News Talk

RESIDENTS of a town made famous by a hit TV show have hit out at brazen tourists who peer through their windows and block their driveways.

Bampton in Oxfordshire was made famous by the hit period piece with several locations across the village used in filming.

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Locals have been subjected to tourists peering in their windows[/caption]

David Hartley

St Mary’s church features heavily in the show[/caption]

Locals have said the town, which features in Downton Abbey, has become a magnet for tourism and now attracts thousands of brash visitors a year.

Some residents told the Telegraph that the tourism has made them a small fortune and helped to improve local amenities.

Others have slammed the tourists, demanding their quant village be freed of “brash American accents.”

Residents of Bampton have told horror stories of their encounters with tourists.

Locals have been subjected to selfie-sticks appearing at bedroom windows, tourists wandering into their back gardens and buses blocking up narrow streets. 

Guided tours of the village are offered to fans of the hit show with some charging as much as £500.

Busloads of fans are taken around the small village to visit filming locations made famous by the British drama series.

Local shop owners have claimed at one point they were making £1,000 a day from the tourists.

The thousands of pounds raised from visiting TV fans has been used to fund renovation works to buildings.

Local services have also been improved using the massive wealth brought into the community.

Despite all this locals still hit out saying they’ve had enough of nosey tourists peering in their windows and obstructing their driveways.

One resident told The Telegraph: “My friend overheard a tour guide say that Bampton was nothing before Downton Abbey.

“Let me tell you – Bampton was a beautiful, expensive place to live long beforehand.”

“I live on the main square and they often stand in my driveway. They just go everywhere.”

The small village was used for several scenes in the hit show which ended ten years ago.

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Highclere castle, the main filming location, is more than forty miles away from Bampton[/caption]

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Tourists pay £500 for guided tours of the towns filming locations[/caption]

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Bus loads of tourists are brought into the small town[/caption]

Even though it has been a decade since the last episode of the original series was aired tourists still flock to Bampton.

Locations including St Mary’s Church and the Manor House, home to Mrs Crawley in the show, can be found in the small village.

The main set for the historical drama, Highclere Castle, is forty miles away.

The tiny village has a population of just 2,500 and plays host to two coffee shops, a butcher, a deli, a charity shop, an art gallery, antique store and garden centre.

Residents claim that visitors spend most of their time and money in a few select locations, bringing no benefit to the rest of the town.

A resident told The Telegraph: “They contribute to the library, but apart from that they don’t have enough time.

“We are better off with individual travellers, with families in cars – not the buses. There’s so much more to Bampton than Downton Abbey.”

The Community Hub receives shedloads of support but according to locals the other shops and businesses are left to fend for themselves.

DAVID BECKHAM has joined an exclusive club after becoming the latest British football star to receive a knighthood.

Golden Balls will officially arise as Sir Becks after SunSport exclusively revealed he will be knighted in the King’s Birthday Honours next week.

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PA:Press Association

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Sir Bobby Robson received his award in 2002[/caption]

Beckham, 50, has long yearned for a knighthood after his services to the beautiful game.

And Spice Girl wife Victoria will benefit by becoming Lady Beckham.

Former Manchester United star Becks, who played 115 times for England and has made major contributions to charity, has struck up a firm friendship with King Charles.

He will now join an exclusive group of other British football personalities to receive royal knighthoods.

But just 16 names are already on the list.

The first was Sir Charles Clegg, who received his award in 1927 after both playing for England and later serving as chairman and president of the FA.

He was followed by Sir Stanley Rous in 1949, a former referee who was also the sixth president of FIFA.

England legend Sir Stanley Matthews next received one in 1965 while still being an active player, having become the first person to win the European Footballer of the Year award.

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World Cup-winning manager Sir Alf Ramsey then got his in 1967, a year after leading the Three Lions to glory against West Germany.

And in 1968 it was the turn of Man United icon Sir Matt Busby, the first manager of an English team to win the European Cup.

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Sir Matt Busby was given his knighthood in 1968[/caption]

News Group Newspapers Ltd

SunSport exclusively revealed Sir Tom Finney’s award in 1998[/caption]

PA:Press Association

Fast forward 10 years later and Sir Walter Winterbottom was the next to receive a knighthood after becoming the first-ever England gaffer in 1946.

Sir Bert Millichip then got one in 1991 after his time as chairman of the FA.

Three years later it was Sir Bobby Charlton’s turn, having previously been award a CBE and an OBE.

In 1998, both Sir Geoff Hurst and Sir Tom Finney were knighted by the Queen – with news of the latter’s honour exclusively revealed by SunSport.

And one year later Sir Alex Ferguson received his after leading Man United to the Treble.

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Sir Trevor Brooking was knighted in 2004[/caption]

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AP:Associated Press

Brazil legend Pele was given an honorary knighthood in 1997[/caption]

Newcastle legend Sir Bobby Robson was then knighted in 2002 thanks to his iconic career in the dugout.

Sir Trevor Brooking followed two years later, with Sir Dave Richards honoured in 2006.

Sir Kenny Dalglish then became the next 12 years later in 2018 thanks to his brilliant time with Liverpool as both boss and player.

And in January, Sir Gareth Southgate was awarded for leading England for successive second-place finishes at the European Championships.

Now, it’s Beckham’s turn to take his place among the pantheon of British football legends.

But an additional knighthood has also been given to a non-Brit, with the late Brazilian legend Pele receiving an honorary one in 1997.

Taylor Sheridan’s best movie ain’t just a gripping drama. It’s a masterclass in power, pride, and what happens when egos collide. At a time when the Elon Musk–Donald Trump fallout is lighting up headlines, Sheridan’s storytelling feels more relevant than ever. His film dives into the chaos unleashed when billionaires go head-to-head, revealing how unchecked […]

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The Witcher 3 was and is one of the best games ever made. But it’s ten years old now, and with The Witcher 4 in the works, CD Projekt Red (CDPR) has a lot of work cut out. The industry has changed in the last decade, new technologies have come out, and with so many […]

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It turns out that MomTok can survive this: The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives’ Jessi and Jordan Ngatikaura are looking all loved-up in a new TikTok video amid Marciano Brunette’s claims that he had an affair with the hairstylist. Jordan shared a sweet lip-synch video with his wife on Thursday, June 5, that appeared to […]

Democracy in action.

SKY is dishing out access to 35 premium channels at no extra cost to customers this weekend.

The special offer also includes 35,000 shows episodes on demand.

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Sky customers don’t have to take any action to claim the freebie[/caption]

Viewers on Sky‘s cheapest £15 package, Sky Essential TV, will benefit from the boost to Sky Ultimate TV.

However, the channels will only be available from today until Monday.

It’s designed to give people a taster of the shows to watch elsewhere.

They include Sky Max, Sky Crime, Sky Documentaries, U&Gold, and Comedy Central.

Highlights at the moment range from Matlock and The Rookie on Sky Witness, Hacks and Rob Beckett’s Smart TV on Sky Max, Boyzone No Matter What on Sky Documentaries, Planet Weird on Sky Nature and The Righteous Gemstones on Sky Comedy.

Customers don’t have to take any action to gain access to the channels.

They will all be unlocked for the duration of the giveaway.

Sky Essential TV was launched at the end of last year as a cheaper way for telly fans to watch Sky TV, with Sky Atlantic, Netflix and Discovery+ all included.

Sky Ultimate TV costs £7 more (a total of £21).

It comes as Sky just launched a brand new TV product in the UK, Sky Glass Air.

The device builds on the company’s existing streamed TV offering, which does away with a satellite dish on the side of your house.

Instead, channels are all transmitted via a broadband connection.

Sky Glass Air is a cheaper option with no built-in soundbar unlike the main Sky Glass model, making it much thinner.

The Sky Essential TV package is only available to those with Sky Stream and Sky Glass.

WEARING white as a wedding guest used to be a cardinal sin and the ultimate insult to the bride.

But nowadays there’s a far worse style crime.

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laurenperez/Instagram

Kendall Jenner wore a barely-there cut-out black gown to her pal’s wedding[/caption]

Instagram

Gone are tailored trouser suits, chic two-pieces and glamorous, ankle-skimming gowns.

Instead, you’re more likely to spot looks you would find on the strip in Benidorm.

Think bum-skimming Lycra mini-dresses, skimpy bra tops, or dresses with sky-high thigh slits and boob-baring cut-outs.

One of the things I love about a wedding — aside from dancing to Come On Eileen and drinking a headache-inducing amount of champers, — is getting dressed up.

I’m talking sophisticated dresses, stylish hats and fascinators and killer heels for the girls, and sharp suits for the blokes.

The novelty of getting spruced up to the nines makes the special day all that more exciting and memorable.

Passing judgement on others’ outfits while you wait for the bride to make her entrance (which, admit it, we all do) is a big part of it, too.

I’m out of the “going to a wedding every other weekend” age bracket now — and what a relief, because the looks that seem to be trending wouldn’t be out of place in the queue for an Oceana nightclub.

Across social media, scantily-clad twenty-somethings share their wedding outfits with pride — while I gawp, with prejudice.

A quick Google search for “wedding guest outfits” produces dozens of brands’ standalone pages dedicated solely to this category.

But as you scroll through the likes of Club L, Oh Polly and River Island, you’ll find that the dresses and gowns — yes, Gen Z wear full-on gowns now — are better suited to the Love Island finale than a wedding in your local country house hotel.

And, like most trends, we have celebrities to blame.

When Dani Dyer wed footballer Jarrod Bowen last week, guest and fellow Love Islander Georgia Steel was slated for wearing what looked like a revealing white dress to her pal’s big day.

After Georgia posted a snap on TikTok of the lace-trimmed Miss Circle number she wore, the trolls came out in force, bashing her for picking what was in fact a “soft beige” dress.

“Wearing white to a wedding?” questioned one, while another waded in with: “Way too bridal for a wedding.”

And Georgia isn’t alone. Two months ago, White Lotus actress Sydney Sweeney came under fire for the “inapp­ropriate” dress she wore to her Anyone But You co-star Glenn Powell’s sister’s wedding.

Across social media, scantily-clad twenty-somethings share their wedding outfits with pride — while I gawp, with prejudice

Clemmie

She chose a cleavage-baring corset-style dress from V Chapman in a very pale blue.

Fans thought the colour was an issue.

Comments included: “That is not an appropriate shade of blue for a wedding” and “The number one [rule] of a wedding is don’t wear anything close to white.”

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Instagram

Sydney Sweeney was slammed for wearing a cleavage-baring corset-style dress to co-star Glenn Powell’s sister’s wedding[/caption]

Instagram/@haileybieber

Hailey wore a backless white dress to a friend’s big day in 2023[/caption]

Personally, I take no issue with guests wearing white at a wedding. As long as they aren’t also wearing a long veil (cropped veils on fascinators are allowed), who cares?

Especially during summer, when every other dress on the high street is some shade of white.

No one at the wedding is going to mistake someone else as the bride. It’s the bride’s name on the invite and her kissing the groom — so no need for the unnecessary uproar.

However, what I would take issue with is the plunging neckline and lingerie-style basque of Sydney’s outfit and, in Georgia’s case, the fact her lacy dress is practically see-through.

Don’t get me wrong, Sydney is a knock-out, and if I looked like that, I’d be wearing sexy numbers, too — just not to a wedding.

As one person commented online: “Kinda tacky to wear to a wedding. C’mon Syds, you can do better.” And she can.

The woman is an ambassador for designer brand Miu Miu, for crying out loud. Raid something from their archives that’s less underwear-like and more sophisticated. But it’s not just Sydney. Kendall Jenner wore a heavily cut-out black gown to her pal’s wedding, which sent the internet into meltdown due to its slashed fabric that barely covered her nipples.

And her sister, Kylie, has also faced outfit-shaming from keyboard warriors.

Don’t get me wrong, Sydney is a knock-out, and if I looked like that, I’d be wearing sexy numbers, too — just not to a wedding

Clemmie

At Hailey and Justin Bieber’s wedding, fans accused her of trying to steal the bride’s limelight by wearing a gold, floor-sweeping gown with peek-a-boo cleavage and a hip-high slit.

On X, one critic wrote: “If someone tries to pull a Kylie Jenner move like this at my wedding . . . they will kindly be escorted out with a red wine stain down the front of their dress.”

Ouch!

But then Hailey wore a backless white dress to a friend’s big day in 2023, which broke all the so-called wedding rules for looking just like a bridal gown.

When it comes to these codes, they’re subjective and are depen­dent on the wedding location.

If you’re lucky enough to be a guest at a ceremony abroad in a hot country, sitting in a long-sleeve, high-neck, polyester dress at noon is going to give you heatstroke.

And wearing a tailored pencil midi dress to sit on a bale of hay in a field will make you stick out like a sore thumb. I get it. I’ve been there myself and it’s a minefield. But if in doubt, aim for a more demure style.

Don’t copy the under-boob and pelvis-flashing looks of young celebs — think more of the women who have nailed the guest brief.

Keep it classy

Cast your mind back to happier times when Meghan Markle and Prince Harry got married.

Amal Clooney, in a yellow, capped-sleeve midi-dress by Stella McCartney, was crowned best-dressed guest in attendance. Bold, but without being in danger of over-shadowing the bride, it was perfect.

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Demi Moore was a flawless royal wedding guest in a burgundy dress and matching veiled hat by Stella McCartney[/caption]

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Amal Clooney, in a yellow, capped-sleeve midi-dress by Stella McCartney, was crowned best-dressed guest in attendance at Meghan and Harry’s wedding[/caption]

Another flawless guest at a royal wedding was Demi Moore.

She battled gale-force winds in a burgundy dress and matching veiled hat — again, by Stella McCartney — when Princess Eugenie married Jack Brooksbank in 2018. And she looked incredible.

Cindy Crawford’s daughter, actress Kaia Gerber, also got it right when she wore a classy, long-sleeved dress from Reformation to a friend’s 2018 wedding in Miami, Florida.

At the time, the navy, slit-leg frock retailed for £180, proving that even supermodels with designer brands at their fingertips can look amazing in high street buys.

A big emerging trend on the high street this wedding season seems to be minimal frocks with slinky scarves, which are intended to be worn draped down your back, not wrapped around you like a winter woollen.

They create a sense of elegance without having to have your boobs and bum out.

So if you are heading to someone’s nuptials this summer, keep it classy, girls.

Underwear as outerwear and flesh-flashing cut-outs are for the weekend, not for a wedding.

YOU’D be hard pushed to find someone these days who hasn’t tried their luck on Vinted – with some even managing to turn reselling into their entire career.

However, there are some downsides to selling on the app, such as scams when buyers say they haven’t received the item you’ve sold them.

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If you’re a Vinted user, there’s a clever packaging tip you can try that should help you avoid being scammed[/caption]

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Including the exact pictures you need to take as ‘photographic proof’ that you’ve sold and sent it as seen[/caption]

But there’s a clever way to avoid that happening, and it’s really easy too.

Double wrapping your sales means you’ve abided by Vinted’s packaging rule, and could swing a dispute in your favour if someone claims they’ve received an empty bag.

“As a seller, it’s crucial you double wrap your items before shipping,” Marc Porcar, CEO of QR Code Generator, explained.

“Otherwise, Vinted is likely to side with the buyer, and you may end up without the item or payment. 

“Vinted’s packaging rules state double wrapping, and by following them you can help tip the balance in your favour if a buyer lies about not receiving an item.”

If you’re worried that paying out for mailing bags isn’t the most environmentally-friendly approach, you can reuse packaging from previous deliveries to avoid contributing to landfill sites.

Another way you can reduce your risk of being scammed is to collect photographic evidence.

“Take a series of clear photos while packaging and shipping your packages to use if a buyer falsely claims an item wasn’t received,” Marc continued.

“Some Vinted sellers record themselves wrapping the package, ensuring visual proof of what was included and confirming that you followed the double wrapping practice.

“This can help strengthen your case for disputes.”

The photos you need to take are: the item before packaging, the item inside the package, the sealed package with the shipping label attached, and the package at the drop-off point.

If you can take a snap which shows the person’s address on the shipping label too, it helps make the package identifiable – which will also strengthen a case.

“If shipping via a post office that weighs the package, take a photo of the weight at home and again at the counter to help verify the item packaged,” Marc added.

“Mentioning to the buyer that the package has been shipped with photographic evidence recorded may help deter any scammers.”

AN Irish school attended by two brothers who were among 35 people deported to Nigeria say they have been left “devastated” in the wake of the event.

The two were part of a group made up of 21 men, nine women, and five children who were refused international protection.

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The deportations came as part of an ongoing Garda operation[/caption]

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The recent charter flight was the third of its kind this year[/caption]

They were removed from the state on June 4 on a chartered flight to Lagos as part of an ongoing Gardai immigration operation.

But principal of St James’s Primary School in Dublin, which two of the children attended, said that the loss of their pupils left other students “devastated”.

Ciaran Cronin told RTE‘s Morning Ireland that the brother’s mum had an immigration appointment scheduled for July.

He opined that to “spring” deportations on children who thought they had an immigration appointment is “very cruel”.

Cronin said other children had witnessed the two boys’ belongings being packed up from their hotel rooms and put on a bus.

He explained: “On Wednesday morning they all came to school completely distressed, upset, visibly shaken by what they had seen at the hotel in the morning.

“They came to school then to tell us that. That’s how we found out what was happening.

“We had been in touch with the mother for a long time, knowing that they were going through the deportation process.”

Cronin added that the primary school had been advocating on the family‘s behalf.

He claimed that they had put in character references for the boys explaining that they wanted them to be let stay in the school.

But, he explained: “On Wednesday morning, when the children came in, we kind of knew it’s the end of the line for them, unfortunately.”

Cronin went on to say that the two boys were “really popular” in school.

He said: “They were part of the football team. They played the Cumann na mBunscol GAA tournament the last two years.

“Had loads of friends and got on really well with everyone.”

He described the two children’s deportation as “a huge loss” to the school.

And he added that teachers had to explain to the other pupils in the school that the boys weren’t coming back.

‘THEY’VE LOST THEIR FRIENDS’

He explained: “At home time yesterday pupils ran out in tears telling their parents that they’re gone.

“They’ve lost their friends, they’re looking to see if they have their WhatsApp, that they can contact them, and they haven’t been able to make contact with them since.”

Social Democrats TD for Dublin Gary Gannon accused the Minister for Justice of wanting to look tough in order to “send a message”.

He told RTE’s Claire Byrne: “I do not want to see a replication of what has happened.

“This cannot happen again. All of this can be done better.”

The Garda National Immigration Bureau confirmed yesterday that it continues to work with the Department of Justice on enforcing immigration policy.

‘CLEAR MESSAGE’

A spokesperson for the force said: “An Garda Siochana continues to work closely with the Department of Justice in implementing immigration policy.”

The Justice Department had previously said that they carry out deportations as a “last resort” when people have not left the country voluntarily.

Minister for Justice Jim O’Callaghan said removal operations of this nature “send a clear message” to people who remain in Ireland without permission.

He said: “Ireland has a rules-based immigration system. It is important that those rules are robust and enforced.

“The return of people whose applications have been refused and deportation orders have issued is the foundation of any modern rules-based immigration process.

“People coming to Ireland must follow the appropriate pathways for legal migration and these pathways must be adhered to and protected for our immigration system to work fairly and effectively.

“If a person’s application for international protection is refused and they are ordered to leave the State they must do so.”

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The principal of St James’ Primary School called the event “a huge loss”[/caption]