Category Archives: News

Do You Have Smart Energy?

Posted on by

A new infographic released from Smart Energy GB shows that a majority of people who have one find them accurate, with 76% trusting the information that they give as opposed to 57% who think the old system does a good job. It also shows that unsurprisingly gadget-friendly younger people are more interested in the device, and that 59% of people who have heard of one would like one. The northwest is more clued up about smart meters, and the main appeal of having one is in being able to count up your energy usage in pounds and pence, the graphic shows.

National Smart Meter Awareness

27th Annual Sunday Times Rich List 2015 Who Made It?

Posted on by

sunday times rich list 2015 , sunday times rich list, 2015, 27th, rich, moneyFrost did not make it onto the Sunday Times Rich List this year. Oh well, there is always next year. Still touring at the age of 72, Sir Paul McCartney is the wealthiest entertainer in Britain and Ireland with a £730m fortune which is boosted by the personal wealth of his wife Nancy Shevell, who has a £150m stake in her family’s US trucking business.

 

The fortunes of the richest performers and composers – old and young – are revealed in the 27th annual Sunday Times Rich List – the definitive guide to wealth in Britain and Ireland – published this weekend, on April 26, in a special 128-page issue of The Sunday Times Magazine.

 

Newcomer to the top 40 music millionaires chart is Dumfries-born DJ Calvin Harris, aged 31 and worth £70m. Harris is reported to earn up to $1m a night as the world’s highest-paid DJ, appearing in clubs and at festivals from Las Vegas to Ibiza. Last year, he became the first UK solo artist to clock up more than a billion Spotify streams, worth £4m, and his track Summer was the number one iTunes download in 40 territories.

 

The four members of Dublin band U2 – Paul Hewson (Bono), 54, Adam Clayton, 55, Dave Evans (the Edge), 53, and Larry Mullen, 53 – have made most of their £431m fortune from touring. Guy Berryman, 38, Johnny Buckland, 37, Will Champion, 36, and Chris Martin, 38, the four members of Coldplay are each worth £52m, giving them a combined fortune of £208m.

 

The wealth of Phil Collins, 64, is down by £5m this year to £110m because the Geneva-based former drummer and singer with Genesis, who has sold 250m records, has announced that he has given some of his fortune to his children.

 

THE SUNDAY TIMES RICH LIST 2015

THE TOP 40 MUSIC MILLIONAIRES IN BRITAIN AND IRELAND

2015

rank

 2014

rank

 Name 2015

wealth

 Wealth increase,

unless indicated
1 (1) Sir Paul McCartney and Nancy Shevell £730m £20m
2 (2) Lord Lloyd-Webber £650m £10m
3 (3) U2 £431m £3m
4 (4) Sir Elton John £270m £10m
5 (5) Sir Mick Jagger £225m £10m
6 (6) Keith Richards £210m £10m
7 (7) Michael Flatley £195m £2m
8= (9) Ringo Starr £180m £10m
8= (8) Sting £180m £0m
10 10) Roger Waters £160m £0m
11 (11=) Eric Clapton £155m £5m
12= (13) Sir Tom Jones £150m £5m
12= (11=) Sir Tim Rice £150m £0m
12= (14) Rod Stewart £150m £10m
15= (15) David Bowie and Iman Abdulmajid £135m £0m
15= (17) Robbie Williams £135m £15m
17 (16) Ozzy and Sharon Osbourne £130m £0m
18= (18) Phil Collins £110m Down £5m
18= (19=) Brian May £110m £5m
18= (21=) Charlie Watts £110m £10m
21= (19=) George Michael £105m £0m
21= (21=) Roger Taylor £105m £5m
23= (21=) Jimmy Page £100m £0m
23= (21=) Robert Plant £100m £0m
25= (25) Enya £90m £2m
25= (26) David Gilmour £90m £5m
27 (27) John Deacon £85m £10m
28 (28) Noel and Liam Gallagher £77m £3m
29 (29=) Nick Mason £75m £5m
30= (new) Calvin Harris £70m (new)
30= (29=) Mark Knopfler £70m £0m
30= (29=) Pete Townshend £70m £0m
33= (32=) Gary Barlow £65m £0m
33= (32=) Engelbert Humperdinck £65m £0m
35= (34=) Barry Gibb £60m £0m
35= (34=) John Paul Jones £60m £0m
37= (37=) Kylie Minogue £55m £5m
37= (36) Sir Cliff Richard £55m £0m
39= (37=) Guy Berryman £52m £2m
39= (37=) Jonny Buckland £52m £2m
39= (37=) Will Champion £52m £2m
39= (37=) Chris Martin £52m £2m

 

Singer and songwriter Adele, aged 26, heads the list of young musicians with a £50m fortune, up £5m on last year. Each member of One Direction has seen their personal wealth grow by £11m in the past 12 months, giving the four current members of the band – Niall Horan, Liam Payne, Harry Styles and Louis Tomlinson – a combined fortune of £100m. Zayn Malik, who left One Direction last month, is also worth £25m.

 

At £45m, Arctic Monkeys are the second wealthiest young band, with Matt Helders and Nick O’Malley each worth £10m, while Jamie Cook shares a £12m fortune with his wife Katie Downes, who has made £2m from her career as a model. Alex Turner, who has other music interests, is worth £13m.

 

Mumford and Sons, worth a total of £37m, are the third richest young band in Britain and Ireland, aged 30 and under. Band members Ted Dwane, Ben Lovett and Winston Marshall are each worth £8m, while Marcus Mumford is jointly worth £13m with his wife Carey Mulligan.

 

Although no longer performing, the four members of JLS have a combined fortune of £30m. JB Gill, Aston Merrygold and Oritse Williams are each worth £7m, while Marvin Humes shares a £9m fortune with his wife Rochelle, who is a member of the Saturdays.

 

The only newcomer to the Young Musicians Rich List is 22-year-old singing sensation Sam Smith. The Cambridgeshire crooner, who writes his own material and won two Brit Awards and four Grammys last year, already his £12m to his name on the strength of album sales and future tours.

 

THE SUNDAY TIMES RICH LIST 2015

THE 20 RICHEST YOUNG MUSICIANS

IN BRITAIN AND IRELAND (Aged 30 or under)

2015

rank

 2014

rank

 Name 2015  wealth Wealth increase

 
1 (1) Adele £50m £5m
2= (4=) Niall Horan £25m £11m
2= (4=) Zayn Malik £25m £11m
2= (4=) Liam Payne £25m £11m
2= (4=) Harry Styles £25m £11m
2= (4=) Louis Tomlinson £25m £11m
7 (23=) Ed Sheeran £20m £13m
8= (23=) Ellie Goulding £13m £6m
8= (12=) Jessie J £13m £3m
8= (9=) Leona Lewis £13m £0m
8= (11) Katie Melua £13m £1m
8= (9=) Marcus Mumford and Carey Mulligan £13m £0m
8= (14) Alex Turner £13m £4m
14= (23=) Jamie Cook and Katie Downes £12m £5m
14= (new) Sam Smith £12m (new)
14= (12=) Florence Welch £12m £2m
17= (23=) Matt Helders £10m £3m
17= (15=) Olly Murs £10m £2m
17= (23=) Nick O’Malley £10m £3m
20 (23=) Marvin and Rochelle Humes £9m £2m

                                                                                                                

THE SUNDAY TIMES RICH LIST – 128 PAGES ON APRIL 26

 

The 2015 Sunday Times Rich List – the definitive guide to wealth in Britain and Ireland – is published on Sunday, April 26. The 128-page special edition of The Sunday Times Magazine is the biggest issue of the Rich List ever published since it first appeared in 1989. It charts the wealth of the 1,000 richest people in the UK and the 250 richest in Ireland. The list is based on identifiable wealth, including land, property, other assets such as art and racehorses, or significant shares in publicly quoted companies. It excludes bank accounts, to which the paper has no access.

 

The Sunday Times Rich List is compiled by Philip Beresford, the leading British expert on wealth, and edited by Ian Coxon. The complete list will be available to all the paper’s digital members and will be fully searchable online at thesundaytimes.co.uk/richlist

 

Source: The Sunday Times Rich List

 

Kanye West Attacks Beck At Grammy’s Internet Responds By Attacking Beyonce

Posted on by

beyonce booty most wantedKanye West Attacks Beck At Grammy’s And The Internet Responds By Attacking… Beyonce

When Kanye West almost interrupted Beck onstage while he was accepting his Album of the Year Grammy award, and then later said that he should respect ‘true artists’ he showed one thing: how much of a twat he is. In fact, who can forget he did a similar thing to Taylor Swift a few years ago? (Weirdly Kanye has said that he will be collaborating with Swift soon).

Beck gave a very dignified response. Saying, ‘Come back, I need some help.’ and then later telling reporters: “[Kanye] deserves to be on stage as much as anybody.” Some reactions to Kanye’s pompousness have been bang on: David Spade calling him ‘virtually impossible’ to like, Shirley Manson calling him a ‘complete twat’ but what has really annoyed me is the large amount of people on the internet attacking Beyonce. Who didn’t even do anything apart from be in the audience, embarrassed at the events unfolding.

Post by Shirley Manson.

Instead of attacking Kanye as an artist, my Facebook feed is full of meme’s attacking Beyonce’s ‘artistry’. Some of it reeks of sexism and it is bullshit. Why not attack Kanye?

Beyonce is an artist. The meme’s say she plays no instruments. I don’t actually know if Beyonce plays any instruments apart from one: her voice. Her STUNNING voice. She is talented, she is visionary and anyone who has seen her documentary Life is But a Dream cannot be anything other than wowed by her work ethic, her talent and her vision. She is not just an artist: she is a superstar. Beck is also an artist. He writes songs and plays 16 instruments. I am a fan. There is room for them both in the music industry. They are like chalk and cheese and each has their place. To compare them is silly and stupid. They also claim that Beyonce does not write any of her songs. She doesn’t write them all, but she has written a fair amount.

So, people, enough with attacking the innocent party. There is only one person who deserves our scorn and his name is Kanye West.

 

 

 

Emma Watson Speech for HeForShe IMPACT 10x10x10

Posted on by

She used to just be that annoying character in Harry Potter but now Emma Watson has a brand new bag: standing up for gender equality as a UN Women Goodwill Ambassador. Here is her speech for HeForShe IMPACT 10x10x10 Program at the World Economic Forum 2015. It is another great speech and it will hopefully make a difference.


UN Women Goodwill Ambassador, Emma Watson, delivered another speech encouraging world and corporate leaders to take action for gender equality during the kickoff of a HeForShe program launch at the World Economic Forum at Davos on January 23rd, 2015.

Emma WatsonReady to take action? Make your commitment at www.HeForShe.org.

What do you think?

 

 

Paddington Bear Visits Selfridges At The Trafford Centre

Posted on by

selfridges 1

This weekend sees a Hollywood star visiting Selfridges at the Trafford Centre! Currently starring in his own movie Paddington Bear will receive his public at the ice rink on Saturday 13th December between 9am-11am before moving into the store to meet his fans.

selfridges 2

The Selfridges ice rink holds 120 ice skaters and is a winter wonderland which echoes the Christmas storytelling theme of the Trafford Centre with forest greens and sparkly gold accents to bring the magic of enchantment and fairy tales to life.

The ice rink is covered meaning it is perfect in all weather with hot food and drinks available to keep you cosy.

Booking and directions information can be found here… http://style.selfridges.com/whats-on/ice-rink-selfridges-manchester-trafford or you can call direct on 0161 629 1204. Don’t miss your chance to meet a Hollywood movie star and help to bring the magic to life for your children this Christmas.

Get Behind Kyran in Hattie’s Haka: Support Leukaemia CARE & One-year-old Hattie Seymour

Posted on by

The family of one-year-old Hattie Seymour, who has just been diagnosed with acute lymphomblastic leukaemia (ALL) are urging members of the public to join rugby star Kyran Bracken and take part in ‘Hattie’s Haka’ as she undergoes chemotherapy to fight the disease.

Get behind Kyran in Hattie’s Haka support Leukaemia CARE & One-year-old Hattie Seymour

 

One-year-old Hattie Seymour from Leigh-on-Sea in Essex, was diagnosed with acute lymphomblastic leukaemia (ALL), on 21st November turning her family’s world upside down.

 

Brave Hattie started treatment this week, in an effort to rid her body of the leukaemia cells in her blood. She will find out on Tuesday 2nd December if the chemotherapy has been a success or whether she will need a stem cell transplant to hopefully cure her.

 

In a bid to show solidarity, her family has launched Hattie’s Haka, an appeal encouraging people to don their war paint and either video or photograph themselves doing the famous war dance made famous by the New Zealand All Blacks as well as make a small donation to Leukaemia CARE, a national blood cancer support charity. Since the appeal started on Monday (24th November), donations on Hattie’s Just Giving page have already exceeded £6,000.

 

After being contacted by Hattie’s grandfather, international rugby star, Kyran Bracken, has backed the appeal by photographing himself doing the Haka to help raise awareness of leukaemia and support Hattie and her family during a difficult and emotional time. The family are calling for the rest of the rugby community, as well as the general public, to get involved.

 

Katie Seymour, Hattie’s mother, said: “Despite this being an incredibly emotional and distressing time for us, we are overwhelmed by the huge amount of support we have had from not only friends and family, but total strangers, too. We never thought it would take off like this, but we are so grateful for everyone’s well wishes and we’re trying to remain positive and upbeat for Hattie.

 

“We have decided to support Leukaemia CARE because they not only help the patients, but the families affected by leukaemia too, so we wanted to give something back and help them continue their hard work.”

 

Kevin Hateley, Fundraising Manager at Leukaemia CARE, said: “A diagnosis of a blood cancer can be devastating for anyone, but when a child is diagnosed, it can be a terribly traumatic time for so many people. We are encouraging people to join in with Hattie’s Haka so we can continue to provide support to families just like Hattie’s’”

 

ALL is an acute form of leukaemia (cancer of the white blood cells), characterised by the overproduction of cancerous, immature white blood cells—known as lymphoblasts or blast cells.

 

One-third of all childhood cancers are leukaemia, with approximately 400 new cases in the UK each year. Approximately three out of four of these cases are acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL). ALL can affect children of any age, but is more common in children aged one to four.

 

If you’d like to donate to show your support for Hattie, visit https://www.justgiving.com/hattieshaka and upload your Haka photo or video to www.facebook.com/HattiesHeroes

 

 

Times Have Changed, But The Need Remains By Jan Speedie

Posted on by

As one of the tiny team of grannies who run Words for the Wounded (well, tiny in number, if not in shape – we do like our cakes) I thought it apt to take along a grandchild to explore the ARMY MEDICAL SERVICES MUSEUM set within Keogh Barracks, Ash Vale, Aldershot. GU12 5 RO. It is after all the commemorative year of the start of the 1st World War and very much in many of our minds. janpic The young are always up for some leeches, a bit of gore, and history brought to life, and this museum very much ticked the box.  It is a small museum but beautifully formed and tells the story of the Army’s medical services from the Civil War to present day, not just for humans but their animals as well. Once inside the Museum we were faced with a tableau showing a scene from the civil war and some of the crude instruments used – it really makes you appreciate our modern NHS. As you walk through the well laid out displays we realised how medical practices have had to change to cope with modern warfare. From long impractical uniforms, to fit for purpose ‘ no messing’ togs. No more lethal looking knives, dirty bandages or leeches just well equipped medics and field hospitals. Queen Alexandra’s Royal Army Nursing Corps. (QARANC) When we think of army nurses you probably think of Florence Nightingale going out to the Crimea to superintend the running of Scutari; her work is still remembered today.  On display are the uniforms the nurses wore with their starched aprons and cap no ‘scrubs’ for them. Margaret Graham, our WforW founder, was telling me of her mother’s exploits as an army nurse in WW2  after she was posted to India. It was after that war that the Army Medical Services underwent reorganisation.  In 1949 the QARANC was formed but the culture remained the same, a selfless sense of duty as they care for the sick and wounded troops worldwide The final displays bring you right up to the present day and the troops serving in Afghanistan.

Royal Army Veterinary Corp. (RAVC) Due to the growing mechanisation of the army the RAVC is one of the smallest Corps but one which   provides an invaluable service for animals in their care. It was sad to discover the terrible treatment injured horses, mules and dogs received especially during the Crimea and Boer Wars.  Slowly it was realised a proper veterinary service was needed for these valued animals and by the end of WW1 things were very different.  A tableau also shows the heroic work of tracker dogs sniffing out insurgents, explosives and injured personnel. So, today, there are no leeches, but instead high-tech kind efficient care, recuperation and rehabilitation. If you’re in the area of Aldershot, do check the Army Medical Services Museum. www.ams-museum.org.uk/museum/ Rehabilitation and recovery is where Words for the Wounded comes in, along with many other hard working charities, especially as our troops return from Afghanistan and the work of charities such as ours is needed more than ever. www.wordsforthewounded.co.uk WforW raises money through writing prizes, so that, as well as raising money for our wounded service personnel, we create opportunities for aspiring writers. This year we have our usual short competition of up to 400 words of fiction/poetry/memoir with cash prizes for the top three, and publication in Writers’ Forum Magazine.  www.writers-forum.com In addition we are launching the Independent Author Book Award for self-published fiction or memoir. The top prize is a professional press release from Palamedes PR www.palamedes.co.uk palamedes And a review in the fabulous Frost Magazine. 2nd and 3rd place have the opportunity of a discounted press release and Frost Magazine will also review their books. logo We open for entries from 11 November 2014 to 11th March 2015 and you can find all the information on www.wordsforthewounded.co.uk and more news and chat on www.wordsforthewounded.blogspot.co.uk

 

 

Norm MacDonald’s Touching Tribute To Robin Williams

Posted on by

Robin Williams’ death left a world in mourning like no other celebrity before him. The laughter and joy he brought to people in childhood and beyond made him an international treasure.Robin Williams tribute

 

 
One of the most touching tributes I saw was from Norm MacDonald, I am not embarrassed to say that it even made me cry. Rest in peace to Robin Williams, who will be sorely missed. Here is Norm’s amazing tribute. Let us know what you think.

Norm MacDonald

Norm MacDonald

Samaritans is available round-the-clock on 08457 90 90 90 or email: jo@samaritans.org