliness of cherry blossom. Pleasure is meant to be temporary. It's the memory that lasts — or at least, it does when the drink is alcohol-free.
The Independent
an hour ago
- The Independent
How to get two theme park visits for the price of one this summer
The cost of summer holiday activities can quickly add up, which is why we're always on the hunt for cost-effective ways to have fun. Case in point: if you're looking for a cheap family day out this summer, we've found a deal that will save on theme park visits. Until Sunday 17 August, when you book a ticket for Alton Towers, Chessington, Legoland Windsor or Thorpe Park, you'll get a ticket for a second visit for free. This doesn't mean visiting the same theme park twice, as it can be used at any of the four parks. In order to qualify, you'll need to pre-book a 'twice the fun' ticket to get your hands on the freebie. You'll then receive a confirmation email with a barcode, which you can use to make your second booking, so keep this handy. The second ticket is valid until Tuesday, 30 September, so there is plenty of time to squeeze in a second visit. It is rare for a free ticket offer to come along, particularly during peak season. Advanced tickets to the theme parks typically start from around £34, so if you're visiting as a family, that's a chunky saving for your second visit. You can book your visit using the links below, or keep reading if you want more inspiration on which of the theme parks to visit this summer. Alton Towers If you've got little thrill-seekers to entertain this summer, Alton Towers is worth a visit. There are nine roller coasters to enjoy, including the Toxicator, which is new for 2025, while younger kids can head to the rides and attractions in CBeebies Land. Alton Towers is located outside of Stoke-on-Trent, so if you're based in the north of England, this is likely to be your nearest major theme park. Chessington World of Adventures There are plenty of adventures for kids of all ages to enjoy at Chessington, with rides inspired by the fantasy board game Jumanji, the tales of the Gruffalo and more. Your ticket also includes a visit to the park's zoo and aquarium, with the chance to see penguins, giraffes, monkeys and zebras. The park is based just outside of London, and there are regular train services running from the capital to Chessington South, which is around a 10-minute walk away. Legoland Windsor There are more than 50 rides and attractions to enjoy at Legoland Windsor. Kids can cool off on a hot day in the splash safari water play park, hop aboard the Lego submarine as part of the deep-sea adventure, get behind the wheel at the Lego driving school and lots more. The theme park is two miles outside of Windsor town centre, with shuttle services available from nearby train stations. Thorpe Park If you or your youngsters can't get enough of roller coasters, a visit to Thorpe Park is a must. The theme park is home to Hyperia, the UK's tallest and fastest rollercoaster, plus five other rides for those that want an adrenaline-filled day out. There are also plenty of rides and play areas for little ones, so the whole family can enjoy the day. The theme park is located in Chertsey, which is about 30 minutes outside of London, with shuttle buses running to the park from nearby train stations.
The Guardian
an hour ago
- The Guardian
Roar to victory: what the papers say about the Lionesses Euro win
On Sunday the Lionesses staked their claim to be considered the greatest English sports team of all time in Basel, battling back from trailing Spain to win a thrilling penalty shootout in the Euros. The UK papers captured the joy across their front pages on Monday. 'Queens of Europe. England make history with Euro 2025 victory,' was front page news at the Guardian. The Mirror dedicated its front and back pages to the win, hailing the 'LionYESes' on the front and the 'Queens of hearts' on the back. Monday's front and back pages are dedicated to the Lionesses - history makers and champions again 🏴 🏆 #TomorrowsPapersToday The Telegraph celebrated 'England's roar of victory' on its front page. The front page of tomorrow's Daily Telegraph:England's roar of victory#TomorrowsPapersToday The i praised the team with the splash: 'Queens of Europe! England are champions again – in incredible show of defiance.' Monday's front page: Queens of Europe! England are champions again - in incredible show of defiance#TomorrowsPapersToday 'Golden girl Chloe fires Lionesses to Euros glory … next, a trip to the Palace,' wrote the Daily Mail on its front page. #TomorrowsPapersTodayDaily Mail: Golden girl Chloe fires Lionesses to Euros glory... next, a trip to the Palace. NOW SHUT MIGRANT PROTEST HOTEL. By Martin Beckford and Isaac more at 'Lionesses win Euros … again! Goalie is hero in thrilling penalty shootout,' was the lead story over at the Sun. After the nerve-racking penalty shootout, the paper celebrated goalie Hannah Hampton, with the headline 'The Hann of God', on its front page. #TomorrowsPapersTodayThe Sun: Lionesses win Goalie is hero in thrilling penalty shootout. THE HANN OF GOD. By ROBIN more at The Metro led with the headline: 'You've done us proud! Lionesses take Euros Final to Penalties – 'You were roarsome!' #TomorrowsPapersTodayMETRO: You've done us proud! Lionesses take Euros Final to Penalties – "You were roarsome!"Read more at Meanwhile the Times said: 'Lionesses rise to penalties drama and bring Euros title home.' #TomorrowsPapersTodayThe Times: Lionesses rise to penalties drama and bring Euros title home. Starmer to press Trump on more at
