Latest news with #glamping
The Sun
8 hours ago
- Lifestyle
- The Sun
Aldi launches £10 garden essential that's perfect for lazing in the sun – and even has carry-on bag for festivals
IF you have any festival trips lined up this summer, Aldi has a bargain buy that is sure to elevate your experience. Your tent is sure to become the camping ground hot spot with this £10 item. Lounge around with your friends and enjoy a budget glamping experience with this unique outdoor essential. The Crane Air Lounger is currently available from the Specialbuy section for just £9.99. And just like pop up tents, this item has revolutionised the camping experience. Don't worry about assembling bulky chairs or lugging around air pumps. You won't need anything extra to set up this "comfy off the floor" seat. Easy set up Simply inflate it by holding the opening and swiftly dragging the lounger back and forth to collect air. Then roll over the opening to trap the air inside and secure with the buckle. When inflated, this lounger measures 150 centimetres, allowing plenty of space to pan out with your friends. And it comes with a carry bag, making it ideal for festivals and camping. Shoppers can choose from either blue or grey with this budget buy. Here's how to do festival looks on a budget - and save the planet Festival essential And with Glastonbury kicking off a summer of festivals, why not elevate your camping experience? Whether or not your campsite is windy, this buy will be easy to set up. And if your lounger is not firm enough, or feels like it is deflating, simply unclip and roll it up a few more times. So if the ground is too wet or muddy, this lounger can help you stay clean and dry. And it can also be easily wiped down before you pack it away for your next outing. Other summer buys Aldi shoppers have been racing to pick up other festival gear from the middle aisle. And a 69p festival essential you can pick up from Home Bargains right now. Of if you prefer to camp in your own garden, this Aldi buy is sure to elevate your night under the stars. The Sun has tried and tested a variety of camping gear so you don't have to. Plus, a breakdown of the best deals for festival gear this summer.
Times
16 hours ago
- Times
I hated camping, but a posh clifftop tent in Fife changed my mind
I don't like camping. The thought of shivering under canvas has filled me with dread ever since struggling to pitch a tent in a howling Kilsyth Hills rainstorm as part of a Duke of Edinburgh gold award scheme. Then I married Claire, who loves camping — a compromise was needed. To the rescue: Catchpenny Safari Lodges, perched on the cliffs between Elie and St Monans, where Alex Nairn and his wife Tara have put the glam into glamping with eight luxurious safari lodges you might expect to find in a five-star African game reserve. With a setting, decor and facilities beyond the wildest dreams of a camping sceptic, Catchpenny's lodges are the Taj Mahal of glamping. They have everything a happy camper could wish for, from fully equipped kitchens to log-burning stoves and fluffy blankets to hot-water bottles. Tara's design flair is evident in stylish hand-crafted furniture and artwork in a large open-plan living room and three bedrooms, including a quirky elevated king-size cabin that our six-year-old claims with delight as a hidey-hole playroom. Throw in big comfy couches, quality bed linen, constant hot water, powerful showers and discreet floor lighting and you have a warm, cosy home from home, powered by small wind turbines and solar panels. All that's missing is a TV — and that's fine with us, especially once our daughter discovers playmates in the lodge next door. For the next week the racket of TV cartoons is replaced by the laughter of children playing hide and seek, which we contentedly observe from a large front deck with a sofa, chairs and barbecue. The camp is perched on a small grassy escarpment directly over the Firth of Forth, with sweeping panoramas from the Isle of May to the Pentland Hills. It's a kaleidoscope of changing weather. In sunshine the Firth sparkles happily like a river of jewels, and on dull days the views become misty and mysterious, as if conjuring images from Greek mythology. And always the endless, soothing sigh of the sea and a profound sense of peace and calm, broken only by a pod of dolphins at one point, leaping and twisting in mid-air close to shore. The lodges stand alone on farmland, so each morning we wake to the lowing of cattle in a harmonious duet with the sea. One night nature joins the chorus with light rain and the soft pitter-patter of raindrops on the canvas roofs. Our stay dissolves into lazy mornings musing on the hurly-burly roundabout of daily life, and the need to step off it more often. Time passes with no pressing need to do anything or to go anywhere. The Fife Coastal Path passes right below our lodge, and there are tidal rock pools just below that offer hours of happy pottering. However, I find myself succumbing to the temptation to sit on the deck with a glass of wine and stare at the sea and do nothing. One day we sample the produce of Bowhouse ( a collective of butchers, bakers and candlestick makers less than one mile up the coast selling everything from jewellery to venison sausages. • Baern at Bowhouse, East Neuk, Fife, review — a serious foodie destination Another highlight — and one to check out if you are here between July 12 and 20 — is Largo Arts Week ( where more than 50 artists display in homes, gardens and public buildings. I leave with a print of a lone yacht sailing on a darkening sea that speaks to me of solitude, peace and freedom. Our final port of call is Cambo gardens ( a magical kingdom of fairyland forests, flowers and fun on a huge coastal estate near Crail that fires children's imaginations with a Lost Elf Village and the biggest, most inventive wooden playpark our wee one has ever seen. • Five of the best walled gardens in Scotland There is a maze of woodland paths and a walled garden ablaze with sweet-smelling roses. Banks of wildflowers by a fast-flowing burn are havens for birds, bees and butterflies and we wander here happily for hours, lulled by wind rustling softly in the trees, water tinkling over rocks and joyful birdsong. It could have been the theme song of our glamping Taj nights' self-catering for six at Catchpenny cost from £425 (
The Sun
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Sun
Inside Glastonbury's poshest campsite where revellers fork out £38k for pool & cocktail bar – but there's a catch
WELCOME to the most bouji campsite at Glastonbury where a top package will cost you a staggering £38,000 - without even a ticket to get in. The Pop-Up hotel is just a 10-minute walk from the festival site but it is a world away from the enormous tent city and infamous long-drop toilets used by the masses. 11 11 11 11 11 While most of the 200,000 music lovers will go without a shower for five days, those who can fork out the price of an average UK salary can even have a swim. The exclusive retreat boasts the Festival's only pool, complete with deck chairs, cocktail bar and gold painted naked Roman statues. Between sets guests luxuriate in a spa with saunas, ice baths, hot tubs with yoga and meditation, and even hook up to a vitamin IV drip. High rollers pay £28,000 for a five night stay in the top Tipi Tenthouse Suites and can be flown there by helicopter from London in just 40 minutes for another £10k. The posh tents, which can sleep up to 10, are held up with thick bamboo columns and come with an ensuite bathroom, sofas, mood lighting, dressing tables and extras including hangover pills, Lavazza coffee machines, hand held fans and electric toothbrushes. Also available are American RVs at £20,000 and Airstreams for £13k. The glamping site is the ultimate in cushiness and the polar opposite of the 'rolling-around-in-the-mud squalor' that many will associate with the biggest music festival on earth. Rivals actor Aidan Turner, Made in Chelsea star Millie Mackintosh, model Daisy Lowe, and actor Steve Coogan, who left a review saying: 'Great atmosphere. Plenty of space to chill out and great food. I will be back.' Fim director Guy Ritchie hired the Pop-Up Hotel for his wedding with stars including Brad Pitt and Jason Statham as guests. Foo Fighters make surprise Glastonbury performance as The Churn Ups Others staying for Glasto include mega rich hedge fund managers, trustafarians and successful business people. It started off small in 2011 as the first luxury glamping accommodation with just 16 bell tents and has expanded every year into the '350 room hotel' it is now. The whole thing takes around four weeks to put up with many of the areas like the reception and restaurant bespoke made. Many of the rooms and bell tents - which start at £3,6990 - have already sold out. And some of the guests arrive on Friday afternoon and go home on Sunday, missing out on two of the nights they have paid for. A source told us: 'The people who stay here have a different level of money.' Managing director, Mark Sorrill, a local boy from Street, Somerset, is unashamedly proud of creating the elite paradise. He said: 'We've evolved to deliver an unparalleled festival experience for our hotel guests during Glastonbury matched with a 5* service found at any international boutique hotel. 'Our creative production team is busy putting their years of experience into delivering the finest immersive experience combining festival vibes with a boutique hotel's comfort; making The Pop-Up Hotel the perfect choice for a Glastonbury adventure to remember.' Guests are ferried around the site on brand new £90k electric Mini Mokes - more often seen on the French Riviera than in a field in Somerset. And for the filthy rich there is a wellness area run by legendary dance DJ Rob DaBank and his wife Josie where they can get clean and chill out. The couple's company Slomo invested in a series of Dutch wood-fired hot tubs where 'festival weary bodies' can float about after a hard night's dancing. And what festival spa complex would be complete without a Wim Hof-style ice bath. Josie, who also runs Camp Bestival with hubby Rob, said: 'It's just what you need to relax if you've been partying hard. 'People want the wellness.' DJ Rob also takes breathing workshops and Renee Stewart, daughter of rocker Rod, teaches yoga. And for the cut above customers there is even a salon 'pamper area' where they can buy festival clothes and get a Glasto glow-up. A 24hr restaurant and bar keeps guests fed and watered while a DJ booth and live music acts provide round the clock entertainment. Fun Loving Criminals Huey Morgan is among musicians putting on private shows at the hotel. For those with deep enough pockets the hotel offers 'the thrill of glamping with all the comfort, service and facilities you'd expect from a luxury boutique hotel' that can cater 'for every whim'. But have you really been to Glastonbury if you haven't camped in with the masses, got covered in mud, and queued for horrific toilets? 'Some people don't want any of that. They just want to go into the Festival site, enjoy the music and then sleep in a comfy bed and have a shower,' a source said. 'And if you've got the money, why not?' 11 11 11 11 11
Daily Mail
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Glasto in style! The £28,999 tipi for glamorous festival goers with helicopters (to avoid the pesky traffic), cutting edge wellness space and IV infusions
Glastonbury is not all cheap tents and knee high mud - luxury glampers can choose to attend the festival in style, staying in tipis that reportedly cost up to £28,999 to book. The famous event opens today, and so too does the Pop-Up Hotel - described as 'Glastonbury insiders' go-to luxury glamping retreat'. According to the luxe destination, it is designed to 'deliver the perfect balance of relaxing rejuvenation to all the festival excitement this summer'. To do so, it offers guests an array of 'luxurious upgrades and carefully curated wellness experiences', which it says are 'designed to pamper guests like never before'. According to the Pop-Up Hotel: 'Featuring suites with private bathrooms and all rooms with real beds and power outlets for charging phones, The Pop-Up Hotel makes 'roughing it' a thing of the past.' It continues: 'Easy arrival and check-in with free parking, personal concierge and customer service teams, luggage and buggy service and 24-hour private security to guarantee guest privacy. All located in a field just a short walk away from all the action; a 10-minute flat walk away from Gate D [...] Cult will be bringing its signature bold aesthetic to The Pop-Up Hotel with two exclusive VIP seating areas.' Before they even arrive at the festival, Pop-Up guests can avoid stress by using the Heli-Hop with Slick Travel service, where hotel guests can beat the worst of the traffic and 'fly into Glastonbury like rock royalty'. Moving between the luxury venue and the rest of the festival will be easy for guests, thanks to electric vehicle company Moke, which will be 'providing its new fully electric MOKEs to The Pop-Up Hotel, offering stylish and sustainable transport for hotel guests between the helipad, the hotel, and the festival grounds'. In order to look their best, guests can make an appointment at the Salon powered by Sephora, which will be 'providing festival-themed makeup services and hair treatments'. In addition, self-serve beauty stations will also be on site featuring brands and products found exclusively at Sephora for Hotel guests to discover. Those who need a boost can grab a cuppa from Lavazza, which will be brewing authentic Italian coffee and coffee-based cocktails as the Hotel's official coffee partner. Lavazza will be operating a bar, restaurant, courtyard Kitchen & The Deli, described as an 'A La Carte restaurant, a new alfresco kitchen dining experience and a spacious all day Deli plus a 24hr bar to bring together the best of festival dining and nightlife'. And those won't be the only tipples on offer. According to the Pop-Up: 'Australia's best-selling new gin, Papa Salt, is this year's official gin partner of The Pop-Up Hotel. 'Hotel guests can enjoy Papa Salt gin and the latest creation — the Fever-Tree x Papa Salt Blood Orange Gin Spritz — at The Pop-Up Hotel's bar as well as at the Papa Salt Pool Party scheduled for Festival Week.' And on arrival at the hotel, every guest will be offered a glass of chilled Champagne Piaff 'to get the party started in style'. In addition, NEFT Vodka will be available at The Pop-Up Hotel bar throughout Festival Week. And The Pop-Up Hotel's bar will be serving BrewDog Punk IPA and Lost Lager. Meanwhile the Journey Juice point at the Main Bar and the Deli will be serving Wonderland Cocktails made with BrewDog Distilling Company spirits. If that isn't enough choice, Casamigos Tequila will be serving a selection of cocktails at The Pop-Up Hotel's bar including Margaritas. And Ron Santiago de Cuba will be serving its Cuban rum mixed and neat at the hotel. Those who prefer a tee-total lifestyle have not been forgotten: Devonia Water will be on hand for hydration. And Vino Zero will be offering guests a range of alcohol-free cocktails. A major issue when attending festivals for many is hygiene - with long queues for temporary showers, feeling fresh can fall by the wayside. For glampers though, this should not be an issue: according to The Pop-Up Hotel, it will be providing a selection of sustainable 'in-room products and hand wash across all washrooms' from Wild. The brand will also help guests loosen out any muscles tired from all that dancing, hosting a Pop-Up Pilates session exclusively for hotel guests. And the self-care does not stop there: the salon pamper area offers 'complimentary tools and products, private cubicle hot showers 24 hours a day and proper flushing loos'. According to the destination: 'The Wellness Space [is] a cutting-edge spa experience with contrast therapies; saunas and ice baths paired with breathwork, yoga and wellness experiences curated by The Pop-Up Hotel's Heads of Wellbeing: Experts Richie Norton and Rob & Josie da Bank 'Body Brilliant bespoke treatments from vitamin booster drops shots to bespoke IV infusions and compression therapy to revitalise festival weary bodies.' Further relaxation will be provided in the form of massages: Homewood House Hotel Massage will be offering a 'range of facial and body treatments for Hotel guests combining advanced therapeutic techniques, nature's finest botanicals and science-led complexes along with signature touches, for truly magical experiences that relax the mind and reward the skin'. In addition, guests can ensure they avoid sunburn using products provided by Korean skincare brand Beauty of Joseon, which is the hotel's Official Suncare Partner. If guests do get too hot, they can cool off in the swimming pool. In addition to all the live acts on offer at the festival, the hotel will offer 'morning acoustic sessions to lively poolside parties and evening DJ sets [as well as] secret performances from guest musicians to keep guests buzzing'. And should guests want to up their looks, they can peruse the offerings from the hotel's Official Eyewear Partner Dood Eyewear. 'Guests can try on this season's styles at the Dood space, located in reception and enjoy exclusive early access to four new limited-edition frames being released exclusively during Festival Week,' says the hotel. In addition,it adds: 'Free People returns with their finely crafted style to The Pop-Up Hotel bringing a pop-up store full of festival favorites, as well as an exclusive event for hotel guests. Even the hotel team will be kitted out in luxury style, donning footwear from Australian footwear brand - specifically its new-look Gardener boots, which are festival-designed with a 'full storm welt, sturdy rubber sole and cushioned insoles'.
BreakingNews.ie
4 days ago
- BreakingNews.ie
Architectural engineer forged signatures of co-directors while setting up glamping business
A 75-year-old Peace Commissioner and architectural engineer forged the signatures of his co-directors while setting up a Wicklow shepherd hut glamping business, a court has heard. Patrick O'Connor, of The Square, Ashford, Co Wicklow, told investigators he didn't have time to make it down to Wexford or another part of Dublin to get the signatures of his two fellow directors of the company they were forming – JP&P Property Limited – and so he forged their signatures with their consent. Advertisement He pleaded guilty to one count of providing false information under the Companies Act on a date in 2022. He has a small number of previous convictions for road traffic offences. The court heard that the forged signatures were discovered by officers from the Corporate Enforcement Authority who were investigating a separate 'widescale breach' of the Companies Act. One of the directors whose signatures was forged had previously been disqualified from acting as a company director, Sergeant Colm Finnerty told Joe Mulrean BL, prosecuting. Both of the co-directors in question are before the courts on a separate matter. Darren Lalor BL, defending, told the court that O'Connor is a Peace Commissioner. Peace Commissioners are appointed by the Minister for Justice and their duties include signing certificates and orders as well as taking statutory declarations. Advertisement O'Connor is also heavily involved with his local GAA and charity work, alongside his work as an architectural engineer, the court heard. The court heard that in October 2022, O'Connor filed an A1 form with the Companies Registration Office (CRO), which contained the forged signatures of his two co-directors. It was flagged by investigators shortly afterwards. When interviewed by investigators, the other two directors each confirmed that it was not their signature on the application. JP&P Ltd never got off the ground as a business and never engaged in trading, the court heard. When questioned by investigators, O'Connor told them that the two other men knew he was signing their signatures as he didn't have time to travel to them. 'I filled that out from start to finish,' he said of the form. Advertisement Defence counsel said O'Connor previously worked for the Office of Public Works and ESB. The company he was planning on starting related to shepherd huts and glamping pods in Wicklow. O'Connor had previously worked with one of the other directors in a similar business, the court heard. Mr Lalor said O'Connor had made a 'foolish mistake', but that it was not his intention to defraud anyone. 'He is ashamed at this stage of his life to be involved in something like this,' counsel said. Ireland Woman sues Dublin hospital after baby born on the... Read More He said the matter was initially before the District Court, but that the judge refused jurisdiction. He urged Judge Orla Crowe to consider dealing with it by way of Section 100 of the Criminal Justice Act, which involves lesser penalties. Judge Crowe said she did not currently think that was appropriate, but that she would consider the submissions made. She said there were 'troubling aspects' to the case, including that O'Connor was a Peace Commissioner, that two directors' signatures were forged and that one of those directors was disqualified. She adjourned the matter for finalisation on July 9th.
