Latest news with #Krista
Times
a day ago
- Health
- Times
A fall in the street shows me London's really not so mean
T he other day I had a nasty fall, and I'm glad I did, because it has restored my wavering faith in human nature. I had started to think of London as I did of New York, where I lived in the 1980s: a crime-ridden city where passers-by might step over someone who had collapsed in the street, giving them a casual kick en route. Well, my experience has reversed my paranoia by demonstrating the very opposite. Yes, I fell flat on my face at the traffic lights near my Fulham home and, being 86 and none too robust, couldn't get up. So for a few seconds I lay there, looking like a half-squashed beetle and dizzily wondering if I still had a nose. But suddenly I was surrounded by eight, nine people, among them two of my near-neighbours, Krista and Floyd, but the rest complete strangers. And all wanted to help and did. They brought paper towels, wipes, water, offers to drive me to A&E and/or call 999, a mobile connected to paramedics, even a chair on to which I was lifted and on which I perched while they diverted the traffic, and Maury, an orthopaedic nurse from Kingston, dabbed my forehead and soothed what was behind it. Then they insisted on helping me home. I could hardly believe it. Such concern, consideration and kindness! In London! Being as bloody of mind as of face I'd refused to go directly to hospital but my wife dragged me to Charing Cross, where I was inspected, pronounced OK, bandaged, warned I'd have a blemish I secretly plan to pass off as a duelling scar, and left feeling thoroughly grateful. So when I got home I wrote a post on our local social medium, Nextdoor, which is usually full of tales of burglaries, stolen cars, muggings and so on. But I wanted to thank my helpers and share my appreciation of their unsolicited altruism. Well, at last count I'd received 338 'likes'. My story and my conclusions have touched some collective nerve. That got me thinking. Could London be suffering a post-pandemic attack of niceness? As another small indication, I remembered that since I got a walking stick never, ever has someone failed to offer me their seat on the Tube. I may now look like Lazarus as they began to prepare him for burial, or a ghoul who has got the date of Halloween wrong, but that should pass. What won't is my belief that, in dark times, there's goodness around. Benedict Nightingale was the Times chief theatre critic 1990-2010
Powys County Times
05-06-2025
- Science
- Powys County Times
Northern Lights UK: Once in a decade display next month
Parts of the UK could be set to enjoy a once in a decade display of the Northern Lights next month. Increasing numbers of displays have been spotted, with more of the country able to take in the spectacular sights. Within the last year the Aurora Borealis has stunned the nation with dazzling light displays being visible as far south as Dorset, Essex, Cambridgeshire and Berkshire. Northern Lights sightings have increased in recent years and the explanation is well known in the science community, the Met Office has said. Krista Hammond, a Manager at the Met Office Space Weather Operations Centre (MOSWOC), said: 'Activity on the sun, and in particular the number of visible sunspots, varies over roughly an 11-year period, known as the solar cycle.' The last solar minimum, which is when the Sun had the lowest frequency of visible sunspots in the solar cycle, occurred in December 2019. This means that the sun's activity is currently increasing, with the next solar maximum expected around July this year. As a result, more of the Sun's electrically charged particles are travelling towards the Earth and getting caught in its magnetic field, thus producing more of the aurora effect. Krista added: 'Over the coming years, as we continue towards the solar maximum, we can expect to see an increase in the frequency of space weather events, with more chances to see the Aurora Borealis over the UK.' What causes the Northern Lights? The Royal Museums Greenwich explained: 'Solar storms on our star's surface give out huge clouds of electrically charged particles. These particles can travel millions of miles, and some may eventually collide with the Earth. 'Most of these particles are deflected away, but some become captured in the Earth's magnetic field, accelerating down towards the north and south poles into the atmosphere. This is why aurora activity is concentrated at the magnetic poles.' Royal Observatory astronomer, Tom Kerss added: 'These particles then slam into atoms and molecules in the Earth's atmosphere and essentially heat them up. 'We call this physical process 'excitation', but it's very much like heating a gas and making it glow.' Can I see the Northern Lights in the UK? The Royal Museums Greenwich said: 'The aurora borealis can be seen in the northern hemisphere, while the aurora australis is found in the southern hemisphere. 'While the best places to see the aurora are concentrated around the polar regions, the aurora borealis can sometimes be seen in the UK. 'The further north you are the more likely you are to see the display – but heightened solar activity has meant that the northern lights have been seen as far south as Cornwall and Brighton.
India Today
11-05-2025
- India Today
British tourist enters Taj Mahal at sunrise, shares mesmerising video online
A British traveller managed to experience the Taj Mahal like few ever have, completely alone, after arriving at the gates before sunrise and entering as the first visitor of the Jarman, a travel content creator from the UK, called the moment 'one of the most magical experiences' of her life. She shared a video on Instagram, documenting her early morning entry at 4.45 am, before any other tourists had rare sight of the Mughal-era monument without crowds left her stunned. 'This is the most magical thing I have seen in my life. We are the first ones here. Nobody else is here other than us,' she said in the video. She is visibly moved by the serenity of the setting in the clip. With the help of a local guide, Krista roamed the premises freely, describing the sounds of birds and the soft sunrise as surreal. 'Just the sound of birds waking to the rising sun the Taj Mahal grounds completely empty of tourists. Not a soul in sight. It was like a dream,' she wrote in the said she felt like she had walked into a fairytale. 'Running around the Taj Mahal at 5 am like a princess,' she added. Her guide, she noted, ensured they were first in line and helped her capture the best photographs during the short window of whisked us around so we could arrive in the grounds completely alone He took us to all of the best photo spots and made the most incredible pictures for us Honestly, I cried when I realised how beautiful the images were,' she shared in her the viral video here: View this post on Instagram A post shared by Krista Jarman (@kristaslittleadventure)Social media users flooded the comments section of the post to share their opinions. Several users were surprised. 'I'm from India and this is the first time I've seen the Taj Mahal more beautiful than ever it was. Thank you for adding the beauty,' a user said. Another user said, 'Never expected it to be this empty. What a sight, and you made it look even more beautiful.'While the Taj Mahal sees thousands of visitors daily, Krista's experience is a rare glimpse into what the monument looks like in solitude, an image that left both the traveller and online viewers in quiet awe.
Mint
11-05-2025
- Mint
Viral video: Women tourists reach Taj Mahal before anyone else, witness ‘most magical experience'
Two foreign women tourists were determined to see the majestic Taj Mahal in Agra before the crowd and had reached it at 4:45 AM. The Taj Mahal is one of the Seven Wonders of the World. Beating the rush to this tourist-flocked wonder, the women witnessed what they said was one of the 'most magical experiences'. In a viral post on Instagram, a woman blogger named Krista Jarman shared a Reel of their 'spectacular' experience at the Taj Mahal and said, 'When dreams really do come true.' Krista, who was in Agra with one of her girlfriends, said that this Taj Mahal visit had to be one of the most magical experiences of her life, 'running around the Taj Mahal at 5 AM like a princess.' 'Just the sound of the birds waking to the rising sun … the Taj Mahal grounds completely empty of tourists .. not a soul in sight … it was like a dream. It was so spectacular to walk through those opening gates .. the tall archways leading to the mausoleum shrouded in darkness,' she added. She described entering the monument through the grand minarets that towered high, surrounding an awe-inspiring marble tomb, a great structure tall and proud amongst sprawling gardens, as 'truly, truly spectacular.' Krista said they had reached the East Gate of the Taj Mahal at 4:45 AM and were the first ones in line. She also shared that they met 'an incredible man' called Don, who whisked them around so they could arrive on the grounds completely alone—'no other tourists in sight.' Krista said, 'Honestly, I cried when I realised how beautiful the images were .. and all with my own phone.' She also shared a few lines in appreciation for 'Don', and said, 'It was just truly a spectacular experience and was made even more special by Don.' On a side note, for those who wish to witness the Taj Mahal like she did, Krista said: Arrive at the East Gate at 4:45 AM Taj Mahal gates open at 5:00 AM Find Don - You will see his picture at the end of the reel Take Indian Rupee - Tip him generously because you will not be disappointed. Netizens were thrilled by this viral Instagram Reel and praised Don for being an amazing guide. 'We did the same. We were the first ones to enter. For the first 15-20 minutes, Taj was all ours. What an experience!' a social media user said. 'Lovely picture. Trust me. India is indeed a beautiful country,' said another user. 'Omg, I've just watched it again this morning and got emotional again. I need to go!!!!! 'One, two, up!',' a fan of the video said. 'Girl this is beautiful,' quipped a user. 'This is so freaking awesome,' another added. A user said, 'Certainly now DON's cellphone will go ringing continuously now.'
NDTV
09-05-2025
- NDTV
'Truly Spectacular': How This UK Woman Experienced The Taj Mahal Alone
Every day, thousands walk through the grand gates of the Taj Mahal. They come from every corner of the world, cameras ready, eyes wide, all chasing that perfect glimpse of one of the Seven Wonders. But what if, for once, there was no crowd? No clicking shutters, no lines, no chatter. Just you and the Taj. Imagine being the very first to enter. The garden paths are yours alone. That rare dream came true for UK-based travel influencer Krista Jarman, who recently shared her surreal early-morning experience of being the very first visitor to step into the Taj Mahal. "We were the first ones in," she says in her now-viral Instagram reel. "Oh my God. Nobody is here. This is the most magical thing I've ever seen in my life." Her video captures the soft glow of dawn as she walks through the towering gates, the pink-tinged sky behind her, birds chirping, the marble monument ahead bathed in sleepy light. With not a single tourist in sight, it's just her, the sunrise, and the grandeur of one of the Seven Wonders of the World. In her caption, Krista wrote, "When dreams really do come true. This has to be one of the most magical experiences of my life. Running around the Taj Mahal at 5 am like a princess. Just the sound of the birds waking to the rising sun. The Taj Mahal grounds completely empty of tourists, not a soul in sight; It was like a dream." View this post on Instagram A post shared by Krista Jarman (@kristaslittleadventure) Also Read: 7 Smart Tips To Perfectly Plan Your First Solo Trip She entered through the East Gate at 4:45 am, guided by a local named Don, who ensured she had the place to herself. 'He whisked us around so we could arrive in the grounds completely alone, he took us to the best photo spots and made the most incredible pictures,' she wrote, adding that she was moved to tears seeing how beautiful the photos turned out. Krista described the walk as otherworldly. The tall minarets, the dark archways opening into the soft morning light, and the sheer silence that surrounded the structure. 'Truly, truly spectacular,' she wrote. Krista also shared valuable tips for those looking to recreate her magical experience: 'If you go to the Taj Mahal, Arrive at the East Gate by 4:45 am, as the gates open at 5:00 am. Find Don, you'll see his picture at the end of the reel. Make sure to carry Indian Rupees and tip him generously because you won't be disappointed.' Standing tall on the banks of the Yamuna River in Agra, the Taj Mahal is a must-see on any visit to India.
