Flight Delays, Fountain Pens, Heat Networks

Next week the summer holidays begin, and there is mounting concern amongst holidaymakers and the tourism industry over potential border delays. Since April, “third-country nationals” including UK citizens must undergo a biometric check on every crossing of a Schengen Area border. However, some airports and border crossings have not managed the transition well. There are numerous examples of British tourists missing flights after waiting hours in customs queues and MP’s are warning of 12-hour queues at Dover.

More than a million people in the UK live in homes supplied by a heat network, where a central boiler serves a block of flats or a whole development. They're particularly common in large cities, and when installed correctly, they can be very energy efficient. However, some flat-owners on heat networks are being served with back-dated energy bills for thousands of pounds, and in some cases are so high that people are struggling to sell their homes.

Online pharmacies are reporting record demand for the recently released weight loss drugs in pill form. Roughly 1.6 million people are already on weight-loss drugs in the UK, using Wegovy and Mounjaro as injectables and its predicted that within a year that figure could triple because of the introduction of these pills. It is having a huge impact on people’s lives, so how is it changing what we buy and how much we spend?

It may surprise you to hear, but there’s a growing movement of young fountain pen enthusiasts. According to UK Pen Shows, which runs pen events, about 60% of its visitors are now under 40. We’ll hear from some fountain pen fans about why they like them and how they can help us switch off from our fast-paced digital lives.

We're often told that if we don't want a piece of clothing anymore, we should donate it, sell it online or put it in a textile recycling bank. But what happens when no-one wants it after that? Charity shops, textile recyclers and industry bodies are warning that the wave of fast fashion is flooding the system with cheap, low-quality clothing that can be difficult to resell and even harder to recycle.

PRESENTER: WINIFRED ROBINSON

PRODUCER: CHARLIE FILMER-COURT