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[wellourgerdes]

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[vipchauffeurride]

Challenges faced by chauffeur service from the tourism sector

Recent changes in the tourism sector have made it necessary for businesses to utilize vehiclesmore frequently. Around the world, several tourism businesses offer services where visitors use autos for transportation or sightseeing.

Owners of tourist-related businesses have been able to expand their operations through creative business strategies thanks to profit and company growth in every field. Because they have the following advantages, tourism firms today choose to utilize automotive services.

Rivalry with Ride-Sharing Apps: Traditional London To Stansted Chauffeurs are now under intense competition from ride-sharing firms. These applications frequently provide cheaper rates and more practical booking choices, which might entice travelers away from conventional cabs.

Rules and regulations: Manchester Chauffeur Services are governed by several laws, including those about licensing, insurance, and fares. For vehicle firms, navigating these rules may be difficult, and legislative changes may affect their productivity and financial success.

Technology Adoption: Traditional Chauffeur Service London may have a difficult time incorporating new technology, such as GPS monitoring, online reservation services, and mobile payment alternatives, which can enhance the customer experience and compete with ride-sharing applications.

Price Sensitivity: Travelers, especially those on a tight budget, are frequently price-conscious. In certain tourist locations, vehicle costs can be rather expensive, therefore travelers may choose less expensive modes of transportation, including walking or public transit.

Language obstacles:Vehicle drivers may run into language obstacles in locations with a wide variety of visitors, which might cause miscommunication or misunderstandings. The whole visitor experience may be impacted by this.

Seasonal fluctuations: These are common in the tourism industry, with peak and off-peak seasons. Demand for Chauffeur Service In Birmingham may vary throughout the year, making it difficult to maintain a steady income.

Safety Issues: Travelers in some locations can worry about the safety of utilizing vehicles, particularly if they are unfamiliar with the area. Tourists have occasionally been overcharged, led on longer journeys, or encountered illegal vehicle drivers.

Environmental Concerns: Some visitors may favor ecologically friendly modes of transportation. Traditional vehicles, which frequently operate on gas or diesel, might not fit these standards.

Traffic congestion: In well-known tourist areas, vehicle services may face serious difficulties due to traffic congestion. Longer travel times and disgruntled consumers may result from traffic delays.

Ride Quality and Vehicle Condition: Chauffeur Service Birmingham might be in a broad range of conditions. Poorly maintained or unpleasant vehicle rides for certain visitors may hurt how they see the area.

Payment Options: It might be difficult for some Chauffeur Service Heathrow to accept a range of payment options, such as credit cards and mobile payments. Because they are more convenient and secure, tourists may favor cashless payment methods.

Ride-Sharing Regulation: To provide a fair playing field for conventional vehicle firms, certain tourist locations have put limitations or rules on ride-sharing services. Enforcing these laws, though, can be difficult.

Vehicle services in the tourism industry may need to adapt by enhancing customer service, adopting technology, adhering to laws, and providing competitive pricing and value-added services to remain competitive and handle these issues. Additionally, vehicle firms may better serve tourist demands and improve the entire visitor experience by working with tourism agencies and neighborhood businesses.

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[m25chauffeuruk]

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[theta-walti]

All Of Me

Summary: Lucy and the reader met at a meta event and hit it off immediately exchanging numbers. The reader is performing in Barcelona, so she invites Lucy and some of her teammates at the concert. One of her teammates is a die-hard fan and would love to meet her, so Lucy arranges it. At the end of the concert, Lucy realises she's in love and confesses.

Warnings: fluff, just fluff

A/N: This is dedicated to Tuck, Shadow, and the anon who requested this, l hope you enjoy and thank you for patiently waiting 🫶

Word count: 4.4k

---☆☆☆---

"Do l have to wear this?"

you asked as you look yourself at the mirror, not completely confident of what you are wearing, you get that it is not any big event like the Met Gala, but it is an meta hosted event that you have been invited to, and your best friend has encouraged you to go as soon as you told her, so under her influence you have decided to do it.

First you went shopping for a dress, deciding that you don't need a makeup artist or any kind of stylist, deciding that you can get ready on your own, big mistake, you have absolutely no idea how to do fancy makeup, the best you can do is basic everyday makeup and that's enough for you, even on your shows and tours you didn't go very fancy unless you hired someone to do it for you.

"Come on! You came from London all the way to Barcelona to do this! And don't stress about it! You look great! Trust me, people would love this look!"

And you did, the moment you told your best friend that you had been invited, she immediately booked you a flight. She was very excited for you, and that alone also made you very excited.

Your best friend stopped what she was doing and walked towards you, then stopped when she was behind you, looking into the reflection. Her hands were on your shoulder and her head next to your own, she smiled.

"People are going to love you, don't you worry, everything is going to be just fine, relax and go enjoy okay?"

You nodded as you understood her words and relaxed a bit, just on cue your driver arrived and your phone ping in a notification, you looked at your best friend one more time with a smile before you put on your shoes and walked out the door, heading towards the car.

The car drive there was peaceful, and you liked that, some calmness before the whole event and the chaos that happens, when you arrived you took a deep breath before you opened the door, unknown to you there was a person hind the door and when you opened it the door has slammed into the person, and your hand flew to your face before you can even speak.

"Oh my god l am so sorry!"

You apologised as you looked up at the person, widening your eyes as you got a bit starstruck. Not only was the person a woman, but she was the most attractive you have ever seen, you stood there, a bit frozen.

"No no, it's alright, it happens"

The woman shook her head as she chuckled, she seemed carefree and forgiving of the accident, she seemed to have asked you something but you were too mesmerised to answer, as you shook your head to focus on the conversation again you felt a bit embarrassed.

"I'm sorry, what did you say?"

Your face heated up a little.

"l said, are you alright though?"

The woman said with a smile on her face and her eyes gazed into yours, her voice a bit louder as she crowd behind both of you got larger and larger.

"yes l'm okay, sorry that l smashed my car door into you again!"

You apologised again and the woman's smile got a little bit bigger.

"Don't apologise! It's okay! l'm glad your doing alright though!"

The woman's hand went on your shoulder for a little pat before she walked away, leaving you a bit surprised and stunned, not only by her looks but also by how she handled the whole situation.

---☆☆☆---

"hey you alright?"

You looked up from the voice and saw the woman from earlier, you smile and nodded.

"Yea, just bored"

You chuckled as put away your phone, you don't mind these events but the whole reason you don't usually go is because you find them boring, most times it will just be you alone, tucked away in a corner, scrolling though you phone or reading something, you think that must be why the women from earlier approached you, because she saw you alone.

You flashed a smile, hoping that she will stay and talk.

"Let me tell you a secret, l don't really like this either"

The woman leaned in and whispered, then she let out a chuckle, in cue pulling up a chair to sit in front of you, then she held out her hand.

"Lucy, Lucy Bronze, nice to meet you"

you tell her your name as you shook her hand, her hand is warm, not sweaty warm, but warm enough to make you feel comfortable. There is a moment of silence between you and her, before she spoke up.

"These events can be a bit overwhelming, don't you think?"

Lucy said, glancing around the room. You nod in agreement and chuckled, grateful for the opportunity to share your thoughts with someone who understands.

"Yea, definitely. Sometimes, it feels like everyone here is playing a role, and I'm not sure where I fit in.

"You said with a chuckle and Lucy's eyes soften with empathy.

"I know what you mean, l am the emergency plus one for my friend, but hey, we can be the rebels who break free from the script, right?"

You can't help but laugh at her suggestion, feeling a weight lift off your shoulders.

"I like the sound of that"

---☆☆☆---

As the evening goes, after a few glasses of champagne Lucy leans in, whisper in your ear as her eyes sparkling with mischief.

"You know," she says with a grin "sometimes I sneak out of these events and go grab a burger. Fancy parties are overrated anyways, no?"

You chuckled and raised an eyebrow, if this is a way for her to ask you if you wanna leave, you would accept it, you never liked these kinds of things anyway.

"Are asking me out?" you reply with a smirk, teasing.

With a mischievous glint in her eye, Lucy tilted up her head a little and her lips also turn into a smug smile.

"it will only be if you want it to be" She stopped for a second before continuing, smirk still on her face. "come on" She said in teasing tone "l don't bite.....unless you want me too" She leaned back on the chair and her smirk widened.

You sat there, your face blushing before you regain your composure, back straight and a smile on your face, gesturing towards the exit.

"Shall we make a break for it then?"

Lucy's face turn into a grin before she stood up and took you hand, together you two sprinted out of the event, giggling like school girls as you head off into the streets of the evening.

---☆☆☆---

Not long after you and Lucy slip away from the event, you can't help but notice the city lights twinkling around you, the streets are alive with energy, compared to the event out here is a million times better, especially with a person you have just met but felt like you have known forever.

As you walk side by side, hands tingle, you notice the sky, a beautiful shade of blue, pink, orange and yellow. You stop and admire the sky a little more, as well as pointing up the sky so Lucy can see it too.

"The sky is so beautiful today"

Lucy looked up in the sky, also amazed by it, the view was incredibly stunning, absolutely gorgeous.

"Yea, very pretty" she agreed, unknown to you she was also looking at you when she said those words, but you were too mesmerised by the beauty of the sky to notice it.

When you two start to move again you decide that it would be best if you and Lucy find something to eat, since both of you haven't eaten since the event started and it has been well over 2 hours now.

"We should probably find something to eat, l'm hungry"

Lucy nodded in agreement and she took your hand again before she started to lead you somewhere.

"I know a place, but you have to trust me okay?"

You nodded and with an amused smile, wondering where she would lead you.

You followed her lead and walked for a while, at one point you convinced yourself that you two are lost in the city, but Lucy insisted that you trust her and let her lead you, so you did exactly that and trusted the process.

After a while Lucy finally stopped and you found yourself in front of a quaint little cafe, The golden glow of the light inside contrasted warmly to the darkness in the night. With a grin, Lucy holds open the door, inviting you inside.

"Welcome to our secret hideout," She declares with a playful wink.

You found yourself giggling as you stepped inside, the familiar scent of coffee and pastries washing over you. Finding a cosy booth in the corner, you decided to look at the menu b for a bit before Lucy spoke.

"You know there is something l wanted you to try, it's not on the menu, but l know they make it, do you wanna try it?"

You nodded and decided to take a leap of faith, and trust Lucy on this, so far she had not disappointed you, so why not trust her on this and see what she orders for you.

Lucy smiled and spoke again.

"l promise you will not regret this"

And with that she ordered a pasta dish in Spanish, since you don't know the language you have no idea what she is saying or what is ordering for you, after the waiter has gone there is a comfortable silence between the both of you, you noticed that she is staring at you so you choose to spoke up.

"You know, not everyday you get to have a pretty lady eating with you" You said with a grin.

"yea? And what about it?" Lucy said, teasing as she crossed her arms, her face also bloomed with a smile.

"Maybe l can get your number? So we can do this again?" You took your phone out and handed it to Lucy, hoping that she will put her number in.

"Your not as shy as l thought you would be ey?" She waved her hand as she took your phone and put her number in, when she gives it back to you your hands blushed and your faced heated up, the touch was electric, not like when she held you hand earlier, somehow that was different, that felt somewhat normal, compared to what you felt just now it is completely different.

When the dish arrived it looked amazing so you decided to give it a taste, as soon as the pasta touched your lips your eyes widened at how good it was. Your eyes also lit up, Lucy chuckled at your reaction and found it adorable.

"See l told you that you'll like it"

---☆☆☆---

Over the course of the next few weeks you and Lucy texted everyday, before your shows Lucy would text you good luck and you would do the same before all her matches, it felt like you have known each other for years even though you only knew each other for a few weeks.

After finishing training with the team one afternoon, Lucy entered the changing room to get changed. Suddenly, her phone pinged, and it was you who texted her. She immediately halted what she was doing and responded, her face blossoming into a smile in the process. Ever since that night, she has remained like this, and her teammates have noticed a change in her behaviour, particularly her mood.

"Anyone special in your life Lucy?" Keira asked with a curious manner. Even though they have broken up they have still remained friends, they just fell out of love, it was no one's fault, instead Lucy was happy for Keira that she found Laura, someone that Keira likes.

"no, not really" She tried to lie, but it didn't work. Keira had known her for years even before they started dating, so she can basically read Lucy like an open book. But before she could say anything a song of yours popped up on the speakers and Aitana spoke up.

"oh l love this song!" Aitana said with a big smile on her face, she also started to dance along to the music and sing along to the lyrics, other teammates laughed at her love for your song while Lucy couldn't stop but felt curious about it.

"You like Y/N's music?" Lucy asked, a bit surprised.

Aitana nodded before she spoke up.

"Yea, her music got me through the tough times, l also heard generally she is a really nice person, like her fans and the people around her, l wish l can meet her, but she is currently touring in America and l can't see her, but l am a really big fan yes"

After hearing this Lucy thought of an idea, but in order for this to work she needed to make sure that you are available and her other teammates agree with the plan. Just on cue your text has popped up on her phone again.

After my show in LA l’ll be coming to Barca, do you wanna come see me? You can bring friends too, l don’t mind xx

Perfect, Lucy thought to herself as she replied, first step done.

Of course, also, l got a favour, l got a friend who is a very big fan of yours, do you think you can do a meet and greet with her after the show? xx

You replied only a few seconds later.

I'm doing a meet and greet after the show anyways so maybe just to avoid the crowd we can do it before the show? xx

That's good, Lucy thought to herself and immediately start to type a reply

Yea, that sounds good, see you soon xx

As you both exchanged texts, a smile remained plastered on Lucy's face, refusing to fade away. You responded with the date and time, sharing in her excitement at the thought of seeing each other again. It's been a while since that memorable day, and the anticipation of reuniting has been building up for both of you.

After her first part of the plan is done she goes on to her second, and that is to text everyone. Fortunately, they all agreed to attend the concert, some even say that it is a wonderful bonding activity for the team. She also mentioned to the group that she planned this as a surprise for Aitana.

The team also agreed to the idea and decided to keep it a secret. Now, she just has to wait for the day to arrive.

—☆☆☆—

“Are you ready?”

Frido yelled from Aitana's living room, rushing her. Everyone else on the team had either driven To the stadium alone or driven by their loved ones. Ingrid, Mapi, Frido and Aitana are all going to the concert together, but Aitana takes the most time to get ready, even though she is the shortest of the group.

“Yes! Just hold on for a minute!”

Aitana yelled back from her bedroom, she was rushing everything, from makeup to getting dressed.

Frido rolled her eyes and Ingrid And Mapi both chuckled.

“It is nice of Lucy to do this” Ingrid said with a smile. Aitana has always been one of the very good friends they have, they can trust her on and off the field, she is always very supportive and cheerful.

“It is, but l wonder how she got the tickets, l heard Y/N's tickets are expensive and hard to get like Taylor swift ones” Mapi replied, curious.

Since you are a famous singer your tickets are both expensive, it's not what you wanted but because of the increasing demand for production costs that are associated with your concerts, the price goes up naturally, whether you like it or not, it was out of your control.

“She must have help or has connections, who knows?” Frido answered, checking on her watch to calculate how much time they have left, she predicted that they will be a bit later than everyone else.

Just after Frido finished her sentence Aitana finally came downstairs to meet them, she was all prepared with her green outfit and baseball cap. In your concerts the fans always wear green and a baseball cap, mainly because most of your album covers always have some kind of green in it, no matter it's the background shade or the main attention of the cover, so the fan adapted it and made it your theme, so whenever you have concerts or go on tours your fan will always wear green.

As for the baseball caps the fans found that you will always wear one during your performance, it has a meaning behind it but that's another story for another time. But the fans started to do the same, creating the tradition to wear their own baseball caps to your shows, they will also trade them and bedazzle them, along with bracelets, but that's just a normal thing for concerts trading bracelets.

Fan will often vlog and make videos on the whole process of attending your shows, from the start to the end, and you love watching them, you will like the videos and maybe comment something like “l’m glad you enjoyed the show! See you next time 💚”

“Tada! You like it?” Aitana said as she twirl around with her outfit. It also gave her an idea of whose concert she is going to but she's not sure, she's excited either way.

“Yes, now come along, or else we’ll be late!” Frido rushed with a smile on her face, she pushed Aitana out the door and into the backseats of her car, Mapi also sat in the back with her while Ingrid sat in the front and Frido drove.

—☆☆☆—

When they arrived and got out of the car other teammates noticed her and informed you, you start to walk towards Aitana.

“Hi, your Aitana right? I heard so much about you! All good things of course, and l heard from Lucy that you're a very big fan?” You held out your hand with a smile.

Aitana stood there frozen in shock while she's also starstruck, other teammates laughed at her reaction while you also chuckled.

“I think we broke her” Patri said as another wave of laughter entered the team, Aitana shook her head to clear up and she looked up to you, shaking your hand.

“Yes! I’m such a big fan! It's a pleasure to meet you Miss L/N!” Aitana said excitedly with a full smile on her face.

“Just call me Y/N, Miss L/N makes me feel old” You chuckled and let go of your hand.

“Can l get an autograph or a selfie please?” Aitana said in the same excited tone and took off her basketball cap and took out a pen, ready for you to sign her basketball cap.

“We can do both” You said with a grin and gently took the pen and basketball cap to sign, once you finished you took a picture with her and continued to talk to her for a bit, unknown to you Lucy was also watching you with a soft smile on her face, this does not pass Keira as she planned to question Lucy about later.

A worker from your show came over to you and told you the show was about to start, you nodded and thanked for the reminder before you said goodbye to the team, without a doubt you kissed Lucy's cheeks before you went and walked away. Lucy stood there shocked and her face reddened, butterflies in her stomach, while other teammates stood there in shock.

“You know her?”

“Are you guys dating?”

“How long has this been going on?”

They all asked questions while Lucy just stood there, completely ignoring them and her mind only thought about the moment.

—☆☆☆—

As the team started to walk to their seats Keira spoke up.

“So it's her that you’ve been head over heels for” she teased as she bumped on Lucy's shoulder.

“Oh shut up” Lucy mumbled with a shy smile as she continued to walk, the stadium is large so it takes a while to get to their seats.

“Hey, no judgement, l’m just happy for you, you finally found someone you like” It is true, ever since they broke up Lucy has been single while Keira herself has started to date Laura, she always told Lucy that she should put herself out there and find someone, so when Lucy found you Keira was over the moon for her.

“So how long have you guys been dating?” The question that Lucy dread to answer, you and Lucy have not started dating at all, just crushing as neither of you have the courage to ask each other out, or that's what she thought.

Before Lucy can answer the question the lights start to dim indicating that your show has started, and she decides to focus on your show instead of answering Keira’s question.

“What's up Barcelona! Let's get this party started!’’

You said in a loud and powerful voice as the crowd went wild cheering and the music from your first song of the night started to play, the crowd also started to sing along as you sang, it was a vibe, everyone was happy and content, it was good.

—☆☆☆—

After a few songs you stopped and said a few words.

“Now this song is dedicated to a special person, you know who you are out there, and l hope you like it”

As you scanned the crowd for Lucy, your smile grew wider when your eyes met hers. With locked eye contact, you confidently made your way to the piano and began to play the song.

What would I do without your smart mouth?

Drawing me in, and you kicking me out

You've got my head spinning, no kidding

I can't pin you down

These lyrics are dedicated to the weeks you have spent texting, you have been busy travelling around the world for your tour while Lucy has been playing football and Barcelona, she can't pin you down to see you while you on the other hand cannot stop thinking about her.

What's going on in that beautiful mind?

I'm on your magical mystery ride

And I'm so dizzy, don't know what hit me

But I'll be alright

It is a part of your plan to confess your love to Lucy with the song, and you wrote it as a surprise song for the fans as well, so it's a win-win.

My head's underwater

But I'm breathing fine

You're crazy and I'm out of my mind

'Cause all of me loves all of you

Love your curves and all your edges

All your perfect imperfections

Give your all to me, I'll give my all to you

You're my end and my beginning

Even when I lose, I'm winning

“Lucy! She is basically confessing her love to you” Keira shouted through the loud venue.

Lucy is way too mesmerised by you to hear her.

'Cause I give you all of me

And you give me all of you, oh-oh

How many times do I have to tell you

Even when you're crying, you're beautiful too?

The world is beating you down

I'm around through every mood

This is cue back to the many times when you and Lucy facetime each other whenever there is something happening, no matter you both are feeling nervous or scared to do something, or when you or Lucy were crying, how you would always comfort her by saying that she is worth it and she will do the same thing vice versa.

You're my downfall, you're my muse

My worst distraction, my rhythm and blues

I can't stop singing

It's ringing in my head for you

My head's underwater

But I'm breathing fine

You're crazy, and I'm out of my mind

You felt like Lucy is everything to you, whenever what happens she was there for you even though you were long distance, she is your person and you are hers.

As you continue to sing the crowd along sing along and some of your fans predicted that this song is for Lucy, since there was a few pictures leaked online since the night, fans have started to shipped you two together online and tabloids has gone crazy with articles of you and Lucy, spreading rumours that you are together.

—☆☆☆—

After a few more songs and fans demanding a few more songs your show was finished, you went backstage and got surprised by Lucy and her teammates standing there, waiting for you, you immediately wrap your arms around her and closed your eyes.

“Well done, you have done so well”

Lucy praised you and you relaxed into her touch, her teammates awed at the sight, suddenly Lucy got on her knees and held up a makeshift flower.

“Y/N L/N, you have been a bit part of my life ever since l met you that night, you mean to me so so much and l love how you are always there for me, you are caring, funny and got damn it you are so attractive, will you make me the happiest woman and be my girlfriend?”

As the people around you fell silent, you stood there in shock. After a few heart-stopping seconds, you nodded, tears of joy welling in your eyes. Lucy's arms enveloped you as she spun you around, laughter bubbling from both of you. As she gently set you down, your lips met in a magical kiss, sealing a moment of pure happiness. Cheers erupted from the crowd, marking the perfect ending to your unforgettable moment.

---☆☆☆---

yourusername

Liked by lucybronze, keirawalsh, fridolinarolfo, marialeonn16, ingrid_engen, and 973,528 others

yourusername evening well spent 💚💖

view all 6,389 comments

lucybronze 🌷🌷🌷

y/nsultimatefan LUCY AND Y/N IS REAL! I COPY, LUCY AND Y/N IS REAL

keirawalsh couldn't have done it without me 😙

---☆☆☆---

A/N: l hope you like it! This one is the longest k have written 😅🤣 but it was fun!! The song l used is All of me by John Legend, l head this and got inspired.

This is theta, signing out, see you later!

[kamotecue]

the transfer ✯ a. bonmati

pairing: aitana bonmati x reader

summary: the spanish defender tried to get you out of her mind, but she couldn’t. little did she know, she would see you sooner than she thought.

part two of here

⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯ ⋆✦⋆ ⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯

you didn’t know how to feel about the transfer, it was a shocking move that no one expected. yet here you were on a plane to spain, more specifically barcelona to sign a two year contract with the team.

but thankfully, the team had hired someone to drop you off at the training grounds where you’ll sign the contract. after that, you’ll have the whole day to yourself.

as you arrived at the training grounds, you took a deep breath.

“nervous, ms. l/n?” the driver had asked as you chuckled at his words.

“just a little bit.” you timidly said, giving him a soft smile. he hummed at your words, completely understanding it.

“i’m sure you’ll do well, you had a fantastic season at arsenal.” he commented as you gave him a small nod. you had exited the car, and immediately someone had guided you to a room.

you talked about the contract, the essentials like the kits, the clubs sponsors and etc. you had finally signed the contract, posing for a few pictures as they would release it on their official social media page later.

“would you like to meet the team? i heard they are currently training.” a staff had asked, as you politely declined as you had to set up your apartment.

you bid goodbye before swiftly leaving but only to be stopped by a staff.

“what number would you like on your jersey?” she asked, as you gave her a small smile.

“number 17 is still available, is it not? i’d love to have that number.” you said, as she hummed in acknowledgment.

you had already set up the guest bedroom, and the kitchen. the living room was a mess as it had the cardboard boxes from the furniture you had ordered. your room was close to being complete, you just needed the finishing touch.

but the next day, you grabbed a light breakfast before heading to the training grounds. you had two pairs of football boots in your kit bag, followed by shin pads and a fresh pair of clothes. you were clad in the barcelona training kit, and it was quite stunning.

you watched from the corner of your eye as the team did their stretching. you were having a small talk with the physiotherapist about your recent knee injury that you sustained during the world cup, it was the final game against norway.

“muy bien chicas, tenemos un nuevo fichaje. [alright ladies, we have a new signing.]” jonatan, the head coach said as the players had stopped their stretching—a late signing? whispers had broke out, a late signing was always interesting.

“¿vamos? [shall we?]” he commented as you took a deep breath before making your way to the field, aitana’s eyes had widened on realization. while the rest looked a bit curious.

you weren’t from world class national teams like they were. but you were signed to a well known club in london, arsenal was always a talk of the town.

“este es y/n l/n, nuestro nuevo fichaje. y/n, puedes presentarte. [this is y/n l/n, our newest signing. y/n, you can introduce yourself.]” he gave you a small smile, as you softly nodded.

“hola, soy y/n. anteriormente jugé para el arsenal, y juego para el equipo nacional femenino de filipinas. [hello, i’m y/n. i previously played for arsenal, and i play for the philippine national women’s team.]” you fluently said in spanish, as a few players furrowed their eyebrows.

you had locked eyes with aitana as she gave you a soft smile, little did you know—that was the start of a developing relationship.

[louisisalarrie]

Hi! this is kind of random but I also work in a show business adjacent world and I deal a lot w artists contracts / insurance, stuff like that. There’s something that I can’t quite explain about the whole Lime bikes thing, and I kinda just want to say it out loud to someone else I trust to see if it makes sense.

Okay, so my thing with Lime is that it’s 100% a branded deal, meaning that H got a certain amount of money to be seen for x amount of times riding their bikes. There is absolutely no way he’s not getting paid for that. He probably also negotiated ancillary deals for other celebs (James corden, Taylor russell) to be seen doing that with him, and they got a cut as well. Now, if there is an exchange of money, there’s also a, presumably quite expansive, written agreement. When an artist such as Harry enters in a work agreement, especially one that includes “dangerous activities”, such as riding a bike in central London with no helmet, there will be two things that happen: 1. He’ll need to be insured, and for a lot of money. No brand will take the risk of hiring him without it, and his managers would never allow it anyways. 2. The insurance company will require certain things to be in place in order to minimize the risks of him getting hurt and then having to shell out what I imagine is an astronomical amount of money. Not to mention the fact that a major recording company has hundreds of millions of dollars riding on him being able to play guitar/dance around/ show his perfect face, and they would never risk it for the sake of a brand deal.

Which brings me to my point: the only way videos like the one from the other day make sense, is if they are COMPLETELY planned and shot like a film would be. Meaning that he’d get on the bike with someone (either paparazzi or a staff member w phones for the more “organic” sightings) just feet away ready to film him. There’d be cars around them that are actually driven by his people, maybe security, that ensure that he does not get hurt or run over, just how it happens for film shoots. And it also means that he probably gets off that bike mere seconds after he got on, once they got the pics or footage. And that there’s a car with a driver waiting for him, as well as some Lime employee ready to take the bike off his hand.

Which also, incidentally, means that all the organic sightings we’ve gotten were actually planned and distributed intentionally. It also means that a bunch of them could have been shot the same day with different outfits and then spread out to place him in London when needed.

I know this sounds far fetched, I KNOW. But when you think about it, is this crazier than his entire management just being okay with the risk of golden goose Harry styles falling off his ass, scratching his face, breaking an ankle or god forbid something worse? Like, there is absolutely NO WAY they would let that happen. And yes, I know he was photographed riding bikes in LA, and was also seen riding Vespas in Italy, but those were a different times or a less dangerous place, not to mention the fact that he was wearing a helmet.

Thoughts?

Not far fetched at all, my love. You’ve hit the nail on the head, here. Thanks for your insight!

[twopoppies]

Having spent a few days in London.. I’m thinking maybe lime bikes just are the most convenient way to get around efficiently if you can’t take the underground or bus, and I’d imagine H can’t anymore.. and going by car would be just such time waste in this traffic.. 🤔

That may be true, but the fact that he was constantly getting papped, including once with James Corden and once with TR, makes it seem pretty obvious it was some sort of deal. It’s not like the man doesn’t own his own bike. Or can’t hire a driver.

[i-gotyou-dontworry]

Regarding your question about how Z got to the restaurant, she was probably driven there by a driver. In the pap pics from before where it was just her and Darnell out in London you could see they were walking towards an SUV with a driver.

So when she goes out with Tom he drives them, otherwise she hires a driver.

It's likely but it would be fun to know that Zendaya drove Tom's car.

[bellaatmclaren]

The Battle of the Paddock

[Bella is a promising, young social media talent. She ends up in working with McLaren for their 2023 race season, but has she bitten off a little more than she can chew?]

Lando Norris/OC, Charles Leclerc/OC George Russell/OC

Bella was awake long before her alarm. This was the day that she had been waiting for, for her whole life. It was a dream come true… so why did she feel so terrified?

Bella was a girl from a town called Rochester, just East of London. She had grown up as a normal girl with an eye for photography and later, developed this passion into videography. Starting as a weekend help for local wedding photographers, she was able to start to build an impressive portfolio. Bella ended up being accepted into Queen Mary university to study social media marketing. This helped her combine her keen eye for photography with a way to make it profitable and build her career further. Don’t get it wrong, Bella did love photographing weddings, but she felt as though she could do more, and she had a dream.

Bella’s father was a passionate sports fan, especially when it came to Formula One. Growing up, Bella had always enjoyed sitting with her father on the weekends to watch the likes of Vettel and Button race for victory. She had fond memories of watching Sebastian Vettel become the youngest winner, racing for the pole position for Red Bull. Holding onto this memory fondly, Bella decided that she wanted to be there, in the paddock and photographing the drivers in their day-to-day activities, practicing on the tracks, celebrating on the podiums, and everything else in between.

One January day, Bella received an email that was almost too good to be true. She had been recently working with various companies, helping them build an online profile through the likes of Instagram and more recently the ever-growing TikTok app. The email was from McLaren, they had seen her online presence and they needed a new social media assistant manager for the next race season. They were inviting her to interview with them at her earliest convenience to pitch some ideas on how to build up awareness around their new car and drivers ready for the new season.

Bella stared at her phone in disbelief, she was potentially going to end up in the paddock, where she had always dreamt of being. Time passed and the interview came and went without a hitch. Bella, was offered the position which she immediately took. Bella had pitched several ideas to the McLaren team which they had loved.

***

Bella rolled over and checked her phone, 05:03. She sighed and swung her legs over the edge of her bed. She’d said goodbye to her father the day before and boarded a train to Woking so she wouldn’t have to make the journey the day of the meeting. McLaren had put her up in a small B&B just a few miles away from their HQ. They were to send a car to collect her at seven and that’s all she knew. She had no idea what the first day would contain, all she knew was that she needed to bring all her kits with her in case there were perfect photo opportunities.

Bella hopped into the shower, got herself dressed and presentable, and was down in reception for a quarter to seven ready to go. Normally, Bella would have killed for a coffee but she was already so wired on nerves, she thought this would probably make it all worse. She was shaking as it was, full of adrenaline.

Dead on seven, a black car pulled up out front and Jim Harris jumped out to greet her. Jim oversaw McLaren’s media outlets; he had been the one who had personally scouted and hired Bella. It was a cold February day, accompanied by wind and rain, not ideal shooting conditions but Bella knew the HQ had to be large enough that they’d find some great locations inside.

“Isabella, it’s so nice to finally meet you in the flesh,” said Jim cheerfully.

“You too Jim, but please, call me Bella” Bella said, extending her hand and shaking Jim’s firmly.

Jim couldn’t have been too much older than Bella. She was twenty-three, and Jim had to be in his late twenties at maximum. He had a youthful face and was dressed in his McLaren-branded soft-shell jacket.

“Jump in, we have so much to get through already today”.

He gestured to the open door of the car. Bella climbed in and they made their way to McLaren’s Technology Centre.

In the car, Jim made a pleasant conversation with Bella about her thoughts on her first day. He asked how she was feeling and was quite sweet, trying to calm her.

“Remember, it’s not fear, it’s excitement. At least that’s what Lando tells us before a race”

That’s when it hit her. She was going to meet the drivers, in real life. Not these small little figures she saw on her TV screen or online. They were real people, living their dreams and Bella was going to be rubbing shoulders with them any time soon.

“It isn’t nerves, it’s excitement” was what Bella held onto, mentally repeating it to herself the whole short, ten-minute drive to the offices.

The building itself was an impressive piece of architecture, a huge curved building, a semi-circle with the other half being replaced with a lake structure, from above it was a perfect circle. Jim gave her a brief tour of the floor she was to be based on. Bella had a small office space in the social media room. A desk, various laptops and computers, tablets, and lots of storage space.

“Make this into whatever suits you,” Jim said, waving his arm around the space, “whatever gets those creative thoughts flowing, but just remember there will be nine months of the year where we’re flying between here and various countries so best to make sure it’s all portable!”

After introductions between herself and the rest of the media team, Jim left her in the hands of Aria, an intern who had been with McLaren for the last season. Aria was young and funny, and Bella took an instant shine to her.

“Look at you! Your first day here, how are you feeling?”

“I’m okay, I think. A bit apprehensive but I’m looking forward to it. I’m relaxed now I’m here and sat down,” Bella smiled.

“Honestly, you will have so much fun. McLaren is a great company to work for and I have loved every second. I just wish I could go out on the seasons and see the races in person.”

“You didn’t go last year?”

“No,” Aria sighed, “only the best in the team actually get flown out to spend their time there, and well, I’m still learning. I’m an intern so I’m not that valued. I do help a lot, I spend a lot of my time editing, writing captions, and posting but I’ve not taken any of the photos yet. But there’s still time!”

This made Bella nervous again. She didn’t know if she was going to be going out to Bahrain in late February, Jim hadn’t said either way and she hadn’t even thought about it. Maybe she wouldn’t even get to meet the drivers, just sit in her office sipping coffee and colour correcting others’ photos. Maybe when Jim had said it was one-on-one work, he meant just assisting with posting with one of the photographers, not the actual drivers.

After a few hours of Aria showing Bella around the office, and Bella showing Aria around her camera kit, Jim popped his head back around the door.

“Bella, could you come with me? You don’t need anything with you, just yourself is great.”

Bella followed him out in the corridor, and they started walking towards the lifts.

“Honestly Bella, I was so impressed with your portfolio that I wanted to kind of ‘chuck you into the deep end’, so they say” He pushed the button, to call the elevator. “We’ve decided to pair you up with someone special for this season, that’s if you’re willing to, and you get on well. I’m sure you will, it’s near on impossible not to with this one…”

They stepped into the elevator, and Bella’s mouth had gone dry. Who was he taking her to? And why did he look so smug?

She followed Jim down various corridors, stopping to say hello to the odd person here and there, occasional hasty introductions before being whisked off again down more of the maze. Finally, they came to another meeting room with glass walls. Bella could see there were others in the room but they had their backs to the glass. Jim opened the door.

“Bella, meet Lando Norris. You’ll be working with him closely this season, I hope.”

Lando Norris turned his head upon hearing his name and made eye contact with Bella. A huge smile broke across his face.

“Bella, it’s so nice to meet you! I’ve been waiting all day to find out about my new teammate. I hope you’re ready for some chaos!”

“Lando, less of the chaos. You’ll worry her before she’s even begun” Said Jim, as he turned to Bella “It’s not chaos, these lot can just be a bit unpredictable at times, it’s like herding cats, especially when it comes to this one.”

“I keep you on your toes, Jim, you love it really,” Said Lando playfully as he approached them.

Bella instinctively put her hand out to Lando, but he laughed.

“Bring it in for a hug, we’re practically family now”

Bella laughed nervously but gave Lando a brief hug. Jim left them alone to ‘get acquainted’ as he had put it. Bella was glad, she wanted to get to know Lando, what kind of material he wanted to produce, and how she could make this the best professional relationship she could. Her work head was firmly screwed on.

“So, Bella,” Lando said sitting at the table, “If we’re going to be traveling together, we’d better end up leaving this room as buddies”.

Bella smiled, Lando struck her as a super playful guy, especially from what she had seen on TV.

“I feel like that could be easily done, you just have to tell me what you want from me. What content do you want to put out there to your fans? What are we going for this year? Still your funny, approachable guy next door look or a more serious, mature version of Lando Norris?”

“I don’t want to be mature; I am happy where I am thanks. What are you trying to say about me?” Lando pulled a face.

“Oh no, I wasn’t… I’m sorry, I didn’t mean…”

“Relax! I’m kidding, I’m kidding. I just want to have fun, I want them to see me as I am, none of this pouting and posing the other boys do. I mean, I can do a mean Max impression though, look.”

Lando sat back in his chair, crossed his arms, and scowled.

“Do not talk to me, I am world champion. I am Max Verstappen, I must win”.

He didn’t get much further without cracking up into laughter.

“Honestly, when you meet him, you’ll see what I mean. He’s so serious all the time. Since getting his title, he’s gotten all uptight. He needs to relax and just enjoy it all.”

“Don’t worry, because this year’s world champion will be you, I can feel it already” Bella smiled.

“Now that’s what I’m talking about. Let’s get this show on the road”.

[wellourgerdes]

Pan Pacific London Hotel

Pan Pacific London Hotel This luxurious hotel is located in a prime area surrounded by restaurants and business buildings. It is conveniently situated just a 2-minute walk away from Liverpool Street tube and train station. The mediaeval Tower of London is just 17 minutes away by foot, while St. Paul’s Cathedral is around one mile away. London City Airport is situated at a distance of 7…

[thomasshelbydrabbles]

Christmas Will Find You Home

Pairing: Tommy Shelby x Charlotte Miller (OC)

Summary: After managing to avoid seeing Thomas Shelby (and attending the annual Christmas party) for several years, Executive VP of Shelby Company, Ltd., Charlotte Miller must attend the company party in Birmingham.

Note:  Written for @runnning-outof-time​​‘s K’s (Almost) 2.5k Holiday BINGO! (It’s also my first bingo, so fingers crossed. 

Bingo Categories:

Must Include: A Kiss

Angst

Christmas Morning/Christmas Eve

Forced Proximity

Word Count: 5500

“Michael, stop,” Charlotte Miller called after his retreating back. “Get your ass back in this office and finish our discussion like a grown-ass adult.” 

“Not a chance, dove,” Michael called over his shoulder. “We’ll have the same argument about it, and since I’m still your boss, the answer will be the same. You’re going to the damn party.” 

She rounded the desk, hands on her hips as she glared at the smirk on his face. In the five years she’d worked for Shelby Company Limited, she’d always managed to find a way to avoid attending the annual Christmas party in Birmingham. Being hired by the company out of grad school was an incredible opportunity. After a year of working in the London office, she’d asked for a transfer to the New York office. Fortunately, she was damn good at her job, so the discussion had ended in her favor, even if she had agreed to a pay cut. Bastard.   

“I’ll quit.”

She wanted to shove the words back into her mouth as soon as they left her lips. 

Luckily for her, Michael laughed as he turned to face her. 

“No, you won’t. It’s not in you to give Tommy the satisfaction.” 

Her brown eyes narrowed. “This has nothing to do with Thomas Shelby.” 

Michael nodded, smirk on his lips. “Sure, ‘course not. Not like you’ve been avoidin’ him since you came to this office. Not like you insist on keeping a whole bloody ocean between the two of you.” 

“He didn’t hire me. Polly did.” 

Michael snorted.

“Okay, fine, we both know that’s not true, but she did get a vote.” 

“So did Arthur, John, and myself. But, we also both know that if Tommy didn’t agree, you’d not be sitting behind that desk in a corner office.” 

Charlotte shrugged. “Perhaps, but I’d just be in some other corner office making money against Mister Shelby instead of for him. Don’t need him nearly as much as he thinks I do.” 

“Right, and you two can fight ‘bout that all you want at the Christmas party.” 

“I hate you right now, Mickey.” 

Isaiah knocked on the door, a bright smile on his face. “Right, got it all sussed out then? Got the car waiting.” 

“Fuck off,” Charlotte snapped. “I’m not going.” 

Isaiah’s grin grew as he looked up at Michael. “That’s ten quid you owe me, mate. Told you she’d be stubborn about it.” 

“No way,” Michael argued as he led Charlotte out of the office with a hand on her back. “Doesn’t count. Said she’d not go at all; she’s going. She’s just gonna be angry about it.” 

Charlotte tried digging in her heels, but Michael simply pushed more firmly against her back, slid his arm all the way around her waist, and nearly hauled her down the hall, into the elevator, and outside into the waiting Bentley. She ignored Isaiah’s snickering as he climbed into the driver’s seat. 

“I’m not packed.” 

Michael raised an eyebrow at her. Charlotte huffed and crossed her arms across her chest, a deep pout settling on her lips. 

“Don’t be like that, dove,” Michael said, voice softer. He pressed a kiss to her cheek. “You’ll be happy to see John and Arthur.” 

Her resolve to remain one hundred percent upset about the upcoming trip cracked a bit at the thought of seeing the other Shelby men. 

“And you know Polly wasn’t going to let you spend Christmas alone.” 

“So, what, this was all some sort of Shelby family plan then?” 

Michael didn’t respond, but she could see the smirk tucked into the corner of his mouth. 

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

“Welcome to Arrow House, Miss Miller. I’m Frances, the housekeeper, and I’ll be taking care of anything you need while you’re staying with us.” 

Charlotte forced a smile onto her face, but it was tight, brittle. She inclined her head, unable to speak. Following behind Frances, Charlotte couldn’t help but be impressed by the house. Old English manor houses held a special place in her heart, and Arrow House didn’t disappoint. She ran her hand along the wood panels and swore she could smell the smoke from the wood-burning fireplaces that once kept the place warm in the cold northern winters. No wonder the whole bloody family lived here. Although, when she’d asked Michael why she wasn’t at the Grand like the rest of the executives, he’d looked at her as though she’d gone mad. 

“Charlotte!” 

She smiled at the sound of Polly’s voice. Turning, she returned the hug Polly enveloped her into. Polly placed her hands on Charlotte’s shoulders, pushed back slightly. 

“Let me have a look at you.” 

With a fond shake of her head, Charlotte stood still as Polly’s knowing eyes moved across her face. Since the passing of her own mother two years ago, Polly Gray had become a surrogate mother to her. She wasn’t sure how she would have survived those first few months without Polly next to her, holding her together when the grief threatened to tear her apart. 

“I’ve finally got you under my roof. I’ve half a mind to keep you here where I can keep a better eye on you.” 

“None of that, Pol,” Charlotte teased. Well, she hoped it was teasing. Part of her wondered how serious Polly was about keeping her here in Birmingham. She’d consider staying if they banished Thomas Shelby to the New York office. 

“Christ you’re a stubborn one.” 

Charlotte laughed. “Have to be to work with this family, Pol.” 

“Being stubborn against your own best interests is a foolish way to live life.” 

“Lottie!” 

John’s voice, and his arms wrapping around her from behind, saved her from needing to respond to Polly. For once, she was thankful for John’s timing, and his boisterous behavior. She had no idea what to say to Polly’s words. Words she knew would stick with her through the day. 

“Johnny.” 

When he released her, she turned to face him. His smile was contagious. She pressed a kiss to his cheek as she wrapped him in a huge hug. 

“Pol convince you to stay yet?” he whispered against her ear. 

She shook her head, feeling his shoulders slump a bit. Fucking Shelby’s. 

“Come on, someone needs to keep an eye on Ada.” 

“She’s got Freddy for that.” 

“Let go of her, you muppet,” Arthur’s voice boomed. “We all know I’m her favorite.” 

A laugh escaped her lips as she was passed from one Shelby to the next. Arthur’s mustache tickled her skin as he pressed a kiss to her cheek. John’s question about staying lingered in her mind as she took in Arthur’s familiar scent, one she wished didn’t quite remind her of home. The whole family suffocated her in the best way, most of the time at least. As she took comfort in the warmth of Arthur’s embrace, she allowed herself to imagine her life in England. 

Pulling back slightly, she caught sight of Thomas Shelby over Arthur’s shoulder. He stood in the doorway, long overcoat unbuttoned, slowly removing the leather gloves from his hands. When his eyes captured hers, she knew her heart stopped beating for a second, knew she forgot how to breathe. Maybe it would be easier if he were less attractive. She’d thought distance, not seeing him in person, only being subjected to his perfect face during Zoom calls would make it easier. 

“Givin’ out hugs to the whole family, eh?” 

His voice seemed deeper, richer in person. She hated how much she enjoyed the sound of it. 

“Go on,” Arthur whispered. “It’s Christmas.” 

Before she could protest, Arthur shoved her at Tommy, who caught her in his arms. Her own wrapped around his shoulders automatically, bringing her body flush to his. As with everything related to Thomas Shelby, she wanted to hate it, desperately wished it didn’t feel bloody amazing. Wished she didn’t know how hard his body felt, the smell of his cologne, the texture of his hair.  

“Mmm,” Tommy breathed against her neck. His hands caressed her back before settling possessively on her hips. “Fallin’ into me arms already, love?” 

Her hands tightened in the material of his coat as the rasp of his voice against her skin sent shivers of pleasure dancing along her spine. His thumbs moved in small, slow circles against the sliver of skin he found at her hips. 

“Knew you’d come to your fuckin’ senses, Char, be in me arms where you belong.” 

Charlotte tensed, sighed deeply through her nose. Bastard. No. She should feel grateful. For a moment, she’d allowed herself to pretend. To be entranced by the spirit of Christmas - fucking Arthur - and believe for a moment that he could be anything other than an utter bastard. Removing herself from his arms, she tried not to show her hesitance as his hands slid from her body. The smirk he didn't bother to hide indicated he’d won the opening round of the weekend. 

“God, you’re a bastard. I regret not resigning.” 

Tommy didn’t respond, but she saw his eyes narrow. 

“Leave her be,” Polly scolded as she moved in next to Charlotte, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. “Come on, dear. I’ll show you up to your room.” 

Had she not still been staring at his face, she would have missed the look he exchanged with Polly. Given the way her shoulders tightened, whatever silent Shelby communication she’d just witnessed didn’t sit well. She followed Polly, felt the heat of Tommy’s gaze on her back until they’d reached the top of the stairs and started down the main hallway. Only then did her shoulders relax. 

“You’re going to draw me a map, right? Drop a pin on my room so I can find it again?” 

“You’re a clever girl, I’m sure you’ll manage.” 

“So, that’s a no, is it?” 

Polly smiled at her as she opened one of three doors in the hall. A massive four-poster bed dominated the far wall of the room. A dark cherry Gentleman’s chest stood on the adjacent wall, a foot locker sat at the base of the bed covered in a knit throw blanket that looked soft. 

“Better than a room at the Grand?” 

“Pol - ”

“No, I’ll not hear a word from you. I’ll not have you here in fuckin’ Birmingham and put you up in a bloody hotel when we have a house the size of a small village.” She paused, eyed Charlotte knowingly. “Tom wouldn’t allow it either.” 

“Polly.” 

She lit a cigarette, eyes slightly narrowed. “You know it, same as me.” 

“I’m not going to fight with you on this, again. Consider it my Christmas gift to you.” 

“Like that hug you gave Thomas?” 

“Fuck off. That was bloody Arthur being a giant lump of a man, tossing me about like that.” 

“Seemed cozy there in his arms until he ruined it by runnin’ his mouth.” 

Charlotte narrowed her eyes. Spotting her suitcases near the door she moved to them and began unpacking her clothes, ignoring Polly as she did so. She could feel Polly’s irritation, so the sound of the door opening, then closing without a word didn’t surprise her.

Charlotte managed to avoid everyone for the rest of the day, claiming jetlag. Frances had come up to her room with a tray for dinner, something about Mister Shelby insisting she eat. Hunger overcame her stubbornness, and the food tasted delicious. At half past nine, she figured it was late enough to avoid a terrible bout of actual jetlag in the morning. Pulling an oversized t-shirt from the half-emptied suitcase, she prepared for bed. Of course, the mattress felt like laying on a cloud, the soft blankets kept her warm as she fell asleep quickly.  

Sometime later she woke up, throat dry, eyes scratchy from the lingering tiredness she felt. Slipping from the bed, she moved towards the door, out into the hallway. Massive curtain-covered windows cast shadows down the hallway. The wood floor felt cold beneath her bare feet as she padded towards the staircase. Surely she could find the kitchen without waking the household staff. Downstairs, nothing looked familiar in the dark. Picking a direction seemed a better choice than standing in front of the staircase in nothing but an oversized t-shirt. Rubbing her arms to gain back a bit of warmth, she moved down one of the hallways, hoping for a bit of beginner's luck would lead her to the kitchen. Of course, it couldn’t be that simple. She wandered for another twenty minutes, convinced she’d gone down this exact hallway before. In the morning, she’d demand a map from Polly. Or maybe not since she’d then have to explain why she refused to wake the staff. She could hear Polly’s voice now telling her it was what they were paid for, especially when there were guests who were unfamiliar with the house. Guests exactly like her. 

After what felt like a small eternity, Charlotte found the kitchen. Thankfully, finding a glass in the cupboards was less adventurous than locating the kitchen. She drank down the glass of water, enjoying the way it cleared the cotton taste of exhaustion from her mouth. Unsure of what else to do with her glass, she rinsed it and left it in the sink. Hopefully, that wouldn’t upset whoever took care of the kitchen. Even with her eyes half-closed, making her way back upstairs was slightly easier than her downstairs roam. The hallway’s familiar shadows welcomed her as she moved towards her door. 

As she crawled back into bed, it felt warmer than it should have, but maybe she’d just become that cold during her wanderings. Temperatures never seemed to work right for her. When everyone else was cold, she tended to be warm. The mattress was just as soft as she snuggled down into the pillow, pulled the blankets up under her chin. With a sigh, she closed her eyes and just on the cusp of sleep, she felt strong arms wrap around her. Ignoring the nagging feeling in the back of her mind, thinking it nothing more than a combination of wishful thinking and sleep deprivation, she drifted off into a dreamless slumber.      

In the space between waking and sleeping, Charlotte sighed, contentment settling around her for the first time in years. Everything felt warm and safe. The pillow beneath her smelled divine, and familiar. Burrowing further into it, she felt fingers carding through her thick hair. Dreams like this made her feel warm. It had to be a dream because she’d arranged her hair into a single plait before going to bed last night. But, dreams didn’t breathe, did they? She was no expert on them, but - 

Those were lips she felt at her ear. Moving her fingers she encountered not the cotton of a pillowcase, but smooth, warm skin. The not-pillow shifted a bit beneath her, and as she moved towards full wakefulness, she felt fingers moving along her skin, tracing idle patterns against her back. 

“Mornin’, love.” 

Unwilling to break the trance quite yet, she simply hummed in response. The body beneath her chuckled, but otherwise made no effort to move her. Breathing in she caught the scent of him, cedar and a hint of ginger. Damn. She wanted to continue to enjoy the feel of him beneath her, the softness of his skin, the warmth of his body. Unfortunately, with full wakefulness, came reality. Crashing over her like a wave, she jerked out of his arms, nearly tumbling from the bed in her haste. His arms caught her at the last moment, saving her from going over the side. 

“What the fuck, Thomas?” 

Her voice sounded shrill as it pierced the silence of the morning. Pressing a hand to her chest, she willed her heart to stop pounding. Calm. She needed to remain calm, keep her wits around her. 

Unable to look away from his naked chest, she watched as he tucked his hands up behind his head, as though putting himself on display just for her. Damn him. She wanted to lick every inch of him. 

“I might be askin’ you that question, Char, but I don’t rightly care.” 

She blinked. His words not registering. 

“What?” 

She mentally rolled her eyes at herself. Narrowed them as she saw the smirk playing on Tommy’s lips. 

“Don’t much care what brought you into me bed in the middle of the night.” 

She blinked. “Your - ”

Scrambling from the bed, she accidentally pulled the sheet with her. Startled, she glanced back at Tommy. Smirk still on his lips, he shifted, drawing her gaze down the length his torso. Her heartbeat might never return to a normal pace. There, in the middle of his giant bed, lay Thomas Shelby - fully naked. Unable to tear her eyes away, she looked at his hard cock, flush against his lower stomach. The sheet dropped from her numb fingers, leaving her in nothing but a t-shirt that just came to her mid-thigh. Her eyes flickered up to him. Given the heat in his own gaze, she might as well be naked.  

“Fuck me,” Charlotte breathed. 

Tommy’s lips drew into a devastatingly charming smile. “Anything you want, love.” 

His hand closed around the base of his shaft, stroked up and down at a leisurely pace. She couldn’t tear her eyes away, even knowing he watched her watch him jack off. She wanted him. As the sleep fully cleared from her mind, she remembered the way she’d felt sleeping in his arms. Knew it would be easy to slip her shirt over her head, climb back into his bed and feel him everywhere. Even as her nipples pebbled at the idea, she couldn’t allow herself to be weak. The devil was nothing if not charming, and Thomas Shelby was the devil. 

Without a word, terrified about what would come from her lips, she turned and ran from the room. A coward's move to be sure, but she’d been a coward around Thomas Shelby from the start. He made her feel unbalanced. Never on firm footing when he was in the room. At first, she’d enjoyed it. Thrilled in his attention. Not anymore. Slamming into her own room, she leaned back against her door, sliding to the floor on legs of jelly. 

Coming to Birmingham had been a mistake.  

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Charlotte wanted to ignore the knock on her door, but knew better. Shelby’s were the stubborn sort. Dress half-zipped, but covering enough of herself to be considered decent, she opened the door. Michael stood in a tailored, jet-black, three-piece suit, one hand tucked into his pocket. Boy could have been a model. He took a pull from the cigarette between his teeth as his eyes roamed her form. 

“Tryin’ to kill him?” 

With a roll of her eyes, Charlotte opened her door wider, inviting him into the room. 

“If you’re going to be a little shit, the least you can do is zip me up,” she said, turning her back to him. 

“Not a word of this to Tommy,” Michael said as he zipped her dress, movements efficient. “He’d bloody well murder me for it.” 

“Don’t worry, Mickey,” Charlotte teased, turning back to face him. “I’ll save you.” 

“It’s no joke.” 

Charlotte’s face settled into a blank expression which caused Michael to sigh. 

“He’s been in a mood all day. Not seen him like this since - ”

Ignoring him, she moved to sit on the bed and reached for her shoes. Wincing at the thought of wearing them all night, she slid her feet into the three-inch stilettos. When she’d seen the silver peep-toe shoes in the shop window, she knew they’d be perfect with her red dress. The dress hung on her shoulders by tiny straps, layers of chiffon and silk flowed down her body to the floor. There was practically no back to it, and the slit in the front was just this side of indecent. When she’d tried it on, the shop assistant had whistled, so had his boyfriend. Needing no further sign that the dress had been designed for her, she’d spent far too much money on it and carried it home with a large grin on her face. 

Facing herself in the mirror, she took a critical assessment of her smokey eye with just a hint of gold in the crease, lips painted red a shade darker than the dress. Suddenly, it felt like a terrible choice.

“Ignore me, dove,” Micheal said as he moved in behind her. “He’s been carryin’ on all bloody day, but you look lovely. Serve him right it will, seein’ you walk down the stairs lookin’ like that.” 

“This has nothing to do with him.” 

“Happy accident then.” 

Charlotte smiled. 

“Now, I know we’re not doin’ presents, at least that’s your stupid fuckin’ rule, but I bought you something anyway because I can.” 

“Michael.” 

“Me real name, and on Christmas.”

“Christmas Eve.”

“Just shut up and open the box, yeah?”

Mock scowl on her face, Charlotte took the box from Michael’s hand. It was small, blue and she wanted to slap him. Still, she opened the lid and the most gorgeous tennis bracelet lay atop a velvet pillow. With delicate fingers, she traced the platinum band inlaid with diamonds and pearls. 

“I hate you.” She sniffed, overcome with a wave of affection for him. 

“Love you, too, dove.” 

Wiping the tear from the corner of her eye, she held her wrist out. With a chuckle, Michael took the bracelet from the box and hooked it around her wrist. 

“Looks gorgeous on you.” 

She pressed a kiss to his cheek. “Since we’re doing the gift thing - ”

“What a cheeky girl you are, goin’ on ‘bout not buyin’ a bloody thing.” 

“Fuck off.” 

She handed Micheal a box. He raised an eyebrow as he opened it. Inside, sat a 14k gold pre-war Hamilton pocket watch. 

“Bloody hell.” 

“Hush up, you. It’s just a watch.” 

“Right, and that’s just a bracelet, then, eh? Both of us liars.” 

She nudged him with her shoulder, both of them laughing. 

“Shall we?” 

He held out his arm. Hooking her own through his, they left the room. At the top of the stairs, she took a deep breath. Given Michael’s reaction to her dress, she needed to fortify herself for Tommy’s reaction. Not to mention, she needed to prepare herself for seeing him in a suit. Christ. Maybe she could have a headache or a sudden bout of plague. 

“Chin up, dove.” 

Holding on to Michael’s arm for dear life, she allowed him to lead her down the stairs. Stood at the base, arm resting on the banister stood Tommy, his back to her. Arthur and John stood next to each other, messing with Finn’s bowtie. They elbowed each other when they caught sight of her, and of course, that drew Tommy’s attention. She felt the heat of his gaze before she saw him. Without tearing his eyes away, he rounded the banister and met her at the base of the stairs. Hand held out to her, she took it without thinking. Didn’t notice Michael leaving her side, didn’t hear Polly ushering everyone else to the waiting cars. 

Tommy’s thumb stroked the back of her hand before he brought it to his lips. For a moment, they stared at each other. Gently, he drew her closer, dropped her hand so he could encircle her waist with his hands. Goosebumps erupted as his fingers traced the exposed skin at the base of her spine. Her own hands traced the lapels of his jacket. She walked her fingers up over his shoulders, fiddled with the soft hairs at the base of his neck. 

“If we don’t leave now, love, I’ll throw you over my shoulder and put you back in me bed where I can peel that dress from your body and bury myself inside you.” 

As it had this morning, the desire to do exactly as he said swept through her body. 

“Polly will murder us if we both miss your bloody party.” 

“She’ll get over it.” 

“Car’s ready, Miss Miller.” 

She’d never wanted to hug Isaiah quite as much as she did at that moment. What was it about this trip that made her completely take leave of her senses? She pulled from Tommy’s arms, ignoring the dark look on his face as she took her coat from the stand by the door. Throwing it over her shoulders, she hurried outside. 

Arriving at the party alone, she ignored the knowing look on Polly’s face. She could see money exchange between Arthur and John, and would have gone over to slap them both upside the head if she hadn’t been intercepted by Alfie. 

“I thought he’d been lyin’ to me face ‘bout this, right, lyin’ to my face ‘bout you showing up to the party. Didn’t think you’d ever step foot on British soil again, pet.”

“The Shelby’s can be…persuasive.” 

Alfie stroked his beard. “They can, yes, quite persuasive. Just know, right, know I’ve got a nice corner office waiting to put your name on it if you ever come to your senses, yeah?” 

“Merry Christmas, Alfie.” 

He nodded. “Same to you, pet. Now, how ‘bout you let me buy you a fancy drink, eh?” 

Drink in hand, she began to mingle after Alfie’d been pulled into a conversation. She’d been to enough functions like this in New York that she understood it was more about business than not. Fucking Shelby’s having a business party on Christmas Eve. Yet, the room was packed. She knew the moment Tommy arrived because the whole atmosphere of the room changed. Keeping one eye on him to ensure the whole of the ballroom remained between them, she drifted through the crowd. 

“Did you hear Charlotte’s here tonight?” 

The sound of her name drew her attention. A small group of women, some she recognized from working in the main office, stood near one of the windows, sugary cocktails in their hands. She glanced down at the dregs of the Old Fashioned in her own hand. A trip to the bar would be in order soon. 

“No, not possible. She was fucking banished to America, wasn’t she? Something between her and Mr. Shelby?” 

“No, you ninny. She requested the move herself. Took a pay cut and everything.”

That voice she recognized. Made the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end. Her grip on her glass tightened. 

“What do you mean, Lizzie?” 

“It was years ago,” Lizzie began. “You lot hadn’t started yet, but she was the fresh new managing director. Had offers from nearly every big business in London. ‘Course Tommy made her a ridiculous offer, that beat out everyone else. A few months later everyone knew why he’d wanted her so badly.” 

The ladies all made knowing sort of noises as though they had the first clue about what had happened. 

“Make no mistake, though. Charlotte Miller is fucking fantastic at her job. It’s why when it all went tits up, Tommy couldn’t afford to let her leave the company. Didn’t want his competition making a profit off of his fuck up.” 

“You sayin’ it was his fault?” 

Lizzie paused. “Not sure it’s my place to say, really.” 

“Oh my dear Lizzie,” Charlotte said as she strode over to the group. “Why stop now? You’ve been ever so informative this evening.” 

“Miss Miller.” 

A waiter passed by and Charlotte switched her empty for a glass of champagne. Bringing the flute to her lips, she took a drink and grimaced. Nasty. But, fortifying. Tipping her head back she poured the rest of the drink down her throat. 

“Not enough pillow talk these days, eh, Lizzie?”

“It’s not like that, not anymore. Not since - ”

The universe must recognize a pending breakdown because another waiter came by allowing her to repeat the process of guzzling the alcohol as though it would save her. Not enough to make her drunk, but hopefully enough to dim the edges a bit. 

“Go on then, you were doing so well. Go on and tell them about Grace, about you - because there’s no story, no gossip, without those bits now is there?” 

“I’m not sure that here is the place for this conversation, Charlotte.”

She scoffed. “Being the executive admin for Mister Shelby suddenly given you airs and graces, hm? Wouldn’t want to do anything embarrassing, right? No, wouldn’t want that. Whoring yourself out, well, that’s just business. Making a scene at such a lovely party, well, that would be a true travesty.” 

“Everything alright here, ladies?” Tommy asked as he slid his arm around Charlotte’s waist, tucking her into his side.

She felt each woman’s eyes follow the movement of Tommy’s hand. Most were simply curious, but she knew Lizzie felt blindingly jealous. Good. 

“Come on, Miss Miller. Arthur needs your expertise with the import agreement.” 

“Of course he does. Couldn’t do the adding up if his life depended on it.” 

Without acknowledging the group of women, she followed Tommy who didn’t lead them to where Arthur was indeed talking with the Minister of State, but ushered her outside to a balcony overlooking the gardens. There was a bite to the air which felt refreshing even if it did cause her to shiver. The room had been stifling. Tommy draped his jacket over her shoulders. She pulled it closer to her, catching a whiff of cedar from the cologne lingering on his collar. 

“Wanna tell me what that was about, eh?” Tommy asked as he lit a cigarette.

She watched the smoke waft from his mouth as she contemplated her answer. 

“Women’s business.” 

“Didn’t think you were overly concerned with that.” 

“Oh, Lizzie had it well in hand.” 

Tommy nodded. “Lizzie.” 

“Yes, Lizzie.” 

“That what had you drinkin’ champagne as though we’d run out?”

Adeline wanted to strangle him. “We really gonna have this conversation?” 

“Seems a bit overdue if it’s causin’ you to make a fool of yourself in there.” 

“I don’t know what else there is to say, Tommy.” 

He threw the spent cigarette down and ground it beneath his shoe before closing in on her. She was in his arms before she knew what was happening, her fingers tangled in his hair as he nestled her close to his body. Then his lips captured hers and she was lost. It was five years ago and she was a young fool in love with a handsome man. He held her so tightly there was nothing between them, she could feel the solidness of him beneath her fingers. Felt the way his lips took ownership of hers, as though he had the right. And damn it all, she let him. She allowed his tongue to sweep into her mouth, to ravage her. To her shame, she moaned into it. 

“Tell me you don’t love me, Char. Tell me my touch doesn’t make you wet, lie to me fuckin’ face and say you can’t feel how hard you make me.” 

He growled the words into her neck. Christ, she could feel him. And she was wet. Soaked, honestly, but it didn’t matter. If Lizzie’s words reminded her of anything it was that. 

“I can’t tell you that,” she whispered. “I do love you, Tommy, no matter how much I wished I didn’t. Would be easier for both of us if I could hate you. If I could look at your face and want something other than to fall into your arms.” 

She pulled herself from his embrace, took his jacket from her shoulders. She held it out to him. He shook his head roughly, refusing. 

“But it doesn’t matter how much I love you because I don’t trust you. I can’t. Not after Grace.” 

She saw his jaw tense. 

“You love me.”

His words felt like sandpaper against her skin. 

“It wasn’t enough.” She squared her shoulders. “I wasn’t enough.” 

She turned, managed two steps towards the door before she felt his hand wrap around her arm and haul her back to him. Looking up at him, she could read the pain on his face, buried beneath the anger and desperation. Steeling herself against it, remembering the pain of coming home, finding him in her bed buried balls deep inside Grace…

“Where the bloody hell do you think you’re going, love?” 

“I never should have come to Birmingham. This was a bad idea, Tommy. I’m going home. ” 

“The fuck you are.” 

She closed her eyes. “Let me go, Thomas.” 

He released her. His blue eyes blazed as he glared at her. “You’re not fuckin’ leavin’. Not again.” 

“I am, Thomas.”  

“Don’t do this, love. Don’t walk out that door.” 

“Why not?” 

“You leave now you’re done, fuckin’ done, do you hear?” 

She nodded, heart heavy. “Fair enough. I’ll have my office cleared by week’s end.” 

Tommy didn’t move as she turned and crossed the balcony. At the door, hand on the handle she paused. Glancing over her shoulder she saw him stood there, still as a statue. 

“Merry Christmas, Tommy.”

Peaky Blinders Master List

[m25chauffeuruk]

Why use a chauffeur service? In our latest blog post, we explore the top reasons why you should consider using a chauffeur service. From the convenience of having someone else do the driving to the peace of mind that comes with knowing you're in safe hands, we delve into the many advantages of hiring a professional chauffeur.

[escapist-of-fiction]

Not right now - Chapter 2

Song: Back to December by Taylor Swift

Summary: School reunion back in their hometown of Nowle. Fast forward to 2023 and Imogen and Daniel are now in their thirties.

Title: The Reunion

Reunions were strange, Imogen thought, almost like a torch being lit to call everyone home once more. She had done her best over the past few years to avoid the bubble of her hometown. No offence to any of her childhood friends but they had just grown apart. Her life was based in London now, after some soul searching Imogen had found a steady job working as a photographer for a local events management company. It earned her enough to rent a decent sized apartment within reach of the city centre and that was okay for Imogen, for now at least.

Evie was the only person she had really kept in touch with and the main reason Imogen had come back for the reunion. Her oldest friend had nagged her constantly for weeks as soon as the event had popped up on social media. Imogen's parents had retired and moved away to live permanently in the south of France a few years ago and with extended family members dotted all over the UK, there was no real reason for her to return to the town of her youth.

The organiser (a classmate Imogen vaguely remembered) had managed to hire the back room of a local bar in the centre of the town for the whole evening and Evie had persuaded her husband, Luke to drop them off.

"This is so EXCITING!" Evie squealed, squeezing Imogen's hand so tightly she winced, "Urgh, why are your hands so clammy?"

"I hate big events like these. Too many people at once, lots of awkward conversations. You know the drill," Imogen answered with a little shrug. Evie looked over at her in disbelief,

"Hun, your whole career is based on events like these. You're forever schmoozing with people."

"It's not the same. I find it a lot easier walking into a room full of strangers. Less...stressful."

"Whatever you say Immo," replied Evie, not entirely convinced.

"Leave her alone Eves," came the voice of reason from the driver's seat, "We can't all be social butterflies like you." Evie didn't say anything but blew her partner a dramatic kiss to his reflection in the rear view mirror.

"So...who is coming tonight?" Imogen asked, trying not to sound too curious. Evie pulled her phone out of her bag and began to scroll through the events page muttering a variety of names, many of which Imogen could not recall.

"Most of our old crew are coming...Tabitha can't because she's just had her second baby, or is that third? Anyway...Joe said he might be coming but it'll be late after his shift at the station has finished and...Daniel said he's filming a new series overseas somewhere." The last part of her sentence was rushed and most likely for Imogen's benefit, who didn't get a chance to respond (even if she'd wanted to) as they had arrived at their destination.

Once inside and the initial greetings had been made, Imogen had to admit it wasn't so bad. Their old friendship group seemed to gel just like old times, reminiscing about the past, updating each other on major life events. Shrugging away her previous doubts about, what could have been, a night full of awkward conversations, Imogen felt herself relaxing with each glass of prosecco she sipped on.

Having grabbed her towards the makeshift dance floor to dance to an Arctic Monkey's song they used to listen to on repeat in Imogen's car, Evie smiled smugly over at her friend,

"See, aren't you glad I made you came to this now?" She expected an admittance of defeat but the feeling of triumph was short-lived as Imogen suddenly gripped Evie's arm and looked towards the entrance of the bar, all colour draining from her face.

Daniel had just walked in, a quick glance around the room and he began to make his way over to the group of friends, greeting them all in turn. This situation seemed so natural to him. Daniel had always been a loved member of their group, popular, a good friend to rely on. He reached Imogen last, whether this was a subconscious choice or not, the sheer anticipation of it all sent her anxiety through the roof.

"You're here," she blurted out as he hugged her awkwardly. It was obvious that they could feel the whole room staring at their interaction but they wilfully ignored it. Daniel's body hummed in light laughter as he released her from his embrace, taking a little step back to look at Imogen properly. His body ached, almost in protest, at the fact that they had let go of each other.

"Why, was I not invited?" Daniel looked at Imogen with a bemused expression on his face as she shook her head quickly; a loose strand of hair escaped from her ponytail falling across her eyes and he resisted the urge to reach out and tuck it behind her ear.

"I didn't mean that." She stumbled over her words and became annoyed with herself for letting Daniel have this effect on her, "It's just, they said you weren't coming so it's a surprise to see you. That's all."

"A good surprise, I hope?" There was a teasing twinkle in his eye as he said this and he was rewarded with a blush from Imogen. A quick glance at her hand, he noticed she wore no ring. Daniel took that as a good sign. "You look really good, Immy," he then added quietly, with a sincerity that suggested so much more than what could seem like a simple compliment exchanged between friends.

Except this was Imogen and Daniel. Things were never this simple.

His blue eyes locked with hers and she felt the familiar tug of attraction stir from within, something she hadn't felt it in a long time. Not since the December all those years ago. What was this power that he held over her? It took all of her strength to look away,

"I need to go and find Evie," she murmured, "It was good seeing you Dan."

Daniel watched her walk away. Could she sense that he had his eyes on her as she made her way across the room? He couldn't be sure. He felt completely bewitched by her presence. God, he needed to get a grip...and a drink. Yep, a drink would definitely help.

"I thought you weren't coming tonight."

"Why does everyone keep saying that?" Daniel retorted with a little chuckle. His best friend, Ben, handed him a pint and they clinked glasses, before taking a sip.

"You're our local celebrity friend. You are our only source of gossip. I guess we all assumed you'd be busy filming?"

"Well..almost true," Daniel admitted, "I am currently filming near Oxford but I ended up having a bit of spare time and it seemed to coincide with this shindig. So here I am."

He took another glance around the room as he said this, his eyes lingering on Imogen for a little longer than intended. It didn't go unnoticed by Ben.

"What's the deal there with you two? Have you stayed in touch?" He was surprised when Daniel shook his head.

"We message here and there. We bumped into each other a couple of years ago. Then I heard nothing from her until now."

"I hear she has a steady boyfriend down in London." Daniel gripped his pint glass tightly as he processed this piece of information. It wasn't as if Daniel expected them to be happily reunited with no complications but knowing Imogen was with somebody else cut him deep. He downed his drink and ordered them both another.

The night passed by uneventfully, almost too quickly in Imogen's opinion. Evie was taking the child-free night to a whole new level and seemed absolutely wasted by midnight unfortunately.

Waiting for a taxi, Imogen propped her friend up on the wall outside of the bar, wondering how happy Luke was going to be when they returned to the house.

"Immo," Evie slurred, reaching out to grip her friend's arm, "We need to do this more often...you should be here, not in stupid London."

"As much as I'd love to give you my reasons for moving to London, Eves, the taxi's here now and we need to move." Placing Evie's arm around her neck, Imogen hoisted her friend up to a standing position, hoping her feet would do the walking automatically, however Evie seemed a lot more interested in sleeping on her friend's shoulder. The taxi driver looked impatiently at Imogen but didn't seem to make any move to help her either.

"Do you need a bit of help?" A familiar voice asked and Imogen felt Evie's weight being lifted off her as she watched Daniel, with one hand firmly around Evie's waist, lead her over to place her inside of the taxi with ease.

"Thanks Dan. Drunken Evie is heavier than I remember."

Daniel then held the passenger door open for Imogen to climb in, which she did as gracefully as she could with her mini dress on, hyper aware that Daniel was watching her every move. He resisted the urge to help her in but leant against the door casually as he continued to chat to her,

"Will you be alright getting her home?" Imogen glanced across to look at Evie who was fast asleep, face pressed up against the window. Not her most dignified moment but being a Mom was tough.

"I'll message Luke as we pull up to the house. He can come and help me get her out. Thanks for your help though."

They shared a little smile and the conversation seemed to come to an abrupt end.

The taxi driver revved his engine impatiently and Imogen rolled her eyes.

"Clearly somebody isn't that bothered about reviews on their taxi app." She shut the door carefully and smiled at Daniel, "It was good seeing you Dan."

"Get home safe Immy."

Daniel stood on the kerbside, watching the car drive off down the road and exhaled slowly.

Life had suddenly got very very complicated...

[scotianostra]

On December 8th 1980, John Lennon was gunned down and killed in New York.

Over the years  it is Paul McCartney who is the Beatle most connected with Scotland, but John Lennon has links with our country going back to his childhood.

The ex-Beatle was a regular visitor to Durness in Sutherland during his younger years after his dear Aunt Mater remarried a dentist called Bert who owned a home that overlooked Sango Bay. John, who travelled north with his cousin Stanley Parks, who lived in Edinburgh and later in Largs, would head to the coast for weeks on end, often being dragged into helping his uncle fix up the house.

“The family party roughed it in a primitive farmhouse lit by oil lamp and candles and noisy with the screeches of Mater’s pet parrot,” wrote Philip Norman in his biography John Lennon: The Life. 

The house where Lennon holidayed at Sangomore, a settlement at Durness, was demolished just a few years ago with a new property built by the owners.

Parkes also recalled:

John never forgot those times at Durness. They were among his happiest memories. He loved the wilderness. John was nine when he started coming up with my family to the croft in Durness. The croft belonged to my stepfather, Robert Sutherland, and John just loved the wildness and the openness of the place. We went fishing and hunting and John loved going up into the hills to draw or write poetry. John really loved hill walking, shooting and fishing. He used to catch salmon. He would have been quite a laird. In the last letter to me before he was killed he quoted a famous Scottish saying that says ‘It’s a braw, bricht moonlicht nicht since I last had a word’.

John later took his to Scotland, but his visit was tainted by an accident he had in his Austin Maxi car.

He, Ono and Kyoko sustained cuts to the face and Ono’s back was injured.They were taken to Golspie’s Lawson Memorial Hospital where Lennon was given facial stitches, Ono 14 in her forehead, and Kyoko four. Julian Lennon was treated for shock but was otherwise unhurt. He was taken to stay with Lennon’s Aunt Mater in Durness, around 50 miles away, before his mother Cynthia took him back to London the following day.When she arrived at the hospital to demand an explanation from Lennon he refused to see her.Lennon remained in hospital for five days and famously told reporters: 

“If you’re going to have a car crash, try to arrange for it to happen in the Highlands.“The hospital there was just great.”

Lennon was never a confident driver and gave up driving after the accident, hiring a chauffeur to take him wherever he needed to go and reportedly having the old car’s carcass mounted on a pillar at his English estate.

This 1969 crash wasn’t John’s first brush with danger on Scottish roads; Ken McNab, author of The Beatles in Scotland, revealed that the Beatles had an accident during their first tour in 1960, when they were backing up singer Johnny Gentle as the Silver Beetles.

As McNab put it, “John Lennon began the ’60s with a car crash in Scotland and managed to end the decade with another car crash in Scotland.”

There is a wee memorial garden to Lennon’s memory in Durness, other memorials in the country include a bench in Edinburgh’s Princes Street Gardens and a plaque  in Durness. 

[chussyracing]

what is happening in the world of motorsports?

TEAMS

Andretti are planning to enter F2 and F3 championships and opened a new facility at Silverstone Park UK (with a promise of future commitment to F1 as well if they get a green light again)

probably because of Alpine's struggles so far this year (and also thanks to Andretti looking for a way into F1), there are some rumours flying around about Alpine being bought out by a different brand

Ferrari is bringing a significant update to Imola which could potentially help them with quali issues and bring them closer to RBR if not on their level for now (generally big ifs and maybes)

McLaren will be bringing upgrade package to Miami (like Ferrari originally planned too) but Andrea Stella doesn't actually expect to close the gap to Ferrari with it

Mercedes is still having corellation problems between sim and race track data and it turns out their operating window is also significantly smaller than other teams

Williams launched "Williams Grand Prix Technologies" company to help solve their clients' problems using F1 solutions

DRIVERS

Fernando Alonso signed a new long term contract extension with Aston Martin and it's supposed to be well beyond 2026

Charles launched his LEC ice cream line which you can buy in shops in Italy (they are 5 flavours and they are not expensive as i expected)

Charles also - most likely - got a new puppy named Leo Leclerc

Lando is in Forbes 30 under 30 Europe 2024: Sports and Games

Carlos Sainz met Jannik Sinner (F1 Ambassador) and Novak Djokovic (nastie) at Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters yesterday

Lewis is getting a new instagram account and posted a few pictures including Roscoe but more importantly also a pic from the studio (which could hint at new music we may never get as usual)

Lewis also received an award at GQ creativity awards last night

Lawrence Barretto said that the rumour inside the paddock is that Carlos' options for a new team are Williams and Sauber (but it's not a very reliable source tbh)

Since there have been rumours about Carlos being given an ultimatum from Audi, reportedly they have been exploring their other options and Nico and Yuki are on top of their list to hire

Max hinted again on retiring after his contract expires once again

And since we are talking contracts, Toto Wolff once again mentioned Kimi Antonelli is the biggest candidat for the Mercedes seat, although he previously sad he can't talk about him too much to avoid pressure

Pierre and Lando were both at PSG game and saw them lose ✨️ (they were not WITH each other though)

and speaking of Lando, it looks like Alex's grandma is a big Lando fangirl 💀

OTHER

Hockenheim and Nürburgring (as well as South Korea) are in contact with F1 with the possibility of discussion of 2026 rotation calendar which could see new as well older tracks returning

Ted Toleman the founder of his F1 team also named Toleman passed away

Envision FE team changed up the lineup for rookie test to get Paul Aron in the car because Berlin E-prix is happening at the same time as WEC and both Buemi and Frijns will be driving there so they can't drive FE the next day, instead Paul Aron and Joel Eriksson will drive

Also there are rumours about London race instead being moved to Silverstone

Caitling Wood will have a Barbie car at Porsche Sprint Challenge GB Championship and I need everyone to see it, so I'm adding pics below