Travelling abroad with children often involves careful logistics, tight schedules, and strict luggage limits. For families heading to mainland Europe, taking the car on a ferry from England to France removes much of this traditional airport stress.

With regular departures from Kent, the Dover-France ferry routes provide a practical, flexible way to start a holiday, allowing parents to pack exactly what they need while offering children space to move around before the real driving begins.

Packing Without the Weight Restrictions

The most immediate benefit of a self-drive ferry holiday is the freedom to pack heavily. When you take your own vehicle, there are no restrictive weight limits, liquid rules, or expensive baggage fees. Families can easily fit in bulky essentials like pushchairs, travel cots, camping gear, and bicycles. You can also load up the boot with familiar snacks and toys to keep younger children entertained during the longer driving stretches on the continent. Heavy items stay safely locked in the car while you head up to the passenger decks.

Building a Natural Break into the Journey

Long car rides can be taxing for young passengers, but a ferry crossing naturally breaks up the trip. The crossing from Dover to Calais takes around 90 minutes, while the Dover to Dunkirk route takes roughly two hours. Rather than being strapped into a car seat or cramped in an aeroplane row, children can walk around the ship, look out at the sea, and use the onboard play areas.

The ship itself becomes part of the adventure. Instead of sitting in a crowded departure lounge, children can stand on the outer decks watching the White Cliffs of Dover slowly fade into the distance. Inside, family-friendly dining areas mean you can enjoy a hot meal together without the constraints of a fold-down tray table. This early break ensures everyone arrives on the continent fed, rested, and ready for the next stage of the journey.

Taking the Family Dog

For many families, a holiday isn’t complete without the dog. Ferries offer a much simpler route for pet travel compared to flying. Depending on the operator and the route, dogs can either stay securely in your vehicle or travel in dedicated pet lounges. Taking the ferry means your pet stays with you for the journey to the port, experiences a short crossing, and arrives in France ready for a coastal walk. Always check the latest UK and EU pet travel regulations regarding animal health certificates and vaccinations before booking.

Easy Arrival in Calais or Dunkirk

Both Calais and Dunkirk are exceptionally well-equipped for families arriving by car. If you take the ferry to Calais, you have immediate access to the wide sandy beach of Calais Nord, complete with playgrounds and the famous mechanical Dragon of Calais—a guaranteed hit with kids.

If you want an easy win on your first day, the Nausicaá National Sea Centre in Boulogne-sur-Mer is only a thirty-minute drive south of Calais. As one of the largest public aquariums in Europe, it is an ideal first-day activity that requires very little driving. Alternatively, if you opt for Dunkirk, the coastal suburb of Malo-les-Bains offers a gentle, expansive shoreline perfect for a relaxed afternoon building sandcastles.

Keeping the First Driving Day Short

When travelling with younger children, the key to a stress-free start is limiting your mileage on day one. Fortunately, the coastal region of Hauts-de-France is packed with family-friendly campsites, holiday parks, and hotels just a short distance from the ports. Keeping the first drive under an hour allows the designated driver to comfortably acclimatise to driving on the right-hand side of the road, while the kids can quickly transition from the ferry to the swimming pool.

Tips for a Smooth Family Crossing

Planning ahead makes all the difference when travelling with children. Booking your tickets in advance using comparison platforms like Ferryhopper allows you to secure the most convenient sailing times for your family’s routine.

• Pack a Deck Bag: Put everything you need for the crossing—nappies, snacks, tablets, and light jackets—in one small bag to take upstairs. You cannot return to your car during the sailing.
• Time Your Travel: Consider booking a crossing that aligns with lunch or a natural rest period.
• Arrive Early: Leave plenty of time to navigate border control at the Port of Dover so you don’t feel rushed before boarding.

For families, the holiday truly begins the moment you drive onto the ship. By removing the hassle of airport queues and luggage restrictions, the ferry provides a calm and practical gateway to Europe.

Plans revamped after first application rejected due to lighting issues

Almost 100 new flats are to be created in a former HMRC office building in Liverpool city centre at the second attempt. Having initially been knocked back over lighting issues, the nine storey Imperial Court building on Exchange Street East is to be recommissioned as a housing development.

Earlier this year, city planners rejected an application by Seth Real Estate to develop 106 apartments in the former government block. This was due to concerns over “inadequate light levels.”

These have been addressed through extensive restructuring, including reducing the number of apartments from 106 to 95. The apartments, totalling 214 rooms, will stretch from the first to ninth floors.

Retail units on the ground level are to be retained. Amenity spaces including cycle storage and a gym have been added in areas where habitable rooms, such as bedrooms, dining rooms and kitchens, failed to meet daylight targets.

The basement will provide residential parking with 50 spots with the building fronting Dale Street, bounded by Exchange Street East and Hackins Hay. It sits between the Mason Building and 26 Exchange Street East.

A total of 64 apartments will have only one bedroom while 31 will have two. A further 130 cycle parking spaces are to be provided.

A design and access statement said: “The proposed change of use, together with the external alterations, seeks to regenerate the currently vacant site and re-establish its prominence within the established City Centre location. The design adopts a sensitive and considered approach, employing a carefully selected material palette and detailing, that respond to its setting within the Castle Street Conservation Area.

“At its core, the proposal draws inspiration from the immediate context, interpreted through a contemporary architectural language, to enhance and enrich the character of the area.” A city council report recommending the scheme go ahead added: “Whilst all habitable rooms are reported as compliant, there are a number of rooms that only achieve marginal compliance, with just above 50% of effective floor area meeting the minimum daylight levels as listed below.

“The application site falls in a highly sustainable location, within central Liverpool. All amenities and transport facilities are within walking distance. As such, residents do not need to rely on private vehicles as their primary travel choice.

“The development will likely have a low car parking demand.” The building was vacated by HMRC when staff made the move to the India Buildings on Water Street.

The site houses more than 5,000 employees but was delayed in welcoming staff owing to the onset of the coronavirus pandemic. Imperial Court closed to staff in July 2021 with relocation plans for staff discussed as early as 2015.

It was one of four sites in the city to close, with thoughts that staff would initially move in the 2018/19 financial year. The India Buildings base is one of the largest HMRC regional centres across the UK.

To find all the planning applications, traffic diversions, road layout changes, alcohol licence applications and more in your community, visit the Public Notices Portal.

Few pieces of business correspondence are likely to cause quite as much concern as a winding-up petition. If one lands on your desk, it is not something to file away and deal with when things are quieter. It is a serious legal step that could ultimately result in your company being closed.

That sounds alarming, but understanding what a winding-up petition actually means, and responding quickly, can put you in a much stronger position.

What Is a Winding-Up Petition?

A winding-up petition is a formal application made to the court asking for a company to be placed into compulsory liquidation. It is commonly presented by a creditor who believes a business cannot pay money that it owes.

If the court eventually makes a winding-up order, a liquidator will take control of the company. Its assets can then be sold to repay creditors, with the business generally ceasing to trade. What should be said is that receiving a petition does not mean your company has already been liquidated. There is still a legal process to follow, which is precisely why acting quickly matters.

Why Would a Creditor Take This Step?

Creditors will usually have tried other ways of recovering a debt before seeking to wind up a company. Emails, letters, payment requests and formal demands may have already been sent without producing a satisfactory result.

A winding-up petition is a particularly serious form of creditor action because its consequences extend far beyond the original unpaid bill. Once proceedings progress, they can affect the company’s bank accounts, reputation, relationships with suppliers and ability to continue operating normally. That makes ignoring the situation especially risky.

What Should You Do If You Receive One?

The first priority is to establish exactly what the petition relates to. Is the debt genuinely owed? Is the amount correct? Has the creditor overlooked a payment? Is there a genuine dispute surrounding the debt?

Gather invoices, contracts, emails, payment records and any previous correspondence relating to the creditor. Having the relevant paperwork ready will make it easier to understand your position and determine your next move. Once you’ve got all this, getting professional advice early will be invaluable. Specialists such as McAlister & Co can help business owners understand the implications of a winding-up petition and the options that may be available for responding.

Can a Winding-Up Petition Be Challenged?

Depending on the circumstances, there may be grounds to dispute or challenge a petition. For example, the company may believe the underlying debt is genuinely disputed or that the creditor has not followed the correct process.

In other situations, the focus may instead be on negotiating with the creditor, arranging repayment or exploring wider insolvency and restructuring options. There is no universal solution. The appropriate response depends heavily on the company’s financial position and the circumstances surrounding the debt.

Do Not Leave It Until the Last Minute

The biggest mistake a business owner can make is treating a winding-up petition like an ordinary overdue invoice. Once court proceedings are involved, deadlines and procedural requirements become extremely important. Delaying action can significantly reduce the options available to you.

A winding-up petition is undoubtedly serious, but receiving one is not the same as reaching the end of the road. Understanding what has happened, gathering the facts and seeking appropriate professional advice as early as possible can give your business the best chance of finding a workable way forward.

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US President Donald Trump said he will delay imposing new tariffs on a wide array of Canadian goods for three days as the countries firm up a trade deal.

“I have paused the 50% Tariffs against Canada, that were scheduled to kick in tomorrow morning for a three day period, based on the fact that Canada and the U.S.A., subject to the finalization of documents, have a DEAL!” Trump said in a social media post.

The announcement came less than two hours before a 50% levy on nearly $20bn (C$28bn) of Canadian imports were set to go in place.

The two sides have been at an impasse on several issues, including US tariffs on autos and many Canadian provinces banning American liquor sales.

Trump and Prime Minister Mark Carney spoke twice this week, and trade negotiators have been engaged in intense talks since July, after Trump threatened the new levy with a deadline of 19 August.

In his post, Trump also said a final trade deal could allow the revival of the Keystone XL pipeline. The oil pipeline, which would connect Alberta to the US, was blocked by both the Obama and Biden administrations.

Environmentalists and indigenous groups have long opposed the pipeline but Trump has said multiple times he would like to revive the project, which would carry 830,000 barrels of oil a day.

“The great Keystone XL Pipeline, long ago killed by Sleepy Joe Biden, may be awoken from the grave!” Trump wrote on Truth Social.

The extension is welcome news for Canadian negotiators and for businesses on both sides of the border, who have warned that the new tariffs would be harmful to both countries.

Tensions have mounted between the two major trading partners since Trump returned to office in January last year and he unleashed a wide-ranging global programme of tariffs, upending decades of free trade between Canada and the US.

The latest tariffs threatened by Trump were to be applied on a range of Canadian imports, including wine, dairy, cement, clothing and hockey equipment.

They would have been in addition to existing tariffs the US had already imposed on Canadian steel and aluminium, autos and lumber.

Canada has been in pursuit of a deal that would have the US drop or reduce tariffs on these key sectors.

The US, meanwhile, has been asking for a number of concessions from Canada, including removing its remaining retaliatory tariffs on American autos and adjusting its dairy quotas to allow greater access for US cheese producers.

It has also asked for the ban on US alcohol sales, imposed last year by most Canadian provinces in retaliation to Trump’s tariffs, be removed.

In the final hours before Wednesday’s deadline, negotiators were discussing a deal that would reduce US tariffs on Canadian autos from 25% to 15%, according to a Reuters report citing anonymous sources.

But the two countries could not agree on which vehicles would be eligible for tariff reductions, with the US pushing for it to only apply on cars with a high amount of American-made content.

Carney will also need buy-in from provincial premiers to reinstate the sale of US alcohol, as liquor sales are controlled by the provinces, not the federal government.

Ontario Premier Doug Ford, whose province is hardest hit by US tariffs on autos, said he was open to lifting the liquor ban only if a “fair deal” is reached.

On Tuesday, the US Chamber of Commerce pushed for a deal to be reached, saying in a statement that “higher tariffs would damage both economies, drive up costs for US families, further disrupt critical supply chains, and risk the 13 million American jobs that depend on trade under the US-Mexico-Canada Trade Agreement”.

President Donald Trump said late Tuesday that he is pausing 50% tariffs on Canadian goods scheduled to take effect Wednesday, saying the two countries have reached a deal pending final documentation.

“I have paused the 50% Tariffs against Canada, that were scheduled to kick in tomorrow morning for a three day period, based on the fact that Canada and the U.S.A., subject to the finalization of documents, have a DEAL!” Trump wrote on Truth Social.

“The great Keystone XL Pipeline, long ago killed by Sleepy Joe Biden, may be awoken from the grave!” Trump added.

Trump’s announcement came just hours before the tariffs were scheduled to take effect for a three-day period under the Tariff Act of 1930.

FORD’S US MANUFACTURING EXPANSION TO BRING ‘THOUSANDS AND THOUSANDS OF JOBS,’ LUTNICK SAYS

President Donald Trump takes questions from reporters in the Oval Office of the White House on Aug. 10, 2026. Trump criticized New York City’s pied-à-terre tax and said he is examining whether the federal government has legal authority to intervene. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images / Getty Images)

The duties would have covered roughly $20 billion in Canadian imports, including liquor, dairy products, vehicles, hockey equipment and other goods. Certain food products, wearables, synthetic materials and industrial goods were also expected to be affected.

Trump spoke with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney on Monday night and reportedly spoke with him again Tuesday afternoon, according to FOX Business correspondent Edward Lawrence.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.

FOX Business’ Bonny Chu contributed to this report.

AI video tools make content creation easier. Instead of building every clip from scratch, creators can start with a visual idea and turn it into a short for YouTube, TikTok, product pages, ads, and story posts.

The harder stage comes later. Growing channels and brand teams stop winning with one lucky render. They need repeatable weekly output: recognizable characters or products, longer beats that finish a thought, and a place where episode memory survives past Monday.

This guide looks at AI video tools through that lens — not as a random clip lottery, but as a publish system for creators, brands, and channels that ship on a calendar. Three surfaces deserve special attention when the job splits into series structure and longer multimodal generation: Drama Studio, Seedance 2.5, and Wan 3.0.

What growing channels should optimize for

1. Continuity across posts, not only one pretty frame
2. Enough length for hook → proof → payoff
3. Clear ownership: planning desk vs render engine
4. Reference discipline for cast, SKU, location, and audio
5. A project that still makes sense after episode three

If a tool only wins demos, it may still help ideation. It will not carry a channel alone.

Tool map for weekly channel work

Drama Studio — for channels that think in episodes

Growing story channels fail when every post reinvents the cast. Faceless drama, character series, and brand “story arcs” need reusable people, places, and beat sheets before anyone hits generate.

Drama Studio is built for that production layer: start from an idea, outline, script, or novel chapter; keep characters, locations, props, beats, and storyboards in a structured workbench; then move approved beats into episode video. The point is series memory — so episode two still feels like the same show.

Pros

• Strong fit for serialized vertical storytelling
• Editable story assets instead of chat-only decisions
• Boards and beats before credit burn
• Useful for creators and brands running weekly chapter calendars

Cons

• Overkill for a one-off three-second gag
• Still needs clear writing; tools do not invent a premise audiences care about
• Heavy scenes still need a capable generation model

Seedance 2.5 — for longer production beats that must hold

Short models stall when a brand spot or set-piece needs setup, development, and close in one pass. Channels that stitch five orphans usually pay for it in continuity repair.

Seedance 2.5 is a multimodal video model for coherent clips up to about thirty seconds from text plus image, video, and audio references, with timing and storyboard-friendly control. Use it when the board is approved and the beat needs length plus a fat reference kit — product ads, performance holds, fashion looks, or episode set-pieces.

Pros

• Longer single-pass room for campaign-ready arcs
• Dense multimodal reference control
• Fits timed briefs better than mood-only prompts
• Strong for creators and brands shipping offer videos weekly

Cons

• Vague briefs become expensive faster at thirty seconds
• Conflicting references still fight each other
• Not a substitute for episode planning on its own

Wan 3.0 — for omni-reference story sequences

Some channel briefs do not start as one hero still. They start as a pack: character art, a voice note, a product sheet, a public page, and a messy outline. Prompt-only tools drop that context on the floor.

Wan 3.0 is positioned for native storytelling toward thirty seconds with omni-reference control across text, images, video, audio, and extended document or webpage context, plus smart-duration habits and audiovisual impact. It fits narrative turns where identity, props, space, and sound must stay aligned across a connected sequence.

Pros

• Multimodal pack thinking, including structured source material
• Useful for story hinges and explainers that must keep facts straight
• Native audiovisual direction in the brief
• Good complement when Drama Studio already defined the episode job

Cons

• Role labeling is mandatory or sources collide
• Wrong choice for unlabeled vibe dumps
• Still needs human QC on dialogue-heavy multi-character scenes

Other tools still matter — in the right lane

Fast social clip generators help with hooks and trend tests. Keep them for disposable experiments.

Avatar presenters win when the script is the product: training, updates, multilingual talking heads.

Style-led creative tools help concept art and mood exploration before motion.

Template editors keep brand kits consistent for high-volume captioned posts.

None of those replace series memory or longer multimodal execution. Growing channels usually need more than one lane.

A simple weekly stack for creators and brands

1. Plan the episode or campaign chapter in Drama Studio when the content is serial.
2. Route long, reference-heavy production beats to Seedance 2.5.
3. Route omni-reference narrative turns to Wan 3.0.
4. Use short-clip tools only for inserts and tests.
5. Judge success by on-time publishing and continuity — not by how many orphans you generated before lunch.

Conclusion

There are many useful AI video tools on the market. Some are better for social speed, some for polished single scenes, and some for creative experimentation.

For creators, brands, and growing channels that have moved past one-off demos, the useful split is clearer: Drama Studio for episode structure, Seedance 2.5 for longer production beats, and Wan 3.0 for omni-reference story sequences. Pick by job, keep references labeled, and build a calendar that still recognizes itself next week.

FAQs

What is an AI video tool? Software that helps turn prompts, images, or structured briefs into video with less manual shooting and editing.

Which setup helps series channels most? A drama-style workbench for memory, plus a longer multimodal model for the heaviest scenes.

Which model fits product ads with many locks? Seedance 2.5 is the stronger fit when the beat needs length and a dense AV reference kit.

When should Wan 3.0 be first choice? When the brief is an omni-reference pack — including documents or pages — and the sequence must stay aligned.