Daughter sets mother's ashes adrift in a bottle to fulfill her dream of travelling the world
In a heartwarming tale, a woman has decided to honour her mother's wish of wanting to travel the world, but in a very unique way.
Wendy Chadwick died in February while on holiday with her family, she was 51-years-old. The English single mother of five had not been able to fulfill her wish.
Her daughter, Cara Melia, has now taken on the task of making her mom's dream a reality.
Melia put her mother's ashes in a bottle - along with a note - and threw it into the sea in Skegness in England.
The note reads, "This is my mum. Throw her back in - she's travelling the world. Thanks Cara, Oldham."

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles

The Star
a day ago
- The Star
Help Table View Primary School choir sing their way to national competition in Pretoria
THE Table View Primary School has launched a fundraising campaign for more than 100 members of its senior choir to compete in the prestigious ATKV Applous Choir Competition National Finals in Pretoria. Hailing from Cape Town, the choir is made up of more than 110 young voices, aged 9 to 13, representing different cultures and communities. 'We are proud to be one of the most multicultural school choirs in the region, singing in English, Afrikaans, Sesotho and isiXhosa—a true reflection of South Africa's rich diversity. Last year, we competed in the Merit Category and placed first at the National Finals in Cape Town. This year, we took a bold step forward by entering the Prestige Section, and against all odds, we have once again been invited to the National Finals in Pretoria,' said the school. To ensure that the choir realises this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to share their passion for music, their discipline and their message of unity through song on a national stage, the school has urged the public to open their wallets and contribute towards transportation, accommodation, meals, and logistical costs. By Wednesday, the campaign had secured nearly R150 000 of the required R750 000. The competition from July 30 ends on August 2. 'Traveling from Cape Town to Pretoria with such a large group of young learners requires significant funding. Every Rand makes a difference. Every voice deserves to be heard. Every child deserves this opportunity.' To donate, visit: Cape Times


Daily Maverick
2 days ago
- Daily Maverick
Karoo farmstays in the Eastern Cape: Off-the-grid adventures, history, and heart
The Eastern Cape Karoo, arguably the unsung hero of all South African travel destinations, is famous for its country hospitality, its adventure options, and its historic old farmsteads full of stories and friendly faces. Planning to visit the Eastern Cape Karoo? From your next honeymoon destination to farm wedding venues, Julienne Du Toit shares her curated list of must-visit places in her homeland. *** Ditch those digital screens, load the mountain bikes and pack some sturdy walking boots that don't mind a bit of 'farmyard' on their soles. You're coming to the Eastern Cape Karoo, arguably the unsung hero of all South African travel destinations. Chances are you're going to hike in the impressive Sneeuberg range of mountains, feel the energy of the shearing shed in action, go on paleo-tours that will take you back 250-million years, fish for trout and bass in distant dams, see San Bushman cave paintings in hidden heights, sniff the bossies that make a Karoo lamb chop so tasty, find yourselves a perfect honeymoon spot and hell, even book a Karoo farm wedding venue for a fraction of city prices. On one farm, you might catch a cricket match in full swing, on another, you could pick up some precious country kitchen secrets. On one farm, you could hear how the English soldiers spent their days inside an Anglo-Boer War blockhouse, on another, you'd learn how to fire up that 'donkey' for a piping hot off-grid shower tonight. There will be sundowners in magic landscapes, long stoepsitting sessions, or rainy afternoons behind a good book in a cosy place. And if you're lucky, you could find yourselves in the heat of a ram auction (don't lift a finger!) or sampling the delights of an annual wool festival. You will meet the friendliest platteland mense in South Africa, who will tell you the most entertaining stories of how their ancestors came to settle these valleys. And they will often speak to you in a very special language called Graaffrikaans, in sentences that begin in English, swerve into Afrikaans and perhaps end with Xhosa words. In these parts, communication is all that matters. The Karoo Farmstay is the youngest South African domestic tourism offering. It could well become your favourite holiday option of all. Glen Avon Guest Farm, KwaNojoli (formerly Somerset East) Glen Avon, a historical Eastern Cape farm tucked into the Boschberg mountain range that looms over KwaNojoli, could be a Victorian-era snapshot of rural England. The ancient olive and sneezewood fence posts that line the paddocks of this well-watered Angora goat and Döhne Merino sheep farm are gnarled and twisted by centuries of Karoo weather. The oak-lined avenues leading to the Brown family farmhouses and guest cottages, pecan-fringed paddocks, a spectacular waterfall on the upper reaches of the farm, a number of trout- and bass-filled dams, a shearing shed that once did duty as a British officers' mess, and the recently restored three-storey-high old mill built in 1862, are all features of Glen Avon. The birding is quite incredible. Farmer Greg Brown (seventh generation on this land) has recorded 275 bird species. Glen Avon was granted to soldier and farmer Robert Hart in 1825, in recognition of his help to the 1820 British Settlers. Since then, his descendants (the Harts and later the Browns) have been able custodians of this remarkable property. Facilities: There are four cottages on Glen Avon. Hart Cottage, thought to have been built in 1817, is thatched, sleeps five, has a fully equipped kitchen, bathroom and outside braai. Pecan Cottage, with three rooms, two bathrooms, a kitchen, lounge and lovely stoep, sleeps six. There are two smaller cottages — Garden View and Garden Close — that both sleep two and offer light self-catering. There are three marked hiking trails, several dams where you can fish for trout or bass, rambles on farm lanes, and an optional tour of the venerable mill. You're also welcome to join Greg on his farm rounds, or to catch a lift up the mountain for breathtaking vistas. There is a minimum charge of R500 for a working mill tour; thereafter, R100 per person, with discounts for large groups. For trout fishers, there's a rod fee of R250 a day. Bass fishing is on the house. A minimum stay of two nights is definitely recommended. Where: Between Cookhouse and 12km from KwaNojoli, on the R63, is a clearly marked road to Glen Avon. It is a 6.8km-long gravel road in fair condition. Blanco Guest Farm, Tarkastad Set in the foothills and the clean air of the Winterberg mountains, Blanco is one of those wholesome family resorts that has been going for generations, and seems to run on fun, nostalgia and children's laughter. Twice a day, there are complimentary horse rides on steady, patient steeds that are happy to amble along with thrilled tots on board, always led by staff. Every day, children can enjoy a tractor-trailer ride puttering along country lanes. There are cows, horses, pigs and sheep scattered about this working farm. Surrounding the comfortably appointed rondavels and assorted cottages, are tennis courts, a 9-hole golf course, squash court, bowling greens, putt-putt, a swimming pool and hiking paths. Paths and 4×4 trails wind through the adjoining game-rich veld. In short, it is a place perfect for young families, with a separate kiddies' dining room, childminders, and old-fashioned comfort food. The accommodation strikes just the right note — it's like staying on a family farm with eccentric, higgledy-piggledy buildings that are unusual yet comfy. Many of the parents you'll meet in the library, lounge or on the stoep came here as children themselves. Facilities: There are 25 cottages of varying sizes, almost all with a queen-sized bed, a varying number of children's beds, a private bathroom, plus heaters and fans. Rates include full access to all facilities. The Manor House has four spacious suites with a communal lounge and kitchen area. Where: About 14km east of Tarkastad, along a fairly good dirt road leading off the R344 to the Winterberg. What else? One of the agreeable quirks is that you bring your own drinks. A space in the bar's fridges is designated for you or your group. Contact: 045 846 9163 or WhatsApp Micala on 072 205 2725; [email protected]; Hillston Guest Farm, Schoombee (Middelburg, Eastern Cape) Here, in the centre of the Karoo Midlands, is a working sheep and Angora goat farm remarkable for its Anglo-Boer War history, wide open skies and iconic views. The shearing shed, an elegant wood and iron building, was once the barracks from Grootfontein, brought here in bits and pieces, the wooden chutes and pens glowing with age and layers of lanolin. Hillston offers two distinctly different guest farmhouses. One is the remote and glorious Northmead Country House, off the grid and set on the grassy plains. If you've watched Stuur Groete aan Mannetjies Roux, with Laurika Rauch, Ian Roberts and Anna-Mart van der Merwe, you'll immediately recognise it. Director Christopher Torr needed a farmhouse where the view from the kitchen swept across the plains, and Northmead was perfect. Walking in the veld, you sense the freshness of the Karoo, its open, disarming nature, its little mysteries left for you to find. Then there is the metallic song of spinning windpumps, the call of a turtle dove, and the plaintive rising whistle of a clapper lark. Just a few steps away from the house is a large dam, brimming with clear water and perfect for cooling down in. The second accommodation is a solidly built old ironstone cottage in the lap of a smoothly rising koppie. Beside it is an Anglo-Boer War-era blockhouse, adapted to be a braai lapa. Take a walk to see views over three distinctive hills: Teebus, Koffiebus and Tafelberg. Sit on the stoep and read, listen to the lambs bawling to their mothers and watch the clouds sweep over you. Hillston records more than 100 bird species that include Verreaux's eagles, flamingos and blue cranes that visit the farm dams in the summer season. Facilities: Northmead sleeps eight, has beautiful wooden floors and beamed ceilings, a lovely farmhouse-style kitchen with a coal or wood-burning stove, a gas stove and fridge. The smaller ironstone cottage can sleep six, is fully equipped for self-catering, and offers a great stoep for dreamy sundowners. Where: Hillston Farm is 47km from Middelburg on the R56 road towards Steynsburg, on a 5km dirt road in the direction of Oorlogspoort and Macasserfontein. Contacts: 082 322 4403 (Riana Southey); [email protected]; DM


eNCA
7 days ago
- eNCA
Two UK men jailed for 'brazen' gold toilet heist
UK - Two men who smashed their way into an historic English property and ripped out a £4.5 million ($6 million) solid-gold toilet were on Friday jailed for their part in the theft. James Sheen, 40, and Michael Jones, 39, were jailed at Oxford Crown Court in central England for four years and 27 months respectively. The sentences came as it was revealed that Sheen is already serving 19 years in jail for a string of other offences including a museum burglary and attacks on cash machines. The fully functioning 18-carat artwork was stolen in a raid on an exhibition at Blenheim Palace - the birthplace of Winston Churchill - near central Oxford in September 2019. The toilet artwork dubbed "America" was created by Italian artist Maurizio Cattelan and had been on display as one of the star attractions at an exhibition in the 18th-century home. Passing sentence, Judge Ian Pringle said: "This bold and brazen heist took no more than five-and-a-half minutes to complete. "America has never been seen again." Weighing around 98 kilograms (216 pounds), the artwork was insured for $6 million and was made with 20 kilograms of gold valued at around £2.8 million. It was stolen just hours after a glamorous exhibition launch party by the sledgehammer-wielding thieves. Prosecutors said the work was likely broken up or melted down and sold soon after the theft. The gold has not been recovered. It is believed that Sheen took the 20 kilos of gold to the Birmingham Jewellery Quarter on September 2019 and sold it for £26,000 a kilogram - earning £520,000. Jurors heard earlier that Sheen first got in touch with a third man, Frederick Doe, two days after the raid to ask if he could help him sell some of the gold. Doe replied to Sheen in a WhatsApp message: "I do know just the man you need to see." The 37-year-old, described by a judge as a "foolish" middleman, escaped jail for his role in the heist. He was handed a suspended sentenced last month after being found guilty of conspiracy to transfer criminal property. Jones previously said he used the toilet at Blenheim Palace the day before it was taken. Asked what it was like, he told the court it was "splendid". Sheen admitted burglary and money laundering offences. Judge Pringle said his four-year jail term would be added to the 19 years he is already serving. Jones was found guilty of burglary after an earlier trial.