Tag Archives: Cute

Boy’s Best Friend Jessi-Cat named National Cat of the Year 2012

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A family puss who has transformed the life of a boy with a severe anxiety disorder has been crowned National Cat of the Year at Cats Protection’s National Cat Awards 2012.

Two-year-old Jessi-Cat was honoured for helping seven-year-old Lorcan Dillon cope with Selective Mutism, a condition which affects his ability to speak and express himself.

Thanks to his pet cat, Lorcan has finally been able to say “I love you” and learnt ways to share his emotions when he finds it difficult to speak to people.

Cats Protection’s National Cat Awards, sponsored by www.verdocatlitter.co.uk, is the UK’s largest celebration of real-life stories of companionship, bravery and survival in the cat world.

At a star-studded awards ceremony at London’s Savoy hotel yesterday (16th of August) winners were chosen in five categories – Best Friends, Hero Cat, Most Incredible Story, Outstanding Rescue Cat and Celebrity Cat.

Jessi-Cat was crowned overall winner after first winning the Best Friends category, chosen by celebrity judge, ex-YES keyboardist and star of Grumpy Old Men Rick Wakeman.

Cat lover Rick said: “All three cats have been a huge support to their owners, but Jessi-Cat is my winner. The bond between Jessi-Cat and Lorcan is incredible and it has clearly had a hugely positive impact on Lorcan’s home and school life. Jessi-Cat helps Lorcan to communicate and express emotions that ordinarily Lorcan wouldn’t be able to do.”

Other celebrity judges attending the ceremony – hosted by ‘Voice of the Balls’ on BBC1’s National Lottery TV programmes Alan Dedicoat – were comedian Ed Byrne, model Lucy Pinder and ex-BBC newsreader Jan Leeming.

Lorcan and his mum Jayne Dillon, 44, of Davyhulme, Greater Manchester, were at the awards ceremony to accept Jessi-Cat’s prizes – a star shaped trophy, three months’ supply of cat food, a year’s supply of Verdo Cat Litter and a framed photograph of Jessi-Cat.

She said the family decided to get a cat to help Lorcan communicate and cope with Selective Mutism, which makes it hard for him to speak to people and leaves him feeling isolated and lonely.

She said: “Lorcan is able to connect love to Jessi-Cat, something he can’t do with people and she’s been a great support to him when things have been really hard.

“He does not express his emotions, he would not say ‘I love you Mummy’, he just doesn’t do it. But with the cat he can cuddle her, he can stroke her, he can talk to her and he can say ‘I love you Jessi-Cat.’

“She is without a doubt the best friend a boy could have and has had a huge positive impact on his life. We’ve had her for a couple of years and in the last year alone he seems to be making excellent progress at school. In the past two weeks he’s started communicating with people he doesn’t know very well and even reads to one of the teachers now – something he’s never done before.”

Other category winners were:

Charley: Charley, of Haltwhistle, Northumberland, won the Hero Cat category after saving the day when owner Susan Marsh-Armstrong, 47, collapsed during a diabetic attack in the middle of the night. As Susan’s life hung in the balance, quick-thinking Charley repeatedly patted her husband Kevin on the face until he woke and then led him to the bathroom where he discovered Susan unconscious on the floor and administered a glucose injection to bring her round.

William: William, of Chorley, Lancashire, won the Most Incredible Story category after making a gruelling half-a-mile journey home on two legs after his back legs were horrifically injured in a dog attack. Despite having one leg amputated the brave puss has since made a full recovery.

Phoenix: Phoenix, of Ballymoney, County Antrim, won the Outstanding Rescue Cat category after she made an extraordinary recovery from horrific burns. She was just a few weeks old when she was found in a coal bunker with hideous injuries but survived against the odds.

Simon’s Cat: Scooping the award for the nation’s favourite Celebrity Cat – chosen in a public vote on Cats Protection’s Facebook page – was Simon’s Cat, the animated moggy made famous worldwide in Simon Tofield’s books and online cartoons.

According to Kate Bunting, the Awards organiser at Cats Protection, Jessi-Cat’s story was an inspiring one.

She said: “The bond between Lorcan and Jessi-Cat is exceptional and it is truly moving to see what an incredible impact a cat can have on the whole family, particularly children.

“We hear many amazing stories of how cats have transformed people’s lives, from elderly people living alone to children like Lorcan.

“There is no doubt that cats can have an incredible calming effect and their intuition, sensitivity and unconditional love can have an incredible impact on their owners.”

Jessi-Cat follows in the paw prints of a long line of feline heroes honoured by Cats Protection. Previous winners have included “moggy midwife” Marmite who loyally stuck by his owner’s side during a difficult pregnancy and labour, and Tee Cee who became a lifeline to his epileptic owner with his ability to detect when he was about to have a seizure.

Cats Protection, the UK’s leading feline welfare charity, has around 6,200 cats and kittens in its care at any one time and rehomes and reunites over 48,000 every year. To find out more about the charity, or to adopt a cat, please visit www.cats.org.uk or call the charity’s national helpline on 03000 12 12 12.

Thanks to Philippa Gedge Photography

Free Styling Session With Top Celebrity Stylist

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London Fashion Week may be over but what comes after? London Fashion Weekend. Which is just as much fun. Frost is popping down there.

If you attend then make sure you get your Free Styling Session With Top Celebrity Stylist at LONDON FASHION WEEKEND WHERE

YOU CAN HAVE A FREE PERSONALISED STYLING SESSION WITH UK’S TOP CELEBRITY STYLISTS

ShopStyle.co.uk, the UK’s leading online fashion shopping site is bringing style expertise to the London Fashion Weekend 23rd to 26th February 2012 with a pop-up styling booth hosted by leading UK stylists Rebekah Roy and Fiona Doran (aka Mrs. Jones), two of the biggest British names in celebrity styling.

London fashion stylist, Rebekah Roy is known for her work with celebrities and musicians including Kate Moss, Eliza Doolittle, Billy Idol and The Feeling. She also writes regularly for Drapers online as well as penning the influential ‘Stylist Stuff’ blog.

Fiona Doran, AKA Mrs. Jones, is the stylist that designers and celebrities turn to for outré fashion and hip styling. She has collaborated with Giles Deacon, styled looks for Rihanna, Paloma Faith, Goldfrapp and designed the now legendary hooded cat suit worn by Kylie Minogue.

Rebekah and Fiona will be on hand to offer customised style tips at the ShopStyle booth. From clothes that best suit women’s body shapes and sizes to colours that complement individual skin tone, the styling team can help you understand what garments you should be purchasing when hitting the saleroom floor.

Located in the courtyard next to the catwalk entrance, visitors can come by anytime and simply schedule in an appointment or visit the LFWE concierge booth and book your private session with these leading British stylists.

· Vodafone London Fashion Weekend 23rd – 26th February 2012 at Somerset House, London

o Friday 24th February 2012: 12pm- 9pm

o Saturday 25th February 2012: 10am-7pm

o Sunday 26th February 2012: 10am-6pm

· Consumers can purchase tickets to the weekend events online www.londonfashionweekend.co.uk

· Styling sessions with Rebekah Roy and Mrs Jones are free to consumers attending LFWE and making an appointment at the ShopStyle.co.uk Pop-Up Styling Booth or at LFWE concierge desk.

MONSTER-SIZED SLIPPER TO BE AUCTIONED FOR CHILDREN IN NEED

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Back in October, it made headlines across the world. Now the oversized slipper big enough to fit a man inside is to be auctioned for “big money” in aid of Children in Need.

The size 1,450 Monster Claw slipper – made following a clerical error between the manufacturer and its Hong Kong factory – is to be sold on eBay as part of the official BBC Children in Need online auction 2011.

The furry novelty footwear has been donated by British company Monster Slippers. Its dimensions are 210cm x 130cm x 65cm and it weighs 16-17 kilos. Measuring the same length as a grizzly bear or a family car, it is currently being assessed by the Guinness Book of World Records to ascertain whether it’s the world’s biggest slipper.

A spokesman for online slipper company Monster Slippers, based in Dunmow, Essex, said: “This is the biggest monster slipper of them all and every single penny raised by the auction will go towards making a positive difference to the lives of disadvantaged children and young people right here in the UK.”

To bid for the slipper and help support Children in Need visit http://tinyurl.com/monsterslippers

Eco Presents For The Ones You Love

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With all the shiny techno toys around, we’re all probably a bit geeky once in a while. But if you have the genuine article on your gift list – someone who’d camp out overnight to get the latest iPhone or who could expound at length on every minor character in the original TV Star Trek – then these snazzy gadgets could bring a teary smile to his – or her – face. Frost got the people from energyrethinking.org to give our readers some gift ideas.

Ten Top Eco Gadget Gifts For Geeks

1. Enviroplug This mobile phone energy saving adaptor fits between the charger and the powerpoint, notices when a phone is fully charged and turns off the useless “vampire drain” of power into the charger. It can save up to 90% of the energy wasted by the charger and about £50 a year.

2. Motion-Activated LED Outdoor Light Very cool, bright solar powered light only switches on when it senses someone about. So the solar charge it has built up all day lasts much longer. And what a surprise to a would be intruder. The five LED bulbs are rated for 30,000 hours.

3.Standby and Remote Starter Kit Leaving devices on standby wastes money, and contributes to carbon emissions. But sometimes, the on off switch at the wall socket is difficult to get to – hidden behind furniture or under beds. Plug in up to 3W worth of devices to this clever standby socket and then turn the power completely off or on by remote control.

4. Ecobutton You’re on the computer and you get an important phone call, or get up to make a cup of tea, or to accept a package for a neighbour. While you’re away from your desk, your computer is still eating up electricity and pumping CO2 into the environment. With this handy USB device, you can put your computer into sleep mode with the touch of a button. And when you wake it up, the Ecobutton software tells you how much money and CO2 you’ve saved, today and to date. Have a look to see how it works:

5. Solar Briefcase It’s called trickle charging. This solar charger looks like a briefcase, but open it up and it’s a generouse sized, two panel solar charger that can produce enough power to top up a car battery while you’re off on holiday, or provide winter maintenance power for a boat or caravan.

6. H2O long life Atomic Clock We love this water powered atomic alarm clock. It runs on water, with perhaps a dash of salt – something to do with electrolytic activity. It displays date, day and temperature, as well as time and is adjusted to the Atomic Radio Signal every day. It’s rated for a refill (a splash from the tap) every two weeks, but some users have reported it still runs perfectly at least a month after filling.

7. H2O Shower Radio The water rushing through your shower powers this H2O radio. And in case you get carried away and take a longer shower than you should, it has a shower timer that fits in line with the showerhead to remind you when enough is enough. And you can still keep singing along because it builds up a charge and continues to run for quite a while. If you want to wait until next year, they’re planning a model that will tell you exactly how much you are spending on your shower.

8. Ventus Spin EcoMedia Player Wind up technology just keeps getting better. Your favorite geeks can listed to all their favourite music, watch dazzling movie clips, tune in to popular FM radio stations, thumb through photo albums, and read text files for up to 45 minutes on the charge from one minute of winding. Plus it will charge a mobile phone. For a longer charge, plug it into a USB computer port for 55 hours of play time.

9. Solar Powered Digital Tyre Pressure Gauge The PowerPlus Pelican Solar Powered Digital Tyre Pressue Gauge helps you maintain correct tyre pressure – essential for safe and fuel efficient driving – even in the dark. It includes a tyre tread depth gauge and a back up battery for a brighter read out at night.

10. Stirling Engine Kit A Stirling engine uses low temperature heat differentials on a volume of gas in an enclosed space. That’s the science part; your Geek will get it. This Stirling Engine kit comes flat packed and it’s almost entirely made of cardboard, except for some laser-cut aluminium and a few PVC ball bearings. It’s fiddly to assemble but will run on a cup of tea or a glass full of melting snow. A really interesting example of engine power without internal combustion.

Eco Christmas Presents for Him http://www.energyrethinking.org/lifestyle-leisure/10-eco-gift-ideas-for-him/ and Her http://www.energyrethinking.org/lifestyle-leisure/10-holiday-eco-gifts-for-her/


10 Green Festive Tips for Christmas

Pane in The Neck.

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PANE IN THE NECK

Talk about being saddled with a difficult job…Housewife Emma Massingale has found a novel way of window washing without a ladder.

The 29-year-old balances on the back of her two horses to reach the upstairs panes of her farm in Bradworthy, Devon.

Married Emma, an equine behaviourist, said: “In my line of work, even house work is never dull.”

Women Miss Their Pets More Than Their Boyfriends.

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NOT ALWAYS’S A MAN’S BEST FRIEND…

One-in-five women miss their pets more than their partners during prolonged absences, according to new research.

Almost 30 per cent think about their dogs and cats at least twice a day when separated for a week or more.

But only half that number think about their boyfriend or husband as often, a poll of female pet owners reveals.

They also worry more about their pets’ welfare – and if they are “eating well” – than their loved ones’ own health.

In fact, over 75 per cent ensure the cupboards are stocked with pet food and treats before they leave, yet far fewer are concerned about the man of the house going hungry.

Meanwhile, one-in-three would cut their trip short “at the drop of a hat” if their pet fell ill or had a minor incident, compared to just one-in-10 for their partner.

The survey into female travelling attitudes also shows that 60 per cent admit to feeling “guilty” about leaving their pets to go on a “girly weekend”.

Only 28 per cent, however, will have the same crisis of conscience over leaving their man on his own for a few days.

The figures were revealed yesterday by short breaks website GirlyWeekend.com, which polled 1,500 of its visitors who own cats and dogs.

Website founder Pat Gardner said she “fully understands” the findings.

“As a pet lover myself, I can fully understand why women would miss their pets more than their partner while away on a girly weekend,” she said.

“Women tend to see their pet cat or dog like a baby, in need of constant care and attention. Men, meanwhile, are seen as being able to look after themselves.”

The poll also revealed that 65 per cent of female travellers would take their furry friend with them on a girly weekend if allowed to do so by their hotel.

Pat added: “We specialise in upmarket breaks for women around the country and one of the questions we get asked a lot is if the hotels and country halls will allow pets.

“It just goes to show much women value the company of their cats and dogs.”

For more information about female short breaks visit www.girlyweekend.com

Magazine Round-Up Part 2: Rihanna Takes Vogue Cover

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British Vogue has Rihanna on the cover. She is interviewed inside and says ‘Whatever my mojo tells me, that’s what I’m going to do’.

Tilda Swindon is interviewed.

Scion of the fashion dynasty Maxmara, Maria Giulia Prezioso Maramotti is interviewed by Vogue and she tells them that ‘my mother impressed on me that to be elegant you have to avoid overdressing’.

Articles on Coco Chanel, Jean-Paul Goude, Bryce Dallas Howard on her, and her characters, style, director Martina Amati, Sylvia Plath’s daughter Frieda Hughes, Dolores and Carmen Chaplin, Miss V covers Mark Ronsons wedding, David and Serena Linley, Hannah Rothschild on Leonardo da Vinci, the new breed of entrepreneurs, Vogue dons white coats and learned how to give good facials, Norma Kamali – and doesn’t she look amazing! Katie Holmes gives her Style File.

Most magazines this month had at least one article on perfume.

There is a rise in vegetarians, but Vogue has a good article on people rediscovering meat.

Marie Claire has Reese Witherspoon on the cover. ‘I didn’t realise how anxious I was about being a single parent’ she tells Marie Claire.

There is a new column from writer Lindsay Kelk; a Northern lass turned New York singleton who will be charting her journey to find Mr Right.

Marie Claire reports on a beauty pageant for men to become the cover stars of romance novels, yes, really.

There is a really good article on the inspirational Mary Portas. Make your wardrobe fashion editor fabulous. Jamie Oliver, Are you the new Type A? , DNA Dating, Is it time for a career shuffle?, Martin Daubney gives it all up to become a full-time father, Dolly Parton, Gossip Girl Stylist Eric Daman, Tali Lennox, Nicole Roberts.

My life in books by Caroline Aherne.

Lionel Shriver, Rachel Evan Woods, perfume, save your skin facials, Christina Aguilera, curb your cravings. 12 reasons you’re tired all the time, Pixie Lott’s food heaven.

Marie Claire have a special sex section, ahem. No comment from me.

Vanity Fair has Johnny Depp on the cover. ‘Basically if they’re going to pay me the stupid money, I’m going to take it’ he says.

Florence Welch, Mario Batali, Amber Heard, Bobbi Brown, Tinie Tempah, Moby Dick, The Tea Party, Tailor’s Anderson and Sheppard, Marisa Berenson, Haruki Murakami, Michael Lewis asks if California will sink the US, Elisabeth Warren, gossip columnist Liz Smith, Milton Gendal, Meryl Streep as Margaret Thatcher, Courtney Love unravels, Woody Allen, Ethan Coen, Elaine May, Desmond Tutu.

There is a free supplement: Vanity Fair On Couture with Rebecca Hall on the cover. Catherine Middleton is on their best dressed, Giorgio Armani, Nicky Haslam, Giambattista versus Azzedine Alaia, Karl Lagerfield, Chanel, Ann Bonfoey Taylor, Elie Saab, Daphne Guinness, Amanda Harlech, Lucy Birley.

Goldfish: An immersive acting engagement for Timothy Spall

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HD Video; Duration: 4’ 55”

After portraying Winston Churchill in the Oscar winning The King’s Speech
Timothy Spall has voiced the part of a Goldfish.

Finished April 2011

Last summer writer/director Peter Chipping had purchased some small sports
action HD video cameras for some re-enactment dramas he was shooting at
Pinewood studios. Capitalizing on their small size, strength and underwater
capabilities he wrote a story that played to their versatility. Something that could
go into and out of water in one shot, was small, and cost effective to shoot. The
obvious story was the life and times of a goldfish. Timothy Spall very kindly
came on board (so to speak) and his vocal talents immersed to new depths
playing a goldfish that is looking for a new home.

About Peter Chipping

Written, directed, produced and edited by Peter Chipping.

Peter started as an editor in ITV before producing and directing for ITV,
Channel 4 and BBC Worldwide. He has also directed numerous commercials and
corporate communications along with re-enactment dramas and shorts. Peter is
now actively seeking opportunities to concentrate on directing drama.

He also writes speculative drama for cinema, shorts and television.

http://www.showreel.peterchipping.co.uk/Goldfish.htm

Peter Chipping, Director

Robert Shacklady, DoP

Music: Motion Sound Production

www.peterchipping.co.uk
www.robertshacklady.com

http://motionsoundpro.com

Festival focus:

The short will hopefully have a selected run on some festivals, but the main
thrust will be on-line marketing to garner support for the filmmakers and their
future projects.

Location

Was shot in South East England and the music composed and pictures graded at
Pinewood Studios. The fish shop where the goldfish was purchased has recently
closed down.

Funnies

The director had to sign a declaration that HE had actually bought the goldfish,
as opposed to 12-year-old Ava as depicted in the film, as technically, you have to
be 16 to purchase goldfish.

Two goldfish were purchased (one was an identical stunt double). But both fish
survived and are very happily alive today and gracefully sharing a large tank
with other goldfish.

While filming, the crew had to prepare treated water 48 hours ahead of the
shoot. All water the actual goldfish swam in was the specially treated water.

Goldfish substitutes were lovingly handcrafted by the DoP’s wife Christine from
carrots. These were used for the “stunt” shots when the goldfish was transferred
from one jug to another.

The small sports camera was flushed down the toilet, but tethered with string
which allowed the director to retrieve it from the U bend, with marigold gloves.