There’s an overnight stay in Wales where you can cosy up in your own cabin… 1375 feet below ground.
Not for the faint-hearted, this unusual accommodation is the deepest underground sleep on the planet, built into the bottom of the world’s largest and deepest former slate mine.
While the cabins themselves are pretty luxurious, with proper beds, electricity, and even WiFi, it’s stressed that this is very much an off-grid adventure camp.
Guests have to hike up into the mountains of Eryri, or Snowdonia, with a guide, before descending all the way through the abandoned Victorian slate mine.
You’ll have to traverse decaying bridges, ancient stairways and via ferratas (basically planks of wood fastened to the sheer mine walls), obviously with proper safety gear and a guide to help lead the way.
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Still, once you’ve travelled 1375 feet underground, at least you’re rewarded with… Oh… A huge cavern where the temperature sits at a chilly 10⁰C.
The cabins are heated but the spaces around them are not, and guests are advised to wrap up warm for their night in one of the most beautiful and unusual locations in the UK.
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Go Below’s Deep Sleep experience in north Wales opened earlier this year, with four twin cabins as well as the extra-special grotto available to book.
The grotto is built into the rock face and has a log burning fire – it truly looks like something from Lord of the Rings.
As well as the two-hour guided scramble through the mine, the package to stay at Deep Sleep includes an expedition-style evening meal, with dishes like BBQ pulled pork, orzo pasta Bolognese, and Tuscan stew, plus breakfast the next morning to fuel your journey back to above ground.
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Deep Sleep costs £350 for a private cabin or £550 for the grotto, with expeditions happening once a week.
Avanti West Coast staff set to strike on major days over festive period
Emily Sergeant
Avanti West Coast staff are set to strike on some major days over the festive period, it has been announced.
Train managers who are members of the RMT Union will stage industrial action on New Year’s Eve and 2 January 2025 after “overwhelmingly rejecting” the train company’s “inadequate proposals” on rest day working arrangements.
On top of this, strikes will also go ahead on Sundays between 12 January and 25 May too.
According to the union, up to 400 members are involved in the dispute with Avanti, and 83% of those voted against a suggested deal.
Strikes were previously planned for 22, 23, and 29 December as well, but they were suspended last week after a suggested agreement was put to a referendum of RMT members.
Avanti West Coast staff are set to strike on several major days over the festive period / Credit: Avanti West Coast
“Our members have resoundingly rejected Avanti’s latest offers in two referendums,” explained an RMT spokesperson. “Sustained strike action is now the only way to focus management’s minds on reaching a negotiated settlement with the union.”
In case you weren’t familiar, Avanti’s West Coast Main Line operates six routes along the west of the UK, including from London Euston to Manchester Piccadilly, as well as services from London to other major cities such as to Blackpool, Glasgow, Edinburgh, Birmingham, Holyhead, Wrexham, and Liverpool.
Avanti has warned its customers that the strikes will likely cause “significant disruption” on the West Coast Main Line.
The train operator took to X to assure that its plans will be confirmed “as soon as possible”.
The RMT union has announced strike action affecting Avanti West Coast on 31 December and 2 January, along with all Sundays from 12 January to 25 May 2025. We’re looking at how this industrial action will impact our services and we’ll confirm our plans as soon as possible.
“The RMT union has announced strike action affecting Avanti West Coast on 31 December and 2 January, along with all Sundays from 12 January to 25 May 2025,” the statement reads on X.
“We’re looking at how this industrial action will impact our services and we’ll confirm our plans as soon as possible.”
An Avanti West Coast spokesperson also added in response to the industrial action being called yesterday: “We’re disappointed our train managers who are RMT members have voted to decline the very reasonable, revised offer made to them to resolve the rest day working dispute and avoid inconveniencing our customers.
“We remain open to working with the RMT to resolve the dispute.”
Featured Image – Avanti West Coast
Travel & Tourism
New ‘B Plates’ introduced so drivers can identify themselves as being bad at parking
Emily Sergeant
New ‘B Plates’ have been introduced so drivers who are bad at parking can identify themselves for all to see.
Consider yourself good at parking? Well, that’s bold of you to claim… because for a lot of us, we wouldn’t be so confident to say that, and it turns out we’re not alone either, as some new research has revealed that 48% of drivers think they could benefit from more training or assistance with their parking manoeuvres.
The new B plates – with the ‘B’ standing for ‘bad parking’ – are designed to be attached to a vehicle so you can apologise to other motorists for your lack of parking prowess.
On top of the 48% of bad parkers, the research by Scrap Car Comparison found that a further one in six (17%) say they have experienced stress or worry about having to park their car, while a third of drivers (30%) say they spend extra time searching for a parking bay with free spaces either side.
New ‘B Plates’ have been introduced so drivers can identify themselves as being bad at parking / Credit: Supplied
74% of new drivers aged between 17 and 24 say they could benefit from more guidance in lessons.
Overall, one in four motorists (23%) claim that they weren’t taught well enough when it came to parking maneuverers, according to the research.
It’s hoped that the new B Plate stickers will encourage drivers to ‘own’ their parking pitfalls, the company says, as well as seek the additional guidance required to gain more confidence behind the wheel.
48% of drivers think they could benefit from more training with their parking manoeuvres / Credit: Supplied
“Just like a P plate enables new drivers to ask for patience from other road users, our B plates will give people the chance to hold their hands up, say sorry and ask for forgiveness, if they know their parking leaves a lot to be desired,” explained David Kottaun, who is the Operations Manager at Scrap Car Comparison.
“We hope the plates also serve as encouragement for drivers to seek additional parking guidance to build up their confidence.”
Scrap Car Comparison are offering a limited number of B plate stickers to interested drivers for free if you fill out the ‘register interest’ on its website here, and then based on interest levels, they will be made more widely available in 2025.
Daisy Jackson -
17th December 2023 
