Latest news with #canopy
The Sun
2 days ago
- Lifestyle
- The Sun
Aldi's £44 middle aisle buy is perfect for garden parties this summer – and it's cheaper than Lidl version
ALDI shoppers can pick up the perfect item to elevate their garden get togethers this summer. The £44 buy will impress your guests while keeping them shielded from the scorching sun. This affordable garden addition will make the heat of long summer days all the more bearable. Whether you're hosting barbecues or enjoying some time out of the sun, this Aldi buy may just be the ultimate summer item. The Belavi Instant Canopy, £44.99, will hit the Specialbuy section on Thursday, July 3. Product details It can add instant shade to your space while giving you privacy from your neighbours. Fully water-resistant, the canopy also features a sturdy steel frame, making it ideal for various weather conditions. You don't have to be a DIY expert to set this up, as the product description guarantees it is "easy to assemble". In fact, manufacturers say that the canopy is designed for a "one person set up in under three minutes". And if you're stuck for space in a cramped garden, don't worry because this buy "folds up for convenient storage". It even includes a carrying case with wheels for guaranteed "easy transport". The budget-friendly Aldi canopy measures three metres by three metres. The exact date Aldi's sell out wooden garden day bed returns to stores Lidl version A similar buy is available from the Lidl middle aisle, but at a slightly higher price. The Livarno Home Folding Gazebo can be picked up for £89.99 from Sunday, July 6. And if you're a Lidl Plus member, you can nab it for 22% off, at just £69.99. While this item is similar in size to the Aldi buy, it does include additional features which may validate the higher price. These include two side panels, one with a window, which can be attached with a practical hook, as well as loop fasteners for privacy. More Aldi middle aisle buys IF it's middle aisle buys that you're looking here, some of the new items you won't want to miss. Shoppers recently went wild for Aldi's new 'pregnancy and menopause essential' - and it's only £6.99. Garden enthusiasts raced to nab a £6.99 buy that will add style to any garden in an instant. A £12.99 garden find left shoppers open-mouthed - but you'll need to sprint to nab it. If you're looking to light up your garden this summer, you won't want to miss this £8.99 solar light. Lidl shoppers have the option to set it up as a semi-open gazebo or a sun shade. And you can transition your summer party into an evening event, with hooks to hang outdoor lamps or strings of lights. Similar to the Aldi buy, it is also designed for an easy assembly, with no tools required. As well as an unfolding mechanism, the product features extendable legs for easy height adjustmnet. There are also four ropes and eight pegs for securing the canopy to the ground, as well as heat and wind-dissipating ventilation. According to manufacturers, this structure is made from water-repellent and UV-resistant material. It also comes with a shoulder strap storage bag and has a three-year warranty. The hook load capacity is 2.5 kilograms while the canopy measures 300 centimetres by 300 centimetres. Other Aldi summer buys Plus, a full list of the Aldi garden buys hitting the middle aisle this week. And another Aldi buy will give your garden privacy for just £19 this summer. Another garden decor item will transform your outdoor space for just £25. Plus, a £10 buy that's perfect for both gardens and festivals this summer. 4
The Guardian
20-06-2025
- Science
- The Guardian
Country diary: What has the head of an ant, eyes of a housefly and legs of a spider?
I was standing on the verge beneath an oak tree when an insect dropped on to my bare arm. At first glance I thought it was a lacewing, but on closer inspection, something about it didn't look quite right. A quick Google search revealed it was an oak snakefly (Phaeostigma notata), a bizarre insect you've probably never heard of. They are rarely encountered and under-recorded, not because they're endangered, but because they're arboreal and tend to stay hidden high in the canopy, or tucked away in bark cracks and crevices. But wind or heavy rain, like the gusty downpour we'd had that morning, can send them to lower levels. It looked like a composite of insect body parts – a broad, flattened ant's head, a housefly's large compound eyes, spidery legs and damselfly-like wings with intricate venation. The presence of a formidable-looking long, needle‑like ovipositor indicated that this individual was female. Most unique was her elongated neck-like pronotum, which, when she reared up at the approach of my finger, gave her the appearance of a cobra poised to strike. It's this distinctive feature that gives these fantastical creatures their colloquial name. Snakeflies aren't flies (Diptera). They're related to the lacewings and antlions (Neuroptera), but are classified in a separate relictual order, Raphidioptera. They're considered living fossils, as they closely resemble species from the early Jurassic period, about 140m years ago. There are about 260 extant snakefly species worldwide, all found in temperate regions of the northern hemisphere, but only four have been recorded in the UK. Their strong mandibles seem at odds with a diet of soft-bodied prey, but they are voracious predators of aphids, mites and other small arthropods, their flexible pronotum enabling them to pursue prey into tight nooks and crannies. A recent stretch of warm weather, combined with high humidity, extended daylight hours and an abundance of succulent new growth, has created ideal conditions for an aphid population boom. Many trees in the locality have curled, distorted foliage – a telltale sign that sap-suckers have been piercing the leaf cuticle. But the oak was virtually unblemished, suggesting that the snakeflies are helping keep this damage in check. Under the Changing Skies: The Best of the Guardian's Country Diary, 2018-2024 is published by Guardian Faber; order at and get a 15% discount
BBC News
19-05-2025
- General
- BBC News
New canopy replaces bandstand in Loughborough park
A large new multi-use canopy has been opened in a park in structure has been placed in Southfields Park and has replaced its existing, smaller Borough Council said the canopy would offer shelter to park visitors and be used to host outdoor design includes a central structure along with further covered canopies surrounding its perimeter. The canopy is one of 11 projects intended to improve the area as part of the Loughborough Town Deal initiative, which is backed by £16.9m of government cash. Council cabinet member Jennifer Tillotson said: "The new structure brings a huge improvement to the park and the surrounding area. "It will make the open space more accessible for visitors and will mean more varied events will be able to take place."Loughborough Town Deal chairman Martin Traynor said: "It is important that the Town Deal continues to invest in parks, open spaces and the town centre in Loughborough to attract more visitors, and footfall and this is another example of that."
