From Deal to Leigh-on-Sea: the best beach breaks within two hours of London for a chic staycation
Brighton's beach has been a hotspot for day trippers ever since the Victorian era. And while the pebbles can be painful underfoot, there's nothing quite like pulling out a picnic blanket and soaking in the British sun after a dip in the Channel. The beach itself stretches down the coast all the way to Hove, fringed by the brightly coloured beach huts for which the area is famous, as well as an ever-expanding list of restaurants, bars and tiny art galleries. And let's not forget the pier: a must-visit, if just to soak in the atmosphere.
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Daily Mirror
3 hours ago
- Daily Mirror
'We made a change after Covid that's let us quit our jobs to travel the world'
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Daily Mirror
5 hours ago
- Daily Mirror
'I've visited 24,000 boozers on 40 year pub crawl - these are my favourites'
Peter Hill has supped an incredible 60,000 pints on a mammoth pub crawl which has seen him visit 24,000 boozers across the UK in a 40 year pub crawl quest to visit every CAMRA guide pub Real ale fan Peter Hill has supped an incredible 60,000 pints on a mammoth pub crawl which has seen him visit 24,000 boozers across the UK. He celebrated his 69th birthday in the Elephant & Castle, at the Black Country Living Museum, in Dudley, as he continued his quest to visit every pub in the CAMRA guide. He has enjoyed a pint in every corner of the UK along with his drinking crew – the Black Country Ale Tairsters – and has even had a pint in pubs on 69 islands around the UK. The retired engineer has travelled over 400,000 miles since he started in 1984 and logs every pub he has visited at his West Bromwich home. He said: 'Every pub is logged, since number one, and I have over 300 lever arch files with photos, cards and a write up of the pubs. I leave a calling card which I have signed by a pub team member to prove I have been in.' In every pub he visits Peter asks the landlord to make a £1 donation to the Midland Air Ambulance and has so far raised over £35,000. He said: 'Some give a quid, some give a tenner, some £20 and some give nowt. But it's a great charity.' Peter started his journey when he and his pals started visiting pubs listed on a map handed out by Wolverhampton based Banks brewery. After visiting 300 pubs in a year they decided to continue. He said: 'It's taken me 41 years but I've now visited 24,000 pubs, but there are still hundreds more to go. We all love our real ale, but we don't overdo it, 'We have visited every single island with a pub around the British Isles, 69 of them. We've been to the Shetlands, Orkneys, Jersey, Guernsey. It's been a great adventure. I'm going to North Yorkshire next weekend for four days and then Essex after that, so we'll chalk up a few more on the list. Sometimes I'm on my own, but mostly it's a really good crew I travel with. It's brilliant fun. 'We've travelled across Europe too, to the military sites, the Somme, the Maginot line, the British war graves. We learn about the history and we visit the local pubs too, but they don't count on the list. One of the greatest people we found was a guy from World War 2 who used to look after the SAS war graves in France, He was 92 when we met him.' Peter added: 'I love unusual pubs, pubs with something that makes them stand out. Pubs full of character and antiques. We love our real ales but we also try the stouts and milds.' Peter also backed The Mirror 's Save Our Pubs campaign - which calls for a "fighting fund" to help struggling pubs, recognising good pubs are the heart of the community. The campaign is crucial because pub closures have a significant impact on communities, leading to job losses and the loss of important social spaces. More than 400 pubs closed for good in England and Wales last year meaning the number of locals has dropped below 39,000 for the first time. Peter said: 'The local pub is vital in so many areas. You can meet for a chat and a laugh. But the prices are ridiculous now. You can pay £7 for a pint. 'There's the business costs, the taxes, the minimum wage doesn't help. Landlords have to cover the costs and it's a shame so many are closing. The government does need to do more to help.' Peter's top five pubs: Yew Tree Inn, Caulden Staffs: 'You've got to see it to believe it. It's fantastic, full of antiques.' The Mug House, Claines, Worcester: 'A cracking old pub next to a church yard.' The Black Lion, Consall Forge, North Staffs: 'Amazing scenery, next to an old steam railway and canal. It was hard to find, but it's easy now with Sat Nav.' The Rising Sun, Tipton: 'My local, I can't leave that out.' Payton Arms, Stoke Lyne, Oxfordshire: 'A fantastic, unique place. If you like character and cobwebs, this is the one.'
Scottish Sun
7 hours ago
- Scottish Sun
Rangers hero Ally McCoist tells Ireland ‘I'll be back' as he hails ‘fantastic' country after gruelling charity cycle
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) RANGERS hero Ally McCoist toasted a 555-mile cycle around the island of Ireland to raise funds for research into Motor Neurone Disease with a celebratory pint of Guinness. He and other sport stars and celebrities set off on the gruelling circuit from Belfast last Sunday in memory of late Scottish rugby legend Doddie Weir. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 3 Doddie's son Hamish, his wife Kathy, Ally McCoist and Kenny Logan celebrate Credit: PA 3 Ally celebrates after crossing the finish line in Dublin Credit: PA 3 Doddie Weir died from MND in 2022 aged 52 Credit: Getty Weir died of MND aged 52 in November 2022, after years of campaigning to raise awareness of the condition and funds for research. The cycle was not without its hiccups along the way. But there were joyous scenes in Dublin as the team, which also included Kenny and Gabby Logan, completed the journey and they celebrated with bottles of pink prosecco and Guinness. The journey continued as the cyclists delivered the match ball, which travelled the 555-miles with them, at the British and Irish Lions' 1888 Cup clash with Argentina at the Aviva Stadium. McCoist told PA: 'I'm a west coast of Scotland man, and it's so similar, absolutely beautiful, green - in some places it's almost lunar with the rocks - it was fantastic. "The weather we've had last couple of days, beautiful greenery over the Guinness Lake. 'So we're gonna come back, no bikes involved, I'm gonna take the car and we're gonna do a little bit of tour. No bike next time, I can assure you.' On MND, he said: 'It's arguably the cruellest and most horrible of diseases when you see what it does to you, it eats away at you. 'Big Doddie, what a figure, not just in the rugby world throughout the UK and Ireland, all over. "He's just a lovable, big character, and it shows no mercy, the disease. Ally McCoist confesses to 'horrendous' epic fail ahead of final day of Rangers legend's charity bike ride 'You see what it's done to a lot of people, you know, top sports stars, and it doesn't matter who you are, any walk of life, it doesn't pick and choose. "It's a horrible, horrible disease. I think we're all duty bound to attempt to do something about it. "If we can help, no matter how small you might think it may be, you've got to do it, because we have to find a cure for it.' Scottish rugby star Kenny Logan and broadcaster Gabby Logan were among those who took part in Doddie'5 Lions Challenge, cycling around 100 miles a day for six days. The husband and wife said thinking of how the 'cruel' disease takes away a person's control of their body inspired them to keep going along the most gruelling parts of the cycle. Kenny Logan thanked the people of Ireland for cheering them on along the way by beeping horns and donating any amount they could. He said: 'We went to one coffee shop, told her what we were doing. She said 'My uncle died of MD'. She gave us 50 coffees and all the food for free. So it's been amazing.' Gabby Logan said the final day was 'really physically challenging', as they climbed 1,250 metres in a few hours, but also provided a profound moment for the cyclists through stunning scenery in Co Wicklow. 'There was quite a lot of solitude today, because we weren't going through villages and towns, we were going through beautiful scenery. "(It gave) a lot of time for people to think about why they're doing this today, and you can see the outpouring of emotion at the end. 'It's about finding cure and a solution to a terrible, terrible disease which just rips away people and their lives and at the moment, there's no hope.' Asked what Weir would have thought of on Friday, Kenny said: 'He'd think we're idiots, genuinely.' He said it was 'amazing' to have Weir's wife Kathy on the cycle on the final day, and to have Doddie's son Hamish following the cycle for the week, who was originally meant to take part but had broken his shoulder. The challenge has raised more than £557,000 for the Irish Motor Neurone Disease Association and My Name'5 Doddie Foundation, which Weir set up in 2017, a year after being diagnosed with MND. Keep up to date with ALL the latest news and transfers at the Scottish Sun football page
