Like a lot of us over this past year, Becky Kay had celebrations planned for her birthday that sadly had to be put on hold.
She usually likes to spend her special day relaxing with an overnight stay at a spa hotel.
Free bubbly on arrival, complementary chocolates on the pillows, a wealth of treatments and massages available to choose from, all followed by a three-course meal and room service throughout her entire stay, is something she was understandably looking forward to – especially as an NHS staff member, who has worked throughout the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
But with England firmly within its third national lockdown, the public advised to “stay at home”, and spa facilities told to close their doors because of this, that unfortunately couldn’t be her reality this year.
So her three daughters hatched a plan instead.
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In a bid to make sure her birthday didn’t pass by unmarked, Becky’s daughters – Molly, Lola, and Scarlet – decided to secretly transform their Salford home into ‘The Kay Hotel & Spa’ as a surprise, so Becky could still celebrate her big day in the way she knows best.
And judging by the photos shared by the girls’ father, Stevie, to social media yesterday, they really put a lot of time and hard work into bringing it all together.
“[The girls] have been thinking about it for a couple of weeks, as we usually spend a night at a spa hotel every year for Becky’s birthday.
“[And] our eldest, Molly, did most of the planning over the last week.
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“She wrote me a list of everything we needed, and I sneaked out to get it all the day before”.
The Costa del Salford’s aptly-named ‘The Kay Hotel & Spa’ – which we have also been told has an impressive “5* rating on TripAdvisor” – is home to everything you could ask for from a spa getaway, with its very own reception area, room key cards, hospitality menus, complementary room service, massage and facial facilities, candle-lit bathtubs, and more.
Becky and Stevie didn’t even have to move a muscle either, as the three sisters were happy to wait on them hand and foot throughout their ‘stay’.
He continued: “It [certainly] made my life planning Becky’s birthday very easy”.
How brilliant is all of this?
While you unfortunately won’t be able to make reservations for your own stay at the exclusive ‘The Kay Hotel & Spa’ any time soon, you can still check out all the photos of the venue on Facebook here.
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Classic FM will be back playing calming music for anxious pets this Bonfire Night
Emily Sergeant
Classic FM will be back playing calming music for anxious pets during this year’s fireworks season.
Bonfire Night may be loved by us humans for the spectacular firework displays and all the festive-themed activities that come along with it… but sadly, the November holiday isn’t quite so fun for our four-legged friends.
Loud bangs, flashing lights, and unpleasant strong smell of spent explosives are just some of the reasons why fireworks are frightening to pets.
Not only that, but with multiple bangs occurring from numerous displays across this time of year, pets are rarely able to pinpoint when and where the booming explosions are coming from, therefore creating even more anxiety around this time of year.
Classic FM will play calming music for anxious pets during this year’s fireworks / Credit: DESIGNECOLOGIST (via Unsplash)
Which is why, for the ninth year running now, Classic FM is once again teaming up with the RSPCA for two Pet Classics programmes packed with ‘the most soothing and comforting classical music’.
The music has been handpicked to help calm and settle any anxious pets.
A survey by the RSPCA revealed that almost two-thirds (63%) of animal owners reported their pet was distressed during fireworks season, and that playing relaxing music was the most common way (36%) to help calm or prepare their animal.
Presenters Dan Walker, Aled Jones, and Dawn O’Porter will each host a night of the specially created programme to help keep the nation’s pets calm through the whizzes and bangs.
Dan will present the first programme on Bonfire Night itself (Thursday 5 November), and then as celebrations continue throughout the weekend, Aled will be on hand to bring some peace to Friday 6 November, and Dawn picks up the baton on Saturday 7 November.
All three Pet Classics programmes will be broadcast from 5pm to 10pm, and you can listen on Classic FM or Global Player available across the UK.
Featured Image – The Manc Group
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What is the UK’s national dish? New survey reveals Brits’ pick in landslide victory
Emily Sergeant
If you’ve ever thought to Google the question ‘what is Britain’s national dish?’, then you probably came away thinking it’s chicken tikka masala.
But is that actually the truth? A new survey has disproved the claim, massively.
There’s no denying that chicken tikka masala – an Indian curry that’s actually widely thought to have been created in Britain – is a popular dish that’s loved by many, but despite what many headlines have claimed over the years, a new YouGov survey has revealed it’s not what Brits consider to be the country’s ‘national dish’.
YouGov conducted two online surveys earlier this month, made up of 2,079 and 2,104 adults aged 18+ living in Great Britain.
And, in their own words, Brits chose fish and chips as the country’s national dish, making it the ‘resounding’ winner with 49% of the vote.
What is the UK’s national dish? A new survey has revealed Brits’ pick in a landslide victory / Credit: The Manc Group
With nearly half of the overall vote, this puts fish and chips far ahead of the roast dinner in second place, which only 24% of people picked – including the 6% who made sure to specify a beef roast.
In fact, only 3% of Brits actually name chicken tikka masala as the UK’s national dish, although 52% in the survey did confess that they eat some form of curry at least once a month, so it is still a popular pick regardless.
Fish and chips is by far the most common answer across all generations too, according to the survey (45-50%), with the biggest difference between age groups being that 18-24 year olds are less likely to have nominated roast dinner and more likely to have chosen chicken tikka masala instead.
What do Brits say is the UK’s national dish?
Fish and chips – 49%
Roast dinner – 24%
Chicken tikka masala – 3%
Curry (non-specific) – 2%
Full English breakfast – 2%
Bangers and mash – 1%
Cottage or shepherd’s pie – 1%
Other – 3%
Don’t know – 15%
The survey also showed that, of the three top contenders for the UK’s national dish, roast dinners are the most frequently eaten, as 52% of people said they eat them on a monthly basis – including 16% who do so every week.
Aside from the frequently mentioned dishes, some survey respondents also gave shoutouts to the full English breakfast (2%), bangers and mash (1%), and cottage or shepherd’s pie (1%).
Emily Sergeant -
4th February 2021 
