Festival season is in full swing, and thousands of music lovers will soon be flocking to Glastonbury, ready to revel and soak up the sounds. But can all those loud songs and thumping sound effects be detrimental to our hearing? “Attending a concert may give you more than you bargained for,” says Dr Deborah Lee, from Dr Fox Online Pharmacy. “A recent 2022 BMJ study showed one billion people around the world aged 12-34 are at risk of noise-induced hearing loss. With 24% of young people found to have unsafe listening practices with personal music devices.” She adds that 48% were attending noisy venues, such as nightclubs and concerts, at least once a month without noise protection. Dr Adam Hill, associate professor of electroacoustics, University of Derby, says: “While festivals are, for many, one of the most enjoyable features of the summer, care must be taken to avoid over-exposing yourself to high sound levels, as this could result in long-term negative social and health impacts. You need to ‘enjoy responsibly’,” Hill adds. How does noise exposure damage hearing? Noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) is one of the most common causes of hearing loss. Our hearing depends on the function of tiny hairs inside the cochlea – a snail-shaped organ in your middle ear, explains Dr Lee: “Sound waves cause the fluid in the cochlea to reverberate, resulting in the movement of these very fine hairs. This generates electrical impulses, which lead to the perception of sound in the brain.” She says there are around 15,000 of these specialised hair cells in each cochlea. Once they have been damaged, they cannot regenerate. “We are all exposed to noise every day, but it’s loud noises above 85 dB that are likely to cause hearing loss,” notes Lee. “This could be a sudden explosion, or continuous exposure to loud noise, such as attending a concert, working in a noisy factory or listening to a personal music device at high volumes.” What are the signs you’ve been exposed to too much noise? There are a few tell-tale signs you’ve been exposed to too much noise at a festival. One of them is tinnitus. “If you have ringing in your ears after attending a festival. This could persist for one or two days after the event – and may become permanent after repeated exposures over many years,” says Dr Hill. Decreased sensitivity to sound is another thing you might notice. “Things sound quieter/muffled,” says Hill. “This usually takes one to two days to return to normal, but may become permanent after repeated exposure over many years.” He says you may also have difficulty understanding what someone is saying to you, especially in a noisy environment, and difficulty telling different sounds apart, like identifying multiple instruments when a band is playing. What can you do to protect your hearing at festivals? “Use earplugs. Ideally custom-made earplugs, which is what musicians use,” says Lee. “Cotton wool or foam rubber earplugs are ineffective. High-fidelity earplugs are a good option. These filter the sound without reducing the quality and provide ear protection.” This is especially important for babies and children at festivals – ear defenders are available to help protect their sensitive ears. Lee adds: “Take regular breaks away from the noise. For every 3 dB above 80 dB, the time you can spend exposed to the noise without it damaging your hearing is halved. “It’s safe to listen to noise at 80 dB for up to eight hours, so at 83 dB this time frame is reduced to four hours. If you do the maths, at the average concert, hearing damage could set in after just five minutes!” She suggests taking breaks such as going to the loo, getting a drink, or taking a walk away from the main body of the noise at regular intervals. And lastly: “Don’t stand within three metres of a loudspeaker.” What can you do if you’re already concerned? Regular festival goers may already have hearing concerns on their radar. “The best thing you can do is to go get your hearing tested,” advises Dr Hill. “This will give you an indication of whether you have any issues already.” If you enjoy going to festivals and other live music events on a regular basis, he says it would be wise to invest in some suitable reusable earplugs: “High quality earplugs will reduce the effect of the musical content equally, so it sounds the same but at a lower level.” If you are involved in the music industry in any way (even if you are a student), Hill suggests making use of the Musicians’ Hearing Health Scheme. He adds: “You can get a hearing test and high-quality bespoke earplugs for a significant discounted rate.”

His shoes have been worn by everyone from Diana, Princess of Wales, to Beyoncé, but legendary designer Jimmy Choo said his greatest achievement is setting up his own fashion school. Professor Choo – as he’s known to his students – set up the JCA London Fashion Academy in September 2021, calling it his “dream”. “I feel very proud – I know my dream has come true,” he told the PA news agency ahead of the masters students presenting their final collections. “My father said to me: whatever you learn, put it back to the industry. So we are lucky we have the JCA – I can put all my spirit and my knowledge, [and] give back to the students.” Before becoming a professor, Choo, 74, made his name with glamorous high-fashion footwear. After moving from his native Malaysia to study in the UK, he set up his eponymous brand in 1996 – designing heels for Diana, as well as being worn on red carpets all over the world and getting a nod in an episode of Sex And The City (when Sarah Jessica Parker’s fashion-obsessed character Carrie Bradshaw famously laments: “I lost my Choo!”) He’s delighted with the JCA Academy, but in a nod to his glittering career, Choo added: “I’ve had a lot of proud moments, from personally designing shoes for Princess Diana and other incredible VIPs [to] seeing emerging designers that I’ve mentored succeeding in their careers.” And while he’s an industry veteran, Choo said he’s still constantly learning. “The best piece of advice I received was to learn as much as possible,” he said, which is particularly important in the fashion industry where “everything changes”. He said: “The material, design, machinery, fabric – everything changes. So you have to adapt. Whatever you do, you must learn something.” Sustainability is one of the biggest areas of change in the fashion industry. “Now people [are] talking about sustainability – how to help the environment and that kind of thing,” Choo explained. “Everyone has to think about the future of the earth – if you spend so much and waste so many things, nature will be in trouble and so will we.” He looks to his students for inspiration, who “never fail to amaze me”. “Sophie Park was one of our footwear designers who made shoes out of plant-based materials such as cacti, pineapple and leaves. Olivia Black and Polly McKevitt both have collections made out of deadstock and materials that would have otherwise been discarded.” Choo enjoys working with young people because “they will listen to you”, and added: “They’re also very down to earth, willing to learn – that’s very important.” In turn, Choo emphasises to his students the importance of asking questions. “You have to ask why,” he said, giving the example of making a suit that doesn’t fit right and questioning why you can’t button the jacket up. “Because you’ve cut the pattern wrong, so your button cannot close. [With] only one inch, you made the whole thing difficult. The key to success, according to Choo, is collaboration – something which isn’t necessarily the norm in the highly competitive fashion industry. At the JCA, he said he never wants anyone to think they’re “better than you, [or] you’re better than me”, he said. “If you’re better than anyone we should share their ideas and the whole thing benefits. We cannot be selfish.” It’s something he suggests is missing from the wider fashion industry. “Of course it’s important to own your ideas, but creativity flourishes when you can bounce ideas off other people. I think it’s important to have a network of people that you can speak openly with in the interest of improving and sparking creativity.” Among all the good advice propelling Choo’s career to the stratosphere, what was the worst he ever got? “Maybe it’s when someone told me I should retire.” Read More The grown-up guide to getting ‘balletcore’ right From tradwife dresses to racist polo shirts: What happens when your clothes become political weapons? Birkenstock or bust: How a deeply uncool shoe became a modern must-have This is shoe designer Jimmy Choo’s proudest achievement See Madonna’s extravagant tour outfits – including an updated cone bra Birkenstock or bust: How a deeply uncool shoe became a modern must-have

Toxic flame retardants have been found in human breast milk, research has revealed. A new peer-reviewed study published in the Environmental Pollution journal has identified 25 types of toxic flame retardants in human breast milk in the US, posing a “disturbing” threat to breastfeeding infants. After analysing breast milk samples of 50 mothers from the Seattle area, researchers at Toxic Free Future, Emory University, the University of Washington, and Seattle Children’s Research Institute found brominated flame retardants (BFRs) – a class of man-made compounds commonly used in products like upholstered furniture, televisions, and insulation. Researchers have warned that these chemicals, as well as the presence of flame retardants in human breast milk, can have an “adverse effect on human health” and “early-life exposures are of greatest concern”. One type of flame retardant found in the breast milk samples were polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), despite these compounds being phased out by manufacturers nearly 10 years ago. Efforts to ban PBDEs came around in 2003 after the toxic chemicals were found in the breast milk of 20 mothers in the US. Chemical producers quickly stopped the sale of PBDEs for use in upholstered furniture, and they were eventually banned by the US Environmental Protection Agency. Companies then turned to another, largely unregulated BFR called bromophenols, which are used in electronics and have been shown to affect hormone levels in infants. While the research found that levels of banned PBDEs had declined in breast milk samples – 70 per cent lower than they were 20 years ago – bromophenols were present in 88 per cent of the breast milk samples tested, ultimately replacing one banned chemical with another, unsafe chemical in the same class. “Our results show that when we prohibit the use of persistent toxic chemicals like PBDEs, we make breast milk safer for babies,” said Erika Schreder, study co-author and science director at Toxic Free Future, a group that has advocated for new regulation of industry and consumer products. “But it’s disturbing to find that the replacement chemicals are now building up in breast milk.” Brominated flame retardants are often put into casings for TVs and other electronics. Studies have shown that these chemicals can escape out of products into indoor dust and air, outdoor air, surface water and of course, breast milk. BFRs have also been linked to negative health impacts such as learning problems, hormone disruption, and reduced fertility. “It’s concerning to find flame retardants in breast milk that can disrupt hormones and affect children’s brain development,” said Dr Amina Salamova, study co-author and assistant professor at Emory University’s Rollins School of Public Health, adding that bromophenols have already been found to “affect key thyroid hormones during fetal development”. Local, state, and federal policy makers have since taken steps towards regulating harmful flame retardants. In December 2021, New York governor Kathy Hochul signed into law a bill that restricted the use of flame retardants in furniture, mattresses, and electronic displays. The law also prohibited the use of organohalogen flame retardants (OFRs) in electronic enclosures, such as televisions. The European Food and Safety Authority has also banned or restricted the use of certain BFRs and BFR-treated products throughout the EU to protect health and the environment. “I hope we can learn our lesson this time and put policies in place that address the entire class and make sure chemicals used in products are known to be safe,” said Schreder. Read More Baby formula crisis: As the cost of living bites, meet the parents struggling to feed their infants Keke Palmer claims she faced ‘breast milk discrimination’ at airport: ‘Why is that not a crime?’ Couple doing IVF lets their dog decide baby’s sex Women in certain professions ‘may be at higher risk of ovarian cancer’ – study Mother calls out ‘double standard’ after husband is praised for doing ‘bare minimum’ Couple praised after sharing intimate bathroom TikTok: ‘The reality of birth’

Parents can go online to find out what childcare they are eligible for under plans which will see nurseries expanded to provide more places and funding given to councils for wraparound care. Further details of the previously-announced reforms to allow some families of children as young as nine months to claim 30 hours of free childcare a week – set out by Chancellor Jeremy Hunt in the March Budget – have been announced. The Department for Education said parents in England can visit an eligibility checker online to see what they are entitled to, depending on their earnings and their child’s age. The Government said £100 million is being made available for nursery and early years places, with funding intended to support childcare settings to increase their physical space, which the department said is anticipated to add thousands of new places across the country. Following Mr Hunt’s target for all schools to be able to offer care either side of the school day by September 2026, local authorities will also now be getting details of how much of the £289 million wraparound fund they will receive – based on “anticipated need”. Early years leaders had previously expressed concerns that nurseries and childminders could struggle to deliver additional places for younger children from next year if the funding provided by the Government does not meet rising costs. The offer of free childcare for working parents will be available to those with two-year-olds from April 2024, covering around half a million parents, but it will initially be limited to 15 hours. From September 2024, the 15-hour offer will be extended to children from nine months, helping a total of nearly a million parents, and the full 30-hour offer to all under-fives will come in from September 2025. This is the largest investment in childcare in our history, so I encourage people with young children or those thinking about starting a family to visit the Childcare Choices website to find out what they’re eligible for Education Secretary Gillian Keegan Education Secretary Gillian Keegan said: “No-one should have to choose between having a career and having a family, so I’m determined that every parent who wants it should have access to the childcare they need. “Flexibility is at the heart of our plans to transform childcare for families, whether it’s offering quality childcare out of school hours or making sure there are more early years places where they’re needed most. “This is the largest investment in childcare in our history, so I encourage people with young children or those thinking about starting a family to visit the Childcare Choices website to find out what they’re eligible for.” Paul Whiteman, general secretary of school leaders’ union NAHT, said that far more investment is needed. “Unfortunately, the money behind this expansion is a fraction of what is required. Our members are also questioning where they will find the additional staff,” he said. “There is a real danger that the Government’s promises could fall short in reality if they don’t urgently look again at the funding and resources.” Helen Hayes, Labour’s shadow children and early years minister, added: “Without more details about whether this is new money, how many places it will provide and how new childcare will be staffed this pledge isn’t worth the paper it’s written on. “The Conservatives have overseen a dramatic fall in the number of childcare providers and places – they simply cannot be trusted to deliver the change in childcare that families need and deserve.” The department also said the childminder start-up grant scheme will open for applications by the end of November. The grant – £600 for those who register with Ofsted and £1,200 for those who register with a childminder agency – is aimed at boosting the numbers of childminders working to offer parents more flexible childcare. Work and Pensions Secretary Mel Stride said: “Boosting employment is key to growing our economy, and the extra money provided for parents on Universal Credit will give them the flexibility and security they need to find a job, support their children and reap the benefits of work. “I encourage every parent to access this resource to see what help is available and to talk to one of the thousands of Work Coaches in our Jobcentres who are there to help them find work or enhance their skills.” Parents can visit childcarechoices.gov.uk to use the eligibility checker. Read More Is scalp exfoliation the key to healthier hair? Why do some people love horror movies? TikTok influencers warn about ‘potent’ steroid cream risks among black women – dermatologist explains the risks House of the Year 2023 shortlist revealed by Royal Institute of British Architects Fatima Whitbread supporting new fostering campaign, as research finds ‘misconceptions put people off’ 5 key coat trends to complete your autumn/winter wardrobe

Formula One’s Fernando Alonso has reignited his alleged love of flowers ahead of the Monaco Grand Prix, by uploading a video of himself to TikTok watering them at a restaurant. Just weeks ago the Aston Martin was caught sniffing flowers and now appears to be playing into the viral moment at any opportunity, branding himself as the ‘flower padre’. Alonso will start second behind Max Verstappen at today’s race (28 May), after losing out on Pole by 0.084s. Click here to sign up for our newsletters.

The risks of harvest failures in multiple global breadbaskets have been underestimated, according to a study Tuesday that researchers said should be a "wake up call" about the threat climate...

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The Split and Four Weddings and a Funeral star Anna Chancellor has announced the death of her only daughter, Poppy, aged 36. On Saturday (30 September), the actor shared the sad news that Poppy had died from leukaemia on Friday (29 September) on her daughter’s Instagram page. “To all you wonderful and most-loved friends of Poppy. We send you this message with our deepest love,” the heartfelt statement began. “On September 29 Poppy died, held tight by her immediate family just as she had wished. “Despite every effort, her body could not continue any longer. We will be forever grateful to her kind and loving care team at the Royal Marsden. So we, her family and friends who all adore her join the other families who have lost loved ones far too young.” The message added that her family would continue to support her “soul’s journey”, before continuing: “Poppy was and is an unbelievable life force of creativity, compassion, wit, beauty and sheer uniqueness. She transformed our lives, and we are beyond grateful.” Poppy was born in 1988 to Chancellor and the poet Jock Scot. She was an illustrator and artist who had worked for brands such as Adidas and Cath Kidston. According to the Daily Mail, King Charles is rumoured to own one of Poppy’s artworks, given to him as a thank-you after she attended an artists’ residence at his stately home, Dumfries House, in Ayrshire. In May, Poppy spoke to the publication ahead of undergoing chemotherapy. She said: “I am terrified and physically exhausted – at the same time as learning to talk to my body and cells with loving defiance.” Poppy had been keeping her social media followers updated on her health. As well as sharing videos of herself dancing, which she dubbed “the best medicine”, Poppy recently posted an image of herself in a hospital bed after a stem cell transplant in August. Anna Chancellor has acted on screen since 1990, beginning with a role in the soap opera Jupiter Moon. In the Nineties, Chancellor was known for playing barrister Julia Piper in the legal drama series Kavanagh QC as well as playing Caroline Bingley in the 1995 BBC adaptation of Pride and Prejudice. Other recognisable roles include Henrietta “Duckface” in Four Weddings and a Funeral, Lady Anstruther on Downton Abbey, and Melanie Aickman in seasons two and three of the BBC family law drama The Split. Poppy was Chancellor’s only child. Read More Billy Connolly says ‘cruel’ Parkinson’s disease has made it difficult to walk Fred Sirieix shares details of medical procedures to ‘investigate’ recent blood tests David Beckham explains why he never sought therapy after 1998 World Cup match left him ‘depressed’ Billy Connolly says ‘cruel’ Parkinson’s disease has made it difficult to walk Fred Sirieix shares details of medical procedures to ‘investigate’ recent blood tests David Beckham explains why he never sought therapy after 1998 England match

(Corrects typo in stock symbol in first paragraph) PARIS French retailer Carrefour on Tuesday said it plans to

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If you are counting down the days until the leaves start turning brown to get started on the fall foliage hikes and apple picking, Blundstone and L.L.Bean have the collaboration for you. On Tuesday, the Tasmanian brand beloved for its outdoors-focused footwear and the Maine-based label known for its Boat and Tote (and in more recent years, the “ironic” versions of it) have partnered to release the ultimate hiking boot.

A vintage Chanel evening coat sold for 312,000 euros at the auction of socialite Mouna Ayoub's vast collection from the luxury fashion house in Paris.