When Jane Cox first saw Pennywise, she was scared.

The white cat started to show up outside Jane and her husband’s home in Wheatley, Ontario, at night, just sitting and staring from the edges of the property line.

He never came any closer, just creeping around in the shadows.

Alongside being a little ‘unnerving’ to spot in the distance, Pennywise was also ‘extremely aggressive and violent’ to the couple’s other cats, so it makes sense that Jane found this kitty scary.

‘We love cats, but this cat scared us,’ Jane, 46, remembers. ‘It reminded us of the movie IT.

‘We even caught him looking in our bedroom window one night…..on the second floor!’

Luckily for Pennywise, the couple he’d started to creep up on have always loved cats.

As they live in the countryside, Jane, an artist, and Mike, who works for the federal government, often meet stray and feral cats near their home. With the assistance of Cats Cry Too, the couple work to get all the cats they find trapped, neutered, and released to reduce the stray population and make sure the feline community is happy and healthy.

So despite Pennywise acting like something out of a horror film, Jane and Mike moved forward on getting him safely trapped and neutered – but asked if he could be released somewhere far from their home.

That wasn’t an option. Legally, cats have to be released back into the same place they were trapped.

After one escape, Pennywise was trapped and taken to the kennels, where he would need to stay for a few days to heal.

Until they caught him, Jane and Mike hadn’t noticed that Pennywise had some serious injuries. The vet said that the cat must have had some sort of trauma at a young age, leaving him with scars on his face and a wonky jaw.

Pennywise’s injuries mean he looks a little different. His offset jaw leaves his tongue constantly hanging out, and gives him a meow that sounds ‘like something between a grunt and a squawk’.

When he eats, he uses his bottom jaw as a shovel and drags it through the dish to get food in his mouth. He drools… a lot. He’s needed to have all his teeth but four removed as his injury left them rotting below his gumline.

But it turns out that despite his tough start in life and his tendency to lurk around in the dark, Pennywise isn’t as scary as his name would suggest. In fact, he’s a really sweet and lovely cat.

‘The vet techs had nicknamed him Casanova and had fawned over him because he was such a “loverboy”, all super sweet and friendly,’ Jane tells Metro.co.uk. ‘At first we wondered if they had mixed up the cats at the kennel!

‘Obviously we were shocked by the immediate behaviour change, but we realized that between the lack of hormones but also a feeling of security and feeling safe, his demeanour had changed significantly.’

The moment Pennywise was ready to leave the kennel, Jane and Mike had made a decision: They were taking him home.

‘We decided to not let him ever feel fear or insecurity again,’ says Jane.

The couple had to introduce Pennywise to their eight other cats slowly, as he had previously ‘bullied, cornered, and attacked’ many of them before he had been neutered.

Handily, Pennywise let his soft side shine through.

‘We did it one cat at a time with us there,’ says Jane. ‘And I have to say I had never seen anything like it.

‘Pennywise was amazing, like he knew he needed to make amends and gain trust. Our other cats when Pennywise approached them would hiss, and cowered both angry and fearful.

‘Pennywise would instantly roll over onto his side showing his belly, and grunt softly. He did this with every encounter and continuously until he gained the love and trust of all the other cats.

‘We can safely say now he is the one cat in the house that always gets along with everyone.’

Pennywise gets on splendidly with his human pals, too, completely smashing his scary reputation.

Jane says: ‘Pennywise is the sweetest, most loveable cuddlebug.

‘My husband refers to him as my emotional support animal. He always knows when I am upset or under the weather and cuddles up and tries to comfort me.

‘He is also the “sheriff” around the house. He doesn’t like to see others fight and will get between scuffles between our other cats. And although he loves to cuddle with me and do nose to nose rubs with me.

‘He loves to play fight with my husband like a dog. He will chase my husband around the house, flip over on his side and attack his feet, but ever so gently, he never extends his claws, then my husband will run from the room, Pennywise will wait a sec then go chase him, but my husband will surprise him when he comes around the corner and then chase him. Pennywise loves to be startled and chased.

‘Bedtime is also chaos as there is always a playfight in bed too. Then after the chaos he makes his way up to my pillow and falls asleep with his head across my shoulder and on my chest. He snores… loudly.’

Jane has set up an Instagram account to share Pennywise’s sweetness with the world, and hopes his story will encourage people to give other cats who look a little different a chance to find their forever homes.

‘Rescued cats, especially from outdoor situations tend to know how good they have it once rescued and are extremely grateful,’ says Jane. ‘We learned that bad aggressive behaviour is often from fear. Grateful cats make the best and most loving pets.

‘Pennywise’s name, although it fit him and his behaviour when we first encountered him, doesn’t fit his personality now. But we kept it because it reminds us how wrong we were in judging him and that adding him to our family was one of the best things to happen to us.

‘Pets who look or act differently or are otherwise “underdogs” need someone to give them a chance, when too many people are looking for the “purrfect” cat or a specific look. They find us, more than we find them.’

Do you have a pet with an amazing story? Get in touch to tell us more by emailing MetroLifestyleTeam@Metro.co.uk. 

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In April this year, David Matthews set off on an incredible challenge.

The 58-year-old is walking to each of 201 Samaritans branches in the UK and Ireland and doing a shift at most of them.

Originally from Doncaster, David joined the organisation as a volunteer 12 years ago and says he always wanted to do something to fundraise for them.

He started out planning to walk around the branches in Doncaster but soon found he wanted to expand it.

At the time, he had moved to Scotland and was renting out a holiday cottage but when an opportunity arose to have someone temporarily take care of his business, he realised he had no excuse not to commit to his adventure, which he called The Listening Walk.

He tells Metro.co.uk: ‘It was time to stop thinking about it and just get on with it.

‘I had this chance conversation with someone who lived locally with their parents but they wanted to move out and get a bit more independence so I suggested taking care of my business for a few years and they agreed.

‘So that was my last excuse. Last September I started planning the walk properly and I set off in April.’

On 14 April, David set off from Doncaster, aiming to visit every branch and do a volunteer shift at each one if possible. So far he has done around 65 out of 75 shifts.

He also wanted to recruit 1,000 new volunteers and raise £100,000 along the way.

Now David is 2,500 miles into the walk and is aiming to finish in early 2021.

Most of the time, David has been walking on his own and he says that one of the challenges is the isolation – but he has made some incredible new friends along the way.

He says: ‘At the minute, there’s a bit more civilisation but when you are walking through the remote Scottish Highlands, you go days and days without seeing anyone.

‘But the people I have met along the way have been incredible.

‘There’s been some amazing small gestures – like I got chatting to three guys at a bus stop and they were homeless.

‘I had a t-shirt on explaining what I am doing and they were just so enthusiastic.

‘As I was leaving, one of them asked if they could donate. One of the guys gave me 50p and I tried to give it back because I felt he needed it but he really insisted. He said it was great what I was doing and the Samaritans had helped him in the past.

‘I took it and walked off with this little lump in my throat.’

For David, raising awareness of the charity and the work they do has been just as important for him as the fundraising.

He explains: ‘I was in Scotland looking for this access point and I couldn’t find it. I was getting frustrated and I thought I was going to have to climb over this fence.

‘I walked back down the road and then spotted it. It took me about 40 minutes until I got to where I wanted to be.

‘When I eventually got onto the path and a dog started barking and there was a woman there.

‘We walked together for a bit and I told her about the walk and she opened up and told me about some troubles in her life.

‘Eventually, after about two miles, we were going different ways and she said “I was meant to meet you today because I just needed to talk”.

‘I told her that I had been lost for 40 minutes and if I had found that footpath straight away, I would never have run into her.

‘It’s just those special human stories like that. I gave her the card with the Samaritans number and off she went.’

Even little gestures have been helping to spur David on and getting him to keep putting one foot in front of the other.

‘I always wear my Samaritans t-shirt and I have a flag on my bag and just hearing a car toot the horn and cheer just keeps me going for another hour. The support is amazing.’

Throughout his journey, David has camped everywhere, carrying all his belongings on his back.

He has secured a motorhome for a few months this winter but plans to sleep outside for most of the two years.

Today, on Christmas Day, David is taking a few days off walking – but the Samaritans are still on his mind as he will do a shift at his home Doncaster branch.

And after the holidays, he will head off again to tick off more branches on his list.

Despite the challenges, David says he has loved doing the walk so far, with only one major downside.

He laughs: ‘The worst bit is just getting my tent back in the bag every day, especially when it is soaking wet and the water is running down your arm. It’s impossible.’

You can follow the rest of David’s walk on his Facebook, Instagram and website.

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If you had told me this time last year that I would be about to have my first Christmas without alcohol, I wouldn’t have believed you.

In truth, I probably wouldn’t have remembered. I spent most of December 2019 drunk. On Christmas Day I drank to black out and passed out at 10pm.

It took me another seven months to realise that I am an alcoholic, and to seek help. It has been the most difficult thing I have ever done, as well as the best.

I no longer crave or obsess over alcohol. I no longer prioritise it above my friends, family and my own safety. I am no longer suicidal.

In fact, most days I am positively cheerful about being an alcoholic, but Christmas is not most days. The 25 December is a day of unmanaged expectations and collective release, and as I have learned quickly, it’s a very different proposition.

I had never realised before just how inextricably bound up Christmas is with booze. It is everywhere. It’s in every shop, wrapped up with truffles and presented as a thoughtful gift. It shouts at you from Prosseco-ho-ho cards.

It’s (free) at every Christmas party, it’s on every Christmas dinner table and though I turned down most of this year’s invites, I still can’t get away from it – alcohol literally spills onto the street as revellers stumble along pavements, cans in hands.

I understand the desire to drink heavily at Christmas. Alcohol is integral to celebration. There’s rarely a birthday, christening or pay day that passes without a chilled bottle of something – and what is Christmas if not a chance to let down your hair and have a knees up?

Alcohol is the social grease that makes office parties with 50 people you barely know palatable, or lunch with dull Aunty Jean manageable. Secretly, I have always been terrified of these social occasions, scared by the dynamics I couldn’t work out, and so alcohol was my way into a good time.

This Christmas I worry I’ll have to find other ways to have, and be, fun. That I’ll have to be extra chatty, extra witty, extra everything to make a dry day not…dry. Maybe it explains why I’ve gone way overboard on presents.

If I’ve learnt anything from getting sober it’s that we drink for other people as much as we drink for ourselves, keeping each other company as the good times roll.

If I’ve learnt anything from getting sober it’s that we drink for other people as much as we drink for ourselves, keeping each other company as the good times roll. Getting drunk together is bonding and freeing, and a bit of joy and unity is never more needed than at Christmas when family comes together.

If you don’t drink, you run the risk of being a party-pooper, a stick-in-the-mud. At best you are pregnant, or maybe you’ve got the flu and even then, surely you can have one?

In fact it’s as socially awkward to give up alcohol as it is to be an alcoholic in the first place. Go figure.

I can be around people as they drink but I don’t relish being around people when they are drunk. I’ll never say a word, though – firstly, because my sobriety is strong enough and secondly, because the problem is mine, not yours.

I won’t ever ask you to not drink around me, although small acts of kindness go a long way. Recently at dinner, my friends subtly asked for one less wine glass, sparing me having to say no when the wine was poured. I almost cried out of gratitude.

I have no desire to return to the dark places alcohol took me so my Christmas wish is just this: please don’t leave me out. I’m still your friend, your colleague, your sister, your daughter, and if my sobriety this Christmas scares you, know that it scares me more.

This year there will be no respite from family tensions or board game boredom. If year-long resentments arise I will have to sit through them sober without alcohol to do its magic trick of speeding up time.

A boozy Christmas is a chance to forget the stresses and strains of the year and let go as work winds down.

That’s why I used to drink too, except that instead of Christmas it was Tuesday, and rather than trying to relax I was trying to escape the shame, fear and despair of my increasingly chaotic life. Because alcohol was my way out, too.

Still, for all my fears, I know I won’t drink this Christmas. Giving up alcohol is the first kind thing I have done for myself – perhaps the only thing I have ever done for myself – after years of abusing and self-hatred.

I’ll wear my cracker hat and a smile and be as jolly as I can, and when it comes to raising a toast I’ll join in for that, too.

The only difference is that I’ll be drinking juice to your gin and wishing for a very merry Christmas, and a sober new year.

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Can Christmas wrapping paper be recycled?

That’s a question you’re likely Googling as you clear the remains from under the tree and ponder whether to separate your cards from your ribbons.

Before you go ahead and bung all the torn-off paper straight in a big bin bag, it’s worth knowing there’s a quick trick to tell if wrapping paper can be recycled.

It’s called the scrunch test. The good news is that it’s super easy.

All you have to do is get a bit of the wrapping paper in question and crumple it into a ball. Now open your hand and see if the paper stays scrunched together or bounces back open. If the paper stays in its ball, it can likely be recycled. If it bounces back open, it can’t be recycled.

Simple, right? Bonus: if you have a cat, those scrunched up bits of paper make great toys.

There are steps to take before you pop your paper in the recycling bin, however.

Make sure you remove tape from the paper beforehand, as well as any ribbons or tags.

Remember that glitter isn’t recyclable, so even if your paper scrunches, if it’s covered in glitter it cannot be recycled. The same goes for any super fancy paper that’s laminated with plastic or decorated with gold or silver foil accents.

Of course, even paper that can’t be recycled can be reused. If someone’s given you a gift in the most glittery, shiny, plasticky wrapping paper going, it’s worth taking it off carefully rather than ripping it so you can use it to wrap another gift next year.

Hopefully your friends and relatives are eco-conscious and efficient wrappers and haven’t absolutely covered your present in tape – otherwise you’ll be spending your post-Christmas-dinner daze picking the sticky stuff off your pile of recycling.

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As we see out the final days of the decade – likely snoozing on the sofa and eating masterful assemblies of Christmas leftover sandwiches – it is time to say both hello and goodbye to the final it item of 2019.

2019 has been an uncertain and divisive year, which has been reflected in its fashions.

Asymmetrical jeans became a thing. See-through clothes continued to be genuinely popular.

But we’ve also seen people come together to celebrate certain cult-status items from the high street.

You either loved or despised that Zara spotty dress. Everyone and their mum picked up a satin skirt from Topshop.

For the final must-buy of the year, we’ve got something that ticks off a load of 2019 trends – big vulva energy, statement sleeves, and dressing like Villanelle from Killing Eve.

Behold: the contrast velvet top from Zara (yep, they’ve done it again), or as we’re calling it, the puffy sleeve top.

The top is not a complicated concept. It’s a velvet crop top with a V shape neckline, but with massive pink, puffy sleeves attached.

Its appeal is obvious, especially for the festive period, in that it is velvet, black, and has a massive statement detail to make it perfect for celebrations (and Instagram).

Wear it to Christmas dinner and confuse your elderly relatives, who will be intimidated and puzzled by the huge size of your sleeves.

Wear it to a Christmas party to show that you’re not like those other girls in the sparkly sequin-covered dresses.

Wear it on New Year’s Eve to add some flair as you clink glasses, and attract a midnight kiss through the flamboyant mating dance your sleeves so demand.

Be warned that if you wear this on public transport, you will endure the huffs and puffs of grouchy travellers drowning in those pink folds. Straight men will not get this top. Your sleeves will absolutely get caught on doorknobs and drip into your mashed potatoes.

But all this is worth it for the thrill of having the final it item of the year. It’s a piece that screams ‘POWER’ and ‘SLEEVES’, which is an excellent energy to possess as you see out the decade.

As the puffy sleeve top is a cult item, it has already sold out online in every size. We apologise. At least getting your hands on your own puffy sleeve top will feel extra satisfying having searched every Zara branch in a 50 mile radius to find it.

We’d recommend pairing your top with black skinnies, a tiny mini skirt, or biker shorts, if you want to go full fashion.

We’ve popped some influencers and fashion types wearing the top below for further inspiration.

https://www.instagram.com/p/B6P5n9pJRb7/

https://www.instagram.com/p/B5hkIYagME7/?utm_source=ig_embed

https://www.instagram.com/p/B52oLKmo9IB/

https://www.instagram.com/p/B5jjCawlFe6/

https://www.instagram.com/p/B5Scy4HhQG1/

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As you emerge from your post-lunch nap and venture outside, your nose will be greeted with the scent of Christmas: Also known as the spicy and alluring smell of Lynx Africa.

Since its launch in 1995, Lynx Africa has gone from every teenage boy’s weapon against hormonal angst and sweat to the sophisticated British man’s quintessential Christmas gift.

If you’re a man in the UK and you haven’t unwrapped a Lynx Africa gift set, complete with the spray and shower gel for maximum layers of warm, spicy aromas, we’re sorry, but your nan/aunt/mystery relative doesn’t love you. It’s just a fact.

This morning ‘Lynx Africa’ was a trending topic on Twitter. The internet is filled with photos of people showing off their Lynx Africa hauls for the day.

Shockingly, some men have claimed to be ‘disappointed’ to receive Lynx Africa, also known as the greatest gift on earth and a festive tradition more important than a clementine in a stocking.

There are even tweets mentioning Lynx Africa alongside #RuinedChristmas and memes with people suggesting it’ll be difficult to feign excitement after unwrapping their fourth Lynx Africa gift set of the day.

What are you on about, lads? You won’t need to fake joy for this ‘sophisticated everyday fragrance for men’!

me opening my 4th Lynx Africa gift set tomorrow trying to not look ungrateful pic.twitter.com/6T1WO1cmRw

— Kerr Macpherson (@kerrmacpherson) December 24, 2019

Newly found pictures of the Three Wise Men giving Jesus a #LynxAfrica giftset. pic.twitter.com/WxhqYugpdq

— Brad (@Spicey) December 25, 2019

Weather Warning #LynxAfrica pic.twitter.com/B8eresKYjz

— Kev Hooper (@StormHooper) December 25, 2019

Can’t go a year without lynx africa pic.twitter.com/0YS9L8Opy8

— jack jenner (@wwatts4k) December 25, 2019

Merry Christmas my friends hope the smell of lynx Africa from every young man in the country is not too overwhelming

— Eve Belle (@EveBelleSongs) December 25, 2019

We’re sure we don’t need to list the many wonderful things about Lynx Africa, but we’ll do a brief recap:

But if all that doesn’t convince you to be grateful for your Lynx Africa set, or persuade you to run out and buy yourself a pack in the Boxing Day sales, we’re sure our roundup of glowing reviews from Amazon, Boots, and Superdrug will do the trick. Enjoy.

‘Like millions of men across Britain who get this gift set on an annual basis, I still struggle to contain the shear level of excitement brimming within me as I tear open the wrapping paper and see that iconic green colouring and the word LYNX staring up at me, reminding myself and all of British mankind the joys of being an adult male during the festive season. Thoughtful, creative, all the things an ideal gift should be. Forget PS4 games, Vinyl Records, or even a bottle of their favourite cologne. Show the man/men in your life just how much you value them and grab them a Lynx Africa Gift Set. Also makes an absolutely fantastic birthday present.’

‘MY HUSBAND LIKES THIS PRODUCT . AND PERFUME NICE BUT NOT SISSY.’

‘My son swears this is a ‘ladies’ magnet. I don’t know if young women’s noses are desensitised, but I find that it nearly suffocates me even when he sprays just a small amount on – and I mean serious… Tingling lips, the lot for days..Use with care. As far as I am concerned it should be banned.’

‘It is ok.’

‘Bought as present so haven’t smelled.’

‘I think this is amazing reminds me of Pakistan back in 1964.’

‘What can I say, this trusty product has the ladies queuing just like 10 years ago.’

‘I would probably only use Lynx Africa if I was to got to a 90’s or 00’s theme party.’

‘It’s helped to stir some of my youthful memories from the past. All that from one can of fragrance. Incredible.’

‘It’s got a sort of musky fruit smell very very tasty.I spray everyday before work still smell fresh as when I leave and I’m always complimented on how good I smell.Top stuff Lynx!’

‘Wow. It actually worked. Grill said I smelt good. Wow I was surprised.’

‘I think Lynx Africa is genuinely the best smelling bodyspray I have ever used. It has a spicy and woody aroma to it that is very deep and has great staying power. It is a very warm scent and induces an almost “bear-hug” like feeling once applied and you smell yourself. I tend to use it not just to spray my body, but also to spray my clothes so it works almost as an EDT and Lynx Africa lasts for hours. In one day at work in the office I had compliments from four people asking what I was wearing, so I am in the “Lynx Effect”. The spray lids are very well designed and easy to use so even with wet hands after getting out the shower or having a wash you can still turn the top to unlock the spray action. The can seems to last a very long time too, (I’ve always been an overuser of smellies) but with this being quite a strong scent, you don’t need as much of it as some others i have tried. All in all i would give Lynx Africa a solid 5 out of 5, due to the scent power and length of time it lasts once applied.’

‘I want to smell good all the time but, as a 26-year-old professional that cares what others think, I wouldn’t be caught dead at work, out with friends or on a date wearing Lynx Africa. Its popularity through its grown-up transformational powers is also its undoing.’

‘As it is the winter season I cannot fully say if it will be good in moist conditions, as when I come back from work already the deodorant smell has become less strong. However, you can just spray it again if you like then it will last for another few hours.’

‘I can’t comment on whether women rise off the ground and float toward you when you’re wearing this as I very rarely go out but I did feel that my natural body odor was being masked by this.’

This article was not sponsored by Lynx Africa, to be clear. It’s simply an appropriate response to the festive spirit that the wafting scent of Lynx Africa brings. Merry Christmas, one and all. 

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Look, fashion is weird, high-end brands can get away with selling things at truly absurd prices, and capitalism makes us all absolute mugs that pay money for things we in no way need.

But every now and then the fashion world takes it too bloody far.

Like when FashionNova sold leggings with an open crotch, or when janties became a thing.

When these incidents occur, it is our solemn duty to mock these ridiculous items.

Such is the case for Maison Margiela’s White & Gold Single Tag Earring, originally priced at £220 (but now £84 on sale through Ssense).

At first glance, these earrings look like perfectly normal gold hoops, held on a piece of Maison Margiela white cardboard.

But alas, looks can be deceiving.

That white packaging isn’t actually packaging.

What you’re looking at is not a pair of emails on a bit of cardboard.

You are in fact beholding a single earring. The ‘cardboard’ is actually white calfskin and it’s part of the jewellery.

You can actually remove the gold hoop earrings and wear them as, well, gold hoop earrings, but they are marketed and modelled as a single item, to be worn solely on one ear.

The existence of this product was brought to our attention by @doragzplora, who summed up our feelings exactly with the tweet: ‘*online shopping* Oo this would be a nice basic set of earrings *swipes through photos* wait what.’

*online shopping* Oo this would be a nice basic set of earrings

*swipes through photos* wait what pic.twitter.com/2s34s2QTZC

— . (@doragzplora) December 24, 2019

In addition to attracting plenty of mockery for the earring, the tweet has also received comments pointing out the similarities between the Maison Margiela earring and Georgina Trevino’s original jewellery designs, which, just FYI, tend to be more budget-friendly. If you have fallen in love with the concept, it might be worth ordering through that independent designer rather than a big label.

We’ve reached out to Maison Margiela for further explanation of these earrings and how they would recomment styling, but as it’s Christmas we haven’t heard back yet. We’ll update this article if we do.

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Christmas Day is over for another year, but that doesn’t mean the holiday season is over.

That’s because having eaten yourself into submission and gorged on festive telly yesterday, you get the chance to do it all over again today on Boxing Day.

But while we may get ourselves another day off straight after Christmas, that’s not necessarily the case in other countries, where Boxing Day isn’t actually a thing.

And just how did it get its name anyway?

Here’s what you need to know…

What is the meaning of Boxing Day?

Before you ask, Boxing Day has nothing to do with actual boxing.

In fact, it gets its name from the custom, back in the 19th Century, of being a holiday in which the rich used to box up gifts to give to those less fortunate.

It was traditionally a day when folks such as postmen, errand boys and servants would receive a special Christmas box from their employers – and when they would be given the day off to spend time with their families.

Churches have also traditionally played their part in the day, collecting money from churchgoers during the year and giving it to those in

Boxing Day has been a bank holiday in the UK since 1871, but if it falls on a Saturday it’s moved to the following Monday, and if it falls on a Sunday then we get an extra bank holiday the following Tuesday.

Which other countries celebrate Boxing Day?

While many countries enjoy an additional day off after Christmas Day, they don’t all celebrate Boxing Day.

As well as here, it’s also celebrated in countries that previously formed part of the British Empire – so it’s celebrated in the likes of Hong Kong. Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Nigeria, Trinidad and Tobago, Singapore, South Africa and Bermuda.

In many of those countries it’s known primarily as a shopping holiday similar to Black Friday – and is the day on which many sales begin.

In other countries the day is still a holiday from work but it has a more religious significance – with Romania, Hungary, Germany, Poland, the Netherlands, Czech Republic and Scandinavia marking it as a second Christmas Day.

It is also celebrated as St Stephen’s Day in Ireland and in the Catalan region of Spain.

MORE: At Christmas, the every day barriers disabled people face seem impenetrable

It was a pretty tumultuous year, 2019.

We’ve had an election, climate strikes galore, and an explosive season of Love Island – anyone remember ‘Why ye askin’ her dat? He doesn’t’?

But here we are, we’ve made it through another twelve months (mostly) alive and kicking.

There’s nothing better than looking back on the year that was and remembering just how long ago January feels, and just how many celebs have mad idiots of themselves along the way.

With that in mind, we’ve made a pretty stong (Michael Gove’s constituents will get that purposeful misspelling) quiz to see you through the lull between Christmas and new year.

There’s everything from sports to entertainment to 2019’s very specific meme formats, so don’t think you can rest on your laurels like you do when you watch The Chase.

Although not as jovial as a pub quiz in which you can inhale pints and get steadily worse at remembering the Home Secretary’s name or who sung Cry Me A River, you’re more than welcome to crack open a can or have a nice cup of tea while you do this.

Good luck!

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At the end of 2018, Jen George was fed up with the way her life was going.

So she decided to give up her job and committed to a massive challenge – having an adventure every single day for the next year.

Jen, 27, from Exeter, tells Metro.co.uk: ‘I was a teacher up until last December and I just didn’t want to be indoors all the time anymore.

‘I’d always done a little bit of work in the outdoor industry but never fully committed to it.

‘I’d ended up on the hamster wheel of work. Time was running away and I was asking myself “what have I actually achieved?”‘

One night last December after her job as a Geography teacher, Jen was lying on her bed and realised she hadn’t seen daylight in weeks – and she just decided to completely change her life.

‘It was that point that I decided that I was going to do something everyday where I would see daylight and get fresh air.

‘I didn’t have a plan in place but I set up a blog and Instagram account and thought ‘ok now I am accountable because people are following me’.’

On 1 January 2019, Jen started her first adventure – a walk from Crantock to Pollyjoke, climbing along the sand dunes with her parents.

Since then, her adventuring has included everything from having a party inside a glacier to leading an expedition in Nepal.

She says: ‘I never had any set goals – I was quite flexible with it. I had some work planned in Croatia and India and I later added in the trip to Nepal and I had some things planned with the Duke of Edinburgh scheme.

‘I was working as a freelance as an overseas exhibition leader or as a Duke of Edinburgh assessor so I could make money and have adventures at the same time.’

For Jen, she quickly realised that living like this completely changed her outlook on like.

She adds: ‘I learned that actively making time for yourself is really important. Sometimes it was a tiny portion of my day – just 10 minutes, and others were weeks long, but I did something exciting for myself every day.

‘Being outside is really good for your mental health.

‘People think they don’t have time for things but you can make the time.’

The other big thing Jen has enjoyed about her year of adventures is meeting people along the way.

‘I’ve met some amazing people, particularly young people through my work and they have really inspired me,’ she said.

A highlight for Jen was her time in Nepal and one moment in particular sticks in her mind.

‘They were the best expedition team I have ever had and we were in the most beautiful place.

‘Everything just came together and we watched the sunrise on the Mardi Himal trek.

‘I could see the impact the trek had on the students and it was just this magic moment.

‘We trekked through the morning to make sure we were up high when the sunrise came up and I have never seen anything so beautiful in my life.’

She does say that it was difficult not having a permanent base where she could settle.

‘I was technically living with my parents in Cornwall but most of my work was away from there so I spent a long time driving up and down the motorway.

‘It meant spending a lot of time by myself and away from home and I have just been very lucky that a lot of people have let me sleep on their sofas.

‘Sometimes you just want to be in the same place and it’s hard – when you get stuck in routine you want adventure but there were times I craved that routine again.’

Throughout everything, Jen was supported by a Facebook group called Say Yes More and she is now an ambassador.

Jen says: ‘They’ve been an amazing community and just encouraged me to go to things and literally say yes more.

‘It’s just magic to have these really positive, driven people.’

Although her year of adventure is coming to an end but Jen wants to keep it going.

She says: ‘I really want to make it a lifelong thing to have adventures every day. It has been so good for my mentally – my mental health wasn’t bad or anything but it’s just helped me feel so much better.

‘I’m not sure what I want to do with outdoor work as I’m thinking about retraining but this year has given me so much time to think and figure out what I want.’

Follow Jen’s adventures on her blog and on Instagram.

Have you had a sudden life change? Email metrolifestyleteam@metro.co.uk.

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Pip Peek had her lifelong wish granted for Christmas after she was enrolled to become Britain’s oldest Beaver.

Pip, who is 101 years old, has always wanted to be a member of the Scouts group, but thought she was simply too old.

St Paul’s Care Centre in Hemel Hempstead, where Pip has lived for the last six years, has a wishing tree where residents can write down their wishes and hang them up.

Pip wrote down that she wished to become a Beaver, so staff got in touch with the local group.

A group of Beavers, all aged between six and eight years old, turned up at Pip’s bedside and welcomed her as an honourary member of the squad.

Pip was even granted a bright yellow neckerchief and received a full group salute.

The Beavers then sang Christmas carols and handed out decorations and handmade Christmas cards to all of the residents at the care home.

Beth Marchant-Roe, head of activities at St Pauls Care Centre, which is run by Westgate Healthcare, said: ‘The Beavers bring so much energy to the home and it is infectious.

‘They encourage the residents to break out of their shells by singing, chatting and even exercising with them.

‘Our residents with dementia really enjoy the reminiscence they get from talking about their family and children, it’s always lovely to see,” Beth added.

Pip said: ‘I can’t believe my wish has come true. You’re all so lovely, how wonderful!’

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Meet Penelope, a dog with a truly ridiculous smile.

Penelope, from Gardner, Kansas, has a strange quirk that means her cheeks get tucked in her mouth, giving her a goofy grin.

Her owner, Kayla Harvey, has shared captured plenty of photos of Penelope’s smile, winning her loads of fans online.

Kayla said: ‘Penelope is an incredibly silly and quirky girl.

‘She was a puppy the first time I saw her smile.

‘Sometimes when she looks down her little cheeks get stuck tucked under like that.

‘I see it happen the most when she is super intrigued by something, or when she is getting a good scratching session and she is feeling kind of blissed out.’

Mother-of-four Kayla, who is chronically ill, says Penelope has helped her get through many tough days with her smiles, ever since she got her as a puppy.

Kayla said: ‘I was not looking to get a puppy, I was thinking an older dog as I didn’t think I could handle a puppy, with my health.

‘But then I came across Penelope.

‘She and I fell in love instantly and became inseparable and are now together 99% of the time.

‘She seems to be able to sense when I’m not feeling well and cuddles up with me for hours on end.

‘On days when I’m in a lot of pain and smiling doesn’t come easy, she can make me laugh with her silly antics and expressions.’

Do you have a pet that brightens your days? Get in touch to tell us all about them by emailing MetroLifestyleTeam@Metro.co.uk. 

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Saving money is hard enough.

When you’re in debt, it’s even trickier.

That’s something we don’t talk about much. There’s a lot of shame around debt, which makes it difficult to admit you’re struggling.

In our weekly series How I Save, we want to open up the conversation. Each week we track the spending of a different person and have a nose around their finances.

This time we’re chatting with Kate*, a 29-year-old marketing executive in Edinburgh with no money saved. She’s struggling to put away money as she has such a large amount of debt to pay off.

How Katie saves:

I earn £27,109 a year. In my savings account right now I have £0.

I never make big purchases, I go on cheap holidays, and I do loads of paid-for online surveys. I try to keep some money aside each month but I always end up spending it.

I struggle with saving because I am paying £350 per month towards debt from credit cards, which I consolidated into one loan. I won’t have paid it off until June 2021. I spent a lot of money while at uni for various reasons and it spiralled from there, but I’m getting back on track now.

I’m trying to save for an emergency fund. I worry that I wouldn’t be able to survive if, for example, I lost my job or had to move. I’d also like to get out of debt so I could think about buying a flat or a house with my boyfriend.

The main way I save is by trying to move a little bit into a separate pot each month, although it doesn’t ever manage to stay there.

How Katie spends:

Monthly expenses:

• Rent: £425
• Debt payments: £350
• Phone bill: £46
• Netflix: £9
• Now TV: £8
• Home insurance: £7
• Council tax: £64
• Electricity and Gas: £51

A week of spending:

Monday: £6 on a coffee and a toastie. I didn’t have dinner last night so I’m very hungry this morning.

I grab a Sainsbury’s meal deal and bonus chocolate bar for £3.49, as it’s right opposite my work and is the easiest option for lunch.

£1.16 goes on some potatoes and an onion for dinner – I was using up some leftovers and this was the base of what turned out to be a random but delicious feast.

Total for Monday: £10.65

Tuesday: Breakfast is a coffee and a pastry for £3.25. I always justify having coffee by getting into the mindset of ‘well I’ve already spent x amount, what difference will it make’?

£5.25 on a prawn sandwich, fizzy drink, chocolate bar and crisps for lunch.

Dinner is a £10 pizza. We were being super lazy due to the bad weather and just wanted something convenient. I’m pretty bad with takeaways – as soon as I have a bad mental health day (quite frequently) I rely on them too much.

I also spend £4.75 on some stuff from Superdrug. My boyfriend has got a foot injury so needed some provisions. He did pay me back though.

Total for Tuesday: £23.25

Wednesday: £3.25 on exactly the same coffe and pastry as yesterday.

I get a £4.25 salad for lunch as I’m craving something healthy.

Total for Wednesday: £7.50

Thursday: £7.25 on breakfast at Costa – I had the day off to move house and decided to kill time before our final inspection by the letting agent by sitting in and doing some coursework (I’m doing a marketing course).

£10.80 on avocado toast and a sparkling water for lunch (how millennial) before I went to the final flat inspection.

Total for Thursday: £18.05

Friday: Breakfast is a £4.20 coffee and shortbread from Costa. Since I moved to the city centre I’m finding it even harder to resist.

£3.50 on a salmon sandwich, sweets and a lemon San Pellegrino during my lunch break

Total for Friday: £7.70

Saturday: I pop to the Christmas market and buy a £5 German sausage before getting the train to visit my grandparents.

Three games of bowling cost £21. I can’t resist playing when I’ve had a couple of beers and it was quite a draining afternoon so we needed cheering up

£20 goes on arcade games and a photo from a photobooth. Not exactly a great purchase but we did win the jackpot so it wasn’t too bad coming away with a few prizes!

An Uber home is £4. I would have walked but my boyfriend still has an injured foot.

Total for Saturday: £50

Sunday: £15.96 goes on provisions from Tesco – juice, snacks, etc. I decided to treat myself to a £3 poinsettia as well to make the flat more Christmassy.

£8 on a photo frame from Amazon to put a print I’ve got my auntie and uncle for their 50th wedding anniversary in.

Total for Sunday: £26.96

Total spent this week: £144.11

*Name has been changed.

How I Save is a weekly series about how people spend and save, out every Thursday. If you’d like to anonymously share how you spend and save – and get some expert advice on how to sort out your finances – get in touch by emailing ellen.scott@metro.co.uk.

If you want more tips and tricks on saving money, as well as chat about cash and alarms on deals and discounts, join Money Pot, our new Facebook group.

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Last year, Ellis Roberts-Wright started a project to make sure LGBTQ+ people disowned by their families would still receive a Christmas card during the difficult time.

While most of us take our families for granted, those who are estranged from theirs may feel particularly lonely during the festive period.

So the transgender 21-year-old has sent 4,000 cards to them in hopes of putting a smile on their face.

Ellis started the Rainbow Cards project from their home with the aim of reaching out to people who are on their own.

The idea was formed five years ago when Ellis was bed-bound with ME –  a long-term neurological condition that left them unable to move or even brush their own teeth.

At the time, friends sent Ellis letters who was so comforted by it that they decided to start doing the same to others.

Ellis wanted others to feel the same warmth they felt and has decided to send cards to estranged people around the world.

Ellis explained: ‘When I came out as bisexual I was overwhelmed by how supportive my parents were and it made me think about the people who aren’t supported.

‘I think the youngest person I’ve sent a card to was 13. Fifty is the oldest.

‘The majority are in America but some are in countries where it’s illegal to be gay.

‘There’s a lot of people from religious backgrounds, a lot of people from the bible belt. There are also quite a lot in Britain.’

Last year, Ellis sent 4,000 cards to people in 35 countries. This year, they are planning to send even more.

Ellis continued: ‘I get emails from people or a card thanking me. But it’s for them, it’s not about me.

‘There are a lot of people who say “this is the only card I’ve gotten”. I’ve had so many people tell me they cried when they got it.

‘A couple of people said it saved their lives because they felt so isolated.

‘For trans recipients, it’s quite a big thing. A lot of them don’t have people in their life who call them by their own name, or address them by the right pronoun.’

Through the Rainbow Cards Project, people can sign up to become a recipient through a form on the website Ellis runs.

You can also sign up to write cards, which go to a PO box address. Ellis processes the cards and sends them to the addresses, which are kept private.

Ellis said: ‘I don’t give out addresses. My main focus is on safety. I wanted people from unsafe situations to be able to sign up without any fear.

‘I knew all the cards would have to come through me, so I’d need a PO box.

‘I think people don’t really understand people not getting Christmas cards is a symptom of a much larger rejection.

‘It’s not the Christmas cards, it’s that their family doesn’t love and support them anymore.’

Ellis also has a GoFundMe to boost the Rainbow Cards project, and anyone looking to donate can do so by visiting the GoFundMe page.

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I am 32 and have just become the father of an angel; a baby boy that my wife and I are so happy to have in our life.

Having a baby has been the most wonderful moment in my life. But I worry about whether he will be labelled like I was as a child?

I am Roma and growing up I faced prejudice because of this.

‘We don’t want to play with you.’

‘Have you stayed in the sun too long?

Or the best one: ‘Oh, he’s such a good boy! He’s not like the rest of them’

When I moved to London from Romania in 2012, my original label was a replaced with a new one: immigrant.

And instead of not-belonging in my own country, I now didn’t belong in my new home.

I had so much hope when I first moved to the UK; I was eager to explore and build a life here. Yet I was made to feel like I didn’t fit in. Gradually I learnt to suppress this feeling and try and forget.

Soon after my arrival I started working in construction, which I have to say, was not my dream.

It was here that I encountered one of the many stereotypes surrounding immigrants: that we are desperate for work and we’ll do anything for it.

One day my supervisor asked me and my colleagues – all migrants – if we wanted to do some overtime over the weekend, asking me specifically. With shy English, I said: ‘if you really need me, yes!’

Immediately the supervisor mimicked ‘Yes! Please!’ and both he and the manager started laughing at me.

For me, saying yes was more about showing respect and commitment to the team and my job. For them, it was a power dynamic they enjoyed. It felt like they wanted us to beg for extra work.

You could almost see them thinking: ‘they are here just for the money and they will work 24/7 for that. They are dribbling like thirsty dogs waiting for me to throw them some hours.’

From that moment on I made sure I did not give in to their expectations of me. I wanted them to know I was working overtime because they needed me, not the other way around.

The longer I worked in construction, the easier it became. But right when I started to feel confident and strong something else struck me like lightening: Brexit.

I was overseas when the referendum results were announced and I couldn’t believe the news. It all became clear: no matter how confident I am I will always carry this label with me.

It was confirmed just a few days later when I was driving a foreign plated vehicle back in the UK. A guy overtook me, stopping and completely blocking the traffic.

‘What the f**k are you still doing here? Go back to your country!’

It made me feel so angry. I’d been learning English through secondary school, all the way through to university and I came to this country full of hope, trying my best to be a good worker, colleague and citizen…  and this is what I get?

After that people talked about us like we were cockroaches, spreading everywhere and taking over everything. Just like the insects, people were treating us like they had every right to step on us.

You may think immigrants are ‘scroungers’ – a name we’re so often given – but I have to ask, are we really?

All the jobs I have had in the UK, I have had them because no one else asked for them and because I was the right person for the role.

There are many foreign people getting high paid jobs in Romania, including British people, but you don’t hear us shouting.

On the contrary, we appreciate their efforts to come and support our economy with their expertise and knowledge.

You probably feel sorry for me now and think that the picture is pretty ugly. Well it is.

I’m scared that once we leave the EU the man who felt entitled to harass me in 2016 will feel even more emboldened and do more than just shout abuse at me.

Throughout my life I have faced prejudice because of my labels and I am still fighting.

However, at the end of this, I am still grateful to the UK. It has offered me opportunities, built my confidence and given me the chance to meet and learn from people from all over the world.

But, more than anything, it has taught me there is nothing wrong with being Roma, being a migrant, working in a car wash or a construction site. It is all about being a decent human being and respecting others.

People should remember our souls have the same colour. We eat the same food, dress the same clothes and we should be speaking the same language – the language of love and compassion.

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When Whitney, 29, and her husband Andrew Chardoulias, 35, first told their relatives they planned to give up their homes and jobs to travel the country on a bus, they were told it was a terrible idea and that their kids would be kidnapped or mauled by bears.

They didn’t let that stop them.

Whitney had fallen in love with travelling ever since she started browsing Instagram feeds of families who lived in converted school buses.

When she brought up the idea with Andrew, he was immediately on board, and they quickly started working towards achieving their dream of packing up and taking their five children – plus Andrews daughters, Brenna and Bria, who live with their mother so join when they can – on an adventure around the U.S.

They got rid of a third of their belongings, stored the rest of their possessions at Whitney’s parents’ house, and moved on board a bus they found on eBay for £9,970 and renovated for £15,300 so it could serve as their perfect mobile home.

The bus, which also needed to have its engine and transmission changed for a cost of £23,000, now has a full kitchen, living room, toy room, a bathroom with a tub, a king-size bed, and three bunks, plus extra sleeping space on a sofa that opens into a double bed.

It’s 45 foot-long and eight-foot wide, giving the family 360 sq ft of space – as well as the great outdoors to play with.

When not travelling, the bus sits on land at Whitney’s parents’ farm. During the day the couple work on their dog breeding business, Cedar Bend Labradoodles, but next year they plan to start home-schooling their children so they can travel more frequently.

‘I’m a mum to four children Quincy, seven, Fletcher, four, Rowe, two and River, one,’ says Whitney. ‘ When Andrew used to be in the Air Force and our daughter, Quincy, was two we spent four and half months in Biloxi, Mississippi.

‘I grew up inland in Muscatine, Iowa, and never really saw the ocean or a beach before. Our place was right by the beach and I loved it so much and dreaded coming home.

‘I had seen other families on Instagram living in a converted bus and travelling the country and I was so envious. I remember telling Andrew I didn’t want to be old and grey and wishing we had travelled more. I told him about the busses and asked him “why not us?”

‘He bought the idea and when we told friends and family, they were against it at first. My mum was especially convinced that our kids would be kidnapped or mauled by bears. They have all come around to it now though and our friends think it’s really cool.

‘Finally on July 21, 2019 we moved onboard.’

So far the family have covered nine states and travelled over 5,000 miles. Once they fix some mechanical issues and a problem with insulation on the bus, they’ll be back on the road once more.

Their life is unconventional, but the family love every moment.

‘Our kids have been excited every step of the way and we’ve covered more than 5,000 miles now across the states of Idaho, Wyoming, Nebraska, Colorado, South Dakota, Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Kentucky and Indiana,’ says Whitney.

‘Sure, sometimes it’s been difficult not having a consistent schedule, and it was hard to get our two-year-old to take normal naps while travelling, and our four-year-old struggles with change.

‘We have quickly learned not to cram too much into each day. We narrowed this down to one outing in the morning and one in the afternoon. Any more than this and our kids were overtired.

‘The best thing about this journey is travelling and seeing our children experience new things. Every time we get back ‘home’ they ask us when we are leaving again. Also I love only having to clean 360 sq. feet each day, though I must admit I don’t enjoy doing the kids’ bunks.

‘For a large family it’s been very good for our budget too and I would guess that we spend only around £1,150 ($1,500) a month.’

Whitney would recommend bus life to other families, but warns of the importance of research and not rushing into massive life changes.

She says: ‘If you want to live in an RV, bus, van or tiny home, don’t buy the first one you see. Do your research and talk to people. Talk to those who have walked this road before and absolutely get a professional outside mechanic to look at the vehicle before making any final purchase.

‘I think everyone starts this process by thinking that they could never do this and that it’s just not possible for them for whatever reason. I think it’s possible for anyone who really wants to do it.

‘You just have to overcome one obstacle at a time.

‘You will hit bumps with anything you do in life all you have to do is figure out a remedy for them and move without ever giving up.

‘We consider ourselves incredibly blessed. We simply love our bus and we can’t wait to experience more adventures in it.’

Do you live in an uncoventional home? Get in touch to share your story by emailing MetroLifestyleTeam@Metro.co.uk. 

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If you’re having turkey and stuffing for breakfast, it can only mean one thing – it’s the day after Christmas.

Every year during the festive period, we cook far too much, only to enjoy the delicious leftovers the next day.

Whether you’re an early riser hoping to wade the shops or if you prefer to ‘add to cart’, it’s not Boxing Day until you’ve had leftover pigs in blankets to begin the day.

Don’t worry, those of us having to work will, too, be eating our Christmassy leftovers, albeit in the canteen.

It’s the one time of year where it’s completely acceptable to chow down on turkey or Ferrero Rocher, washed down by some mulled wine as soon as you awake.

Of course, you can put the delicious remaining contents in between slices of bread and call it a club sandwich.

The fancier among us might even cook the leftovers to make something fresh or even give it a healthy twist.

How about a turkey chowder? Just grab your leftover meat, fry up some onions, peppers, garlic, and bacon.

Then through the turkey and other veggie bits into a food processor with a bit of stock. Then add in your fried ingredients, some corn, and single cream to thicken it.

Top it off with some crispy bacon and cheese.

There are plenty of other Boxing Day breakfast options too.

Whether you’ve already eaten your festive brekkie or are planning to turn it into a lunch, please enjoy the delicacies folks on the internet have enjoyed this morning.

Began Christmas Dinner leftovers for Boxing Day breakfast courtesy of @jamiejizzzle https://t.co/WIK2EIKvkB pic.twitter.com/z0CJh5e2ED

— John Popham (@johnpopham) December 26, 2019

The dichotomy of Boxing Day breakfast. Vegan cheesy polenta rounds with quince paste glazed ham. #themorningafterthedaybefore pic.twitter.com/sYCdHnyG3A

— 💧Collette L 🐔 (@collettell) December 25, 2019

Lazy man's Boxing Day breakfast.#KiwiChristmas pic.twitter.com/2WNvzGcy62

— Jason Danner (@jpdanner) December 25, 2019

Boxing Day breakfast. Keep up you lot! What do you mean your sposed to peel them?….Ow my fillings pic.twitter.com/lp6tJB4ISD

— jen (@voiceofthstones) December 25, 2019

Boxing Day trifle breakfast #trifleclub pic.twitter.com/5iqmwgditi

— Kiwiana (@Kiwiana13C) December 25, 2019

Leftover pav for Boxing Day breakfast yum pic.twitter.com/savPY5zswg

— AR Urbanism (@ARUrbanism) December 26, 2019

https://www.instagram.com/p/B6gzw_3HjQf/

https://www.instagram.com/p/B6g-NZ-gU0D/

https://www.instagram.com/p/B6iAXjvFyvD/

https://www.instagram.com/p/B6hCp-uAseW/

https://www.instagram.com/p/B6h5eNGhu8H/

https://www.instagram.com/p/B6h8GiZBSfu/

Bubble and squeak babyyyyy pic.twitter.com/TGXmkUdFhc

— Kate Buck (@katebuck96) December 26, 2019

https://www.instagram.com/p/B6h_cuWh9J_/

We hope you had a very Merry Christmas! If you have any leftovers from yesterday, why don't you make this delicious Leftover Vegetables Wrap? The recipe is here: https://t.co/LZ1bIpIA6z Give it a go! 😀 pic.twitter.com/2stZGtcGkt

— VitafriendsPKU (@VitafriendsPKU) December 26, 2019

Best thing about Christmas? The leftovers. pic.twitter.com/wcjRHA7Ixa

— Mulled Wyne (@WynRichards) December 26, 2019

Leftovers + some self love = Christmas brunch pic.twitter.com/BMKc1W5prP

— Honest Gonzalez (@run_Gonzo_run) December 25, 2019

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Did you know that loneliness may be as damaging to health as smoking 15 cigarettes a day?

That’s the fact that made one mum spring into action.

Mandy Yasities, 33, a former business development manager, knew how acutely loneliness could affect people’s physical and mental wellbeing.

After she lost her mum at 19 and her dad in 2003, Mandy joined a befriending scheme and was introduced to former trucker David Carter, 74.

Mum-of-one Mandy, from Cheshire, soon hit it off with ‘grump’ David, who could not go out because of health problems.

Mandy is now unable to work due her own health issues and so having a friend in David has meant the world to her.

Now a regular visitor at David’s, she loves popping in for a cuppa and a natter.

‘We have such a laugh together… when he’s able to hear me!’ she jokes. ‘He had a reputation for being a bit of a grump, but we just hit it off straight away and I don’t see that side to him.

‘I really took to him and he calls me, “my Mandy”.

‘He was so down in the dumps when I first met him, but the difference in him now is amazing, in just six months.

‘I think he is a bit of a father figure to me. I’ve lost my parents, so I have felt that loneliness myself and he’s someone I can look up to.’

After being diagnosed with postural tachycardia syndrome (PoTs), an abnormal increase in heart rate, and an unknown allergy which leaves her at risk of suffering severe anaphylactic shock, Mandy started to look into volunteering.

Finding the Buddying and Befriending scheme, which is part of the charity Changing Lives Together, she was keen to join.

Visiting David weekly for six months, Mandy also phones in between to check he is okay.

‘David has some physical health problems, including ulcers on his legs, which makes it very difficult for him to get out of the house, so he would go for days without speaking to anyone but his carer before we met,’ she explains.

He has an African parakeet whose company Mandy also enjoys.

Mandy, who adds that she does also have friends her own age, said: ‘We get on so well, despite the age difference. We just sit and have a cup of tea and his parakeet, Eddie, will start chatting and wolf-whistling, or shushing us.

‘We talk about all sorts of things – what he’s done over the years, his life as a lorry driver, or horse racing.

‘It’s nice to hear what life used to be like for him and for him to tell me about the past.’

Mandy is also able to help organise appointments for David, getting a barber to come and give him a haircut and she feels her visits have made a real difference.

Though she couldn’t spend Christmas with him, she still checked up on him.

With no family left and suffering with his health, Mandy’s visits are all the more important for David.

He explained: ‘It’s changed my life. Someone coming and having a natter has made such a difference.

‘I’d not had anybody come to see me for ages and I’ve been pretty much housebound for two years because of health problems.

‘I was very lonely, as nobody would come to see me, but Mandy makes me feel better. She understands a lot of things, so we’ll have a cup of tea and a chat.

‘It’s something for me to look forward to.’

He continued: ‘We have a nice time laughing and joking talking about whatever is going on.

‘It makes a difference to my soul.’

The Buddying and Befriending scheme is part of the charity Changing Lives Together and was commissioned by Brightlife to reduce loneliness and isolation in the over 50s across Cheshire.

Do you have an unusual friendship that’s changed your life? Get in touch to tell us more about it by emailing MetroLifestyleTeam@Metro.co.uk. 

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Boris is a friendly cat that makes himself at home in almost every store on a high street, playing with staff and customers and keeping an eye out for any trouble.

The three-year-old ginger kitty spends his time visiting stores on Queen Street in Somerset – including shops selling homeware, toys, crystals, and sandwiches.

He snoozes in windows, on counters, chairs, and in storerooms, and loves being stroked and given treats by customers and staff.

Though he has a loving home with Jessica Coppell, 30, and her three daughters, it doesn’t stop Boris milking the attention he gets outside.

Boris is a frequent visitor to pet store Natural Pets of Wells, where he loves to play with the cat toys, and even perches up on the counter to keep an eye on the customers.

The cheeky cat is such a regular that he even has his own bed at the store (which he picked out, obviously).

Heather Derrick, owner of Natural Pets, said: ‘Boris is one seriously entertaining cat who knows just how much his cuteness level can get him his own way.

‘He is clearly very well fed and cared for by his owners but he still comes in most days trying to convince us he is starving.’

The pet shop staff like to spoil him with treats, which is probably why he keeps coming back.

Heather added: ‘He particularly likes having a nap in the middle of the shop window so he can watch the world go by for a while before settling down for a nap.

‘We have even made a space for his bed under Santa’s sleigh in our Christmas window – he was very put out when we were changing the window display and moved him from his favourite spot.

‘We have a lot of chuckles at the astonished looks on people’s faces as they pass by, when what they thought was a toy cat in the window yawns and stretches,’ Heather added.

Matt Pyne, who owns one of the shops Boris loves to visit, Protec, said: ‘Boris the cat has become quite the celebrity on Queen Street.

‘Like clockwork, at 9am every day, he can be found outside Protec, waiting to be let in.

‘Boris can regularly be found curled up in a wicker basket in Protec, quite often surprising customers, who assume he’s a model, when he starts to move.

‘At the end of each day, he knows to take the shortcut through Protec and out the back door to get back round the corner to his home in time for tea.

Boris’ owner Jessica, and her daughters, love their cat’s local celebrity status.

Jessica, an insurance broker assistant, said: ‘We actually love how much joy he brings to everyone and how accommodating they all are.

‘They all spoil him rotten and are even teaching him tricks.

‘We are often recognised when we are out around Wells, and people will tell us their stories about him.’

The family also has two other cats, Buttons and Boots – and say Boris always comes home in time for tea with his siblings.

Do you have a pet with a brilliant quirk or a naughty habit? Get in touch to share their story by emailing MetroLifestyleTeam@Metro.co.uk.

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When tabby cat Stan started stealing bits of Italian food from his owner’s plate, Michelle Townley thought he was just being naughty.

But when the continued to show intense cravings for Italian meals such as pizza, pasta, meatballs and mozzarella, Michelle, a veterinary nurse, suspected something was seriously wrong, knowing cats wouldn’t usually eat anything slathered in tomato puree.

It turned out Michelle, 40, was correct. After taking Stan to the vet it was discovered that his sudden taste for Italian flavours was due to hyperthyroidism, a glandular disorder.

The cat’s strange eating habits may have saved his life by revealing the condition.

Stan, 15, now needs regular medication to control his unusual cravings but since beginning treatment has made a full recovery.

Michelle said: ‘Cats will often try and steal a bit of chicken here or there if it’s left for the taking, but Stan was ruining entire meals – pizzas and plates of spaghetti and meatballs.

‘But it wasn’t until I caught him on the kitchen counter with chunks of spaghetti in tomato sauce that I knew something was definitely wrong.

‘Normally cats wouldn’t touch anything covered in tomato, but instead Stan seemed like he was taking quite a fancy to it.’

As well as his change in eating habits, Stan was also drinking more water, becoming quite irritable and less affectionate, but most worryingly he was losing weight – despite his insatiable appetite.

When a funny quirk started to be a cause for concern, Michelle took her pet for a hypothyroidism blood test, which immediately confirmed her suspicions – Stan had an overactive thyroid.

She said: ‘As a vet, I knew what signs to look out for, but even then the symptoms of hyperthyroidism can be very subtle and difficult to spot.

‘Stan’s condition meant that his thyroid was producing too many hormones, creating increased appetite, irritability, unexplained weight loss, high blood pressure and increased thirst.’

Luckily, since his diagnosis Stan is back to his usual self, cuddling and playing with Michelle’s other cat, Bob, and leaving the pizza and pasta for his owner to enjoy alone.

The moggy needs a daily treatment to keep his condition in check.

Michelle added: ‘Before, anything Stan could find he would scoff the lot, but now he lives a normal life.

‘Within two weeks of starting treatment he was back to his old self, playing, cuddling, going outside – and no longer scoffing everything he got his paws on.

‘We can leave what we want on the side now and feel safe knowing he won’t touch it – he’s back to only caring about his own cat meat meals so if we get a pizza and I fancy some more in the morning I know it will be there unscathed.’

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