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Britons will have to pay €7 (£6.30) every three years to travel to EU countries, as a consequence of Brexit.

The European Commission has confirmed that while UK travellers will not need a visa, they will need to apply for and buy another document.

It is called an ETIAS (European Travel Information and Authorisation System) and although not launched yet, is expected to come into force in 2021.

The travel requirement is not just for the UK but for many non-EU countries.

What is the ETIAS?

Citizens of EU countries - which currently includes British people - are able to travel anywhere in the EU.

But anyone from a non-EU country has to apply for a visa - unless they are from a special list of 61 countries, which also includes the US, Japan and Australia.

Nationals from these 61 countries can travel within the EU's Schengen zone - the area where people can travel without border checks - for up to 90 days without a visa.

However, because of the migrant crisis and security concerns over terrorism, the EU has decided to bring in more controls over the countries on this special list.

So it is introducing the ETIAS - an electronic application form - which is Europe's version of the United States' $14 ESTA, although as the EU Commission points out, it is "way cheaper".

Image Copyright @NatashaBertaud @NatashaBertaud Report

Image Copyright @NatashaBertaud @NatashaBertaudReport

It is not a visa but a travel requirement for anyone on that list of 61 non-EU countries who are coming to the EU for business, tourism, medical or transit-related reasons for up to 90 days.

The EU says the ETIAS system will "to strengthen security checks on those persons who travel visa-free to the EU".

Brexit: A really simple guide

Brexit vote: What could happen next?

How might Brexit affect my European holiday?

What will UK travellers to the EU have to do?

Under the Brexit deal, EU citizens and UK nationals will continue to be able to travel freely with a passport or identity card until the end of the transition period in 2020.

After this period ends, the European Commission has offered visa-free travel for UK nationals coming to the EU for a short stay, as long as the UK offers the same in return.

But although they do not need a visa, UK nationals will need an ETIAS - deal or no deal.

The form - which the EU describes as a "necessary and small procedural step" - will take no more than 10 minutes and anyone between the ages of 18 and 70 must pay the fee, the EU says.

The details needed for the application form will include passport information as well as background questions about criminal records or medical conditions.

Most people will find out if their application has been successful within minutes, the EU says, with more than 95% of applications approved automatically.

Applications can also be denied or take up to four weeks to process.

If successful, the ETIAS will last for three years and allow an unlimited number of entries. The document will be checked by border guards when crossing the EU border.

Branson: Hard Brexit will bankrupt UK

What will Ireland do if there's no deal?

Q&A: The Irish border Brexit backstop

It is not known what rules will apply to EU tourists coming to the UK, but according to the EU and UK's political declaration, both sides will aim to provide "visa-free travel for short-term visits".

The European Commission previously said the EU's offer of visa-free travel to the UK was "entirely conditional upon the UK also granting reciprocal and non-discriminatory visa-free travel for all EU member states".

The proposal - which will come into force on 29 March 2019 when the UK leaves the EU in the event of a no-deal Brexit - must be adopted by the EU Parliament and European Council before it can come into force.

The UK already grants visa-free travel to nationals from 56 countries - ranging from the United States to the Maldives - allowing people to stay for a maximum of six months. But they are not allowed to work, study or settle.

The news could also lead to a renewed surge in applications for Irish passports by British citizens.

Citizens of the Republic of Ireland, an EU member state, will retain visa-free travel benefits after Brexit, no matter the outcome of the UK's negotiations with the EU.

UK residents are entitled to an Irish passport if their parents or grandparents were born in Ireland, while most Northern Ireland citizens are entitled to an Irish passport if they wish.

Earlier in 2018, it was reported that Irish passport applications by UK citizens were booming.

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UK travellers to pay €7 to visit EU after Brexit

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Britons will have to pay €7 (£6.30) every three years to travel to EU countries, as a consequence of Brexit. The European Commission has confirmed that while UK travellers will not need a visa, they will need to apply for and buy another document.

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1- Stay open minded
2- don't take it personally
3- put yourself in their shoes
4- Don't try to defend yourself, listen and don't ignore the negative feedback
5- Ask questions to understand better

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Puhi, Isa, Vera, Lucy, Jarno
1. Be as direct as necessary
2. Watch your words, don't offend people
3. Give feedback regularly
4. Be realistic
5. Give the other person time to respond
6. Pay attention to their reaction
7. Praise in public, criticize in private
8. Use I-sentences
9. Suggest concrete ways to make improvements
10. Put yourself in their shoes

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Britt, Julia, Sue, Merel, Luuk

1. Avoid becoming defensive
2. Don't interrupt the sender
3. Ask questions
4. Listen closely
5. Take time to reflect

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1) Listen actively.
2) Clarify doubt.
3) Be respectful, not defensive.
4) See it as an opportunities.
5) Revise on the feedback.

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Britt, Julia, Sue, Merel, Luuk

1. Never express your frustration
2. Only give feedback about things you have seen, not about what you have heard.
3. Focus on both positive and negative feedback.
4. Be specific
5. Focus on behavior not on a person
6. Be prepared about what you want to say
7. Create a comfortable atmosphere
8. Focus on a solution
9. Start and end with a compliment about the person.
10. Check yourself before giving feedback.

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Wow: bij dit Amsterdamse restaurant kun je pizza van bijna 90 euro eten

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Ben jij net als bijna iedereen dol op pizza? Het is natuurlijk een aantrekkelijke snack, omdat het vaak goedkoop en lekker is. Mocht je niet om de prijs geven? In Amsterdam kun je nu een pizza eten met een peperduur prijskaartje.

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Tientallen pro-Zwarte Piet-demonstranten zijn vanmiddag in Tilburg aangehouden voor het verstoren van de openbare orde tijdens de intocht van Sinterklaas. Ze waren onderweg naar de plek waar demonstranten van Kick Out Zwarte Piet stonden. Die hebben op hun beurt het protest afgelast: "Deze plek is onacceptabel."

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Brittany Ferries has said customers are delaying booking Channel crossings for next summer amid concern over the impact of Brexit.

As a member of the European Union, UK citizens have enjoyed friction-free travel to the EU.

If the UK can reach some kind of exit deal then those arrangements would be likely to continue.

If talks fail then existing agreements between the UK and EU will end, and it is not clear what would replace them.

While ferry bookings have fallen, the Association of British Travel Agents (Abta) says that bookings for package holidays in summer 2019 are positive - up 15% on this time last year.

Travel journalist Simon Calder says that is a good move by holidaymakers: "The smart thing to do is book a package holiday which means if the holiday doesn't happen you will at least get your money back.

"The danger with booking a hotel, car and flight separately is that the flight, for example, may not go but you may still need to pay for the rest."

So what are the travel companies saying?

Airlines

Major airlines all appear confident that flights will continue to take off even if there is a no-deal Brexit.

EasyJet has said that both the UK and the European Commission have indicated that they will put an agreement in place and they believe that connectivity should not be disrupted.

This has been echoed by IAG, the parent company of British Airways. An IAG spokesperson says that in the event of a no-deal scenario, both the EU and UK have said they will put an agreement in place that allows flights to continue.

Ryanair is seemingly the most cautious of the airline operators and recently began issuing a warning on its tickets: "This flight is subject to the regulatory environment allowing the flight to take place."

The company believes the risk of a no-deal Brexit is rising, and while they hope that a transition agreement from March 2019 to December 2020 will be implemented they remain concerned that the time to complete such an agreement is shortening.

Trains

Eurostar is the high-speed rail service connecting the UK and mainland Europe.

It expects services will run even if there is a no-deal outcome. A spokesperson said the company, planned and expected to "maintain services on the existing basis and timetable following Brexit".

Eurotunnel, which operates Le Shuttle services between Folkestone and Calais, expects services to operate without disruption next year but isn't able to give any guarantees.

A spokesperson said: "Our service will be running just as frequently and fast as it is today. We are advising customers to look at the government website for the latest information on additional measures they might need to take."

Ferries

Ferries will continue to run, but Nigel Wonnacott from Brittany Ferries said: "We know that uncertainty and instability in the UK will have consequences on both sides of the channel."

"A poor deal, or perhaps no deal at all, could impact Brittany, Normandy and the Loire."

Coach travel

Coach company National Express travels to European locations such as Paris or Brussels. Without a deal services to EU countries could be suspended in the short term.

National Express says it plans to release its 2019 timetable for European travel this month.

"We are currently advising passengers to book as normal for our European services but will continue to monitor and respond to any relevant changes confirmed in the run up to and post-Brexit."

Driving

The AA has advised that the worst possible outcome for British people considering taking their car into Europe will be the requirement for two additional documents: an insurance Green Card (effectively, a multi-lingual translation of your car insurance policy) as well as an International Driving Permit, in addition to your driving licence.

From February 2019, these will only be obtainable in person from certain Post Offices in the UK.

An AA spokesperson said: "There is a lot of hyperbole surrounding future travel in Europe but there is absolutely no reason why anyone should change their plans.

"There is likely to be some additional bureaucracy to go through but, once in mainland Europe, there should no barriers to travel across borders and British travellers will be just as welcome as they are now."

If there is a requirement for additional documents, car hire companies such as Europcar have said they will respond and, "apply the law applicable at the time".

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How might Brexit affect my European holiday?

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Brittany Ferries has said customers are delaying booking Channel crossings for next summer amid concern over the impact of Brexit. As a member of the European Union, UK citizens have enjoyed friction-free travel to the EU. If the UK can reach some kind of exit deal then those arrangements would be likely to continue.

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Through Spider-Man, the X-Men and many other characters, the late Stan Lee sought to make a positive and lasting difference.

It's difficult to envision what pop culture would be like without Stan Lee's prolific impact.

And it's even more difficult to imagine there was a time Lee nearly quit the industry altogether.

After spending more than 20 years working at Timely Comics, which would later evolve into the Marvel we know today, Lee had grown both frustrated and irritated with the public's perception of comic books.

"Nobody, outside of our own little circle, had a good word to say about comic books," Lee said in his 2002 memoir Excelsior.

"To the public at large, comics were at the very bottom of the cultural totem pole."

Stars' tributes to Marvel 'genius' Stan Lee

Obituary: superhero creator Stan Lee

'Stan Lee is my superhero'

One day in the early 1960s, as Lee was planning to tell his boss he wanted to quit, he was tasked with creating a new superhero team in the vein of DC's Justice League of America.

After being advised by his wife to experiment with stories he was more passionate about, he put the human in superhuman and started to give his heroes a flawed quality - something to make them more relatable to us mere mortals.

When jotting down ideas for the Fantastic Four, Lee conceived them as real, living people whose personal relationships would interest readers.

Traditionally, comic books had very simple storylines. Fantastic Four, in contrast, honed in on the personalities of its heroes rather than solely focusing on their abilities.

"They were the kind of team I had been longing to write about," Lee said. "Heroes who were less than perfect.

"Heroes who didn't always get along with each other, but heroes who could be counted on when the chips were down."

The Fantastic Four was published in November 1961 and the public loved the fresh approach, making the new series of books an overnight sensation.

Soon after Lee created the Incredible Hulk and then Spider-Man, which went on to be one of the most successful characters in comic book history.

Many critics attribute the latter's success to the in-depth characterisation of Peter Parker, as well as his personality quirks.

Peter was the "quintessential hard-luck kid". Despite beating bad guys and protecting the city from danger, he still had trouble finding a date and keeping his acne at bay.

Last summer, when images of the white nationalist rally in Charlottesville circulated on social media, Lee responded with a powerful statement of his own.

"Bigotry and racism are among the deadliest social ills plaguing the world today," he wrote. "As true today as it was in 1968."

The words he shared originally appeared in Stan's Soapbox, a column he wrote for Marvel that was published in the same year Martin Luther King Jr was assassinated.

While celebrities engaging in politics through social media is seen as a new trend, Lee used his platform to fight prejudice.

From The Fantastic Four to the X-Men, his heroes were outsiders who fight for a better society - no surprise given they were created during the height of the civil rights movement.

X-Men has often been praised for its portrayal of mutant oppression and its reflection of the fight for civil rights. Fans have even compared Professor Xavier and Magneto's differing views to King and Malcolm X's respective ideologies.

"I always felt the X-Men, in a subtle way, often touched upon the subject of racism and inequality," Lee told the Washington Post in 2016.

Alongside his long-time collaborator Jack Kirby, Lee also created Black Panther, the first black superhero to appear in comics.

This year's film version was praised for providing the representation many black audiences had been craving for, from children seeing what they could grow up to be, to women witnessing their hair and skin tones being celebrated on screen.

Other fans praised the comic and film for its portrayal of fictional African nation Wakanda as the most technologically advanced country in the world.

Black Panther is now Marvel Studios' most successful release at the box office and has been tipped to win awards at next year's Oscars.

Through gaming tournaments she organises, Stephanie Nnesaga aims to eradicate the negative, "nerdy" stereotype that is often associated with comics.

The group she founded celebrates gaming, comics and anime and welcomes people from all walks of life to express their passions, without fear of being judged.

"Growing up as a black woman, I often read Marvel comics as an escape," she tells the BBC.

"Whenever I felt down, or wanted to be alone or wanted to get away from the worries of my world, I'd go straight into the comics.

"Stan created this unimaginable world and he inspired me to do what I want and not care what people said about reading comics. He made it cool and inspired me to create my own platform," she continues.

"Like me, Spider-Man was a nerd and wasn't popular. But he was given a chance to be greater at such an young age, and that was so amazing for me to read."

Stan Lee died on Monday at the age of 95. But his legacy will live on, not least due to the cameo appearances that were a much-loved feature of the films with which he was associated.

It is believed he may have left as many as six different cameos in the can before he died - a comforting thought for the many fans for whom he was as much a grandfather as a godfather.

Follow us on Facebook, on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts, or on Instagram at bbcnewsents. If you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk.

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Through Spider-Man, the X-Men and many other characters, the late Stan Lee sought to make a positive and lasting difference. It's difficult to envision what pop culture would be like without Stan Lee's prolific impact. And it's even more difficult to imagine there was a time Lee nearly quit the industry altogether.

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1) Be specific, don't be vague.
2) Don't wait with giving feedback.
3) Be respectful.
4) Create a comfortable environment.
5) Always make it a one-on-one.
6) End in a positive matter.
7) Do it frequently, feedback doesn't have to be negative.
8) Focus on performance, not personality.
9) Prepare feedback constructively.
10) Ask question to understand the other persons position.

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Yotel has announced plans to open a 256-room hotel in Glasgow's city centre, creating more than 100 new jobs.

It will be the chain's second hotel in Scotland and fifth in the UK.

The new hotel, which is expected to open in November next year, will be located at the Westergate building on Argyle Street, near Glasgow's Central Station.

Its features will include a rooftop bar and a bowling alley.

Yotel chief executive Hubert Viriot said: "Glasgow is a forward-looking city that has real vibrancy and energy, bolstered by careful planning and investment initiatives.

"The city is building on its excellent infrastructure and is shaping up to be a world-class business destination.

"These were all important characteristics that helped us choose Glasgow as our next UK location and we're excited to be part of the positive momentum that is driving growth in the city."

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Yotel has announced plans to open a 256-room hotel in Glasgow's city centre, creating more than 100 new jobs. It will be the chain's second hotel in Scotland and fifth in the UK. The new hotel, which is expected to open in November next year, will be located at the Westergate building on Argyle Street, near Glasgow's Central Station.

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A specialised gymnastics facility has opened at the Elmbridge Xcel Leisure Centre in Walton-on-Thames, Surrey.

The purpose-built, £300,000 facility was officially opened by Commonwealth Games champion gymnast Courtney Tulloch and adds to the centre's existing gymnastics offer.

Interest in gymnastics has boomed in the UK in recent years, partly thanks to the success of British gymnasts on the world stage since the London 2012 Olympic Games.

According to Sport England figures, the number of people taking part in gymnastics has increased by more than 100,000 since 2012 - with another spike in interest recorded during the 2016 Rio Games.

According to Dave Jones, contract manager for Places Leisure - which manages the centre on behalf of Elmbridge Borough Council - the centre will cater for the increased interest.

"We hope that the new facilities will also encourage even more children to take up gymnastics," Jones said.

"The new kit will offer participants the opportunity to try all elements of gymnastics, including men's and women's artistic as well as acrobat gymnastics.

"Gymnastics is a foundation sport that teaches children vital physical literacy skills as they step, leap and jump towards a healthy lifestyle. Through gymnastics children can improve their strength, speed and coordination as well as learning important social skills like teamwork, confidence, trust and taking turns."

The £13m Xcel Leisure Complex first opened in 2006 and features a 120-station fitness suite, a climbing wall, a 25m swimming pool, a 20m learner pool with moveable floor and an eight-court sports hall.

The project was originally the result of a Public Private Partnership between DC Leisure and the Elmbridge Borough Council Leisure and Cultural Services Division. The construction was carried out by Willmott Dixon.

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Purpose-built gymnastics centre opens in south west London

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A specialised gymnastics facility has opened at the Elmbridge Xcel Leisure Centre in Walton-on-Thames, Surrey. The purpose-built, £300,000 facility was officially opened by Commonwealth Games champion gymnast Courtney Tulloch and adds to the centre's existing gymnastics offer.

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Dutch Design Week (DDW) is only days away. Here are some more things you can do during this world-famous design event being held in Eindhoven from 20 - 28 October.
The Dutch Design Foundation is the driving force behind DDW, as well as the World Event. The 2018 Creative Embassies stems from last year's first World Design Event.

Creative Embassies is a community that is tackling future challenges that cities and their inhabitants face. It is made up of, among others, international creative thinkers and doers, business communities, and educational institutions. These Creative Embassies connect themes, challenges, and visions on many topics.

Each domain-specific Creative Embassy forms a hub that covers all aspects of a particular topic. This year, the Creative Embassies are zooming in on six topics - circularity, health, mobility, food, water and urban transformation. Two of these hubs are highlighted here.

Designers are active in the health care system in many different ways. Whether it be designing serious games for patients and healthcare providers or 'hacking' healthcare applications, Through existing and speculative projects, the Embassy of Health shows how designers play a key role in our health and well-being.

One of these design projects is called Carebnb. Here, two designers have created a B&B platform exclusively meant for people in need of informal care on a temporary basis. Carebnb matches these people with individuals offering a room in their homes. Medical care is provided by the local nurse and physiotherapist. The homeowner also helps with daily tasks. This encourages a quicker recovery. The project is supported by the Creative Industries Fund NL.

Biotechnology meets tradition

In another project Kuang-Yi K u, a resident artist at Waag, Amsterdam, addresses the huge demand for wild animal parts in traditional Chinese medicine. This is a real threat to nature conservation. In his Tiger Penis Project, Ku proposes a solution for threatened species like rhinos and tigers. Why not cultivate the body parts in a laboratory, using biotechnology? This project bridges old traditions and technological innovation, helping to preserve both cultural traditions as well as wildlife.

DDW visitors can find this 'embassy' in Strijp T+R - B8 at the Innovation Powerhouse, 31A Zwaanstraat.

The Embassy of Water is a platform for water-related design. It was formed to inspire and accelerate innovation. This embassy will become a creative ' Water Hub' - a place where future-oriented collaborations can be established with the aim of achieving a sustainable, water-friendly society.

This year's Embassy of Water focuses on two themes - Water Sensitive Urban Design (Water in the City) and Nature-Based Solutions (The Power of Water).

This 'embassy"s starting point is the question: How can we turn Eindhoven into a water-sensitive city, prepared for the challenges posed by urbanisation and climate change? 'This question comes from the urban water management system that is called Water Sensitive Urban Design', says Van der Poll, curator of the Embassy of Water.

Very effective approach

'This approach is regarded worldwide as a very effective solution for tackling urbanisation and climate change problems, such as rainwater problems and heat islands, the places in the city that are extra warm due to too much concrete and lack of green space.'

The avenue of design focuses on the reduction of water consumption, the collection, cleaning and recycling of rainwater and the construction of sustainable drainage systems. In the water-sensitive city, rainwater is no longer led directly to the sewer system, but collected and delayed by green roofs, rain gates, water squares and ponds.

Van der Poll's vision has been realised in several projects. One of these is Rain (a) Way- an urban design agency founded in 2014 by Fien Dekker. She was inspired during her travels to Africa and Japan. Her main goal is to implement her special tiles in all cities worldwide so people can use rainwater more effectively.

This 'embassy' will be in Hallenweg - G4, Bergmannstraat 76 (Atelier NL).

Please visit the DDW website for the full programme of these six Creative Embassies, as well as all the other events taking place.

Another venue, MU, will this year organise plenty of activities during the DDW. Join the conversation about design during the Create Out Loud talk shows, take part in interactive workshops, or meet other makers. One of the highlights is The New Newsroom exhibition that is going to be held at the MU Artspace.

The New Newsroom: Reporting Redesigned

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A myriad of things to do at DDW - Eindhoven News

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Events, Lifestyle, News, Technology - Dutch Design Week (DDW) is only days away. Here are some more things you can do during this world-famous design event being held in Eindhoven from 20 - 28 - A myriad of things to do at DDW

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Visitors unwell after using pepper spray during Amsterdam Dance Event

During the Amsterdam Dance Event (ADE) in Amsterdam, 28 visitors were unwell on Sunday in a total of three events that would have been sprayed with pepper spray. This happened a night earlier.

During the Amsterdam Dance Event (ADE) in Amsterdam, 28 visitors were unwell on Sunday in a total of three events that would have been sprayed with pepper spray. This happened a night earlier.

It is the Amsterdam Music Festival (AMF) in the Johan Cruijff Arena, Elrow in the Kromhouthal and Dockyard / Mystic Garden in the Westelijk Havengebied.

According to a spokesman for the police, the 28 people who suffered from the pepper spray were treated at the first aid. The police suspect that the pepper spray was used by pickpockets. This would be a well-known trick in nightlife.

Whether people actually lose valuable items is not clear yet. There are no reports of theft at the police yet.

A spokesperson for ADE says that last year pepper spray was used during the event, but that it did not happen that often before. "We will ask the organizers once again to pay close attention to the search."

During the night from Friday to Saturday, pepper spray was sprayed at the RAI during a performance by Martin Garrix. During that performance, several people experienced breathing problems because of the corrosive substance.

Similar news:

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Visitors unwell after using pepper spray during Amsterdam Dance Event | tellerreport.com

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During the Amsterdam Dance Event (ADE) in Amsterdam, 28 visitors were unwell on Sunday in a total of three events that would have been sprayed with pepper spray. This happened a night earlier. During the Amsterdam Dance Event (ADE) in Amsterdam, 28 visitors were unwell on Sunday in a total of three events that would have been sprayed with pepper spray.

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The Getaway

The allure of luxury camping has brought a wave of new destinations this year, and they aren't always in the wild.

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Accommodations at Collective Hill Country, a Retreat at Montesino Ranch, outside Austin, Tex. Credit Credit Collective Retreats

Camping in the wild with all the comforts of a deluxe hotel, including real beds, plush furnishings and attending stewards, has been around since 19th-century African wildlife safaris. Now known as glamping - short for glamorous camping - the hybrid of camp and resort has exploded, bringing a wave of new glamping destinations this year in a variety of price ranges.

For travelers, the camps offer convenient access to nature without an investment in equipment or the chores of firewood-gathering and the common camping hazards of splinters, sleeping in the rain and waking up cold.

"People nowadays desire real change from the grind of their daily commutes, the dreary workplace environment with its ever-present noise pollution and the constant invasion of smartphones," said George Morgan-Grenville, the founder and chief executive of Red Savannah, a high-end travel company. "Glamping is the ultimate realization of 'disconnect to reconnect.'"

Indicative of glamping's growth, the biggest American camp collectives are on an expansionist spree. Both Under Canvas and Collective Retreats recently secured new funding, $17 million and $10 million, respectively. The 37,000-acre Resort at Paws Up in Montana, one of the earliest, in 2005, to erect fancy tents with framed art on the canvas walls, rugs on the wood floors and downy duvets on the log-frame beds, introduced glamping's first three-bedroom, two-bathroom tents last summer.

Popular glamping sites are expanding in ways that resemble more traditional hotels, too. Firelight Camps in Ithaca, N.Y., plans to open a Catskills location next fall that will include a restaurant from its co-founder and chef Emma Frisch, who recently published a cookbook, "Feast by Firelight," which includes recipes served at the camp's daily breakfasts and occasional dinners.

Glamping.com lists nearly 800 locations worldwide, including lodges, tree houses and cabins - essentially, any accommodation in a natural setting with luxury-level service - but the following new glamping sites follow the classic definition: tent-based.

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Collective Governors Island, a New York City Retreat, has some 37 tents on the car-free island in New York Harbor. Credit Collective Retreats

Light pollution, noise and nocturnal pests, human and otherwise, haven't discouraged glamping entrepreneurs from setting up in cities. The most significant camp to put down city stakes, Collective Governors Island, will feature 37 tents on the car-free island in New York Harbor once it's fully open in July (from $150). The company Collective Retreats has been setting up seasonal camps since 2015 when it opened in Vail, Colo. The New York camp will have its own restaurant, offer massage services and equip some tents with their own bathrooms. Others will share facilities but all will have furnished porches and wood-frame beds with 1,500-thread-count linens.

A spate of luxury hotels is newly offering glamping on the private terraces of its top suites, including the Gwen Hotel in Chicago, the Beverly Wilshire, a Four Seasons Hotel in Beverly Hills, Calif., and Le Méridien Denver Downtown, running between $3,500 and $15,000 a night.

Under Canvas operates seasonal glamping resorts near national parks, among themYellowstone, Zion and Glacier.Last month, it opened Under Canvas Rushmore in South Dakota through Oct. 1. The solar-powered forest compound of 80 four-person tents, each with a wood stove and some with attached bathrooms, offers views of Mount Rushmore (from $209). Guests can eat hearty breakfasts and campfire dinners of smoked, grilled and roasted meats on site, and the kitchen packs box lunches for those heading out to climb, bike or take Jeep safaris.

On Aug. 30, Under Canvas Great Smoky Mountains will open in Gatlinburg, Tenn., with 54 tents on 200 acres near the national park (from $199).

Collective Hill Country, the second opening this summer of a glamping resort by Collective Retreats, will spring up on a 225-acre ranch near Austin, Tex., offering activities like horseback riding and winery tours. Guests in its 12 tents will dine on campfire dishes like jalapeño and Cheddar grits and wild boar osso buco (from $400).

On the Hudson River in Kingston, N. Y., Terra Glamping is slated to open this month at Hutton Brickyards, a riverside event venue, with 25 tents featuring memory-foam mattresses, down bedding, Turkish towels and robes (from $225). Guests can borrow bikes, kayaks and stand-up paddleboards, as well as lanterns and flashlights after dark.

For beach lovers, Wild Lotus operates a tented camp on the Caribbean island of Antigua. Tents come with blowup mattresses, coolers and ice, and guests have access to showers at a neighboring beach bar (from $149). Or you can glamp at the company's rain forest camp on nearby Montserrat.

Among the truly glamorous newglamping facilities, the Rosewood Luang Prabang opened in March in a forested setting near the Laotian city with six deluxe tents among its 23 accommodations (from $724). While residing closer to nature, guests of the tent suites have access to the resort's many amenities: a pool, tented spa villas, restaurant and activities such as cooking classes and Mekong River cruises.

Like the Rosewood property, the celebrated designer Bill Bensley also designed the new Capella Ubud opening in Bali in June. The Indonesian retreat will host 23 tents, furnished to evoke 19th-century colonial travel. Even the gym will be based under canvas, as will the Officers Tent lounge (from $838, including breakfast).

Off the Map's Lofoten Island tepee camp in Norway has tents decorated in the style of the indigenous Sami people. Credit Off the Map Travel

Tents were created to provide shelter in the wilderness and upscale versions can be found increasingly in remote locales accessible on multiday trips.

This summer, Off the Map Travel is introducing three-night trips on Norway's Lofoten Islands, a mountainous and fjord-filled region above the Arctic Circle, based in tepee tents decorated in the style of the indigenous Sami people. Itineraries include kayaking, hiking and whale watching (three-night trips, June through August, from 1,499 pounds, or about $1,995).

In September, Peru Ecocamp will open with five deluxe camps strung out along the Salkantay trail leading to Machu Picchu. Guests will hike between the high-altitude, solar-powered camps, which will feature dome-shaped sleeping tents with bathrooms, showers and wood stoves. Each camp will operate a dining dome, organic garden and bar tent (seven-night trips from $3,791).

This year, REI Adventures will expand its Signature Camping program, which brings deluxe mobile camps to remote locales, with the addition of Mount Kilimanjaro. Two different routes up Africa's highest peak will feature overnights in camps set up ahead of arriving guests and include sizable tents with cots and lighting as well as a furnished communal area and staff cooks (10 days from $4,999).

To celebrate the spring and fall equinox, Hotel Chaco in Albuquerque, N.M., and the tour operator Heritage Inspirations are offering two-day trips to the Pueblo ruins at Chaco Canyon National Historic Park. After a five-course dinner, stargazing and sleeping in furnished tents, guests rise to track the sunrise, which aligns with the east-west orientation of the astronomically influenced sandstone-and-timber buildings. The next tour departs Sept. 22 ($750), though private tours are also available.

A version of this article appears in print on , on Page TR3 of the New York edition with the headline: Let's Go Glamping, Where Roughing It Really Isn't. Order Reprints | Today's Paper | Subscribe

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The Getaway The allure of luxury camping has brought a wave of new destinations this year, and they aren't always in the wild. Camping in the wild with all the comforts of a deluxe hotel, including real beds, plush furnishings and attending stewards, has been around since 19th-century African wildlife safaris.

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Cannabis is officially legal in Canada, but don't rush off to get tickets to Toronto.

The market for cannabis in Canada is expected to be worth at least $5 billion in sales in 2018 and reach 28 billion by 2024 - and interest in travelling to the country among marijuana lovers has spiked. Web traffic to the Canada-related pages on Kush Tourism, an online resource for travelers that consume cannabis, has increased 350% this week, according to the site's co-founder and chief executive officer Chase Nobles.

Cannabis tourism has become common: Approximately 82.4 million people visited Colorado in 2016, according to travel site Skift, citing a survey by Colorado Tourism, while 15% said they participated in marijuana-related activity, while 5% said the legalization of marijuana in that state in 2014 was a prime motivation for their trip.

But Canada may be different, said Smoke Wallin, president of cannabis branding firm Vertical. "Obviously, it's a historic moment and everyone is very excited, but the reality is that tomorrow people will wake up to day two of legalization and realize most of the stores have not been opened yet," he said.

Stores dedicated to cannabis sales have struggled to open in the country, facing a patchwork of laws across the 10 provinces and potential shortages as federally-licensed distributors have to increase production. Stores that opened in Montreal, for example, only take orders online from Canadian citizens.

Also see: Why millennials prefer cannabis to booze: 'Zero enjoyment out of drinking'

There are some companies offering cannabis-related tours for tourists who want a more guided venture into the nascent industry. Canna Tours, a cannabis tourism start-up founded in British Columbia in 2015, has seen a "massive" increase in bookings in the past week, said Gavin Surerus, founder and operator of the company.

For $125 Canadian dollars ($115 in U.S. dollars), their guides will take visitors to dispensaries in Victoria, British Columbia for three hours. Canna Tours is also planning to offer a "grow tour," which will take guests to grow sites so they can learn more about the process of growing marijuana plants.

Under Canada's new laws, citizens can now grow marijuana at home. Surerus said his customers come from all around the world and the company has served tourists from places like Brazil and Japan.

"We see a rise of recreational tourists coming in as well as medical tourists, or 'medical refugees,'" he said. "If it is not legal in someone's home country and they have an illness, they will come here."

Another cannabis tourism company, Canada High Tours with locations across Canada will teach guests how to roll a joint for $50 for a two-hour session or take them on a tour of a dispensary for $25.

Although there are few dispensaries open in Canada, visitors can public Weed Maps to find marijuana resources near them in Canada. In some cases there are marijuana coffee shops were visitors cannot buy cannabis products but can partake in products they bring, kind of like a BYOB restaurant.

Don't miss: Want to invest in cannabis as Canada prepares for legalization? Be careful of rogue players

Laws vary throughout Canada: In some provinces people can smoke and carry cannabis in public while in other places it remains illegal. In Ontario, the most populous province of Canada, there are no brick-and-mortar stores selling cannabis but others have dispensaries open to the public. In areas without dispensaries, customers have to receive marijuana by delivery and can only do so if they have a local address, Wallin said.

What's more, Canada currently only allows people to buy "flower" product - the actual marijuana plant. In other, more developed markets, non-flower products are rising in popularity. According to Wallin's data, flower accounted for 95% of sales 5 years ago and today it is just 50%. Many customers prefer low-dose tinctures, edibles (food containing cannabis), and other non-smokable forms of the drug, he said.

"This is an important moment, and there is a lot of hype, but it is going to take quite a while before Canada has businesses up and running and it becomes a thriving market people want to visit," he said.

For now, what tourists can find on shelves is going to be "pretty restrictive," said Patrick Wood, president of Tormont Group, a Toronto- and Los Angeles-based corporate advisory group. Difficulty buying cannabis as well as lack of variety makes Canada an unlikely destination for weed tourists - for now.

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Americans planning a Canadian cannabis vacation may be disappointed

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By Cannabis is officially legal in Canada, but don't rush off to get tickets to Toronto. The market for cannabis in Canada is expected to be worth at least $5 billion in sales in 2018 and reach 28 billion by 2024 - and interest in travelling to the country among marijuana lovers has spiked.

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Marc Crothall, chief executive of the Scottish Tourism Alliance, said: "This is great news for the south of Scotland, an area where there is huge potential for tourism and the partnership project is an excellent example of public and private sectors working together to strengthen Scotland's position as a global tourism destination."

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£1m boost for Glentress Forest leisure plan

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Marc Crothall, chief executive of the Scottish Tourism Alliance, said: "This is great news for the south of Scotland, an area where there is huge potential for tourism and the partnership project is an excellent example of public and private sectors working together to strengthen Scotland's position as a global tourism destination."

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The Festival Guy: how one man turned festival-ing into a lifestyle

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Tucker Gumber sold his house, packed a suitcase and now devotes his life to festivals, having spent 460 days dancing, camping and listening to live music

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Harry Potter and the Cursed Child releases new tickets for 2019

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The critical smash continues to play in the West End

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Banksy has played what could be one of the most audacious stunts in art history, arranging for one of his best-known works to self-destruct after being sold at auction for just over £1m.

Girl With Balloon was the final item in an auction at Sotheby's in London on Friday night and its sale price equalled the artist's previous auction record of £1.04m.

Shortly after the hammer came down on the item, however, the canvas began to pass through a shredder installed in the frame.

Banksy posted an image on Instagram of the shredded work dangling from the bottom of the frame with the title "Going, going, gone ... "

"It appears we just got Banksy-ed," said Alex Branczik, Sotheby's senior director and head of contemporary art in Europe.

Sotheby's said in a statement to the Financial Times: "We have talked with the successful purchaser who was surprised by the story. We are in discussion about next steps."

The auction house declined to reveal the identity of the buyer.

On Saturday evening, Banksy posted a video on his Instagram page which showed a shredder being fitted to the frame of the painting.

It opened with the caption: "A few years ago, I secretly built a shredder into a painting."

The clip shows a hooded figure putting the finishing touches on the device, before text appears on the screen saying: "In case it was ever put up for auction."

The website MyArtBroker.com, which resells Banksy pieces, said Girl with Balloon had enjoyed annual increases in value of about 20% in recent years. "Prices now are regularly exceeding £115,000 for signed authenticated prints," said its co-founder Joey Syer.

"The auction result will only propel this further and given the media attention this stunt has received, the lucky buyer would see a great return on the £1.02m they paid last night.

"This is now part of art history in its shredded state and we'd estimate Banksy has added at a minimum 50% to its value, possibly as high as being worth £2m plus."

Girl With Balloon, which was last year voted the UK's best-loved work of art, first appeared on a wall in Great Eastern Street in Shoreditch, east London. The 2006 gallery version featured spray paint and acrylic on canvas, mounted on a board.

The true identity of the Bristol-born artist has never been officially revealed despite wide speculation.

He rose to fame with graffiti that appeared on buildings across the UK, often marked by deeply satirical undertones.

Two new artworks appeared at the Barbican Centre in central London in September 2017 inspired by an upcoming Jean-Michel Basquiat exhibition.

A woman passes one of the Banksy murals near the Barbican Centre. Photograph: David Mirzoeff/PA

Announcing the new artworks in a series of Instagram posts, the artist said: "Major new Basquiat show opens at the Barbican - a place that is normally very keen to clean any graffiti from its walls." The work has since been protected by perspex panes.

One of Banksy's more elaborate jokes came just over three years ago when he opened Dismaland, a "family theme park unsuitable for small children", on the seafront at Weston-super-Mare.

People visit Dismaland. Photograph: Natasha Quarmby/Rex/Shutterstock

The Guardian described it at the time as "sometimes hilarious, sometimes eye-opening and occasionally breathtakingly shocking".

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Banksy auction stunt leaves art world in shreds

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Banksy has played what could be one of the most audacious stunts in art history, arranging for one of his best-known works to self-destruct after being sold at auction for just over £1m. Girl With Balloon was the final item in an auction at Sotheby's in London on Friday night and its sale price equalled the artist's previous auction record of £1.04m.

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Thursday could actually become the new Friday

Ashitha Nagesh

Monday to Friday, nine to five - like hamsters on a wheel, we've been stuck in this rut for as long as we can remember, amirite?

Well, fear no more fellow hamsters because that could all be about to change.

People are increasingly starting to question whether a five-day working week is a good deal for employees and employers alike.

In fact, a company in New Zealand recently pledged to allow all of its staff to work four-day weeks.

It's no surprise people are re-thinking how we work. One recent study found that younger workers feel more stressed at work than their older colleagues, and more than a quarter say they're expected to push through their stress and keep working. At the same time, a 2016 report suggested millennials were the generation most likely to feel as if they're overworking, and to feel guilty using their annual leave.

"Some of the more radical prophets foresee the time when as little as 2% of the workforce will be employed, [and] warn that the whole concept of people as producers of goods and services will become obsolete as automation advances," the article claimed.

It added, even with "the most moderate estimates of automation's progress...millions of people will have to adjust to leisurely, 'nonfunctional' lives".

Obviously, things haven't quite worked out that way.

Aidan Harper has been running 4DayWeek - a campaign for, well, a four-day, work week across the UK - for the last two years.

"Clearly our current five-day structure isn't working," he tells BBC Three.

But Aidan says this system has a negative impact on both genders, particularly parents.

Which is why some companies in the UK are also giving shorter weeks a go.

Jonny Tooze, who runs a digital agency in London, switched his company to a four-day working week two months ago "after seeing the energy and enthusiasm in our teams increase after a three-day bank holiday weekend".

"We're going to conduct a staff survey to understand how the four-day work week has impacted on people's happiness and stress levels, but so far our team has responded really positively," Jonny tells BBC Three. "They have been doing more of the things they love with their free time, whether that's taking long weekend breaks, visiting friends and family, or doing personal projects. Their extra day has also allowed them to do the 'life admin' which usually takes up a lot of our weekends."

He adds productivity has "remained constant", which he says is a promising sign for the future.

"We know some people are pessimistic about whether technology will make their lives better but technology could be a force for good, we can also make everyone's working lives better and richer," she said. "It doesn't have to be about surveillance and exploitation. This could be about creating more satisfying work."

There's no denying that having regular, three-day weekends sounds tempting - but not everyone thinks shorter working weeks are as good as they seem.

Jamie Waller is an investor in small companies and a business writer. He tells BBC Three: "As an investor, I exclusively like to work with businesses that are 100% dedicated to success - not places that offer 'pizza Tuesdays' or shorter weeks. I want to work with people who adore what they do, and spend their five days enjoying the perks of work itself, not the added extras."

Sue Andrews, a management consultant and business owner herself, adds that technology can't replace human work (yet) - so shorter weeks could put strain on businesses.

"With current labour shortages caused by low levels of unemployment, there simply aren't enough workers in the economy to reduce working hours and retain the level of staffing needed in many sectors," she says, adding the situation could get worse if there are post-Brexit restrictions on migrant labour.

While admitting that "the obvious advantage of working over fewer days would appear to be an improved work-life balance" for workers, Sue warns against relying on shorter working weeks to improve employees' mental health.

"Good mental health comes from having the right environment to manage challenges and pressures," she says. "However, going to a four-day week simply pushes these pressures into a shorter period of time. If the result is longer working days, then any perceived mental health benefits may be lost. Overall young people's general wellbeing would be improved by spreading out work pressures and ensuring adequate rest periods each day."

Which is an important point. If shorter working weeks are going to, well, work, companies need to make sure they don't just cram the same amount of work into a shorter period of time.

There's no denying many of us are truly O.V.E.R. the whole five-day, nine-to-five thing - although whether longer weekends really are as chill as we've imagined remains to be seen.

This article was originally published on 4 October 2018.

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What if we only worked four days a week? - BBC Three

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N/A Thursday could actually become the new Friday Ashitha Nagesh Monday to Friday, nine to five - like hamsters on a wheel, we've been stuck in this rut for as long as we can remember, amirite? Well, fear no more fellow hamsters because that could all be about to change.

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Tickets for next year's Glastonbury Festival sold out in just over half an hour.

Organiser Emily Eavis tweeted to say a record number of people tried to buy tickets when general admission sales began at 09:00 BST on Sunday.

Ms Eavis said she was "blown away" by the demand. Earlier, coach travel packages also sold out within minutes.

About 200,000 people are due to attend the festival at Worthy Farm, Somerset, in June.

The line-up for the event has not yet been announced, but Sir Paul McCartney is rumoured be one of the possible headline acts.

People paid £248 plus a booking fee for a standard ticket at the event, which is described as the largest "green-field music and performing arts festival" in the world.

Glastonbury did not host a festival in 2018, with organisers deeming it a "fallow year".

These are held intermittently "in order to give the farm, the village and the festival team" time off.

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Tickets for next year's Glastonbury Festival sold out in just over half an hour. Organiser Emily Eavis tweeted to say a record number of people tried to buy tickets when general admission sales began at 09:00 BST on Sunday. Ms Eavis said she was "blown away" by the demand.

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Ryanair has warned investors its full-year profits will be lower than expected, partly due to the recent wave of industrial action.

The airline said its profits would be 12% lower than the €1.25-1.35bn (£1.11-1.2bn) previously forecast, and it now expects profits of between €1.1-1.2bn.

Ryanair said this was due to higher oil prices, higher costs associated with EU flight compensation rules, and weaker fares due to the recent strikes.

It warned it may lower forecasts again.

Shares in the airline opened down 8%.

Last week, cabin crew and pilots in Germany, Holland, Belgium, Spain and Portugal took industrial action which led to a number of flight cancellations.

Bigger fuel bill

Ryanair said fares for the third quarter of the year were lower as forward bookings, particularly for the October school mid-terms and Christmas, were being affected by fear of further strikes.

The carrier said it had not hedged its fuel bill against prices rises, and this meant it would be paying 10% more for its fuel thanks to the recent rise in the global price.

Ryanair chief executive Michael O'Leary said: "While we successfully managed five strikes by 25% of our Irish pilots this summer, two recent co-ordinated strikes by cabin crew and pilots across five EU countries has affected passenger numbers (through flight cancellations).

"Customer confidence, forward bookings and [third quarter] fares have been affected, most notably over the October school mid-terms and Christmas, in those five countries where unnecessary strikes have been repeated."

The airline is making cuts to some routes and closing some of its bases.

Its four-aircraft Eindhoven base in the Netherlands will close, although most routes to and from Eindhoven will continue on overseas-based aircraft. It is taking the same action at its two-aircraft Bremen base in Germany and is making cuts at its Niederrhein base.

Ryanair says all affected customers have been contacted by email or text message, and will be re-accommodated on other flights or refunded as they wish.

Disputes

After many years of ignoring workers' attempts to get it to recognise unions, Ryanair finally agreed at the end of 2017.

But staff in a range of countries have continued to have issues with the company's employment practices, in particular its use of contracts based on Irish employment law and its insistence on paying staff through Irish bank accounts, which cause those based elsewhere extra inconvenience and costs.

In a complex industrial relations background, involving different disputes in different countries with cabin crew and pilots with their own grievances, Ryanair broadly says it is offering staff what they have asked for.

But staff in certain parts of the company's cross-border operations plainly do not agree, because the possibility of further strike action remains.

Ryanair said in its statement it "cannot rule out further disruptions in [the third quarter], which may require full-year guidance to be lowered further and may necessitate further trimming of loss-making winter capacity".

'Long-term damage'

David Madden, an analysts at CMC Markets, said it was plain Ryanair's aggressive stance was having a negative impact on its business: "In August 2017 the airline's share price hit an all-time high as the company made a concerted effort to improve customer service prior to that, and it clearly paid off."

He pointed out that since then, the shares had lost 38%

"Clients like cheap airfares, but they value flight certainty more, and the company is running the risk of doing long-term damage to the brand. The airline is still aiming to make over €1bn profit, so it's not like they can't afford to pay their staff well."

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Ryanair has warned investors its full-year profits will be lower than expected, partly due to the recent wave of industrial action. The airline said its profits would be 12% lower than the €1.25-1.35bn (£1.11-1.2bn) previously forecast, and it now expects profits of between €1.1-1.2bn.

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The BBC's weekly The Boss series profiles a different business leader from around the world. This week we speak to Ben Francis, founder of UK sportswear brand Gymshark.

It is hard to know how a then 19-year-old Ben Francis had the time or the energy to get Gymshark up and running.

While many young entrepreneurs have to juggle running their start-up with holding down a nine to five job, back in 2012 Ben was a full-time student by day, and a pizza delivery man by night.

"I'd wake up and go to Aston University [in Birmingham], then finish uni early afternoon, and work at Pizza Hut from 5pm till 10pm," he says.

"I could answer emails [about Gymshark] in between deliveries. Then I'd go home and sort out the website, and design new products."

After two exhausting years of this - with annual revenues of his nascent business hitting an impressive £250,000 - Ben quit both university and the world of pizzas to focus on his company.

Fast-forward to today, and Gymshark expects turnover this year to reach £100m.

Before Ben set up the business in 2012 it is fair to say that the entrepreneurial fire was already burning in his belly.

As a young teenager he set up a website that sold car licence plates. A keen gym-goer, he then built and launched two iPhone fitness tracking apps, one of which earned him around £8,000.

The idea for Gymshark followed; an online retail business aimed at fitness fanatics that originally sold health supplements.

"I was going to the gym and basically was interested in, and wanted to be involved in, the fitness industry," he says. "I wanted to combine that with a making a transactional website."

When Ben found that the profit margins from selling the supplements were too low, he dived into another area - clothing.

"I remember looking around, and I couldn't find any clothing I wanted to wear," he says. "So I said 'let's make it ourselves'."

Enlisting the help of his brother, and a group of friends, Ben bought a sewing machine and screen printer, and started to make gym vests and t-shirts in his parents' garage.

"My nan made curtains, so she taught me how to sew," he says. "I remember thinking we had 10 orders to do, and to make 12-15 products it would take most of the day. But it was so much fun learning."

Now 26, Ben admits that after Gymshark first moved into clothing there was no immediate grand plan regarding growing the business. "It was more a case of I really want to wear this, so I made it," he says.

And so the company started to make body builder vests that fitted slim teenagers, because most on the market were designed for older men who had already built up their muscle bulk.

Ben adds that he would also guess on how much to price items. "It was literally a case of what would we want to pay for something," he says.

"There was no considered approach. We were like 'we would pay £20'."

Six years later, Gymshark now has more than 1.2 million customers, and 215 employees at its Solihull headquarters in the West Midlands.

So how has the firm been able to grow so quickly? In short, it has been a very savvy user of social media.

More specifically Gymshark decided it would send free clothing to key "influencers", prominent body-builders and other fitness fanatics - such as Lex Griffins and Nikki Blackketter.

The hope was that such stars would talk positively about the products to their followers on YouTube and Instagram.

The idea worked better than Gymshark could have dreamed, and sales soon skyrocketed.

At the same time it worked hard to ensure its own social media accounts were as interesting and visual as possible. Today it has 2.4 million followers on Instagram and 1.5 million on Facebook.
More The Boss features, which every week profile a different business leader from around the world:

'They were not comfortable about hiring a woman'

'People thought we were interns but we were in charge'

The dad who feeds his son burgers almost every day

More recently the firm has held events around the world, inviting fans of the brand to meet some of its influencers. Hundreds of people typically attend.

Another key factor in the continuing success of Gymshark is bringing in a more experienced pair of hands to help Ben run the business. Sportswear industry veteran Steve Hewitt joined as managing director in 2015, before being given the chief executive title in April of last year.

Ben remains the majority owner, with Mr Hewitt and chief strategic officer Paul Richardson also having substantial stakes. Another shareholder is Ben's friend Lewis Morgan who helped to launch Gymshark, but left the business a few years ago.

Emily Sutherland, a features writer at trade magazine Drapers, says Gymshark's use of social media influencers has been key to its success.

"The influencers give shoppers a reason to buy into Gymshark over other brands, because they feel a personal connection," she says.

Ms Sutherland adds that because Gymshark is an online-only and direct-to-consumer brand, it is "able to remain nimble, react quickly to market changes, and isn't weighed down by expensive store costs".

As for the future, the plan is to expand Gymshark's overseas sales. Already 40% of its sales come from the US, and it aims to have 25 international country-specific online stores by 2020, up from 11 at present.

The company may also open its first bricks-and-mortar store.

"I don't go shopping very often, but I'm thinking of the best way to do a permanent location somewhere," says Ben. "I'm not sure, we'd need a lot of space. I want to do a cool destination."

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The 26-year-old with a £100m sportswear brand

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The BBC's weekly The Boss series profiles a different business leader from around the world. This week we speak to Ben Francis, founder of UK sportswear brand Gymshark. It is hard to know how a then 19-year-old Ben Francis had the time or the energy to get Gymshark up and running.

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UK funding body the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) has given close to £1m ($1.3m, €1.1m) to a new project that will let young people aged 16-25 curate their own museum exhibitions.

Heritage Lottery Fund's (HLF) Kick the Dust programme, which allocates lottery funding to youth-focused heritage projects, awarded the sum to Reimagine, Remake, Replay.

The scheme will give 4,000 young people across Northern Ireland the chance to be involved in the project over four years.

Seven museums and galleries will open up their collections of art, furniture, textiles, heritage, archaeology and archives for the youngsters to reimagine, using new technologies in the displays.

The groups will also have the chance to write, cast and direct their own films, develop interactive exhibitions, create apps and games, as well as use 3D printers, virtual reality and 3D filmmaking technology.

Creative media organisation the Nerve Centre will deliver the project in partnership with National Museums Northern Ireland, Northern Ireland Screen and the Northern Ireland Museums Council.

Announcing the award, head of HLF Northern Ireland Paul Mullan said: "Thanks to National Lottery players, this ambitious project will give young people the skills they need to create imaginative, engaging content that gives new perspective and relevance to our heritage."

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UK project to connect young people with museums and collections | Leisure Opportunities news

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UK funding body the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) has given close to £1m ($1.3m, €1.1m) to a new project that will let young people aged 16-25 curate their own museum exhibitions. Heritage Lottery Fund's (HLF) Kick the Dust programme, which allocates lottery funding to youth-focused heritage projects, awarded the sum to Reimagine, Remake, Replay.

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Lights off, the harsh sound of gunshots, the click of a controller and a neon glow from the TV.

"I got you, mate," I hear as I watch a cartoon character run across the screen searching for armour. "No, over there - we're in the clear."

Fortnite is the game you can't escape, and, with the release of season six this week, resistance will inevitably become all the more futile. An estimated 125 million people are playing it worldwide, from professional teenage gamers to (fully grown-up) celebrities.

And in my case, it's got my 27-year-old boyfriend utterly hooked.

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Lights off, the harsh sound of gunshots, the click of a controller and a neon glow from the TV. "I got you, mate," I hear as I watch a cartoon character run across the screen searching for armour. "No, over there - we're in the clear."

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LONDON: London is starting its stint at the centre of the fashion universe as industry leaders express concerns about the potential impact of Brexit.

Top designers including Burberry, Christopher Kane, Victoria Beckham, Erdem and others will be showing new collections in a series of shows that start on Friday.

Anticipation is high, especially with a new creative director at Burberry and a rare London catwalk show by Beckham, the former Spice Girl who has won plaudits for her designs.

But British Fashion Council chairwoman Stephanie Phair told the BBC Friday there are wide concerns about the impact of Britain leaving the European Union.

She says the uncertainty of Brexit plans is making it difficult for the fashion industry to develop a strategy. Britain is scheduled to leave the EU in March.

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London Fashion Week to kick off amid Brexit fears

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LONDON: London is starting its stint at the centre of the fashion universe as industry leaders express concerns about the potential impact of Brexit. Top designers including Burberry, Christopher Kane, Victoria Beckham, Erdem and others will be showing new collections in a series of shows that start on Friday.

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Discounted admission tickets for over-60s 'are unfair to young'

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Pricing policy of museums and galleries ignores rise in wealth of older people, says charity

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Do robots dream of Prada? How artificial intelligence is reprogramming fashion

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From 3D avatars to wardrobe advisers, artificial intelligence is shaping the way we get dressed. But can there really be an algorithm for style?

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Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo review - all-male hammy parody of Swan Lake

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In their much-loved version, the company subtly point out ballet's constraints on female dancers while preserving the magic of the story

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Scheila and Douglas Alvarenga acted quickly to save papers they discovered after the fire.

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Bob Woodward’s bleak look inside Trump’s White House is only half the story

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Bob Woodward’s bleak look inside Trump’s White House is only half the story

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There are two conclusions to be drawn from Bob Woodward's disturbing new account of paranoia and dysfunction in the White House: Wow, how did things get so bad? And, after turning the next page: Wow, things could have been even worse.

In Fear: Trump in the White House, the veteran reporter sets about building a picture of the way in which the president's flaws - the short attention span, the narcissism, and a brutal lack of empathy - render him almost incapable of doing the job.

And it could be worse. You will know the headlines by now, how aides snatched documents from the Resolute Desk to prevent them being signed (Gary Cohn, then White House chief economic adviser) or quietly ignored the order...

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Bob Woodward's bleak look inside Trump's White House is only half the story - review

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There are two conclusions to be drawn from Bob Woodward's disturbing new account of paranoia and dysfunction in the White House: Wow, how did things get so bad? And, after turning the next page: Wow, things could have been even worse.

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One can only imagine the anxiety in the Proms director's office, when it came to planning this year's Last Night. The Proms are the BBC's own institution, so they have to be "neutral", but there's a problem with that. The arrival of Brexit has put paid to the comfortable myth that the Last Night is "apolitical". In 2016 and 2017 we knew which side everyone was on, thanks to the flag-sellers, and this year the ideological divisions seemed sharper.

The Remainers donned stylish blue berets with gold stars, and in the queues during the afternoon the stand-off between the crowd laughing at a comedian doing a " Boris Johnson " and the opposing groups of Brexiteers was noticeable. Perhaps this Last Night...

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Last Night of the Proms, review: warm nostalgia buries Brexit tensions

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One can only imagine the anxiety in the Proms director's office, when it came to planning this year's Last Night. The Proms are the BBC's own institution, so they have to be "neutral", but there's a problem with that. The arrival of Brexit has put paid to the comfortable myth that the Last Night is "apolitical".

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Ibiza: What it's like raving in a wheelchair on the party island

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Ibiza: What it's like raving in a wheelchair on the party island

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A year ago, I was told I would have to pay double to get into a nightclub in Ibiza.

Why? I have cerebral palsy, a condition which affects mobility, and rely on a carer to help me on nights out - who also needed to pay the entry price.

I received an apology from the club, Amnesia, but have things really changed for disabled clubbers on the party island?

This summer, I returned to Ibiza for Newsbeat's latest documentary Ibiza: Access All Areas?

Here's what I learned about raving in a wheelchair:

1. I travel like the Royal Family

If you use a wheelchair or have any kind of mobility issue, airlines offer special assistance to help you board the plane. Since I can't walk unaided, this is quite helpful.

It meant I got to travel through the airport like the Royal Family - being escorted by a car topped with flashing lights.

On the plane itself, my poor balance means I had to be transported to my seat in a blue chair which has wheels.

I reckon I probably looked like a poor man's version of X-Men's Professor Charles Xavier.

The journey is rounded off by the assistance staff asking me to cross my arms in a Buddha-like pose while they lift me into my seat.

Disability travel doesn't always run smoothly but fortunately for my trip to Ibiza, it worked perfectly.

2. Access is still a lottery

Nightclub access on the island mirrors an incomplete jigsaw puzzle - as my experience returning to Amnesia showed.

Its entry policy for clubbers who use a wheelchair remains at best confusing and, at worst, it feels as though it doesn't care.

My carer was, once again, refused entry without a full-price ticket until - this time surrounded by more people arguing my case - strength in numbers saw the doorman relent.

This feeling of being a troublesome afterthought continued at Pacha.

Although we avoided carer troubles, I needed to enter through a side entrance and found my way to the dancefloor blocked by steps.

Eventually, a staff member directed us through a second accessible ramped entrance - which wasn't signposted and took us through a fire exit.

It all felt unnecessarily secretive - as if my access needs were a dark source of shame.

3. Disabled toilets are full of surprises

I generally find disabled toilets in nightclubs to be confusing places - that's if they exist at all - and in Ibiza it was no different.

Amnesia chose to transform its disabled toilet into a staff room - complete with a fridge and microwave. A sign, perhaps, of how little the room has been used for its original purpose.

Pacha's toilet, meanwhile, turned out to be one really big room with a washbasin at one end and a toilet at the other. No assistance rails in sight - which isn't great if you can't walk.

What was I supposed to do - hold onto the basin and somehow pee across the room?

The Pacha Group has apologised for the "negative experience and inconveniences suffered by Alex".

It says it's "committed to the equal treatment of people with disabilities" and has since improved disabled access into the club.

Amnesia hasn't responded to Newsbeat's request for a comment.

4. I'm an 'inspiration'

The accessibility struggles often mean I, unsurprisingly, find myself the only wheelchair user on the dancefloor.

This doesn't bother me but does lead to some interesting, and hilarious, reactions.

"You're such an inspiration," I've been told by one clubber.

Other comments include "I respect you so much, well done lad", "Can I get a selfie?" or "I understand what it's like, I broke my little toe last year".

While I can see the funny side and understand people generally mean well, the surprise and attention for just being myself, in a wheelchair, at a club, can get a bit wearing.

Deep down, I do wonder - when will this end? When will I stop being something out of the ordinary just for being on the dancefloor?

Probably when access is improved so more disabled clubbers feel welcome and included.

5. I can escape my disability

Thankfully, there are more than enough people who make the experience enjoyable and dance with me not because of the chair - but because we want to have a good time.

Without wishing to turn this into an X Factor-style tear jerker, I am always humbled by the kindness shown to me by fellow clubbers.

Yes, there are disability access issues, but these are not impossible to overcome. Attitude is everything.

And that was clearly on show when I went into Es Paradis. Staff and clubbers were happy to help carry me down the few steps to the main dancefloor.

In this environment, as at the pool party at Ocean Beach, I feel the barriers are removed for a brief while - the fight to reveal the personality behind the wheelchair suspended.

I find it's my disability, not me that's locked outside.

Listen to Newsbeat live at 12:45 and 17:45 every weekday on BBC Radio 1 and 1Xtra - if you miss us you can listen back here.

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What it's like raving in a wheelchair in Ibiza

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A year ago, I was told I would have to pay double to get into a nightclub in Ibiza. Why? I have cerebral palsy, a condition which affects mobility, and rely on a carer to help me on nights out - who also needed to pay the entry price.

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Google plans to disrupt the fitness sector with new fitness coach

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Google plans to disrupt the fitness sector with new fitness coach

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New competition

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Johnson Health Tech Co. Ltd

up to £35,000pa + bonuses

By Tom Walker

Google plans to disrupt the fitness sector with new fitness coach, PureGym reveals diversification plans, lack of qualified swimming teachers creating widespread problems and Tim Hollingsworth named CEO of Sport England.

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Latest Leisure Opportunities news round-up is now live! | Leisure Opportunities news

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Johnson Health Tech Co. Ltd up to £35,000pa + bonuses By Tom Walker Google plans to disrupt the fitness sector with new fitness coach, PureGym reveals diversification plans, lack of qualified swimming teachers creating widespread problems and Tim Hollingsworth named CEO of Sport England.

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New Ulverston Leisure Centre one step closer after GSK commit £2m to development

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New Ulverston Leisure Centre one step closer after GSK commit £2m to development

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Stakeholders

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Last year shockwaves were sent through the community in Ulverston after GSK announced it was pulling the plug on its biopharm plant.

In additional the major blow dealt to the town's economy the ramifications of the loss of such a large employer and investor in Ulverston put numerous future projects at risk.

One such scheme left up in the air was the joint venture between GSK and South Lakeland District Council to developer a new purpose built sports centre. Last year The Mail approached SLDC, GSK and the owners of the current Ulverston Leisure Centre, to no avail, on what the future held for the feted development.

But, it can now be revealed the SLDC cabinet will actively explore how the next stage of the Ulverston Leisure Centre can be reached.

On September 10 the cabinet will debate a report which outlines the next steps in the ambitious leisure centre scheme.This will include a further stage of development work to finalise the design, facilities and funding applications.

Significantly GSK have confirmed they will contribute £2m to the project.

When the company said it planned to leave the town there was outcry, led by MP John Woodcock, about how it would ensure Ulverston would not be left at a disadvantage by the sale of the plant in North Lonsdale Road.

Mr Woodcock said a lasting legacy should be left in recognition of the decades of labour made by the people of the town in service of the company.

He said: "It is great we have got GSK to guarantee investment in new sports facilities in Ulverston as part of the divestment review process so it is vital that South Lakes District Council lives up to its side of the bargain.

"After all this effort getting the company to commit to facilities in the town, it would be a huge blow if the council backed out of its commitment and let the whole project fall. We understand money is tight but councillors must do the right thing by Ulverston when they meet to decide later this month."

That funding commitment means the overall project remains viable and the next stage of the project can still move forward, although the scale of the proposal has had to be revised as the projected budget has reduced from £12.9 million to £9.2 million. woodcock

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New Ulverston Leisure Centre one step closer after GSK commit £2m to development

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Last year shockwaves were sent through the community in Ulverston after GSK announced it was pulling the plug on its biopharm plant. In additional the major blow dealt to the town's economy the ramifications of the loss of such a large employer and investor in Ulverston put numerous future projects at risk.