MOST of the time they couldn't be more respectable - whether they're on the school run, doing the weekly shop or hosting kids' sleepovers. But as many of us will know, mum gatherings aren't always sedate coffee mornings or playdates. A recent study showed only 44 per cent of mums regularly take time out from mum duties to recharge their batteries with girls weekends away. From letting go of the pressures of being a mum to feeling the need to make the most of every second without their little ones, three mums tell Sun Online why weekends away with their pals are wilder than ever before...'We ended up in Amsterdam eating space cakes on a £500 bender' Care Worker Hayley Yeatman, 51, is married with three kids. She lives in Yorkshire. Hayley says: "My twin sister and I were due to go and visit our mum in Belgium.She’s lived there for yonks and as we don’t see each other often we decided to go together. Except we never got as far as the Belgian border. Instead at the … [Read more...] about The mums who cause booze-fuelled mayhem on their weekends away with £500 benders and ‘liquid cocaine’ cocktails
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How US students get a university degree for free in Germany
While the cost of college education in the US has reached record highs, Germany has abandoned tuition fees altogether for German and international students alike. An increasing number of Americans are taking advantage and saving tens of thousands of dollars to get their degrees.In a kitchen in rural South Carolina one night, Hunter Bliss told his mother he wanted to apply to university in Germany. Amy Hall chuckled, dismissed it, and told him he could go if he got in."When he got accepted I burst into tears," says Amy, a single mother. "I was happy but also scared to let him go that far away from home." Across the US parents are preparing for their children to leave the nest this summer, but not many send them 4,800 miles (7,700km) away - or to a continent that no family member has ever set foot in. Yet the appeal of a good education, and one that doesn't cost anything, was hard for Hunter and Amy to ignore."For him to stay here in the US was going to be very costly," says Amy. "We … [Read more...] about How US students get a university degree for free in Germany
Queen’s cousin gets six month driving ban after speeding in £50,000 car three times in 10 days
THE Queen’s socialite cousin was banned from driving for speeding on the same stretch of motorway three times in ten days. Lady Tatiana Mountbatten, 29, exceeded a 60mph limit in her Porsche Macan S on the M4 in March. The disqualification means that she cannot drive her £50,000 car again for six months. The aristocrat, who is the daughter of George Mountbatten 4th Marquess of Milford Haven, was first caught by a speed camera near Heston services on March 1 travelling at 70mph. She was snapped again at 71mph and 70 mph on March 6 and March 10. Professional horse trainer Mountbatten, who lives near Knightsbridge, central London, claimed a driving ban could cause her “significant hardship”.Lavender Hill magistrates court heard how she would have to “beg, borrow and steal to get to work” at an equestrian centre “about an hour’s drive away”. Mountbatten, who also has a HGV licence, appeared in court wearing a long black coat and floral … [Read more...] about Queen’s cousin gets six month driving ban after speeding in £50,000 car three times in 10 days
How selfie queen and pop star Rita Ora is a financial hotshot who has racked up £16m fortune
SHE is better known these days for sultry selfies and showing off her body in bikinis than releasing catchy songs. But behind Rita Ora’s bubbly party-girl image lies a businesswoman who has become one of Britain’s wealthiest female stars. The Sun on Sunday can today reveal the secrets of her success and how, despite only releasing a single album, she has amassed a £16million personal fortune, pulling in an income of almost £4million in the past year alone. We have found that the 27-year-old is making so much money she has been forced to remove her relatives from their positions as directors at her main company, Ora Multi Services Limited. Industry expert Mark Mulligan says Rita has raked it in after realising selling records makes peanuts Mark said: “Rita and the people around her have proven to be very canny operators in the modern era.“Brand is everything now and she got to grips with that much faster than most … [Read more...] about How selfie queen and pop star Rita Ora is a financial hotshot who has racked up £16m fortune
High street banks agree to payouts for mis-selling financial products
Banks faced fresh criticism about their treatment of customers on Friday after the Financial Services Authority said the big four high street banks – Barclays, RBS, Lloyds and HSBC – might need to compensate small business customers. The scandal centres on products sold to firms over the past 10 years that were supposed to help protect them against interest rate movements. The British Chambers of Commerce said many businesses now looked at the banks "with disbelief and horror" after the City regulator said it had found "serious failings" in the way products were sold. It added that business confidence in the banking system was being eroded "and it will be a long road back to restore it". In an effort to prevent a rerun of the procrastination that took place after the payment protection insurance scandal, when banks stalled on compensation, the FSA said it had personal assurances from the banks that compensation would be paid where it was due. The conclusions came at the end … [Read more...] about High street banks agree to payouts for mis-selling financial products