Evian Water and Wimbledon Competition 200 Years Young

Why some advertising collaborations really work and why it did for me

Holly HY

2026-06-03T06:37:00.0000000 2026-06-03T08:16:50.4730000

I don’t buy bottled water usually, I drink tap water at home and in restaurants. It has a carbon footprint 3,500 times lower than drinking bottled water. Whilst there has been a question mark around declining quality of UK tap water, (I have thought about starting to distill there is no evidence to support our tap Water in the UK which doesn’t come from contaminated rivers and streams has detonated) with the heatwave in the UK, comes a need to have more water on hand in the car. I’ve been using my local convenience store a lot to pick up and deliver online shopping and selling, they have been super helpful, friendly and really great and I’ve felt bad I don’t give them more business. So as it has got hotter and I’ve been spending quite a bit buying small bottles of water with lunch (and the plastic has been accumulating in my car) I was conscious I wanted to save money and save the planet by buying larger bottles of water and then transferring that into smaller reusable aluminium water bottles. I know I’ve still got big single use plastic bottles to recycle but at least they are better than buying one or two small ones every day.

The bottles were Evian, not for any other reason than they were the cheapest at £1.49 each.

And then I was even happier as I saw the opportunity to win a pair of centre court Wimbledon tickets 2026, they have 4 pairs to give away the top prize out of 2000 plus other prizes.

It’s interesting because the winning moments, ie the time you enter, in days, hours, minutes and seconds, pre selected and completely random by a computer are the criteria that decide whether you get lucky or not. If someone doesn’t enter at the exact winning moment then the next entry is the winner.

I made my first entries first thing. I’ve got two more bottles in the fridge to try. I bought the last two from my convenience store yesterday and I am not sure if they have anymore in the back. I will find out though.

It got me thinking about how expensive brand sponsorships actually work and what would make someone like me, who never gambles, doesn’t have membership cards or apps for discounts, doesn’t give their email out unless absolutely necessary because of the spam and marketing crap that comes back and would never enter any competition, participate.

The last competition I remember entering was a couple of years ago with Stella Artois for the same elusive prize but because I don’t drink it was too difficult for me to complete the purchase, I did intend to buy the beer and not drink it and then it was too much hassle. The time before was over 40 years ago, I had to come up with a slogan to win a Renault 5, I had just passed my driving test. I didn’t win then either.

My best friend has a saying “You’ve got to be in it, to win it” and this be true.

I’ve given Evian my email address and checked I am happy to receive promotional material. I thought this might improve my chances of a win. If I was a promoter I’d imagine someone I can promote back to is more appealing to reward with a win than someone who says “I just want to enter and then don’t bother me”

From the info about the competition this thinking is completely erroneous.

Thoughts on the Evian bottled water brand, in the 80’s Evian water was aspirational it was the still water brand that emerged after Perrier water, well they were French.

And I probably bought Evian because it represented style and sophistication to me back then living life in London, a Fulham flat owner, Golf GTI driving “Yuppie” how that makes me cringe now.

These days I am more practical, don’t waste money and desperately want to reduce my consumption of single use plastic so try to avoid buying plastic bottles period, something virtually impossible.

Wimbledon is a sporting event I am passionate about, have been a few times when I was younger invited through work or friends of friends with connections. The ballot has been less successful. Like the Evian competition every year I enter and am yet to win.

I keep reminding myself “you’ve got to be in it, to win it”

I know, there’s always the queue. I even got as far as reading the information cover to cover about the Wimbledon queue which to be honest sounds absolutely hideous, camping overnight, or joining at 6am in the morning on a wing and a prayer you might get a ticket, everyone who wants a ticket has to be present and endure the work, you can’t even stand there for hours as the nominated person for you and your friends. And who wants to turn up at Wimbledon, having been up all night, without a wash or a blow dry looking like a tramp for an amazing day out. Not me.

So Evian, that’s why your competition worked for me and you got my precious deets no one gets. For how long before I unsubscribe. That depends on how much junk mail you send me.

Kerastase Gloss Absolu Insta Glaze Range so good I got a mortgage for the Bain Hydra Shampoo too

And I don’t change my hair styling routine ever

Holly HY

2026-06-01T07:53:00.0000000 2026-06-01T10:03:13.3530000

In the words of fashion editor Alexandra Fullerton, this is a “HARD RECOMMEND” from someone who is a little bit hair obsessed and hasn’t changed their styling product routine for at least 10 years. I am definitely a find what you like and stick with it gal when it comes to hair.

Check my feed, I’ve been using a Kerastase Elixir styling product that I’ve moved heaven and earth to source, paid massively over the odds for my stylist thinks doesn’t make a difference and it was discontinued for a reason. What can I say I don’t like to change when it comes to my hair.

So here’s the deal on Kerastase Gloss Absolu Insta Glaze Conditioner and Kerastase Gloss Absolu Anti Frizz Milk Glaze Milk, I bought the glaze drops too but my hair was so pretty much perfect by the time my stylist had finished I didn’t even try them.

I have to start by saying I have a genius hairstylist who manages to achieve lasting results with difficult hair without any product whatsoever and for me 95% of the result you get when it comes to sleekness, shine and 29 years younger looking hair depends entirely on your stylist and their level of skill especially if your hair is crazy, old, grey and totally unmanageable like mine. Even without any product at all my stylist’s result is out of this world.

That said I tried Kerastase Gloss Absolu Insta glaze conditioner, designed for hair prone to frizz, £37 on Kerastase website but I’ve found as cheap as £25 at Toni and Guy at my last hair appointment and the results literally blew me away, even though my very low key stylist said he didn’t notice any difference from my usual Kerastase choice.

We used the conditioner in combination with the Kerastase Gloss Absolu anti frizz glaze milk, spray through out the wet hair (not on the root) before blow drying.

I am usually delighted with my results, I’ve been with the same stylist for a few years now, a hair genius and he is not a particular advocate or ambassador for Kerastase, or any specific products really, but for me the results were noticeable on top of the skill of a really experienced and brilliant hair stylist.

My hair was so super shiny I was genuinely surprised. So much so I have purchased the shampoo too, Gloss Absolu Bain Hydra glaze 250ml at £30.50 from Kerastase for my visit to the salon next week. Again Toni and Guy and Noli.com (currently offering the trio of travel size shampoo, conditioner and styling milk for £26.00) were the cheapest I could find the conditioner and anti frizz glaze milk at £21 and £22 respectively. I also found the shampoo and conditioner combo on Flawless Body for £43 including free shipping. The best deal I found overall was the Bain Hydra glaze shampoo, the Gloss Absolu Insta glaze conditioner and the Gloss absolu anti frizz glaze milk all for £56.00 with free shipping at my new favourite beauty shop online Face The Future I found out about on here so I’ve included the link below.

Very very impressed with this product.

Except;

There is one downside for animal lovers, Kerastase is owned by L’Oreal and therefore not cruelty free. This does present an ethics dilemma for me, L’Oreal is a brand I avoid when it comes to beauty for this reason. Whilst Kérastase itself does not test on animals, it is owned by L'Oréal, and the parent company permits animal testing where required by law. Because of this, Kérastase is not certified cruelty-free.

Kérastase is also not a 100% vegan brand. Many of their formulas contain animal-derived ingredients like keratin or beeswax, and they do not have a dedicated vegan product line.

I know it’s a double standard to buy just because I really like the product and would only usually consider brands with cruelty free credentials. So if anyone can come up with something as good that isn’t tested on animals I am all ears.

Top Ten Tips For Successful Selling On Vinted

I’ve spent the last two to three years shopping on Vinted now I am selling more than buying

Holly HY

2026-05-28T07:30:00.0000000 2026-05-29T18:52:04.9100000

I have loved shopping on Vinted. It is now my number one go to to source anything beauty or fashion, even home is taking off and don’t get me started on the designer goods where verification is available on expensive purchases. Truth is Vinted can be very addictive. A curated feed just for you, the more you browse and shop the more Vinted knows to show you exactly what you like. In my case branded luxury goods.

Yes there are a lot of dupes and fakes but if you stick to the if it seems to good to be true it probably is motto you won’t get burned. Personally I don’t like a dupe some people don’t mind them if the price is right and I am not getting into a moral ethical debate here.

As the high quality stock to buy has dwindled, I think people are running out of stuff I spotted an opportunity for anyone like me who in the past couldn’t be bothered to have a good clear out and finally put up all the stuff I have collected and never worn up there. And do the work to pack it up and take it to the post. It is a grind, so I don’t put anything up I can’t get more than £15 for to make all the effort worth it.

I had a lot of new stuff with tags still attached which to be honest have sold like hot cakes on Vinted.

It’s been a learning curve since I began declutterring a few months ago so I thought I’d give you all the heads up on what I have learned about selling on Vinted.

1. Be nice to people. It cost’s nothing to be pleasant. Just because some people are rude doesn’t mean you have to be and every sale, every smooth transaction means that person might come back and buy something else.

2. BE realistic with your pricing. You are going to have to take a hit. People are looking for a bargain on Vinted. If you paid £150 retail for something you are not getting much more the £50 for it. (With some exceptions) Put a £10 premium on everything under £50, a £20 premium on everything under £100. Think the minimum price you want to achieve, what you’d be happy anccepting and then add in your negotiating margin. The offers are very low so without this strategy you’ll never sell anything.

3. Ignore the prices Vinted recommends. Just because they say your item is only worth £3 or £4 doesn’t mean you can’t achieve £15 or £20. I just sold two bikinis for £60 Vinted said were worth £5.

4. Don’t hang about posting your items when someone has purchased from you. Get them packed and off quickly if you want good feedback and to build your reputation as a good, reliable and trustworthy seller. Vinted shipping is notoriously slow, can take up to a week for things to arrive and everyone wants to get their item sooner rather than later.

5. Take 5 or 6 clean pictures showing as much of the item as possible, including flaws, labels, sizing, fabric, composition. Keep the backgrounds simple, uncluttered and consistent. People will get to know it’s you from your image style. People like to know what they are buying and stops the hassle of returns and disputes.

6. Don’t break the Vinted rules, even if you see other people getting away with murder. Using pictures from the internet, even designer names in descriptions “Chanel Style” “Looks like Dior” can get you suspended from the platform. And if you don’t want to get yourself banned completely don’t try setting up multiple accounts under different emails. Vinted aren’t stupid and they have a no violations policy. Once you have been in trouble it’s difficult to get your account back. Strict one account per person policy.

7. Be aware when parcels get lost, and they do, you are not getting paid until a certain time has past. Usually they give the buyer about 6 weeks to wait to see if the item turns up and then the onus is on the buyer to say they have an issue within two days. If the buyer doesn’t catch this notification the transaction is closed, you get paid and the buyer loses out which can cause you grief if they never received their item.

8. Be honest and straight forward. Don’t try and connect with buyers off line. Vinted rules may be tough but buyers fees are there for a reason to protect everyone.

9. Any problems don’t expect Vinted to resolve them for you.

10. Politely stand your ground. In any community not everyone is kosher and some people pester or heckle to get things they want cheaper. I’ve found most people to be decent, friendly, straightforward, honest and polite. If someone complains and wants their money back, my advice don’t get into it. Give them a refund. It’s not worth the hassle of a long drawn out dispute for a few quid.

It’s definitely a sellers market right now on Vinted if you’ve got a lot of decent/designer stuff to get rid of. Branded goods are obviously premium, and new with tags on are easiest to move. But if you make an effort with your pictures and communicate well and honestly about your items giving as much helpful information as possible there’s a buyer out there for pretty much anything on Vinted.

P.S. Posting new items regularly is the way to keep your items being show. You want to aim to sell in the first 2 to 3 days of listing something. Your views will tail off after that. When you get to shipping more than 4 or 5 parcels per day (it doesn’t take long, three weeks listing 3 to 4 items a day) make sure you write down what is in each package. You think you will remember but you won’t and it avoids having to unpack to check or sending the wrong item to your valued customer.

The Day The Door Blew Open and Closed for Novak Djokovic To Lift The Coupe des Mousquetaires Trophy a 4th Time

Sinner loses in 5 Sets Roland Garros 2nd round to 56th Seed Juan Manuel Cerundolo and Novak...

Holly HY

2026-05-29T07:34:00.0000000 2026-06-03T08:49:11.7070000

There will be a new champion in Paris 2026.

When I read BBC Sport tennis news reporter’s piece by Jonathon Jurejko about Jannik Sinner world No. 1 and favourite to win the Paris Grand Slam Roland Garros this year I could believe he’s lost in the second round to Argentina’s Juan Manuel Cerundolo seeded 56 after being up two sets to love and 5-1 in the 3rd, serving for the match. The score line, 3-6, 2-6, 7-5, 6-1, 6-1. To be fair Sinner wasn’t well but the young Argentine broke a 30 match winning streak and showed once again why tennis fans love the sport. You never know what’s going to happen even when it looked like it was all over for Cerundolo. Anyone would feel for Jannik Sinner who told reporters the loss was “tough to accept.”

Sinner out of the field feels like a gift to Djokovic supporters hoping to see him win his recordbreaking 25th slam and reaching the semis in each of the last five, then after beating Sinner at this years Australian Open only to be beaten by Carlos Alcaraz, out of Roland Garros this year with a wrist injury, in the final.

Without Alcaraz, pundits predicted this years men’s draw lacked jeopardy. “Who could stop Sinner?” Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz have swept the previous nine Grand Slams between them, going head-to-head in three of those finals. And then this. All of a sudden Tennis Grand Slams, no longer “a predictable two horse race”

Now with the men’s draw blown wide open, a draw in which quite a few players will feel their chances of a grand slam title have increased, Zverev in particular seeded second, yet to win a grand slam title can Novak prove to the remaining stalwarts fans of great player like Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal he is truly deserving of the title GOAT (his boisterous and sometimes seen as ungentlemanly and unsportsmanlike behaviour at the beginning of his career put some people off) and give himself the best 39th birthday present ever by also beating his own record in 2023 becoming the oldest man again to ever win in Paris.

Djokovic had the ice packs to hand to beat France's Valentin Royer in the scorching Paris tenperatures a few days ago, and I am sure will be thinking differently now about his quest for an elusive standalone record 25th Grand Slam.

As the third seed he is the only man left who knows what it takes to win a major, this one in particular.

Playing next, the Chatrier day session (fourth round) against the Brazilian teenager Joao Fonseca, when temperatures are predicted to reach 34C, will be a test for sure. Nole fans will be praying for a thunder storm to break.

When (if) Novak gets past Fonseca, fans know he has the capacity to build momentum through the tournament and with temperatures predicted to drop significantly next week and the bit between his teeth. The closer he gets who can really beat him?

Djokovic's on-court aura known to put off many younger opponents and Alexander Zverev second seed in Paris, described as the best player of his generation to have never won a major, is one of them.

When the conditions, cooler weather, favour Djokovic, he has continued to defy the ageing process even as a part timer a surprise for many when he beat Sinner in this year's Australian Open semi-finals.

Last year, it was either Alcaraz or Sinner who stopped Djokovic in the French Open, Wimbledon and US Open semi-finals.

With both now out of his way, there is only Zverev left in the draw who I think has the experience of beating the Serb great in a Grand Slam setting.

Even if Alexander Zverev makes it to the final, against Novak I don’t think he’ll be able to shake off the memory of losing to Djokovic last year in the Semi Finals of the French.

Zverev may be the favourite on paper but there’s a reason call Novak Djokovic the GOAT.

Whatever happens the tournament is now set to be the most exciting French Open especially for Novak Djokovic supporters.

There’s a good deal of talent in the draw, and in tennis we’ve seen time and time again anything can happen but what an end to the most wonderful magically and heart stopping career in sport it would be. On the clay especially where so many have not so warmly received Novak Djokovic and he has split the crowd for sure to be the champion one last time. Theresa would be tears I am in no doubt.

I’ll be wearing my lucky Roland Garros Socks.

Update 14 hours later. It wasn’t to be as Novak follows Jannik knocked out in five sets against number 28th seed Brazilian Joao Fonseca. Just five points away from victory in the fourth set Fonseca fought off two break points to take the match to a deciding 5th. Congratulations are certainly due to the Brazilian who until

now seemed unable to live up to all the hype but after consistently hitting shots 40mph faster than Djokovic and finding the lines and the corners, he deserved to beat his tennis idol. What a night for him. My lucky socks weren’t so lucky tonight for all us Djokovic fans. Let’s hope it’s not the last time we see Novak walk out on Court Philippe Chatrier in Paris.

I’ve mentioned French tennis photographer Corinne Dubreuil on here before @cocodubreuilphoto on Instagram but no one captures the tennis action in stills better than her. She has also just released a beautiful book of iconic images celebrating Novak’s epic career. Available now on Amazon. I have to say I might be breaking my Amazon boycott to purchase. I would have used one of her images here with my snoop with credits of course but without permission didn’t want to do that so I’ve snapped my precious socks instead. Check out her photos. They really are amazing.

Pixlr Batch Photo Resize Editor - For anyone else gutted It Has Disappeared

After a day of searching for an easy alternative with no learning curve

Holly HY

2026-05-26T10:49:00.0000000 2026-05-26T11:12:21.8730000

i want to begin by saying thank you Pixlr for the Batch photo editor provided for free for so many years. I understand why it has gone. Online companies, businesses have to monetise their services, especially in a very tough economy. The problem I have and I imagine other people too is getting value from premium service subscriptions when you don’t need all the bells and whistles provided. I’d be happy to pay a pound or two for the Pixlr batch editor, I just don’t want to pay £10 a month for tools I don’t use.

I am sure I am not the only one who went to use Pixlr batch editor over the weekend, a tool that lets you resize a bunch of images in one simple step and save them to your “files” on I phone. For anyone working with images for e-commerce or on websites, bloggers and website content creators large file sizes from your phone take up too much storage space and take ages to load slowing down your website visitors browsing experience. I used Pixlr batch editor pretty much every day so when the feature was removed and I was encouraged to upgrade to their premium services instead at £10 per month subscription, I was stuck.

I never mastered adobe, and it is too expensive if all you need is a basic batch editor image resizer. I tried Gimp, the “free Abobe” type product on a desktop and a laptop. Again there is a learning curve and these days I do much of my image processing either on my phone or IPad.

I downloaded a couple of apps Photoroom and Canva people were raving about online but both were paid offering a free trial period. Not really what I was looking for. All I needed was something that would resize images for me in a batch. You can still use Pixlr, if you are happy to do them one at a time, you only get three free saves per day with a way around that marketed by techies online, I didn’t get into because I want to be able to batch edit anyway. A feature that seems to have totally disappeared unless you pay. It says on google you can still do it somehow, I spent a couple of hours trying to figure it out. I didn’t succeed.

I’ve pretty much stopped using Chatgtp. When I heard Novak Djokovic talk about the struggles he had with his kids and them being the only kids in school without mobile phones “ If everyone is doing something, the herd works like this, you have to follow. Well, it doesn't have to be like that.” I could relate. I worry about Chatgtp becoming the oracle when they clearly state they get things wrong a lot so I’ve weaned myself off it and I understand what’s the difference between asking Google or any other search engine, well you don’t have to login to Google yet, to use it and you can use a VPN to protect your self. Once you login to Chatgtp they are profiling you with every question you ask. This I find spooky. Even though I use a phone that listens to me. I know. I just feel when you read about people like Open AI boss Sam Altman, information gleaned from people who actually know him in real life you wouldn’t go anywhere near something he is behind.

I was left to find out about Bulk Resize Photos on Reddit. I like Reddit and have found I’ve been using it more and more. A little like Poopsnoop, it’s real people discussing real life, products, topics, solutions to problems like this one, opinions. It’s a good source of information like eavesdropping on human experience conversations. For me that feels much safer that an isolated blogger or influencer sharing something when you don’t know their motive, if they work for the company, are a professional marketer, con person or have just been paid to be positive.

Bulk Resize Photos isn’t fancy. I think it’s Japanese as the account on X @resizephotos some posts are in Japanese. It does the job I need though, just resizing images for the web in large batches. And for free.

If you were a Pixlr batch editor user and need an easy alternative this may work for you. I know there are literally hundreds of imaging editing options out there doing all kinds of things with AI, removing backgrounds, cutting out products, enhancing images creatively even creating moving, walking talking videos from still pictures like the features in Grok so finding something simple that works and meets simple needs can be a challenge.

It’s times like this I wish I’d taken a screen shot of Pixlr Batch editor for posterity. What a great tool.

I have downloaded Google photos (for iPhone) which I have read is also very good and easy for this job of resizing images in batches, it also boasts a lot of free image storage so may end up saving me money on my iCloud subscription. I’ll snoop again when I’ve done more research.

Hair Salon By Julia Art an unexpected talent on the Island Of Santorini

Hairstylist with 16 years experience in Kamari Beach

Holly HY

2026-05-19T04:27:00.0000000 2026-05-19T05:18:16.8930000

Googling a hair stylist, especially when you are as particular as my friend and I can be very risky. The art of hair is exactly that an art and when you are loyal to a particular stylist it’s usually for a reason.

What to do when soaking up the sun, daily swimming, spa treatments, you look like a scarecrow, you need to find a Julia and her team , Nadia and Angela.

We called up from a Google search and first off the lady who answered the phone spoke perfect English and was able to accommodate us both at the time we wanted. Fantastic. The price quoted for long hair blow outs between €35 and €50 euros.

We arrived a little early and immediately we were greeted with warmth and put at ease at the ladies went to work doing their thing for particular customers, we’d brought our own shampoo and products, not necessary but not a problem.

Julia connected with my friend immediately over extensions, humorous stories of having 100 applied and then wanting 120, 150, I am sure girls who wear extensions can relate. The atmosphere in the salon was really positive and happy something we appreciated.

The best thing about Julia and her team was they worked around our requests, happy customers was their number one focus. Julia the salon owner has 16 years experience doing hair and she told me she has customers from Manchester, Liverpool calling her to book in before their holiday and has had many many wedding recommendations friends of previous clients, usually a good sign.

The hair washing was thorough and relaxing in equal measure with a welcome cool rinse. The salon was air conditioned to combat the heat and humidity outside. It was very comfortable.

My hair is difficult to handle and Julia was happy to tackle the hard work of drying my hair from wet, (most hairdressers like to waft it off before starting to make it easier but my hair won’t survive if you do that, it goes curly immediately) she worked hard to stretch and really work the hair for a 7 day result, her words not mine.

All the while Angela took care of my friend’s full head of extensions saying she really enjoyed working with long extensions and getting an amazing finished result.

Too very particular hair clients who couldn’t be happier.

If you are staying on the island of Santorini and need a hair dresser definitely give Julia a call. A great business, a great confident businesswoman who puts her customer first and wants to make sure her clients are happy first and fore most.

The Hair Salon By Julia Art is modern, clean and totally professional, located in the centre of Kamari Beach and is open from 10am - 2pm and then from 4pm-8pm.

She offers full hair services, cuts, colours, balayage, extensions for men and women. Finding Julia and her team for two people in need of a hair rescue was amazing. I am confident anyone would have a great experience and I can see why people return to Julia and recommend their friends.

SJP uses all her fashion credentials and following to endorse Primark

Labour exploitation and environmentally hazardous impact from clothing

Holly HY

2026-05-13T10:33:00.0000000 2026-05-14T06:47:26.1330000

Every day we face the incredulous, unfair, unjust, and down right ridiculous online. I felt compelled to get it out and have a rant because I couldn’t have been more shocked to see Sarah Jessica Parker, someone I have followed, admired, even loved for many many years, front and centre at the Primark superstore opening in NYC. WTF.

Sarah Jessica Parker needs little introduction especially in fashion circles. Probably most famous for her portrayal of Carrie Bradshaw in the widely acclaimed and award winning HBO series Sex and The City alongside Co stars, Kristen Davis, Kim Catrell and Cynthia Nixon.

When do you imagine we are going to see Sarah Jessica Parker on the red carpet sporting her latest purchase from Primark?

This rant is less about my love for Sarah Jessica Parker, her talent as an actor, her passion for literature as an advocate for reading and her position as a booker prize judge 2025, publisher (SJP LIT), her love of the ballet, longtime supporter and Vice chair of the board of directors for the New York City Ballet (NYCB) and unwavering support of the arts in general, through initiatives like Turnaround Arts program mentoring students in high poverty schools but more about how could she use her hard fought for position as the guiding light for all things fashion and style to promote and endorse Primark? Sarah supporting and endorsing Primark is a stark contradiction to all she represents, even worse for me than Anna Wintour, someone well known for being mercenary and ruthless, selling out the Met Gala to Jeff Bezos. As someone on social media commented, “Sarah, you don’t need to do this” as Hello Magazine headline read “Sarah Jessica Parker just wore top to toe Primark- and just like that we’re obsessed” it was for the new 54,000 sq foot store opening in Herald Square, Manhattan New York City.

I am not going to pull all the stats and recount all the negative media coverage about the unethical practises of the fast fashion retailing giant. How many workers do we have to see pinning their cries for help to trousers bound for the west to open our eyes or the piles and piles, mountains of clothes ending up in Kantamanto Market in Accra, Ghana. Around 15 million items of used clothing arrive every week and where 40% is unusable and unsaleable, strangling their beautiful landscape and ocean as we use their country as a dumping ground for a cheap top worn once.

SJP what are you thinking? Surely You don’t need the money. I honestly thought you’d be the type to be outside protesting not inside sipping champagne telling the press you think the clothes are well made.

The worst part is how disappointed I feel to have invested so much love, and genuine support into someone I don’t actually know, only think I know because of constant exposure on TV, in films and through the press and social media.

I have unfollowed Sarah Jessica Parker today, someone whose posts I have always shared and commented on in the past, even looked forward to.

It was like choosing to give up smoking, something you like but discover is really not doing you that much good. I remember deleting R. Kelly from my play list and feeling that sense of loss. Now whenever I hear an old favourite all I can think of is how many people he hurt and immediately switch off. You can change years of enjoyment and mental connection if you really want to. I try not to listen to Michael Jackson anymore for the same reason.

SJP may not be a wife beater or abuser but her decision to stand with a major fast fashion producer, when her whole gig is about standing out, standing alone, philanthropy, creating style and recycling luxury, is such a let down I can’t stand it.

The famous basketball coach John Wooden said “care more about your character than your reputation, your character is who you really are, your reputation only who people think you are.”

I wonder how many other grown up women of her 9.9 million followers on Instagram who love fashion and style as much as Carrie Bradshaw an incarnation of Sarah Jessica herself will feel the same.

The thought of never rewatching and revisiting Sex and The City, the movies One and Two, and Just Like That, well it’s difficult to go there but if Samantha (Kim Cattrell) could say goodbye then so can I.

I don’t imagine my unfollow will impact that much. Although that said a simple solitary act, reminds me of a story I once read about about a woman and animal lover, activist and environmentalist walking along a beach throwing stranded baby turtles back into ocean one by one and her friend saying, “why do you do this, look how many there are, you’ll never make a difference” her reply, “I just made a difference to that one.”

My reason to throw SJP back in the proverbial ocean as a fashion lover myself; I may be wrong but I just don’t see her rewearing her Grey Primark suit or giving up her Manolo Blaniks in favour of shopping Primark and Atmosphere any time soon. And just like that, I’m just not buying it Sarah. Sorry.

“The woman realized she was not alone — she was on her own”

MAFSAU GIA Closes The Experiment With The Most Revealing And Explosive Content Ever

I said it was going to be bumpy, didn’t realise how bumpy things would get

Holly HY

2026-05-07T11:27:00.0000000 2026-05-08T06:55:16.1870000

I bet Gia, the girl who has become a reality star for all the wrong reasons wishes she had never signed up for the MAFSAU experiment.

You can tell from my profile I do like to watch the glamour and psychology producers of reality formats manage to deliver in the Bravo Franchise real housewives, Love Island and Married at First Sight. I have watched the latest season of Married At First Sight in it’s entirety and reviewed it near the beginning and the fights began erupting, not between the couples necessarily but between the cast, and mainly the women, of which cast member Gia paired with Scott was usually at the centre.

But I don’t think even producers could have predicted how she would provide them with the most exposing content of all in their new end of experiment challenge, “Is the grass greener” where participants attend a dinner party and are introduced to another potential match the experts had lined up for them at the beginning of the process.

The task is pitched as a confronting challenge to see how each person responds to a new potential match and to enable participants to test the strength and validity of their feelings to their existing match.

The men particularly Scott, Gia’s partner and David, Alissa’s partner surprisingly felt so uncomfortable facing this challenge, they chose to remove themselves to not threaten their existing relationships. In contrast it was their partners Alissa and Gia had the most fun meeting their new matches. Alissa connecting with her new guy on social media and Gia going as far to say she would date her guy James on the outside, and telling him she would be available and done with the experiment in a week.

Producers of the show must have been jumping for joy to capture these exposes on camera. The behaviour so revealing and ruthless on the part of the women it became too brutal to own. It does make you realise how unconscious their behaviour is when both women are clearly pretending to be working on relationships without real genuine feelings behind them or so in secure and unstable in their existing relationships they are seeking validation from anywhere, perhaps in an attempt to make existing partners not delivering the adoration they have been taught to expect in Disney movies, jealous.

The twist, no one knew, thought about or even considered the camera capturing everything would later be shown to their respective other halves, and boy when they were, did the shit hit the fan.

The camera doesn’t lie. (Even though the edit sometimes does.)

When David tackled Alissa on her behaviour she didn’t even acknowledge his feelings or accept how her behaviour might have hurt him. Instead she got defensive, blew the whole thing up and blamed him for it. But why? Was it just a massive ego, no empathy or compassion, does she just not like him? Does she really think he’s a weak man? There’s been a question mark around him the whole season about his job and more importantly his bank balance.

And that was the less explosive and least dramatic ending of the two.

Gia made up some cockamamie story about being unable to stay for the last two days of the experiment when she’d managed 3 months already and gave Scott an ultimatum she was leaving with him or without him. Again why? Was it on reflection she couldn’t face being exposed yet again and looking like she was the bad one, unable to really explain why she had behaved in such a way.

Scott woke up just in time and decided to call her out and stay put. Scott is definitely coming out as the good guy in the edit, but it’s a TV show so you just don’t know. We know Gia has told him she loves him and he hasn’t said it back. Not a good position for any women to be in.

Of course he was devastated on camera when he saw the evidence on film in front of him, Gia hustling to be someone else’s trophy wife was not a pretty watch. In her defense we might not know what pushed her to be like that. The edit this season has focused on the women’s feuding and the men’s more devious behaviour has been kept from the narrative. We all know men cheat and like to control in real life.

Gia’s first question to suitor James, how much money did he make and would he pay for everything because that’s what she expected. Was this a dig at what she wasn’t getting from Scott?

If so it is surely going to backfire, especially if she does like him and this behaviour stems from feeling angry, hurt and insecure.

In the past every MAFS season has had it’s villain, I thought this year, Bec had been cast to take the top spot but at the 11th hour Gia has ended the season as the best MAFS villain in history, shallow, mercenary, and with one massive agenda, except is that really the truth or just the story ruthless TV producers have told us. Could Gia just be a girl not getting what she needs from her partner and that insecurity has manifested in her trying to manufacture something that Scott is unable to deliver.

She may have thought she was clever enough to keep her real self and feelings under wraps, but the truth always comes out in the end. I almost think producers came up with this final task to expose the fakery they knew was happening but were unable to pinpoint and expose for the viewer.

The “is the grass greener” task was the ultimate bait and switch entrapment scheme to catch out the cast and boy did it work. The men in the case of Scott and David unable to even participate which for men bold enough to enter an experiment like this in the first place did raise a deeper question for me why they weren’t secure enough to sit in a room with other women if they were genuine. Married men meet and talk to other women in their everyday lives all the time without ripping someone’s clothes off even if they want to.

This TV was so explosive, cringeworthy, and heart rending for the people, in this case two women, who had trusted ambitious men who either wouldn’t communicate, wouldn’t truly commit maybe believed themselves worthy of more. Or maybe it was the men, who found themselves at the mercy or ruthless women, as producers would have us believe. If this is true what they got in the end was one big old slap in the face.

It’s been a fantastic season, probably the best yet and if you’ve never watched Married at First Sight it would be one incredible weekend binge watch if you are at a loose end. It’s the final dinner party next where all will be revealed. I remember someone telling me there are always three sides to any story, my side, your side and the truth. Get TV producers involved and the truth goes out the window so you really have to read between the lines. The one thing that is true the women have come off way worse in the edit than the men Mafsau 2026. And for any women thinking of signing up they should really watch this season very carefully before doing so.

Oscar Wilde said it’s better to be talked about than not talked about. In the case of Gia and Alissa I am not so sure. Once out you cannot get toothpaste back in the tube and these girls I fear may be covered in toothpaste for a very long time.

Emily Simpson Owns Her Recent Weight Loss Reveal Was Kick Started With Ozempic Again

As Andy Cohen asks Dolores Catania Real Housewives Of New Jersey Who isn’t taking the drug in...

Holly HY

2026-04-28T15:14:00.0000000 2026-04-28T16:50:09.0000000

I read a snoop about Real Housewife Teddi Mellencamp requesting weight loss medicine from her oncologist and being denied it to then see the dramatic body transformation of Orange County Housewife Emily Simpson on Instagram (link below) I’ve probably watch it 25 times where husband Shane does the big reveal from April 2025 to a virtually unrecognisable Emily in April 2026.

Like many I am a fan of the Bravo Franchise and have been following Emily since she joined the orange county cast for season 13 which premiered in 2018.

By 2020 she had slimmed down significantly saying she was much happier with her 30lb reduction she put down to working out with a trainer and a much healthier and more disciplined routine, working out 3 days a week. No surgery or assistance/intervention just hard work. She said she was finally feeling like herself again that was back in 2020.

But clearly it wasn’t enough.

I remember watching episode 10 season 18 5 years later when Heather gave Emily a size 12 dress to wear triggering her insecurity about her weight once more. Emily brought her own clothes for a portion of the charity fashion show when she was the only one in jeans and tackled Heather about the larger clothes she was given to wear as being offensive.

She told People magazine

“I actually had a little moment where I went into the bathroom and I actually cried a little bit because I felt singled out” “ I felt like I was the girl that couldn’t fit into the pants that everyone else had on. It really killed me.”

When it comes to designer clothes we all know if you are bigger than a size eight, no one can fit into them. Have you watched Devil Wears Prada where Anne Hathaway is told by Nigel, Stanley Tucci at a US size 6 (a UK 10) there’s nothing in the runway closet to fit her. The fashion reality.

When Emily joined the cast of Real Housewives of Orange County I thought it was good to see some contrast from super Hollywood skinny Heather Dubrow and pocket rocket fitness queen Tamra Judge. Shannon Beador has long had a love affair with Spanx which she openly admits going no where without, refusing to don a bathing suit in episodes unhappy with stress related weight gain attributed to her turbulent love life and concerns over her drinking to cope.

Whilst Jen has been fat shamed on the show and with her body building fitness boyfriend Ryan shed pounds before joining the cast, showing off her muscular close to perfect size 4 body after a weight loss journey herself, Gina seems comfortably maintaining her new more svelte physique after revealing she’s lost over thirty pounds as well.

Once again the pressure to be maybe thinner than nature intended, especially after popping out a few kids appears to be mounting in the Bravo halls.

There was certainly a lot of talk online about Emily Simpson either being fired or about to fired from the show. It’s unlikely that will be happening as she has now ramped up her press and profile with the new and improved Ozempic body.

She looks great and I am not down on her for using the weight loss injections, that’s her business. My only question is where does it all stop.

Here in the UK we’ve seen celebrities like Sharon Osbourne speak out about the injection Ozempic saying she lost 42lbs and it was too much. The side effects were too much and despite saying she’d probably gain all the weight back she stopped using the drug. Her daughter Kelly and glamour model Katie Price have both denied taking the medication even though it has been suggested their dramatic weight loss may be attributed to this.

When Dolores Catania Real Housewives of New Jersey admitted to using Ozempic on Watch what happens Live, the Housewives star chatting with honorary alumni Andy Cohen back in April 2023, openly said she had been taking Ozempic.

“What housewife isn’t on Ozempic?” Cohen mused,

“Not one … I wasn’t going to come to (the) reunion looking bigger than anyone else, so I got on the bandwagon,” she said.

And I think here lies the problem. And maybe why Emily Simpson jumped on the bandwagon too.

So many big names in Hollywood have spoken up in favour of the drug and the positive mental impact it has had on them from Oprah Winfrey to Whoopi Goldberg but like with any medication there are long term side effects to consider and come off the medication and expect the weight to come back. This medicine designed to treat type two diabetes is medicine for life.

It seems to be a vicious cycle for women especially, made even more heightened with a job on TV where the way you look is perpetually scrutinised and discussed. If you want to take Ozempic to help you lose weight knock yourself out. I just worry about the message these global influencers and ambassadors are putting out there. And if you need a drug to help you limit your calorie intake to a level where you feel you can compete with your co workers taking up less room on that reunion sofa then maybe we all need to rethink how far we expect these women to go to entertain us.

I am not saying stuff yourself, discipline is good but craving food happens when we don’t feel centred, full up and calm. Maybe less Ozempic and more “My body is my temple” mindset would help ease the cravings and alcohol bingeing used to ease stress but that ultimately puts weight on. Cortisol the stress hormone causes weight gain by increasing appetite, triggering cravings for high-calorie "comfort" foods, promoting visceral fat storage (especially in the abdomen), and slowing down metabolism. Chronic stress elevates this hormone, leading to increased insulin levels, which promotes fat accumulation.

Perhaps less worrying about being too fat and more action to reduce the stress caused by being on a show like the Real Housewives is the way to go. Long term health implications of a drug like Ozempic no one really knows what they might be and as a viewer I’d much prefer seeing someone like Emily model doing things the hard way, like she has done in her career and why for me she was actually a breath of fresh air when she joined the show in the first place; not like all the others.

Clearly the pressure to be really thin got too much, not that I think she looks bad now, she doesn’t, tall and very slim or am I judging her, like I said she’s one of my favourites for her stand alone common sense approach.

I am just sad the job and need to fit in and be like everyone else got to her. And I hope as she said it was just a 30 day kickstart, she stops now (isn’t addicted to the results) and doesn’t end up going too far.

Smoking makes you thin by increasing your heart rate and metabolism and curbing your appetite and we all know there isn’t a doctor on the planet that would hand over a packet of fags as a prescription for weight loss. Personally I’d be more inclined to light up than take Ozempic but just call me old fashioned.

Rocketman If you didn’t love Elton John Before You Will After Watching This Film

It’s true the greatest achievements, talent and success are born from from suffering

Holly HY

2026-04-20T08:58:00.0000000 2026-04-21T16:58:17.3170000

Ernest Hemingway said “Write hard and clear about what hurts”,

and that is what Bernie Taupin did for Elton John.

Rocketman the 2019 biographical film is one to add to my anthology, my movie list of all time favourites. A memoir in music and cinematic storytelling of the greatest showman of rock, the piano man Elton John. And I absolutely loved it.

It’s an honest and heartfelt confession of his rise to stardom in the the early seventies, his relationship with lyricist Bernie Taupin played with sensitivity to the story by Jamie Bell to the most stand out performance by Taron Egerton as Elton. A Welsh actor and singer who like Elton, graduated from the Royal Academy of Arts before gaining fame and recognition for his starring roles in Kingsman The Secret service and Kingsman The Golden Circle but it was epic portrayal as Elton John for which he took the BAFTA and the Golden Globe. Many considered him not being nominated for an Oscar in 2020 a snub. Joaquin Phoenix a worthy winner took home the statue for his role as Arthur Fleck in The Joker, a film I’ve seen 4 or 5 times already.

Rocketman is a beautiful film, a visual feast punctuated with the soundtrack of our lives. Elton Johns Your Song I checked was released in 1970 in the US and then 1971 in the UK. It was the first song I remember learning all the words to and has since been dubbed the UK’s favourite song.

Elton’s music tells the story of his turbulent life and meteoric rise to fame and fortune. It’s documented in the film by the age of 25 he was worth a staggering £25 million. And the way the movie is crafted centring on a beautiful friendship between two creative geniuses shows how Bernie told Elton’s story in his lyrics, perhaps why they are still so timeless and relatable today.

I think Elton John when he watches this film where he served as an executive producer he must be filled with pride and joy at his immense achievements not just in music but in raising 450 million for his aids foundation. He produced the film through his company, Rocket Pictures alongside his husband, David Furnish, who acted as a lead producer.

Like any film it is the pure talent of the lead actors, Jamie Bell, Richard Madden as music manager John Reid and the supremely talented Taron Egerton as Elton that make you believe you are watching the man himself share his story.

It is quite weird in a way I am not sure I have ever experienced to quite the same extent, watching a film believing it’s the real person. When I think about the recent film about Freddie Mercury, Bohemian Rhapsody or films like The Queen starring Helen Mirren or The Iron Lady Meryl Streep all highly acclaimed I didn’t feel the same, like you were actually watching the real person, and it’s not because Taron looks like Elton, he doesn’t, but he managed to manifest his energy somehow throughout the film. It was absolutely magical to watch.

If Elton John has produced the soundtrack to your life, you don’t even have to be a massive fan of the music, Elton’s music has touched most of us by osmosis; this movie is a spectacular musical biopic that tackles the very human issues we all endure everyday, love, loss, greed, addiction and the power we all have to “change your way of life”.

Watch it and be moved and never let the sun go down on me; or you.

Bec and Real Estate Millionaire Danny Getting All The Air Time On Married At First Sight Australia

MAFSAU has already aired in Auz so if you are watching in the UK be careful to avoid the spoilers

Holly HY

2026-04-07T09:32:00.0000000 2026-04-08T16:57:52.2300000

No spoilers here but I did make the mistake of reading some Australian press and discovering Brooke and Chris left the show before the episode aired in the UK. I found out Brook was pregnant with her ex whilst still hopeful for a reconciliation which did spoiler things a bit. I’ve been careful to avoid Australian commentary on the show since as I am in now and enjoying watching how things develop and unfold.

Many people love the dinner party episodes the best, when the fallouts usually happen. My favourites are the commitment ceremony episodes. I like the therapy elements, the questions, the reframing of behaviour and showing how we are not always aware of our own behaviour and the impact it has on others. This week I did find myself looking for the red hot water bottles on set too, (after Chris and Brooks dramatic departure last week) wondering if they’d decided to put the heating on instead on the set.

I really like reading other people’s take on the action so please add your comments as well as adding my point of view into the mix.

After last night’s commitment ceremony they are dropping like flies on Married at first Sight Australia. So much so producers changed the format for new couple Steff and Tyson, Juliette and Joel and Sam and Chris. The ways things were looking with the new matches I think they were afraid there would be no cast left if these matches were allowed to vote stay or leave the experiment too.

Much of the ceremony was not the usual tellings off from the experts but more gentle persuasion to stay put as Mel and Luke and Julia And Grayson left the process.

Mel Schilling did eloquently tackle ex military man Tyson in his quest for a “submissive” partner. Explaining to him “language is important” I found it very touching she is still making an impact on ‘manosphere’ culture and this kind of misogynistic thinking in such a brilliantly firm yet non combative way. She was so good he actually listened to her, a woman, shock horror. I found myself shouting Go Mel from the sofa.

The desire for love compounded by the desire to be on TV usually keeps people in the format but more couples, Mel and Luke and Julia and Grayson decided MAFS Australia is not for them. We are only a month in and already Chris and Brooke and Rebecca and Steve have left too. I do get the feeling this might be the last seasons for the format as the cast are exposed more and more as ambitious influencers or business people looking more for the elevated profile and exposure a show like MAFS can bring than actually finding a long term partner. I think when characters like Tyson are cast over all the other possible applicants, promoting “Traditional” values, and expert John Aiken is telling him someone like him is virtually impossible to match because virtually no woman would tolerate his nonsense, controversy is more important to show producers than successful matching.

The last couple on the couch this commitment ceremony were Bec, account manager and former real estate professional and real estate tycoon Danny, (his Victoria based property company turned over $9.8 million dollars) the stars of the show for all the wrong reasons. Producers always hold back the best till last. Bec has been at the centre of the action for two weeks now amidst the controversial admission from Gia on camera Danny said she was his type on the outside which understandably for someone like Bec terrified of rejection sent her into a tail spin.

Bec continues to back Danny’s version of events on camera, even when grilled by the experts and then Gia added fuel to the drama alleging Bec had said off camera she believes her but can’t say that because then she has to leave, something she doesn’t want to do.

The experts drilled down asking Bec two questions, did she believe he didn’t say it, one and two does she believe the statement, Danny prefers Gia’s look on the outside. She struggled to answer pausing and reflecting before sticking with her man, “ride or die.”

When the experts told Danny they thought he looked miserable in response to Becs saying she believed they were better than ever, the wheels came off. The camera cut to whispers from the other couples “he’s scared of her” they said as Danny just kept denying he’d said he preferred Gia’s look and doubled down prefacing it with apology saying he didn’t go for girls with tattoos.

Producers did indeed save the best car crash TV, and of course set Bec up particularly, cutting to her when other couples, Gia and Scott and Alissa and David especially were on the couch expressing genuine happiness in their matches and how things were progressing.

We don’t really appreciate I think how much of what we are feeling shows on our faces and Married at First Sight really captures this sometimes cruelly at the expense of the cast members.

The format is an in depth look into the human psychology of people on the quest for love but one thing is for sure, if you don’t tell the truth and think you can fool the experts or audience watch out because the camera doesn’t lie.

It’s sad for Bec. If she had the self confidence to say just because you went for that look on the outside, you’ve been single for 4 years so it clearly wasn’t working for and you are in the experiment because of that matched with me. If she could just tell herself, The experts think I am a better match for you so I am going with that, she’d be able to deal with the throwaway comment which Danny probably didn’t say the way Gia interpreted it in reality.

It will be interesting to see how this story line develops’ It’s the addictive nature of this format. I am not sure Danny will be able to take much more. He’s going to have to admit exactly what he said, drunk or not, because on Married At First Sight this situation just isn’t going away.

For Enchanted Wood Aficionados The Magic Faraway Tree Movie 2026 Is A Let Down

If you are big fan of the books you’ll probably be disappointed

Holly HY

2026-04-03T19:20:00.0000000 2026-04-03T19:53:48.0300000

When I saw The Magic Faraway Tree was being released this holiday in the UK I couldn’t believe it.

It was like being thrown back in time reminded of the very first book I remember reading, well actually being read to me. Yep I was very young and the experience of the adventure story The Enchanted Wood, the prequel to The Magic Faraway Tree published in 1939 was so exciting and I never forgot it. I ended up rereading it many times and of course the other books in the series by Enid Blyton, The Magic Faraway Tree, 1943, The Folk of The Faraway Tree, 1946 and Up The Faraway Tree 1951 sat on my book shelf until I left home.

My advice as an early watcher is stick to the books. Like a lot of film adaptations from much loved books whether for kids or adults this one doesn’t catapult you back into the world so genuinely loved reintroducing you to old friends, more like takes you to visit somewhere moved and redecorated pretending to be that magical place but not fooling anyone.

They’ve even changed the kids names. Fanny has become Fran played by Billie Gadsdon, Joe remains the oldest sibling played by Phoenix Laroche, and Bessie has been also modernised to Beth, Delilah Bennett-Cardy.

Claire Fou as Polly Thompson the kids Mum and Jennifer Saunders are the most convincing of the cast but Moon Face, Silky and Dame Washalot, who I am sure was just Mrs Washalot in the books weren’t the characters I remembered. Silky a little vain and sensitive, Moonface jolly, overbearing, a bit of a worrier but also on hand with helpful knowledge and information and the nasty pixies didn’t really get as much action in the film as I remembered from the books, where they were mischievous and a bit threatening. In the film they were diluted. Hardly appear and when they do they are more comedic. They lose their menace making the film “safer and duller” according to Times film critic Kevin Maher.

For me The Magic Faraway Tree adaptation fails both as a faithful tribute and a modern reimagining. It’s muddled and a bit lifeless and lack lustre missing the mark of capturing the essence of the book’s simple magic. It’s a fragmented, overly complicated story. The writer, Simon Farnaby, well known for Paddington and Wonka, has turned the narrative into disjointed skits with for me weak humour and underdeveloped characters. The iconic figures lack charm, and the sense of wonder conjured in this timeless sorry is largely absent. The modern family framing is bit clumsy and distracting, would have been better sticking to a more old fashioned approach. I think trying to bring it up to date misses the spirit of Blyton entirely.

James Perse Shop In Brompton Cross Brings Back Friendly Warm Service In Their Boutique Experience

Shopping in store can be so nice quick service yet slow not rushed luxury experience I wonder...

Holly HY

2026-04-01T13:16:00.0000000 2026-04-01T15:04:39.7730000

As a big James Perse clothing fan struggling to find a particular basic cotton elastane vest I love online when I saw the James Perse store on Walton St, Brompton Cross Village in between Chelsea and Knightsbridge, London and there was loads of parking conveniently directly outside I immediately screeched to a halt and was drawn into the lovely intimate boutique where I met Agnes from Lithuania ready and waiting to help me in my quest.

Within a few minutes she had found the illusive item in stock in my size and swiftly departed up stairs to find it.

There is something unbeatable about the experience shopping in a proper shop. A place where you immediately feel comfortable, not watched, left alone to browse and not remotely uncomfortable. Knowing help is at hand if you need it. I sometimes dread entering a small space feeling immediately under pressure but not here. The atmosphere was very relaxed. I didn’t try on in this case as I was buying something I already have a few of but I am sure if I had had time to peruse the stock, really enjoy the experience and have a bit of a proper shop Agnes would have been the perfect person on hand to help. Way better than buying a load of things online you cannot see and touch, let alone try on, end up making a load of mistakes and having to send everything back.

My experience in James Perse was great. I found out James Perse himself is very hands on with the brand, Agnes told me she had already met him a few times and he was very involved with the store design too which embodied California lifestyle in this store. it was good to hear her speak highly of the company and tell me she enjoyed working there. As I entered I was greeted by a surf board and the Cali vibes were definitely felt in the airy feeling, muted tones, hard wood floors and open garden courtyard at the back of the shop.

The whole design is complimented by comfortable simple Scandinavian style furniture and black and white beach scenes.

The whole experience in James Perse was a pleasure and I would recommend anyone interested in quiet luxury basics, ethically produced to pay this shop a visit.

At a time when fashion is going through so much transition, the amount of stock being produced is diminishing as brands struggle to navigate a changing market it is great to see a brand like James Perse still delivering for customers who love and are loyal to this brand.

Thanks to you Agnes who made me want to return to this particular James Perse shop in London.

The Daily Mail and Freelance Journalist Matthew Barbour Publish A Great Story

Getting Your Story In a Newspaper Promotes What you Do With a Great Angle

Holly HY

2026-03-30T09:20:00.0000000 2026-04-03T08:19:51.2370000

Well done to my friend and sister in law Shirley, founder and CEO of Poopsnoop, (our very own better looking Elon Musk) for this amazing piece in the Daily Mail about her, her story and new book Waterfall Down, which I have already had the privilege to read and can say without a doubt it’s a gripping, moving and thought provoking memoir I’d highly recommend to anyone.

“I'm 70 but everyone assumes I'm decades younger. My anti-ageing secret isn't Botox, jabs or exercise. Instead, I made one simple lifestyle tweak everyone can do. I promise you've not read this before.”

When I tell people I’m 70, their reaction is almost always the same: shocked disbelief. Strangers often assume I’m in my 50s, if not younger.

And no wonder. By this stage of life, most of us expect a face full of lines, sagginess around the jaw and eyes, a dulled complexion and hair that has thinned or lost some of its vitality.

But age hasn’t done that to me.

When I look in the mirror, I see skin that is still smooth and virtually line-free with a natural glow I assumed would have faded by now.

Meanwhile, my long blonde hair, which I feel no need to cut short, complements a face I’m happy to say looks fresh and youthful.

I never imagined this is what 70 would look like for me. So I’m hardly surprised when people ask the same question I’ve been hearing for years now: what’s my secret?

Naturally, they expect me to reveal a complicated skincare routine and various cosmetic tweakments, complemented perhaps by a punishing fitness regime all designed to keep me eternally youthful.

But the truth is, I’ve never had Botox or any sort of cosmetic surgery. I don’t even take health supplements, and have never followed a strict exercise programme.

If anything, the secret to the way I look lies in what I choose to leave out, rather than what I’ve added in.

Over the past 25 years, I have stripped away the elements of my life that were draining my energy and clouding my mind. I no longer drink alcohol and I stopped eating meat and dairy many years ago.

And, perhaps more surprisingly, I haven’t had a sexual relationship in more than 20 years – a choice that runs completely counter to what we’re told about health and ageing.

We’re led to believe that a healthy sex life is essential for wellbeing and longevity; that intimacy keeps us youthful and connected.

But that ignores how relationships often come with an undercurrent of emotional strain: the compromise, the constant consideration of someone else’s needs and the effort it takes to keep things on an even keel.

It was only when I stepped away from all that I realised how much energy romantic connections had been taking from me.

Far from diminishing my life, living celibately has left me calmer, more balanced and, I believe, has played a significant role in why I now look younger at 70 than I did when I was a high-flying businesswoman in my 40s.

Just as importantly, I’ve also stepped back from the relentless pressure to achieve, impress and constantly push for more.

I discovered the power of this way of living only after losing almost everything I once thought mattered.

I grew up on a council estate, and having undiagnosed dyslexia meant I struggled at school.

But what I lacked in conventional academic confidence, I made up for in instinct. I became highly attuned to people, noticing shifts in tone, mood and body language that others often missed.

This helped me build a career in the City of London, where I transformed myself into a successful businesswoman.

By my 30s, I’d become a self-made millionaire, moving in a world where expensive restaurants and late nights mixing in influential circles were part of my everyday life.

On the surface, it looked like the ultimate success story, and for a long time I believed I’d got what I’d always wanted.

Yet somewhere beneath the excitement, a quiet unease began to creep in. I had a nagging sense that something about the life I was living didn’t truly belong to me.

The wealth, the lifestyle and the social status I’d worked so hard for began to feel like something I was wearing, rather than a way of life that genuinely reflected who I was.

Eventually, my work took me to Los Angeles, where I imagined an even more glamorous chapter was about to unfold.

Instead, everything began to unravel, and with astonishing speed. Business ventures collapsed, relationships fell apart and the financial security I’d started to take for granted disappeared almost overnight.

One moment I was living a life that looked enviable from the outside. The next I was selling my jewellery and personal possessions simply to get by.

It was a brutal lesson in how quickly success can evaporate.

But what shook me most was when my mother died while I was still in America. I was in such a precarious financial position by then that I couldn’t even afford the flight home to attend her funeral.

The reality of that forced me to confront a truth I’d been avoiding for years: that the money, status and impressive surroundings I’d strived so hard for meant nothing compared with being disconnected from the people who mattered most at such a terrible time.

Then, when I eventually did return to the UK, my body delivered the most dramatic wake-up call of all. An undiagnosed fibroid weighing eight pounds triggered a catastrophic medical crisis that caused my heart to stop.

I came frighteningly close to dying – an experience that changed the way I looked at my life forever as I was forced to confront my own mortality.

During my recovery, I began to reflect deeply on the life I’d been living and the constant pressure I had placed on myself to succeed; how I’d focused my efforts on how well I impressed other people and the extent of my material accumulations.

For years, my body had been in a near-constant state of strain – always switched on, rushing from one demand to the next, juggling pressure, expectations and emotional ups and downs, rarely given the chance to properly rest and heal.

That realisation shifted something in me, and I began instinctively rebuilding my life in a different way.

I stopped drinking alcohol, something that quickly improved my sleep and left me with far more consistent energy day to day.

I moved towards a plant-based diet and eventually became fully vegan, filling my meals with vegetables, fruit and fresh foods, which made me feel lighter and noticeably improved my skin.

I started drinking far more water than I ever had before, something so simple yet powerful, helping to hydrate my skin from within and support overall cellular health.

Meanwhile, I began waking early and splashing my face with icy water, which stimulates circulation, reduces puffiness and leaves my skin feeling firmer than any expensive anti-ageing cream I could buy.

All this became a way of life as I realised the foundations of youthful skin aren’t found in jars and bottles, but in how we live, what we consume and how much stress we carry.

But perhaps most significant of all was making the decision to stop pursuing romantic relationships.

For decades I had believed, like so many women do, that fulfilment would come from finding the right partner. Relationships had always been exciting and passionate, but they also brought emotional demands, expectations and a level of stress it had never really occurred to me to question.

After my near-death experience, I began to see just how much of my energy had been tied up in all that. Instead of feeling supported by romantic partners, I often felt stretched, constantly balancing my own needs with someone else’s.

Choosing celibacy wasn’t about rejecting men or following any religious path. It was simply the result of discovering that my life felt calmer, clearer and more balanced when I focused my energy inward rather than constantly seeking validation through relationships.

Over time, that decision created a profound sense of freedom that I had never experienced before.

None of these changes were dramatic or instant, but gradual adjustments that built up over time, and with them came a steady shift in how I both looked and felt.

As the stress lifted and my daily habits improved, I began to notice real changes. My complexion became clearer, my energy more consistent, and I felt truly comfortable in my own skin.

Friends began to look at me more closely and commented that I seemed fresher, more relaxed, as though I had somehow softened rather than aged.

Today, having turned 70, the biggest shock comes from strangers who can’t quite believe I’m old enough to have had that milestone birthday.

What fascinates me about the way all these changes seem to have culminated is how this sense of youthfulness seems to come not only from the way I look but from how I feel.

I sleep more deeply, my mind feels clearer and I have the energy to pursue creative projects that once would have seemed impossible.

Most rewarding has been writing books that explore how the mind works, how our thoughts shape our behaviour, and how much of what we believe about ourselves isn’t actually true.

Drawing on my own experiences, I focus on helping people recognise the patterns that keep them stuck and learn how to step back from them. It’s something that would have felt unimaginable to the younger version of me who struggled at school with undiagnosed dyslexia.

At 70, I feel more at ease with myself than I ever did at 40. I’m not chasing approval, comparing myself with others or rushing through life in a state of anxiety.

Ageing, I have realised, isn’t something we defeat through miracle creams or medical interventions. It’s more about the choices we make every day about how we live, what we consume and where we place our emotional energy.

For me, the most powerful transformation began when I stopped trying to live a life that looked impressive from the outside and started building one that felt peaceful on the inside.

And perhaps that is why, as I enter my eighth decade, I look and feel more youthful and vibrant now than I did when I was genuinely so much younger.

Shirley’s new book, Waterfall Down, is available on Amazon (£12.99)

As told to Matthew Barbour

Nordstrom Marks and Spencers collaboration is the most hair brained scheme of all for UK Retailer

GIllian Anderson leads the charge as Chief Compliments Officer With Dreams Beds and L’Oreal...

Holly HY

2026-03-29T17:06:00.0000000 2026-03-29T18:08:49.1030000

I literally cannot believe it Marks and Spencer’s going stateside launching a collaboration with Nordstrom. Image credit The Industry Fashion @Theindustryfashion on Instagram

As of the 29th March Marks and Spencer’s is stocked in 30 Nordstrom stores from LA to New York City and also available on the Nordstrom website which is a bit of joke considering so many pieces on the Marks and Spencer’s website are marketed on celebrities and then permanently out of stock, so much so I stopped even looking at Marks and Spencer’s clothes about 10 years ago.

According to the Industry of Fashion more than 60 pieces from M&S most loved collections, per Una, and M&S collection are included in the Nordstrom range.

I went into Marks and Spencer’s in desperation a few weeks ago, to try and find some simple decent quality basics. The last time I tried shopping in Marks and Spencer’s was about 12 years ago when I briefly bought into a “Made In Great Britain” campaign to buy British made clothes, supporting local (after moving production out of the UK in 1999) and then discovered the collection was very limited, only available in London and mostly hype.

12 years later the clothes have gone even further down hill. I was surprised at the low prices around £10 for a plain white cotton long sleeve T shirt, around £6 cheaper than the equivalent from say the Gap but the quality was grim. It reminded me of the fabric my grandmas dusters were made of, the type of cotton that would not retain its shape and would be ready to be a duster after a couple of washes. A cut too short in the body, unflattering and I genuinely wondered who was buying and wearing these type of mass produced garments.

When I saw the headline about the partnership between UK High St Giant and American premium fashion juggernaut Nordstrom with their newly appointed ambassador X Files actress and designer fashionista Gillian Anderson with the job title “Chief Compliments Officer” I did think who is more desperate.

I lived in the US for 20 years and whilst I longed for European fashion trips, even the fashion capitals have their own unique conservative styles but demand better quality than Marks and Spencer’s are delivering present day.

I used to shop in Nordstrom and Nordstrom Rack all the time and unless standards have gone through the floor in the last few years these clothes are just not going to cut it across the pond. Marks and Spencer’s would have been better sticking with Target where they got Percy Pig into in 2022 but maybe Victoria Beckham beat them to it with high design, highly celeb marketed cheap mass produced clothing.

The kaiser chiefs predicted a Riot, I predict a flop even with the gorgeous Gillian Anderson stepping into fashion icon Twiggy’s shoes; I wonder if she’s given up selling beds for Dreams to get the gig. The campaign cost $4.8 million although Anderson’s fee for the “Love Your Bed” campaign was not disclosed.

I think Nordstrom customers are going to take one look at the Marks and Spencer’s offering and think ewww.

Only time will tell but I think this is a wider global reflection on where fashion has ended up, after worker exploitation, mass over production, designer houses struggling to stay afloat and customers in America moving towards dressing in quiet luxury, secondhand couture and lifestyle athleisure. Even beautiful British brand Burberry have resorted to hiring “Inside The Manosphere” star and Islam convert Sneako to walk the runway 2021 craving his young male audience on social media, not thinking about alienating their long term customers abandoning the brand. On a side note I saw them attempt a high st pop up takeover of a newsagents in London, Shreeji News, Chiltern Street, Marylebone and thought immediately the newsagent customers may be curious but can’t afford Burberry so it must be just another desperate stunt for press. Except they cannot get people into store on New Bond St so not sure a newsagent in Marylebone is going to work better.

Getting stock on shelves must be impossible for Nordstrom if this crazy collaboration/partnership with M&S has come to fruition. And if the clothes sell it will be because there’s literally nothing else for Americans to buy when it comes to mid price range fashion as the economy struggles amidst rising prices. All I can see is the blind leading the blind.

It makes me think of the George Bernard Shaw quote “England and America are two countries separated by a common language” They certainly have a completely different style language.

As I write this Gillian Anderson comes on the TV selling excellence age perfect by L’Oréal Paris.

It kind of reminds me of Peter Crouch, one TV ad break was 5 or six different ads for different brands all staring Peter. A car, a washing powder, a gambling company, TNT sports and family favourite Bovril, all merged together like a Peter Crouch mini infomercial for him. The products he’s marketing blending into the background becoming invisible to the audience.

Over exposure makes me wonder who’s the bigger idiot, the brands or us the audience for buying it.

“Chief Compliments officer” for over exposed “face of” Gillian Anderson, Marks and Spencer’s? Which marketing “genius” came up with that?

Crosta Mollica Food Brand Practically Perfect Fiorentina Pizza Ready Made Food warning you’ll be addicted

OMG If you haven’t tried the food from Crosta Mollica You are missing a trick

Holly HY

2026-03-24T09:20:00.0000000 2026-03-24T18:30:02.5130000

Pizza lovers, Italian food lovers, Italian movie lovers, Italy lovers in general, listen up. I cannot think of a brand that has hooked me in so completely if I owned a food brand I would want it to be just like this one.

Crosta & Mollica have conjured lifestyle and imagination, a story of style in the marketing and imagery in a way I can’t really remember any brand food ever doing before. It makes me think of the Margin Call quote, I paraphrase, if you want to be successful be the smartest or the first.

Even the packaging is a treat, a testament to the art direction and creative team, the back of the box as inviting to regard as the front displaying the food they are selling.

Meals on the go, ready meals, super market fast food, not easy to shift the publics mindset and imagination but with creative campaigns and beautiful photography Crosta Mollica have done for ready made pizza what Peter Mayle did for Provence.

Imagination is a powerful thing. In the past when I thought about frozen pizza I imagined tasteless pieces of cardboard with not enough topping in packs of six or eight emerging from months spent in the freezer, covered in white dust, a desperate last resort because you hadn’t been to the shops and then a root around, extra cheese, vegetables, tomatoes, anything to put on top to try and make the base a little more appetising.

Enter stage left Crosta Mollica, we started on the two in a pack margaritas which are truly stupendous, the best frozen pizza you’ve ever eaten, so good you won’t care about the price in the knowledge it’s cheaper and better than takeaway in most small towns and cities outside London, of course there are exceptions. But finding crispy base that tastes like it’s been made in a proper pizza oven even in a restaurant can be challenging.

Then we moved onto the larger sized Florentine, combining the flavours of mushroom, garlic, spinach in such an amazing way eating it makes you want to book a trip to Italy and sit on the water at somewhere like O magazin in Portofino. This food inspires travel for sure. I even love how their Instagram feed is curated and love to see all the amazing lifestyle shots, the fashion, the relaxed lifestyle, it’s so stylish and right up my street.

I cannot think of a brand image that has got me hooked like this. Crosta Mollica is so special. They tell stories with their absolutely delicious supermarket food in a way that is modern, fresh and authentic. I absolutely love this brand.

There’s a film maker on Instagram who shoots marketing campaigns for brands like Gant @rj.bruni I always love it when these posts pop up, so creative and imaginative. For me this would be an advertising marketing match made in heaven. Crosta Mollica, the next time you want to hire a film maker maybe check this guy out.

Not Vegan I know. This food is that guilty pleasure for anyone working on a plant based diet. Pizza is the one food I have struggled to abandon. Maybe Crosta & Mollica are the only people capable of rising to the challenge of making a delicious plant based pizza.

Married At First Sight Australia 2026 Is More Brutal Than Ever As Producers End Game Is Blatant

MAFSAU Buckle Up Its Going to Be A Bumpy Ride

Holly HY

2026-03-18T15:41:00.0000000 2026-03-19T12:54:58.1470000

Married At First Sight Australia is back for another season. The producers at Endermol Shine Australia Tara McWilliams and John Walsh, McWilliams especially dubbed as “The Puppetmaster” for the show’s intense drama and explosive narrative.

I am in, I am watching, already committed to the series, this year more brutal, even with the format more exposed for what it is than ever before, we keep watching. I’ve discussed what is happening this season already with friends and the consensus seems to be we don’t really want to see producers making fools of people “on purpose” which appears to be happening even this early on and yet we cannot resist tuning in to see what happens next. Hoping I think contestants, participants wise up to what is happening and get a grip, not easy when egos, desire and public humiliation on a global scale are at stake.

When producers are trying this hard with a format that has enough jeopardy on it’s own, two strangers meeting for the first time at a commitment ceremony and then trying to make things work in a honeymoon and then living together setting filmed over 3 months. Is it really necessary to draw threats of death to participants, Bec said she would “kill” Gia if she stole her partner; in a vulnerable situation already. TV executives are very clever and a lot goes on behind the scenes to ensure explosive content like this is captured in the moment. I have already seen 3 or 4 news headlines alluding to the threat, obviously not real said in the heat of the moment. Its the stuff newspapers like the Mirror and The Sun in the UK absolutely eat up.

We are only up to the first dinner party and already the story line is unfolding in a way participants will certainly cringe at once they see the edit.

The early victims of this brutal TV format where willing participants commit to an experiment of being matched by experts John Aiken, Mel Schilling and Alessandra Rampolla because their previous attempts at finding partners and lasting love have failed, are clearly Bec matched with Stephen and Gia matched with Scott.

And it’s the women who are having problems with one another after not getting along initially when the ladies were all introduced at the Hens night before the “weddings” commenced, creating the headlines for the show not the matchmaking itself.

The format purely for entertainment purposes proves that married at first sight rarely works out, Chris paired with model Brooke points out sceptically in his vows if it works they will be the 0.00001% of couples in the shows history to be successful at finding love and yet the applicants (they say 10’s of thousands) a number even I question continue to flood in to take part.

The lure of celebrity/raised profile I think is the main draw these days or perhaps the frustration and lack of success with dating apps single people longing for connection or the ROM COM fairytale in Mel’s case paired with Luke are enduring the world over.

After telling confessing to older voice of reason Rebecca paired with Steve, her partner Danny fancied Gia (believing her more his type) and when asked by Rebecca (matched with silver fox Steve not Stephen) what she might do if something sparked between them and saying she’d kill her, Bec was later asked by producers in a VT about this.

She flatly refused to answer saying she would not be drawn into talking about this and when reminded she had opened up to Rebecca about this on camera she replied it is very easy to forget you are micced up and on camera showing exactly how producers manage to weave the controversial and often embarrassing exposure of the participants.

Mel paired with farmer Luke (late to the ceremony and downhill from there) is definitely going to get her comeuppance when she has to face the experts. She has left Luke high and dry, second guessing himself because she cannot get over he is not her usual type physically and hasn’t fitted her knight in shinning armour romantic comedy fairytale expectation. Mel was very specific when she asked for Bradley Cooper. Yeah I don’t think she actually meant the real Bradley Cooper, just a look a like.

Wouldn’t be surprised if she was cast and paired in anticipation of the impending shut down slash melt down.

Like the recent winners of love island all stars 2026 Sammy and Kieran who 50 K richer lasted all of three days outside the villa I think we the audience have to accept if you manage to get cast in one of these relationship shows and have your wits about you sufficiently producers don’t get the opportunity to make a complete fool of you there is money to be made.

The adorable Jamie and Dave from last years married at first sight Australia, not together but still making money out of their failure as a couple to sell the Monzu investment app. There’s big money and endorsement deals in just being cast on a show like MAFSAU. Many contestants sign sponsorship deals during or immediately after filming when their popularity is highest. These contracts often require them to appear together in promotional material for a set period, regardless of their current relationship status.

Yep, these shows are selling the dream yet it’s a dog eat dog advertising brand influencing machine. Enter at your peril then buckle up. The ride this year is looking like it’s going to be more car crash headline grabbing TV than ever before.

If you are all in like me, don’t look online because you will likely just have it reinforced how fake the whole thing actually is and even the couple you think may have a shot, for me Chris and Brook, (brook now pregnant and engaged to her ex apparently) in the end are just like everyone else, in it for the crack, the fame, the profile, and the money.

I’ll be still watching but not imagining the fairytale coming true but seeing how smart the participants are against producers looking to make fools of the lot of them.

“Waterfall Down” A Memoir By Shirley Yanez Launches 6th March

Available Now On Amazon £11.99

Holly HY

2026-02-27T15:01:00.0000000 2026-03-08T16:06:05.8570000

Waterfall Down by Shirley Yanez

Some memoirs tell a story; Waterfall Down dismantles one

Available to order now on Amazon

Shirley Yanez’s lyrical, unflinching account of her life is not simply a chronicle of ascent and collapse, but a forensic examination of identity itself—how it is constructed, performed, traded, and ultimately stripped bare. Written with startling honesty and poetic clarity, 

Waterfall Down  traces the arc of a woman who rose from poverty into the rarefied air of wealth, celebrity, and influence, only to discover that proximity to power is not the same thing as possessing it.

What makes this memoir exceptional is not the access—though the access is extraordinary. Yanez moves through a world most readers only glimpse through headlines: private clubs pulsing with decadence, rooms thick with money and influence, and encounters with figures who shaped cultural and political narratives. Yet the glamour is never romanticized. Instead, it is rendered as a kind of elaborate theatre—dazzling, seductive, and quietly hollow.

What the critics say;

"with the perspective of someone who lived both inside the illusion and beyond it. Her voice carries the rare authority of someone who has been both invisible and hyper-visible, dismissed and desired, powerless and powerful"

She exposes,

"with surgical precision, the psychological cost of reinvention and the fragile scaffolding upon which status rests"

The memoir’s most devastating and transformative passages occur not at the height of excess, but in the aftermath of collapse. When the structures that once defined her fall away—money, access, identity itself—what remains is not defeat, but awakening. Her descent into homelessness in East Compton is not framed as an ending, but as a confrontation with truth. It is here, stripped of illusion, that the narrative achieves its greatest emotional and philosophical depth.

Yanez’s prose both intimate and unsparing, there is no self-pity, only observation. No attempt to soften the reality of loss, only a determination to understand it. Her writing carries the rhythm of someone who has lived fully and paid attention, who understands that transformation is rarely graceful, and almost never voluntary.

What elevates Waterfall Down beyond memoir into something more enduring is its thematic universality. This is not just a story about wealth, or celebrity, or downfall. It is about the human hunger to belong, to escape origin, to construct a self that feels safe in the world—and the inevitable reckoning when that construction proves unsustainable.

In the end, Waterfall Down available NOW on Amazon  is not a story about losing everything. It is a story about discovering what cannot be lost.

It is rare to encounter a memoir this honest, this elegant, and this quietly devastating. Shirley Yanez has written a work of remarkable courage and clarity --- one that lingers long after the final page, like the echo of a life fully examined.

Racial Controversy And Tourettes Take Over At The Baftas

When What John Davidson Had to Say Afterwards was barely Mentioned

Holly HY

2026-02-24T08:52:00.0000000 2026-02-27T14:04:33.4430000

It’s a such a shame when so many other Highlights Of The BAFTA’s 2026 touched me.

What was an incredible show, the best since 2020 and yet all that was missed mired instead in unnecessary controversy about one racial slur from a guest with Tourette’s. John Davidson has Tourettes, isn’t that the point of making the movie I swear. To bring about understanding and compassion for the sufferers. It’s actually a bit of a joke that the inspirational words of all the speech makers, the winners at the show, the message forgiveness and tolerance didn't quite match up when feelings get hurt or egos get pricked, apologies demanded from stars. Particularly when it comes to the baying media as a whole. (And the audience members at the BAFTA’s who frankly should know better regardless of skin colour.)

Actors Michael B Jordan and Delroy Lindo were on stage at the time announcing the award for Best Visual Effects at the start of the show when Tourette sufferer and subject of the movie I swear John Davidson shouted the N word from the audience. The actors shocked, of course, carried on in true Hollywood style. Alan Cummings apologised during the show. Both the BBC and BAFTA have since apologised for how the incident, (which I didn’t even notice) was handled and for not editing out the slur despite the time delay in the broadcast. It was lame considering they managed to edit out the Free Palestine bit of Akinola Davies Jr.’s speech, director of My Fathers Shadow but hey that’s the BBC, political, not always fair and picks and chooses. It’s a tough one and could have been handled with more sensitivity although Jamie Foxx’s comment on Instagram fanning the flames with a comment like “he meant that shit” doesn’t help either. He should know better.

Davidson, who left the show early when he realised his involuntary tics were causing distress made clear it was an involuntary symptom of his neurological condition, expressed sincere regret that it caused harm or was misinterpreted, and emphasised that it did not reflect his beliefs or intentions in any way.

He said he was “deeply mortified if anyone considers my involuntary tics to be intentional or to carry any meaning.” He stressed that his outbursts, including the offensive word, were involuntary vocal tics caused by his Tourette syndrome, and not a reflection of his personal beliefs.

It’s a shame the media told only one story, afterwards, the controversial one; without empathy for John Davidson (it’s the Elephant Man all over again 150 years later) or Black people or people of colour around the world about a show that supposedly celebrated difference in all its forms. I’m with the Lady, Lakshmipriya Devi, the director of the Manipuri-language film Boong, who spoke about compassion and suffering in her home in India and around the world.

I will try and give you all a more broader picture of the whole experience.

Aside from this: What a show full of laughter led by the irrepressible impresario Alan Cummings.

An impresario is described as someone who organizes, presents, or curates entertainment — often shaping creative projects behind the scenes as well as performing in them.

Cumming is not just an actor, host, and comedian; he has also produced and developed stage projects, curated cabaret and solo shows

Hosted and shaped television formats namely The Traitors US) and been deeply involved in theatre production, including work associated with venues club cumming. I am a fan.

His costume changes throughout the BAFTAs, prior to the award for best costumes and his hilarious snack hand outs, to mainly the high profile American guests not only makes Impressario defensible but an even stylish — description.

For me he was the perfect host, the funniest show since Rebel Wilson hosted in 2020, side splitting but perhaps the gags a little too risky for the Brits. 2023 we saw Richard E Grant assisted by Alison Hammond and when we thought it couldn’t get any worse Dr who’s David Tennant took the reigns for the following two years. Alan Cummings was hilarious, considered and compassionate in equal measure and produced the best show in some years for me.

It was good to see William and Kate back at the BAFTAs together, 2020 they attended together and 2023 but Kate hasn’t been seen on the red carpet since then. William attended alone, 2024 and 2025. Also fantastic to see her rewearing a Gucci gown she wore at the 100 Women in Finance gala dinner at the Victoria and Albert Museum in February of 2019. Twice in 7 years I know, not the best sustainability credibility and cost per wear but hey, it wasn’t new.

As usual the show highlighted about 10 films, 6 or 7 fought it out for the BAFTA it most categories. Best Director and best film, the big award, last of the night went to One Battle After Another winner Paul Thomas Anderson with numerous posthumous mentions going to Assistant director and producer Adam Somner who died November 2024 after working on the film for 11 months of production.

the acting talent in the film Leonardo Di Caprio, Sean Penn, Chase Infiniti, Teyana Taylor and Benecio del Toro were all nominated in their appropriate categories. The only winner Sean Penn for best supporting who wasn’t actually there, Gillian Anderson accepted on his behalf.

Robert Aramayo pipped Leonardo Di Caprio, to best leading man for I swear, he also scooped the EE rising star award, Jessie Buckley for Agnes Hathaway in Hamnet beat out Teyana Taylor for leading lady, and Sinners scooped the BAFTA’s for best supporting actress and original screenplay Wunmi Mosako and Ryan Cooglar.

The hair and make up BAFTA’s put Frankenstein on the map but everyone else, big names Emma Stone, Kate Hudson, Timothee Chalamet, Rose Byrne, Hugh Jackman, Carey Mulligan, Ethan Hawke and Michael B. Jordan all had to be happy with a nomination.

Dame Donna Langley scooped the coveted BAFTA Fellowship award presented by Prince William BAFTA President since 2010 for her work as the Chief Content Officer at NBC Universal in the USA. The tributes and congratulations were numerous but none so hilarious than Dame Emma Thompson in her kitchen with no make up on looking like Boris Johnson, her words not mine. Dame Langley’s acceptance speech was powerful and filled me with hope for change with women like her in decision making roles at the highest levels of the film industry. Her speech centred around being different and remembering all the people who opened doors along the way for her and why it’s so important to continue doing the same for others.

The saddest part of the show was as usual In Memory of which began with Diane Keaton and ended with Robert Redford with more talent in the middle than I think I’ve ever seen die in one year. The moving segment was crafted to a beautiful original version of “The Way we were” performed by Jessie Ware. It was pure magic.

K Pop demon hunters performed their hit single Golden mid show which if you haven’t heard the track download it immediately. It was a fabulous electric performance celebrating diversity, creativity and pure talent. The embodiment of the BAFTA’s ceremony and all the organisation stands for.

Despite being a massive lover of watching movies, why I watch the show, I usually think blah, another us and them big money production except this year I found myself actually being not just entertained but educated and inspired too.

It wasn’t the same old, same old winners which was refreshing and it seems like this year we are actually celebrating some pretty fantastic films worth going to see which doesn’t make you feel so bad about the marketing if the motive to get bums on seats in the movie theatres is pure and when you get there it’s actually to watch a blinking good film.

The films on my list to watch are;

My fathers shadow

Pillion

Bugonia

Sinners

sentimental value

One battle after another

Marty supreme

Hamnet

Frankenstein

And I swear

Thanks Unsplash for Alessia C_jpg image

David Lloyd Health Club In Narborough, Leicestershire swimming with sharks takes on a new meaning

Read all the fine print before joining, if you don’t like it, getting out of your commitment...

Holly HY

2026-02-11T17:09:00.0000000 2026-02-24T08:52:17.5400000

When you decide to join a new health club it’s a big decision, a big investment and you do so with excitement and positivity at least I did. In my case I paid £141 joining fee with a monthly commitment of £82 per month for an off peak membership, restricted hours after 2pm at weekends and from 11am - 4pm during the week. For me I wanted to work out during the quieter club times.

I had a really good impression of David Lloyd clubs, I been a member at Hampton, Twickenham a few years ago which had been a great experience so when my friend said she wanted to join David Lloyd in Narborough and asked if I was up for it I said sure let’s do it.

We joined on Saturday and by Tuesday, having experienced the club for three days, we knew it wasn’t for us. We had read we had a 2 week get out clause, a cooling off period and could have carried on going for the whole of the trial period, that’s not us though so we immediately went on the app, sent the necessary messages to the sales team, explaining the experience, our reasons for cancelling and politely asking for the refund, expecting to receive it with alacrity.

What happened during the three days isn’t important, personal preferences and expectations are different for everyone, my problem was I’d been a member at a different David Lloyd club and very simply this one just wasn’t like the other one in any way.

What I think people should know is what happened when we tried to cancel the memberships with 5 or 6 very solid reasons. Reasons and feedback that any good business you’d expect to accept humbly and apologise.

Not so within the David Lloyd sales team who argued the fact, didn’t accept our very valid reasons for opting out and an unpleasant pushy conversation ended with us being told we were being charged for PT sessions where the personal trainer hadn’t turned up.

It took an insistence of speaking to Kristine, the club manager at David Lloyd Narborough to get the refund processed, not in it’s entirety, the cooling off period didn’t mean money back in full, we discovered after the fact. We were each charged pro rata for the three days we attended when more things went wrong than right.

The most shocking part of the dialogue with the sales person assigned to keep us onboard whatever it took was when we told him in a final bid to recover our money and cancel the memberships after only 3 days, other club members were complaining about ongoing problems at the club, his reply was “Well they are still sitting in the Jacuzzi.”

I don’t want to give any company, this one owned by TDR Capital a leading European private equity firm based in London and St Helier Jersey, whose staff has such little regard and contempt for their customers, my business.

We suggested more focus on better business and less focus on advertising and aggressively signing people up would make for greater long term success, and happy club members would create a better ambiance for new members should things go wrong.

We did get our money back eventually but it was a fight we didn’t want or expect.

This rant isn’t to stop people joining David Lloyd Narborough or any David Lloyd club, like I said I loved being a member in Hampton just a cautionary tale and warning if you are new and not 100% sure it’s for you. Don’t take a class (if you can book one) and don’t take advantage of a free PT session unless you are ready to pay over the odds should you cool off within the two weeks and wish to opt out of your commitment for whatever reason.

Update 24th February:

After 3 or 4 further follow up phone calls a refund agreed and processed on 11th February, and said to with me in 3-5 business days arrived one day shy of two weeks later.