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A WOMAN has revealed how she is refusing to attend her sister’s wedding as her sibling wants to “repurpose” her own wedding gown.

The upset woman, 28, explained how she got married last year and saved up for years to buy her “dream” wedding dress.

Taking to Reddit, she explained: “It’s this beautiful lace, A-line gown with intricate beadwork and a long train. I felt like a princess and still get emotional just thinking about it.”

Now her sister, 26, is engaged and her wedding is coming up in six months time – and she has her sights on the dream dress.

The Reddit user continued: “She recently came over to our place to chat about wedding plans. 

“At one point, she casually mentioned that she’d love to ‘borrow’ my dress. 

“She thinks it would be ‘cute’ to ‘repurpose’ it, maybe by shortening the skirt or even dyeing it a different colour so it’s ‘unique to her.’

“I was taken aback. I told her I wasn’t comfortable with her altering my dress, especially since it has a lot of sentimental value to me. 

“She got upset and said I was being selfish because she wanted to save money on her wedding, and ‘family should support each other.”

When the elder sister held her ground, she was accused of “not caring” about her sister’s day, and the bride-to-be stormed out.

Then the parents got involved and accused the woman of “breaking her [the younger sister’s] heart”.

She continued: “They said that since I’m married and ‘done with the dress,’ it shouldn’t be a big deal. 

“But it is a big deal to me. 

“I want to keep my dress as it is. 

“They suggested I just ‘let her have her way’ to avoid family drama, but honestly, I feel like it’s my dress and my decision.”

The situation got even worse when the sister declared that she now doesn’t feel comfortable with her attending the wedding at all, unless she “shows support” by giving her the dress.

The upset woman added: “I don’t want to miss her wedding, but I also don’t want to give in to something I’m not comfortable with.”

She then asked Reddit users for their opinion on whether she was being mean by refusing to let her “repurpose” the wedding dress and considering not attending the wedding.

Many people were on her side and supported her decision.

One wrote: “It’s your dress, and your sister is being unreasonable.”

A second added: “What if you have a daughter and want to pass it to her? Unaltered. So entitled.”

A third commented: “You don’t just get to decide to claim somebody else’s sentimental property. Let alone decide to hack it up and change colours. I would refuse to go under any circumstances.”

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A woman was shocked when her sister not only demanded to wear her wedding dress, but to cut it up and dye it[/caption]

STRUGGLING households will be able to claim £173 in energy and supermarket vouchers from tomorrow, under a government scheme.

Hard-up residents in Nottingham will be able to apply for the freebies from 10am – which also include free school meals vouchers.

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Residents in Nottingham will be able to claim energy vouchers as part of the Household Support Fund from November 4[/caption]

A new batch of vouchers will be allocated by Nottingham City Council on a monthly basis until March 2025.

Eligible households could receive as many as two energy vouchers per month, worth £49 each, through the bill-paying company PayPoint.

They could also land one supermarket voucher worth £75 per month.

The support is made possible by a £421 million lump distributed to local councils by the Department for Work and Pensions – called the Household Support Fund (HSF).

This was introduced back in 2021 and its extension to a sixth round was announced in September.

It is currently being used in areas across the country to support residents with the cost-of-living crisis.

Cheryl Barnard, of Nottingham City Council, said: “During the cost-of-living crisis the support provided by the Council, charities and through schemes such as HSF has been a lifeline to many, and the announcement of the extension of the Household Support Fund until April 2025 was welcome news for struggling households across the city.

“I’m proud of the help the Council has been able to deliver to those most in need over these last few years with things such as food and energy bills, and that this support will continue to be available for residents to apply for throughout the difficult winter months.

“Households struggling financially should look on the Council’s HSF webpage to find out what support they may be eligible for and apply for it as soon as possible, as these are limited on a first come, first served basis. Our website also provides plenty of further advice and avenues for support for those who may need it.”

Councils can allocate the Household Support Fund as they wish – with some opting for Post Office vouchers or support with water bills.

Households in Leicestershire have even able to apply for a financial award of £300 per household, which was paid in the form of vouchers to support with gas, electricity and food.

And Leeds residents were able to claim council tax support – with those with dependent children able to claim up to £100 and those without children able to receive £25.

How do you apply?

To get the help, you’ll need to look it up with your council because local authorities are the ones responsible for distributing the funding.

To find your local council, use the gov.uk council finder tool.

Once you’ve identified your local council, there should be information on how to apply for the funding online.

Every council has a separate application process, meaning specific details regarding how to apply depend on whereabouts you live.

The eligibility requirements to access the fund might vary in addition so it’s best to check with your local council for further details.

Some councils won’t need you to apply for help and will get in touch instead if you qualify.

If you can’t find any information on your council’s website, it’ s a good idea to call them and ask for further information.

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TENS of thousands of giant spiders the “size of your hand” which can run across water have invaded the UK.

Chester Zoo has released thousands of Fen raft spiders after the species had its “biggest mating season on record”.

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The Dolomedes plantarius or Fen raft spider can grow to the size of a person’s hand[/caption]

Arachnophobes may be terrified to hear that there are currently more than 10,000 breeding females with this number having the potential to rise.

The all time high for the arachnid in the UK has been seen as a victory for the zoo with the species found to be in terminal decline a decade ago.

Fen raft spiders are semi-aquatic and they have the ability to run across the surface of water to catch their prey.

Their legs are covered in tiny hairs that detect the slightest of vibrations on the water’s surface allowing them to actively hunt, rather than rely on building webs.

Chester Zoo said: “Ten years ago we helped release thousands of giant spiders back into the UK!

“The Fen Raft Spiders were bred right here at the zoo, and we’re super happy to report there are now more than 10,000 breeding females and they’ve just had the biggest mating season on record!”

While they may look scary the fen raft spider is harmless and plays a vital role within healthy aquatic ecosystems, the zoo said.

The wildlife charity also explained that the species can “grow to be the size of your hand” meaning “you can’t miss them”.

Their diet includes other spiders, damselflies, dragonfly larvae and pond skaters, and they will even catch fish and tadpoles. 

However, 15 years ago, the species almost became extinct after the destruction of its wetland home.

In order to save the species, the zoo set about rearing hundreds of baby spiders in individual test tubes as part of a collaborative conservation breeding rescue programme in partnership with the RSPB.

The RSPB estimate there are 10,000 breeding females across the UK – the best year on record.

Chester Zoo said: “Our team delicately hand fed tiny flies to each of the hundreds of spiderlings using tweezers, day in, day out, for weeks on end in our bio-secure breeding facility.

“Eventually, the young spiders grew strong enough to be returned to their natural habitat, which our partners worked to restore, and we released them in their hundreds!”

Many have been quick to respond to the announcement by Chester Zoo on X, formerly known as Twitter, with a mixed reaction.

One user commented: “Crikey! Hope they don’t come into homes.”

Another said: “Fantastic news! I’d love to see them up close.

“Maybe one day, hopefully!”

Someone else put: “Is there any way at all you can post about this with literally any other image??

“Very arachnophobic here.”

A fourth wrote: “Wow, not sure how I’d feel if I came across one of those – where exactly were they released?”

RSPB Mid Yare nature reserves site manager, Tim Strudwick, said: “The Fen Raft Spider is one of the UK’s rarest invertebrates and we are proud of the role our reserves and teams have played in its recovery.

“These spiders have an important role in maintaining the rich aquatic diversity found in the grazing ditches on our reserves. The females are impressive in size, but also beautiful – they are truly special to see!”

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The RSPB revealed the giant fish-eating spiders which walk on water are making a comeback in the UK[/caption]

FIVE red flags sparked utter carnage during qualifying for the Brazilian Grand Prix.

And Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen created unwanted history in the dramatic session in Sao Paulo.

Sky Sports

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A frustrated Max Verstappen had to settle for 12th as he was dumped out[/caption]

Heavy rain in Brazil saw Franco Colapinto, Carlos Sainz, Lance Stroll, Fernando Alonso and Alex Albon all crash out.

And that triggered no fewer than four red flags in the heavily-disrupted qualifying as Lando Norris claimed an unusual pole.

But it was bad news for Hamilton and Verstappen.

The Brit came P16 in Q1 and saw booted out before Verstappen had a flying lap curtailed in Q2 to be dumped out in 12th when Stroll slid off.

The reigning world champion and 2024 leader thumped his wheel in anger as his title hopes took a potential dent.

And that meant neither Hamilton and Verstappen made it to Q3 in a qualifying they have both taken part in for the first time ever.

Stroll, however, did book his place in Q3 thanks to his best time before his crash.

However, he could not take part – and Alonso then sparked a fourth red flag early in Q3, leaving just eight drivers remaining.

But then Albon – sitting in provisional second – did not make it around the first turn upon the restart before a thunderous smash into the barriers to stop the session once again with three minutes 31 seconds remaining.

Thankfully Albon immediately told his team he was okay after the heavy collision which mangled his motor.

The fifth red flag equalled the qualifying record from the chaotic scenes at Imola in 2022.

And at the end of the hectic qualifying, Norris ensured he will start this afternoon’s Grand Prix at the front.

That could have huge ramifications on the 2024 drivers’ title race with Norris desperate to catch Verstappen.

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Lewis Hamilton failed to make it through Q1[/caption]

AFP

Carlos Sainz had his Ferrari collected by the cherry picker[/caption]