A GRUMPY pub owner is reluctantly lifting his ban on the sale of half pints and soft drinks.

John Bittles outright refused to add fizzy drinks to his menu and any Guinness pours smaller than a full pint some two years ago.

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The Belfast-based landlord has since changed his ways after revelling in tourists and visitor’s sufferings for long enough.

Despite being music to the ears of those who prefer shorter beverages, a half-pint will now cost just 85p less than a full one.

The eye-watering price tag of Bittles’ half pints in one of the capital’s smallest pubs is £4.95.

And the change of heart is thanks to the influx of cruise ships docking in the port right next to his tiny establishment.

John told Metro: “Touristy people especially are coming looking for a half pint, so I’ve worked out what I have to do to make it worth my while.”

He added some do decide to just order a full pint when they realise the cost.

But many are happy to pay for the half because they’re “not pint-drinking people, they are more half-pint people”.

John previously made a sign stating “No coke drinkers” – with customers being refused a soft drink – before lifting the ban.

However, strict conditions still apply.

Bittles is only allowing the sale of pop if the buyer is with someone ordering an alcoholic drink.

BEFORE you chuck your change make sure to keep an eye out for this one detail that could be worth hundreds, after one sold for £85.

This little design flaw could turn your £2 coin into more than just a pretty penny.

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If you spot an engraved Gorilla portrait on a 2019 £2 coin, you may be in for a win.

According to rare coin site The Great British Coin Hunt, the Jersey Zoo Gorilla coin is one to look out for.

The site claims there was supposed be a full set of these uncoloured coins available, but due to the Covid restrictions there were only a few of these printed.

Due to its scarcity, the uncoloured coin price has soared in value even without the misprint and now can be sold for around £100 a pop.

The misprint – coins with no denomination – are even more highly sought-after by rare coin collectors and and are worth lot more than face value.

If you’re lucky enough to spot one of these, make sure you check for the design error which bumps the price up to a whopping £200 to £300.

Check the coin for the Gorilla engraving – it will also have crowned portrait of Queen Elizabeth II on the back, wearing the Girls of Great Britain tiara.

If it doesn’t explicitly state it’s worth two pounds then you can’t cash in.

On eBay, one of these error coins was selling for £85 – more than 42 times the face value.

Seller Pauline2711 posted the auction on August 8 with five different bidders trying to get their hands on it.

However, this isn’t the only £2 coin worth keeping an eye out for.

The 2002 Commonwealth Games Northern Ireland coin can reach up to £60 with only 485,500 minted.

If you’ve got the complete set then you can snag even more with one collector selling four coins for £100.

The Olympic coins are often price up, and if you can spot the Olympic centenary you’ll get more than just memorabilia of the 2012 London games.

With 910,000 in circulation you may even be able to find one, which could sell on eBay for £37.95.

How to sell a rare coin

If you have managed to get your hands on a rare coin, there are a few ways you can go about selling it.

Online platforms like eBay, Facebook marketplace, or trading apps can be easy to use – but there are risks.

Scammers may try and target sellers with this trick – they’ll say they are keen to purchase the item and ask for money upfront for a courier.

Unfortunately they have no plan on collecting the item and are only using the courier to grab free cash.

When buying or selling on Facebook Marketplace it’s advisable to meet up in person.

Make sure this is a safe space and avoid payment links.

Many sellers will choose to handle cash when meeting to limit the risk of scams.

To ensure the ultimate safety you can sell rare coins at an auction.

This can be done through The Royal Mint’s Collectors Service which has a team of experts who can help you authenticate and value your coin.

If you send them an email, a member of the valuation team will responded – however you will be charged for this service.

Finally, you can sell rare coins on eBay.

Here you are fully responsible for the sale price but eBay will take a cut.

The site charge 10% of the money you made which includes postage and packaging.

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A MUM is celebrating after winning a life-changing £333,333 in the Postcode Lottery – but her lucky neighbour managed to double that prize with a savvy move.

Angela Plant, from Abbots Langley, Hertfordshire, was left “speechless” when she discovered her postcode, WD5 0NH, had scooped the Millionaire Street prize.

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While Angela’s ticket netted her a hefty £333,333, another player in her street, who chose to remain anonymous, walked away with £666,666 by playing with two tickets.

Bubbly Angela, still reeling from the shock, immediately vowed to use her winnings to spread joy among her loved ones and doesn’t want them sitting in the bank.

With a wish list that includes exotic holidays, a Greek wedding for her eldest son, and special trips for friends and family, she has no intention of saving for a rainy day.

“This year has been up and down, so I’m going to make sure all my close pals and family are looked after,” she said.

“You don’t want profit in the bank; you want to go out and spend it!”

Angela’s post-win plans include a Florida holiday for her soon-to-be-born granddaughter, a box at Leeds United for her partner, Andrew, and girls’ trips with her closest friends.

Her windfall comes just days after her birthday, capping an extraordinary year in which she and Andrew marked their 40th anniversary with a civil partnership ceremony, followed by a nine-week backpacking adventure across Asia.

The trip saw the daring duo explore Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand, Malaysia, and Bali, a dream journey that was made even more remarkable by Angela’s newfound mobility following knee replacement surgeries.

“I had knee replacements a few years ago, and it’s changed my life. I climbed hills and monuments on holiday — things I never thought I could do.”

Despite her newfound fortune, Angela has no plans to quit her job as a companion at an old folk’s home, where she enjoys caring for elderly residents.

In fact, she was due back at work the very next day, a reminder of the down-to-earth nature that has kept her grounded throughout this whirlwind experience.

“I’m going to work tomorrow. I love it, and it keeps my mind buzzing,” she said.

Angela’s win has also benefited local charities, as part of a £1 million pot distributed to good causes through the Postcode Lottery.

Looking ahead, Angela is eager to continue her adventures, with plans for trips to Japan, China, and Singapore.

She feels the world has opened up to her, thanks to both her knee surgeries and her lottery windfall.

“I can go where I want now,” she said. “We’ve worked our socks off, and this gives us the chance to do more.”

However, the victory is bittersweet for Angela, who lost two friends this year.

In their memory, she plans to treat her remaining friends to a much-needed lift, showing just how much joy a lucky postcode can bring.

How to play the People’s Postcode Lottery?

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For just £12 a month, players can sign up through the official website to have a chance of winning millions of pounds.

Once signed up, players are automatically entered into every draw and prizes are announced every day of each month.

Tickets play for the Daily Prize, worth £1000 and revealed every single day.

Tickets could also win a jackpot of £30,000 for Saturday and Sunday’s Street Prize draws.

People’s Postcode Lottery also offers a £3million Postcode Millions draw each month – where your ticket plays for a share of the cash prize fund.

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Winners are notified by email, text, post, or phone call, depending on the prize they win.

Jackpot winners are visited by the lottery team in person.

SWEET lovers have turned sour after bags of Jelly Babies were slashed by more than ten per cent.

Packets of the tot-shaped, sugar-coated chews now contain fewer treats than ever before — in the latest example of rampant “shrinkflation”.

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Share bags of Britain’s favourite sweets — also loved by TV Time Lord Doctor Who — have been cut from 190g to 165g.

The sneaky move by Sheffield-based Bassett’s means shoppers now get two or three fewer babies per pack.

A retail source told The Sun: “The cost of producing sweets has increased and big brands can either hike prices or make these sorts of changes, which are always unpopular.”

The sweets were first mass produced at the end of World War One and marketed as “Peace Babies”.

They were re­branded Jelly Babies after sugar rationing ended in 1953.

Bassett’s admitted yesterday: “We are continuing to experience ­significantly higher costs.

“We have had to make the decision to slightly reduce the weight.”

Other brands to adopt shrinkflation tactics include Pringles, which chopped 15 grams from the size of its large tubes last month, and pasta sauce giant Dolmio.

SAINSBURY’S shoppers are raving over a Chilly’s dupe scanning at tills for just £3.75

Chilly’s bottles have been a craze for quite some time due to their infinite designs and double-wall insulation – keeping drinks looking and tasting pretty cool.

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Typically, Chilly’s bottles tend to lean toward the pricier side – costing between around £24.

One savvy saver took to the Extreme Couponing and Bargains UK Facebook group to share details of their Chilly’s dupe spotting.

The saver shared a photo of the bright orange bottle along with the receipt clearly showing the purchase of £3.75.

They wrote: “On the shelf it said £5 something. Scanned at the til for £3.75. Sainsbury’s North Cheam.”

The North Cheam store is based in Sutton on London Road.

Interestingly, a label on the bottle states: “Smash Double Wall Insulated Bottle”.

Like the Chilly’s bottles, the Smash bottles are also double walled.

The bottle is also screw top, 500ml, vacuum insulated, and comes in a bunch of other styles.

It can be bought directly from Sainsbury’s website, or from Argos.

However, it’s showing up online as £7.50.

One person left a raving review: “Perfect. Keeps my drink cold all day. Love the colour too.”

While another said: “Great. I like the colour a lot and it serves the purpose.”

Meanwhile the same bottle but in burgundy is lapping up the five-star reviews.

One person said: “Useful bottle. Lovely colour and well made with a good seal in the top.

“Keeps drinks cold and holds enough for a day out. Functional and a reasonable price“

While a second said: “Nice. I love it, bought it for my kids.”

And a third said: “Would Recommend! Having gone through so many plastic water bottles I thought to get a stainless steel one and its so worth it!

“Easy to clean and great at keeping cold.”

On the Sainsbury’s website there are in fact 100 Smash items to choose from.

But for this particular style of bottle the colours come in blue, beige, orange, burgundy, black and pink.

As always, we recommend shopping around to find the best deal.

Checking in-store availability is also recommended to avoid making a wasted trip.

MCDONALD’S Monopoly is ending in just days – but players have a bit longer to claim any prizes.

The fast food chain’s spin on the classic game lets customers build up property sets which can be redeemed for prizes.

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Players can also bag Instant Win prizes which are lower in value, such as free food and drink items.

McDonald’s usually launches the game for six weeks every year, with this year’s game ending at 11.59pm on October 16.

If you’ve won any prizes, you have slightly longer to claim them though – the deadline is October 29.

What are the McDonald’s Monopoly prizes?

When McDonald’s Monopoly first launched on September 4, there were dozens of prizes up for grabs.

These were the Collect to Win prizes on offer at the start of the game, which you can win with complete property sets:

• £100k cash
• Mini electric car
• £2k Jet2holiday
• Merlin annual pass
• JBL Audio Bundle
• Hisense TV + Soundbar from Currys
• £100 Virgin Experience Day
• Medium Extra Value Meal
• £200 train credit with TrainPal

There were also a number of Instant Win prizes on offer.

You get these from peeling off the sticker from your McDonald’s item to see if you’ve won anything:

• £2k Jet2holiday
• Merlin Annual Pass 
• £1,000 Cash
• JBL Audio Bundle
• JYSK £500 Homeware Spend
• JustPark £250 Parking Spend
• Two Night Best Western Stay 
• £200 for Passing GO!
• JBL Gaming Headset
• JBL Wireless Earbuds
• £50 Cash
• £50 Prezzee eGift Card
• Moonpig Bouquet of Flowers
• £25 Glow Hub eGift Card 
• Pair of Cinema Tickets
• Wrappz™ Personalised Phone Case 
• JustPark £5 Parking Spend
• McDonald’s Exclusive Merchandise
• McDonald’s Socks
• McDonald’s Bean Bag
• McDonald’s Key Ring
• £70 off Jet2holidays 
• 25% off Merlin Annual Pass
• Readly 3-Month Digital Magazine & Newspaper Subscription 
• WithU Fitness App 3-Month Trial
• 30% off JBL Audio
• 20% off Best Western Hotels
• Photobox Photo Calendar
• £10 off Moonpig Flowers
• £10 off Virgin Experiences
• 25% off Glow Hub
• £5 off a Personalised Phone Case at wrappz.com
• 10% off Train Tickets with TrainPal Group

Lastly, there are Digital Peel Game prizes, which you get if you play online:

• £5 Cash
• £10 Cash
• £20 Cash
• £50 Cash
• £100 Cash
• £100,000 Cash
• Mini Electric Car
• £2K Jet2holidayje
• Merlin Annual Pass
• JBL Audio Bundle
• £200 Train Credit with TrainPal
• Hisense TV + Soundbar from Currys
• £100 Virgin Experience Day
• Medium Extra Value Meal
• McDonald’s Gold Card
• £50 Footasylum eGift Card
• £10 CeX Voucher
• MONOPOLY Deal Card Game
• JustPark £5 Parking Spend
• McDonald’s Exclusive Merchandise
• McDonald’s Neon Light
• McDonald’s Mobile Phone Wallet
• McDonald’s Air Freshener
• £70 off Jet2holidays
• WithU Fitness App 3-Month Trial
• Readly 3-Month Digital Magazine & Newspaper Subscription
• 30% off JBL Audio
• Photobox Canvas Print
• Photobox Photo Calendar
• 20% off Footasylum
• 15% off Footasylum
• 20% off Virgin Experiences
• Moonpig Card
• 10% off Train Tickets with TrainPal Group

It’s worth bearing in mind, some of these prizes may not be available any longer as the McDonald’s game has been running for around five weeks.

We have asked McDonald’s for the list of prizes left to be claimed and will update this story when we have heard back.

Other changes at McDonald’s in October

Maccie’s is launching mini hashbrowns for the first time on Wednesday.

Customers will be able to buy the twist on a classic menu item across more than 1,300 UK restaurants.

Foodies can pick up a five-pack for £1.49 while a 15-piece sharebox will cost £2.99.

Remember though that prices do vary from restaurant to restaurant so you could pay more or less than these prices.

It is not yet clear whether the hashbrowns will become a permanent menu item, so if you want to give them a go, make sure you’re quick.

Six menu items will also be removed when McDonald’s Monopoly ends on Wednesday.

These are the six items that customers will have to wave goodbye to:

• Philly Cheese Stack
• Chicken Big Mac
• Mozzarella Dippers
• Galaxy Chocolate McFlurry
• Twix Caramel McFlurry
• Twix Latte

McDonald’s is also adding two new hot drinks to its menus next week, just in time for Halloween.

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