Monthly Archives: December 2010

Damien Hirst donates picture for The Warrior Programme Annual Fundraising Dinner. {Art}

Posted on by

Celebrity support aids the fundraising efforts of the Warrior Programme, the charity dedicated to helping serving and ex-service men and women who have been affected by the psychological trauma of war. Damien Hirst has donated a unique proof print ‘Big Love with Diamond Dust’ to help fund the programme which has helped over 400 people get their lives back on track, since the charity launched in 2007.

Other celebrity support at the dinner includes John Boorman, Film Director and his children Charley Boorman and Katrine Boorman, John Illsley of Dire Straits,and Jeanne Marine, Bob Geldof’s partner, who will sing at the Gala Dinner tomorrow, Tuesday 30th November at the Royal Hospital, Chelsea. Damien Hirst’s wife Maia Norman and his mother will be at the event. Both Jeanne and Bob attended the Gala Dinner in 2009, with other celebrities, which raised £75,000 towards The Warrior Programme’s goal of £1m before 2012. The Prince of Wales has written the Foreword to the event programme.

“Before Warrior I had two choices: one was to live; the other one to die. Now I have a hundred choices.”

Tom, Warrior Programme participant.

Picture credit:
Photographed by Prudence Cuming Associates

© Damien Hirst. All rights reserved, DACS 2010

Shop the sales in comfort. {Fashion}

Posted on by

SAVE YOUR SOLES DURING THE JANUARY SALES WITH REDFOOT’S FOLDABLE PUMPS

As the Boxing Day sales loom on the horizon women everywhere are preparing themselves for the ultimate battle – with limited sizes and half off deals the sales are a true test of every woman’s strength, stamina and determination and it’s dangerous to go in unarmed.

Step in Redfoot – the comfy foldable pump with patented split sole technology start from £29.99 – simply pop the pumps into your bag next to your energy drink and power snacks and head out to your nearest shopping centre with confidence.

Redfoot pumps mean that – when you are hit with that familiar shoppers ache – you simply pop on your pumps and keep on shopping; bagging the best bargains and looking stylish while you do it.

Redfoot foldable pumps – never leave a bargain behind!

http://www.redfootshoes.com

The Last Minute Gift That Rocks! {Christmas gift ideas}

Posted on by

Still not finished your Christmas shopping? Still got that difficult person to buy for and you have no idea what to get them? Don’t despair, with only 3 days until Santa officially arrives Hotel Voucher Shop has a gift that everyone will love and what’s more it can be bought online as late as Christmas day itself and delivered as an e-gift with a personalised message! Now that is last minute!

The Hotel Voucher Shop experience gift cards are the ideal present, no matter what the occasion, guaranteeing your loved ones an experience they’ll enjoy, after all who doesn’t love a good break?

The gift cards can be used to book over 70,000 hotels in over 5,000 destinations worldwide, including over 1,000 major hotel groups. The vouchers come in denominations of ten starting with a value of £10 ranging up to £1,000 and can be used as either part or full payment of a hotel break with any remaining balance stored for future use.

The Hotel Voucher Shop gifts come in three different ways, paper, plastic or virtual. Purchase paper and e-vouchers online at www.hotelvouchershop.com. Paper vouchers are posted, presented in an attractive wallet and personalised with your own unique message while e-vouchers are emailed instantly (especially handy when you need to send a present pronto or if you are buying for someone on the other side of the world!) The plastic gift cards can be purchased from top high street retailers including WH Smiths, Sainsbury’s and Superquinn.

Hotel Voucher Shop would be happy to offer your readers a 15% discount to celebrate the festive season!

*All Hotel Vouchers are non-refundable and are valid for 12 months from purchase.
For further information about the Hotel Voucher Shop visit www.hotelvouchershop.com

Bob Martin joins forces with vet Mark Binns deliver Christmas message.

Posted on by

People are advised to consider pet ownership carefully before making a commitment

Pet care specialists Bob Martin has teamed up with local veterinary surgeon Mark Binns to remind people that pet ownership is a commitment not to be taken lightly this Christmas.

With the recession biting hard and at a time when every penny counts, pet rescue centres are reported to be full to capacity.

In the run up to the Christmas period, Bob Martin, has worked with Mark to develop some top tips for people considering buying a pet over the festive season, and give pointers to take into consideration.

The advice that Mark shares with people on Bob Martin’s website has been created to offer guidance and support to those thinking of buying a pet and covers topics like feeding, worming and flea care.

Here are just some of Mark’s top tips:

· Make sure your pet doesn’t bring fleas into your home. Ideally get them treated before you get them home with an appropriate product.

· Groom your puppy or kitten from an early age to get them used to the feel of the brush

· If you have a dog, get it microchipped or as a minimum, get a tag that has your name and phone number as a contact before they start going out.

· Make sure your pet always has access to fresh water.

· Before buying your pet, consider whether your lifestyle fits in with your pet’s needs.

Mark says: “The Dog’s Trust’s strap line ‘a dog is for life, not just for Christmas’, coined back in 1970, is as relevant today as it was forty years ago. Although there is a lot to consider when buying a pet, providing that you can provide it with the care it needs, a pet can enrich your life and have a great and positive influence on your lifestyle.”

For more top tips and to read Mark’s blog, visit www.bobmartin.co.uk.

Valencia call to football fans to action with ‘My Champions League Moment’

Posted on by

Tour Spain and the Valencia City, Province and Regional Tourist Boards are calling out to all British football fans to relive and share via Facebook their favourite Champions League moment, and stand the chance to win tickets to the Valencia CF v Schalke 04 match on the 15 February 2011.

‘My Champions League Moment’ would like to see football banter put in to action … instead of just talking about what was the best Champions League moment, show it.

Fans must upload a photo of themselves re-enacting what they consider to be a stroke of Champions League football genius or share their own treasured photo from a Champions League match to http://www.facebook.com/My.Champions.League.

From watching Liverpool triumph against AC Milan after being 3-0 down, to the heart-stopping two goals Manchester United scored in the last few minutes against Bayern Munich, or John Terry’s penalty miss that gave Manchester United the title – there are many ‘Champions League moments’ to choose from.

Entries must be uploaded and votes cast by the 23 January 2011. The photo with the most ‘likes’ will win this unique competition

The successful fan will win flights and accommodation for two people and the chance for two tickets to the match between Valencia C.F. vs. Schalke, on the 15 February at 20.45 at Valencia’s historic Mestalla Stadium

David Gomez from Tourism Valencia said ‘This season has already shown some fantastic football but held few surprises, and we want fans to show us what really makes the ‘beautiful game’ and what we have to look forward to for the rest of the season.”

‘My Champions League Moment’ is supported by Valencia CF, Valencia Tourism, Valencia Regional Tourist Office, Valencia Province Tourist Office and Tour Spain.

Champagne fizz with friends this Christmas. {Food & Drink}

Posted on by

Christmas is the perfect excuse to open a bottle of Champagne and celebrate the year in style with loved ones. The Champagne Information Bureau has compiled a list of top tips and dispelled some myths on how to serve and enjoy the ultimate luxurious drink this festive season:

Quantity – a bottle of Champagne serves about seven Champagne flutes. When served as an aperitif, allow one bottle for every three or four guests, but at a meal, serve one bottle for every two or three.

Temperature – Champagne takes around three hours to chill in the fridge. For a quicker result, place the bottle in a bucket filled with equal parts ice and water. This takes about thirty minutes. Never put Champagne bottles in the freezer as it will dumb down the aroma and flavours.

Open – Be brave! Slant the bottle at a 45 degree angle away from guests. Untwist (exactly six half turns) and remove the wire muzzle. Grasp the cork firmly with thumb and forefinger and twist the bottle slowly letting the pressure help to push the cork out. It should sigh rather than pop.

Serve – Champagne is best served in a tulip-shaped glass or a flute. Do not serve in a saucer-shaped glass as the aroma and bubbles will disperse. Serve by holding the glass upright. Pour a small quantity of Champagne in the glass and allow it to settle before filling two-thirds full.

Enjoy – hold the glass by the stem or even better at the base to avoid warming the drink. Between glasses, store the opened bottle of Champagne in an ice bucket for no more than three hours. Contrary to popular belief, a silver spoon placed in the neck of an open bottle does not prevent the Champagne going flat.

Store – keep un-opened Champagne horizontally in a cool, dark place away from heat, light and severe temperature variations.

Francoise Peretti, Director of the Champagne Information Bureau, says:

“Don’t be Champagne shy this Christmas! Make sure you look around for different styles and brands – there is a wide diversity of Champagne which will suit your occasion. Year-end celebrations are a great time to experiment and explore.”

ZAC EFRON IS THE VOICE OF ANAKIN SKYWALKER. {Film}

Posted on by

ZAC EFRON IS THE VOICE OF ANAKIN SKYWALKER IN THE PREMIERE OF ROBOT CHICKEN: STAR WARS EPISODE III

From 27th December 2010 on www.adultswim.co.uk

Adult Swim is bringing the force a bit closer to home on 27th December with the European premiere of the third Star Wars special of its Emmy award-winning stop-motion animated series Robot Chicken. The 45 minute long episode, starring Zac Efron will be available to view on adultswim.co.uk for 1 week until 3rd January 2011.

The legendary story of the intergalactic struggle between good vs. evil gets a unique make-over in Robot Chicken: Star Wars Episode III with full endorsement from Lucasfilm. The episode brazenly combines the satirical touch of the show’s creators Seth Green and Matthew Senreich’s series Robot Chicken, with the Star Wars universe. Four key characters (Emperor Palpatine, Darth Vader, Boba Fett and Gary the Stormtrooper) reveal the untold stories of what went on behind the scenes throughout all six Star Wars films from Phantom Menace to Return of the Jedi. Witness Palpatine’s real struggle with ruling a ruthless Empire, see Gary the Stormtrooper knock over an Ewok on his first joyride, Hans Solo gets to meet Chewbacca’s family and a disco dancing Darth Vader is revealed as a clumsy fool.

Among the favourite characters of the Star Wars universe is the creator George Lucas himself voicing his stop-motion animated likeness. Other noteworthy voice actors include Zac Efron as Anakin Skywalker and Star Wars veterans Anthony Daniels as C3PO, Billy Dee Williams as Lando Calrissian and Ahmed Best as Jar Jar Binks, along with returning favourites Green, Senreich, Rachael Leigh Cook, Breckin Meyer and Seth MacFarlane.

The first two instalments in the Robot Chicken: Star Wars trilogy resulted in multiple award nominations and numerous Annie Awards and fast became the highest-rated original program on Adult Swim in the US.

Matthew Senreich says, “We wanted to take the Star Wars universe and see it through the eyes of Emperor Palpatine, Darth Vader, Boba Fett and Gary the Stormtrooper. We still flip around the universe but we get a unique perspective from the bad guy side, from people who just want to rule the universe.”

LONDON IRISH GANGSTER MOVIE SET FOR FILMING NEXT YEAR. {Film}

Posted on by

Dark and Gritty Movie Reaches into the Bloody Heart of London’s Underworld

Written and produced by Londoner Andrew Nolan, Clan London will be filmed in London and Boston next year. Starring Jay Giannone (The Departed, Three Kings) former World boxing champion Steve Collins and former bank robber now best selling author Noel ‘Razor’ Smith – the movie introduces today’s world to a dark corner of the city when extreme lawlessness and chaos comes under the control of the most ruthless crime family this country has ever seen.

Set in the capital, Clan London centers on three second generation Irish brothers growing up in 1970’s London up to the present day. Against the backdrop of anti – Irish feeling the McDonagh clan refuse to keep their heads down and become heavily involved in organised crime. So much so they rise to the top of the British underworld.
The movie is primarily located in the Kilburn and Ladbroke Grove area of North West London where many of the Irish settled during the recent wave of immigration from the 1960’s onwards. London Irish artists such as Johnny Lydon were giving the World punk music whilst thousands of young Irishmen were the rock in the foundation of London’s construction boom. This movie will finally bring to life an accurate portrayal of what it was like to be Irish in a deeply suspicious city when the troubles of Northern Ireland often exploded onto the streets of the capital. For one family, the brutal criminal underworld provides a way out of poverty and an opportunity to confront the anti Irish sentiments of the day head on.

At the heart of the film is a story of Love, Honour and Loyalty set against the brutal criminal underworld of greed and corruption. Primarily aimed at the lucrative 18 – 30 ‘crime’ genre market, it has the potential to appeal to older audiences in the footsteps of The Godfather. With it’s fully realised and above all authentic characters, their seducing charm and unquenchable thirst for power, Clan London manages to be that rare beast; a truly original, high concept film that engages an audience emotionally but is still fresh, powerful and above all highly marketable.

Among the many artists who have agreed to feature on the soundtrack are Elvis Costello, The Dropkick Murphys (The Departed) and Spider Stacy from The Pogues (PS I Love You).