Christmas time is upon us and though the date is never-changing, we are a nation of last-minute shoppers.
We hope, at least, you’ve got your Christmas party outfits sorted though.
Whether for the office party or the annual family or friends’ shindig, we have some timeless party dresses that will make sound investments into the new year.
And they don’t have to break the bank. We’ve selected a bunch of Christmas-party appropriate dresses under £30.
Featuring popular fashion staples from the past few years (being the end of the decade and all) such as sultry bodycon numbers, mesh, plus midi lengths inspired by that Zara dress.
Make your dad’s kitchen look instantly fancy (Picture: Le Creuset)
Add a touch of style to your dad’s kitchen with these gorgeous espresso mugs.
The’re made with specialist clays, and the signature Le Creuset style will make sure that everyone who comes to your kitchen knows just how classy your dad is.
A perfect present to keep your dad feeling pampered this Christmas.
The fresh sunny fragrance of the signature Colonia is accompanied by a hair and shower gel and a deodorant – so your dad can experiment with layered fragrance.
Save the Children’s Christmas Jumper Day is coming up. (Picture: Save The Children)
Christmas jumpers have become a staple part of any festive celebration and what better reason to wear one than to raise money for charity on Christmas Jumper Day?
Christmas Jumper Day is back again this year to help raise money for Save The Children, a charity which helps children all over the world.
This year, celebrities including Holly Willoughby, Katie Piper and James Blunt have all joined forces to lend their support to the campaign, which last year saw over four million people don jumpers for a good cause, according to the charity.
When is Christmas Jumper Day 2019?
This year, Christmas Jumper Day is on Friday 13 December.
To take part, you simply wear a festive jumper (the sillier, the better) to work or to school if your organisation is participating in the charity day and donate £2 to Save The Children to do so.
Miles from I’m A Celebrity and his Rak-Su bandmates are supporting Christmas Jumper Day this year. (Picture: Save The Children)
Although the official date for Christmas Jumper Day is Friday 13, there’s nothing to stop you from wearing your festive knit another day – or every day throughout December – should you so choose.
You can either donate money to Save The Children via their website, or text JINGLE to 70050 to donate £5 (for terms and conditions, see the official website here.)
Nope, she doesn’t look guilty at all (Picture: Caters News Agency)
A moment, please, to marvel at the destruction wreaked by this very naughty dog.
When Dylan Raynor, his mum, Sharon, and her partner, Nick, were out shopping, one-year-old Cocker Spaniel Dory saw the perfect opportunity to have some fun.
She decided to completely ransack the kitchen so the family had something fun to come home to.
The Raynors initially thought they had been burgled when they arrived at their home in Warrington after two hours away… then they spotted the nibble marks Dory had left as evidence.
The mess caused was pretty impressive.
Dory had pulled out all the contents of the cupboards, emptied the bin, and chucked rubbish all over the floor.
The pup had emptied the bin and spread rubbish all over the floor Picture: CATERS NEWS AGENCY
She had also munched dried lasagne sheets, licked up icing sugar, and had a sneaky bite of whatever food she could find.
Dylan, a 21-year-old Medical Biochemistry student, said: ‘Dory is just a full-time nutcase who enjoys causing havoc.
‘She attends doggy-day school and used to attend puppy training classes, however, all of these accolades do not reflect her mischievous behaviour. She’s like the Houdini of the doggy world.
‘We went shopping and we were out of the house for just shy of two hours.
‘As we arrived back my mother looked through the window and we honestly believed we had been burgled.
‘The cupboards were ransacked, food and items all over the floor.
‘It wasn’t until we noticed the nibble marks in the food and the inedible items, that we realised we had been ransacked by Dory.
Somehow the dog has learned how to open cupboards (Picture: CATERS NEWS AGENCY)
‘She had worked out how to open the cupboard doors and had also worked out how to open the bin.
‘She had emptied the contents of every cupboard and also the rubbish bin.
‘After realising the destruction was caused by the dog and not a human it made me wonder what else she might be capable of.
‘My mother was in disbelief as was her partner, and eventually we all laughed and realised if Dory had hands and fingers, we’d all be dead.’
This is unlikely to be the last incident of Dory being a naughty pooch, as apparently she’s always up to mischief – although this particular mess is the largest she’s caused.
‘She has always taken socks out of a washing basket, or decided to take a risky drink out of the bath water showing no regards to the bubbles present,’ said Dylan. ‘However, this has completely blown her previous mischievous behaviour out of the pond.
‘To top it off, Dory had taken a nibble out of literally everything on the floor, including the icing sugar, so everything had to be thrown in the bin.
‘She had nibbled her dog collar and consumed things which would make anyone sick in large amounts so we monitored her health but 24 hours after the incident she was perfectly fine, eating and sleeping as normal.
‘She will be one this month. I keep telling my family she will settle down soon but it appears to be something I’m saying all too often.’
Kris and Karen were asked whether their daughter Willow had been kissed by someone with a cold sore (Picture: MDWFeatures / @wonderwillow19)
When Karen Diamond, 28, noticed her two-week-old baby had a lump in her leg, she panicked.
Karen, a team manager from Gateshead, was already a mum to nine-year-old Bentley when she welcomed her daughter Willow on 29 April 2019 at 37 weeks and one day, weighing 7lb 2oz.
Willow was born with a port wine stain on her back and hips, something Karen and her husband Kris weren’t aware of until she was delivered.
Then when Willow was two weeks old, Karen noticed a small lump in her leg and immediately rushed the baby to hospital.
The doctor noticed Willow’s feet looked slightly clubbed and so asked if she had ever been kissed by someone with a cold sore, questioning whether the child could have herpes.
At three weeks old, Willow was admitted to hospital following rectal bleeding and it was there that doctors noticed she had extra lymphatic fluid in her legs, suspecting Klippel-Trenaunay Webber Syndrome (KTWS), a vascular disorder which can cause limbs to be disproportionate because of excess lymphatic fluid, often a result of birthmarks.
Lymphedema causes Willow’s leg to swell (Picture: MDWFeatures / @wonderwillow19)
After two MRI scans it was revealed that Willow’s swollen legs weren’t indeed down to lymphedema, when excess fluid collects in the tissue, and complex lymphatic and vascular malformations in her legs.
Lymphedema is a long-term condition with no cure.
Karen now tries to reduce the swelling in Willow’s legs with daily massages and manual lymphatic drainage.
She’s sharing Willow’s story to raise awareness of lymphedema and increase understanding of visible differences.
‘We noticed she had a lump in her leg and her foot had started to look clubbed,’ says Karen. ‘It was horrendous, my husband immediately thought the worst as he sadly lost his cousin and best friend to cancer. Both our minds ran wild over something that was so small because we just wanted her to be okay.
She needs daily massages and lymphatic drainage (Picture: MDWFeatures / @wonderwillow19)
‘We attended the local hospital where at first they suspected she had kissed someone with a cold sore. I’ve heard so many incredibly sad stories of babies dying, so my mum took me to the waiting room where I flopped onto the seat and cried while they took bloods.
‘We were incredibly lucky that a paediatrician wrote Klippel-Trenaunay Webber Syndrome on her paperwork with a question mark beside it as that led me to research it when we were released.
‘It was heart breaking when I researched it because Google shows you the worst. It crushed me and my dad couldn’t even bring himself to look.
‘A few days after we were sent home, Willow had her first bleed from her rectum, so we went back to hospital and were admitted. We met several dermatologists and a paediatrician who mentioned that because she had port wine stains, it was a possibility that she could have KTWS, but she’d need an MRI and genetic testing to confirm it.
Karen knows it’s ‘human nature’ to stare, but she wishes people would smile and say hello when they notice Willow’s differences (Picture: MDWFeatures / @wonderwillow19)
‘After two MRIs, Willow was diagnosed with lymphedema in both legs, complex lymphatic and vascular malformations in both legs and this too surrounds her bowel and perineum buttocks and rectal area.
‘Willow unfortunately has melena stools which we are currently monitoring and the lymphoedema causes her left leg to swell more than the right. She’s that amazing that her little feet don’t match either as they are not symmetric like mine or yours.
‘We are yet to know how it will impact her health. She’s super resilient right now but her future is just so uncertain, I never know when she will have melena stools (bleeds) and I’m fighting to keep her lymphedema at bay with daily compression.
‘I’m unsure how her intestinal issues will affect her, but she’s still undergoing tests and has a long journey ahead of her.’
Willow’s leg in strapping to compress the lymphedema (Picture: MDWFeatures / @wonderwillow19)
Willow hasn’t lost her fighting spirit and continues to amaze everyone, earning her the name ‘Wonder Willow’ by nurses.
In June 2020, Karen, along with other family members, plans to climb Ben Nevis to raise money for St Oswald’s Hospice, who have helped Willow so much.
She said: ‘There are various complications and every individual is different. How the condition affects an individual depends on the complexity of their malformations, their lymphedema and how much of their body is affected. You are at high risk of infection so on constant watch for cellulitis and sepsis.
Karen hopes Willow’s story will raise awareness of lymphedema (Picture: MDWFeatures / @wonderwillow19)
‘I carry out manual lymphatic drainage daily and I massage her legs every day. Willow responds well to her compression so I’m hopeful she will have every success in the future managing her condition. I’m hopeful one day she may be considered for a procedure where they can drain the fluid by attaching the lymphatics to veins.
‘Her legs are wrapped daily which is a lengthy process. As there is no cure for this condition, it’s all about management and hoping for more research and treatments in the future.
‘We hope to climb Ben Nevis in June 2020 to raise funds for St Oswald’s Hospice and the Lymphoedema Support Network. I am now part of a group and speak to other people who have the condition and was pleasantly surprised at how well they all manage their conditions.
‘Being rare is beautiful and amazing. Lymphedema may make Willow, and others like her, look different but it does not define her/them.
‘Don’t worry about looking, it’s human nature, but please smile and say hello also.’
Four years ago Spencer and Bela realised they wanted to make a change (Picture: Mediadrumimages/TheEscher/RyanTu)
A family fed up of paying thousands on rent each year have done what we all fantasise about and built their own house.
Now they get to travel the world by renting out that tiny home to tourists. Genius.
Bela Fishbeyn, 34, and Spencer Wright, 32, worked out that they were throwing around £23,000 just to rent a home with their daughter Escher Kamalova, three.
Four years ago Spencer was working full-time while Bela worked in an office four days a week. They were tired, rundown, and working hard just to spend the majority of their money on rent.
While most of us just despair over the reality of renting, Bela and Spencer chose to make a change – and they say anyone can do the same.
They set about making a tiny home for the grand cost of £100,000, naming it The Escher after their daughter.
They gave up renting to build The Escher, a tiny home named after their daughter (Picture: Mediadrumimages/TheEscher/RyanTu)
The house cost £100,000 to build (Picture: Mediadrumimages/TheEscher/RyanTu)
The end result is pretty glorious – what the house might lack in size it makes up for in stylish design, a hideaway bedroom, and a proper kitchen with all the mod cons you could want.
The family now rent out the home, which sits in Boulder Creek, California, with amazing views of the valley, for half the year so they can travel the world with the money they earn.
Bela, who is now the executive managing editor of The American Journal of Bioethics (AJOB) at Stanford University, said: ‘I don’t think we’re outliers in too many ways… we’re a young family, interested in our health, freedom, and opportunity.
‘We’re tight-knit and love taking on projects together as a way to learn and develop our futures.’
Bela is able to work remotely while Spencer stays home and looks after the family, giving them the freedom to travel in the summer and winter.
The Escher’s living space – a large ‘garage door’ system allows the inside and outside to flow seamlessly (Picture: Mediadrumimages/TheEscher/RyanTu)
The kitchen (Picture: Mediadrumimages/TheEscher/RyanTu)
The home makes the most of its limited space (Picture: Mediadrumimages/TheEscher/RyanTu)
Look at that little dining area! (Picture: Mediadrumimages/TheEscher/RyanTu)
Spencer says: ‘This big thing that sets us apart came about because we’ve taken small steps, over and over again, that each time gave us more control over our lives.
‘We’ve slowly increased Bela’s ability to work remotely – now she’s fully remote. We also decided that I should stay at home and work on family projects so that we could make the most of Bela’s remote work.
‘We built a tiny house in order to beat a terrible housing market in the San Francisco Bay Area.
‘These are decisions that most people could push for and accomplish over three to five years. It’s just about prioritising freedom and hustling on margins to make it happen.’
A ladder leads up to Escher’s bedroom (Picture: Mediadrumimages/TheEscher/RyanTu)
A cosy hideaway for the three-year-old (Picture: Mediadrumimages/TheEscher/RyanTu)
A king-size bed in Spencer and Bela’s room (Picture: Mediadrumimages/TheEscher/RyanTu)
The family originally lived in the tiny home full-time, but after eight months listed the property on Airbnb for between £150 to £275 a night.
Along with a stay in a beautifully decorated tiny house, guests get access to over 20 acres of woodland and hiking trails, a furnished canvas Belle tent, and a 300 square feet deck with panoramic views.
They’re also planning to add a new cedar soak hot tub this year.
Renting out the home has given the family the freedom to travel all over the place.
‘While we were first bringing the house online as a rental, we played things pretty conservatively, keeping our travels fairly limited to California and visiting family in North Carolina, with some short trips to Mexico and the like mixed in,’ Spencer explains. ‘But now that the house is stable and renting well, we’ve been a bit more adventurous.
‘We just got back from a five-week trip to Spain and in February we’ll be touring a fully-loaded Sprinter van for a whole month.
The house sits in Boulder Creek in Californi (Picture: Mediadrumimages/TheEscher/RyanTu)
The family rent the home out on Airbnb for around two thirds of the year (Picture: Mediadrumimages/TheEscher/RyanTu)
‘In the background, we’re also trying to develop an A-frame home outside of Asheville, North Carolina as a second property.
‘Our long-term goal is to get short-term rental homes set up in five different places, three domestic and two international, so that we can still travel but do it to our own homes, rather than renting while we travel.’
Bela and Spencer say that giving up renting and overhauling their lifestyles is the best decision they’ve ever made, and they haven’t looked back since.
Bela says: ‘Our favourite thing about the property is sharing it with others. It’s a home that really shifts your perspective. You feel the transition into a different style of home and a different pace of life,” added Bela.
‘Most of all, I think people are blown away by how spacious 300 square feet can feel. With the right design, you never even notice. Instead you’re drawn in by the quality of the home and the openness to the outdoors.
The family say they’ll never go back to renting traditional properties (Picture: Mediadrumimages/TheEscher/RyanTu)
They’re able to go on so many adventures (Picture: Mediadrumimages/TheEscher/RyanTu)
‘In many ways, the idea of a tiny house has been on our minds since our honeymoon nine years ago.
‘We stayed in a tiny cabin on a farm-stay in the North Carolina mountains with an incredible view and a dreamy outdoor cedar soaking tub.
‘It was so perfect, we actually tried to cancel a trip we had planned to Chicago just so that we could stay longer. In that moment, we fell in love with simple homes that over-deliver on views, tranquillity, and luxurious amenities – and now we want to share that experience.
‘When we were in the housing market, we were in a one-bedroom cottage in a suburb, then we moved to a slightly bigger duplex in Oakland, California.
‘I wouldn’t say that either was better in any way to our tiny house, but they were bigger and a lot less work.
‘But what can I say… the view, the freedom, the value, the beauty. There’s no way we’d ever go back to renting those sorts of places, now knowing that tiny houses are an option.
‘It’s a very peaceful place to have a home, it’s way beyond where we thought we’d be living in our thirties. It’s truly a dream home, not a starter home.’
Do you live in a tiny home or other unusual dwellings? Get in touch to share your story by emailing MetroLifestyleTeam@Metro.co.uk.
This may shock you, but not everyone wants chocolate in their advent calendars – or even Percy Pigs.
For many people a non-edible treat is the height of Christmas joy.
That’s the case for Rachel, 41, who was surprised by a homemade flip flop advent calendar by her husband, Neil, 46.
Neil came up with the idea to create an advent calendar filled with flip flops after his wife gifted him a hand-crafted advent calendar filled with beer.
He was touched and set about making a calendar Rachel – who loves shoes – would adore.
After Rachel gave husband Neil a homemade beer advent calendar, he surprised her with an advent calendar filled with her favourite thing (Picture: CATERS NEWS AGENCY)
Neil spent £45 buying 25 pairs of flip flops then made an advent calendar using a plastic box, sheets of cardboard, and coat hooks for the handles. The radio engineer said it took him 20 minutes to make the calendar in his garage.
Neil presented his hard work to Rachel after the start of advent on Monday. She loves it.
Rachel, from Moreton, Wirral, said: ‘I was shocked when he gave it to me. I kept on giggling, I thought it was just absolutely fantastic.
‘At first I didn’t know what it was and then Neil said I just had to pull each drawer out.
‘I opened the first one and saw pretty quickly it was a pair of flip flops. Neil and I were laughing so much.
Neil says the calendar took around 20 minutes to make (Picture: CATERS NEWS AGENCY)
‘I think it’s the best thing ever. I couldn’t be more chuffed, even if each drawer had £1,000 in it wouldn’t be as good as a new pair of flip flops each day.’
Rachel says she’s obsessed with flip flops and is known to wear them whatever the weather.
She said: ‘I’ve always got a spare pair in the car just in case. If I’ve got a meeting I’ll throw some work shoes on but otherwise I’ll wear flip flops from March ’til October.
‘They’re easy to put on and I love them.’
Rachel added that Neil built her the calendar after she presented him with his own beer version
The part-time charity worker, said: ‘Last week I gave Neil an advent calendar which I’d made. I wrapped up lots of beers and put them in lots of wrapping paper and gave it to him.
‘He was quite overwhelmed and couldn’t believe I’d gone to all that effort to make him one. It was quite easy to make and cost about £33.
Rachel wears flip flops whatever the weather (Picture: CATERS NEWS AGENCY)‘He said he had to do something for me and went quite quiet.
‘On December 2 at lunchtime he was working from home and said he was going to sort my calendar out and went into the garage. He came back about twenty minutes later with the box.”
Neil said: ‘I don’t normally buy advent calendars but I thought this year I’d make a bit of an effort.
‘She loves flip flops, she gets through loads of them so I thought if I buy a load cheaply and do a calendar that would be perfect.
‘The hardest part was making it. It was quite tricky, I made 16 drawers and cardboard lid.
‘It took me about 20 minutes, it’s not a really a work of art.
‘Despite that, Rachel is absolutely over the moon, it’s great to see.’
Sweet, right?
Have you completed a brilliant DIY project? Fancy sharing it with the world? Get in touch by emailing MetroLifestyleTeam@Metro.co.uk.
The RSPCA is asking for help to look after nine miniature Dachshund puppies, named Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner, Blitzen, and Rudolf, as well as their mum, Olive.
Olive was brought into RSPCA care last month along with her nine three-week-old puppies, who staff believe had been bred for sale as Christmas presents.
As they’re still so young, the puppies need round-the-clock care alongside special food and toys – and the RSPCA is asking for the public’s help.
Lending a hand is pretty simple: you can make a donation or drop off any useful items, such as puppy food and toys.
Manager Julie Cockroft said: ‘We have to have one member of staff constantly allocated to these puppies as even the simplest of tasks – such as checking and cleaning their teeth – can take ages with nine wriggly, little puppies.
This is the pups’ mum, Olive (Picture: RSPCA Halifax)
‘They need a lot of care and, also, a lot of specialist things, so if any members of the public are able to help by making donations or dropping off any useful items then that would be hugely helpful. We’re particularly looking for puppy food and toys to keep them entertained.’
The puppies will be up for adoption once they’re old enough, but the RSPCA has already been inundated with applications, receiving more than 500 in less than 24 hours. So before you fall madly in love, please don’t set your heart on one of these pups.
But if staring at those little sausage dog faces does make you desperately want a dog, remember that there are loads of other pups (who are just as adorable) searching for homes through the RSPCA
And if you aren’t able to take in a dog but would love to help, you can donate to help the RSPCA look after animals this Christmas through Stock the Sleigh – just £7 can keep an animal warm with a cosy blanket.
I love talking about sex and disability (Picture: Alejandro Santiago)
My name is Andrew Gurza, I’m 35 and I live with Spastic Quadriplegic Cerebral Palsy.
This means I am a power wheelchair user and I cannot walk. On top of this, I have attendant care workers who help me with almost everything in my day – dressing, eating and going to the toilet – to name a few.
I also love talking about sex and disability.
Now, you might think based on all of the things I just told you that I can’t be a sexual being at all. How could anyone who can’t take themselves to the bathroom want or need sex, right? Don’t they have bigger things to concern themselves with?
Many people ask these questions because they have been taught that disabled people can’t, or more dangerously, shouldn’t be sexual at all. I wanted to start that conversation and help people to realise that yes, disabled people can be sexy and hot if they choose to.
I was not being pitied or treated as if I couldn’t have sex at all (Picture: Charlie Garner)
My quest to provide disabled people access to positive sexual representations led me to the opportunity to shoot my first gay porn scene, with HimerosTV out of the United States.
They reached out to me and asked if I would be interested in providing authentic disability representation in gay porn. I was, of course, very eager and I knew how important this could be.
I loved doing it so much, not because I wanted to be a ‘porn star,’ but because it was an opportunity for people to see a disabled person having sex, and dare I say, enjoying themselves while doing so.
I was not being pitied or treated as if I couldn’t have sex at all. Here in this arena, my disabled body was powerful and sexy.
We shot it at my home, in my accessible space, where I felt the most empowered.
The other performer worked with me and my body throughout to ensure that my disability needs (getting me out of my wheelchair and into bed), and my comfort was considered every step of the way.
I still find myself still smiling about the scene because I know that it created change, and I am proud to have had a hand (and other body parts, too) in that.
I wanted disabled people to have a space where they could express what makes them feel hot (Picture: Graham Isador)
The experience left me with an absolute hunger to do more films, but also with a burning desire to find more ways to include sexuality in our wider discussions about what disability access means and why it is important.
In the world of disability, we are most comfortable when we talk about access. It tends to be our big buzz word in the disability community: accessibility.
But when we talk about accessibility, we only ever mention things like ramps, push buttons or lifts so that someone with a mobility device can access a space. I wondered why we never, ever talk about what it might mean for a disabled person to have access to their own body or their sexuality.
I wanted this question answered so earlier this year, before filming, I went viral after starting the campaign #DisabledPeopleAreHot on Twitter. I wanted people to look at real images of disabled people taking ownership of their sexuality as well as their disabled bodies.
It created a space where disabled people could express what makes them feel hot, sexy, or even just happy; sentiments that we hardly ever consider as a society at large, if we dare to consider disabled people at all.
We never see images like this in our mainstream media, and so it was a beautiful sight to watch my Twitter feed explode with imagery from a myriad of disabled people highlighting their own personal journeys with disability acceptance.
Hopefully the hashtag and my film will open the door for other disabled people to showcase their sexuality, whether that be through porn or some other art form.
I urge you to remember that disabled people deserve access to all areas of society – and that includes sex and sexuality.
Expand your views on accessibility to include ramps to a sex club, lifts to a sexuality conference and push buttons that will bust open the doors to sexual liberation.
Katie has lipoedema, which causes a buildup of fat in the legs (Picture: Caters News Agency)
Katie Baker, 31, is desperately raising money for surgery to remove 20 litres of fat from her legs.
The mum and former chef has lipoedema, a condition that causes an abnormal biold-up of fat cells in the legs.
She developed the issue when she was 13 but says her lipoedema has worsened during her two pregnancies.
While Katie at first thought she was just ‘fat’, changing her diet and undergoing a gastric bypass made no difference. Her legs continued to grow and now weigh an estimated combined weight of 3 stone and 2lbs.
It didn’t help that she was dismissed by doctors for years, who thought her legs were just swollen until September this year.
Katie’s lipodoema has now left her housebound as the weight of her legs causes her pain and makes it difficult to move around.
The mum-of-two has been left housebound and has needed to leave work as the weight of her legs causes her pain (Picture: CATERS NEWS AGENCY)
‘I have spent most of my life feeling guilty and blaming myself for my legs – I thought I was ruining my own life by being fat,’ Katie, from Ontario, Canada, explains.
‘I felt relieved when I was diagnosed. I had read about lipoedema before online, but I thought it seemed too good to be true as I’d always blamed myself.
‘I didn’t understand how someone can be fat without it being their own fault.
‘I have suffered with severe self-confidence issues due to my condition causing me to be the victim of playground bullying.
‘Even when I take my children Abigail, eight, and Benjamin, one, to the park – kids ask me “why are your legs so gross?”
Katie is now fundraising for surgery to remove 20 litres of fat from her leg (Picture: CATERS NEWS AGENCY)
‘It is never ending, and I just want to feel good in my own skin.’
Katie first noticed weight gain in her legs when she was going through puberty.
She blamed herself for putting on weight, despite her top half being much slimmer than her bottom half.
The condition has had such an impact on Katie’s self-esteem that she has considered suicide.
Katie said: ‘Doctors always gave an unexplained cause of fat legs because I looked it but to me it didn’t add up as I have never had a bad enough diet to compensate the weight.
‘I have experienced suicidal thoughts due to my condition getting worse and worse.
For years Katie blamed herself for the size of her legs (Picture: CATERS NEWS AGENCY)
‘During my first pregnancy, I gained seven stone and my partner couldn’t even look at me and now we’ve separated.
‘I weighed 25 stone, so I underwent a gastric bypass in 2012 which helped me lose 10 stone.
‘However, my legs remained the same and failed to slim down.
‘It isn’t just the mental aspect of dealing with lipoedema that is hard but the physical too.
‘I am constantly in pain; it is unbearable and feels like my legs are an overfilled water balloon that is about to burst.
‘I have had to put my son Benjamin who is 18 months into childcare because I can’t keep up with him.’
The condition made Katie consider suicide (Picture: CATERS NEWS AGENCY)
Katie was forced to quit her job as she was declared disabled in January 2018.
Along with lipoedema, Katie had now developed lymphedema, a long-term condition where excess lymphatic fluid collects in tissues, causing further swelling.
Katie is fundraising £112,500 to cover the costs of four rounds of liposuction to remove 20 litres of excess fat at a time from her legs.
She says: ‘If lipoedema is caught early enough it can be treated, unfortunately, I have learnt the hard way.
‘This condition is debilitating and taking over my life.
‘I am unable to sit down as my bum bruises and I experience excruciating pain when standing, which leads me to spend most of the day lying down.
‘I want nothing more than to play with my children and return to work, I loved my job!
‘It is also stealing my daughter’s childhood; she is like a mini mum around the house and always checking up on me and offering a hand.
‘I am sharing my story for all the other women who are suffering with this chronic disease and want to get their life back also.
‘I am in the process of starting a lipoedema awareness campaign on social media to hopefully educate the medical community so it can be diagnosed and monitored early on.’
Jacob Bell always knew he wanted to run his own business.
But Jacob, now 14, from Hither Green, South East London, wanted to make sure that his work would help people who were less fortunate.
Unlike most, Jacob didn’t want to wait until he finished school to become an entrepreneur – so he persuaded some of his friends to help him create candles, with profits going towards a local refugee charity. That’s how One Small Candle was born
Now on their third year of Christmas sales, the candles are in high demand and they’ve raised £2,000 – enough to fund a second-hand delivery truck that takes food and clothing to kids and families across Europe.
This weekend, Jacob and the team will sell their candles at the Christmas market at the end of his road once again – but this time, they are raising money to create kits to encourage other teens to make candles like his to sell and help other charities.
The boys with their candles (Picture: Alex Bell)
Jacob explains: ‘Ever since I was little, I’ve always dreamed of making my own business which could help others.
‘We have a Christmas market at the end of our road in Hither Green called the FUSS* Fair (*Friends and Users of Staplehurst Shops).
‘Two years ago, I had the idea to make and sell hand poured essential oil candles with my friends to raise money and awareness for our amazing local refugee charity Grace Aid.
‘The candles were really popular and we sold enough at the last two Christmas markets to pay for a second-hand delivery truck that now takes food and clothing to refugee kids and their families all over Europe.’
The team includes Jacob, his brother Teddy, and friends Alex Harris Montero, Oscar Petterson, Jude Baker, Gabriel Baker, Tess Baker, Daniel Santos, Eddie Moore and Flo Moore.
The teens didn’t have any experience with candle making but they researched the process and starting to experiment with different things they could do to create their product.
The One Small Candle box (Picture: Alex Bell)
Jacob says: ‘We decided on candles because it is quite easy for kids to make good quality products that we can sell for a good price.
‘From the start, we decided to use eco packaging and recyclable glass so that we could reduce our impact on the earth.
‘We learnt by trial and error. Doing one or two as a hobby is easy! It’s very different making large quantities of candles at the right quality that would sell.
‘We made a lot of mistakes to get them right. We have blocked a sink with wax, burned ourselves a few times, rejected wonky wicks and covered our kitchen floor in hundreds of wax drips that have to be scraped off.’
The candles are packaged sustainably (Picture: Alex Bell)
With the product perfected, the boys were supported by friends and neighbours to build the rest of their business.
‘All our friends and family in the neighbourhood have all helped out,’ Jacob adds. ‘We even borrowed our neighbour’s dog for the advert we filmed.
‘We’ve also had amazing support from our local community who come back each year to buy the candles.’
Now the candles are selling so well, the team can’t keep up with demand and they have instead created videos showing the process to encourage other teenagers across the world to create their own candles and sell them to support other refugee charities.
Jacob started the business using his pocket money savings and a loan from his parents that he could repay once the candles had sold, but he realised that not everyone can afford the start-up costs and he wants to create free kits to help other children follow his lead.
Jacob adds: ‘We have a lovely life here in London and everything we need. I couldn’t imagine what life is like for kids my age and their families.
‘I knew I couldn’t do a lot to help, because I was only 12 when we started, but I knew I could do something.
Jacob and his team with their candles (Picture: Alex Bell)
‘We know we can make a difference to the world. We’re doing it one small candle at a time.
‘Now, we can’t keep up with demand. So now we need other kids around the world to help us.
‘We are going to use the profit from his year’s market to make candle-making kits to send out for free so kids like us anywhere in the world can make and sell candles, pay us back the cost of the kit and use the profit to support refugee kids and their families in their part of the world.’
Jacob has also become a HundrED.orgyouth ambassador, following in the footsteps of his dad Alex who was named as the HundrED Global Ambassador of the Year for 2020 for his business Portland Education, offering help and support for schools.
Last month, they were invited to Helskini for their awards. Jacob says that being a young entrepreneur has given them lots of great opportunities, as well as allowing them to help other people.
Jacob adds: ‘It’s hard work, but worth it. Having a good idea and good attention to detail really pays off.
‘We took things very seriously from the beginning but never expected for things to go as well as they have.
‘Everyone’s reaction and support for the candles has been amazing!’
If you haven’t purchase this year’s festive ensemble yet, you might want to hold off – an environmental charity has just released research revealing that the annual tradition could be harming the environment.
There are currently 65million jumpers in wardrobes across the UK – that’s almost one jumper per person – so in theory, there should be enough to go around.
However, the findings showed that two out of five Christmas jumpers are only used once during the festive season, and Brits will purchase around 12million new ones this year.
Hubbub reviewed 108 jumpers sold by 11 online and high street retailers to find out what materials these are made from – it was found that 95% are made entirely or partially from plastic components.
One of the reasons shoppers purchase new jumpers without considering the environmental impact could be due to them not being aware of what their clothes are made of.
‘A lot of people are concerned about plastics in the oceans, but they don’t realise that the stuff they are wearing also has plastic in it as well,’ said Sarah Divall, creative partner at Hubbub.
This doesn’t mean that you can’t still don a jolly jumper this Christmas, but the charity recommends that people do a jumper swap, rather than invest in a new one.
Sarah said: ‘You should still enjoy Christmas, no one is saying that this means that you don’t get to have fun.
‘There’s a way you can join in: wear a Christmas jumper but swap it or see what you have in the cupboard, or see if you can borrow a friend’s so you don’t have to go out, spend loads of money and buy something new that you’re probably only going to wear once.’
You could also upcycle an old jumper or make your very own creation from decorations at home.
Jumpers are not the only seasonal items to be highlighted for its environmental impact in 2019.
The contents of the crackers will be replaced with metal or recyclable paper trinkets going forward. The wrappers will also not be decorated with plastic glitter.
Do you drink more when you’re single, or when you’re in a relationship?
When dating and living the carefree single life drinks certainly flow easy, but when you’re part of a couple there are plenty of temptations.
Cosy pub nights, dates at restaurants where you ‘might as well’ get a bottle, and the constant reassurance that comes with someone else being beside you who drinks just as much.
Our Spill It diarist this week is Isabel*, who’s 26, and works in credit control for a media company. She lives in Reading, and often has to commute, which is certainly not the one on a hangover.
Thankfully though, she knows how to keep the hangovers after pints with her partner at bay – double carbs.
Friday
It’s Friday. It’s month end. It’s been a long week. I’m having a drink. I head straight into town to one of our favourite pubs for a few drinks with the other half and our best friend.
My other half has Fridays off so he’s been out ‘Christmas Shopping’ – code for ‘been drinking most of the afternoon’.
I order a pint of lager and drink that pretty quick. We have another three pints before heading to another pub in town. We have another two pints before calling it a night (I know I have to wrap some Christmas presents before we meet up with the in-laws tomorrow).
Units: 18
Saturday
We’ve got a busy weekend ahead. The in-laws are down for the weekend.
We decided to meet in Windsor and stay the night. We head down just after 2pm so we can check in, leave our bags and meet up with them. We decide to have a wander around Windsor before heading to the Wetherspoons.
The OH and I order a pint of lager each while the in-laws have a coffee. We catch up for a while before deciding to order another pint each. We have a walk over to Eton and found a lovely looking pub. Roaring fire and a free table right next to it!
It would be rude to walk past and not have a drink there. Time for another pint. We finish those and head back towards the town for some dinner. I have a bottle of cider with my food followed by a shot of limoncello (it’s a pallet cleanser guys). We head back to the hotel bar for a nightcap before we head back to our rooms – I have a pink gin and tonic.
Units: 12.7
Sunday
It’s an early start for us, meeting the in-laws for a small breakfast before we do the long walk.
We do our walk and wander around the shops before we head to restaurant for lunch.
We’re meeting my Dad, but the M4’s closed so he’s running late. So we decide to go to our table and have a drink before he arrives. I order a pint of Amstel. My Dad still isn’t here so we have another pint.
Our food arrives and we’re all having a good time. So we order another pint before paying the bill. We say goodbye to my Dad and decide we should probably walk off our Sunday Lunch before heading to a final pub for a last drink with the in-laws before getting the train back home. I have a pint of Amstel.
We head back to the station to get our train and decide we’ll avoid our local as we’re shattered and have to be up for work tomorrow.
Units: 12
Monday
Today was a long day. The OH normally plays pool on a Monday night. I call him to say I’m staying in and will cook tea for when he gets in. He comes in about 9pm, we have dinner and go to bed.
Units: 0
Tuesday
I’m organising our work Christmas Party this year, so I had to pop to the venue to confirm some final details. All the details were fine, but I obviously had to sample the cocktails they had on offer. I had a rum version of a Pina Colada. It was delightful!
I call the OH to see if he’s on his way yet. He’s not, so I decide to get some bits for tea from Sainsbury’s and head home.
Units: 2
Wednesday
I was determined to just go straight home tonight. Cook a nice comforting meal of double carbs (homemade Macaroni cheese and garlic bread, if anyone was wondering) and do a quick clean up of the flat, but I got a text from the OH asking if I wanted to meet him in our local for a drink after work… obviously I said yes.
To be fair, it was good to catch up with our mate, and I also met a lovely lady – she’d lost her son earlier on in the year and was just starting to talk about it (which she said helped her massively). I ended up having five pints of Carling. On a Wednesday. Knowing full well I have to get up early for a meeting in London tomorrow. Why?!
Units: 15
Thursday
Woke up loads of times throughout the night, panicking I was going to miss my alarm, also woke up with a fuzzy head. I knew I shouldn’t have drunk more than three pints midweek. It wrecks my sleep and my head.
I also hate having to commute to London peak times. It’s my idea of hell, but with my head office based in London, I have to do this more often than not these days. Luckily, the train from Reading to Paddington is less than half an hour on a good run, but I didn’t manage to get a seat and I can’t be arsed for a busy commute.
Once I finally get to the office I’m fine. I order a latte and once the caffeine hits, I’m good to go. After a busy day full of meetings I decided to go straight home. No booze today – need to be fresh for the weekend!
Melanie’s four-year-old son has autism. His pre-school recommended using a weighted lap cushion to help him relax (Picture: Melanie Lord)
If you’ve ever struggled with anxiety or sensory processing issues – or you know someone who has – you’ve probably heard people extolling the benefits of weighted blankets and pillows.
Then you’ve likely eagerly searched online to get your own, only to discover those special weighted products tend to be pricey.
One mum came up with a way to make use of the soothing effects of a weighted cushion without splashing a load of cash.
Melanie Lord, 30, wanted a weighted lap cushion for her four-year-old son Harry, who has autism, after his school suggested it might help to calm him.
She had a browse online but was quickly put off when the only option she could find was £36. After all, it’s a risk to drop a load of money on something if you’re not certain it will help.
So Melanie, from Suffolk, decided to make her own weighted cushion, using bean bags she managed to pick up for £4.
Melanie stitched together eight bean bags she was able to buy for £4 (Picture: Melanie Lord)
The mum-of-two sewed together the bean bags to make a cushion Harry could place on his lap whenever he’s feeling overwhelmed. It worked a treat, so Melanie is now sharing her hack in case it helps others.
Melanie, who owns a small online gift shop called Butterbean Bizarre that raises money for the National Autistic Society, told LatestDeals.co.uk: ‘My son is four years old and wonderfully autistic, which means he can become anxious and unsettled at times.
‘He often finds it hard to sit and concentrate, and his pre-school has suggested to try a weighted cushion to place on his lap at home to see if he felt more relaxed.
‘I trawled the internet looking at the cushions and they were priced between £30 and £40. I wasn’t sure if it would work so I didn’t want to spend that much on one.
‘After looking online at the designs of the lap cushions, I thought about using bean bags instead, as the pockets of the weighted cushions reminded me of a bean bag. I remembered from when I was at primary school that bean bags were always quite heavy.
The stitched-together bean bags were then placed into a pillow case (Picture: Melanie Lord)
‘I saw that Home Bargains were selling bean bags for £2 for four, and I bought two packs. You can buy these online too from eBay and Amazon.
‘I stitched eight together, and thought it was a good weight for my son, especially as he was only four. Then I placed them inside a cushion cover. It saved a huge amount compared to buying one online.’
Harry likes the feel of the cushion and finds it relaxing to run his hands over the different textures. Melanie says the bean bags had an immediately calming effect.
‘I placed it on his lap and he loved the feel of it, and also how he could feel the dried beans within the bag,’ Melanie explains. ‘He liked to run his hands over it. He liked the different textures of it so it acted like a sensory lap cushion too.
‘He was more relaxed and it helped him be able to concentrate more. It just brought a sense of calm to him.
‘If you want to make one, make sure to sew along the edges of the bean bag, (just the material part) to attach them together as opposed to trying to stitch into the filled parts of the bean bags.
‘It’s important to also mention that it’s a lap pillow, and it’s best not to be used as a duvet as it could pose risks to adults or children at night. My little boy loves his and it’s much cheaper than buying the £35 one!’
Sylvia Pope with her Christmas bauble collection (Wales News Service)
One grandma has taken ‘getting into the Christmas spirit’ to a new level.
Sylvia Pope – a 77-year-old from Swansea – has a bauble collection like no other and spends months hanging them in preparation for the big day.
Sylvia’s collection features around 2,700 ornaments, which she has built up over the past 20 years.
They come from all over the world and each piece ranges from £20 to £85 in price.
As well as traditional baubles, her collection includes a number of wacky items. A New York taxi, a can of Coke, a watch, airplanes, helicopters, ice-creams and an old fashioned telephone baubles are just a few pieces in her stash.
She hand-pins them to her living room ceiling (Wales News Service)
A more traditional bauble (Wales News Service)
She also collects items that she thinks her grandchildren would enjoy – including Peter Pan, Tinkerbell and Mary Poppins-themed decorations.
Perhaps more impressively – all her ornaments amount to a total of £15,000.
What a spectacle (Wales News Online)
Her baubles come from around the world (Wales News Online)
The grandma-of-ten spends £100 a year adding to the collection.
She’s also strict on putting them up and doesn’t trust anyone to help out – in case they damage her festive goods.
Sylvia said: ‘I absolutely love Christmas and my grandchildren’s faces light up when they see all the baubles. It really is magical for them.
‘I love setting up my baubles up all over the house. I won’t let anyone else help in case of breakages – even though it gets a little harder each year.
‘It’s my own little hobby and I love it when all the baubles are up on the ceiling. They look wonderful and people do a double take when they see them.’
The 77-year-old doesn’t trust anyone to help, in case they break any (Wales News Service)
Sylvia says her substantial collection takes months to assemble.
She often starts hand-pinning them to her ceiling in September – four months ahead of Christmas – and leaves them hanging until March.
She added: ‘The ceiling is full of tiny holes when I take them down so its need re-plastering and painting.
‘Some people think it is over the top and tacky but when they see it for real it’s completely different. Most people love them and think they look fabulous.’
Sylvia’s now into her 20th year of collecting and has no plans of stopping anytime soon.
Christmas Tree farms start growing their trees as long as a decade in advance of their sale to the public. (Picture: Andreas Rentz/Getty Images)
If you’ve just started to feel festive, chances are that buying and putting up your Christmas tree has got a lot to do with it.
Recent research by Christmas Tree World found that December 5 is the date that Brits begin to feel festive – even if the Christmas tunes and decorations went up in shops weeks ago and well before the start of December.
In fact, 51% of people also said that the task of putting up their Christmas tree marked the start of the Christmas season for them.
Christmas trees are undoubtedly festive and a staple in many households throughout the UK at this time of year, but if the trees are real, how long does it take to grow enough trees to supply the demand every December?
How long does a Christmas tree take to grow?
A typical 6 to 7 feet high Christmas tree can take between 10 and 12 years to grow.
The British Christmas Tree Growers Association estimates that around seven million trees are bought in the UK each year, with the favourite type of tree being the reliable Nordmann Fir.
A 20ft Nordmann fir tree, sourced from the Windsor Great Park, stands tall in St George’s Hall at Windsor Castle, this year. (Picture: Steve Parsons/PA Wire)
BCTGA estimate that about 80 per cent of the trees sold every year in the UK are Nordmann Fir Christmas trees, which are a healthy dark green colour and are known for not dropping many needles throughout the festive season if cared for correctly.
To keep your carefully grown Christmas tree looking healthy until January, BCTGA recommends: ‘When the tree is brought home, it is advantageous if about half an inch is cut off the butt in order to open up the pores of the tree. The tree should be kept outside in a cool shaded place, standing in water, until it is required indoors.
Christmas trees need plenty of water once they’ve been brought inside. (Picture: Getty)
‘When the tree is brought indoors, mount it in a water-holding stand and place it away from direct heat, such as a radiator. Keep the container topped up with water every day; you will be surprised how much the tree drinks.’
The study found that men who were the most active had a 51% reduced risk of prostate cancer (Picture: Ella Byworth for Metro.co.uk)
Regular exercise is good for us. But as well as contributing to overall well-being and mental positivity – exercising can actively reduce our risk of specific illnesses.
New research suggests that men who keep active could cut their risk of prostate cancer in half.
Good news. And the best news is that ‘exercise’ doesn’t even have to mean going to the gym or being yelled at by your personal trainer until you want to puke.
The experts say exercise can include gardening or walking – and it has a ‘far larger’ protective effect than previously thought.
The research team, funded by the World Cancer Research Fund (WCRF) and Cancer Research UK, measured the physical activity among 79,148 men who have prostate cancer and 61,106 who didn’t.
They looked at variations in a person’s DNA sequence – relating to how active they are, rather than just relying on what they say about their lifestyles.
The study found that men who were the most active had a 51% reduced risk of prostate cancer, compared with those who were the least active.
‘Most of these men in this study were aged over 50 and we can assume they were not all marathon runners,’ explains study author and senior lecturer at Bristol Medical School Dr Sarah Lewis.
‘Our findings suggest that the more active you are, the better. We would recommend that men are as physically active as they can be.
‘Our evidence suggests being active will be beneficial in terms of their prostate cancer risk. But it doesn’t have to be vigorous activity or playing team sports, you just have to move about.
‘Being active could be things such as gardening, walking or other activities that you can build into your daily routine.
Dr Lewis says that although the study looked at particular genes relating to exercise, the effect of the genes themselves on prostate cancer risk was small. This suggests that it is being physically active that is leading to the huge benefits seen in reducing the risk of prostate cancer.
Prostate cancer symptoms
Needing to pee more frequently, often during the night
Needing to rush to the toilet
Difficulty in starting to pee (hesitancy)
Straining or taking a long time while peeing
Weak flow
Feeling that your bladder has not emptied fully
Blood in urine or blood in semen
If you notice any of these symptoms it is unlikely that you have cancer, but it’s best to get it checked out with your GP.
‘This study is the largest-ever of its kind which uses a relatively new method that complements current observational research to discover what causes prostate cancer,’ she adds.
‘It suggests that there could be a larger effect of physical activity on prostate cancer than previously thought, so will hopefully encourage men to be more active.’
In the UK, around one in six men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer during their lifetime. The WCRF said this risk could drop to one in 12 for men who are the most physically active.
‘Up till now, there has only been limited evidence of an effect of physical activity on prostate cancer,’ says Dr Anna Diaz Font, head of research funding at the WCRF.
‘This new study looked at the effect of 22 risk factors on prostate cancer, but the results for physical activity were the most striking.
‘This will pave the way for even more research, where similar methods could be applied to other lifestyle factors, to help identify ways men can reduce their risk of prostate cancer.’
Prostate cancer mostly affects men over the age of 50 and risk factors include having a family history of the disease.
Almost 48,000 men in the UK are diagnosed with prostate cancer each year and it kills almost 12,000 men annually.
Just when you thought Harry Potter couldn’t get any more magical, one London venue has announced a very special Hogwarts-inspired event for 2020.
The Harry Potter film franchise has memorable music running throughout it and, to celebrate the brilliant score, the Royal Albert Hall has announced it will be screening one of the films with a live orchestra.
The Harry Potter Film Concert Series will return to the famous London venue next year, for a showing of the fifth installment of the saga – Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix.
Nicholas Hooper’s magical score will come to life with the help of live symphony orchestra – who are yet to be confirmed.
The chosen group will be conducted by Justin Freer – the man behind the music in Avatar and who has previously led orchestral renditions of The Godfather.
The venue will be putting up a big screen in the auditorium, showing the film in high-definition – so Potterheads can relive every single detail of J.K. Rowling’s story.
Organisers of the event have said that the film will be running with subtitles, too.
It’s worth pointing out that the run time is 137 minutes, but there will also be a 25 minute interval – probably for the instrumentalists to refresh and recharge.
Tickets go on sale at 10am today – Friday 6 December – on the Royal Albert Hall website. But we’re guessing they won’t be around for very long – so don’t wait around.
There are also hospitality packages available for those looking to make their night event more enchanting.
For anyone who can’t remember what happens in the Order of the Phoenix, there are two words which should jog your memory – Professor Umbridge.
The film sees the arrival of the Professor and Hogwarts, who is determined to undermine Dumbledore’s authority. It also features the death of a very special character.
The Monday after the Friday before (Picture: Ella Byworth for Metro.co.uk)
Office parties are all fun and games until alcohol and merriment give way to bad behaviour.
We don’t want to be the buzzkills here, spoiling your fun at the headiest time of year, but work Christmas parties are a minefield when it comes to sackable offences.
Although the facade of the whole thing is that you’re there to let your hair down and ring in the celebrations, your bosses will still be present and you could get in trouble for your antics.
Whether it’s a romantic attempt that doesn’t go how you’d planned or a moment of madness when you tell your supervisor exactly what you think, it could even lead to your dismissal.
The setting of a bar (or as is the case these days, some sort of team-building mini golf or virtual darts space) might feel so different to your usual workplace that it lowers your guard and has you acting like you would on a night out with your mates.
But, you’re still under contract, and – as well as the fact you should always be a considerate person – you have to be aware of what that entails.
Rachel Suff, senior policy adviser at the CIPD, the professional body for HR and people development, tells Metro.co.uk: ‘Anything which your employer counts as gross misconduct could give them grounds to fire you, whether it happens at the Christmas party or in the office.’
According to Rachel, ‘this can include, but is not exclusive to, physical assault, sexual harassment (or any other form of harassment or discrimination), theft, or breaching your employer’s drug and alcohol policy’.
This can also apply once you leave the office. So if you end up getting into a fight while in your work uniform, or bring your company into disrepute in some identifiable way, this could be considered gross misconduct.
It should go without saying that you should never start fights, be aggressive, or sexually harass people. But, if you’re someone who doesn’t normally drink or reacts badly to alcohol, the best advice is to avoid it altogether so you can keep an eye on what’s going on.
Office parties are ripe with potential gross misconduct cases (Picture: Ella Byworth for Metro.co.uk)
While you might think a provocative joke is appropriate after a few jars (it’s not, FYI), that could be the catalyst for the end of your employment. Even the ever-popular photocopying of the bum could get you in trouble.
Your boss will have to go through certain channels, however, if they do wish to fire you after what you’ve done.
‘If you’re suspected of gross misconduct your employer shouldn’t sack you on the spot,’ says Rachel.
Instead, she says, they ‘should carry out an investigation to establish the facts first. You may be suspended on full pay while this takes place.’
During this investigation, you will be able to give your side of the story, but witness accounts and potentially even CCTV footage will also be taken into account.
If you know you’ve ballsed up and want to apologise, you shouldn’t assume that this means you won’t face consequences.
Rachel says: ‘It all depends on the nature of the incident and how seriously your employer views it once they’ve completed their investigation.
‘An apology is always welcome but may not be enough in some cases.’
Then there’s the situation where you feel you’ve been mistreated. Perhaps you believe that you’re being sacked when other people have done similar things and not been disciplined. Or you might feel the investigation didn’t take into account mitigating circumstances or your length of service and previous record.
‘It’s important that any investigation into alleged gross misconduct is fair and thorough,’ says Rachel.
‘If you don’t agree with your employer’s decision you should have the chance to appeal it. Your final option is to take your case to an employment tribunal if you think the dismissal is unfair.’
It’s worth noting that this really is a last resort, and employment tribunals are costly and don’t always win.
This is for situations that are genuinely unfair, not where you can’t remember trying to kiss your desk-mate’s wife because you were full of prosecco and so it doesn’t count.
The best thing you can do for everyone this Christmas is drink in moderation, remember you’re at a work event, and continue being the (hopefully) lovely person you are normally.
Then, you can simply sit back and watch everyone else’s drama unfold.
Gingerbread City at Somerset House (Luke O’Donovan)
Some of the capital’s best-known architecture has received a sugary makeover at Somerset House.
The famous London venue is about to open an exhibition made entirely out of gingerbread.
The Museum of Architecture’s Gingerbread City returns to Somerset House this Saturday 7 December, for its fourth installment.
It’s set to run for a month, until Saturday 5 January.
More than 100 of the UK’s leading designers and architects have joined together to create this exhibition, which showcases a miniature city made entirely of gingerbread and sweets.
Popular London landmarks feature in the show – so look out for Battersea Sugar Power Station, Gingerbread Modern, Sugarset House, Yeast Croyden and Oxford Circus.
Battersea Sugar Power Station (Luke O’Donovan)
Oxford Circus at Gingerbread City (Luke O’Donovan)
Sugarset House (Luke O’Donovan)
They star alongside a university, office blocks, apartments, farms, parks, bridges, cycle paths and a moving train – which all make up this year’s theme of ‘transport’.
A whole host of confectionery has been used to create the brilliant detailing, including jelly beans, Smarties, candy canes and boiled sweets.
There’s even a beach made from brown sugar.
The whole point of the exhibition is to get people talking about architecture in an exciting way. And not only that, but to start important conversations around cities and how we live in them.
Gingerbread houses (Luke O’Donovan)
This year’s event also boasts daily family-friendly gingerbread house-making workshops, as well as a shop to pick up some sweet treats to take home.
Tickets cost £9 and can be bought in advance – there’s also the Somerset House Ice Rink to enjoy before or after your visit.
If you’re not feeling festive yet, this spectacular exhibition is bound to put you in the Christmas spirit.
![A flip flop mad mum says Christmas has come early after her husband built her an advent calendar filled with 25 pairs of flip flops. Neil Ward, 46, was taken by surprise after his wife Rachel, 41, gave him a homemade beer advent calendar. The dad-of-two from Moreton, Wirral, was so moved by his wifes sweet gesture that he spent ?45 buying 25 pairs of flip flops and built a homemade advent calendar to stash them. He presented it to Rachel just after the start of advent on Monday [December 2]. SEE CATERS COPY](http://metro.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/PRI_105683544.jpg?quality=90&strip=all)
