He was a mathematician who enjoyed hoarding mementoes like Father’s Day cards (Picture: Merle Brown)
This Father’s Day it will be two months since my dad, George, passed away from Covid-19.
For the first time I won’t buy, or make a card, and I won’t worry about choosing a gift that he really would insist I didn’t buy anyway. ‘Save your money for yourself’, I can hear him say.
This first one without him will be devastating, but almost a relief at the same time.
That might sound harsh but having to explain to your dad that you are his daughter, as he looks at the card you’ve just given him with bemusement, is heartbreaking.
My dad had Alzheimer’s, and the last few Father’s Days were bittersweet to say the least.
Last year, he was having a bad day – he had no idea what I was saying to him, no idea that the Toblerone I had brought him was his all-time favourite, and no idea what to do with the card in front of him.
He had developed a tendency to rip up paper and cardboard into small pieces and pile it in front of him, and I hoped this wasn’t going that way.
My husband and I sat with him, as he mostly stared out of the window, or re-read the same article from the newspaper over and over again. We made coffee for the three of us, and went through the motions, chatting away with little response.
The year before, he was in hospital, at the start of his dementia decline, and we visited and explained it was Father’s Day.
My dad had Alzheimer’s, and the last few Father’s Days were bittersweet to say the least (Picture: Merle Brown)
He knew who I was in 2018, and as we took him outside in his wheelchair, since he had now lost the ability to walk, he held my hand as I walked beside him, and my husband pushed him.
It should have been lovely – and it was – but at the same time, it was painful and sad.
I thought about the many times I’d walked holding his hand as a child, a teenager, and an adult, and the realisation that he wouldn’t ever walk beside me again hit hard.
Whilst my dad’s death in a care home from Covid-19 was devastating, sudden, and something that, as a family, we will take a long time to process, his dementia had already dipped us into the depths of despair.
A few months before lockdown I was looking through the drawers of his desk at the family home and I came across a card, lovingly made by a younger me, and kept by my dad, who was both logical and sentimental – he was a mathematician who enjoyed hoarding mementoes like this.
Losing a parent, I am learning, is like taking the lid off your life in many ways (Picture: Merle Brown)
On the bookshelf behind his desk sat another card, with a photo of the two us, in happier, sunnier, days on a break in Majorca. I had joined my parents there after another relationship had broken down, and my dad was the only man I wanted around me.
I made a Father’s Day card from the photo the following year, and he displayed it in his office with other family snaps.
In 2015, he walked me down the aisle, the day before Father’s Day. Despite being in the early stages of his illness, he managed his father of the bride duties with aplomb, and the speech my mum had helped him write was read out perfectly.
Losing a parent, I am learning, is like taking the lid off your life in many ways.
Those of us lucky enough to have had a father who would do anything for you, feel groundless at losing them. Despite the dementia all but taking the very essence of my dad away in the last few years as it progressed, I was still grounded.
I was still able to touch him, and on the days he recognised who I was, and waved as I approached him, still filled me with joy, albeit fleeting.
I’ve managed to opt out from many of the countless brand emails that clutter your inbox around these days. I’ve avoided too much social media chat about the day.
This weekend is not going to be an easy one. We have a wedding anniversary to celebrate as best we can in lockdown, the two-month anniversary of his death and, of course, this Father’s Day to navigate.
But as dementia took all of his memories away, so his dementia is now a memory to me, and when I raise a glass to him this weekend it will be to the strong, vibrant, smiling, dad I remember.
I am ever grateful to have had him.
Do you have a story that you’d like to share? Get in touch by emailing jess.austin@metro.co.uk
Proud dads Alan and Al with their daughter Beatrice and newborn Otto (Picture: Caters News Agency)
A couple has become proud parents of twins – who were born three years apart – thanks to surrogate pal who has now carried a baby for them twice.
Alan Coates, 50, and Al Watt, 45, from Brighton welcomed Otto to the world after surrogate Annie Peverelle, 41, agreed to give them another gift this Father’s Day.
The couple’s first born Beatrice, three, and Otto are considered to be twins as they were conceived at the same time through IVF and from the same batch of embryos.
The couple chose to use an anonymous egg donor and didn’t fuss too much over characteristics as long as the donor was healthy.
Annie from Rugby, Warwick, has been a surrogate five times. Now, after giving birth to Otto, she says she will give up surrogacy.
She will be celebrating Father’s Day with Alan and Al this year who are delighted to become a family of four.
Annie has been a surrogate for the dads twice (Picture: Caters News Agency)
Alan explained: ‘Our surrogacy journey has come to an end so it will be nice to reflect how far we have come and how our experiences have shaped us along with how much we have grown.
‘I always say that having a child is like someone pointing out a secret door that you didn’t know was there and once you go through the door you can’t go back.
‘It is like going into a different dimension to which I am amazed to discover.’
The proud parents say they knew they wanted a family right away.
Alan said: ‘Al and I spoke about children from the moment we met and liked the idea of there being an ongoing relationship and friendship through surrogacy.
‘Not only for us but for the children too!’
They first met Annie in 2014 at a social event through Surrogacy UK, a non-profit organisation.
At the time, she was already pregnant, which reassured Alan and Al as they realised she knew what she was doing.
Alan added: ‘We stayed in touch and established a friendship so we were delighted when we got “the call” saying she would like to get to know us and we immediately hit it off before starting our treatment in 2016.’
The first time they were unsuccessful but tried again with new eggs.
The couple had two embryos – one of which is Beatrice and the other was frozen until last year.
He adds: ‘It is crazy to think they are technically twins – Beatrice already knows she grew in Auntie Annie’s tummy and Otto will know that too.’
Technically Beatrice and Otto are twins as they were born from the same batch of embryos (Picture: Caters News Agency)
Annie said: ‘Over the years, I have become so close with Alan and Al – I knew I wanted to help them and complete their family.
‘I will continue volunteering for Surrogacy UK until I am old and grey but I won’t be carrying another baby as I have recently had a career change to a diabetic eye screener and I am due to start a diploma.
‘I love being pregnant and sharing the experience with the parents-to-be but nothing can compare to the high I experience when I see them falling in love with their baby from the second they hold them.
‘I have always had smooth pregnancies without any morning sickness or pains, but Otto wasn’t in the right position so I had my first C-section.
‘When the boys were able to meet their son for the first time, they came straight to me to check I was OK which shows the strength of our friendship.’
The couple praise Annie for her positive attitude and support throughout their journey to fatherhood.
Alan said: ‘Annie’s experience was helpful at appointments as she would always ask questions that we didn’t think of.
‘Our friendship is unbeatable and she’s definitely one of our best friends – she has done such an incredible thing for us.’
The quirky characteristic means one side of their face is one colour but they have a straight line running from the ears, through their nose and to their chin, with a different colour on the other side.
One little split-coloured cat has amused his owner after welcoming two kittens, with each one taking after his different complexions.
Narnia the cat stole everyone’s hearts with his half -grey, half-black face, coupled with his piercing blue eyes.
And now his kittens, one who is completely grey and the other who is black, are delighting everyone.
Kittens Prada and Phoenix have also inherited Narnia’s striking blue eyes.
His owner Stephanie Jiminez is a cat breeder and says Narnia has fathered loads of kitties who have all inherited all sorts of colours.
Narnia has fathered lots of kitties (Picture: Amazingnarnia/Instagram)
Narnia was born in Paris but later bought to Britain.
He was previously thought to be a rare chimera cat (contain two types of DNA) but after further testing, he was found to have one type of DNA but geneticists aren’t sure which type.
And the adorable kitty is already extending his family since having Prada and Phoenix.
Owner Stephanie revealed he is due to have some more kittens on 29 June.
The busy boi also has multiple other kittens. He has two light brown twins, Orfée and Ozanna, Roswell who is pitch black, Rose who is grey and two gorgeous multi-coloured boys, Polaris and Phantom.
Stephanie says Narnia loves all his kitties and spends lots of time with them.
Minimal physical involvement can make us men feel guilty and helpless as we can only observe our partners’ suffering (Picture: Neil Savla)
As my wife lay on our bed, naked from the waist down, clutching a pillow while the two-inch needle pierced her backside, she wasn’t the only one in tears.
Yes, she had to endure the physical pain of IVF medications and bear the bruises, but I had to inflict it.
Thankfully, I’m comfortable with administering injections. However, you can never be comfortable with consoling your distressed wife after breaking down on seeing all the drugs, needles, syringes and suppositories for the first time.
I held her as she sobbed, heartbroken about the unfairness of infertility. Once she’d recovered, I calmly showed her how to administer subcutaneous injections, which were much less painful than she’d expected. Following my initial demonstration, she practically became a pro at doing them herself.
Like one in seven couples in the UK, we’ve been trying to conceive for four years without success. While the physical trauma subsides over time, the emotional impact of infertility seeps into your bones and stays with you.
It’s not just women who feel this toll. In a report conducted by our clinic, seven in 10 men mentioned the negative effects of IVF on them, with twice as many men than women admitting that they can last for five years or more.
Why the discrepancy between men and women? I’m no expert, but we have four IVF cycles under our belt, and therefore have first-hand experience of how the focus is firmly on the female during treatment (male factor infertility is a different story and isn’t the case for us).
Women’s cycles are downregulated to induce artificial menopause; their ovaries are stimulated to boost egg supply; they inject, insert and ingest medications; they undergo ultrasound scans, egg retrieval and embryo transfer; they carry the baby, and then they give birth.
Countless other men and I have described our contribution as ‘the easy bit’. Compared to the intensity of the above phases, I guess you could say that. (Although I’ve heard some horror sperm sample stories, like having to ‘perform’ under the amused gaze of cartoon strip characters, who seem to be mocking your inability to conceive naturally.)
Minimal physical involvement can make us men feel guilty and helpless as we can only observe our partners’ suffering.
We’ve completed four gruelling failed IVF cycles at three clinics, with our latest one being postponed due to Covid-19 (Picture: Neil Savla)
These feelings can be exacerbated by innocent enquiries about how the women are handling the hardship. Very few people have asked me how I’m coping. Yet, I harboured dreams of becoming a father long before my wife’s desire to experience motherhood surfaced. The empathy is all directed towards her, as if my lack of open communication on the matter means that I’m doing just fine.
The truth is that I’m not. How could I be?
In 2017, we celebrated a natural pregnancy then suffered a miscarriage. My wife’s grief-stricken reaction to which surprised me, due to her previously ambivalent attitude towards having children.
It reassured me that we had the same goal, and changed the way I supported her going forward.
Since then, we’ve completed four gruelling failed IVF cycles at three clinics, with our latest one being postponed due to Covid-19. Our treatment may have only been delayed by a month, but we had no idea how long we’d have to wait for fertility clinics to reopen.
Now, we’re pinning our hopes on our single frozen embryo surviving the thaw and implanting during this week’s transfer.
IVF is often referred to as an emotional rollercoaster. For the first two rounds, my wife was simply overwhelmed with emotions, meaning there was very little space for me to verbalise my feelings.
I didn’t allow myself to feel anything, automatically assuming the role of the strong, supportive husband, conditioned by my upbringing and wider society.
Hearing that a close friend went through IVF without telling a soul triggered a period of introspection for me. I didn’t want to be similarly disconnected (Picture: Neil Savla)
After my wife shared our story on her blog on Mother’s Day 2019, even more attention came her way. It continues to do so since she became a fertility advocate, speaking publicly to raise awareness of infertility, particularly among South Asian communities, where it’s still shrouded in shame and secrecy.
The shock of hearing that a close friend went through IVF without telling a soul, not even his parents, and feeling saddened about how isolated he must have felt, triggered a period of introspection for me. I didn’t want to be similarly disconnected.
To destigmatise the subject and reconnect with my feelings, I appeared on a live radio interview on BBC Asian Network. In it, I finally articulated how I’d suppressed my emotions to better support my wife, creating psychological damage, loss of confidence and acute anxiety in the process – demons which dog me to this day.
Although I’ve never felt any pressure to procreate from family (insensitive comments are almost always aimed at Indian women – we can blame our patriarchal society for this), I explained how difficult it is for men to open up for fear of appearing weak and being told to ‘man up’.
It’s also an invitation to be on the receiving end of jokes suggesting that I ask my friends who’ve had children for ‘the recipe’.
It’s extremely difficult to acknowledge your feelings about your fertility struggles when you’ve been keeping them at bay for years.
Until quite recently, there were very few support networks and resources available for men where we can talk freely without burdening our partners and get comfort from the camaraderie. But things are changing, and that gives me hope.
TfL has launched an exemption card (Picture: Getty/TFL)
Last week, a new rule was introduced making it mandatory to wear face coverings on public transport to try to reduce the spread of coronavirus.
Failure to follow the new rules could result in a fine of up to £100.
However, some people are exempt from wearing them due to health conditions or a disability.
Some with invisible conditions which affect breathing like asthma or those with autism and sensory difficulties may be worried about facing difficulties as people don’t understand why they aren’t wearing one.
To help, Transport for London has launched an exemption card for those who can’t wear a mask to show to other passengers or staff, similar to their ‘Please offer me a seat’ cards.
As masks will hopefully be a temporary measure and due to the current situation, TfL will not send the cards out to most people in the same way as they do for other schemes.
Who is exempt from wearing a mask on public transport?
The following are exempt from the requirement to wear a face covering on TfL’s public transport stations, platforms and services:
Children under the age of 11
Employees of, or persons providing agreed services to, TfL
Police constables (including British Transport Police) officers acting in the course of their duty
Members or employees of the emergency services responding to an emergency
A person will have a reasonable excuse and will not be required to wear a face covering in the following circumstances:
Where a person cannot put on, wear, or remove a face covering because of a physical or mental illness or impairment or disability (within the meaning of section 6 of the Equality Act 2010), or without severe distress
Where a person is providing a lip-reading service to a person they are travelling with
Where a person removes their face covering to avoid harm or injury, or the risk of harm or injury, to themselves or others
Where a person is travelling to avoid injury, or to escape a risk of harm, and does not have a face covering with them
If it is reasonably necessary for a person to eat and drink, and the person removes their face covering to eat or drink
Where a person is required to remove the face covering by a police constable (including a British Transport Police officer) or another authorised person
There’s nothing like the satisfaction of seeing a derelict building turned into a lush home.
And the latest home renovation that’s got everyone excited is a creepy old dungeon that was transformed into a stunning apartment.
All the hard work was down to snowboarder Jamie Barrow who spent the last three years turning the abandoned property into the luxury home it is now.
The 28-year-old, who won the Guinness World Record for the fastest speed on a snowboard in 2018, showed that he is a man of many talents.
Jamie bought the Grade-I listed building in Bath in 2017 to get himself on the property ladder.
While working on the top floor he noticed the basement which he said was ‘creepy’ at first.
But soon Jamie got to work and turned the dungeon into luxurious rooms, including a bathroom.
Looks amazing (Picture: Jamie Barlow)
After getting planning permission to work on the basement, Jamie spent the entire summer fixing it up.
The former University of Bath student was delighted with the results.
He wrote on his Facebook: ‘Not only am I happy with the final results but I have a huge sense of pride to have restored a piece of history which would have been left to rot away even more if I had not done something about it.
‘Being a property developer in a historic city like Bath I believe there is a social responsibility not just to make these developments on the outskirts of the city but also to restore these amazing historical buildings for others to enjoy for years to come.’
How great does it look? (Picture: Jamie Barlow)
Stylish bathroom (Picture: Jamie Barlow)
Though his transformation has now gone viral, it did take him years of hard work.
Jamie added: ‘Everything needs to be looked at and approved to make sure it is accepted by listed building officers.
‘Every material being used in the property {was used to} match how it was done originally when the property was built.
Jamie had to get planning permission to work on the basement (Picture: Jamie Barlow)
The property also comes with a garden (Picture: Jamie Barlow)
‘From the lime plaster all the way to tracking the original bath stone flooring in the main bedroom to a mine in Bath and actually getting the same stone form the same mine made into flooring for the lower floor which had been replaced at some point in its past.
‘A project like this there is always unforeseen hurdles you have to overcome and despite all the hard work and stress that has gone into it I am so happy with the results which makes it all worthwhile.’
Traffic flowed again across Spain’s border with France this week as the last of the strict Spanish coronavirus restrictions introduced in March were eased. (Picture: JOSEP LAGO/AFP via Getty Images)
Although social distancing measures are still in place and Spain has ruled that bars may not stay open past 10pm, some hotels have started to reopen and second homes, holidays villas and short term rentals in the country offer the chance for a holiday in the sun.
For many, the prospect of going to Spain is a bright one but the thought of flying and being in an aeroplane – where social distancing can be difficult – is not so appealing.
But, for those who don’t want to fly, there is another way to get to Spain and you can do so in the comfort of your own car…
How to travel to Spain from the UK on ferries
While catching a ferry to Spain isn’t as common as taking one over to France, there are cruise ferries that travel from the UK over to Spain and carry both foot passengers and vehicles.
Brittany Ferries is the primary commercial carrier for Cross Channel ferries to Spain from the UK.
They offer routes from Portsmouth to both Bilbao and Santander and a third route from Plymouth to Santander.
Bilbao sits on the northern Spanish coast. (Picture: Getty)
Santander is the capital city of the Cantabria region and Bilbao is the de facto capital of Basque Country. Both are on Spain’s northern coast and it takes around 20 hours to sail there on a ferry from the UK.
At the time of writing, a return ticket from Portsmouth to Bilbao with Brittany Ferries in July starts from around £652, based on two adults taking one car across to Spain and back again on the ferry.
The ferry journey takes place overnight and so ticket prices include a private cabin for you to sleep in.
Brittany ferries say: ‘Travel from England to Spain with a one or two night cruise on a luxury ferry crossing. Enjoy comfortable cabins and plenty of on board entertainment including cinemas, a swimming pool and a choice of quality restaurants.’
According to Skyscanner, flights to Bilbao from London start at as little as £25 per person for a return journey with Ryanair in July.
The 14 day quarantine rule in the UK is still in place all arrivals, bar a short list of exemptions, to Britain and this would apply to anyone returning to the country from Spain either by ferry or plane.
The Foreign & Commonwealth Office (FCO) currently advises British nationals against all but essential international travel, and this includes to countries such as Spain, but the FCO also say that this advice is ‘being kept under constant review’.
A woman who went mute for two months after a mystery brain injury has finally got her voice back – but now speaks with four different accents.
Doctors were perplexed after countless tests failed to explain why Emily Egan, 31, lost the ability to speak.
And when she finally began to talk again, Emily’s voice sounded nothing like the Essex accent she had before.
Emily, from Bournemouth, now mostly speaks with a Polish accent – even in ‘broken English’ at times – but her accent can suddenly change to sound French and Italian as well.
If she experiences a lot of stress, her accent becomes Russian, and when she is exhausted, Emily can lose the ability to speak altogether.
After months of confusion, Emily has finally been diagnosed with foreign accent syndrome – a rare speech disorder caused by brain damage.
Initially suffering from headaches, she went to hospital and medics initially suspected a stroke, but tests ruled out.
Eventually, she lost the ability to speak altogether and doctors were baffled.
They believe her speech disorder was caused by brain damage – but don’t yet know what happened to cause the damage.
Emily suddenly went deaf for two months (Picture: SWNS)
Emily said: ‘This whole experience has been exhausting and totally overwhelming.
‘It’s not just my accent that has changed – I don’t speak or think in the same way as before this and I can’t construct sentences like I used to.
‘I write differently now, my whole vocabulary has changed and my English has got worse.’
She says the accent change has caused her to experience xenophobia, resulting in abuse from strangers.
Emily, from Essex, speaks with a Russian accent when she’s stressed (Picture: SWNS)
Emily had been suffering from headaches for two weeks before her voice suddenly deepened while she was working at the children’s home she manages.
Her speech rapidly became slow and slurred – a key indication of a stroke – so Emily was rushed to hospital where she underwent extensive CT and MRI scans.
Doctors ruled out a stroke but were left confused when Emily lost the ability to speak completely during her hospital stay.
She was discharged to a neurologist after three weeks in hospital but still without a voice, and communicated solely through an app on her phone.
‘Adjusting to communicating like this was so hard, I felt like a completely different person,’ she said.
Emily and her partner Bradleigh, 27, had booked a holiday to Thailand before she fell ill and her neurologist encouraged her to take the trip and try to relax as much as possible.
Five days into her holiday in March 2020, Emily slowly began to speak again but with great difficulty.
Her voice slowly grew stronger as the days passed but Emily was shocked when she realised she had developed an Eastern European accent.
‘On holiday, I started making sounds like a deaf person trying to talk – it is thought that the neuropathways had started to open as my body had completely relaxed.
‘By the time I was home, the words were sounding like a foreign language.
‘I was so thrilled when my voice started coming back but now I don’t even recognise the voice that comes out of my mouth, it doesn’t sound like me.’
Emily was surprised to develop four different accents (Picture: SWNS)
Since her diagnosis, Emily has been having private vocal therapy once a week over Zoom but there is no indication if she will ever regain her normal accent.
Emily has now been diagnosed with a functional neurological disorder as well.
Her left arm and hand are now paralysed but doctors hope she will regain feeling and movement with time and physical therapy.
Emily, who’s had to quit her job, said: ‘I’m only 31 years old and I am shocked at how much my life has changed in a matter of months.
‘The hardest thing for me is learning that this voice is ok. I have to learn to accept that it’s ok for me to not be able to get the words out straight away, it’ll come eventually.
‘I just have to stop getting so frustrated with myself so am practicing holistic approaches to calm and clear my mind with my therapist, as when I get frustrated, everything goes, there’s no speech, and it’s back to square one.
‘It’s just a matter of taking every day as it comes, so I’m just trying to stay positive and hopeful.’
Kim and her family, the note and the bottle it was stored in (Picture: LeedsLive/MEN)
Back in 1987, Kimberley Colbeck and her two siblings wrote letters and hid them in the walls of their house.
Kimberley was just three years old, while brother Andrew was 12 and Christopher was eight.
Now, more than 30 years later, she has been reunited with the notes after builders who were renovating the house found them where they had been hidden decades ago.
Kimberley, 36, found out about the discovery at their old home in on Tranfield Close, Guiseley, Leeds, after she saw a post on Facebook.
She said: ‘I cried when I first saw the note.
‘My older brother Andrew sadly passed away two years ago. It was really emotional to see his writing.’
Kim’s late uncle was fitting a new kitchen when the two brothers and sister banded together to squeeze notes behind the tiles on the walls – one of them in a small glass bottle used as a time capsule.
They wrote their names, ages and the date it was at the time.
‘Today is it Valentines Day. Yes. 14/2/89,’ another message written by Andrew read.
It was particularly touching for Kim because her brother Andrew, who wrote the notes, passed away a few years ago (Picture: LeedsLive/MEN)
The family lived in the house until 2013, and Kim now lives in Castleford.
She has now arranged to meet with Darren Moon, the joiner who made the discoverey, to retrieve the notes.
She added: ‘I was talking to my cousin about it and that house holds such big memories of when we were younger.
‘That house was a massive part of my life.
‘Hopefully, I can show my dad, who actually placed the notes for us when we were kids. He is currently suffering from dementia.
‘It would be nice to nice to see if he recognises it.
Andrew Colbeck, mum Nadine, Kim and Christopher (Picture: LeedsLive/MEN)
‘At the beginning of the lockdown my dad contracted coronavirus, we had a full week of end of life discussions.
‘He pulled through, I went to the hospital and he was dancing with the nurses, and he is now back at the home. We haven’t seen him since early March.’
The discovery has even inspired mum Kim to create something similar for her own child.
She said: ‘I’m so pleased I can get something from my childhood and I’m now thinking of creating a time capsule with my own daughter.’
(L-R) Romeo Beckham, Cruz Beckham, David Beckham and Harper Beckham front row at the Victoria Beckham show during London Fashion Week in February 2020. (Picture: Darren Gerrish/WireImage)
Zoom quizzes have become somewhat of a social staple during lockdown and if you can’t visit your dad today for Father’s Day then you may well find yourself taking part in another.
To fit with the theme of father figures for a Father’s Day quiz, we’ve put together some questions on famous fathers throughout history to test your top trivia skills.
From politicians to fathers in plays and celebrities to Disney characters, see how much you know or can remember about these well known father figures from all walks of life.
Famous fathers quiz questions for Father’s Day 2020
Q: What is the name of Simba’s dad in The Lion King? A: Mufasa
Q: Which famous father is dad to children Brooklyn, Romeo, Cruz and Harper? A: David Beckham
Q: What is the name of Steve Martin’s character in Father of the Bride? A: George Banks
Q: A famous author once wrote to his son: ‘The object of love is the best and most beautiful. Try to live up to it.’ Who was the famous father in question? A: John Steinbeck
Q: Which famous dad named his first born daughter Apple? A: Chris Martin
Chris Martin performs with Coldplay onstage while his kids Apple Martin and Moses Martin watch from the crowd in 2015. (Picture: Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Global Citizen)
Q: What is the name of the film in which the lead dad character journeys to 42 Wallaby Way, Sydney to find his son? A: Finding Nemo
Q: Which famous dad named one of his children Chicago after his hometown? A: Kanye West
Q: What is the name of the main patriarch figure in Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice? A: Mr Bennet
Q: Who does Robin Williams play in the film about a divorced dad who disguises himself as an ageing, female Scottish housekeeper in order to work in his ex-wife’s house and spend more time with his children? A: Mrs. Doubtfire
Q: Which member of the British Royal Family was playing squash when his first son was born? A: Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh
Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh holds Prince Charles in his pram during a walk with his son in July 1949. (Picture: Paul Popper/Popperfoto/Getty Images)
Q: Which famous fictional father tells his children, Scout and Jem: ‘You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view – until you climb into his skin and walk around in it.’ A: Atticus Finch
Q: Which fictional father in Shakespeare’s plays manages to destroy his family and in turn his whole kingdom by turning his daughters against not only him but also each other? A: King Lear
Q: Which former American President vowed to have dinner with his family five nights a week, despite his busy schedule as a world leader? A: Barack Obama
Q: Which famous dad appeared with his son in the film The Pursuit of Happyness? A: Will Smith
And it turns out, all the outfits are from the high street.
Charlotte’s dungarees, teamed with a striped t-shirt, cost just £10 from John Lewis, but sadly they quickly sold out in all sizes. It might be worth having a look in your local store though.
The Toddler Brannan Bear Polo Shirt comes in navy and off-white and features a little embroidered bear.
It is still available in sizes two and three but is sold out for younger and older kids.
Louis’ Trotters shoes were £22 (Picture: Trotters)
Charlotte’s pink shoes (Picture: John Lewis)
Oldest brother George stood at the back, in a £5.99 H&M t-shirt he also wore for pictures released to mark his sixth birthday last year.
The pictures show the three children on a swing with their dad, and laughing as they pile on top of him as he lies on the grass at their Norfolk country home, Anmer Hall.
They were taken on Friday by Kate, Duchess of Cambridge but released on Sunday to mark the Duke’s 38th birthday, which happens. to fall on the same day as Father’s Day this year.
Mum Emma has given birth to three above average weighing babies (Picture: SWNS)
A mum has given birth at home during lockdown to one of Britain’s biggest babies – weighing the same as a bowling ball.
Emma Fearon, 34, welcomed her son Atticus James Fearon who arrived at a whopping 11lb 6oz.
Incredibly, she required no stitches following the birth and only had gas and air as pain relief.
And she now has one of the country’s biggest families – her firstborn Aria, three, weighed 10lb 8oz at birth, and her second child Amelia, three, was 9lb.
Emma had Atticus in a birthing pool using hypnobirthing techniques set up at her home in Thornton-le-moore, Cheshire.
She said: ‘I birthed him in a pool with the midwife arriving with only half an hour to spare.
‘I only had a couple of puffs of gas and air and got away with no stitches.
‘It just goes to show what women’s bodies are capable of and a nice reassurance for those that are predicted to have big babies.’
Though impressive, Atticus doesn’t take the record for the biggest baby in the UK – that accolade belongs to baby Anila, who weighed in at 12 pounds and 6 ounces last year.
According to data collected from the NHS, the average weight of a baby girl is 3.3kg (7.27 lbs) and for boys, it is 3.4kg (7.49 lbs).
Atticus James Fearon who arrived at a whopping 11lb 6oz (Picture: SWNS)
There were no complications during the birth and Emma was done within two and a half hours.
She said: ‘I’m really pleased that I got to give birth at home as I would have had to go alone to the hospital if not with my husband staying at home with the girls.
‘I had planned to have a home birth from the start and was concerned when NHS trusts started to close down the home birth service as I was so dead set on it.
‘I researched unassisted birthing and then ended up hiring two independent midwives so that I could definitely have the birth that I wanted and felt this was the safest.
‘The midwives were very supportive and weren’t concerned about his size – they both felt that your body would not produce a baby that you can’t give birth to and were very encouraging of my plans, although none of us thought he’d turn out quite so big.’
Emma gave birth naturally (Picture: SWNS)
Firstborn Aria was born in hospital after a long delivery that required forceps and resulted in a big tear and an episiotomy.
Second baby Amelia was also born in hospital but without any issues, leading Emma to decided to have a home birth with a birthing pool for her third baby.
Emma is now doing well at home and is exclusively breastfeeding Atticus whilst still feeding his 27-month old sister Amelia at the same time.
She said: ‘I am now exclusively breastfeeding Atticus which is a full-on round the clock job because of his size and maintaining his glucose levels, as well as breastfeeding his sister Amelia still.’
Any self-respecting picnic connoisseur (yeah, we made that up) has a traditional wicker basket to carry their goodies in.
This option from Cath Kidston might seem a tad on the pricey side, but it doesn’t just include the carrier – it also comes with four plates, glasses and cutlery, as well as a built-in cooling bag for your beverages.
A picnic is nothing without its snacks (Picture: Louis Fernando)
If you’re itching for a restaurant meal and can’t wait until 4 July (when it’s anticipated these will once again be allowed to open), this is a great alternative.
Sorella in Clapham Common is selling a picnic food hamper of delicious morsels such as truffle arancini, fennel salami, foccacia and more.
Yes, it’s expensive, but not if you share it with three friends (as is intended). And it also includes a 200ml Vault Negroni cocktail for each person.
Salivate over all the cheese (Picture: The Cheese Geek)
What is a picnic without snacks? Can it even be called a picnic? No, not really.
With that in mind, order yourself the Tina cheese kit from The Cheese Geek – it will arrive with five fromages, paired with Peter’s Yard crispbreads and a condiment.
What type of cheeses you receive in the box is a surprise.
Aperol Spritz
A proper summer drink (Picture: Aperol)
If your idea of a perfect picnic is a glass of Aperol Spritz, you’re in luck.
You could buy a bottle, but the drinks company has actually just launched a prize draw where you can get not just the spirit, but win an entire Aperol-themed garden – complete with chairs, blankets, pillows and lots more merchandise.
Talk about good timing.
Hope & Joy tea and cake hamper
Isolating solo? No problem (Picture: Hope & Joy)
Picnics aren’t just about boozing.
If you’re isolating on your own, live far away from friends or just don’t want any company on your day out, this is the kit for you.
Dubbed the Relax Hamper, it contains everything you need for a mindfulness-themed day in the park, including calming chamomile tea, clementine and almond cake with citrus syrup and even a cute book on how to calm your mind.
We love a bargain and this M&S beauty bag gives you a chance to try some new things without spending a fortune.
You might have spotted it throughout the month of June but it keeps selling out quickly.
It will be released for the third and final time tomorrow so set your alarms.
Inside the bag you get 11 products from a range of brands including Percy & Reed, L’Occitane and Pixi.
M&S says the products are worth around £110, but you can buy the bag for £15.
The catch is that you must spend £25 or more on clothing or homeware on the website, but if you were planning to pick up a few items anyway, it’s a great deal.
What's inside the M&S beauty bag?
Nuxe Sun Melting Cream High Protection for Face SPF50 30ml
L’Occitane Verveine Shower Gel 70ml
M&S Sun Smart After Sun Face Mask 50ml
M&S Seasalt & Freesia Eau de Toilette 10ml
Autograph Colour Shine Lip Lacquer (Sorbet) 6ml
Percy & Reed Smoothed, Sealed & Sensational Volumising No Oil OIL for fine hair 60ml
Ren Ready Steady Glow Daily AHA Tonic 50ml
Color WOW Color Security Shampoo 75ml
Color WOW Color Security Conditioner 75ml
Pixi Endless Silky Eye Pen in Black Noir
Pure Super Hydrate Day Cream SPF15 50ml
Some of the bags have been appearing on eBay for up to three times the price – which is obviously still a saving on the cost of buying each item individually.
To get your hands on one, you need to check back at this link tomorrow and hopefully you’ll manage to get one before they sell out again.
You’ll need to add £25 worth of clothes or homeware or your basket to get the offer so it might be a good idea to sort that out beforehand.
It is available in 85 stores so it might be worth checking your local one if you don’t manage to get one online.
Throughout the Coronovirus pandemic and the UK’s lockdown, we’ve seen countless people step up to help others.
All over the country, communities have come together to support those locally who are vulnerable or at risk, while individuals have found ways both big and small to make a difference.
From keeping key workers fit and healthy to creating meals for the homeless and hard working doctors, it’s been incredible to see how much can be achieved.
And that’s why Co-op has teamed up with Heart to say thank you to these Local Heroes for all they’ve been doing at this difficult time. So if you know someone who’s been making a big difference in your area, now is your chance to celebrate them.
Head to win.heart.co.uk/co-op-2020 to nominate your local hero and they could win one of four fantastic prize bundles.
Here are just a few of the UK’s inspiring people and how they’ve been getting involved.
Bringing Bhangra dance to communities near and far
Rajeev Gupta is a journalist and Bhangra instructor from Greater Manchester. Before lockdown he was teaching three classes a week to locals in the area, but had to find a new way to connect when restrictions meant he could no longer teach in person.
“I‘ve been teaching Bhangra for about 15 years in various guises and it has evolved into Bhangracise classes which have grown in popularity. Bhangra in itself is very cardio vascular, very energetic and high impact and with Bhangracise I’ve taken all the moves, all that happiness and that energy that comes with it and we go all out! We put all those moves together and we do them almost on repeat.
Rajeev teaching one of his Bhangracise classes in Manchester before lockdown
“I get about 30 people in a class normally, with a mixture of ages which is brilliant. The youngest in the kids’ class are about four years old and the oldest is about 70. When lockdown began it was just short of devastating to be honest. The classes were at their peak.
“A few people in the class had messaged me saying they were missing their Bhangra hit and what could they do. I wasn’t sure if online was going to work for something like this. How would I even go about doing it? I’m not that tech savvy!
“I thought I’d give it a crack and actually I thought it could help people. The mood of the nation was very worried at the time and Bhangra is such a happy dance, it really gets the endorphins going like no other. I thought there’s something here that could help people.
“I recorded a taster video and that went viral. I just posted it in a few groups and it had over 100K views. This was only the second video I’d done. I was just ‘wow’. No pressure!
Rajeev started doing his Bhangra classes online during lockdown attracting thousands of viewers each week from both near and far
“Now I’m going live three times a week. It’s growing and growing and is reaching people all around the world. In New Zealand and Australia, people are tuning in when it’s 11pm there. On average I’d say I have about eight to 10 thousand views every session. It’s amazing.
“The response has been so positive. I’ve had so many messages and comments. People say things like ‘thank you so much, this has really helped my mental health. It kept us sane during lockdown.’ People say the kindest things, like I’m an inspiration and I’m just like ‘I just do Bhangra in my living room’.
“I get an overwhelming sense of happiness when I’m teaching. Bhangra just makes you feel really uplifted. The music is infectious. I’m really enjoying it, it’s keeping me focused and I feel good that I’m doing something people are saying is helping them.”
Connect through Co-op
Do you want to be a Local Hero like Rajeev? Or maybe you’re in need of some support.
If so, Co-op can connect you through Co-operate.
The online community platform connects people and organisations who can offer support to individuals in need.
From getting food and other essentials, right through to help accessing online classes and activities, such as Rajeev’s.
Peter Heggie is a Member Pioneer Coordinator for Co-op and manages a team of 10 across the West Lothian and Falkirk areas. When lockdown was announced his team sprang into action finding ways to help their communities. One person really stood out; Charlotte Renwick. Here’s why…
“The idea with the Member Pioneers is to create a connection between the people who live in our community, the organisations in our community and the Co-op food and Funeralcare colleagues.
“The Co-op food business is very local and we know our customers so we were able to mobilise our Member Pioneers to immediately help people who were self-isolating. Some of my team deliver groceries to people in the community and we’ve built relationships with schools, where we’ve got them creating kindness cards, which we take along to care homes and people who are self-isolating.
Charlotte Renwick has been knitting hearts for bereaved families during the Coronavirus pandemic
“When the pandemic came, people were told they couldn’t attend funerals and Funeralcare is a big part of our business. They realised people wouldn’t be able to travel to a funeral and there were limitations on how many people could attend. You weren’t allowed to have funeral cars, so we couldn’t, as usual, pick people up and find ways to connect.
“So one of the Funeralcare team from the Livingston branch approached Charlotte and asked if there was something they could do to find a way to connect people who are going through one of the worst times of their lives, losing a member of their family or a friend.
Knitted hearts hang on a tree in the Livingston branch of Co-op Funeralcare
“She came up with the idea of knitting hearts. One of the hearts would be given to members of the family who couldn’t attend the funeral and a matching heart would be placed with the deceased, so at the time of the funeral there’s a real connection. It’s something people could have and something they can keep as well.
Peter McWilliams, Co-op Funeralcare Logistics Manager for West Lothian and the Forth Valley, Scotland, said:“Many Co-op funeralcare homes across the UK are getting involved and knitting hearts, which are designed to bring some comfort to bereaved families at such a difficult and sad time.”
“Giving family members a knitted heart that is identical to the one that is laid to rest with a loved one means that they can carry a piece of their heart with them at all times.”
“It’s made an absolutely incredible difference and the feedback has been phenomenal. People are saying it’s given them a way to be a part of it. It’s created something really unique.
“The way to make a massive difference in your community is just to get involved and be a part of it.”
Come together for your community
Like Charlotte and Peter, you can take on a crucial role in your local area by becoming one of Co-op’s Member Pioneers.
Member Pioneers are Co-op’s community activists. They bring together Co-op members, colleagues and local causes to make communities a better place to live. They build community wellbeing at a local level and offer practical advice and help.
It’s a permanent, part time role and you could make a real difference in your community.
After Daksha Varsani and her husband Paresh Jethwa created 50 meals for hard working staff at a hospital in Harrow, north London, they found themselves inundated with requests for more. They founded the Community Response Kitchen and haven’t looked back, making and delivering over 120,000 meals since the start of lockdown.
“It all started when my niece got in touch saying she was in Northwick Park Hospital where there were a lot of positive cases of Coronavirus and the nurses were working 14 to 16 hours a day, struggling to get food.
“The canteens were closed and staff shortages meant they couldn’t leave the wards to go, so me and my husband reached out to people with home baking and home cooking certifications and started out with 50 meals.
A volunteer chef at the Community Response Kitchen
Volunteers packing up food to be delivered to hospitals, homeless shelters and schools
“Now we have over 50 people volunteering and 15 drivers. We distribute food to as far as Hillingdon and Acton, as far as east London to homeless shelters and into central London. We cook 1000 to 3000 meals a day depending on the particular day, including sandwiches, drinks and care packages.
“We use a lot of left over food from local supermarkets and local bakeries support us. A bakery in Temple Fortune gives us fresh bread every Tuesday. There are a lot of people supporting us and we haven’t had a single grant. It’s all the communities. This is the most important part. We started without a single penny but we have enough stock to feed a lot of people and we have stock coming in every day, not from any government funding, not from any projects, just the communities and businesses that have come together.
“For the homeless shelters we provide a hot meal and a sandwich pack so they can have two meals a day. We also support schools. A headteacher contacted us to say she has 20 families on very low incomes who are struggling, so we sent care packages. Today she asked for a hot meal and for biscuits and sweets for the children who are in the families too.
“And the other area we found needed support was district nurses. They have been placed in central London because they’ve had to open makeshift clinics for community patients who would normally go to hospitals. So they reached out and asked if we could support their nurses. We’ve been supporting about 20 to 30 of those clinics every day.
Food and drinks delivered safely to Hillingdon Hospital
“We’re very proud because we haven’t had any funding and yet we are able to support all these organisations. As a community we have come together and we get messages of gratitude every day from doctors. The response has been really amazing.
“The volunteers who are coming in every single day, they always have smiles on their faces in the morning. They are our strength. That is the biggest thing that keeps us going on a daily basis. Without this team and the chefs we are nowhere.”
Helping feed families in need
Like Daksha, Paresh and their team of volunteers, Co-op has been helping to ensure that food reaches those who need it most.
The supermarket got behind food redistribution charity FareShare and donated £1.5m worth of food to support those in need due to Coronavirus.
In addition, it also donated its TV campaign to the cause, encouraging members and customers to donate via text, in store or by donating their Member Rewards, making a huge difference in communities all over the UK.
Do you know a Local Hero like Daksha and Paresh? Well Co-op has partnered with Heart to help you say thank you to the people in your area who’ve been making a difference in the local community.
Head to win.heart.co.uk/co-op-2020 to nominate them and they could win one of four fantastic prize bundles.
Delivering essential items to those in need
Sandy Marshall, 43, a Chief Officer on motor yachts, is more used to being at sea than on the road. But when lockdown put a stop to his plans to set sail in March, he decided to make the most of his time stuck on dry land…
“I was preparing to leave the UK for the South of France for the start of the yacht season. I had a dental appointment which had been pushed back, so my departure was delayed and then the government called for lockdown so, of course, I had to stay put.”
“With the future uncertain and no real idea of when I could go back to work, I wanted to make a contribution to the community and make myself useful.
“With the country in full lockdown, I identified that vital supplies needed urgent delivery and felt this could be my way to get involved.
Sandy delivering a food parcel to an elderly resident in Bedford
“I did extensive research, leased a van and ensured I had all the insurances and certifications I needed to be a commercial courier. Then I set up a website and marketed myself for any work delivering crucial equipment and food supplies.
“Almost immediately I was on the road. 12 to 15 hour days are standard and I’ve been doing them five days a week. I’m based in Bedford but I’ve been travelling as far north as Preston, as well as delivering to the surrounding area.
“I’ve delivered tens of thousands of 3M FFP3 face masks and surgical gowns to hospitals. I’ve delivered respirators, protective screens for drive-thru retailers and vinyl floor markings for enforced distancing, as well as food parcels for the elderly.
“Everyone has adapted to the new normal and measures are in place so I don’t feel at risk. I’m rarely in close contact with people and if I am, I wear my own PPE. Delivering the medical supplies makes it all worthwhile. Most of these types of jobs are booked in the evening, so I’ve pulled a few over-nighters.
“But even in the dead of night, I’m generally welcomed with gratitude. I’m just so pleased to be helping the vulnerable and elderly. And while I prefer the sea to dry land, I’m making a contribution, so it’s all good!”
Make a difference in your community
Like Sandy, you can take on a crucial role in your local area too.
Member Pioneers are Co-op’s community activists. They bring together Co-op members, colleagues and local causes to make communities a better place to live. They build community wellbeing at a local level and offer practical advice and help.
It’s a permanent, part time role and you could make a real difference in your community.
Caroline and Dan Smith, both 41, run Northern Bootcamp on the beautiful Northumberland coast and are used to working with hundreds of people each year. When lockdown began their business closed until further notice, but keen to keep their community together, they started sharing their bootcamp online and even found a way to help our amazing key workers.
“The thing we love about our bootcamp is changing people’s lives. The fact you’ve got the opportunity to help change someone’s mindset and lifestyle is amazing. The first two weeks of lockdown were awful and we both felt really lost. Suddenly we just felt useless.
“We’re based in Bamburgh on the Northumberland Coast and it’s absolutely stunning. We usually train on the beach every morning with the groups. We do lots of activities like paddle boarding and canoeing, it’s not just circuits all day.
Caroline Smith of Northern Bootcamp
Dan Smith of Northern Bootcamp
“I decided we’d launch a virtual thing. We just started doing classes with friends. Then we realised we could offer it for clients. We looked at doing them for whoever wanted to join and now we’ve got a real hardcore following. We’re doing 22 classes a week.
“It’s really good fun. Dan and I are loving doing the classes. We do free sessions for local key workers and have got at least four key workers in every class. People working in hospitals are doing 7am classes or 6am classes and then going off to work, or coming in from a night shift.
Dan Smith leading an online bootcamp class during lockdown
“Someone working in paediatrics, she’s been doing loads of classes and asked if we could do a Friday class for her. She’s absolutely loving the classes and says it just transformed her lockdown. We have a policewoman who has been working really hard and she asked if we could add a class for her because she couldn’t fit into the ones on our schedule, so we just kept adding them.
A key worker in paediatrics thanks Northern Bootcamp for providing free online classes
“At the end some people stay on for a chat so they’re getting to know each other, they’re socialising with other people and exercising together. We’re getting loads of families on doing the same class. We had three generations last week. Kids were working out with their parents and then the granny joined from somewhere else.
“I think there’s no better way to keep your sanity. Mentally it transforms your day. You can be feeling tired, lethargic, a bit down in the dumps and you turn up and it transforms it.”
Running for others
Caroline and Dan prove that keeping fit can go hand in hand with helping others and that’s one of the reasons Co-op has teamed up with parkrun (parkrun.org.uk), to ensure food and essentials reach its most vulnerable customers at this difficult time.
parkrun, the free 5k community event, is encouraging its parkrunners to volunteer through Co-op, to deliver groceries to those unable to leave their homes. It means they can help others and keep active. Find out how you can be involved at co-operate.coop.co.uk/support
Helping those in need with equine therapy
Giles and Jo Boddington run the Bodster Equine Assisted Learning Centre on the Isle of Wight. Using their herd of ponies, they work with people with additional needs, whether that’s school children with emotional difficulties, the long term unemployed or adults with mental health issues. They even take ponies to visit elderly people in residential care homes. Worried about how they could continue to support those in their community during lockdown, they took their ponies online!
“We just thought ‘how can we keep interacting with them and provide for all of them?’ We do a lot of what’s called loose work with the horses, where a learner will be with a pony in a little sandy area where they could just go and be with the pony. A lot of looking at the horses in the field, asking ‘how do they interact with each other’.
Jo Boddington during an equine learning session pre-lockdown
Tippy the pony visits an elderly person in a care home before restrictions were put in place
“There’s a lot of work around helping people gain more self-awareness. Horses are great teachers from that point of view because there’s no kind of side to them.
“With our virtual sessions they can’t have physical contact but you can do a lot of work observation wise. We use our phones on Skype or FaceTime and we try and get the learner to lead the session. So we’ll ask, ‘how is the pony looking, are they relaxed?’ and then what you’ll find is, this is the point when people start talking.
“There’s a lot of support and we do work on helping them develop strategies for coping, even though they’re not present in person.
Giles Boddington taking a virtual session using his smartphone
“There’s a care home in Shanklin that we’ve done about four sessions with now. The activities coordinator at the home will take a tablet screen around to different residents. So we’ll talk to somebody and then she’ll move on. For them it’s bringing something special into the home.
“We’re doing 22 sessions a week. It’s very rewarding that we can make a difference. We live in a beautiful spot so it’s really good to be able to share that with people.”
Helping you to help your community
Do you want to be a Local Hero like Giles and Jo? Or do you have a project that needs some support?
Co-op Members have helped over 21,000 local causes across the UK, raising over £60million.
The Local Community Fund is looking for new projects to support. If you’re a local cause helping those most in need, improving mental & physical wellbeing or building community resilience apply by 28th June.
Caption: Poundland mushroom looks like a sex toy
Provider: (Picture:Extreme Couponing and Bargains UK group)
While out having a look around the shops, one woman couldn’t help but laugh at a garden ornament she found in Poundland.
The decoration is meant to be a mushroom shape to add to your garden but people joked it looked more like something that belonged in the bedroom.
Posting on the Extreme Couponing and Bargains UK group, she said: ‘Amazing bargain in Poundland! … although I couldn’t bring myself to buy this mushroom for my daughters fairy garden.. others might.’
Described as a ‘mirrored figures mushroom’ on their website, they cost £1 each.
Over 10,000 people liked the post on the group and there were lots of comments with people laughing at the joke.
Some simply commented asking if it was actually a butt plug or if she had accidentally walked into Ann Summers instead.
One said: ‘I had a little chuckle to myself when I was in Poundland yesterday after spotting this ‘mushroom’.’
‘I saw it yesterday in my Poundland. They might need to rethink the design. Vivid imagination comes to mind,’ another said.
Of course, just because it looks like a sex toy, it’s probably best not to actually use it as one. You shouldn’t put anything that isn’t designed for that purpose inside you.
But this isn’t the only fruity tip @aligrams3 has on her page. There’s also a video in which she shows how to remove grime from a microwave.
In the clip, she pops a lemon into a bowl of water and puts it in the microwave for one minute. She then says to wipe down the edges of the microwave with a clean cloth.
‘So fresh, so clean and smells yummy’ she says.
TikTok has been providing a plethora of household hacks during lockdown – many of which have left users utterly astounded.
Back in May, a woman left users in shock after she revealed how to remove bugs and insects from fruit. She explained that soaking fruit pieces in salty water will push out all the creepy crawlies that are living inside them.
Buying and using an avocado before it goes off is an extreme sport.
No matter how much prodding, poking and checking you do in the supermarket, getting a perfectly ripe avocado on the first try is damn-near impossible. And, of course, if you wait five minutes too long, the avocado will go brown.
There seems to be an impossibly small window of opportunity to secure that soft, creamy goodness – and avocados aren’t exactly cheap, so you really want to get it right.
Thankfully, the food waste experts at ODDBOX have teamed up with guest chef Georgia Levy to explain how to store, prep, and cook your avocados – including a simple trick to get that elusive perfect ripeness… using a banana.
How to get a perfectly ripe avocado
Like most fruit, avocados ripen quickest at room temperature.
Speed this up by keeping them in a paper bag to concentrate the ethylene gas they emit.
Further accelerate the ripening process by adding another fruit – like bananas – to the bag – they will all happily ripen each other.
Once ripe, the flesh will yield to a gentle squeeze.
Put them in the fridge to hold them at this point for a week.
Once cut, rub with lemon, wrap in clingfilm and refrigerate for 1-2 days.
How to prep your avocado
Best to do this on a chopping board, ‘avocado hand’ is real and painful.
Use a sharp knife to cut through the middle until you find the stone, then run your knife around it. Twist to release.
To free the stone, place the avocado back on the board (hands out the way), land your knife on the stone, then give it a sharp jerk.
Use a large spoon to scoop out the flesh in one piece.
Why not save the stone, pierce with toothpicks and suspend over a jar of water to have a go at growing your own avocado plant?
Do you have a hack or tip to share? We want to hear from you.
Johnson & Johnson – the umbrella brand for these products will stop selling them (Picture:Johnson&Johnson/Amazon)
Johnson & Johnson – the company responsible for popular beauty brands Neutrogena and Clean & Clear – will be discontinuing its skin lightening range.
The health and personal care retailer is no longer producing or shipping products in the Neutrogena Fine Fairness line, sold in Asia and the Middle East and Clean & Clear’s Clear Fairness line, available in India.
The company says its products don’t have bleach but include ingredients like retinol which can lighten spots on the skin.
The move comes following mainstream conversations on race and the perception of lighter skin as beautiful, the brand said in a statement to Reuters.
In the areas where Johnson & Johnson’s items were popular, such as in India, skin lightening creams are one of the biggest beauty staples.
As of 2012, Unilever’s infamous Fair & Lovely occupied 80% of the fairness cream market in India and is one of Hindustan Unilever’s most successful cosmetics lines.
Unilever’s Fair & Lovely is another beauty brand under scrutiny (Picture: Prashanth Vishwanathan/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Johnson & Johnson wrote in a statement: ‘Conversations over the past few weeks highlighted that some product names or claims on our dark spot reducer products represent fairness or white as better than your own unique skin tone.
‘This was never our intention – healthy skin is beautiful skin.’
The beauty industry has come under fire for controversial products many times.
It’s not just cosmetics companies rethinking their methods.
Pancake and syrup brand Aunt Jemima’s is also changing its logo after recognising the origins are rooted in racial stereotypes playing on minstrel characteristics.
We have contacted Unilever for comment and will update this article when they respond.
As Black queer people, detecting racism is in our blood (Picture: Vaughn Stafford Gray)
He was wearing a sleeveless leather vest opened to show a taught, tanned, and sculpted torso. Besides living at the gym, he obviously hadn’t consumed a single carb in months.
I could no longer hear Rihanna’s SOS blaring from the speakers on the sidewalk. Instead, my beating heart and rapid breaths.
I tapped him on the shoulder, introduced myself, said that this was my first Pride, and asked to dance. He laughed in my face. After turning to his friends, I heard him say: ‘That ugly fat n****r wanted to dance. With me!’ The incredulous laughter joined the chorus’ hook ‘… please someone help me’.
That was not the only time that I experienced racism at Pride. I was held at the door at a circuit party for over an hour so that the community of bouncers could pat me down and ‘verify’ my ticket while they ushered in white patrons.
Another year I was asked by the host of an event why I wasn’t at the ‘other Pride party’ – aka the Black one. Pride should have been a celebration of love, acceptance, and community. However, it became the finger gouging my wounds, keeping them open, raw, and foetid. So I stopped going altogether.
Racism and discrimination within the LGBTQ+ community are as ingrained as our penchant for brunch. Log on to any of the popular gay dating apps and the phrase ‘no fats, no femmes, no Blacks, no Asians’, is as common as ‘unable to host’.
Whether in Britain, America or Canada, Black bodies aren’t prized or protected. Swept under the rug of Pride’s whitewashed narrative are the contributions of Black trans women and queer people who were at the forefront of gay rights activism.
Bring up Marsha P Johnson or Stormé DeLarverie at a Pride party, and you’re a buzzkill. Mention Harvey Milk, and there’s a hurrah.
As Black queer people, detecting racism is in our blood — we can detect even a whiff. Case in point, a dentist I dated never allowed me to use the front door of his building.
He’d always find an excuse as to why I couldn’t come through the front door, but often he’d come to pick me up at my place or from the corner of his building and we’d enter through the underground garage.
Eventually, I challenged him on this, and he had some self-preserving excuse, so I stopped the visits, which led to the relationship ending. Years later, he confirmed my suspicions and said he wasn’t keen on his doorman knowing he had a Black boyfriend.
I was young and insecure. Thankfully, things are different now.
I didn’t come out to my Evangelical Caribbean parents until my 30th birthday, seven years ago. What followed was a year of anguish, goading, and abruptly-ended phone calls
My experiences aren’t unique. Ask any Black queer person, and they will have hours of stories.
According to Stonewall research, within Britain, 61 per cent of Black queer people experience discrimination. When you consider the disdain the community has for Black trans women and queer people living with disabilities, you have to wonder who is Pride really for?
Across the world, people are taking to the streets in unprecedented numbers to rally for Black lives. Even in the Syrian city of Idlib, where buildings now look like Lego blocks left scattered on a child’s bedroom floor, locals have joined the #BlackLivesMatter cause.
For centuries Black people have borne the development and expansion of empires on our backs — we fuelled the colonies. Whether in the belly of a ship, at work, in a classroom, or lying on hot pavement with a knee on our necks, cries of mercy are our refrain. Add being queer to the mix, and you’ll understand why Black queer youth have higher instances of suicide attempts compared to other ethnic groups.
I’ve always known I was queer. However, I didn’t come out to my Evangelical Caribbean parents until my 30th birthday, seven years ago. What followed was a year of anguish, goading, and abruptly-ended phone calls.
I’m currently quarantining with them and had to come out again because the gay should have been prayed away. On top of fighting for our lives in society, many Black queer people have to do the same at home.
I haven’t celebrated Pride since 2011 — this was the year that I planned to take my finger off the pause button. I felt ready to go once more ‘into the fray’ after learning to love myself and living my truth after surviving a brutal five years of setbacks brought on by devastating depression.
Then coronavirus hit, followed by racial protests. Now my existence is sanitising devices after texting marathons with colleagues about racial inequality.
Though there are no official celebrations this year, Pride 2020 should be unforgettable for Black LGBTQ+ people. Now is the time to show our true colours.
The American protests and worldwide rallies are shots of espresso delivered intravenously to the global consciousness. We now have audiences ready to have meaningful discussions about race and intersectionality. In many cases, people are prepared to do the work to understand that racism and discrimination can be a clanging symbol or a thief in the night.
There are centuries of work left to do. But, right now, the world is awake and sees that for humanity to progress, Black lives have to matter.
LGBTQ+ Pride week
From 22-28 June, Metro.co.uk is spotlighting the voices of LGBTQ+ people and the unique challenges they face.
If you have an experience you would like to share, please email james.besanvalle@metro.co.uk with LGBTQ+ Pride week as the subject.
