'Pretty and useful' garden storage bench now on sale
Households on the hunt for the perfect garden storage solution that also doubles up as a stylish seat will want to check out the Outsunny 2 Seater Wood Garden Storage Bench. Shopping marketplace Yimbly (owned by the Mirror's parent company Reach Plc) is selling the 'pretty and useful' bench for the cheapest price around, but that's not all, as our readers can add it to their outdoor space for even less.
The bench can conveniently store gardening tools, cushions, kids' toys and more, and is the perfect spot for basking in the morning sun with a cuppa or a good book. This comfy, high-backed bench costs £119.99 at Yimbly, beating rivals such as Robert Dyas' sale price of £124.99 and B&Q's cost of £132.29.
The Mirror's readers can get the Outsunny 2 Seater Wood Garden Storage Bench for even less, as Yimbly is offering a 10% discount across its website with the special discount code SUMMERDAYS10. This brings the cost of the bench down to £107.99.
Built robustly from poplar wood and finished with a varnish coat, the Outsunny bench laughs in the face of British weather, promising to stand its ground come rain or shine. As reported by the Express, Argos is selling a similar Keter Eden Bench 265L Outdoor Garden Storage Box for £125 that has a durable wooden facade.
Meanwhile, Dunelm's chic Florenity Galaxy Garden Storage Bench costs £339. This option is crafted from Eucalyptus wood, although it doesn't have a backrest.
Only one Yimbly customer has so far reviewed the Outsunny bench, awarding it top marks. They said: "This looks really good at the top of my garden. Great quality and price."
Over on the Robert Dyas website, shoppers have been sharing their thoughts on the same bench. One satisfied customer remarked: "Perfect and exactly what we needed to sit on our veranda/deck. Ideal to store our outdoor cushions in too."
A different buyer gave the Outsunny Storage Bench a four-star rating, stating: "Good-looking, lovely bench... Pretty, lightweight and very useful."
However, they went on to note a few negatives: "Definitely needed a couple of people to help put it together, as it was a bit tricky. The reason for only four stars is that the seat panel has now warped and the joints are coming apart. Also the wrong amount of wooden plugs and a bent hinge."
Meanwhile, another purchaser couldn't be happier, saying: "Good quality seating and storage unit. Makes a really nice change from all the plastic products available."
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Scottish Sun
7 hours ago
- Scottish Sun
Our corner of UK used to be thriving hotspot – now it's a rat-ridden unrecognisable dump that's on brink of exploding
Locals claim that the way of life has changed 'to the extreme' END OF DAYS Our corner of UK used to be thriving hotspot – now it's a rat-ridden unrecognisable dump that's on brink of exploding Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) A PROUD East End suburb that used to be a thriving hot spot, is now a rat-ridden dump, locals have told The Sun. Residents in Bethnal Green have described the streets as "unrecognisable", claiming the tight-knit community has disappeared from their doorsteps in recent years - but there's much debate if a notorious former resident is to blame. 18 Locals are clear on one thing - the famous soul of the area has gone Credit: Chris Eades 18 Serif Farmer, who runs Solis Launderette, explained that money was the only thing stopping her from leaving Credit: Chris Eades 18 Locals have described the once-thriving suburb as 'unrecognisable' Credit: Chris Eades Business owners are disgusted to see piles of rubbish lining Bethnal Green Road - the heartbeat of the east London suburb - and areas behind their shops. Serif Farmer, who runs Solis Launderette, explained that money was the only thing stopping her from leaving. She said: "I've worked here for 32 years and it's gone downhill. 100%. 'If I had money I would move out tomorrow, preferably abroad. Bethnal Green is just not a beautiful place anymore. If I had money I would move out tomorrow. Bethnal Green is not a beautiful place anymore Serif Farmer, launderette manager "It used to be so clean and spotless but now it's just a dump. "If you go out the back [of the shop] it's just terrible out there. "It's just all cardboard boxes on the floor and it is just rat-ridden out there. "I'm surprised shop owners haven't been done for it. "I'm not saying the people are horrible, but the place has gone downhill. It's just changed so much." According to a 2021 report, Tower Hamlets Council has been forced to slash more than £200 million since 2010. ISIS bride Shamima Begum LOSES battle for British citizenship and must stay in Syria for now It blamed the huge cuts on Government austerity and "increasing demand" in the area, with the council pointing to the ongoing impact of Covid. The report also referenced the Tower Hamlets Poverty Review, which found that, in a typical classroom of 30 children, 17 were living below the poverty line. It added that 44% of elderly people were living in low-income households. Serif, 63, went on to say that community spirit in Bethnal Green had "died out". She added: 'My mum came from Cyprus, she taught herself how to speak and read English when she moved here. 'She integrated with everybody, with the locals, and my dad did too. 'It was such a great area and everybody mixed, all different nationalities. We all got on and the atmosphere was brilliant. 'When me and my brother first came here, the whole community was close and we all spoke with each other. 18 Serif, 63, went on to say that community spirit in Bethnal Green had 'died out' Credit: Chris Eades 18 Yakup Ozkurt is looking to sell his 51-year-old kebab shop Credit: Chris Eades 18 Barmaid Enora Birec claimed the town was more 'closed off' Credit: Steve Bell "We used to have celebrations with everyone sitting out on the streets, but now everyone is depressed. 'It's not safe like it used to be where they used to get the police round and you recognised faces on the high street. 'There's more crime, more phone snatching, things like that." 'It's not a community like it was years ago." "People drive around with flags in their cars and are very vocal in their support. 'You never used to be worried walking down an East End street. 'It's always been rough and ready around here - it's famous for it - but there was a community here. 'Locals are scared and the East End is gone. It's only going from bad to worse.' The regulars also fumed that "bread and butter" locals had disappeared from Bethnal Green. They added: "It's supposed to be the East End of London. 'In general, before you used to be able to walk down the street and say hello to everyone, we all knew each other. 'But nowadays the community just isn't there. In terms of your locals, your bread and butter of the community, they're gone. "It's gone. It's not how it used to be." Shamima Begum Further down the high street, punters at The Marquis of Cornwallis pub told how former resident Shamima Begum's decision to join ISIS had caused more scepticism in the area. Begum - who fled the country in February 2015 - continues to divide opinion across the London borough where she once resided. But locals are clear on one thing - the famous soul of the area has gone. They claim that the way of life in Bethnal Green has changed "to the extreme" since Begum left the UK at the age of 15. She was joined by two pals - Amira Abase and Kadiza Sultana - as they flew from Gatwick Airport to Turkey after lying to their parents. Begum, who was born in the UK to parents of Bangladeshi heritage, married an Islamic State fighter soon after arriving. Her British citizenship was stripped on national security grounds in 2019 and she now lives in the armed-guard controlled Al-Roj refugee camp in Northern Syria. 18 ISIS bride Shamima Begum left the UK in 2015 Credit: BBC 18 Begum with pals Amira Abase and Kadiza Sultana as they passed through Gatwick airport Credit: PA 18 The former Bethnal Green schoolgirl is now in a refugee camp in northern Syria Credit: Times Media Ltd One pub punter told The Sun: 'In terms of Shamima Begum, it's quite hard to say. 'In general, I think people started looking at their neighbours - especially when she first left - and thinking twice about them. 'It's just human nature to be suspicious like that. The community is now very divided. It's a huge shame really. 'What has made things worse recently as well is the Israel and Palestine war. That has the potential to explode in this area." People started looking at their neighbours, especially when Shamima first left, and thinking twice about them Punter at The Marquis of Cornwallis pub Enora Birec, 26, barmaid at The Kings Arms added: 'I go up and down this high street twice a day. It is a very diverse place. 'I do think in general it is slightly more closed off than it was. 'I have a Bangladeshi friend who told me that the community was being pushed away from the area. "She (Begum) was in a building that was being knocked down in the Bethnal Green area. 'But the Bangladeshi community is quite strong here, I think they are very settled.' According to a Government report released in 2014, the largest ethnic groups in the Bethnal Green area were White British (37%) and Bangladeshi (32%). More than a third of the residents in the east London town were Muslim, with 25.8% Christian and 21.9% not belonging to any religion. Local businesses are suffering Yakup Ozkurt, who owns the 51-year-old White Horse Kebab House, admitted that he had taken the tough decision to sell the business. Pointing to Bethnal Green's "unrecognisable" community, the 56-year-old said: "It was a good area. But for me, it is finished. 'I've been living here for 27 years. The first time I came to Bethnal Green, it was predominantly English people. "In the last ten years in this area, lots of that core population has left. 'People would say hello, good morning to you. Lots of people were close and got on. "But now, people are never smiling. The community is not very close, no one talks to anyone. This shop is 51 years old, but I'm selling up now because this area is finished Yakup Ozkurt, local kebab shop owner 'Before they had loads of pubs but they're all closed or closing. 'This shop is 51 years old, but I'm selling it now because this area is finished." Resident Mohamed Miah suggested the borough had become "unrecognisable" in recent years. The 40-year-old, who runs the local taxi office, said: 'Bethnal Green, I was born and raised here. It's not like the old East End anymore. 'From when I was growing up to now, it's not recognisable anymore. 'This is the oldest cab office in Bethnal Green - our customers have moved out from here. 'There's a lot of drunken behaviour and people doing balloons, driving up and down in their cars all night. 'There's more CCTV on the road, so in that sense they are doing well. 'But everything has changed here man, it's not like the old school.' 18 Mohamed Miah said the area had become 'unrecognisable' Credit: Chris Eades 18 Some shops have been forced to shut along the high street Credit: Chris Eades 18 Market stall trader Aissa Derouiche told how tourists were rarely seen in the area Credit: Steve Bell Staff members at Trotters Jewellers, which has been on the high street for 35 years, added that the face of the high street had changed "to the extreme". They explained: "It's changed to the extreme, it's not like the old East End anymore. 'We're one of the most established businesses, but also one of the lasting few. "Of course, it's changed totally. It's not thriving at all and everything is stacked against you. It's changed to the extreme. It's not like the old East End anymore. Staff at Trotters Jewellers "Having a business here is a lot harder than it was 10 years ago for sure. 'We have shops in Liverpool Street and Hatton Garden, but we've noticed such a change, especially here. Not for the good.' Market stall trader Aissa Derouiche, told how tourists were no longer flocking to Bethnal Green, despite it being located just minutes from the popular Brick Lane area. The 55-year-old, who has worked on the street for 17 years, fumed: 'Everything has changed. "Some people left and businesses have suffered. Shops have closed and the place has changed for the worse. 'The community is close, but it has grown apart in recent years because people have left. 'Tourists have stopped coming to Bethnal Green in the last ten years which has had a huge impact on my business." Shamima Begum's fight to regain UK citizenship She married an Islamic State fighter soon after arriving in 2015 and went on to have three children. Her UK citizenship was stripped on national security grounds in 2019. In February 2020, a tribunal ruled that removing Ms Begum's citizenship was lawful because she was "a citizen of Bangladesh by descent". In 2021, the Supreme Court ruled that Ms Begum could not return to the UK to appeal the decision to remove her citizenship. Her lawyers challenged the removal of her citizenship at the Special Immigration Appeals Commission two years later. The commission agreed that there was a credible suspicion that Begum was a victim of trafficking and sexual exploitation, but it ruled this did not stand in the way of stripping her of British citizenship. That decision was upheld at the Court of Appeal in February 2024. Earlier this year, she lost an initial bid to take the case to the Supreme Court. Begum remains in a camp controlled by armed guards in northern Syria. Society has moved on since Shamima However, some locals claimed that Begum's name was no longer commonly heard around the area. Mohammed Ahmed, who works at his father's shop Continental Grocers, slammed the government's decision to strip her of her British citizenship. He said: "She is not a big deal around here anymore. 'Look, she fled to Syria. She was very young at the time. 'I think the decision to strip her of her citizenship was wrong. It's worse now because she has kids I wouldn't say I miss her. I am only missing out on a customer because she's not here Shop worker Mohammed Ahmed 'It's not the case that it's embarrassing for the community, but it doesn't ever get brought up. 'I wouldn't say I miss her. I didn't know her. 'I am only missing out on a customer because she's not here." Bangladeshi nationals Sharif Sarker and Chunki Akter hailed the east London town as a "home from home". The couple, who moved to Bethnal Green two years ago, explained that living there had made following their traditions easier. 18 Some locals claim that Begum's name is no longer commonly heard in the area Credit: PA 18 Sharif Sarker and girlfriend Chunki Akter hailed Bethnal Green as a 'home from home' Credit: Steve Bell 18 Cab driver Reg Singh was four years old when he moved to Bethnal Green from India Credit: Chris Eades Chunki said: "To be honest, we are not a very strong part of the community. "We have only been here for two years and don't really know who the community leaders are. 'We moved from Bangladesh in 2023. We came here because there is a strong Bangladeshi group here. 'But Bethnal Green is mostly Bengali and it really helps us as we try to follow our traditions, especially with food. 'I used to live in Barking but it was a pain to go shopping. 'Everything I used to eat in Bangladesh, I can get it here. It's easy. 'We feel at home here, we can speak our language and buy our food here.' Cab driver Reg Singh was four years old when he moved to Bethnal Green from India. The 71-year-old added: "It was a different scene then. 'It was a neighbourhood, people knew one another and it was a community we had here. It was wonderful. The East End way of life has changed because whatever community comes in, they bring their own way of life Black cab driver Reg Singh 'Over the past few years there have been big changes. 'It's changed because there's a different community in the area. "There's a more predominantly Bangladeshi and Muslim community. 'The East End way of life has changed because whatever community comes in, they bring their own way of life. 'I'm not saying it's a bad thing, I think it's good. That's just how it is.' 18 Residents have fumed at 'huge changes' in the area since Begum left Credit: Not known, clear with picture desk 18 Local businesses are under threat and face closing up for good Credit: Chris Eades
The Herald Scotland
8 hours ago
- The Herald Scotland
Politicians should leave cautious savers and ISAs alone
Showing a talent for U-turns that would shame Torvill and Dean, this is an administration that doesn't have a clue about how to govern or balance the books. Thanks to a disastrous week at Westminster, the cost of welfare, far from being reduced, will now be even higher. So how is the Chancellor going to fill the yawning financial hole that has opened up beneath the country's feet? Doubtless there will be a smorgasbord of unpalatable solutions, among them higher taxation and spending cuts. Thus, within 12 months of coming to power, a party already struggling for authority and respect appears doomed to losing the confidence of a large swathe of the electorate. Read more Rosemary Goring: While Rachel Reeves considers how to approach the autumn budget – I'd bet splitting the atom was easier – one option, mooted even before MPs voted on the welfare reform bill, is to reduce the £20,000 limit on cash ISAs. Some will recall that the Chancellor was making noises about taking this step earlier in the year, but appears to have been dissuaded after listening to advice from building societies and consumer groups. Well done to those canny millions who, in response, took out £14 billion-worth of cash ISAs at the start of the new tax year in April, the highest number since they first appeared in 1999. Shouldn't that tell the government something? Clearly, it isn't in the mood to listen. Assuming she is still in post, it is widely predicted that in her Mansion House speech on July 15, Reeves will be coming for cautious savers with renewed determination. That this is a government agenda, not merely a pet project, is evident. It's safe to assume that whoever is in charge of the Treasury will press for the same reform. Should speculation prove correct, the people in the government's sights are mainly those approaching or in retirement: prudent life-time savers who want to secure their hard-earned money in a tax-free account. They might not be the backbone of British banking, and they are certainly not adventurous. What they are is predictable and numerous, preferring to tuck their cash safely away, confident that the interest rate promised on opening their account will be delivered when it matures. As yet, nobody knows what level of cash ISA limit the Chancellor will opt for, although some believe it could be as low as £4000. Such a reduction is intended to encourage the risk-averse, such as me, to invest instead in stocks and shares. In theory, these offer greater returns over the long-term, while also boosting the British economy. The theory is fine for those versed in the money markets, who have nerves of steel as well as youth and a good income on their side. Sadly, many of us with savings we'll one day need to call upon are neither fiscally sophisticated nor able to take a far-sighted perspective that would allow us to weather stock markets wobbles. Donald Trump sent the stock exchange into turmoil with his announcement. (Image: Getty) Early in April, I bumped into a friend in her seventies, who was in rueful mood. Donald Trump's announcement of global trade tariffs had just sent the stock exchange into turmoil. With the stock markets suffering their sharpest drop since 2020, she had watched in horror as her stocks and shares investments plummeted like gannets nose-diving off the Bass Rock. 'I've said goodbye to my holiday in Bermuda,' she grumped. A younger friend also checked on his accounts. 'You didn't look, did you?' his partner asked, when he broke the news of his greatly diminished nest-egg. She had the right idea. With any investment susceptible to the vagaries of the international economy, it's best not to watch its fluctuations. That way lies headaches or cardiac arrest. Read more: Yet, whenever news of market volatility dominates the headlines, and doomsters announce that trillions have been wiped off their value, who wouldn't want to see how much they'd lost overnight? Even if the markets recover, as they did after April's slump, it is impossible to predict when – not if – there'll be another slump. Investing in this way is no different from gambling. Just look at the small print of every stocks and shares product, warning that 'investment value can go up or down and you could get back less than you invest'. For savers who were born without the gung-ho gene, the problem is that confidence in those who run the country is low. We can be pretty sure that, with the NHS in its current state, at some point we'll have to fork out for knee and hip operations ourselves. And that's before considering care requirements in old age! Those with a cushion of money to fall back on are the lucky ones, that goes without saying. Many cash ISA savers, however, are far from wealthy, and have simply been sensibly putting something aside for decades. The truly well-off, by comparison, can not only afford riskier investments, but have accountants to help them avoid paying too much tax on their gains. If there was more faith in the way Britain was governed, and a greater sense of security about what lies ahead, some savers would be spending as well as squirrelling, thereby helping to fill the nation's coffers. But it's been a long time since many of us trusted those in power to run the economy. Instead, we've been in a brace position. I'm not saying that the diminution of cash ISAs counts as a calamity. Nevertheless, by penalising the less well-off but thrifty, Labour is hurting those it should be taking care of. By any calculation, that's not good. Rosemary Goring is a columnist and author of history books and novels. Her latest work is Exile: The Captive Years of Mary, Queen of Scots.
Glasgow Times
11 hours ago
- Glasgow Times
Conservatives will look to amend Government welfare Bill
Kemi Badenoch will pledge that the Tories are 'now the only party committed to serious welfare reform' after Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer shelved plans to restrict eligibility for Pip in the face of a backbench revolt this week. Ministers have warned there will be costs to their backtracking on the plans, as Downing Street and the Treasury will be looking to cover the spending shortfall left by the decision. The Tories will look to lay amendments to the legislation – set to be renamed the Universal Credit Bill – and party leader Mrs Badenoch is due to deliver a speech on welfare on Thursday. Among the amendments the Conservatives will propose is a requirement for eligibility for Pip to be determined by a face-to-face meeting, rather than virtually. As part of the Government's reforms, the Department for Work and Pensions has proposed a new 'severe conditions criteria' for universal credit. Claimants in this category will be entitled to a higher rate of the benefit, and will not be routinely reassessed to receive money. Another of the Conservatives' amendments would prevent somebody from being classed as having a severe condition for the purpose of universal credit only by having anxiety, mild depression, or ADHD. The third amendment would block the increase in universal credit and restrict Pip for some people who are not British citizens. In her welfare speech, Mrs Badenoch is expected to say that the Conservatives are 'the only party that is prepared to take the tough decisions to get spending under control'. 'I have no doubt that, emboldened by their success in forcing Starmer to U-turn last week, Labour's backbench MPs will now be eyeing up more concessions,' she will say. The original welfare proposals had been part of a package that ministers expected would save up to £5 billion a year, and economists are now warning that tax rises are likely to plug the gap left by the concessions to rebels. On Friday, Chancellor Rachel Reeves admitted that the fallout over the Government's welfare Bill had been 'damaging' and did not rule out tax rises in the autumn budget. Health Secretary Wes Streeting, Chancellor Rachel Reeves and Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer at the launch of the Government's 10-year health plan (Jack Hill/The Times/PA) It came after images of the Chancellor crying during Prime Minister's Questions on Wednesday spooked the financial markets and led to questions about her future, although a spokesman said she was upset by a personal matter. In an interview with The Guardian, Ms Reeves said it would be 'irresponsible' to rule out the idea of tax rises and warned 'there are costs to what happened' with the welfare Bill. The Sunday Times reported that the two-child benefit cap could be unlikely to be scrapped – as many Labour backbenchers want – as ministers look to balance the finances.
