Latest news with #Tolkien
NDTV
6 hours ago
- Entertainment
- NDTV
US Man Pays Rs 80,000 For Disneyland "Princess Breakfast", Internet Stunned
A man recently shared his utter shock over the exorbitant bill he received after attending Disneyland's Princess Breakfast Adventures in California, US. Taking to X, John Tolkien shared a photo of his receipt from his family's breakfast. The bill showed an eye-watering sum of $937.65 (approximately Rs 80,000), which included a $150 tip. "Princess Breakfast' at Disneyland with my kids. Almost spit out my coffee," he captioned the post. Elsewhere in the thread, he clarified that the breakfast was for five people. He also claimed that he hadn't looked at the $142 (around Rs 12,000) price tag per person before booking. "Before seeing the bill I thought it would be about half this," Mr Tolkien wrote, noting that the total included the five members of his family, plus a single alcoholic beverage. 'Princess Breakfast' at Disneyland with my kids. Almost spit out my coffee — John 'Rock & Roll' Tolkien (@jrockandrollt) June 16, 2025 According to The Independent, the Disney Princess Breakfast Adventures, which is held at Disney's Grand Californian Hotel, features three courses, including an appetiser tower of mini lobster rolls and various breads, an array of main courses for adults to choose from, and princess-inspired desserts. Children can also choose chicken and Mickey waffles, or macaroni and cheese with bacon for their main course. The price of the meal starts at $142 for adults and children ages 3 to 9, per the site, and top and tax is not included. Sharing his experience, Mr Tolkien said, "It was fun, the food was probably 7 / 10, service was attentive and enthusiastic, princesses were all trained pro actresses and spent a lot of time with the kids. I enjoyed it." he also shared a photo of his plate, admitting that the "breakfast was good". "Kids enjoyed it, so I think it was worth it. The kids definitely learned some new words when I opened the bill though.," he continued. Mr Tolkien's post quickly caught the internet's attention, with social media users sharing various reactions. Several users believed that the outrage was misplaced, as the prices are disclosed during bookings. Others took issue with the $150 tip, saying that the tipping norms have become excessive. "They are pretty clear at the Grand California about the cost of that per guest and it takes months to get a reservation," wrote one user. "Bro they tell you the price when you book, if you're surprised that's on you," commented another. "I got a 155 dollar tip on Sunday and I still think tips should scale down slightly as the bill gets higher. At some point you're paying too much money for the service when the service isn't any different than if you had a 300 dollar meal," wrote a third user. "Would've been less had you not tipped 21ish percent. Especially since those people aren't normal wiaters and waitresses I can assume they aren't making minimum wage at a Disney restaurant," said another.
Scotsman
10 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Scotsman
Two Edinburgh restaurants win excellence awards at the Afternoon Tea Awards 2025
Two Edinburgh restaurants have been recognised with Awards of Excellence at this year's Afternoon Tea Awards. Sign up to our daily newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to Edinburgh News, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... The awards, which were held at Harrods in London, celebrate the 'best in afternoon tea service and creativity' with judging criteria covering the delicious selection of food, service, atmosphere, and overall experience. Twenty Princes Street, located inside Hotel Indigo Edinburgh, and One Square, located within the Sheraton Grand Hotel & Spa in Festival Square, both picked up awards for delivering 'the highest standards in afternoon tea service'. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The two Edinburgh venues were the only Scotland businesses to pick up awards, with the majority of prizes going to London restaurants. Twenty Princes Street, located inside Hotel Indigo in Edinburgh was recognised with the Award of Excellence for the second year in a row | Hotel Indigo Twenty Princes Street in the city centre claimed the Award of Excellence for the second year in a row with judges praising the venue for its comfortable and ambient setting, its presentation and taste, and its fun and modern take on traditional afternoon tea. The annual awards are sponsored by and see a team of independent judges consider all aspects of afternoon tea experience, from making a booking, paying the bill, with a strong focus on the presentation and service. Twenty Princes Street was described as having an 'elegant and stunning setting that is sure to please even the most cosmopolitan of patrons with a seamless mix of traditional elegance and contemporary design.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The website added: 'Afternoon Tea is served in Twenty's stunning dining room, where literature comes to life in every bite. The menu features a delightful selection of sweet and savoury treats, that pay homage to literary classics; such as Tolkien's buttered scones, sandwiches inspired by Sir Walter Scott and Proust's petit madeleines to name a few.' NW One Square Brasserie was 'recognised for its relaxed yet sophisticated style and carefully crafted menus that champion the very best of Scotland'. The AfternoonTea website wrote: 'The dining space is lined with floor-to-ceiling windows, offering stunning views of Edinburgh Castle' and features 'a playful Afternoon Tea inspired by the past four decades.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Leigh Ellis, director of sales and marketing at Hotel Indigo Princes Street said: 'We are thrilled to be recognised in the annual Afternoon Tea awards. We pride ourselves on providing our guests with an afternoon tea experience that can't be found anywhere else in Scotland, and being one of the only venues in the region awarded with an 'Award of Excellence' really cements our position and is a testament to the fantastic team at Twenty.' Keith Newton, managing director of added: 'I was delighted that our judges think that all our award winners offer good value for money. That value isn't just about the food on offer, but also the service and all the elements that go into making afternoon tea such a wonderful experience.'
IOL News
13 hours ago
- Entertainment
- IOL News
Father left stunned by nearly R20,000 breakfast bill at Disneyland
Mickey Mouse in Disneyland park in California is blamed for taking a dad for a ride over a family breakfast bill that left him speechless. Image: Unsplash A father had the surprise of his life when he received a whopping $1,000 (R18,036,95) bill for breakfast at Disneyland. John 'Rock & Roll' Tolkien, known on social media as @jrockandrollt, shared his jaw-dropping experience on X, along with receipts that made headlines around the world. ''Princess Breakfast' at Disneyland with my kids. Almost spit out my coffee,' he wrote, capturing a moment that many parents can relate to - shock at dining costs during family outings. Wait, how much? The total bill came to $937.65, (R16,912,35) which included a generous $150 (R2,705,54) tip for three adults and two children. The dining experience, aptly named Disney Princess Breakfast Adventures, takes place at Disney's Grand Californian Hotel in Anaheim. Guests are treated to a three-course breakfast while enjoying activities with beloved Disney princesses. The extravagant meal promises a tiered tower of appetizers that includes lobster rolls, cornbread and beignets. Children can select from options such as chicken, Mickey Mouse-shaped waffles and macaroni and cheese for the main course. Meanwhile, adults can choose from dishes like braised short ribs, devilled eggs and truffle macaroni and cheese. Desserts include cream puffs, sorbet and other sweet treats to cap off the meal. The cost for this one-of-a-kind breakfast starts at $142 (R2,561,25) for both children and adults, with tips and tax excluded from the base price. Tolkien's post quickly gained traction, racking up over 15.5 million views by Wednesday, June 18. Despite the initial shock, he found humour in the experience. Taking the Mickey 'I think if someone went to Disneyland and insisted on doing All The Things, they could easily spend $3,000 per day. If I find that goddamn mouse, I am going to mug him. To be honest, the breakfast was good. Still - nine hundred f*cking American dollars?' he said, still in disbelief. However, he concluded that the steep price was justified. 'Kids enjoyed it, so I think it was worth it. The kids definitely learned some new words when I opened the bill, though.' Top service In a photo shared later, Tolkien revealed his own plate, which featured shrimp cocktail, macaroni and cheese, asparagus, devilled eggs and beef roast. He rated the food a solid 7/10, praising the attentive service and the well-trained princesses who interacted with his children. The internet had plenty to say about this extravagant breakfast. Some comments included @ketanner's take: 'Walt Disney has been spinning in his grave for years; he started the theme parks for families to have fun and affordable vacations 🤦♀️.' Another user, @DaveyCoconuts, remarked, 'Disneyland/Disney World is a human trap made by a mouse.' Meanwhile, @tmac622 complimented Tolkien, saying, 'You're a great dad for doing this…better than I'll ever be.' Lastly, @Michellek4040 provided a humorous twist: 'This is why my daughter continues to believe Disney is closed for COVID.'
Telegraph
6 days ago
- General
- Telegraph
The novels every 16-year-old boy should read
It's hard to be a boy. A few years ago, such a statement would be unthinkable. After all, we were told we lived in an enlightened world where traditionally 'masculine' qualities – strength, fortitude, stoicism – were outdated, even toxic. No longer. Almost weekly, we get a new headline decrying the difficulty of being a young man. Andrew Tate, the manosphere, Adolescence: the crisis of boyhood, especially among poor, working-class boys, is well attested to. And last week the National Literacy Trust found that reading enjoyment for boys aged 11-16 is at the lowest level it has been for two decades; for girls, by contrast, it was slightly improved. What's to be done? One solution, of course, is to find books that boys want to read. By themselves, books won't teach you how to move through the world as a man. But there are few better places to start: books are invitations to other worlds, other minds. There is no better tool for empathy. My boyhood reading is what made me who I am today. As a teenager, my tastes were omnivorous and hopelessly pretentious. But the book which stayed with me the most was Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings. As a young man, I was thrilled by adventure and the sense of possibility that lay off the edge of old maps and half-understood languages. Now though, as a slightly less young man, I turn back to it for its quiet, gentle humanity. For me, the process of growing up through – and with – books, has above all been about grasping one message: to be a great man is easy. But to be a good man? That is truly tough. The Silver Sword by Ian Serraillier First published in 1956, The Silver Sword tells the story of three Polish children Edek, Bronia and Ruth, caught up in the chaos of the Second World War, who with the help of an older boy, Jan, set off across Europe in search of their vanished parents. It's a cracking adventure story, with improving lessons about courage, friendship and loyalty. It first enthralled me when I was about 14, enthralled my son and more recently enthralled my grandson. Mick Brown Decline and Fall by Evelyn Waugh When I was 16 and thinking of trying to get into Cambridge to read English my marvellous English master gave me a pile of novels, plays and poetry to consume, reaching far outside the English A-level course. Hidden among the heavy novels was a slim volume called Decline and Fall, by Evelyn Waugh. I had never read anything like it; jokes on every page, many of them quite offensive, ridicule of the aristocracy, the church, the penal system and above all schools, and all told in a relentless narrative drive that caused me to finish the book in two or three hours. I had within weeks read everything else that Waugh wrote, and I doubt I was the only youth on whom he had that effect. His style is magnificent and his appeal irresistible. Simon Heffer by Geoffrey Household I can imagine that many teenage boys would find the reckless, solitary narrator of Household's classic thriller as easy to identify with as Adrian Mole. Published a few weeks before the outbreak of the Second World War, the book begins with the protagonist taking it on himself to assassinate an unnamed foreign leader (recognisably Hitler); failing, he goes on the run and ends up hiding from his pursuers in a hole in the ground in the 'green depths' of Dorset. The classic novel of how to draw on your inner resources to survive, it's the most exciting, vicarious adventure I've experienced. Jake Kerridge The Short Stories of HG Wells by HG Wells Long before there was Black Mirror, there was HG Wells cracking out some of the weirdest, most thought-provoking stories ever written. They're short; they don't dwell too much on character development; and they twist the mind in all sorts of new directions. The Country of the Blind and The Door in the Wall are classics, but there's plenty more to grab the teen imagination here. Enjoyed Supacell on Netflix? Take a sip of The New Accelerator, the elixir that makes movement so rapid it can set your clothes on fire. Like superheroes? Check out The Man Who Could Work Miracles. These stories are the foundation stones of science-fiction. Whole universes await. Chris Harvey Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow Don't let the fact that the title is a part of a Macbeth soliloquy put off the teenager in your life: Gabrielle Zevin's novel is really a paean to the magic of video games and young, mixed-sex friendships. The story of Sam and Sadie – childhood best friends who grew apart but rekindle their relationship and start a successful games studio – is modern, literary but accessible and, above all, an absorbing tale. While many parents fret about their children spending too much time playing video games rather than reading books, Tomorrow … could be an effective gateway to the joys of literature. I only wish that it had been published when I was a boy, rather than (as I did) reading it on my honeymoon. Liam Kelly The Sirens of Titan by Kurt Vonnegut I haven't dared pick up a Vonnegut for 20 years. I fear he is one of those habits you probably ought to have dropped by your twenties, like picking your nose or minding who wins football matches. But I was a huge Vonnegut guy in my teens. Slaughterhouse-Five and Breakfast of Champions tend to be recommended but the one I really loved was The Sirens of Titan. It is so stuffed full of madcap ideas that no AI or video game could ever compete. Sadly I can't see how the plot would be relevant to readers today: it is about an astronomically wealthy man who finances a trip to Mars and imperils all of humanity. Ed Cumming by Adrian Tchaikovsky In my own teenage years, science fiction offered an exciting bridge to grown-up literature, with big ideas expressed in the fine prose of Ray Bradbury, Ursula K Le Guin, Philip K Dick and Kurt Vonnegut. Recently, one of my sons was having so much fun reading Dogs of War by contemporary British sci-fi star Adrian Tchaikovsky that I dove in myself. It's a mind-boggling story that extrapolates the genetically modified animals of HG Wells's The Island of Dr Moreau into a cyberpunk future not far removed from our own. The narrator is a heavily armed dog named Rex, and the tale addresses moral quandaries around artificial intelligence, slavery, animal welfare and the ethics of warfare with wit and pathos. My son and I have already gobbled up the excellent sequel, 2021's brilliant Bear Head, and eagerly await volume three, Bee Speaker (due later this year). Neil McCormick Nineteen Eighty-Four by George Orwell 'It was a bright cold day in April and the clocks were striking thirteen'. If that stark opening line doesn't hook them in, then doubtful readers can be assured that the ensuing pages contain the most perturbing futuristic vision of England ever written, a world of constant surveillance, ever-changing jargon, physical violence, sinister authority and the crushing of individuality; in short everything a teenage boy may feel is already the case but magnified to the nth degree. Any young reader will emerge from Orwell 's suspenseful masterpiece armed with a handy range of sharp political and philosophical concepts and inspired to devour more where that came from. Dominic Cavendish
BBC News
13-06-2025
- General
- BBC News
Tolkien inspires naming of Leamington's four peregrine falcons
Down the riders came, tearing down from the mountains of Mordor, through Rohan to the Shire - and there they found Frodo, Merry, Pippin and it might not have gone exactly like that but those are the four names which have been chosen for the peregrine falcon chicks hatched this year at Leamington Town Wildlife Trust invited people to share their ideas for the three females and one male before putting them to a final vote (Sauron was barred from voting).More than 900 took part in the poll and the Lord of the Rings-themed names emerged victorious, named after JRR Tolkien's hobbits. Other suggestions included the sky and stars as well as names with connections to Leamington - but ultimately, the trust said, the Middle-Earth theme was a "clear favourite".A spokesperson added that the names were submitted by Natasha and Charmain and Charmain added: "The Lord of the Rings is a British classic and these four little ones will soon wander."A live video feed continues to monitor the peregrines' progress after the chicks hatched at the end of April, at the Grade II listed town hall. Follow BBC Coventry & Warwickshire on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
