Fans of Lord of the Rings can now live as a hobbit for as little as £100 a night.

Shire Hollow is a hand-crafted Hobbit house inspired by the iconic mythical series. It has circular doors, curved walls and an earthen roof.

The holiday home, which sits in a private woodland estate in the Suffolk countryside, is human-sized and can sleep up to four guests.

The home is 9ft tall, and is built into a large mound of earth with large tangled roots arching from the ground, and tall pine trees either side.

It has Hobbit-inspired furniture and a miniature statue of Gandalf sits on the mantelpiece.

But while it resembles the Middle Earth residence of Frodo Baggins and Bilbo, Shire Hollow has lots of modern day luxuries such as a flat-screen TV and WiFi for its 21st century guests.

The two bedroom property can be booked through letting agents Quality Unearthed.

A spokesman for Quality Unearthed said: ‘Shire Hollow is a real-life Hobbit house, nestled between the ancient earth and towering pine of a beautiful woodland estate.

‘This magnificent construction recreates the imaginary dreamland of life in The Shire with this full-scale human-sized Hobbit house.

‘Whether you are a fan of The Lord of the Rings or just want to try something completely unique, a Hobbit house is an extremely beautiful piece of architecture which makes a wonderful glamping abode.

‘These earth shelters have actually been around for centuries and they rely on the soil and grass to protect them from the outside elements, which also assists the temperature to a natural state inside.

‘The interior is filled with archetypal Hobbit house features from its curved beams and circular doors, to the quaint stain glass windows – the whole house creates a sense of intrigue and imagination.

‘It’s wonderfully positioned in the heart of the glorious Suffolk countryside, the site is spoilt with a whole host of mesmeric natural marvels.

‘Experience the quintessential charm of life in the Shire and satisfy the lifelong dream of every Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit fans with a trip to this spectacular abode.’

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Why I didn’t have children is unimportant here (although this #FertilityMonth piece will fill you in). No, what’s important right now is The Next Bit.

What’s deceptive about The Next Bit is how natural it sounds. There’s this bit – and then there’s the next bit. Simple, yeah? Organic, right? Just happens, yes?

No. I have to tell you, The Next Bit has kept me consumed with grief for almost a decade and full of sertraline for almost two years.

I’ve seen my parents die, been around alcoholism and violence, held and wept over my brilliant uncle as he died last year, and have had untold misery from many ‘not for your eyes’ sources (as my friend Gemma said: ‘Well done on having a life so shit you made money out of it’) but this – not having a baby – is easily the worst thing that has ever happened to me. Easily.

Because it is so fucking hard to bear and move on from.

It’s not just – ‘just’ – the visceral pain of not having had a child (I feel that physical/soul/heart ache every day, and dream about babies – holding their warm, chubby bodies – almost every night) but everything else that that loss means.

It means you have no lineage (no Little Bibi – which, actually, was my name because Mum was Bibi too) and no place in society. It seems.

In the world of #AsAMother and ‘hardworking families’, you mean fuck all.

Ask our Minister of State at the Department of Energy and Climate Change, Ms Andrea Leadsom.

According to Loathsome (not my joke), I don’t have a ‘tangible stake in the future’ because I don’t have kids.

And, according to a Daily Mail comment man, ‘You can’t put “woman” on your passport if you haven’t given birth.’ Ironic he’s talking about c*nts, isn’t it?

In 2018, the world is still worshipping at the altar of parenthood – and this pronatalism is devastating for women and men like me.

Here’s Beyoncé being terribly helpful… ‘[It was] the most beautiful experience of my life. It was amazing. I felt like God was giving me a chance to assist in a miracle. You’re playing a part in a much bigger show. And that’s what life is. It’s the greatest show on Earth,’ she said.

Getting over not having had kids when you wanted to have kids is tough. Unimaginably painful and tough. But is it do-able?

As very much a (piece of) work in progress, I’m going to say: ‘Yes, with all my shattered heart I HOPE you can get over not having children.’ Because what’s the alternative? A ‘life’ surviving grief?

Jody Day, a world thought leader on female involuntary childlessness; founder of Gateway Women, the global friendship and support network for childless women; and author of Living the Life Unexpected: 12 Weeks to Your Plan B for a Meaningful and Fulfilling Future Without Children (2016: Bluebird/PanMacmillan) is certain life isn’t over for the unhappily childless. (No, I’m never going to describe myself as ‘childfree’.)

The inspirational Jody tells us: ‘It is absolutely possible to get over not having children when you wanted them. It’s not easy, but it is possible.

‘However, when you are in the throes of grieving this loss – and yes, it is a form of grief akin to bereavement – even thinking this or having it suggested to you can feel like a form of betrayal. It’s a bit like saying to someone who’s lost their mother: “Don’t worry. You’ll get over it!”

‘I guess you never completely “get over it” – it’s not the flu – but you can heal your heart around that loss and live a full life again. For me, my childlessness is a scar on my heart – one that can still be touched by a poignant moment between parents and children, or hurt by a parent’s assumption that I have no empathy or understanding for children because I’m not a mother.

‘Or that I have no voice or stake in the future of our world. My childlessness is a lifelong emotional, social and identity loss that will always be with me – the triggers don’t go away, but thankfully they get easier to cope with.

‘For a long time I was incapable of believing I would ever recover fully from the devastation of childlessness. I thought the best I could hope for was to be one of the “walking wounded”. In fact, so much did I believe this that as I began to come out the other end of my grieving process, I didn’t trust it. I kept thinking: “Maybe this is just a good patch”.

‘But as the “good patch” continued and my recovery deepened, and I began to take joy in my present and have hopes for the future again, something strange happened: I felt guilty; I felt like a fraud. I thought: “Maybe I didn’t really want children if I’ve been able to recover from this…”

‘I came to understand that this is perhaps the childless version of “survivors’ grief”. And also that letting go of the last part of my grief came with its own bittersweet sadness, too – because that grief was a tangible and poignant connection to the love I had for the children I never met.

‘Being a grieving childless woman had become my whole identity and I wasn’t sure who this new version of me was. It wasn’t easy to step into my happy childless future; I didn’t trust it or understand it at first.’

So how did Jody do it? How did Jody move on, move forward, just move?

Jody: ‘There’s only one way to recover from devastating and irrevocable loss – and that’s to grieve it. As a society, we’re grief-phobic and grief-illiterate – and fear it as if it were death itself. Yet grief is the wise and patient human emotion that actually enables us to process loss and come to terms with it.

‘Childlessness is a form of “disenfranchised grief” – a grief that is not socially acceptable or understood.

‘Childlessness is a form of “disenfranchised grief” – a grief that is not socially acceptable or understood.

‘This grief is particularly difficult to experience because grief is a social emotion: it can only do its profound work of healing the human heart in dialogue with others who “get it”.

‘And that’s why it’s absolutely essential for grieving childless women to find their tribe – those other conscious “childless not by choice” women who will allow them the space to have their thoughts and feelings without closing them down with a “miracle baby” story, or telling them not to give up hope, or suggesting adoption. Again. It’s vital to give each other space and support to hurt without shame.

‘Grief is an astonishing emotion that is created by love – and only loving support works to support it. The things that helped me most were finding my tribe and understanding the life-altering pain I was experiencing was grief.’

Can I add my own advice to any women and men drowning in the crushing waves of sadness and identity loss? Please note what my oldest friend Helen once said to me: ‘I wish you knew your own beautiful worth.’

When I think of this, it helps.

For more help and support, visit gateway-women.com

As the days get shorter and the wind gets stronger, nothing beats a good long soak after a cold commute.

Candles and soft music may set the mood, but the right products can elevate the bath experience into the realm of bliss.

Leave bubbles for the babies and look for relaxing oils and soothing salts to set a sybaritic scene.

Here are 10 of the best :

Gwyneth’s Nightly Ritual

Gwyneth Paltrow takes a bath with this beauty every single night. An award winning soak, this is the stand-out star of her new bath range.

With valerian root and Australian sandalwood it smells medicinal – no sweet florals in sight. Supposed to aid restlessness and promote sleep, it certainly makes you feel relaxed and calm.  Each bag contains three cups of bath soak for three gloriously destressing baths.

G.Nite Bedtime Bath Soak, £30, shop.goop.com

The Artisan Bath

Bamford’s artisan-made bath and body products are crafted from the finest naturally sourced and nourishing ingredients. This luxurious bath oil is a beguiling blend of geranium, lavender and peppermint essential oils. A skin-softening and intensely aromatic fusion of non-foaming oils, these diffuse naturally in warm bath water.

The elixir contains a vitamin-rich sweet almond and apricot kernel oil, high in nourishing oleic acid, to restore your skin’s natural glow while essential oils of geranium, lavender, peppermint and tonka revitalise body as well as mind.

Bamford Geranium Bath Oil, £45, bamford.com

The Nectar

Developed in Tuscany, Seed to Skin’s all-natural formulations are born from boutique destination Borgo Santo Pietro, where all products are hand-filled in exquisite deep green glass bottles to preserve the natural products for longer.

This delectable bath oil is heavenly smelling – it contains jasmine, neroli and damask oil to revitalise skin and help relieve the stress of a long day. Bathers are invited to close their eyes and envision the heady air of Tuscany, where uplifting natural aromas are carried on the breeze.

The Bath Nectar, 1000 Tuscan Flowers – £88, seed-to-skin.com

The Power Bath

The winner of Tatler Beauty Awards 2018 ‘Best Bath Oil’, Olverum is powerful stuff.

Full of essential oils, it offers concentrated therapeutic benefits, soothes aches and pains and boosts sleep, and turns your bath into a calming and invigorating spa experience for mind and body.

Its essential oils of lavender, juniper and rosemary stimulate the circulation and help bring relief to aching muscles and joints, including rheumatic pain.

It’s also decongesting – essential oils of pine, lavender, eucalyptus, lemon and exotic verbena create an invigorating vapour which helps to clear blocked sinuses and allows you to breathe more easily.

An Olverum bath can be particularly beneficial in helping you to recuperate from the symptoms of cold or flu.

One 125ml bottle gives approximately 25 baths.  Bear in mind – this one is highly concentrated so use only a small amount per bath. It’s also ideal for dry skin.

Oliverum Bath Oil, £32, amazon.co.uk

Aroma-lovely

Aromatherapy Associates Support Breathe Bath and Shower Oil is a fabulous addition to a routine to help relax and breath while enjoying a warm bath or shower.

Infused with the powers of eucalyptus, pine, tea tree and peppermint essential oils, it can also be a great way to combat winter colds. This luxurious blend helps to maintain easy breathing and a clear head all year round.

Aromatherapy Associates Support Breathe Bath and Shower Oil, £44,  amazon.co.uk

Hopeful Bathing

A bewitching and sensual aromatherapy blend containing lime, vanilla and spearmint that will take you from bath to bedroom.

Bursting with vitamins and omega oils, this one works to regenerate the skin with avocado and strawberry seed oil, making it perfect for an indulgent bath time. Bonus – it’s great for body massage too. 2-3 capfuls recommended to give wonderfully supple, nourished skin – while relaxing the body and easing the mind.

Crystal Clear Quartz Spa Hope Bath & Massage Oil, £37 quartzspa.co.uk

Zita’s Elixer

Great value – the essential oils and pure plant extracts of this exquisite oil will enhance the benefits of your soaking time.

Sleep-Inducer

Tropic’s So Sleepy Bath Soak does just what it promises.  This luxurious, aroma therapeutic bath soak with pure, sleep-inducing essential oils helps to  relax and restore the mind.

100% naturally derived, this nourishing oil to milk is ideal for anyone who struggles to sleep – a calming blend of eucalyptus, frankincense oil and lavender work together to calm the senses.

So Sleepy Bath Soak Nourishing Oil to Milk, £38 tropicskincare.com

Romantic Bathing

At the romantic heart of this bath and shower oil is a symphony of roses laced with warm spices and uplifting citrus, and all of the 100% natural fragrances are composed of the finest pure essential oils.

It’s a sumptuously feminine scent and its pure essential oils are carried in a nourishing base of sweet almond oil, grapeseed oil, beta-carotene and vitamin E.

You only need a few drops for a full bath and it is also fabulous as a shower oil. Perfect for self-care seekers wanting to enjoy a momentary retreat.

Beat the Bloat

Pure fun. Everyone will love these. The fruity, floral aroma envelops with subtle hints of lemongrass while the gold flake, fizzing bubbles will deeply cleanse and gently exfoliate skin – a bath of true luxury. Offering an extra deep cleanse which helps to rid the body of bloat and excess water, these body boosting salts with bicarbonate with gentle exfoliating acids will completely revitalise you.

Also available in Mulled Wine.

BOD Prosecco Bath Salts, £10, hollandandbarrett.com

They mess you up, your mum and dad.

So goes the (clean) version of that Philip Larkin poem.

But it turns out your parents may be responsible for more than just your long held insecurities and damaging habits – your mum might be to blame for your dating life, too.

Thanks, mum.

A new study shows that people whose mothers had more romantic partners – who they married or lived with – often tend to follow in their mum’s footsteps.

So essentially, if your mum had lots of breakups and relationships that didn’t last forever, you’re likely to experience the same.

The researchers reckon that this is down to learning (or failing to learn) relationship skills from your mother, and that this determines how stable your relationships will be.

Researchers looked at data from national surveys of youth, which follow participants for at least 24 years. They tracked 7,152 people and their biological mothers in terms of marriage, divorce, cohabiting relationships, and breakups.

Both the number of marriages and the number of cohabiting partners a mother had had a link to how many partners their children had, the study found.

When the researchers looked at siblings, they found that the sibling exposed to their mum’s relationships for longer periods tended to have more partners than their siblings exposed less. So if one kid went to university while the other lived with their mum and saw partners come and go, the one who stayed home would tend to have more partners later in life.

‘Our results suggest that mothers may have certain characteristics that make them more or less desirable on the marriage market and better or worse at relationships,’ said Claire Kamp Dush, lead author of the study and associate professor of human sciences at The Ohio State University.

‘Children inherit and learn those skills and behaviors and may take them into their own relationships.

‘It’s not just divorce now. Many children are seeing their parents divorce, start new cohabiting relationships, and having those end as well.

‘All of these relationships can influence children’s outcomes, as we see in this study.

‘What our results suggest is that mothers may pass on their marriageable characteristics and relationship skills to their children — for better or worse.

‘It could be that mothers who have more partners don’t have great relationship skills, or don’t deal with conflict well, or have mental health problems, each of which can undermine relationships and lead to instability.

‘Whatever the exact mechanisms, they may pass these characteristics on to their children, making their children’s relationships less stable.’

Harsh.

Essentially, if you keep getting dumped and don’t know why, look at your mum’s relationship history and see if they match up. If they do, feel free to credit your mum – but you’ll still need to make healthy changes on your own.

It’s only those who don’t learn from history who are doomed to repeat it.

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Recently the Royal College of Midwives called for a return to a practice done away with in the 1990s: regular weigh-ins for pregnant women.

In a striking change in approach, the RCM will seek to establish guidelines on how much weight a pregnant woman should gain, with varying targets for women classed as normal weight by the BMI, and those classed as overweight and obese.

Routine weigh-ins were phased out when it was shown that there was little clinical justification for them.

Conditions like pre-eclampsia and gestational diabetes, previously said to be predicted through weight gain, were shown to have other symptomatic predictors which negated the need for universal weigh-ins.

Nobody is suggesting that no pregnant women are ever to be weighed.

But a return to this outdated approach may be too broad and simplistic. There is no need for most women to be weighed throughout their pregnancies.

What has gone largely unmentioned in this debate is the effect mandatory weigh-ins could have on some of the most vulnerable and at-risk pregnant women: those with eating disorders.

They are a strangely unspoken of demographic, these women. Their particular experience is almost entirely omitted from the pregnancy narrative.

It’s as though their situation is just too dark, too troubling, to be voiced in the context of a time meant to be so joyful.

‘I felt I couldn’t bring it up at all,’ Rita*, 27, tells Metro.co.uk over the phone, ‘and then it all built up and exploded.’

Rita was studying for her MA when she learned that she was pregnant. She had been with her boyfriend for a year and felt secure and happy in the relationship, but was still shocked to be carrying a child.

‘My periods were sporadic and stopped entirely for months at a time, so I had assumed I wasn’t fertile,’ she explains.

Although less than prepared for motherhood, she knew immediately she would keep the baby, afraid that this might be her only chance.

Rita had been suffering from anorexia since she was 14 years old. She had been hospitalised on and off until she was 17, at which point she managed to barely maintain a healthy weight, but, as she tells us, ‘I had never stopped eating only the bare minimum to stay out of the hospital, to keep my parents from interfering.

‘Food, being thin, was still the centre of my life, absolutely.’

Her boyfriend was aware that she had a troubled history with food, but didn’t know the full extent of her illness.

‘I think he considered it a sort of schoolgirl thing, and I didn’t try to correct him,’ she says.

When she went for her initial appointment after learning she was pregnant, she couldn’t bring herself to tell the doctor that her eating disorder was a cause for concern. She put on a bright face and insisted that she was just focused on the baby.

‘Food, being thin, was still the centre of my life, absolutely’

But privately, her changing body had begun to fill her with dread.

She did truly want her baby, and for the baby to be born healthy, she emphasises.

But the truth was – the truth she was concealing from everyone around her – that she was simultaneously horrified by the pregnancy.

She knew that she should talk about how she was feeling, but, she says: ‘I was afraid they would think I was a terrible person. That I wanted to starve my baby and that I didn’t deserve to keep her.’

Rita’s distress finally came out in her third trimester: she had a breakdown after being advised to add more calories to her diet.

Although her baby was born perfectly healthy, a year later she is still recovering from the ordeal.

‘I love my baby more than anything, but the trauma of the pregnancy has destroyed a lot of the confidence I had built up in my twenties. In a way I feel like I’m back at square one since then.’

Other women I spoke to had a more mixed experience. Some struggled at first but then found that the pregnancy made them feel more connected to their bodies.

Sofie*, 32, an academic in Holland, is in her second trimester.

She has suffered from severe anorexia, and has maintained a healthy weight for nine years. She was already in therapy before becoming pregnant.

‘My growing stomach is both a source of nervous joy and anxiety,’ she explains over email.

Her healthcare providers have been understanding and offered to refer her to a specialist.

‘[They ask] me how I’m feeling about the fact I am starting to show,’ she tells us. ‘Because of this history and the fact that I’m on SSRIs and have very recently lost my mother, they did ask if I wanted to be referred to a psychologist specializing in pregnancy-related forms of anxiety and depression.

‘As I am already seeing a therapist I didn’t think I needed to.’

Sofie is weighed as part of her pregnancy care, and says that she finds it difficult.

She has been more comfortable than she anticipated with the gradual increase in weight – although she has only gained a small amount so far and admits she doesn’t know how she will feel when it is more substantial.

But, more disturbing, her experience reminds her viscerally of her encounters with scales when she was at her most ill.

‘This is a feeling I associate with my real eating disordered days – I don’t trust their scales,’ she explains.

‘I am weighed when I see them, which could be in the early morning or in the evening after dinner, with a full bladder or after having just gone to the toilet, in a light summer dress versus jeans, a big sweater and my Clarks.

‘I don’t have scales myself to protect me precisely from the anxiety-inducing reality that your weight can easily go up and down 4lbs in 24 hours, and now they weigh me and somehow attach importance to these flawed numbers. It’s weird how upsetting that is to me.’

Variances and seemingly inexplicable triggers like these are part of why the conversation around weighing in needs to be so much more nuanced, so much less universal.

‘The guilt… the overwhelming selfishness and wastefulness of an eating disorder’

Things which seem totally innocuous to your average person can have intense meaning to a woman with an eating disorder. A casual observance of weight gain or loss has extraordinary ability to stay in their heads.

Any woman might struggle with the sudden shift in bodily control that comes with pregnancy, but especially those with eating disorders.

For them, life is often an already-constant struggle not to spend each individual moment agonising over what they are consuming and what it is doing to their bodies.

Louise*, 32, is not pregnant but would like to be in the next few years. She has a history of anorexia and bulimia, and still today purges and takes laxatives daily.

She fears that her disordered eating would be passed down and questions how she would raise a child without imparting the idea that self-hatred and punishment are normal.

Her feelings about pregnancy are entwined with the shame and guilt she has about her eating disorder in general.

She has never told her boyfriend, friends, or doctors about her history or her current habits.

‘The guilt… the overwhelming selfishness and wastefulness of an eating disorder,’ says Louise. ‘The consumption and spoiling of food when so many people live in hunger, reliant on food banks.

‘And that all this will make it more difficult to carry and give birth to a child. And that I deserve it, should it prove not possible.’

Pregnant women are often spoken to – and about – patronisingly.

The lack of control they experience, and the ensuing panic, sits in a continuum of all the different ways that women are denied ownership of their bodies throughout their lives.

A pregnant body is treated as public property, commented on by strangers, tutted over by health professionals. A body becomes even less a woman’s own to control than it usually is.

I still remember a story I read several years ago about a pregnant woman being thrown out of a bar for being with a group of friends who were drinking – how demeaning it must be to be treated as though you can not decide what is right for your body.

Sofie reports finding all this policing unbearable.

She describes herself as ‘intensely critical of the kinds of discipline mums-to-be are subject to’.

‘Reading online and official advice about eating, drinking, and pregnancy really made me realize all over again just how much society hates women’s bodies,’ she says. ‘It’s exhausting and so difficult not to internalise.’

It’s assumed that a pregnant woman can instantly subsume her own desires and personhood when a foetus enters the equation. But long-held trauma and problems can’t be dismissed just because it would be convenient to do so.

A woman with an eating disorder who becomes pregnant must be treated as a whole person, not a faulty incubator in need of adjusting. She must be listened to and most importantly given control at a time she needs – and deserves – it the most.

Meat Loaf may have proclaimed he would do anything for love, but did he ever nestle an engagement ring inside a Greggs pasty?

We think not.

Thus, it is Tony Brown who must now take the crown for the most romantic man on the planet, for he has just popped the question using not just any Greggs item, but their seasonal Festive Bake.

That’s right, the ultimate act of love.

Tony got down on one knee outside the Fenwick’s window (which Greggs is currently using as a mastermind advertising gimmick), presenting girlfriend Rebecca English with a ring and a Festive Bake while asking for her hand in marriage.

‘It must be the most Geordie proposal ever,’ said Rebecca.

The Greggs gesture wasn’t planned, and Tony claims that he only had a Festive Bake handy because he was peckish.

He usually goes for a tandoori baguette or a bacon sarnie from Greggs, but clearly their festive marketing has worked.

‘I was hyper and I was starving, and when I turned around there it was – Greggs,’ said Tony.

‘I had been so nervous before hand down – hands down it was the most nerve wracking thing I’ve done.

‘We have two kids (Daizy and Molly) and compared to this, labour was an absolute breeze.’

We’re not sure Rebecca would agree with that last bit, but still, it’s all very sweet.

After Rebecca said yes, the family headed over to Greggs to pick up more food in celebration.

Tony had been working out how to propose for the last couple of years, and finally felt brave enough last Wednesday, as the family looked at the Fenwick’s windows.

‘Everyone was clapping and Daizy didn’t know what was going on – she thought they were clapping her,’ remembers Rebecca.

‘We are going to Seaham Hall later this month, and he was planning on proposing there.

‘I don’t know what exactly happened but he spoke to his barber that morning and he just suddenly decided today was the day.

‘And the festive bake was totally typical of him – but I was expecting more than a Greggs afterwards, put it that way!’

Is this all just an excellent stunt designed to make Greggs cater the wedding?

The couple say no, but we reckon a pasty cake could be a nice unintended outcome.

For anyone else pondering a proposal, Tony has this advice, which we think could also apply to anyone debating getting a pasty.

‘Just go for it – go with your gut and don’t rush it,’ said Tony.

‘You do it once, so do it right.’

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What if you sat across from a doctor and were casually told that you have no, low or slow sperm?

Then, while you’re trying to mentally digest this throwaway comment, you’re sent on your way with more questions than you had when you arrived, and even less support.

The world of fertility is very much geared towards women, despite research revealing 40-50% of fertility issues occur on the man’s side.

While the main tests on the NHS for men who are struggling to conceive is a chlamydia test and semen analysis (which measures the sperm count, mobility and motility), expensive fertility clinics offer a much wider set of tests – but not all couples can afford this.

And so, some are left without answers.

Not to mention how receiving the news can affect their mental health – once again a less spoken about area when it comes to men.

We hear first-hand from three men on what it’s like to deal with these struggles, and how they found themselves lost in a world with little to no help available to them, how they coped with it and why we need to talk more about infertility in men.

This week, we hear from James D’Souza, who has been trying to have a baby with his wife Davina since April 2011.

James’ story

After my wife Davina and I bought our house, we decided that we wanted to start a family.

We’d been trying for 18 months before we went for tests. At first, the semen analysis didn’t really show much, and my GP said everything was fine. But the second test showed my levels were at 0%, meaning I had no normally formed sperm.

To make matters worse, my wife was also then told she has a lower egg count than normal, and when you put these two together, the chances of us conceiving naturally are much lower than for the average couple.

We were recommended IVF. As there wasn’t any funding available in our area, we did two rounds privately.

Both failed.

The doctors told us they couldn’t give us an explanation as to why we weren’t conceiving. This on its own was really tough news, never mind the fact that there’s zero conversation around fertility for men.

As I sat in the clinic during our first round, I flipped through a book with messages of encouragement inside – but only for women. There was nothing for or by men.

So I went online and tried there instead. Still, it was all women and no men.

When I posted in forums I even had women reply on behalf of men.

After the failed IVF rounds, Davina and I considered our options and whether we should adopt, but we felt that the difficulty around adoption and the trauma that some of the kids go through would close the door on having our own children.

Instead, I started taking supplements to improve my morphology (sperm formation), which helped a bit.

But then we had another setback.

Davina had been experiencing really painful periods, and after pushing our doctor to investigate, a laparoscopy showed symptoms of endometriosis. This was in October 2016, more than two years after our initial appointment.

We became a bit more optimistic after one of her tube’s was unblocked, but still nothing.

All through this, I was questioning my masculinity. I don’t smoke, drink or ride a bike, yet I couldn’t have a baby. Meanwhile, I knew plenty of non-healthy people who had children.

It was mostly anger and sadness on my part, all the feelings you might expect in this scenario. It wasn’t helped by the fact that whenever we went to appointments it was very much like I was just there – the conversation wasn’t directed at me.

I started to gradually ask questions just to assert my presence.

Eventually, I realised that being a man isn’t defined by having children, just as being a woman isn’t defined by it either.

It’s not even about tact, it’s ignorance. Most GPs don’t have a lot of knowledge on fertility in general, especially male fertility. When you go to a clinic and look at most of the machinery and equipment, you see that the area is for women.

I can understand it to an extent – women carry the child and are more invested physically, mentally and hormonally, but more and more these days the problem lies with the man.

The awareness is terrible and it’s compounded by the fact that there’s no space for us to talk.

Guys talking to guys doesn’t happen often. Guys talking to guys about fertility? That really doesn’t happen.

I’m lucky, because I have a great group of male friends and we’ve all done a lot of self-development work, so we’re able to articulate our emotions. Every year, we get together at a friend’s house in Somerset, sit around the fire and talk about everything from stupid banter through to sharing what’s going on in our lives, to expressing how much we love each other.

I think men want to talk, especially because whenever I do myself, people always tells me ‘I know someone who is having fertility problems’, which just shows how many couples are dealing with this.

A friend of mine is opening a barber in Primrose Hill, with the idea to turn it into a space where guys can have a real conversation.

Instead of just chatting about the usual – cars, sports, women, gadgets and money – imagine what it would be like if you could get a haircut and chat to your barber about stuff like feeling overwhelmed and admitting that things are really tough at the moment.

Last summer, Davina and I finally managed to speak to a GP who had worked in fertility and was able to write us a referral to have a third round of IVF, this one funded on the NHS.

It failed once again, so I was sent for a private DNA fragmentation test, not available on the NHS, while Davina was put on a course of steroids and we’ve kept trying ever since.

My own experience, although tough, isn’t just about fertility but about masculinity as a whole – I’m rebelling against the fixed version of what it means to be a man.

If you want to join the Men’s Fertility Support group on Facebook, you can find it here. 

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If you’ve been on Twitter recently, you may have seen discussions of No Nut November.

For any confused grandparents hastily ditching their plans for a nut roast for Sunday lunch, No Nut November is not, in fact, a plan based on dietary changes.

Nope, it is about wanking.

Or not wanking, rather.

No Nut November is an annual event that encourages men to go thirty days without ejaculating – or busting a nut, as it’s known, hence No Nut November.

The rules are simple. You may not have sex, masturbate, or ‘nut in any way, shape or form’. You may have boners, but you cannot come to completion.

Why? It’s not entirely clear.

Some claim that the act of completing No Nut November is a display of willpower and the strength of the mind, inspired by the act of refusing to shave throughout Movember.

People are using the challenge to raise money for prostate cancer, so if you do fancy going public about your choice to quit masturbating, you can make your No Nut November do some good.

It’s also believed it may be a way to initiate yourself into the NoFap community on Reddit, a group of people who do not masturbate, ever. NoFap is often used as a way to deal with porn and sex addiction.

Then there’s the alternative view, which is that No Nut November is the perfect way to prepare yourself for Destroy Your Dick December, which works as an advent calendar meets the Twelve Days of Christmas. So on the 1st of December you come once, on the second you come twice, on the third you come three times, and so on until Christmas.

We would not recommend partaking in No Nut November or Destroy Your Dick December, as ejaculating has all kinds of benefits around mental health and stress reduction, and masturbating 25 times a day on Christmas sounds like it would cross the line from fun to uncomfortable.

If you are concerned about your reliance on porn or your relationship with sex and masturbation, the No Fap community can be a good place to find support, but it’s also worth talking to your GP about counselling.

If you are getting involved in No Nut November as a challenge, however, you’ll find plenty of support throughout the journey on Twitter, where people are using the #NoNutNovember tag to share their difficulties and successes.

One man even wrote a poem about the herculean task of abstaining from nutting

Others are sharing the moment they failed the challenge

But the majority of the tag is made up of people documenting their struggles

To any brave No Nut November participants, best of luck now that you’re half way through your challenge.

Remember: There’s nothing wrong with masturbation in itself, but it is possible to have an unhealthy relationship with self-pleasure, the same as with sex.

Don’t feel like a failure if you need to nut. It’s good for you.

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It’s Pancreatic Cancer Awareness month.

It’s the 11th most common cancer in the UK but it is often diagnosed at a late stage.

Around 25 people die from the disease every day and just one per cent of those diagnosed with the disease survive for 10 years or more, according to Cancer Research.

Pancreatic cancer often doesn’t cause any symptoms in the early stages so by the time people realise that something is wrong, it is much more advanced.

Although much more common in those over 65, there were almost 3000 cases of younger people who were diagnosed last year.

So what should you look out for?

According to Pancreatic Cancer UK, common symptoms include:

Abdominal and back pain

This can start as general discomfort, tenderness or pain in the tummy area that can spread to the back.

Some people, however, have no pain at all and it varies from person to person. For some, it might come and go but for others it is more constant.

It can be worse when lying down, and sitting forward can sometimes make it feel better. It may be worse after eating.

Unexplained weight loss

Your pancreas helps you digest food so when there is a problem, you might lose weight for no particular reason.

Indigestion

A painful burning sensation in your chest is common but it can be a symptom of pancreatic cancer.

Loss of appetite

Again a symptom that can be caused by other things but if you suddenly don’t want to eat, it can be connected to the disease.

Changes in bowel habits

This can range from steatorrhoea, a pale, smelly poo that may float, to diarrhoea or constipation.

Jaundice

This causes yellow skin and eyes, dark urine and itchy skin.

Recently diagnosed diabetes

If pancreatic cancer stops the pancreas working properly, it may not produce enough insulin, causing diabetes. Symptoms of diabetes include feeling very thirsty, passing more urine than normal (especially at night), losing weight, and feeling tired.

Problems digesting food

You may feel full quickly or suffer from bloating, burping and wind.

Feeling and being sick

Nausea and vomiting can also be a symptom of the disease.

Difficulty swallowing

You might cough or choke when they eat, bring food back up, or feel that food is stuck in your throat.

Extreme tiredness and generally feeling unwell

You may feel very tired if you are suffering from pancreatic cancer.

Fever and shivering

Blood clots in a vein

Although many of these symptoms can be related to many other conditions, if you are worried, you should speak to your GP.

Tests include blood samples, ultrasound, CT scan, MRI, endoscopic ultrasound scans, biopsy and laparoscopy.

Pancreatic Cancer UK runs the only support line dedicated to pancreatic cancer. The service is run by specialist nurses and can provide support for anyone affected by the disease. Freephone: 0808 801 0707 or email nurse@pancreaticcancer.org.uk

MORE: What is No Nut November?

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I never thought a single picture of me changing my son’s diaper across my knees in a men’s public toilet would grow to a campaign that would get so much notice.

Taken by my older son, the photo was posted with the intention to get a few laughs, likes, and comments from family and friends. But when my son showed the photo to my wife at the dinner table, she told me: ‘I never thought about that. It’s sad how us mothers don’t have to create or come up with innovative ways to change our babies and fathers do’.

She made a very good point.

Days later it had grabbed the attention of news outlets, major companies, celebrities and fellow fathers, and started a serious conversation that made people from around the world weigh in on a topic that’s often overlooked – the lack of changing tables available in men’s toilets.

It’s been an issue that I have faced for many years as a father of three boys, aged 12 and 7, and my youngest at 21 months.

Now, it’s clear to me that parents from across the globe have encountered the same issue of changing their babies with a number of unique techniques.

Parents have been reaching out from Turkey, Spain, Africa, Canada, Argentina and many other countries to express their frustrations when it comes to the lack of changing tables in men’s toilets.

For a long time, fathers have been looked at as being secondary caretakers of our children, with this seen as a job deemed necessary for women.

I find that to disheartening and in many cases very far from the truth.

Fathers are more than babysitters; they are, equally to mothers, the life lines of their children’s care and well-being.

For me, my role and function in my kids’ lives is essential – I serve as a model and example of what they should be as a man in the world, and a father to their future children.

At times, society paints a false narrative of the presence and role of fathers, but in actuality there are many men willing to step up to the plate. We just want to shed those stereotypical gender roles and say ‘let’s do this together’.

In my opinion, it is now time to shatter the gender boxes that life and society have put us in.

The aim is to bring awareness around fair and equitable rights for both mums and dads. This is why Squat for Change was created and developed into a campaign with a mission to drive initiatives that result in the installation of appropriate diaper changing stations in all designated men’s public toilets.

We strive to create a world of equality where changing your baby is a dad thing, too.

The one thing we can all agree on is being a good father – that, to me, is pure gold. Fathers come from all different areas of life with different cultures and different backgrounds, and representing pure, positive relationships with our children is the beauty of it all.

The process has been challenging, but it’s an issue that I am willing to fight for until change happens.

Support from legislators and corporations has to happen for us to leverage into a movement that can finally bring some real change to the world when it comes to this issue.

That’s why our campaign is so impactful and has affected so many people, and we are diligently working to uplift and build the platform so that we can keep pushing forward.

The goal of our movement is to create some positive change for both men and women, and I am confident that we will.

MORE: Dads campaign for baby changing tables in men’s toilets

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Coca Cola has scaled back its UK Christmas truck tour after meeting opposition from local authorities and health campaigners, reports The Guardian.

Sugar awareness groups are calling on the drinks giant to stop handing out sugary drinks for free, citing serious health concerns.

The tour, which has been running since 1995, will visit 14 fewer venues than last year. Starting in Glasgow, the truck is set to stop at 24 towns and cities, finishing in London on 16th December.

Eighty-three organisations and campaigners have signed a letter calling on Coca-Cola to hand out only sugar-free drinks, in a move coordinated by the food and health charity Sustain.

Last year the tour inspired significant opposition from sugar awareness groups, sparking Public Health England to issue guidance warning of the impact of marketing campaigns like this. They pointed out concerns over tooth decay and obesity.

Public protests against the truck tour have already happened in Glasgow, Plymouth and Bristol. And some cities, including Carlisle and Liverpool, are choosing not to participate at all this year.

The tour features two 14-tonne lorries adorned with almost 9,000 fairy lights each. The classic tune Holidays Are Coming will play as member of the public receive free free 150ml cans of Coca-Cola, Zero Sugar and Diet Coke.

Signatures demanding that only sugar-free drinks are given out include, the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, the Faculty of Dental Surgery at the Royal College of Surgeons of England, World Cancer Research Fund International, the Royal Society for Public Health and 27 local councils.

‘The decision from some supermarkets to give a platform to Coca-Cola to promote their products and increase sales is disappointing, particularly as the truck is visiting areas with some of the worst diet-related health problems in the UK,’ says Ben Reynolds, Deputy Chief Executive of Sustain.

‘It contradicts other messaging from the supermarkets on healthy eating, and feels out of step with the times.’

Replying to Sustain, Jon Woods, general manager of Coca-Cola GB and Ireland, said the company would not give drinks to unsupervised children under the age of 12, and that they expected 90% of the drinks sampled this year to be zero sugar.

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A performing arts student has revealed how she earns £60,000 a year, helping to cure anxiety and depression by whispering.

Sophie Michelle, 21, of Chester, Cheshire, is causing a sensation on YouTube.

One of her videos, designed to induce feelings of ASMR – relaxing and sometimes sleep-inducing tingles running down the back of the neck and spine experienced when watching stimulating broadcasts – attracted 2.5 million views.

Known as an ASMR (autonomous sensory meridian response) artist, she said: ‘In 2015, my 24-year-old brother, James, who has recovered now, developed a brain tumour.

‘The stress and anxiety made me search online for videos that would help me sleep.

‘I came across the usual rain and ambient sounds on YouTube, but then I found ASMR as a suggested video.

‘I fell in love with it and it helped me sleep so much easier. I started using it during the day as well just to calm down when I felt anxious and it really helped.’

Then, In June 2017, after discussing the idea with her boyfriend, Matthew , 21, a trainee personal trainer, she launched her own ASMR channel.

Describing the effect of ASMR videos – which celebrities like record-breaking rapper Cardi B are great fans of – she said: ‘I loved creating my channel because ASMR is something that can really help with anxiety and depression.

‘ASMR is a tingly feeling that makes you feel a sense of peace, almost like a relaxing pins and needles that gives you a truly numb sensation.’

Sophie, whose collection of 199 videos, in which she whispers messages like ‘Hello sweetheart’ and makes stroking hand gestures with make-up brushes directly into a camera – sometimes role playing as a doctor and mermaid – are amongst 13 million ASMR broadcasts on YouTube.

A study conducted by the University of Sheffield earlier this year found that people experiencing the classic ‘tingles’ had a reduced heart rate when watching the videos and showed significant increases in positive emotions, including relaxation and feelings of social connection.

And while the experiment found that only half those taking part experienced the ASMR tingles, the videos had a considerable impact on those who did.

Sophie, who is using her income generated through advertising to fund her degree in Theatre, TV and Performing Arts in North Wales, continued: ‘It’s amazing that I’m able to help people with their depression and anxiety. My fans online are so lovely and constantly grateful for my videos.

‘A lot of people who watch me suffer from stress and panic attacks, so they always seem thankful that I continue posting.

‘Even though I knew the impact ASMR had, I never expected my channel to become popular. I was only on 30,000 subscribers last Christmas and was close to giving up, because I wasn’t getting anywhere.

‘But in the January after it completely blew up after one of my videos about hypnosis got 2.5 million views – I was so shocked that so many people loved it. Now my subscribers have grown to over 200,000.’

Although her ASMR videos are strictly non-sexual, some online viewers, who do not understand them, have accused Sophie of creating fetish content.

Sophie continued: ‘A very small percentage of people online may use these kind of videos for sexual reasons, but I think those people may have a personal issue if that’s the case.

‘It makes me uncomfortable to think that someone is using it for sexual purposes, because that is never my intention.

‘Some of my friends make comments about it being sexual, but most of them love ASMR and even watched me on YouTube before they met me at university.’

While Sophie refers to her ASMR channel as her ‘career,’ she says that could change in the future.

But, for now, her enterprise has made her compliance manager mum, Michelle, 50, and dad, Simon, 54, who works in the motor trade, extremely proud of their go-getting daughter.

She said: ‘Making my parents proud is hugely important to me.

‘As an ASMR artist, I really want to help people to deal with stress and anxiety.

‘And with celebrities like Cardi B speaking out about it, it helps ordinary people to be open about what helps them to relax and to discuss their mental health issues without being embarrassed.

‘Watching ASMR isn’t something to be ashamed of if it helps you get to sleep or calms your anxiety.

‘Massive YouTubers like PewDiePie are creating reaction videos that propels us into popularity and magazines are always talking about it – ASMR is everywhere and I love being part of it.’

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A game of Monopoly with your family will always cause some despair.

Your nan will cheat. You’ll disagree over the rules. You’ll feel like crying as your youngest sibling mercilessly takes all your money.

Now, you can throw in some additional anxiety about your real-life financial situation. Fun!

The cruel-hearted people of Hasbro have decided to rub salt in the collective wound of the housing market by releasing Monopoly for Millennials, a new take on the classic board game that won’t let you buy any properties.

Because in real life, millennials can’t buy houses on streets in London. That’s madness.

Instead they can buy ‘experiences’ like eating avocado toast, going to a thrift shop for some threads, or heading on a week-long meditation retreat.

And rather than a hat or a shoe, your counter can be an emoji, a bike, a camera, or a hashtag. Oh, millennials. What are we like?

When you pass ‘go’ you get a measly salary of 20 Monopoly Money, and instead of getting to buy shares in utilities or public transport, you can go all in on some bikes.

Whoever has the most student debt gets to roll first.

Why anyone thought we wanted realism when playing a board game, we do not know. We’ve reached out to Hasbro to ask why they have created this monstrosity, but haven’t heard back yet.

As us millennials are wont to do, we’ve been registering our displeasure at the existence of the game over on Twitter.

In short: We’re already living this misery, we don’t want to play a game version of it.

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A shopper claims she was left looking like a ‘drag queen gone wrong’ after a gold jumpsuit turned out to be completely see-through.

Ellen Williams had purchased the £35 jumpsuit for the festive season from online fashion retailer PrettyLittleThing after seeing Lauren Goodger wearing it.

But the 21-year-old was horrified to discover the glittery outfit hung off her body, bunched round her ankles and was completely transparent – revealing her underwear.

Ellen has had to throw the jumpsuit away, but shared pictures of herself modelling it with her friends.

She believes the jumpsuit is made of different materials to the one modelled in the advert.

Ellen, from London, said: ‘It’s shocking to see how nice something looks on the picture compared to what came through the post. It’s so disappointing.

‘I looked awful. I said I looked like a drag queen gone wrong.

‘When you get something that makes you think “oh yes, that’d look really nice on me” then the quality is really bad, it makes you feel a bit rubbish about yourself.

‘There’s a little part of you that thinks ‘is it actually me?’

‘I’ve seen a few celebrities wearing that jumpsuit. I’d seen Lauren from The Only Way is Essex wearing it and it looks like it did online on her, but there’s no way I was sent the same.

‘They have 100% used different material for the model.

‘It’s like two different outfits. It seems like very, very cheap fabric.’

Ellen contacted PrettyLittleThing who immediately gave her a refund for the jumpsuit and told her not to bother returning it.

Although she admits the cut seemed the same, Ellen, who is 5ft 7, was left with a mountain of fabric around her ankles as the jumpsuit was so long.

Ellen said: ‘When it was in the packaging I didn’t really notice straight away because it was all layered and looked okay.

‘But when I got it out the wrapping I wouldn’t have usually bothered trying it on, but thought it’d look so funny.

‘It’s inconsistent. I ordered a dress for New Year’s Eve last year that was a red gown and it was beautiful. I loved it.

‘I do look on there and I will go there if I want something for a party and I bought this on Tuesday night for my Christmas party in December.

‘I like their jumpsuits usually. When they have the odd good item, you have a bit of hope.

‘£35 isn’t the cheapest. It’s cheaper than some things, but if I’m paying £35 for an outfit I would expect to be paying for the quality as well.

‘It almost seems like one of those outfits you’d wear over a swimming costume or something if you were going to a pool party or something, but that’s not what they’ve advertised it as.

‘I definitely won’t be braving wearing that out.

‘I’d pretty much say it was the same cut, but there was a lot of material at the bottom and I’m quite tall, I’m 5ft 7.

‘PrettyLittleThing asked me to let them know my order number and refunded me.’

We’ve contacted PrettyLittleThing for comment, and will update this article if we hear back.

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Pastry lovers rejoice – Greggs treats are now available for delivery.

After a successful trial with Deliveroo in Birmingham, the bakery are rolling out the service in Newcastle and London.

At the minute, it’s available within a radius of just seven stores.

But if you are lucky enough to live nearby, you can pick up the usual favourites like sausage rolls, steak bakes, doughnuts, breakfast items and sandwiches.

Roger Whiteside, chief executive at Greggs, said: ‘When it comes to food-on-the-go, our customers tell us that convenience is key.

‘We’ve been working on our delivery services over the past year and we’re excited to launch a Deliveroo trial for our customers in London.

‘This will enable customers to enjoy our great tasting, good value food wherever they are, offering them the ultimate convenience.’

Joe Groves at Deliveroo, added: ‘Gregg’s is an icon of the British high street, we know Deliveroo customers are going to love getting their favourite bakes and bites delivered to them in under 30 mins.’

And maybe you can even use the service to get your festive bake for the perfect proposal.

MORE: Student earns £60,000 a year by making videos of herself whispering

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Students at New York’s Purchase College campus have stumbled across an absolute gem in an otherwise unassuming University bathroom.

Hidden behind a paper towel dispenser and down a hidden walkway behind the wall is a space that contains a shrine dedicated to Mr Ozwald Cobblepot himself – Danny DeVito.

Known colloquially as the ‘Danny Devito Narnia’, it’s unclear how long the students have known about this secret treasure as it has only just made its way to the realm of Twitter.

What’s intriguing about this is that it is unclear who discovered the shrine and, more importantly, who created said shrine.

The shrine, contained in a dark concrete-walled space covered with graffiti, includes an enlarged head shot of DeVito alongside a plastic action figure toy with DeVito’s head stuck onto the top, surrounded by bits of rubbish and other memorabilia. Next to the action figure toy is a note which reads: ‘leave an offering for our kindred saint Danny DeVito.’

According to another student who tweeted about this mysterious find, the shrine is located somewhere within the Arts’ department at Purchase.

We can’t help but draw comparisons between the iconic Mean Girlsscene where, also in a school bathroom, Damien approaches a stranger and shouts: ‘Oh My God Danny DeVito I love your work!’

The scene played out by a nearby sink as opposed to a hidden room behind a paper towel dispenser. Still, we can’t help but speculate that this moment may have acted as inspiration to the geniuses behind the DeVito shrine, whoever they may be.

SUNY Purchase have yet to make a comment on this mysterious shrine, or the secrets it holds – yet.

If you ever somehow fine yourself on Purchase’s campus, maybe you can offer the saint DeVito a small gift to get us through these testing times.

MORE: Monopoly for millennials is here and it’s bleak

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After Stephanie Hollifield adopted her black daughter at eight months old, she soon realised she didn’t know what to do with her little girl’s afro hair.

Now, at age two, her daughter Haley has even more hair. It was becoming hard to manage, so Stephanie reached out to Facebook for help. It was a stranger, another mum who she had never met before, who came to her aid.

It all started when Stephanie, who is from Georgia in the US, posted a desperate message on her profile page asking for help from ‘Black Friends of Social Media’.

‘This clueless white momma is humbly coming to you to ask your help with Haley’s hair,’ explained Stephanie in her post.

‘I have asked my friends. I have asked strangers with kids with cute hair, and I’m still not getting it.’

The mum said that despite her best efforts, washing and styling Haley’s hair was painful and uncomfortable for her daughter.

‘We wash once a week. We do the water, leave in conditioner, oil, and hot towel every morning. We’ve tried more products, no products, less products. We are gentle as can be, but she still requires at least six minutes of cuddles after the trauma of her daily hair combing.

‘I feel like it looks great for about an hour or two and then it is tangly and clumpy again.

‘What am I doing wrong? I have literally bought every product that has been recommended to us. I desperately want to get this right!’

The post attracted hundreds of likes and almost 90 comments from experts, friends and strangers offering Stephanie their black hair wisdom.

But one woman, Monica Hunter, went the extra mile, offering to come to Stephanie’s house and walk her through exactly how to style her daughter’s hair.

In a second post on Facebook, Stephanie uploaded a photo of Monica and her daughter Haley and wrote about how grateful she was for the stranger’s efforts.

‘She gave us her time, advice, headbands, combs and hair product,’ explains Stephanie.

‘She asked for nothing in return and wouldn’t accept my money. By the time she left I had a little more confidence in fixing my daughter’s hair, and most importantly I felt supported by my new friend.

One of Britain’s loneliest rescue dogs is struggling to find a forever home because people are put off by his large bat-like ears.

Collie crossbreed Tug was taken in by the RSPCA after he was found abandoned in terrible condition in September.

Despite making a full recovery, the 12-year-old dog has not had a single enquiry from potential owners in the three months since his rescue.

Staff at Coventry’s RSPCA branch say Tug’s big ears and lolling tongue have put people off.

Kennel supervisor Danni Holder said: ‘When he came in Tug was in such an awful state.

‘His coat was badly matted that he had to be completely shaved.

‘I suppose this has resulted in his unusual looks and large bat ears.

‘It’s sad because he’s an absolutely wonderful dog, he’s old but has a real zest for life.

‘He’s been with us for a few months now but he hasn’t had any interest at all.

‘Not a single visitor, phone call, email or like on Facebook.

‘On paper he’s the perfect dog for many families. He’s friendly, well-behaved, family-friendly and dog-friendly.

‘But no one seems to want him and it’s heartbreaking.

‘Tug really is the perfect pooch so it’s strange that he’s had no interest at all.’

Danni is urging people to at least come and meet Tug at the RSPCA branch in Coventry to give him a chance at a happy ever after.

She said: ‘He’s a lovely boy – he’ll pull on your heart strings and win you over in no time at all.’

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A pair of Harry Potter fans decided to use their love of magic to inspire their wedding day.

Niamah Haddow and Michael Sidwell decided on a Harry Potter themed wedding, which included bridesmaids holding broomsticks instead of bouquets, and the groom wearing a Gryffindor tie.

They even had a real owl, and walked down an aisle made out of pages of their favourite Harry Potter books.

Niamah, who is originally from Wales but now lives in Australia, said: ‘The whole day was like stepping into Universal Studios, it was like we were in our own world.

‘Everything was Harry Potter.

‘We had pages of the book down the aisle and signs directing people to places in the Potter world.

‘My ring holder was the half blood prince book on the ‘unbreakable vow ‘page.

‘My bridesmaids had broomsticks as their bouquet and my bouquet was made out the book pages as were the groomsmen’s flowers in their pockets.

‘Michael’s tie was also a Gryffindor bow.’

The couple, who met five years ago at Worcester University, even sprinkled magic into their vows and music.

Niamah, 24, said: ‘Our vows were all Harry Potter related as was our music.

‘I had a platform 9 and 3/4 wall and had letters inside.

‘There were signs in the girls and boys bathroom saying ‘troll’, ‘Moaning Myrtle’ and ‘Ministry of Magic this way’ I had signs everywhere.’

The couple paid homage to Hogwarts with floating candles, which fill the Great Hall in the school for wizards.

Niamah added: ‘Each wedding table was a different subject at Hogwarts, I had floating candles, I had a cake which was all Harry Potter and a sweet cart that was Honey Dukes.

‘We even had a real owl.’

Police Officer Niamah said she and Michael, 26, had expressed their love of all things Potter the moment they met.

She said: ‘Because of our ages we have always grown up with it.

‘When we first met we expressed our love for it and our first proper date ended up being at the Harry Potter studios in Watford.

‘We got engaged on the bridge of Stratford upon Avon, it’s a magical place with lots of Harry Potter and witch related things all around.’

The couple wed on 13 October at the Bridge Water Mill in Adelaide, which Niamah said reminded them of ‘the Weasley house’
.
And their own house is just as Potter friendly. Niamah said: ‘Our whole house is Harry Potter themed.

‘All our pets were named after Harry Potter characters, our dog is called Albus and we had a cat called Dobby.’

The super fans said their loved ones, who know of their J.K Rowling obsession, were a bit taken aback by their themed day.

Niamah added: ‘We had a moment before everyone walked into the reception room where nobody had seen the decoration.

‘And it was just Michael and I and we practised our first dance, and for that moment it was just taking in the day.

‘I think when everyone saw the decorations they knew it was coming because they know how we are both big fans!

‘But I think we went above and beyond I don’t think they ever expected it to be this much!’

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Ice cream might not seem like the most natural winter time treat but McDonald’s have created something we can’t wait to try.

The Malteasers reindeer McFlurry features their classic soft serve ice cream, mini Malteaser reindeers and chocolate sauce.

The limited edition Christmas flavour goes on sale next Wednesday, 21 November.

At £1.29 for a standard and 89p for a mini size, it is slightly more expensive than their normal flavours, but Christmas is for treating yourself, right?

The full McDonald’s Christmas menu is set to be released in the coming weeks but you can already get your hands on their festive drinks offerings.

The menu features a Millionaire’s Latte – a large shot of espresso blended with steamed milk, a caramel biscuit flavour syrup, topped with a swirl of chocolate cream and a caramel drizzle.

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