Flix have announced new electric long-distance coaches running to and from London. The coaches will be available for journeys from March and cost as little as £2.99.
From March 21 until June 2024, travellers will be able to try out the electric vehicle on a FlixBus route between London, Bristol and Newport (South Wales). It will be the first 100 per cent electric long-distance coach service in England and Wales.
Tickets start from just £2.99, and there will be a toilet, USB charging points and free wi-fi for all customers as standard on FlixBus services. They will also be PSVAR compliant, supporting travel for passengers in wheelchairs. Buses from London to Bristol for less than £3 take just under three hours, according to the FlixBus site, although it does not specify that these vehicles are electric.
Flixbus introduce the first electric coach service between London, Newport and Bristol (Image: Dare & Hier Media Ltd)
The coaches will take three and a half to Newport and cost just £3.99. As well as the initial cost there are added fees.
To reserve a seat it costs as little as 99p or £1.50 to ensure you are sat next to somebody you are travelling with. There is also additional luggage charge of £4.99.
Andreas Schorling, Managing Director of FlixBus UK said: “This is a huge step forward for the UK coach sector, transforming the already low-carbon mode of transport to zero-emission at the tailpipe through innovative technology. As the first electric long-distance coach service in England and Wales, we’re sending a powerful message about our continued commitment to bring even more sustainable travel options for the public, and our determination to drive forward the change needed to reduce the impact on the climate.”
The vehicle will save 352kg of carbon emissions per day driven on this route compared to the average diesel-fuelled coach, as well as improve air quality. This equals a reduction of more than 21 tonnes of CO2 over the course of the pilot.
If the pilot were to run daily for a full year, this would equate to over 126 tonnes of CO2 saved. The electric vehicle will be charged at a Transport UK London Bus (formerly known as Abellio) depot in Battersea, London and Newport Transport’s headquarters in South Wales.
FlixBus now has over 60 destinations on its UK network, alongside daily services to continental Europe. You can book your trips with FlixBus here.
London's first-ever McDonald's, where burgers cost just almost nothing and smokers lit up indoors, is a far cry from the fast food chain we know today. Many of us have fond memories of getting Happy Meal toys as kids and enjoying a Big Mac and milkshake. Since the 1970s, branches of this popular fast-food chain have been popping up all over London and the rest of the UK. The menu has changed a lot over the years, now offering everything from classic burgers to plant-based options.
But do you know when and where Londoners first fell in love with Ronald McDonald? The first McDonald's restaurant in the UK opened its doors in Woolwich, South East London, in October 1974.
On its opening day, crowds gathered outside the shiny new fast food outlet. Inside, they found wooden seats, an ashtray on every table, and some of the cheapest meals out Brits had ever seen.
The decor inside was a rather grim brown and cream colour, with some seriously large photo portraits on the walls. But the tasty hamburger, described as "made with 100% pure beef, topped with pickles, mustard and ketchup, served in a freshly toasted bun", cost just 15p.
The menu was rather different, but also has a lot of firm favourites (Image: No credit)
A cheeseburger with added "mellow cheese" was 21p, while for those with a "big appetite", a Quarter Pounder with Cheese or a Big Mac was 45p. Ian, who worked at the first store in Woolwich, shared his experiences with MyLondon.
He had to work at McDonald's because his dad wouldn't give him money when he went to Thames Polytechnic. At 18, he was working over 50 hours a week on top of school to get by. He mostly ate the free food from the burger place.
"It was a very different place then. It wasn't quite the arse end of London but it was pretty average. In fact that's why McDonald's chose it because they wanted the most average place in the UK as a test to see how well it would do," he laughs.
"Woolwich was a bit like a dystopian apocalyptic nightmare back then. There was a pub, a department store, quite a grotty market and a station and that was about it. Interestingly compared to how it is now the staff was very un-diverse.
"There was one older Asian bloke but the rest were basically white London townies. Every part of the store was stainless steel and you had to clean almost every square inch of it every single day. It was an absolute nightmare.
"It wasn't quite as hygienic as it is now. There was this backyard where everyone would go out to smoke and it was about four inches deep in slurry of various kinds. When people came back in they'd tread it in with their feet. They'd get you to go and clean the toilets and then put you straight to work on the grill."
View along the counter of a McDonald's fast food restaurant as employees serve a line of customers, Washington DC, February 9, 1979 (Image: No credit)
And clearly the food wasn't always as fresh as it was supposed to be. Ian adds: "There were little numbers in the rows of burgers which were little timings of when they had to be used by otherwise they would have to be thrown away. But if the manager had cocked up, you'd just move the cards a little bit so the food you were serving was considerably older than it was supposed to be.
"If you dropped something on the floor it was classified as 'a good catch' and would go back on sale. But if you were getting your own food for break time you'd watch every single bit of it being cooked to make sure it was right!
"You sometimes worked 16-hour shifts but you got a break every four hours and free food that was basically a diet of salt and sugar. It was kind of OK because I was young and fairly healthy but I do remember getting these strange cravings and not really knowing what it was about.
"Things have definitely improved with regards to the hygiene. When the riots blew up in 1981 the rioters were being shipped in from elsewhere. They were at one end of the high street and the SPG (police squads) were hidden down an alleyway waiting to pounce on them, getting fired up. You could see all hell was going to break loose.
"My manager insisted we would stay open, 'even rioters have to eat'. But as the rioters began to advance down the high street towards the waiting police, he shouted 'right we're closed!' We were sent out the front door and people went scampering away along alleyways and up lampposts!
"I was stood there in my brown McDonald's uniform with this huge mob charging towards me. Luckily a police car screeched past and the officer said: 'Get in the back son!'"
The uniforms certainly weren't the most attractive. "We had these brown polyester shirts and brown trousers and a paper hat and you'd get a new hat every day I do remember," Ian laughs.
But as a good-looking young student that didn't stop him getting "plenty of female company" from the girls who worked the grills. Despite and perhaps because of all this Ian says his student years in Woolwich were "fantastic" and working at McDonald's taught him some of the most valuable lessons of his life.
"You could get into London in 20 minutes for virtually no money. The pubs were cheap and you could get a three-course meal for about £2," he says.
"The camaraderie among the staff was really strong. I was this student parachuted in from the countryside into a demographically very poor area of London but no one dissed me for it. I've got bizarrely fond memories of it - apart from when I got home and had a bath at night and had to wash off a layer of grease."
"Then I'd have to start on my studies! Everyone did their best and there were people there who really wanted those five stars or to be a team leader who wanted jobs there for life."
"One day the manager came up to me and said: 'Have you considered a career at McDonald's?' I casually said 'no' and he responded: 'You should. I earn £11,000 and I drive a Datsun Sunny!'
"That's quite hilarious now but actually in reality the money wasn't bad and they were way ahead of a lot of other companies I worked for later in terms of their training and how they managed staff. Those days still shine in my memory and I wouldn't ever hear a bad word said about McDonald's or Woolwich or Thames Poly.
"It taught me not to judge a book by its cover and not to be a snob. If you're going to be a burger flipper, be the best burger flipper you can be."
The appliance heats up in 15 seconds, and uses ceramic plates that glide through the hair. It's also multi-voltage, so you can use it around the world.
The straighteners are a stylish rose gold (Image: Amazon)
It's always recommended to use a heat protecting spray on hair when styling. The TRESemmé Care & Protect Heat Defence Spray is one of Amazon's best-sellers and is currently down to £4 from £6. It's got a 4.6-star rating from 4,420 reviews.
The BaByliss straighteners have 4.2 stars at Tesco and 3.9 at Boots. On Amazon, they hold a 4.6-star rating from 2,212 reviews.
One person said "Having used various high end brands, I can report that these straighteners are excellent and the best buy so far. Easy to use, great temperature control, nice to hold and light.
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"Fantastic results with damage limitation. Leaves a soft and shiny finish. Great value for money. A very stylish product. A great gift set if looking for a nice gift. I love these and genuinely recommend this product."
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"Would definitely recommend." Of the negative comments, one person wrote "I found these quite disappointing, they pull on the hair. Nice colour and nice heat protector sleeve but don't love using them."
Several reviews compared the BaByliss straighteners to the GHD Original Hair Styler, which you can get for £139 at John Lewis. They've got 4.6 stars from 1,603 reviews.
John Savident, known for playing Fred Elliott in Coronation Street, has died aged 86, his agent confirmed on Friday, February 23. The 86-year-old was known for his booming voice while playing the local butcher on the ITV soap. In 1994, Savident arrived on the ITV soap and became an instant hit with fans.
A statement from his agent to the PA news agency said: "We are sad to announce the death of the actor John Savident who died on Wednesday. He was a much-loved husband and father of two and will be sorely missed by all who knew him."
John Savident, known for playing Fred Elliott in Coronation Street, has died aged 86, his agent has said. (Image: Joel Ryan/PA)
His Corrie storylines involved his disastrous love life, including three marriages and several failed proposals. A secret son, Ashley Peacock (Steven Arnold), also arrived on the show and the two later developed a close bond as they worked as butchers together.
Savident’s character was killed off in 2006, suffering a stroke on the day he was supposed to marry Bev Unwin (Susie Blake). Elliott’s death also saw Audrey Roberts (Sue Nicholls) confess that she still loved him following her turning down his proposal of marriage years previously.
London hospitals have warned patients of severe disruption likely to be caused ahead of junior doctors' strikes due to take place this weekend (February 24-25). A fresh wave of strikes will be hitting the NHS and is likely to cause chaos for people needing emergency treatment.
St George’s, Epsom and St Helier University Hospitals and Health Group has warned of severe disruption when the walkouts start on Saturday. It comes after staff faced one of their busiest days of the winter just days earlier, on Monday February 19.
More than 1,000 people turned up at the three hospitals' emergency departments during the day, which is more than 200 more than usual. The hospital Group normally sees around 800 people during a typical Monday, which is already a busier day than the rest of the week.
But in four of the past five Mondays, attendance at A&Es at the hospitals has recorded more than 1,000 people in total.
Millions of appointments, surgeries and procedures have been affected by strikes in the last year in England (Image: sturti / Getty Images)
Dr Richard Jennings, Group Chief Medical Officer for St George’s, Epsom and St Helier University Hospitals and Health Group, said: “These strikes are going to have a significant impact on our hospitals, and with each round of action it becomes even more challenging. Unfortunately we’ve had to reschedule some appointments and procedures, and if you come to one of our emergency departments when it’s less urgent then you will be waiting longer to be seen.
“That said, it’s really important that you continue to come forward for care when it is an emergency, and you should still attend any appointment that you have unless you have been told it has been rescheduled.”
Junior doctors have already been on strike once this year, in their longest protest against pay and working conditions yet. Junior doctors went on strike for six days at the beginning of January, with the British Medical Association arguing that junior doctors' real wages have been cut by almost a quarter since 2008.
A junior doctor told the PA news agency during the January strikes: “If we don’t make a stand now then I personally believe that safety will get worse further down the line, because there won’t be any doctors left.”
The strikes are due to take place from Saturday February 24 until Wednesday February 28.
When people need urgent medical help, NHS 111 online should be the first port of call. This is a 24/7 service that can direct people where to go for care. Pharmacies, meanwhile, provide advice on minor illnesses such as colds, coughs, and earache.
It’s important that people continue to call 999 or go to an emergency department when it is life-threatening.
A woman has received a £15,000 pay out after following Martin Lewis' direct debit advice. It was only when she listened to the Money Saving Expert's tips that she realised she was entitled to thousands of pounds.
Martin Lewis' five minute direct debit challenge involves checking your regular payments to ensure you are not wasting hundreds of pounds. This method has helped lots of people realise they are still paying for things they no longer use or need.
The budgeting guru says: "It isn't rocket science, but it is important financial housekeeping. Regular payments are PASSIVE transactions, money auto-paid, dripping from our pockets without our conscious action.
The Money Saving Expert advises to check all your direct debits (Image: scu)
"While they're often a valuable tool to ensure crucial bills are paid, millions who don't check them often enough are likely wasting £100s on products and services they no longer want or use - or worse - that are completely pointless."
He advises to use online banking to check what you are paying for, as that's where standing orders and direct debits will be listed. If you are unsure what a payment is then you should be able to find out by searching online.
Lewis notes that recurring payments, may be trickier to spot as they may just be listed as any other payment, so are effectively hidden and you will need to scour through to find them. If you are paying for something pointless then ditch it, you will need to make sure you are out of contract first.
When following the MSE's guide you could find something useful, as Cathy did. She said: "I reviewed all my Direct Debits and found we'd been paying for critical illness cover for years.
"When I looked into it, I realised it also covered our children. My son had brain surgery in 2020, and after talking to the insurance company, we received a £15,000 payout - a massive help. I've been following MSE for years, thank you for all your advice."
Other customers have also benefited from stopping to pay for services they no longer use, such as gyms located where they used to live.
Detectives leading the hunt for Abdul Ezedi, wanted for a brutal attack on a mother and her children in Clapham, believe his body has been recovered from the River Thames. At around 4pm on Monday, February 19, the crew of a passing boat reported they had seen a body in the water at Tower Pier EC3.
The body was recovered by the Met’s Marine Policing Unit and has been viewed by detectives working on the investigation.
Commander Jon Savell said: “Based on the distinctive clothing he was wearing at the time of the attack and property found on his body, we strongly believe we have recovered the body of Ezedi.
“We have been in contact with his family to pass on the news.
“As you may expect after a considerable period of time in the strong current of the Thames, formal identification is not possible visually, nor from fingerprints. We will work with the coroner on other ways to complete formal identification, such as DNA testing and dental records. That may take some time.
”Our enquiries continue into the attack. I am pleased to say the condition of the 31-year-old woman has improved. She remains in hospital but she is in a stable condition and no longer sedated. We have still not been able to speak to her but hope to as soon as she is well enough.
”Again, I thank all those hundreds of members of the public who called us with information during the hunt for Ezedi. The public support for our investigation was overwhelming and every piece of information provided was followed up.”
On Friday, 9 February we updated that detectives believed Ezedi went into the River Thames at Chelsea Bridge, some four hours after the alkaline attack on Wednesday, 31 January. This was based on painstaking examination of CCTV footage which had tracked Ezedi to the location and then saw him disappear from view.
Officers from the Marine Policing Unit carried out a number of low tide searches in the area surrounding Chelsea Bridge over the weekend of 10/11 February. They had continued routine searches as part of their daily work and recovered Ezedi’s body yesterday.
Our investigation continues into the attack and detectives have been carrying out a range of further enquiries. There have been no more arrests.
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