New build v old

A BROKE mum became a millionaire after coming up with her own baby mat idea while on maternity leave - starting a company now worth £3m (US$4m). Mum-of-two Alana Hands, 41, saw a need for nicer looking, and safer, foam play mats for her kids after spending $300 (£169/US$240) on a "very ugly" design which led to her son's injury. When her first child Chloe was born in 2013, she purchased the pricey foam mat with pull-out letters which she also used three years later for her second baby, Rupurt. But Alana, from Brisbane, Australia, said she'd turned away for a minute and in that time he'd "pulled he puzzle pieces apart", fell forward and hurt his head. That's when she got the idea to create her own, and within just 30 minutes of launching a website she'd sold her first one - which led her to rake in over $200k (£113K/US$160k) in the first year alone. Alana told her story to Kidspot: “Rupert was six months old, trying to crawl on our ABC playmat and he’d pulled the … [Read more...] about I was a broke new mum when I came up with a genius baby mat idea – now my company is worth £3m

The final anti-HS2 activist from a group who had spent at least a month underground in a network of tunnels has been removed. As the man, known as Bradley, emerged from the site under London's Euston Square Gardens and was transferred to an ambulance, he raised two fingers in a peace/victory sign. A crowd gathered nearby cheered and shouted "we love you Bradley". Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player 16-year-old Rory Hooper - the son of veteran environmental campaigner Swampy - joined the protest The network of tunnels near the London station was dug in secret by protesters objecting to the redevelopment of the area as part of the high-speed railway line. They were first discovered in their underground bunker on 26 January. Advertisement But on Friday, HS2 Limited, the government-owned company building the project, said the final person had been taken out of the site. A total of nine protesters have been … [Read more...] about Euston HS2 protest: Final activist removed from tunnels – and raises a peace sign

A SAVVY couple managed to double the value of their house with a smart renovation - and it’s now worth £2 million. Mum Tracey Gill and her husband bought the house in a small village near East Sussex in 2016, and have been transforming it ever since. Tracey says her husband gave her a fairly wide brief when house-hunting, explaining he said: “Find a house ripe for transformation in the prettiest location. I knew I could change any house we bought so the important factor was the land and location.” The house, which they bought for £1.25million, dates back to 1730 in places and had low ceilings - not great for Tracey's 6ft4ins husband. Describing the state they bought it in, the mum-of-two said: “It was covered in cream pebble dash with concrete roof tiles, a north facing conservatory on the front of the house, modern leaded light windows, low ceilings, dark rooms, artexed walls, cheap fittings, decades old carpets, pink shag pile in the bathroom and an unimaginative … [Read more...] about Couple double the value of their house with stunning renovation and it’s now worth £2million

There's no doubt Harry was a fun royal to report on. His laid-back style and his natural rapport with people created some great little moments that made stories out of very ordinary engagements and produced fantastic pictures. Moments like messing around with Usain Bolt in Jamaica or slapping a purple handprint of fresh paint on the forehead of photographer Arthur Edwards in New Zealand. But I'll never forget the times that I was told Prince Harry didn't just want to be a performing monkey. He wouldn't just perform for the sake of it, it needed to be spontaneous, he wouldn't just play to the cameras. Which is why this interview with James Corden is so interesting. Advertisement Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player Harry says press was 'destroying my mental health' More from James Corden James Corden: 'A school prom? That would have been a litany of rejection' Coronavirus: James … [Read more...] about Prince Harry’s chat show appearance: Was it the clickbait he so despises?

HASBRO has rebranded their Mr Potato Head line to break away from "gender norms." Hasbro, the company that makes the potato-shaped plastic toy, is giving the spud a gender-neutral new name: Potato Head . The change will appear on boxes this year. Hasbro announced on Thursday that the "Mr Potato Head" brand would not just be called "Potato Head," which has been around for about 70 years, needed a modern makeover. The company tweeted : "Hold that Tot – your main spud, MR. POTATO HEAD isn’t going anywhere! "While it was announced today that the POTATO HEAD brand name & logo are dropping the ‘MR.’ I yam proud to confirm that MR. & MRS. POTATO HEAD aren’t going anywhere and will remain MR. & MRS. POTATO HEAD." Hold that Tot – your main spud, MR. POTATO HEAD isn’t going anywhere! While it was announced today that the POTATO HEAD brand name & logo are dropping the ‘MR.’ I yam proud to confirm that MR. & MRS. POTATO HEAD aren’t going anywhere and … [Read more...] about Mr Potato Head goes gender-neutral and loses his title in modern makeover after 70 years