Revealed: the Brits are a Nation of Hoarders

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There is more than £2.5 billion worth of unwanted goods cluttering homes across the UK, confirming that the Brits are a nation of hoarders.

The recent survey by Cash Converters identified that more than 75% of UK households have redundant items taking up valuable living space, when they could be earning the owners money.

Finances are still tight for many families across the country, so with the potential to unlock hundreds of pounds worth of cash by getting rid of unused items, we would be foolish not to. DVDs, Mobile Phones and obsolete games consoles topped the list of most unwanted items that are lying dormant in people’s homes.

The UK’s number one retailer of buying and selling pre-owned goods, Cash Converters has more than 190 stores across the UK that offer to buy and sell a wide variety of items, including musical instruments, HiFis, TVs, CDs and DVDs and DIY tools.

David Patrick, chief executive of Cash Converters is staggered at the value that is currently not being unlocked in people’s superfluous belongings. He said: “Almost 13 million homes have admitted to keeping hold of unused items. Often people come into our stores surprised at what we will buy from them not realising that the unwanted items in their homes could be making them money.

“At Cash Converters we’re keen to highlight how you can make money from items you already own, as we all continue to feel the pinch and look for ways to raise some extra cash. It may be you only need some money to tide you over, in which case we offer the option to get your item back, known as a Buyback.

“Buyback is a really straightforward and quick service to use. Customers bring in an item along with some up to date identification; a price is agreed and the customer gets the cash and up to 28 days option to buy back the goods. Of course, if you realise you can live without that old Playstation 3 or the guitar you meant to learn to play but never did, you can simply leave it with Cash Converters.”

For more information visit www.cashconverters.co.uk

Catherine Zeta-Jones Set To Star As Viking

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Catherine Zeta-Jones has been tipped to play a 6ft 3in blonde VIKING in a new £10million Hollywood movie, it emerged yesterday.

The Bafta Award-winning actress, known for her long brunette locks, will have to cut and bleach her hair for the lead role in romantic flick, Ragged Cliffs.

Executives at Welsh publishing house Dinefwr Press have already started work on the book’s Big Screen adaptation, and are keen to cast the Chicago star, 41, as the leading lady.

The movie tells the story of heroine Lise Jacobson, a “staggering tall and beautiful” Danish woman who starts a troubled new life on Wales’ Gower Peninsula.

She must rely on the “passion of her Celtic mother” and the “warrior spirit” of her Viking forefathers to overcome deceit, betrayal and revenge.

Secrecy surrounds the movie, and there is still “some way” to go before the picture is given the official go-ahead, but bosses at Dinefwr, which published the novel of the same name, revealed they have contacted Swansea-born Zeta-Jones for the starring role.

It will be the publisher’s first major motion picture, but follows the publication of a string of critically-acclaimed fiction titles.

A spokesman for Dinefwr said: “We can confirm that Mrs Zeta-Jones has been contacted, via her agent, for a potential leading part in the movie.

“We are unable to discuss any more of the details, but believe Mrs Zeta-Jones would be the perfect person for the role.”

Ragged Cliffs was penned by Welsh author Julian Ruck in 2006. It was first published by Dinefwr in 2010 but was earmarked for screen adaptation “from the outset”.

Ruck, who lives near Swansea, South Wales, said: “I am thrilled at the idea of Catherine Zeta-Jones taking the lead role in a £10million film adaptation of Ragged Cliffs.

“She is one of Wales’ greatest exports and being from the Gower Peninsula herself, she seems the ideal candidate to play the strong, passionate Lise.”

Blue Sky Scrubs Makes Medical Community Look Chic

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Just because they are busy saving lives doesn’t mean doctors and nurses don’t need to look chic – a maxim that Blue Sky Scrubs have taken to heart.

The company offer a large variety of medical apparel, from a variety of lab coats, hats, jackets, shirts and scrub – including burnt orange scrubs -.and are determined to make sure that medical professionals look their best.

Blue Sky Scrubs even has jewellery that looks fabulous and can double as lanyards – and perhaps with one eye on the surgeon of the future, they even have scrubs for children. Of course, we at Frost love companies that let people do their job while looking their best and mightily approves of the design and price. Blue Sky Scrubs have a sterling silver toggle clasp that has four uses, a long necklace, a short necklace, a lanyard and a bracelet. It even has matching earrings. Getting lanyards for students is also a great idea as they can stay with their groups.

If you are in the medical profession (and even if you aren’t, anyone who has seen the amazing TV show Scrubs might have a thing for someone in the uniform) go to their website http://www.blueskyscrubs.com/categories/Scrubs/Scrubs-for-Women/Original-Scrubs/

We give them the Frost stamp of approval for their brilliant design and low cost functionality. Playing doctors and nurses was never so much fun!

Bird of the Week: Blue Tit

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If I turn my head and look out of the window, I can see a lot of young birds getting to know my feeding station. They are now old enough to fend for themselves, although they’re still trying to get their parents to feed them.

There are young sparrows, starlings, greenfinches, great tits and blue tits. The young ‘blueys’ are the most vocal, constantly calling their scruffy-looking parents. This is a very stressful time for the adults. It is hard work rearing up to 14 (!) babies that are hungry all of the time! Sometimes the adults return to the nest with insect food every 90 seconds! Once the little ones have fledged, they follow their parents around.

FEED ME!!

Now that the young ones are old enough to eat seeds, bits of peanut and fat balls (although insects will still be their main diet), the adult birds have brought them back to my garden where they spent much of the winter. They know there’s always some food available – which is very important.

Blue tit in winter

Once you start feeding wild birds, especially when natural food is hard to come by, don’t stop. Blue tits in particular will come to rely on this food source. In winter, they might not have enough energy to find food elsewhere, so if you decide to help these little balls of fluff, make sure they don’t visit your garden in vain and waste valuable energy.

If you’d like to be part of the family, blue tits will happily accept a nest box in your garden.

Blue tit

The blue tit (Cyanistes caeruleus) is among the nation’s favourite garden birds. They’re tiny, fluffy, colourful, cute and bold as brass. When I first set up my feeding station, the first bird to explore it was a blue tit – and I hadn’t actually finished. And yet, it was only a couple of metres away! This little bird didn’t take any food, but hopped from feeder to feeder, checking everything out and then flew off. Five minutes later it returned with all of  its mates for a snack.

Watching you..

Blue tits are great fun to watch – they are little acrobats and will entertain you for hours, hanging from your feeders upside down.

Juvenile blue tit: it has a dull cap and yellow cheeks

Blue tits are also very clever birds. Two examples: blue tits have been familiar with the concept of aromatherapy much longer than humans. They use herbs such as mint or lavender to line and disinfect the nest or feed the leaves to their young in order to help them fend off parasites. And in the 60s, blue tits learned how to peck through foil milk bottle tops to get to the cream. This behaviour was passed on to other members of their flock and more and more birds learned how to do it. Clever or what?

Clever blue tit

A worthy bird of the week indeed!

For more blue tit  photos please have a look here:
http://www.finepetportraits.co.uk/blue-tit-bird-photos.html

Sandra Palme
www.finepetportraits.co.uk

Brigitte Bardot Voted Most Stylish Woman Ever

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– ALMOST A THIRD OF BRITS VOTED BRIGITTE BARDOT MOST STYLISH WOMAN OF ALL TIME – BEATING VICTORIA BECKHAM & CHERYL COLE TO TOP SPOT
– 62% POLLED ADMIT FRENCH WOMEN ARE MOST STYLISH OF ALL TIME
– PARIS VOTED WORLD’S MOST STYLISH CITY, CLOSELY FOLLOWED BY MILAN

French actress Brigitte Bardot has been voted the most stylish woman of all time in a new UK-wide poll.

The 1960’s film star outscored a bevy of beauties, including a number of dazzling British female style icons, to land the crown as the world’s most stylish woman.

She polled almost three out of every 10 votes cast (29.5%) in the nationwide poll of 3,000 Brits across the UK by iconic orange soft drink Orangina.

Legendary English rose and Hollywood icon, Elizabeth Taylor, who sadly died this year, came a very close second, with just a few percentage points between her and Bardot.

Bardot, the former fashion model, actress and singer, is now aged 76 and is a world-renowned animal rights activist. But in her 1960’s heyday she was lauded across the world as the epitome of glamorous French style, with her dress sense and iconic hairstyle copied in shops, fashion houses and hair salons in across the globe.

The poll results also illustrate that the English can’t help but admire the French for their cutting-edge style.

A massive 62% of those polled said that France was quite rightly renowned as the home of the most stylish women throughout history.

Famous French women such as fashion queen Coco Chanel, actresses such as Juliette Binoche, Catherine Deneuve and Emmanuelle Béart, and former model now president’s wife Carla Bruni, have helped establish French femmes as the leading lights in the global style stakes, according to those polled in the national study.

Paris also won the vote for the world’s most stylish city too, beating Milan into second place, New York into third and London into fourth.

Orangina spokesman, Steven Simpson, said: “The British and the French may have had their differences historically, but it is clear the French sense of style hasn’t been lost on the British.

“Brigitte Bardot is the epitome of classic French styling and despite being out of the limelight for all these years, she is still held up as a style icon.

“She was the pin-up girl for a golden age and has never been forgotten in France and, it seems, in Britain. The fact that she still ranks higher in style terms than some of Britain’s won modern style queens says it all.”

The top ten most stylish women of all time are-

Brigitte Bardot
Elizabeth Taylor
Victoria Beckham
Cheryl Cole
Joan Collins
Audrey Hepburn
Grace Kelly
Sophia Loren
Marilyn Monroe
Princess Diana

Who you gonna call?…APL

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The Association of Professional Landscapers (APL) are looking to promote the good name of landscape gardeners after a clean sweep at the recent Chelsea Flower Show.

Every single member of the APL who entered the prestigious and iconic show last week came away with coveted medals, including three golds and the Best in Show, Urban Garden award.

With some 76% of garden owners believing it’s important for their garden to look good, professional assistance is in demand, but a number of gardeners have learned the hard way that not all landscape gardeners are qualified to do the job.

APL say their exceptional record at Chelsea is testament to the extremely high standards required of and adhered to by all APL members and are urging those gardeners who lack green fingers to call a quality assured member of the APL to get their garden in perfect shape for summer.

For the first time, garden owners can view behind the scenes footage of the rigorous inspection process all APL members undergo each year to ensure APL Customer Charter criteria are being met. The ‘APL Inspection Video’, created by SweetPotatoPictures can be found on the APL website, www.landscaper.org.uk and shows independent inspector Neville Stein carrying out an assessment of a Holland Landscapes project in Essex.

Stein, along with other independent assessors visit members each year while they are working on a landscape project to evaluate everything from paperwork to technical processes – including assessing everything from the quality of hard and soft landscaping and technical competencies through to insurance policies and risk assessments. Over and above these stringent inspections, the APL is also the only landscaping scheme operator of TrustMark, a Government-endorsed initiative promoting professional trades people to consumers.

Stein said: “The whole process is extremely thorough. We scrutinise the fundamental elements of landscaping such as examining the health of plants, checking if trees have been planted correctly and even ensure that all correspondence between the landscaper and client is clear and detailed. I am confident that every customer who deals with an APL certified landscaper will receive the highest quality landscaping in Britain.”

Mark Gregory, Chairman of the APL and Gold Medal Winner at this year’s Chelsea Flower Show added: “ Rogue Traders get lots of publicity which proves a big problem for the landscape trade. Luckily, we’re able to reassure customers that as an APL member, we’ve been thoroughly vetted by independent inspectors.

“I would encourage anyone out there who has been freshly inspired by Chelsea, to get creative in their gardens and contact their local APL landscape contractor in the knowledge that they will be dealing with true professionals.”

How Well Do You Know Your Penis?

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Most men would probably say they’re on pretty good terms with their ‘little fella’, but for National Men’s Health Week (13-19 June), NHS Choices are encouraging men to get to know their penis even better.

For example, did you know you could break your penis? Were you aware that a healthy man can have between three and five erections lasting up to 35 minutes while asleep? Did you know shorter penises increase more in length when they become erect than longer ones?

If some of these came as a shock to you, there’s more – and even if they didn’t, NHS Choices suggests men log on to learn more about their penis and how to keep it healthy at www.nhs.uk/livewell/penis-health.

The somewhat appropriately named Dr. Knut Schroeder, NHS Choices GP and author, said: “Many people find it embarrassing to ask questions about their manhood. As a result, there are many commonly held misconceptions about what’s considered ‘normal’ when it comes to the penis. NHS Choices therefore offers the perfect forum for men to get the facts, which may help them to alleviate any concerns they might have. Of course, if a man notices anything unusual about their penis and is genuinely worried, I would strongly advise them to visit their GP.”

Fire In Babylon: Facing Devon Malcolm

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DSC_0636 (Small)The first of June. One of those beautiful early sunny days made even brighter by the presence one of cricket’s sporting heroes – and undoubtedly England’s best fast bowler of the 20th century – Devon Malcolm.

After a kind and warm welcome from the Oval’s people and even nicer PR,  my first glimpse of nice guy Devon Malcolm saw him launching his trade mark fast bowling bombs at a brave man in a lion’s outfit. Yes, you read correctly. Not something you get to do every day, granted, but I thought I’d stick to the conventional padding when it came to my nerve-jangling turn.

The whole day was to promote Fire in Babylon, a DVD out on 6th June, about the unstoppable cricketing force that was the West Indies team in the 70s and 80s. For nigh on two decades, the Windies blew everyone away and dominated the world of cricket like no other team. Their skill, talent, genuine passion and  team spirit has rarely been rivalled.

Devon Eugene Malcolm was born on 22 February 1963 in Kingston, Jamaica. Ironically, he settled and played for England and became one of his adopted country’s best-ever fast bowlers. While the man himself would admit that his batting skills at the crease left a lot to be desired, his bowling made him globally known, feared and revered by the opposition.

For all those who are good at arithmetic, you’ll notice that Devon is 48 years old. But having faced the fast balls and the REALLY fast balls from Devon, it’s clear that he is not only in amazing form, but in exceptional shape for someone who was in first-class cricket for almost 20 years without injury hampering his lifestyle and throwing arm – a fact he is clearly thankful for. Whether those at the other end, like me, felt the same way in those seconds before he lets fly with a grenade-like delivery remained unsaid.

After receiving the blurring missiles from him at the crease (and even splitting my trousers dodging a super fast ball)  I was grateful for the experience of few minutes in his company for a calmer interview.

Errol Clarke: How does it feel being part of the historic era that really made cricket?

Devon Malcolm: Although it was a great privilege and honour to play for England, my early influences were totally around that iconic West Indian side. I’m talking about the 60s, 70s and 80s. Most guys in my era, at any age, played cricket. I don’t care where you come from! If you were from Australia, New Zealand, England, whatever, they have to be influenced by that West Indian side. So much so, that one of my heroes was Michael Holding. You’ve got guys like Colin Croft, Malcolm Marshall and guys like that! I was just a young boy growing up in Jamaica and the commentator was talking about Michael Holding taking a long run up to bowl. I didn’t even know what he looked like then, but I used to make a massive run up and ran faster than I used to bowl – and then eventually I learned HOW to bowl. Those guys were a massive influence in the 70s and even before that.

EC: Well, you almost had 20 years at first class cricket, were you not tempted to hit that magic 20?

DM: I had almost 20 years as a first class cricketer and I have played as an international, but to play as a fast bowler for that long without any major injuries is a blessing! I had a good lifestyle and was pretty strong and I am glad to have such a career that I could be asked back today and be able to still turn my arm over – and I am almost 50! And to be honest if you look at guys who have played the amount of international cricket, or first-class cricket that I have, they are pretty sore in the knee and their back and they may not even be fast bowlers. It’s hard work fast bowling! A very, very tough world.! I mean, man, fast bowling is a key part of cricket and a beautiful thing if you’re watching it – and terrifying if you’re in front of it.

EC: I can speak from first hand of it from today’s experience.

DM: You’re a brave man, a brave man. (Both laugh).

EC: Did you know that before you retired that you had THE best fast bowling analysis of the 20th century?

DM (smiling broadly) : Yeah, to be honest, I remember the day and we were playing the game against South Africa here in ’94 and walking off the field after taking 9 for 57. I remember the England captain, Michael Atherton, said: “Dev, do you realise what you’ve just done?” I said: “Every time I go out to play for England, or play cricket, I want to take all ten wickets!” and he replied: “Maybe so, but we will probably never see again one person dominate cricket again at this level!” And I said to him, “I tell you what. If you want it to mean something, then you guys go out and get the 140 runs we need to win the game.” And we went on to win and got the runs. Then it really meant something and the record still stands.

EC: The sixth best innings in bowling history.

DM: It’s only been done once and I call myself a quick bowler. You have your medium paced bowler and your spinners, but if you want to categorize then I am the only fast bowler to have done it. I have a video at home of Michael Holding bowling in 1976 against England. He was my hero, and watching him take England apart and then to come to the Oval and do the same to South Africa in the same place, it is almost as though it was written in the script for me to come and it’s unbelievable.

EC: You mentioned South Africa which has to be THE iconic match ever for you really.

DM: Indeed and doing a game like that against South Africa who had just come back into international cricket, all of a sudden I am getting calls from President Nelson Mandela, Bishop Desmond Tutu and that was after I had bowled their guys out! I was invited to Downing Street and met the President for lunch and stuff like that. It was a massive thing to do – and it was great!

EC: And tell me about Fire in Babylon.

DM: As we were talking about the iconic West Indies side, Fire in Babylon is a documentary about how they dominated the game for decades and are probably one of the best teams ever. It’s the history behind it all. It’s not something just to keep on the shelf, it’s something you buy to watch, I mean from an educational point of view. Show the kids, because probably a lot of kids playing now, even in the Caribbean, don’t realise where West Indian cricket is coming from. The camaraderie and the history behind it. The West Indies is made up of many islands and the binding force behind them as well.

EC: It is almost like a mantle to pass to the next generation.

DM: Indeed. So I think it would benefit youngsters, even in schools as part of the curriculum!

EC: That would be great, as you don’t see that sort of thing, where they learn from video analysis for sports. This shows the ‘why’, ‘where’, ‘and ‘how’ plus the team spirit and how they got together.

DM: Cricket is a great sport and a very successful one.

EC: If I could ask one last question before they pull you away to do some more bowling. The statement, ‘you guys are history’ and you obviously have a book of the same title as well. Did you ever think coming from where you were, as a youth growing up that you’d create history, write a book and BE in the history books as the best fast bowler of the 20th century? It’s an accolade to go from a boy in Jamaica to representing your adopted country and become a hero of the sport in people’s eyes. How does it all feel?

DM: It’s a great feeling, to have the opportunity to play cricket here and my first tour was back in Jamaica, land of my birth. They adopted me back straight away and cheered for me when I went out to play. I wanted West Indies to do well, but also wanted England to do well and it was a dream come true!

When I was at school in Jamaica, part of my learning to read was ‘Calypso Comes to Lord’s’. I used to read it and be dreaming and dreaming. And the picture I painted of Lord’s was even more vivid than it is right now. So to get the opportunity to come and play for England and play at Lord’s was a massive dream come true! It’s quite amazing. Those that influenced me played at Lord’s and here and to meet my heroes and to play against some of them as well is massive. I played with quite a few of them and I feel worthy. No job in the world would have given me the opportunity to have and do what I have done and I have no regrets at all.

Hopefully, I can promote the game and give youngsters every chance to shine and to promote Britain and get cricket back into schools. Hopefully, I will be able to get across to some of the black boys and get them playing cricket and onto the team like I did.

EC: Thank you for your time today and good luck with everything. All the best for the future.

Devon was then whisked away for more reporters to be terrorised by the youthful fast bowler in the green of the Oval. Meanwhile, I left with my body intact and a pleasant feeling after an interview with a man who was the greatest fast bowler England has ever had, but who remains, criminally, yet to be rewarded for his services to sport. Hopefully, if they do a sequel to Fire in Babylon, Devon Malcolm would have been not only rewarded by then, but featuring in the DVD too.

Fire in Babylon is released on the 6th of June.

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