- How will Brexit affect my holiday?
- SITTING COMFORTABLY? Best office chairs to support your back and help you sit up straight
- BEAUTY ELIXIR Best anti wrinkle creams 2021: Products to reduce fine lines and boost collagen
- SWEET SALE Best Black Friday fragrance deals in 2021: Up to 50% off at Boots, Amazon and more
- Does my Covid vaccine passport expire?
- PAN-TASTIC Black Friday Le Creuset Deals 2021: Get £300 off a 6-piece cookware set
- GOOD HAIR DAY Olaplex Black Friday sale 2021: Best deals on the hair care range loved by celebs
- DESIGNER TOUCH Harvey Nichols Black Friday deals 2021: Best bargains you can shop NOW
- GOING GUCCI Gucci Black Friday deals 2021: Sales now live
- A very merry Mickey
- BAG A BARGAIN Argos Black Friday sale 2021: Best Cyber Monday deals on Airpods, Nintendo Switch and more
- MAKE-UP SHAKE-UP Best Black Friday 2021 beauty and grooming deals live NOW: Boots, Charlotte Tilbury, Space NK and more
- Will I need a booster jab to travel abroad?
- 8 best kitchen knife sets for every budget and cooking ability, from students to professionals
Author Archives: Qin Xie
8 best kitchen knife sets for every budget and cooking ability, from students to professionals
Published on The Independent on 30th November 2021
A kitchen knife set is a great low-hassle way to kit out your kitchen quickly. Not only do all of your knives match, it’s also often more affordable than buying each one individually. But price shouldn’t be the only thing to consider – style, range of knives and sizes all matter.
For every set, you’ll need to start with a decent chef’s knife. Bigger versions are generally more versatile, especially if you’re cooking for a family, but smaller ones might be easier to store and more comfortable to use for those who aren’t as confident in the kitchen.
You’ll also need a smaller utility knife, or paring knife, which can be used for smaller or more delicate cutting tasks, such as slicing up garlic. After that, it becomes a matter of preference.
Will I need a booster jab to travel abroad?
Published on The Times digital on 30th November 2021
A growing number of countries are now requiring visitors to show proof of a Covid booster jab as part of their entry requirements. Without one, you may have to pay for additional Covid tests, quarantine or even be barred from entry. Here’s what you need to know.
Whether or not you need a booster jab to travel depends on the destination.
Some countries have already introduced an expiry date on vaccine validity, which can be extended by getting an additional dose of an accepted vaccine. In France, from December 15, over 65s will need to show they’ve had a booster jab to extend their vaccine validity and access the country’s “pass sanitaire”.
A very merry Mickey
Published in Travel Weekly on 25th November 2021
Ho! Ho! Ho! Merry Christmas!” Santa’s familiar greeting booms out from nowhere,
taking me by surprise. I had just arrived on Main Street, USA, the first destination as you enter Disneyland Paris. And even though Christmas trees and decorations are everywhere, the fact that it’s daytime in mid-November, with fairly mild weather, means the experience is a little more confusing than anything else.
But it doesn’t take long to get into the Christmas spirit – this is the holiday season at Disneyland Paris, after all. Indeed, a light flutter of ‘snow’ appears as if on cue – as it does at least 12 times a day here – and the already excitable children around me start jumping up and down with their hands in the air.
Overhead, fairy lights are twinkling against the shiny baubles on Mickey-shaped garlands all the way from City Hall, where a 24-metre-tall Christmas fir takes pride of place, to Sleeping Beauty’s castle.
Does my Covid vaccine passport expire?
Published on The Times digital on 19th November 2021
Having both doses of your vaccine has fast become the norm for bypassing quarantine and even a Covid test before travel. And yet, just as things are beginning to gain a semblance of normality, a handful of countries are now tightening their travel restrictions by putting an expiry date on vaccine validity.
It means that to be recognised as fully vaccinated, you’ll need to have received the required dosage of an accepted vaccine within the last 12 months, or have had a booster jab within a specific time frame.
This new trend began with Croatia, which updated its entry requirements in July 2021. Austria followed suit in August, and now Israel and Switzerland have both introduced similar restrictions. And as more countries weigh up whether their own citizens will require a booster jab, it’s feasible that the trend will continue to snowball. Here’s what you need to know.