Any parent to a toddler knows that holidays with our little bundles of joy can be somewhat… challenging. The journey! The routine! The sleeping arrangements!

But it’s a case of sweet relief at Harbour Beach Club Hotel & Spa in the salubrious seaside town of Salcombe. Not only is it in a swanky location that makes the south coast of England feel like the French Riviera, but it makes relaxing with a toddler in tow a cinch. 

From warm and friendly staff – who were happy to fulfil my two-year-old son’s requests of racing them at breakfast – to parent-pleasing free gin in every room, this picture-perfect Devon hotel makes for the ideal beachside bolthole for families.

Harbour Beach Club is set in the beautifully unspoilt bay of South Sands in the South Devon Area Of Outstanding Natural Beauty, a mile and a half outside the centre of the exclusive town of Salcombe, which was named Britain’s most expensive seaside home location earlier this year.

The setting is truly hard to beat, with the scenic beach just two seconds from the hotel, a huge perk when you are travelling with young children and seem to be back and forth to your room constantly for snacks, clothes and nappy changes. 

Offering panoramic views across the beach, the hotel is secluded enough to provide a welcome break from the tourist madness of central Salcombe, but within easy reach of its many attractions.

What’s more, guests can park up for the weekend, ditch the car and visit Harbour Beach Club’s sister hotel in Salcombe using a free shuttle service. The town is perfectly walkable if you don’t mind hills.

My son Oscar, two, was delighted by the sweet local ferry from South Sands to Salcombe town. Riding out into the bay on the ‘sea tractor’ was without a doubt one of the highlights of his trip (and probably life!).

There are 44 rooms and six stylish suites at Harbour Beach Club, with some for families with older children that interconnect. Almost all of them offer breath-taking views of the bay and balconies so guests can while away the hours looking out to sea.

If the copious sea air and tranquillity isn’t enough to guarantee a good night’s sleep, the sublime super-king beds will have you nodding off in no time – and all bedrooms are air conditioned, in case you hit the British seaside holiday jackpot and chance upon a warm week.

Plus, all rooms feature plenty of creature comforts in the form of a Nespresso coffee machine, tea-making facilities, a well-stocked mini-bar and those all-important complimentary bottles of Salcombe Gin. 

A brand new spa, which opened in March, is another bonus. It’s home to a 12-metre pool, with floor-to-ceiling windows, a suntrap terrace, sauna and steam rooms. I was lucky enough to enjoy a signature facial and drifted off to sleep in blissful relaxation. 

Time can also be passed simply relaxing and sandcastle-building on the beautiful beach. And handily, Harbour Beach Club has a well-stocked selection of beach goods, so not to worry if you’re short on space or travelling by train. 

We borrowed a bucket and spade, crabbing lines and a pair of adorable Hunter wellies for Oscar whenever we decamped to the sands.

There are plenty of activities on offer too – including free beach yoga, paddle-boarding and kayaking. 

And those with more adventurous tastes can even try their hand at wild swimming, fishing trips and guided coastal hikes. 

We were treated to a boat trip around Salcombe Harbour with an incredibly knowledgeable guide who even let Oscar steer the boat, something he still talks about to this day. 

However, one of the main highlights for us as parents was that the staff seem to genuinely love children and even knew Oscar by name by the end of our four-night stay. And they thoughtfully allow parents to have a glass of wine in relative peace during mealtimes by giving little ones stickers and activity books. 

Old and young are kept happy foodwise, too, with the restaurant offering a good choice of children’s food options and adults treated to a wealth of delectable seafood options and delicious local fish, as well as a robust wine and cocktail selection.

Breakfast was a particular highlight, with guests enjoying an extensive continental buffet and a menu featuring plenty of cooked options. The pancakes seemed to be a huge hit for the little ones.

With beautiful views, an A-plus location, wonderful staff and a genuinely lovely vibe, Harbour Beach Club is the perfect place for British beach fun for all the family. 

  

If you’re hosting a dinner party soon, pay close attention.

Laying beautiful tables is all in a day’s work for Royal Household-approved butler Daniel Prattley – and he’s willing to share his expertise.

Daniel, 50, has been a full-time butler since 2009 and works for a variety of ultra-high-net-worth individuals in luxurious villas and estates around the world for several weeks at a time.

He occasionally shares videos on TikTok of the stunning tablescapes he has curated on the job, and they’ve proven a hit – one clip captured in the dining room of a country estate, showing candles flickering and neat rows of polished silverware, has racked up more than one million views.

So, what makes the perfect dinner-table set up? Daniel, who describes himself as a ‘modern-day butler’, tells MailOnline Travel: ‘Whatever makes your guests gasp [or] comment… is a perfectly set table, in any format. If your guests have had a good time and enjoyed the table, then it was a perfectly set table.’

Successful table settings can be formal or more relaxed, depending on the occasion, the Devon native explains. 

Some of Daniel’s clients ‘100 per cent insist’ that he lays the table according to what’s known as the ‘butler’s rule’, which means that ‘every placemat, napkin, glass is the same distance and every place setting is a mirror image of all the rest’.

However, that’s not the case for every wealthy client. Some ‘just want the table to look cosy and inviting’, he says. 

The most common request, he finds, is for a ‘relaxed formal’ table. Daniel says: ‘This still means attention to detail is high and the level of service is flawless but it’s just done in a more familial, friendly manner.’

Regardless of the occasion, something it’s important to get right, he notes, is glassware. He says: ‘If you are using multiple glasses, you want them in order – water as the first glass, then each glass for each course wine pairing followed by dessert wine then port.’

He also recommends that you get creative with your arrangement. Daniel says: ‘Make it festive, make it colourful, use your best china and napkins.’

What are the don’ts when it comes to table-setting? He says: ‘A personal preference is to keep napkins simple. I don’t like them in glasses or folded into a waterlily. 

‘I like them ironed, folded perfectly sideways so they are long and can drape off the plate or mat below the table with a simple flower, cut lavender or name card [placed] on them.’

And when it comes to adding final flourishes, there are many simple – and affordable – things you can do at home, Daniel reveals. 

Daniel says: ‘Definitely use what you have, go into your garden if you have one and see what you can bring in.

‘It does not always have to be floral. I cut whole branches of trees and bushes and then stuff them with tomatoes or lemons and limes and use that as the centrepiece table runner.’

He recalls: ‘I once had to set a table for a black-and-white theme and I had so much fun with that. I used black sea salt and put black dye in the flower water, which, during the night, turned the white roses in the table vases black.’

However, when adding these flourishes, one of the most common mistakes people make is underestimating the importance of ‘sight lines’. Daniel says: ‘You want everybody to be able to have eye contact with each other so don’t have a centrepiece, [such as] flowers or candles, that will block that.’

Establishing the arrangement of the seating is another important part of the process. 

Failing to leave enough elbow room or leg room between guests is a common mistake, he says, explaining: ‘Guests being comfortable is so important, so sit in all [of] the chairs to see what the space is like around them and check that it’s not too cramped.’

On top of that, Daniel says that failing to pay careful attention to the seating plan is a major ‘no-no’. He advises putting strangers together, avoiding putting two shy people together, and mixing up the seating plan if dinners are being held amongst the same group over several days in a row.

Where did Daniel acquire his masterful table-setting skills? He says: ‘I have to give credit here to a client I worked for in France for many years.

‘To me, she is the immaculate hostess in everything she does and I have learnt so much from her. She could serve canapés out of Faberge eggs or a thousand-dollar wine out of tin mugs and [it would be] amazing… always her main focus is to give her guests the best time and she goes all out with the table decor.’

Daniel says he has been inspired by this client’s ‘mix-and-match mentality’ and now follows her lead in mixing expensive pieces – such as napkin rings and crockery – with more organic features such as fresh fruit or flowers from the garden.

Under her guidance, he has also learned to create an ‘edible centrepiece’, in which he covers the table with crudités and cheese for guests to consume as their starter. ‘It looks incredible and really gets guests talking especially if they are sitting next to someone they don’t know,’ he says.

More tips Daniel has picked up from this creative French client include creating thoughtful name cards that are personal to each guest and using deliberately mismatched tea towels instead of napkins.

Daniel does note, however, that the strength of a table setting is entirely subjective. He says: ‘There will be 1,000 books to tell you how to set a table, especially in reference to bygone eras.’

The main thing, he insists, is to have ‘fun’ with it. He says: ‘A dinner party is a wonderful thing, bringing people together to chat, eat and drink so make it however you want it to look like, have fun and enjoy it.’

To see more videos and content from Daniel, visit his Instagram and TikTok profiles.

James Maddison takes a moment to top up a glass of water, leaving the question about the psychological impact of relegation with Leicester City last season to hang in the air.

To this point Maddison had had a glint in his eye discussing the start of a new chapter with Tottenham and the excitement of working under Ange Postecoglou following his £45million move.

But now, holding court in this East End pub, Maddison, an emotional character by his own admission, needs a moment to gather his words to truly sum up the pain of being relegated.

‘I was absolutely devastated,’ he said. ‘You get to the point where you realise relegation means people lose jobs; leaving the Premier League to go to the Championship the club obviously lose a lot of money and people lose jobs, fewer people work at the training ground, stuff like that.

‘And when you think about it like that, and it’s obviously down to players on the pitch, it can hit home. That’s the type of person I am, a quite emotional person, and it did hit me and it was hard.

‘But you’ve got to dust yourself down and look forward and when opportunities like this come calling it’s not one you can say no to.

‘So onwards and upwards, blinkers on, the hunger’s back and the motivation to go and do well and prove to everyone why I’ve signed for the club.’

Maddison is 26 now, no longer the rising star that Tottenham kept tabs on when he was at Coventry City and Norwich. He arrives in north London to be the main creative midfielder.

Nine Premier League assists last season bettered anyone in Tottenham’s squad — Ivan Perisic was Spurs’ top assist maker with eight — and the onus is on Maddison to deliver straight away, starting at Brentford on Sunday.

‘I’ve always had a strong self-belief and I’ll always back myself and my own ability to succeed,’ he said. ‘It hasn’t failed me so far so I will continue to have that mindset and attitude.’

It is put to Maddison that he looks and feels like a Tottenham player: a footballer in that familiar attacking midfielder role that Christian Eriksen and Dele Alli both thrived in at Tottenham in recent years.

Mention of Eriksen earns a wry smile from Maddison for here is a player he spent his teenage years and youth-team years studying closely.

At his Tottenham peak Eriksen was considered one of the most effective creative midfielders in Europe. For Maddison, it was one of the wells of inspiration he would draw from to pave his own way to the top.

‘Christian was a brilliant player. I used to watch Christian when I was a little bit younger, making my way in the game and he was at the top of his game in the Premier League,’ said Maddison, speaking at the TNT Sports start-of-season event in London.

‘As my career developed and he was still at Tottenham, playing against him, swapping shirts with him, telling him what I thought of him as a player, and him being such a nice guy in response to that, he was definitely someone I looked at, especially when I was in that teenage phase of watching players in my position at the top of their game. He was one I looked up to, yes.’

Newcastle made no secret of their desire to bring in Maddison this summer and with Eddie Howe’s side offering Champions League football — something Tottenham don’t have to offer him — there were many scratching their heads.

But Maddison is a believer in destiny and the vision of ending up at Spurs has been etched on his mind for years. ‘I definitely do to be honest,’ he says, asked if he thinks he’s a ‘perfect’ fit for Tottenham as a club.

‘In the summer when I was speaking to my agent about moving clubs and you come to a place where you need to make decisions and where you want to go and what you think fits best, I could actually see myself playing for Spurs.

‘There’s a little window for me at Tottenham Hotspur, a creative player that they’ve always had, but maybe not had in recent years. 

‘I could definitely see myself, when making the decision, playing for Tottenham in that kit, in that stadium and being the creative player I know I can be.’

Postecoglou will want — and need — more from Maddison, however, given he scored just once in his final 14 league games for Leicester as they were caught sleepwalking to the Championship.

So, with his 27th birthday on the horizon in November, are his greatest days still ahead of him?

‘Nah, I peaked two years ago!’ Maddison says, immediately bursting out laughing.

‘We’ve had a few pre-season games so far and it’s all about learning. Not just for me but for all the players, just learning how [Postecoglou] wants each role to play. 

‘There’s that more advanced midfield role, a No 8 if you want to call it that, and to play between the lines and do what got me to this position now.

‘The way I play won’t change, that’s how I am, that’s my nature, that’s me as a footballer and him and the club obviously like that, which is why they brought me in. 

‘So [the aim is] to be that goalscoring, creative midfielder and that isn’t an easy job, so I’ll keep working and hopefully I can be successful.’

Destiny? Maybe. But only time will tell if Tottenham finally have the Christian Eriksen successor they have spent years searching for.

TNT Sports is the ultimate home for sports fans. You can stream TNT Sports on the discovery+ app and watch on all major TV platforms. This isn’t Just Sport, This is Everything. For more info visit: tntsports.co.uk

The summer holidays are here and no trip to the seaside is complete without building an enormous sandcastle to the envy of other beachgoers. 

But as any holidaymaker will know, there’s nothing more frustrating than being halfway through your majestic creation when it collapses in a heap. 

Luckily, a British researcher has now offered a few tips to get the ‘perfect sandcastle’ according to science and make it stand proud for hours. 

Professor Matthew Bennett, a sedimentologist at Bournemouth University, suggests using an 8:1 ratio of sand to water and using jagged shell fragments in the mix. 

He also says you should use a simple round bucket – not a square bucket or one with turrets – which will help keep the mixture compact – and provide you with the sturdy building blocks to build a mighty sand fortress. 

‘Whether we prefer water sports or relaxing with a good book, the humble sandcastle is often a seaside must,’ Professor Bennett said. 

‘The modest castle with perfect towers, battlements and moat is ok, but it is the huge castles which break the beach horizon that inspire awe and wonderment in people that pass by.’ 

The first step is picking the right sand, and the academic says ‘angular’ sand grains help build a strong sandcastle because they can lock together, much like a wall of bricks. 

Circular grains, on the other hand, tend to slide against each other and are therefore a poorer choice – although to the naked eye it can be hard to tell the difference.

If unsure, including small, jagged shell fragments in the mix can help increase this interlocking formation and give the castle more structural integrity. 

When you start construction of your sandcastle the best approach is gathering up spadefulls of dry sand, because you need to control the amount of water that goes in. 

Professor Bennett advises sandcastle builders to add one part water to every eight parts sand – which means for every bucket you fill during construction about 12 per cent should be water. 

A sand to water ratio of 8:1 is perfect because it provides just enough surface tension – the force that causes water molecules to be attracted to one another. 

Too little water and the surface tension can’t hold the sand grains together, but too much water and the water turns into a lubricant, causing the castle to collapse and begin to flow with the water. 

8:1 is the sweet spot between a castle that crumbles like a fruit topping (not enough water) and one that flows like a sludgy landslide (too much water). 

‘The film of water between individual sand grains is what gives sand its strength,’ said Professor Bennett. 

‘Too much and it lubricates one grain over the other, but just right and it binds them strong.’ 

For this reason, it’s important to mix thoroughly, ensuring that every sand grain is water-coated, and packing the bucket to tighten the little water bridges that hold the grains together. 

Following these steps should ensure that a bucket-full of your mixture will be able to support the weight of another, helping to create the biggest fortification on the beach.

Weather can affect the sturdiness of your construction, with the slightest winds potentially blowing it over, so you may want to opt for secluded fringes of the beach, perhaps sheltered by natural promontories of rock. 

Professor Bennett was part of a 2004 study that compared sand from the 10 most popular beaches in the UK at the time. 

The red sands of Torquay in Devon were the best for castle building, followed by Bridlington second and Bournemouth, Great Yarmouth and Tenby tied in third. 

Unfortunately, some famous beaches in the UK including Brighton Beach are useless for building sandcastles for one simple reason – they have stones instead.

This year London was declared the fourth most expensive city in the world.

But what does that mean for daytrippers? Is having a great day out in the UK capital for peanuts possible? And what sort of experiences are on offer if you have cash to splurge?

Two travel experts from The Points Guy and a guest travel influencer set about finding out – one with a budget of £10 ($12.64), one with £100 ($126) to spend, and the other with £1,000 ($1,264) to throw at a good time.

Each participant filmed themselves enjoying an activity, food – focussing on the popular British tradition of Indian dining – and drinks, and trying out various modes of transport.

The resulting video is fascinating – and the conclusion great news for anyone with little more than a tenner in their pocket.

LUXE

£1,000 BUDGET – TRAVEL CONTENT CREATOR MAZ GREEN

The ‘luxe’ London experience is enjoyed by Points Guy guest and travel content creator Maz Green. Her mode of transport for getting around the capital is the ‘Uber Lux’ service, which deploys luxury cars by the likes of BMW and Mercedes-Benz.

Maz spends £60 throughout the day with Uber Lux and praises its ‘privacy, reliability and five-star service… and the premium cars’. She’s also delighted to discover sweets in the armrest of one of the rides she summons.

For her luxe activity she opts for a £300 one-on-one ‘music meditation therapy’ session in the Akasha spa of Hotel Cafe Royal on Regent Street.

She describes the spa as an ‘oasis in the heart of the city’ and after the music meditation session says she feels ‘like she’s on a little cloud’.

Maz’s dining experience takes place at the Michelin-starred Gymkhana on Albemarle Street in Mayfair, where she splashes £214 on a tasting-menu meal with paired wines.

The Michelin Guide says guests will find ‘a delicious contrast of textures and flavours’. Maz’s verdict? She says the food is indeed delicious and the restaurant decor ‘classy and chic’.

Maz’s drinks jaunt is to Scarfes Bar at Rosewood Hotel London, where she splashes £50 on just two cocktails – but describes the drinks as ‘worth the price’, especially given the ‘cool atmosphere’ of the hotel.

Maz’s total spend: £624 ($788).

MID-RANGE

£100 BUDGET – REVIEWER LIAM SPENCER

The Points Guy’s Liam Spencer hits the town with a budget of £100, spending £19.50 to get from A to B and on to C using black cabs, describing them as ‘easy to hail’ and spacious.

His activity? Seeing a hit musical. West End shows are notoriously expensive, but Liam snares a ticket to see Henry-the-eighth-themed Six the musical on Shaftesbury Avenue for just £25 (down from around £80), using the TodayTix app.

The verdict? ‘A truly brilliant show.’

Liam’s lunch experience costs £43 and takes place at Dishoom in Covent Garden, which he describes as a ‘gorgeous Indian restaurant’.

Liam warns viewers that the popularity of the restaurant means that there can be a 20 to 30-minute wait to be seated, but stresses that ‘your patience will be rewarded… the food is that good’.

For his casual drink, Liam heads to historical Shoreditch pub The Ten Bells on Commercial Street near Spitalfields Market.

There he spends £6.50 on a pint of lager and tells viewers about the boozer’s Jack the Ripper link. According to legend, he says, some of his victims drank at the pub.

Liam’s total spend: £92.90 ($116).

BUDGET

£10 – REVIEWER NICKY KELVIN 

Points Guy Editor Nicky Kelvin reveals how to enjoy London with just £10 to spend, commenting that ‘London is one of the best cities in the world to have a budget day’.

To get around, he spends a total of just £3.75 on a ‘trusty’ Lime Bike and a double-decker bus journey.

For his activity, Nicky opts to see the changing of the guard at Wellington Barracks – which costs nothing at all.

‘It’s such a cool place to be,’ says Nicky, who watches the guards being inspected and the military band playing.

For his meal, Nicky heads to the ‘super clean hidden gem’ Indian YMCA Hostel canteen on ‘beautiful’ Fitzroy Square in Fitzrovia – and spends just £8 on food he describes as ‘authentic and delicious’.

This spend would take him over his £10 budget, but Nicky points out that he ‘ordered a few extras’ and that you can get a vegetable curry and a chapati at the hostel for £5.

For his drink, Nicky buys a £1.09 can of beer from Lidl and takes it to Primrose Hill, where he gazes at the London skyline.

‘Who needs a pub or a fancy bar when you’re in a gorgeous park with a view?’ he asks.

Nicky’s total spend: £12.84 ($16.23), but £9.84 ($12.44) without the hostel food extras.

For more from The Points Guy visit thepointsguy.com/uk-travel. To see the original TPG ‘perfect day in London’ video click here.

County cricket’s 50-over competition, the Metro Bank Cup, got underway this week, boosted by the fact players surplus to requirements at any stage of the Hundred will be free to represent their counties.

It also features high-quality overseas players in the shape of India Test batters Cheteshwar Pujara and Prithvi Shaw (Sussex and Northants respectively), South Africa’s Simon Harmer at Essex and Shan Masood of Pakistan and Yorkshire.

Despite being branded a development tournament by the ECB when the Hundred launched in 2021, it has maintained healthy crowds as counties take the opportunity to use out-grounds, attracting a wider audience in the process.

There is a developmental nature to it, of course, given the 100 best English-qualified white-ball cricketers have a 100-ball focus this month, and that allows young cricketers to make their marks, as Joey Evison did with the bat for champions Kent and John Turner did with the ball for Hampshire last season.

It is unlikely that performances will impact England’s World Cup selection, but a strong Metro Bank Cup season would surely influence longer-term thinking. Indeed, Durham’s Ollie Robinson served notice of an ability to score big runs at a rapid rate for Kent in 2022 and could now be rewarded with a place on the white-ball tour of West Indies.

The two group winners progress directly into the semi-finals on August 29, while the second and third-placed teams play off in two ‘quarter-finals’ for the right to face them. The final is at Trent Bridge on September 16.

Here is how the 18 first-class counties are shaping up:

GROUP A

Essex

Captain: Tom Westley

Overseas players: Simon Harmer (SA), Beau Webster (Aus)

2022: Sixth in Group B

Multi-format star Harmer misses the first few matches, having been given recuperation time ahead of a Championship title push, and Alastair Cook sits it out. The giant Webster adds all-round skills to a young squad.

Hampshire

Captain: Nick Gubbins

Overseas players: None

2022: Semi-finals

Only Surrey have lost more players to the Hundred than Hampshire’s 10 and their overseas pair, Kyle Abbott and Mohammad Abbas, are Championship specialists — but they still opened up with a win over Middlesex.

Kent

Captain: Joe Denly

Overseas players: James Bazley (Aus)

2022: Winners

Hundreds from Evison and Ben Compton helped the holders begin the new campaign in style, recovering from four wickets down early to edge out Yorkshire. Queenslander Bazley bowls seam and hits long.

Lancashire

Captain: Keaton Jennings

Overseas player: Dane Vilas (SA) 2022: Runners-up

A club promoting its youth still has ambitions of repeating last year’s charge to the final given the quality of emerging players George Bell, Tom Aspinwall and Jack Morley and the experienced backbone of the batting.

Leicestershire

Captain: Lewis Hill

Overseas players: Peter Handscomb (Aus), Wiaan Mulder (SA)

2022: Quarter-finals

Seldom in recent years have Leicestershire entered a competition with genuine belief that they could win it, but with two excellent overseas players and only Rehan Ahmed and Callum Parkinson absent, there is reason for such confidence.

Middlesex

Captain: Mark Stoneman

Overseas players: Pieter Malan (SA)

2022: Fourth in Group A

Financial restrictions limit Middlesex’s overseas acquisitions but they retain the majority of their Championship squad for this competition and have high hopes for Joe Cracknell and Blake Cullen.

Nottinghamshire

Captain: Haseeb Hameed

Overseas players: Dane Paterson (SA)

2022: Quarter-finals

Expect Nottinghamshire’s attempts to improve on last eason’s play-off elimination to be based on the triple spin threat of Calvin Harrison, Liam Patterson-White and Matthew Montgomery, and a bevy of all-rounders including former Yorkshire player Tom Loten and Lyndon James.

Surrey

Captain: Rory Burns

Overseas players: None

2022: Seventh in Group A

Despite losing a dozen cricketers, Surrey still include recent England batters Burns, Dom Sibley and Ben Foakes, while Conor McKerr, Daniel Moriarty and Amar Virdi boast plenty of top-level wickets.

Yorkshire

Captain: Shan Masood

Overseas player: Shan Masood (Pak)

2022: Fifth in Group B

Matthew Revis marked the start of Yorkshire’s campaign with a hat-trick against Kent. He and George Hill have the chance to progress their careers by dominating these contests.

GROUP B

Derbyshire

Captain: Brooke Guest

Overseas Players: Haider Ali (Pak), Suranga Lakmal (SL)

2022: Seventh in Group B

The retention of Ali and signing of David Lloyd from Glamorgan gives ballast to the batting and they should be contenders despite losing their first match.

Durham

Captain: Alex Lees

Overseas players: David Bedingham (SA), Migael Pretorius (SA)

2022: Ninth in Group A

Promotion in four-day cricket remains the priority and an inexperienced unit was well beaten by Worcestershire this week — despite Liam Trevaskis’s hat-trick — extending last year’s theme.

Glamorgan

Captain: Kiran Carlson

Overseas player: Colin Ingram (SA)

2022: Fourth in Group B

David Harrison, the coach who led the Welsh club to glory in this competition two years ago, takes the reins again from Mark Alleyne. Expect another strong showing, after narrowly missing out on third spot last August.

Gloucestershire

Captain: Graeme van Buuren

Overseas players: Zafar Gohar (Pak), Harry Tector (Ire)

2022: Fifth in Group A

A maiden List A ton for Ollie Price (below) versus Derbyshire contributed to a perfect start on Tuesday, but the fact Gloucestershire signed Hector for just one match highlights the extent of their injury crisis.

Northamptonshire

Captain: Lewis McManus

Overseas players: Sam Whiteman (Aus), Prithvi Shaw (Ind)

2022: eighth in Group B

With just David Willey and Saif Zaib missing, there has been little disruption at Wantage Road, and with Shaw intent on putting a dismal IPL season behind him, expect improvement on 2022.

Somerset

Captain: Sean Dickson

Overseas players: Curtis Campher (Ire)

2022: Eighth in Group A

The signing of Campher is shrewd and these 50-over affairs give James Rew a chance to show he has extra gears not yet evident in his first-class batting, as Somerset seek a white-ball double under new captain Dickson.

Sussex

Captain: Cheteshwar Pujara

Overseas players: Cheteshwar Pujara (Ind)

2022: Semi-finals

Pujara, second top scorer in last year’s competition with 624 runs, also led the side brilliantly, and with minimal changes in personnel 12 months on, they look a good bet to be pushing for a trip to Trent Bridge again.

Warwickshire

Captain: Will Rhodes

Overseas players: None

2022: Sixth in Group A

Jake Lintott, a Hundred winner in 2021, and Ed Barnard provide some experience, but the fact the Bears added a trio of rookie players to their squad on the eve of the competition highlights their approach to it.

Worcestershire

Captain: Jake Libby

Overseas player: Azhar Ali (Pak)

2022: Ninth in Group B

Rob Jones joins on loan from Lancashire ahead of a permanent 2024 switch, bolstering a side who should be tussling for top spot rather than the wooden spoon this time around. Watch out for Kashif Ali’s explosive batting.

Britons needing a steer on where to head on a staycation this summer may find that their personality type points them in the right direction.

Psychologist Giulia Bianchi has revealed the ideal UK holiday destinations for some of the personality types determined by the Myers-Briggs Personality Test, which identifies how people interact and make decisions in life.

Bianchi carried out the research in collaboration with holidaycottages.co.uk, which also discovered that searches for ‘staycation breaks’ by Britons have risen 306 per cent over the past 12 months. 

Personality type – ‘The Conceptual Planner’ (INTJ – introverted, intuitive, thinking and judging)

Best destination – Oxford

Conceptual Planners ‘love perfecting the details of life, applying creativity and rationality to everything they do’, according to the website 16Personalities. Bianchi explains that people with this personality type thrive on exploring intellectually stimulating environments, so a trip to a historic and culturally rich destination is ideal as it gives them the chance to contemplate humanity’s grand ideas and inventions.

The university city of Oxford covers all the bases of a Conceptual Planner’s interests, the psychologist explains, as the city is steeped in history and offers a captivating blend of academia, culture and charm that delights those looking for places where they can learn something new.

The Sheldonian Theatre, Christ Church Cathedral, and the Bodleian Library are just some of the historic buildings that Conceptual Planners can visit to learn about the city’s history and admire its architecture, Bianchi reveals. She adds that the Ashmolean Museum is a must-see, as it’s full of artistic and archaeological features with a collection that spans from Egyptian mummies to contemporary art.

Personality type – ‘The Insightful Visionary’ (INFJ – introverted, intuitive, feeling and judging)

Destination – Snowdonia, Wales

Those who are introverted in nature and ‘tend to approach life with deep thoughtfulness and imagination’, share traits with the Insightful Visionary personality type, 16Personalities reveals.

What kind of holiday suits an Insightful Visionary? Bianchi says that, being altruistic and purpose-driven, people with this personality type enjoy destinations that offer opportunities for meaningful experiences and a connection with nature.

As a result, she says that Snowdonia National Park is the perfect UK destination for Insightful Visionaries, as they will enjoy taking in its natural beauty and exploring its wildlife-filled landscapes. The park offers outdoor enthusiasts plenty of adventure and exploration, the psychologist adds.

During the trip, they can explore charming towns and villages such as Blaenau Ffestiniog, which is located in the heart of the national park, Bianchi notes.

Personality type – ‘The Objective Analyst’ (INTP – introverted, intuitive, thinking and perceiving)

Destination – Buckinghamshire

‘Quiet, thoughtful, and analytical’ is how the Myers-Briggs website describes the Objective Analyst personality type. Bianchi notes that people with this category of personality are known for their creativity and penchant for problem-solving.

According to the psychologist, Objective Analysts will find an escape to Buckinghamshire fascinating, particularly if they drop by Bletchley Park country estate, which is famous as the home of Allied codebreakers during World War II. 

Bianchi adds that it’s also worth visiting the National Museum of Computing in the estate – visitors can learn about functional historic computers, including the first-ever electronic computer created.

Personality type – ‘The Thoughtful Idealist’ (INFP – introverted, intuitive, feeling and perspective)

Destination – St Ives, Cornwall

‘Creative and imaginative, they happily lose themselves in daydreams, inventing all sorts of stories and conversations in their minds.’

So says the website 16Personalities of the Thoughtful Idealist, a personality type that Bianchi notes belongs to people who are lovers of art and beauty and appreciate authentic experiences.

She says that a retreat to the tranquil Cornish town of St Ives will deeply resonate with their sensitive and idealistic souls. Why? The psychologist explains that the seaside town has lots to offer creatively, as it boasts a prominent artistic community and numerous galleries and studios, such as the Tate St Ives, the Penwith Gallery and the Barbara Hepworth Museum and Sculpture Garden.

Personality type – ‘The Decisive Strategist’ (ENTJ – extroverted, intuitive, thinking and judging).

Destination – Fort William, Scotland 

The website 16Personalities describes people who fit this personality type as ‘decisive people’ who are ‘natural-born leaders’. Bianchi elaborates on that point, explaining how, with their love for challenging experiences and strategic thinking, Decisive Strategists would find climbing mountains as part of their trip a fulfilling experience.

According to the psychologist, the Scottish town of Fort William is the ideal destination for Decisive Strategists. That’s because it offers the perfect opportunity to climb the UK’s biggest mountain, Ben Nevis, as it nestles right at the foot of the mighty peak.

While there, Decisive Strategists can also take in the lochs that surround the area, explore stunning Nevis Gorge and marvel at Steall Waterfall, she says. 

Personality type – ‘Enterprising Explorer’ (ENTP – extroverted, intuitive, thinking and perceiving)

Destination – St Leonards-on-Sea, East Sussex 

The Myers-Briggs website describes this personality type as ‘innovative and entrepreneurial’, with Bianchi adding that people with the ‘Enterprising Explorer’ personality type thrive on novelty and diversity.

The East Sussex seaside resort of St Leonards-on-Sea is a fit for this personality type, she reveals, because it’s home to numerous art galleries, studios, exhibitions, and cultural events that celebrate the creativity of artists from different backgrounds.

When crafting their itineraries, Enterprising Explorers should make sure to consider Hastings Museum & Art Gallery, The True Crime Museum, and The White Rock Theatre, Bianchi reveals, as these spaces offer an engaging mixture of arts and cultural ideas.

Gentlemen do truly prefer blondes, and ‘tall, dark, and handsome’ are the features of an ideal man.

This is according to artificial intelligence tools that learn from the billions of images on social media sites depicting beautiful people.

The Bulimia Project, an eating disorder awareness group, asked AI to produce the ‘perfect’ male and female bodies, according to what gets most engagement on social media. 

Researchers from the organization found that the most desirable women had blonde hair, olive skin, brown eyes, and slim figures, while the ‘perfect’ male had dark, smoldering eyes, chiseled cheekbones and defined muscles.

Most of the AI results appeared to play up outdated standards of beauty – caucasian yet tanned, slim yet muscular, and overwhelmingly blonde – which hints at the tool’s implicit biases. 

The Bulimia Project tested Artificial Intelligence image generators, including Dall-E 2, Stable Diffusion, and Midjourney, to reveal what the programs’ idea of the ‘perfect’ physique looks like in women and men. 

The AI works by scouring the internet for images that already exist and designing a new image based on those results.

Because they don’t show their working it is unclear exactly how they came to their results.

But they are thought to take into consideration interactions with photos uploaded to social media, including likes and comments, as well as internet searches.

Nearly 40 percent of the images showing ‘perfect’ women were blonde, 30 percent had brown eyes, and over half had olive skin.

Almost 70 percent of the ‘perfect’ men had brown hair and 23 percent had brown eyes. Similar to women, the vast majority of men were olive-skinned and nearly half had facial hair.

Many of them were finely-toned, and images showed many of them with almost cartoonish features such as a plump lips, wrinkle-free and pore-free complexions, and perfect ski-slope noses, all features that are highly coveted and often imitated using plastic surgery and fillers. 

DailyMail.com then put those attributes into Midjourney and asked it to create images of fake people. It returned images so finely tuned that they would not look out of place in a glossy magazine.

The report from the Bulimia Project concluded: ‘In the age of Instagram and Snapchat filters, no one can reasonably achieve the physical standards set by social media. 

‘So, why try to meet unrealistic ideals? It’s both mentally and physically healthier to keep body image expectations squarely in the realm of reality.’

James Campigotto, a data journalist in Florida who helped work on the Bulimia Project study, told Fox News that it was meant to explore the biases and dangers of AI and the power of social media, which is becoming an issue of growing concern, especially among young people.

A 2019 study from the University of Montreal set out to investigate the deleterious effects of long-term social media use on body image. 

Teenagers spend an average of nine hours online a day and, simultaneously, rates of depression among young people have reached record highs.

A team there followed teenagers throughout their high school careers and found that certain forms of social media and TV shows fueled spirals of depression and self-consciousness.

For four years, the research team kept up with 4,000 teenagers between the ages of 12 and 16 throughout their high school years. Interestingly, each year, teens spent more time on social media and watching television than they had the previous year.

With each passing year, they also displayed more depression symptoms, on average. 

For each hour more a teenager spent on social media or watching TV, they reported feeling less confident and more depressed.

Social media and the images it depicts have been blamed for an uptick in depression and associated suicides among teens even before the Covid pandemic.

Suicide is the second-leading cause of death among people aged 15 to 24 in the U.S. 

Nearly 20 percent of high school students report serious thoughts of suicide and 9 percent have made an attempt to take their lives, according to the National Alliance on Mental Illness.

The fashion industry has also embraced AI-generated images of idealized humans to sell its merchandise. 

Levi’s, for example, has teamed up with an entirely AI modeling agency that uses computer programs to create lifelike models.

And in March, the three female models on the cover of Singapore Vogue were all AI-generated. 

The project was masterminded by Varun Gupta, creative director of content agency We Create Films, who said: ‘I strongly believe AI has enabled us to realize the true potential of our imagination.’

Snooping on a partner’s phone is not unheard of in a mistrusting or unfaithful relationship.

But WhatsApp users have joked that cheating has now been ‘upgraded’ thanks to the app’s new Chat Lock feature, which allows users to keep secret conversations locked up with a password.

While it can be used for more innocent purposes such as planning surprises, many have thanked owner Mark Zuckerberg for helping to keep infidelities under the radar.

‘This is so great and wonderful news thanks Mr,’ one Facebook user said. ‘Cheating has been upgraded.’

Yet, a cybersecurity expert also warned that it could be used for ‘nefarious purposes’, with numerous Metropolitan Police officers previously charged and sacked over discriminatory WhatsApp messages.

The Chat Lock feature was rolled out as part of WhatsApp’s continued efforts to keep messages ‘private and secure’.

In a blog post, it said: ‘Locking a chat takes that thread out of the inbox and puts it behind its own folder that can only be accessed with your device password or biometric, like a fingerprint. It also automatically hides the contents of that chat in notifications, too.

‘We think this feature will be great for people who have reason to share their phones from time to time with a family member or those moments where someone else is holding your phone at the exact moment an extra special chat arrives.’

Yet Facebook has been flooded with comments after Zuckerberg suggested that it could be used to hide a ‘secret sauce recipe’ and a ‘fight club’.

Drawing to the 1999 film starring Brad Pitt, one user joked: ‘First rule of fight club…’

Another added: ‘On behalf of CPA (cheating partners association) we commend the great work you are doing.’

Someone else chimed in: ‘Wow, this is absolutely fascinating and groundbreaking! 

‘The realm of cheating has just entered a whole new level of sophistication and advancement. Thank you for enlightening us with this intriguing information.’ 

However, the feature also comes at a time when numerous Metropolitan Police officers have been charged or sacked over discriminatory messages.

Sarah Everard’s murderer Wayne Couzens was found to be in a WhatsApp group called ‘Bottles & Stoppers’ where officers joked about rape. 

Meanwhile, eight Metropolitan Police officers were previously charged following their involvement in another warped WhatsApp conversation. 

The so-called ‘Secret Squirrel S**t’ chat was revealed to contain sexist, racist, homophobic and transphobic profanities. 

With that in mind, Jake Moore, a Global Cybersecurity Advisor at ESET, believes privacy features could be used for ‘nefarious’ purposes, though he acknowledged it is difficult to establish how so, this early on.

He said: ‘It’s difficult to point the finger at who specifically would use the feature but it could suggest nefarious use indeed.

‘Locking chats with a passcode adds a layer of security and improves privacy from prying eyes with physical contact. 

‘Many other privacy focused chat applications are available but WhatsApp is the clear front runner with most people. Although messages are sent with end to end encryption (meaning that such messages cannot be intercepted) the key to unlocking these messages is the device passcode.

‘For more private chats, the ‘Disappearing Messages’ feature in the app adds a much better level of security which wipes messages completely after a certain amount of time.’

To lock a chat, users should open the WhatsApp and tap on the name of a group or one-to-one conversation.

A lock option should then appear, which will prompt users to enter the device password or biometric data to secure that chat. 

To reveal these, a password or biometric data should be applied after pulling down on a WhatsApp inbox.

WhatsApp claims that more options are to be added to this feature over the next few months.  

It said: ‘Over the next few months we’re going to be adding more options for Chat Lock, including locking for companion devices and creating a custom password for your chats so that you can use a unique password different from the one you use for your phone.’

WhatsApp has been approached for comment. 

Think the life of a flight attendant is one big party?

One former air hostess has set the record straight in a book that pulls together her diary entries made while working for a ‘luxury airline’ over a period of five years.

‘Diary of A Flight Attendant‘ by Marika Mikusova is a warts-and-all behind-the-scenes look at what it’s really like to work at 38,000ft. Read on for some of the revelations contained within the tome, from the best place and time to join the mile-high club to why Germans are the best at boarding and the shocking habits of cabin cleaning crews…

GERMANS – AND THEIR SEAT-SWAPPING PROWESS

Marika reveals how ‘boarding basically takes care of itself on a German flight’.

She explains: ‘Passengers know where to sit and how to arrange their luggage in the hat racks [overhead bins], which they then close themselves. And if they want to change seats with someone, they go and ask them themselves, instead of coming to us like little kids to sort it out for them.’

POSTURE IN THE CABIN

Marika was once told by a supervisor that she ‘shouldn’t lean on seats because it doesn’t look good’. Marika complained that this was difficult when standing behind a seat, explaining: ‘We absolutely must “lean”, or we would fall into the seats behind us. My blood’s boiling.’

THE CHAOS OF BUSY FLIGHTS

One flight was so busy, Marika explains, that ‘half an hour before landing, we are still running up and down the cabin, collecting dirty meal trays’. She adds: ‘Some passengers get so fed up with our snail’s pace that they bring the trays to the galley themselves. And when there’s nowhere else to put them, they leave them on the floor. We’d have picked them up quicker if it hadn’t been for a few passengers suddenly remembering they’d like a coffee.’

COMING CLEAN ABOUT THE CLEANERS

After one flight, Marika witnessed a cleaner wiping the surface of the galley ‘with the same rag he just used to wipe the toilet floor’. She adds: ‘I’ve seen it so many times, I’m not surprised at all.’

HOW ARE THE CREWS AT CLEANING THE LAVATORIES?

Marika says: ‘When the crew goes to “clean the lavatory”, what that really means for a lot of them is that they just lock themselves inside for five minutes to check their cell phones.’

THE TIME A PASSENGER LIT UP IN THE TOILETS

Marika reveals that on one flight a passenger smoked a cigarette in the business-class toilet – it wasn’t long before cabin crew were deployed with fire extinguishers…

Marika writes: ‘I peek into the cabin on the right, and see a puff of smoke coming from the lavatory. Dido [a colleague] immediately yells that she can see smoke, and lunges for the compartment with a fire extinguisher. I follow her with [colleagues] Dragana and Wilson.

‘We arrive at the lavatory with four fire extinguishers and Dido literally knocks down the door. So much smoke pours into the cabin in a second that we can’t even see each other. Inside the lavatory, there’s a guy with a cigarette looking at us in disbelief.

“‘Did you throw a cigarette in the trash?!” I yell at the guy, feeling my voice shake and adrenaline flooding me. I pour water into it to be sure.

‘My hands are shaking and tears are welling up in my eyes.’

SURPRISE ‘DIAPER PRESENTS’

Marika recalls a passenger changing her baby’s nappy on the flight at her seat – just before the meal service.

Marika writes: ‘I try to indicate to her that it may not be pleasant for other passengers, especially since we’re just starting to serve meals.

‘The lady just smiles: “It’s okay, I’m done anyway.” At the end of the flight I find used diapers under her seat. This isn’t the only flight where I’ve found these “surprises” at the end.’

THE CREW HIERARCHY

Marika reveals that the crew hierarchy even extends to checking into the hotels together after a flight, with senior staff traditionally going forward to check in first.

THE BEST PLACE – AND TIME – TO JOIN THE MILE-HIGH CLUB

Marika writes: ‘The lavatories in economy class are by far the “safest” place to join the mile-high club. Economy class is so vast that you can barely see the end of it. And it has several lavatories. It’s more practical to use a lavatory that has only one door. Not the one in which the door has to “fold” to give you enough room to even step inside. Us flight attendants, we like to sit and chat in the galleys. Plus, we dim the cabin lights after each service, so that’s the perfect time for… well, you know. You’re welcome, by the way.’

Diary of a Flight Attendant is out now. Click here to order a copy. You can find Marika tweeting at twitter.com/letuska_m and her Instagram account is here.