Author Archives: Catherine Balavage

Let Santa Know What You Are 'Whishin' For.

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A website which believes it has solved the annual problem of being given unwanted Christmas presents has launched in the run-up to this year’s festive season. The site launches on a day which has been dubbed ‘Mega Monday’, one of the busiest online shopping days of the year as shoppers receive their final pay packet before the festive season.

whishin.com, the brainchild of founder Charlie Rowan, will allow customers to create wish lists of gifts from across the web in one easy to use place, and share them with groups of family and friends, or even for people who think they deserve a bonus – their boss.

A simple downloadable tool which sits in the bookmark bar of a user’s internet browser makes it simple to save information, including the web-link and an image, about any item on any website. From there, customers can build lists and invite friends and family to share the details.

“We’ve finally put an end to the days of reindeer emblazoned jumpers,” said Rowan. “Now everyone in your family can have access to what you actually want this year. Christmas has always meant endless lists which either get lost or get you confused. With whishin there is no more forgetting where you saw that special gift, or cutting and pasting the web link and sending to loved ones. By using the whishin.com bookmarking tool you can now store all the details in one place at a touch of a button and share with friends and family to leave a few heavy hints! Children can even make a special list for Santa.”

The social aspect of whishin.com will see customers connect with friends and create lists or events together, as Rowan explained.

“Make a list of gifts you and your brother can buy your Dad; ask your sister’s advice about the earrings you like for your wife; or plan that short holiday with your mates over New Year. whishin.com allows you to do all this, to chat and comment on items, to make joint decisions or get opinions from the people you trust”.

The tool can be found at www.whishin.com. Go onto the website, sign up (it’s free) and download the whishin.com bookmarking tool by following three easy steps. Create your own list on the whishin website, and then start browsing and adding items.

The British Comedy Awards: Who Will Be The King – Or Queen- of Comedy.

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The British Comedy Awards sponsored by Foster’s return to Channel 4 live from 9pm on December 16 with Jonathan Ross back at the helm and ready for mischief.

Nominations will be revealed in full during a one hour Channel 4 nominations show on December 11 at 10pm, a few days before the main event is broadcast live on Channel 4 from Fountain Studios in Wembley.

Today however, we can exclusively reveal the six nominees for the prestigious People’s Choice Award for the King or Queen of Comedy – the only category where the viewers choose the winner.

Reigning Queen of Comedy Miranda Hart will be defending her crown against star of Peep Show and 10 O’clock Live presenter David Mitchell, chat show supremo and guru of all things Eurovision, Graham Norton, Fresh Meat star, Jack Whitehall, BAFTA-winning comedian, actress and author Jo Brand and stand-up sensation and panel show favourite Sarah Millican.

People can vote for their favourite by calling 0901 616 4444 and selecting the following numbers to cast their vote.*

For DAVID MITCHELL press 1

For GRAHAM NORTON press 2

For JACK WHITEHALL press 3

For JO BRAND press 4

For MIRANDA HART press 5

For SARAH MILLICAN press 6

Lines open Monday 28 November and voting closes during the awards ceremony, shortly before the winner is revealed and we find out who is officially the funniest person in Britain.

Host Jonathan Ross said: “I’ve tried, but I can’t think of a more entertaining way to spend a winters evening then watching a room full of our best and brightest comedians get slowly drunk while they wait to see which of their rivals picks up an award. Surely that’s what Christmas is all about?

“To be hosting it again, for what feels like the 87th time, is also an honour and privilege and I will do my best, like the Batman facing a room full of Jokers, to keep things running smoothly”.

There are 17 categories in this year’s British Comedy Awards, including Best New British TV Comedy, Best Sitcom, Best Comedy Actor and Actress, Lifetime Achievement Award and Outstanding Contribution to British Comedy.

Previous winners include Russell Brand, Ricky Gervais, Alan Carr, Stephen Fry, Matt Lucas David Walliams. Sascha Baron Cohen and Peter Kay.

The event also attracts a star studded audience with recent guests including Goldie Hawn, Alec Baldwin, Madonna, Samuel L Jackson, Eva Mendes, Jack Black, Juliette Lewis, Matt Groening and JK Rowling.

For the latest news on this year’s event, go to www.channel4.com/britishcomedyawards.

Twitter: #ComedyAwards

TX Details

British Comedy Awards Nominations Show – Sunday 11 December at 10pm on Channel 4

British Comedy Awards – Friday 16 December live from 9pm on Channel 4

British Comedy Awards: Live Lock-In – Friday 16 December from 11pm on E4

Voting

*Calls cost 36p from a BT landline. Calls from other networks may be higher and from mobiles will cost considerably more. Touchtone phones only. Maximum 6 votes per caller. Details and Terms at channel4.com/comedyawards. Voting closes during the Comedy Awards on 16th December 2011

Vivienne Westwood & Cool Earth- It's No Fun Being Extinct

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World Bank sits on 90% of Unspent Funds for Forest Projects

Vivienne Westwood & Frank Field MP Launch Campaign to Expose Failings

Dame Vivienne Westwood is investing 1 million of her own funds to launch a 7 million pound fundraising campaign supporting the rainforest charity Cool Earth. The action is to highlight World Bank’s expenditure failings as a staggering 90% of funds pledged to halt deforestation remains unspent. (See bottom of press release for details). The designer and environmental campaigner, coupled with Frank Field MP (founder of Cool Earth) aim to demonstrate how rapidly money can be deployed into rainforest programmes.

The campaign called “No Fun Being Extinct”, (nofunbeingextinct.org) supported by fashion’s biggest names, such as Kate Moss, Lily Cole and Sadie Frost will run for 18 months during which time Westwood will aim to help Cool Earth secure three of the world’s most endangered forest.

Former Minister, Frank Field founded the rainforest charity Cool Earth in 2007 as a vehicle to allow ordinary people to leapfrog governments and take immediate action in the fight against climate change by protecting rainforests. The conservation method is a ground up approach, which works with indigenous communities to make rainforest trees of greater economic value left standing than cut down.

Despite a growing number of research papers highlighting community led management as the most effective way to keep rainforest standing over traditional reserves, many communities are not receiving pledged funds.1, 2

The Climate Investment Fund dedicated 600 million dollars (£390 million) to the Forest Investment Programme (FIP) to “tackle drivers of deforestation” with UK tax payers providing the most generous contribution – almost four years on, only 15 million dollars (£10 million) has been spent, all of which has gone on administration and advisors.3 Vivienne Westwood will demonstrate how taxpayers money should be spent when it comes to saving rainforest for the benefit of the nations future.

Frank Field founded Cool Earth as a result of his utter despair at governments’ failure to solve the problem of deforestation, “The lack of action in spite of such generous funding is a real disgrace. It shows that political will is just as important as money.”

Fashion designer and environmental campaigner, Vivienne Westwood, has been working closely with Cool Earth over the last 3 years, “Cool Earth has a plan to save the rainforest. If we don’t save the rainforest forget it! I am personally supporting Cool Earth and investing in our future. I’m inviting anyone interested in saving our beautiful world to join me.”

Frank and Vivienne are calling on the government to invest in community-led forestry management, which has been proven to be the most effective way to halt deforestation. Vivienne is presenting a report to No. 10 to showing how her funds have been spent to show that an effective mechanism to halt deforestation does exist.

Cool Earth has protected over 2.5 million acres of vulnerable rainforest since its launch in 2007, which has cost just £1.75 million with less than 10% spent on administration. This is because the charity has worked from the ground-up with local communities who have a clear interest in keeping the forest standing. This works out as costing just a half of a percent of the FIP’s budget.

Vivienne will also be calling on the public to help protect trees at Cool Earth’s new website launched on a November 28th called ‘No Fun Being Extinct’. Individuals can save as little as 3 trees for £3 on the website at www.nofunbeingextinct.org. Every tree makes a difference.

Vintage Seekers First Birthday Party {Social Diary}

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Frost joined Vintage Seekers at the RIBA institute on London’s Portland Place to celebrate their first birthday party, alongside shoe designer and vintage muse Charlotte Dellal, Bip Ling, Gemma Cairney, Cara Delivgne, Savile Row tailor Patrick Grant, and Henry Conway.

 



Vintage Seekers sources premium vintage goods from wine to watches and everything in between. The beautiful and historic artifacts on show – and for sale- included beautiful Dior dresses, a picture of Apollo 11 signed by all of the astronauts, a flag signed by Che Guevara and Fidel Castro, classic cars- I loved a beautiful Citroen parked outside- and an Andy Warhol ‘Mao’ screen print.

They do these on their amazing website, and they also have a magazine. I also loved seeing Steve McQueen’s sunglasses. The crowd of collectors, press and celebrities were joined by Vintage Seeker’s two valued investors, luxury retail expert Jurek Piasecki (his experience include being CEO of Mappin & Webb and Goldsmith jewellers) and e-commerce guru Guy Hipwell, the former managing director of Liberty online. Co-founder and director Rob Keylock gave a brilliant speech and seemed happily overwhelmed at how well the night was going.

We drank Champagne and enjoyed Hendricks Gin. The evening finished off with Port and Whitfield cheese. It just may have been the party of the year.

 

Black Friday needs to have an effect in the UK

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The US Retail sector enthusiastically braces itself for a horde of bargain hunters

Today, Black Friday, so-called as it is the day when a vast swathe of the retail sector head out of the red and into the black, may make an economic turning point in the run up to Christmas. With half of the entire US population, some 152 million people, expected to hit the shops over the course of this weekend, up 10% on last year- the spike in trade could mean good news across the economy.

Black Friday usually sees shopping chains throw open their doors in the early hours. But this year that rush has crept into Thanksgiving Day itself. The effect isn’t limited to the US however, as Britain’s biggest and most well-known retailers have started “mega sales” early this year in an attempt to boost Christmas shopping amongst cash strapped shoppers. Amazon, in the run up to Black Friday is offering bargains for its ‘Black Friday Deals Week’ and Comet are offering a 5day Frenzy super sale. In effect this has turned black Friday into one of the biggest online shopping days of the year.

In the run up to Christmas consumers are expected to spend a whopping £7.75 billion on online shopping according to e-tailing trade association IMRG. An estimated £13 billion will be spent across all sectors online, however figures on the high street are expected to fall by 2.1 per cent in spite of so many sales starting early. It is clear that this year’s success stories will be told with a distinctly online lilt.

Kevin Flood, CEO of the leading social shopping website Shopow said, “Retailers that were desperately in need of a reversal of their fortunes have found that they now have an encouraging platform on which to build in the run up to Christmas. High street stores have had to pull out all the stops to make their shops attractive by reducing prices early and creating imaginative promotions to increase footfall and more activity at the tills. It is still far from plain sailing and there is still a lot of pressure on retailers and as long as business and consumer confidence remains low, the battle will continue to persuade shoppers to return in their droves.

“Online activity has emerged as a vital area that will only continue to grow in importance over Christmas. We are expecting a significant amount of Christmas activity online and those who have introduced innovative shopping tools that make shopping easier and more cost effective will take capitalise.”

For the past six years, a combination of increasingly early opening times and an array of discounts have helped make the day after Thanksgiving the biggest shopping day – and cement the term “black Friday.” It will be nonetheless difficult for chains that have struggled with sales declines lately, including the likes of Topshop, to see a benefit from thoroughly deep discounting. Many have opted instead to move into the social shopping environment in order to drive sales through peer to peer reviewing and sustainable discounting.

Social shopping has emerged as an exciting trend in online retailing as many of these high street stores look to engage consumers. It involves the use of social networking to share recommendations, share discounts, post reviews and ask for advice on products before purchase.

Mike Harty COO of Shopow (www.shopow.co.uk) said “Regular web shoppers are now empowered to talk about their purchases in an honest way. Social shopping enables shoppers to use their trusted networks to make informed decisions but also makes online shopping more interactive, enjoyable and indeed sustainable.”

Higher Online Fraud Risk at Christmas

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RESEARCH SHOWS THAT CHRISTMAS SHOPPERS FACE HIGHER ONLINE FRAUD RISK

– Xmas shoppers set to spend 14% more online this year¹

– Only 8% of women aged 26 to 35 update anti-virus software²

– Be Card Smart Online advice can help every Christmas shopper stay safe online

In the lead-up to Christmas, The UK Cards Association is running its successful Be Card Smart Online campaign again. The focus this year is on younger female shoppers, as research shows they are at greater risk of online fraud as many of them are failing to take simple steps to stay safe when they shop over the internet.

Banking industry initiatives coupled with cardholders being more aware of fraud prevention measures have resulted in a 40 per cent drop in card fraud losses in the past couple of years, down from £609.9 million in 2008 to £365.4 million last year.

However, research from the National Fraud Authority (NFA) has revealed that only 8 per cent of women aged 26-35 protect their computers with up-to-date anti-virus software. In response, the Be Card Smart Online campaign is urging young women in particular to follow the simple checklist below to reduce their chances of being a fraud victim this Christmas.

More than 35 million of us shopped online in the past year – 52 per cent up on the 23 million who shopped online just six years ago. And figures from the Interactive Media in Retail Group (IMRG) forecast that UK shoppers are set to spend £7.75 billion online between 28 November and 31 December, an increase of 14 per cent from the £6.8 billion spent online last Christmas.

As part of the campaign these top tips will be featured online at selected shopping websites until the end of December and also at www.becardsmart.org.uk:

1 Keep your PC protected by installing up-to-date anti-virus software. Ensure your browser is set at its highest level of security notification and monitoring – the safety options are not always activated by

default. Turn on ‘automatic updates’ when asked. This will allow you to decide when and how updates are installed.

2 Look for the padlock symbol – especially if you’re buying from a website for the first time. It’s a good indication that the online retailer is reputable.

3 Register your cards with Verified by Visa, MasterCard SecureCode or American Express SafeKey when prompted. It is quick and easy and makes shopping online even safer.

4 Always log out after shopping online and save the confirmation e-mail as a record of your order.

The UK’s banking and retail industries are fully supportive of the Be Card Smart Online campaign. Katy Worobec, Head of Fraud Control for The UK Cards Association, says:

“Christmas should be a time for taking things easy, but unfortunately fraudsters don’t stop targeting our cards over the festive period. This is why we are urging anyone who is planning to shop online this Christmas not to be complacent about security. You are your own best front-line of defence and following Be Card Smart Online’s simple steps can help prevent you becoming another fraud statistic.”

In addition, shoppers can make sure that gift buying online is stress-free by doing the following:

· Be sure you know who you are dealing with – always access the website you are planning to buy from by typing the address into your web browser.

· Ensure you are the only person that knows your PIN – never share it with anyone, either in person, over the telephone or in an email.

· Trust your instincts – if an offer looks too good to believe then there is usually a catch. Be suspicious of prices that are too good to be true.

· Keep records – keep details of your order and the retailer’s terms and conditions, returns policy, delivery conditions, postal address (not a post office box) and phone number (not a mobile number). Having this information will help if you subsequently encounter difficulties with your order. Keep your receipts and check these against your statement. If you spot a transaction you did not authorise tell your card company immediately.

· Section 75 protection – if you are buying something between £100 and £30,000 consider using a credit card, as you will then have extra protection through Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act. This covers you whether the online retailer is based in the UK or abroad. Section 75 states that should a problem subsequently arise, such as the company going out of business, you can claim your money back from your credit card company.

· Fraud protection – If you are an innocent victim of any type of card fraud you will not suffer any financial loss.

Anyone who is unfortunate enough to be the victim of card fraud should report the incident first to their card company and then to Action Fraud at www.actionfraud.org.uk.

More information about shopping safely online is available at www.becardsmart.org.uk.

¹ source: Interactive Media in Retail Group (IMRG) Capgemini e-Retail Sales Index

² source: research commissioned by the National Fraud Authority (NFA)

This Is England '88

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Here’s a picture of festive fun to get the nation in the mood for Christmas. But if the protagonists themselves don’t look too happy (despite those supercool outfits – looking good, Milky!) the picture should give viewers cause to rejoice. The brilliant This Is England is back for its third incarnation, This Is England ’88.

As ever, the team delivers a heady mix of uproarious comedy and desolate, gritty drama.

At the beginning of last week’s BAFTA screening, Channel 4’s Head of Drama, Camilla Campbell said that Shane Meadows pitched This Is England ’88 as: “A truly British Christmas; an anti-climax. A bit nice, with some horrible shit mixed in.” Meadows himself described the three-part series as “kind of like a very brutal Nativity play, in a way.” He continued: “I just remember Christmas being shit…. I wanted to make a sort of broken nativity play, but there’s a real positive outcome, I hope.”

Certainly, the outcome will be positive for fans of quality, grown-up drama, who will be thrilled to see the return of most of the principal cast members from This Is England ’86, among them Bafta-winner Vicky McClure.

This is Christmas, This Is England style.

Third Season of Made In Chelsea Confirmed.

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C4 Entertainment Commissioning Editor David Williams has green-lit a ten-part, third series of hit reality drama Made In Chelsea from Monkey.

The announcement follows the news that E4 will also be screening a feature length 90 minute, Made in Chelsea Christmas Special, in December.

The show follows the lives of a glamorous group of globe-trotting young socialites and first aired on E4 in May, becoming the channel’s highest rated non-scripted debut.

Series 2 finishes Monday 21 November and is averaging 701k viewers to date, with the total average audience rising to over 1 million, when consolidated and VoD viewing is included. More than half of the audience is aged 16 to 34.

Made In Chelsea also remains one of Channel 4’s most talked about programmes, trending worldwide on Twitter and generating a total of 475k tweets to date.

Series 2 introduced a new online element with three 30 minute live video webchats in the form of ‘Live in Chelsea’. A first for E4.com, this online spin off consolidated 90K users who had the opportunity to watch cast members take questions from Twitter and Facebook and enjoy exclusive preview clips.

To further harness the show’s strong presence across social media, E4 is the only UK television network working with GetGlue; A new social network for entertainment that allows fans of the show to ‘check-in,’ earn virtual and physical stickers and share their activity with their friends on Facebook and Twitter.

To date, Made In Chelsea has recorded 45k ‘check-ins’ for series 2, generating a total online reach of more than 8m.

Commissioning Editor David Williams said: “With such a loyal audience tweeting, checking-in and following the lives of our new TV stars, it’s fantastic to be once again returning to the hallowed streets of the Royal Borough of Chelsea.”

Exec Producer, Sarah Dillistone from Monkey said: “We’re delighted by the connection so many people have made with the show, its cast and the incredible world they live in. We look forward to bringing new bed hopping, name dropping, champagne popping characters to series 3.”

Monkey is a division of NBCUniversal International Television Production.