Continued...
The wedding planner married herself off at least once to an African seeking a UK passport, in 2006.
She followed that up by persuading her own daughter Amanda - a new mum - to walk down the aisle with an African stranger.
Cathie, who has gone by several different names, topped the lot by being a witness at the wedding of her own live-in lover, "Shellsuit" Bob Tweedie.
The extent of her fake weddings scam was uncovered by the Record after we were tipped off by staff at register offices.
They had been horrified to see Cathie repeatedly turn up in various roles at obviously fake ceremonies.
She set up meetings, acted as a witness, took wedding photos and even arranged the flowers.
Some of the brides said the ceremonies were so obviously fake, it made them cringe.
We made our evidence available to the UK Border Agency, who took decisive action this week.
The scam centres on African men who have won temporary leave to study in Britain or seek asylum.
An African fixer finds a bride for them, through Cathie, and arrangements are made at one of a number of register offices used by the fraudsters.
After two years, the Africans are entitled to apply for their own permanent UK passport and are free to divorce their bogus bride or groom.
They could then go on to marry other women, possibly also gaining their new wives UK passports.
Several of the brides ended up out of pocket and stuck in an illegal marriage. In some cases, Cathie and her partners took all the cash after making the women pay for their own dress and rings.
They also took passports from their victims, using them to claim housing benefit and enable further dodgy deals.
The passports were never returned to the women, who were mainly recruited from the Tarfside Oval estate.
Cathie met at least one of the brides at Mackie's chemist, in Paisley Road West, where addicts would go for methadone.
Now the Africans involved in Cathie's racket face deportation.
Cathie is believed to have made her first contact with the African crooks at least 15 years ago, when she married a Moroccan man in 1993. It is not known when that marriage ended.
Her daughter Amanda, 27, who lives on benefits, was persuaded into taking part in the fraud as she had a baby on the way and was looking for cash for Christmas.
She was too ashamed to admit what she had done to her long-term boyfriend and recently became engaged to him.
The Record also told how Cathie flew into a fury when disabled Julie Martin had second thoughts. She left single mum Julie, 37, fearing her life was at risk from the African gangsters involved in the scam.
Gambian Lamin Manneh was brought to justice in May this year when he was given two years in prison for running a similar scam.
Manneh pocketed at least £500-a-time for luring prostitutes, drug addicts and other skint women into sham ceremonies in Scotland.
Last night, a spokeswoman for the UK Border Agency said: "We can confirm that a 47-year-old woman has been arrested in relation to offences under the Immigration Act. A report will be sent to the procurator fiscal."
The scale of sham marriages in the UK is unclear, although registrars believe there could be at least 10,000 a year.
Registrars in Brent Council in north London suggested in 2005 that a fifth of all marriages there were bogus.
Cathie made at least £1000 a time for arranging weddings.End.
"She should pay for what she had done. Marriage is a sacrament and should be done a sacred manner."
Monday, November 10, 2008
Sunday, November 9, 2008
Exclusive: Bogus brides scam fixer is arrested after police swoop
By Mark McGivern
A WEDDING fixer who earned thousands by setting up fake marriages in a scam with African gangsters has been arrested in a dramatic raid.
Janet Cathie was led away in handcuffs by the UK Border Agency and Strathclyde Police.
And when she saw a Record reporter as she was frogmarched out of the building, she screamed at him: "Not you again - I don't f****** believe it."
Cathie was later released and a report will be sent to prosecutors who will determine whether she should face charges.
The bust came after a series of articles by the Record exposed the huge fake bride racket in Scotland.
Cathie, 47, set up at least eight fake weddings, including her own, her live-in boyfriend's and her daughter's. She is suspected of having a hand in many more.
She operated at tough Tarfside Oval estate in Pollok, Glasgow, rounding up skint single mums and drug addicts she could bully into signing up for fake ceremonies.
Cathie coined in at least £1000 a time for arranging the weddings and took a double fee by appearing as a witness at several ceremonies in registry offices in Glasgow and Paisley.
Some of the vulnerable women who were roped into the scheme were promised £2000 - but ended up with nothing.
One woman who got cold feet over marrying a Ghanaian man was told she would be shot by African crooks if she pulled out.
Cathie even short-changed her own daughter Amanda McCourt, giving her only half of the promised £2000 wedding fee.
The weddings were set up by an African Mr Big, who typically took cash raised by the families of Ghanaian students to set them up with partners.
The scam generally involved both partners meeting up to exchange cursory details on each other's lives before the ceremonies, which were described as "laughably" fake by insiders.
Cathie was a close associate of Lamin Manneh, an African who was jailed for two years at Paisley Sheriff Court earlier this year for operating a parallel scam.
Brazen Cathie recruited most of her bogus brides after meeting them through their shared dependency on the heroin substitute methadone.
The penniless former heroin addicts were promised easy cash or threatened and bullied into marrying Ghanaian strangers.Continued...
A WEDDING fixer who earned thousands by setting up fake marriages in a scam with African gangsters has been arrested in a dramatic raid.
Janet Cathie was led away in handcuffs by the UK Border Agency and Strathclyde Police.
And when she saw a Record reporter as she was frogmarched out of the building, she screamed at him: "Not you again - I don't f****** believe it."
Cathie was later released and a report will be sent to prosecutors who will determine whether she should face charges.
The bust came after a series of articles by the Record exposed the huge fake bride racket in Scotland.
Cathie, 47, set up at least eight fake weddings, including her own, her live-in boyfriend's and her daughter's. She is suspected of having a hand in many more.
She operated at tough Tarfside Oval estate in Pollok, Glasgow, rounding up skint single mums and drug addicts she could bully into signing up for fake ceremonies.
Cathie coined in at least £1000 a time for arranging the weddings and took a double fee by appearing as a witness at several ceremonies in registry offices in Glasgow and Paisley.
Some of the vulnerable women who were roped into the scheme were promised £2000 - but ended up with nothing.
One woman who got cold feet over marrying a Ghanaian man was told she would be shot by African crooks if she pulled out.
Cathie even short-changed her own daughter Amanda McCourt, giving her only half of the promised £2000 wedding fee.
The weddings were set up by an African Mr Big, who typically took cash raised by the families of Ghanaian students to set them up with partners.
The scam generally involved both partners meeting up to exchange cursory details on each other's lives before the ceremonies, which were described as "laughably" fake by insiders.
Cathie was a close associate of Lamin Manneh, an African who was jailed for two years at Paisley Sheriff Court earlier this year for operating a parallel scam.
Brazen Cathie recruited most of her bogus brides after meeting them through their shared dependency on the heroin substitute methadone.
The penniless former heroin addicts were promised easy cash or threatened and bullied into marrying Ghanaian strangers.Continued...
Saturday, November 8, 2008
A wedding Cinderella would love
Continued...
The Proposal: Mike got the idea for his proposal from something Kristen had said when they first started dating. "She told me a romantic story about her parents and a blue moon," and how a wish made on a blue moon will come true. Fortunately for the couple, a blue moon would pass through the evening sky on May 31, 2007. Mike invited Kristen to a fancy dinner that night at Disneyland's Napa Rose restaurant. Mike had been to the restaurant earlier that day. "I had dropped off the ring and coordinated everything with the wonderful staff." After their entrees, they moved to the restaurant's outdoor fireplace for dessert. "As we sat out there, I said some romantic things about the blue moon. I thought I was being very romantic; Kristen just thought I was tipsy from the glass of wine I had with dinner - after all, why would I ever want to leave the table before finishing the meal?" Things started making sense to Kristen when their waiter brought two glasses of sparkling wine, and then the ring box on a tray with rose petals.
The Big Day: Appropriately, the couple were married at the beautiful Rose Court Garden at the Disneyland Hotel on Aug. 3. Kristen's bridesmaids wore sage green dresses in a style of their choosing from the Ann Taylor Celebration collection, while the junior bridesmaid and flower girl wore pink. The groom, his groomsmen, and the ring bearer wore tuxedos, while the bride wore a beaded bodice gown with sweetheart neckline and yards of tulle.
Kristen's father gave her away to a string quartet's rendition of "Someday My Prince Will Come" from "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs."
Let's Party: The dinner reception was held at the Sequoia Ballroom at the Grand California Hotel. Guests found their table assignments by locating their names on embroidered Mickey Mouse ear place cards. In keeping with the theme, dinner was served with Disney flare. Waiters served the food to the tune of "Be Our Guest" from "Beauty and the Beast." The couple enjoyed their first dance to Elvis Presley's "Can't Help Falling in Love with You." Kristen's father even delighted the crowd, and shocked family and friends, by actually stepping onto the dance floor for the father-and-daughter dance to The Beatles' "All You Need is Love."
Another reception was held in Vacaville, at the Hampton Inn & Suites on Aug. 9.
Home: The couple honeymooned on a Disney Cruise, and are now making their home in Irvine. End.
"The wedding was fabulous. I believe everybody enjoyed. The couple is very blessed to have wedding like that."
The Proposal: Mike got the idea for his proposal from something Kristen had said when they first started dating. "She told me a romantic story about her parents and a blue moon," and how a wish made on a blue moon will come true. Fortunately for the couple, a blue moon would pass through the evening sky on May 31, 2007. Mike invited Kristen to a fancy dinner that night at Disneyland's Napa Rose restaurant. Mike had been to the restaurant earlier that day. "I had dropped off the ring and coordinated everything with the wonderful staff." After their entrees, they moved to the restaurant's outdoor fireplace for dessert. "As we sat out there, I said some romantic things about the blue moon. I thought I was being very romantic; Kristen just thought I was tipsy from the glass of wine I had with dinner - after all, why would I ever want to leave the table before finishing the meal?" Things started making sense to Kristen when their waiter brought two glasses of sparkling wine, and then the ring box on a tray with rose petals.
The Big Day: Appropriately, the couple were married at the beautiful Rose Court Garden at the Disneyland Hotel on Aug. 3. Kristen's bridesmaids wore sage green dresses in a style of their choosing from the Ann Taylor Celebration collection, while the junior bridesmaid and flower girl wore pink. The groom, his groomsmen, and the ring bearer wore tuxedos, while the bride wore a beaded bodice gown with sweetheart neckline and yards of tulle.
Kristen's father gave her away to a string quartet's rendition of "Someday My Prince Will Come" from "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs."
Let's Party: The dinner reception was held at the Sequoia Ballroom at the Grand California Hotel. Guests found their table assignments by locating their names on embroidered Mickey Mouse ear place cards. In keeping with the theme, dinner was served with Disney flare. Waiters served the food to the tune of "Be Our Guest" from "Beauty and the Beast." The couple enjoyed their first dance to Elvis Presley's "Can't Help Falling in Love with You." Kristen's father even delighted the crowd, and shocked family and friends, by actually stepping onto the dance floor for the father-and-daughter dance to The Beatles' "All You Need is Love."
Another reception was held in Vacaville, at the Hampton Inn & Suites on Aug. 9.
Home: The couple honeymooned on a Disney Cruise, and are now making their home in Irvine. End.
"The wedding was fabulous. I believe everybody enjoyed. The couple is very blessed to have wedding like that."
Friday, November 7, 2008
A wedding Cinderella would love
K. Suihkonen and M. Pucher. ... living in Irvine (Kirsten Ellis/kirstenellis.com)
Meet: Kristen Suihkonen and Mike Pucher. Kristen is the daughter of Andy and Denise Suihkonen of Vacaville. Mike is the son of Michael and Karen Pucher of Redondo Beach.
Mike is a graduate of Torrance's South High School and Santa Barbara's Brooks Institute of Photography, and is now a photographer for Honda R&D in Torrance. Kristen graduated from Vacaville High School and the University of California, Irvine, and is now a senior accountant for Haskell & White in Irvine.
How They Met: In the summer of 2004, Kristin was a student at Irvine and was attending an orientation for a part-time job at Disneyland. Mike, also a college student at the time, was one of the orientation leaders that day. After spotting Kristen in line, Mike asked a co-worker if he could switch orientation groups, so he could get a chance to talk to her. His cooperative co-worker helped change his life, Mike says.
Dating: The two talked and eventually traded e-mail addresses that day. Shortly after, they agreed to meet for a date, to see "Cinderella," as performed by the Royal Ballet of London at the Orange County Performing Arts Center. Traffic delays forced them to cancel their pre-performance dinner plans, but they grabbed a quick bite instead and "we both had a great time," Mike recalls. They dated for three years before Mike decided to propose. His family had already figured out he had found his soulmate in Kristen, especially when she became the only person to beat him in Trivial Pursuit.Continued...
Meet: Kristen Suihkonen and Mike Pucher. Kristen is the daughter of Andy and Denise Suihkonen of Vacaville. Mike is the son of Michael and Karen Pucher of Redondo Beach.
Mike is a graduate of Torrance's South High School and Santa Barbara's Brooks Institute of Photography, and is now a photographer for Honda R&D in Torrance. Kristen graduated from Vacaville High School and the University of California, Irvine, and is now a senior accountant for Haskell & White in Irvine.
How They Met: In the summer of 2004, Kristin was a student at Irvine and was attending an orientation for a part-time job at Disneyland. Mike, also a college student at the time, was one of the orientation leaders that day. After spotting Kristen in line, Mike asked a co-worker if he could switch orientation groups, so he could get a chance to talk to her. His cooperative co-worker helped change his life, Mike says.
Dating: The two talked and eventually traded e-mail addresses that day. Shortly after, they agreed to meet for a date, to see "Cinderella," as performed by the Royal Ballet of London at the Orange County Performing Arts Center. Traffic delays forced them to cancel their pre-performance dinner plans, but they grabbed a quick bite instead and "we both had a great time," Mike recalls. They dated for three years before Mike decided to propose. His family had already figured out he had found his soulmate in Kristen, especially when she became the only person to beat him in Trivial Pursuit.Continued...
Thursday, November 6, 2008
Trinny and husband can't hide their misery after divorce announcement
Continued...
'It's been very tearful and painful for them,' said a friend of the couple. 'It was taking longer and longer to make up after their arguments and eventually they took an inevitable toll.
'They've always been enormously committed and tried hard to overcome differences. But ultimately they couldn't. It's a raw and emotional time and they're being supported by friends and family. Their main priority is the children's welfare.
'They have both had problems in the past which are well documented. But the marriage difficulties have nothing to do with lifestyle issues. It is about two people not getting on as well as they did. There is absolutely no one else involved.'
Trinny - who rose to stardom with Susannah Constantine in shows like the BBC's What Not To Wear and ITV's Trinny And Susannah Undress - has told how she and entrepreneur Johnny have weathered storms in their relationship in the past.
'You have to keep talking to each other. Johnny and I had to deal with a difficult stage. But we now have a "business meeting" where we talk about our issues.,' she said.
During their marriage Trinny suffered two miscarriages and had nine IVF attempts before their daughter was born.
Two years ago, Elichaoff ended up in a California rehabilitation clinic to beat a dependence on prescription painkillers. He became hooked on them following 20 operations after a motorbike crash.
Trinny has also been through rehab for alcoholism from which she suffered from her late teens until she was 26 and still attends Alcoholics Anonymous.End.
"Marriage involves sacrifices. If its necessary, we should give up our work to provide the relationship with the amount of time it needs in order to grow. It's really sad to hear couples opting for divorce."
'It's been very tearful and painful for them,' said a friend of the couple. 'It was taking longer and longer to make up after their arguments and eventually they took an inevitable toll.
'They've always been enormously committed and tried hard to overcome differences. But ultimately they couldn't. It's a raw and emotional time and they're being supported by friends and family. Their main priority is the children's welfare.
'They have both had problems in the past which are well documented. But the marriage difficulties have nothing to do with lifestyle issues. It is about two people not getting on as well as they did. There is absolutely no one else involved.'
Trinny - who rose to stardom with Susannah Constantine in shows like the BBC's What Not To Wear and ITV's Trinny And Susannah Undress - has told how she and entrepreneur Johnny have weathered storms in their relationship in the past.
'You have to keep talking to each other. Johnny and I had to deal with a difficult stage. But we now have a "business meeting" where we talk about our issues.,' she said.
During their marriage Trinny suffered two miscarriages and had nine IVF attempts before their daughter was born.
Two years ago, Elichaoff ended up in a California rehabilitation clinic to beat a dependence on prescription painkillers. He became hooked on them following 20 operations after a motorbike crash.
Trinny has also been through rehab for alcoholism from which she suffered from her late teens until she was 26 and still attends Alcoholics Anonymous.End.
"Marriage involves sacrifices. If its necessary, we should give up our work to provide the relationship with the amount of time it needs in order to grow. It's really sad to hear couples opting for divorce."
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
Trinny and husband can't hide their misery after divorce announcement
By Richard Simpson
TV fashion guru Trinny Woodall and her husband cut miserable figures today following the announcement of their divorce.
Woodall, 44, split from businessman Johnny Elichaoff, 48, after a string of arguments about her burgeoning work load.
The couple first started having relationship difficulties four months ago and have been to marriage guidance counselling in a bid to put their troubles behind them.
But despite desperate efforts, they have now called it a day.
Woodall will continue to live in the couple's £2 million property in London's fashionable Notting Hill with their four-year-old daughter Lyla and Elichaoff's son Zak.
Elichaoff, who is planning to move out within weeks, cut a sombre figure as he left home today. His day went from bad to worse when, out and about in his wife's pink Mini Cooper, he received a parking ticket.
A spokesman for Woodall told the Mail last night: 'We can confirm that the couple have sadly decided to separate. For the sake of their children, they ask that their privacy is respected at this time'.
In recent months, Trinny has been prone to arrive at fashion events without her wedding ring and rumours of troubles in the marriage have been rife since the early summer.
In May, the Mail was told by Trinny's representatives at there were no problems in the marriage. However, just weeks later, it was reported that cracks were forming in relationship.
Close friends say that the relationship has been struggling for months under the weight of recovering alcoholic Trinny's heavy work commitments.Continued...
"This is sad."
TV fashion guru Trinny Woodall and her husband cut miserable figures today following the announcement of their divorce.
Woodall, 44, split from businessman Johnny Elichaoff, 48, after a string of arguments about her burgeoning work load.
The couple first started having relationship difficulties four months ago and have been to marriage guidance counselling in a bid to put their troubles behind them.
But despite desperate efforts, they have now called it a day.
Woodall will continue to live in the couple's £2 million property in London's fashionable Notting Hill with their four-year-old daughter Lyla and Elichaoff's son Zak.
Elichaoff, who is planning to move out within weeks, cut a sombre figure as he left home today. His day went from bad to worse when, out and about in his wife's pink Mini Cooper, he received a parking ticket.
A spokesman for Woodall told the Mail last night: 'We can confirm that the couple have sadly decided to separate. For the sake of their children, they ask that their privacy is respected at this time'.
In recent months, Trinny has been prone to arrive at fashion events without her wedding ring and rumours of troubles in the marriage have been rife since the early summer.
In May, the Mail was told by Trinny's representatives at there were no problems in the marriage. However, just weeks later, it was reported that cracks were forming in relationship.
Close friends say that the relationship has been struggling for months under the weight of recovering alcoholic Trinny's heavy work commitments.Continued...
"This is sad."
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
"Hello is as important to me as my wedding day"- Chetan Bhagat
Continued...
Your first and most popular book Five Point Someone is being adapted into 3 Idiots by Rajkumar Hirani...How did that deal happen?
During the release of my second book, I happened to meet Raju. He was working on Lage Raho Munnabhai at that time. I gave him my first book and he said he won't be able to read it until his film finishes. However, in a few weeks the Mumbai cloudburst happened and Raju was locked in at home with my book. He read it and called me down to Mumbai. The rest we all know. As you can see, the terrible cloudburst became a divine intervention for me.
Have you also written the story/ screenplay for 3 Idiots?
No, I am not involved in the adaptation process. Raju has a great team (the Munnabhai team) and I trust him. Raju is adding a lot to the story and so it is better he works on it. Also, I'd rather do a new story than stay on with my old works.
You have two of the biggest stars Aamir and Salman starring in two films based on your books...you surely must be a happy man...any other actors on your wish list.
I am a happy man anyway as my readers have given me more than I deserve. Having the two Khans is great and glamorous, and will make my story reach more people. No desire to work with any particular actor as such - as long as they are competent and good human beings, I'd love to work with them.
Are there any plans for filming your third and most recent book 3 Mistakes of my life?
No plans as of yet. Many offers but I cannot say anything until I experience the full Bollywood cycle with Hello's release. '3 Mistakes' has a big scope as it tackles tough issues, so will make sure a competent team is in place.
Coming back to your first love, writing...could you tell your million fans what are you currently working on for your next book and when should it be out by?
I won't reveal any details on my fourth book. Suspense is an author's biggest weapon. I have a script to finish after Hello releases, and then will work on the fourth book. I am hoping to have it out by 2010.
How do you manage juggling time between a fulltime top corporate job, your profession as a writer and now as a screenplay writer?
I am good at multitasking, and I only write when inspiration comes. At other times, I am in office. Still, it is difficult. But just as a working mother who commutes two hours and looks after her kids at home - I somehow manage.
Books are often the best way to spend time...so what does Chetan Bhagat do in his spare time? Are you an avid reader yourself and what do you like reading?
I like to read, but not when I am in the middle of writing something. I read a lot of bestsellers. I also love spending time with my twin boys. I went for my first PTA meeting as a parent last week and the teacher praised them both. I was sort of disappointed as I like naughty kids. My parents were always embarrassed to go to PTA meetings.
In the few months that you have been in Bollywood, how has the experience been?
It has been a good experience overall, though there are highs and lows. There is a lot to navigate, a lot of people to convince and hard to keep grounded through it all. And yet, you are working on creating something beautiful that all the hard work and frustration seems worth it. Still, for me the attraction of Bollywood is not the glamour but the stage it provides me to channel my thoughts to the people of my country. Let's see if I get to keep my place on this stage.
Are you a big fan of Bollywood films? In recent times (this year, last year etc.) which films have you enjoyed watching?
I am a huge fan of Bollywood films. I am so into them that there is a censor certificate before my dreams at night. But aren't all Indians? In the last two years, I've loved Taare Zameen Par, Namastey London, Khuda Kay Liye, Om Shanti Om and Partner (huge Salman/ Govinda bias I admit).
Being a writer yourself which writers' work do you admire most in Bollywood among the current lot?
I have always found Mr. Gulzar to be an inspiration, as he does books as well as scripts. In fact, we share the same publisher (Rupa & Co). Among the current crop, I like Jaideep Sahni, Anurag Kashyap, Prasoon Joshi and Raju Hirani's writing.
Finally Hello opens across cinema halls this week. Why do you think audiences should shell out 200 bucks on a ticket when they have already read the book and know what's in store?
All I'd say is my fans and Salman's fans are different from other fans. It's an emotional relationship and they treat us like a big brother. And if your big brother is getting married, do you need a reason to come? Hello's release is as important to me as my wedding day. So our fans know what they have to do. For the rest, all I can say is you'll have super fun in the theatre and come out a more self-confident person. And a few million people have loved the story. Is that reason enough?End.
Source
Your first and most popular book Five Point Someone is being adapted into 3 Idiots by Rajkumar Hirani...How did that deal happen?
During the release of my second book, I happened to meet Raju. He was working on Lage Raho Munnabhai at that time. I gave him my first book and he said he won't be able to read it until his film finishes. However, in a few weeks the Mumbai cloudburst happened and Raju was locked in at home with my book. He read it and called me down to Mumbai. The rest we all know. As you can see, the terrible cloudburst became a divine intervention for me.
Have you also written the story/ screenplay for 3 Idiots?
No, I am not involved in the adaptation process. Raju has a great team (the Munnabhai team) and I trust him. Raju is adding a lot to the story and so it is better he works on it. Also, I'd rather do a new story than stay on with my old works.
You have two of the biggest stars Aamir and Salman starring in two films based on your books...you surely must be a happy man...any other actors on your wish list.
I am a happy man anyway as my readers have given me more than I deserve. Having the two Khans is great and glamorous, and will make my story reach more people. No desire to work with any particular actor as such - as long as they are competent and good human beings, I'd love to work with them.
Are there any plans for filming your third and most recent book 3 Mistakes of my life?
No plans as of yet. Many offers but I cannot say anything until I experience the full Bollywood cycle with Hello's release. '3 Mistakes' has a big scope as it tackles tough issues, so will make sure a competent team is in place.
Coming back to your first love, writing...could you tell your million fans what are you currently working on for your next book and when should it be out by?
I won't reveal any details on my fourth book. Suspense is an author's biggest weapon. I have a script to finish after Hello releases, and then will work on the fourth book. I am hoping to have it out by 2010.
How do you manage juggling time between a fulltime top corporate job, your profession as a writer and now as a screenplay writer?
I am good at multitasking, and I only write when inspiration comes. At other times, I am in office. Still, it is difficult. But just as a working mother who commutes two hours and looks after her kids at home - I somehow manage.
Books are often the best way to spend time...so what does Chetan Bhagat do in his spare time? Are you an avid reader yourself and what do you like reading?
I like to read, but not when I am in the middle of writing something. I read a lot of bestsellers. I also love spending time with my twin boys. I went for my first PTA meeting as a parent last week and the teacher praised them both. I was sort of disappointed as I like naughty kids. My parents were always embarrassed to go to PTA meetings.
In the few months that you have been in Bollywood, how has the experience been?
It has been a good experience overall, though there are highs and lows. There is a lot to navigate, a lot of people to convince and hard to keep grounded through it all. And yet, you are working on creating something beautiful that all the hard work and frustration seems worth it. Still, for me the attraction of Bollywood is not the glamour but the stage it provides me to channel my thoughts to the people of my country. Let's see if I get to keep my place on this stage.
Are you a big fan of Bollywood films? In recent times (this year, last year etc.) which films have you enjoyed watching?
I am a huge fan of Bollywood films. I am so into them that there is a censor certificate before my dreams at night. But aren't all Indians? In the last two years, I've loved Taare Zameen Par, Namastey London, Khuda Kay Liye, Om Shanti Om and Partner (huge Salman/ Govinda bias I admit).
Being a writer yourself which writers' work do you admire most in Bollywood among the current lot?
I have always found Mr. Gulzar to be an inspiration, as he does books as well as scripts. In fact, we share the same publisher (Rupa & Co). Among the current crop, I like Jaideep Sahni, Anurag Kashyap, Prasoon Joshi and Raju Hirani's writing.
Finally Hello opens across cinema halls this week. Why do you think audiences should shell out 200 bucks on a ticket when they have already read the book and know what's in store?
All I'd say is my fans and Salman's fans are different from other fans. It's an emotional relationship and they treat us like a big brother. And if your big brother is getting married, do you need a reason to come? Hello's release is as important to me as my wedding day. So our fans know what they have to do. For the rest, all I can say is you'll have super fun in the theatre and come out a more self-confident person. And a few million people have loved the story. Is that reason enough?End.
Source
Monday, November 3, 2008
"Hello is as important to me as my wedding day"- Chetan Bhagat
Continued...
The film is directed by Atul Agnihotri. His first film as a director Dil Ne Jise Apna Kaha bombed at the B.O. Does it bother you?
I had discussed Atul's past film before I gave him the rights. However, he is a non-egoistic person who had a very good idea of why his first film bombed. First, he had scripted it when he isn't much of a writer. Second, he had chosen to make what he thought will work with the trade rather than what genuinely moved him. I did several gruelling interviews with him and told him that under no circumstances can I embarrass my readers. He answered each and every question. He is well educated - from Sydenham college and he has trained under Mahesh Bhatt as an asst. director for five years. In fact, he never planned to be an actor - he just had a chance casting in Sir. He read the book twenty five times and knew it better than me. He wanted me to be fully involved at every stage and write the entire script, screenplay and dialogues. Finally, he told me "If Shyam, who is a loser in your book, can come back and achieve his full potential and deserves a second chance, why can't I?" The fire in his eyes at that point told me the film belonged to him.
In the West, it's quite common for films to be made on popular books / novels. This trend has not been seen so often in Bollywood. Why so??
Because Bollywood is still evolving. There was a relatively set formula in earlier years of making a film work which wasn't so dependent on the script. Today, the script is critical and the money at stake is huge. To avoid creating time bombs, it is a lot better to invest in a tested story than special effects. Hollywood knows this, and Bollywood is learning its lesson the hard way. Of course, the other issue is Indian literature tended to be extremely high brow and not popular, so making popular films with such books was out of question.
People often feel that a film can never have the same effect / magic as the book Do you agree with that?
I agree, it can't have the same magic. But it can have its own magic. A well made film on a book is a treat - for readers to relive the story and for non-readers as they will be assured of a tight plot on screen.
Hello has six principal characters...Could you tell us something about them...Describe them in one line each
The six characters are Shyam, who is having a breakup with Priyanka; Esha, who wants to be a model; Vroom, a hot-headed yet fun guy who likes Esha; Radhika, an overworked housewife and Military Uncle, a retired army man who now works in a call center. The six of them are having the worst night of their life.
Salman Khan makes a guest appearance in the film...yet the film is being promoted as a Salman Khan film...do you think it is fair?
I don't think Hello is being promoted purely as a Salman Khan film. It is very clear that Hello is One Night @ the Call Center and we have millions of readers who already know what role Salman is playing in the film. I also feel Salman's role is important to the story (it is the role I play in the book, so it is obviously important!). So in a way, it is more than a guest appearance anyway. My readers/audience have made me, they trust me and I plan to have a longer innings in Bollywood - so misrepresenting to them would be unthinkable.
How has it been working with the 'Khan-daan'? Salman - Sohail- Arbaaz etc?
The Khan-daan is pretty cool. I have seen them over two years now, and I must say they are really blessed to have a family so bonded with each other. They are simple, straightforward, emotional people, and if they like you, they will go all out for you. The head of the family (Salim Khan) is a writer, so they give a lot of respect to writers. So I had a great time with them.
How involved were you during the making of the film?
I was involved in all stages. Atul drove me mad on the script. He kept making me revise it, he'd say, "It's great, but I know if you look at it one more time, it will only get better." I liked being challenged that way, rather than everyone nodding their heads because I was a bestselling author. Even later, Atul would show me set designs, song samples, and rushes to make sure I was happy with it. I tried to be on sets as much as possible. Otherwise, he would give me shoot updates at the end of the day. He'd say "That joke came out so funny even the light man laughed during the take." Hello is our baby, really!!!
Is Hello targeted at the metros and multiplexes or will it find its audience even in smaller towns and single screens?
I think herein lies the surprise factor. The trade believes Hello is mainly a metro/multiplex film. However, the Bollywood trade is not aware that my books sell a lot in smaller towns. Around sixty percent of my fan mail is from smaller cities. So I think it will go beyond the multiplexes. Of course, the Salman Khan factor will help in single screen business too.
Is there a need / scope for songs in a film like Hello?
Yes...in fact I insisted on it. The book is very emotional, and music is a good way to express emotions. Of course, you can't have eight songs in a book about one night. We have three songs, and they fit into the story or are played in the backdrop. Also, the book is considered a fun book, and we wanted to make a fun movie. Where's the fun in taking Salman Khan and not having his bare-chested song in the film?
The film has been in the making for a while...Why the delay?
The two main reasons are we wanted to get the script absolutely right, so we took a year in adaptation. Secondly, there are a lot of actors in the film, and matching their dates and night schedules took a lot of time. There are no marks for coming first in filmmaking. You need to make the film right.Continued...
The film is directed by Atul Agnihotri. His first film as a director Dil Ne Jise Apna Kaha bombed at the B.O. Does it bother you?
I had discussed Atul's past film before I gave him the rights. However, he is a non-egoistic person who had a very good idea of why his first film bombed. First, he had scripted it when he isn't much of a writer. Second, he had chosen to make what he thought will work with the trade rather than what genuinely moved him. I did several gruelling interviews with him and told him that under no circumstances can I embarrass my readers. He answered each and every question. He is well educated - from Sydenham college and he has trained under Mahesh Bhatt as an asst. director for five years. In fact, he never planned to be an actor - he just had a chance casting in Sir. He read the book twenty five times and knew it better than me. He wanted me to be fully involved at every stage and write the entire script, screenplay and dialogues. Finally, he told me "If Shyam, who is a loser in your book, can come back and achieve his full potential and deserves a second chance, why can't I?" The fire in his eyes at that point told me the film belonged to him.
In the West, it's quite common for films to be made on popular books / novels. This trend has not been seen so often in Bollywood. Why so??
Because Bollywood is still evolving. There was a relatively set formula in earlier years of making a film work which wasn't so dependent on the script. Today, the script is critical and the money at stake is huge. To avoid creating time bombs, it is a lot better to invest in a tested story than special effects. Hollywood knows this, and Bollywood is learning its lesson the hard way. Of course, the other issue is Indian literature tended to be extremely high brow and not popular, so making popular films with such books was out of question.
People often feel that a film can never have the same effect / magic as the book Do you agree with that?
I agree, it can't have the same magic. But it can have its own magic. A well made film on a book is a treat - for readers to relive the story and for non-readers as they will be assured of a tight plot on screen.
Hello has six principal characters...Could you tell us something about them...Describe them in one line each
The six characters are Shyam, who is having a breakup with Priyanka; Esha, who wants to be a model; Vroom, a hot-headed yet fun guy who likes Esha; Radhika, an overworked housewife and Military Uncle, a retired army man who now works in a call center. The six of them are having the worst night of their life.
Salman Khan makes a guest appearance in the film...yet the film is being promoted as a Salman Khan film...do you think it is fair?
I don't think Hello is being promoted purely as a Salman Khan film. It is very clear that Hello is One Night @ the Call Center and we have millions of readers who already know what role Salman is playing in the film. I also feel Salman's role is important to the story (it is the role I play in the book, so it is obviously important!). So in a way, it is more than a guest appearance anyway. My readers/audience have made me, they trust me and I plan to have a longer innings in Bollywood - so misrepresenting to them would be unthinkable.
How has it been working with the 'Khan-daan'? Salman - Sohail- Arbaaz etc?
The Khan-daan is pretty cool. I have seen them over two years now, and I must say they are really blessed to have a family so bonded with each other. They are simple, straightforward, emotional people, and if they like you, they will go all out for you. The head of the family (Salim Khan) is a writer, so they give a lot of respect to writers. So I had a great time with them.
How involved were you during the making of the film?
I was involved in all stages. Atul drove me mad on the script. He kept making me revise it, he'd say, "It's great, but I know if you look at it one more time, it will only get better." I liked being challenged that way, rather than everyone nodding their heads because I was a bestselling author. Even later, Atul would show me set designs, song samples, and rushes to make sure I was happy with it. I tried to be on sets as much as possible. Otherwise, he would give me shoot updates at the end of the day. He'd say "That joke came out so funny even the light man laughed during the take." Hello is our baby, really!!!
Is Hello targeted at the metros and multiplexes or will it find its audience even in smaller towns and single screens?
I think herein lies the surprise factor. The trade believes Hello is mainly a metro/multiplex film. However, the Bollywood trade is not aware that my books sell a lot in smaller towns. Around sixty percent of my fan mail is from smaller cities. So I think it will go beyond the multiplexes. Of course, the Salman Khan factor will help in single screen business too.
Is there a need / scope for songs in a film like Hello?
Yes...in fact I insisted on it. The book is very emotional, and music is a good way to express emotions. Of course, you can't have eight songs in a book about one night. We have three songs, and they fit into the story or are played in the backdrop. Also, the book is considered a fun book, and we wanted to make a fun movie. Where's the fun in taking Salman Khan and not having his bare-chested song in the film?
The film has been in the making for a while...Why the delay?
The two main reasons are we wanted to get the script absolutely right, so we took a year in adaptation. Secondly, there are a lot of actors in the film, and matching their dates and night schedules took a lot of time. There are no marks for coming first in filmmaking. You need to make the film right.Continued...
Sunday, November 2, 2008
"Hello is as important to me as my wedding day"- Chetan Bhagat
By: Nikhil Ramsubramaniam
Multi-faceted and incredibly talented are words that best describe Chetan Bhagat. An alumnus of the prestigious IIT-Delhi and IIM-A, Chetan slowly and steadily grew up the corporate ladder to become a successful investment banker. However, he came into the limelight as the author of the international best-seller Five Point Someone followed by another best-seller One Night @ the Call Centre. The latter became so popular that there were many offers to adapt it into a motion picture. Finally, Chetan received an offer (which he couldn't refuse) from actor-director Atul Agnihotri who wanted to make One Night @ the Call Centre into a film and this was how Hello came up. With Hello set to hit the screens this week, Chetan opens up to us in this exclusive interview and talks about his first cinematic experience as the story/screenplay writer of Hello,his bonding with the 'Khan-daan' and how he manages to juggle his time between investment banking, writing bestsellers and scripting Bollywood flicks. You simply don't wanna miss this one!!!
After being a successful investment banker, and a well known writer of 3 international best selling books you are now entering the big bad world of Bollywood as the story / screenplay writer of Hello. How does it feel?
It feels great, of course. Especially with Bollywood, I am now getting such a big platform to tell my stories in Hindi. I don't think you can call yourself an Indian writer if you are not reaching the Hindi speaking audiences. I feel like I am destiny's child. I have always got more than I deserve - whether it is my reader's love or movies being made out of my books. And I believe these gifts are being given to me so I can do something greater for my country - whether inspire a generation or make India a better place.
How did 'Bollywood Calling' happen? Was it something which was always at the back of your mind or was it all of a sudden and completely unplanned?
When my first book came out and became popular, I started getting some enquires from Bollywood. I have always been a big Hindi movie fan, and there is a desire in me to touch as many Indians as possible in my lifetime. So what better way than Bollywood!!!
Hello which releases this week is based on your best seller One Night @ the Call Centre. Could you brief us a little on what the film is about for the benefit of all those who have not yet read the book?
Quite simply, as the book's title says - it is the story of one night about six people who work in a call center. The night is special because they get a phone call from God.
How similar is the film to the original book?
It is quite similar as I only wrote the script and Atul was clear he wanted to make the book. He said, "I've loved the book as it was fun to read and it made me more self-confident after I read it. I want the same effect with the film". There are some changes that had to be made due to the requirements of cinema - but they don't really take away much from the book. Continued...
Multi-faceted and incredibly talented are words that best describe Chetan Bhagat. An alumnus of the prestigious IIT-Delhi and IIM-A, Chetan slowly and steadily grew up the corporate ladder to become a successful investment banker. However, he came into the limelight as the author of the international best-seller Five Point Someone followed by another best-seller One Night @ the Call Centre. The latter became so popular that there were many offers to adapt it into a motion picture. Finally, Chetan received an offer (which he couldn't refuse) from actor-director Atul Agnihotri who wanted to make One Night @ the Call Centre into a film and this was how Hello came up. With Hello set to hit the screens this week, Chetan opens up to us in this exclusive interview and talks about his first cinematic experience as the story/screenplay writer of Hello,his bonding with the 'Khan-daan' and how he manages to juggle his time between investment banking, writing bestsellers and scripting Bollywood flicks. You simply don't wanna miss this one!!!
After being a successful investment banker, and a well known writer of 3 international best selling books you are now entering the big bad world of Bollywood as the story / screenplay writer of Hello. How does it feel?
It feels great, of course. Especially with Bollywood, I am now getting such a big platform to tell my stories in Hindi. I don't think you can call yourself an Indian writer if you are not reaching the Hindi speaking audiences. I feel like I am destiny's child. I have always got more than I deserve - whether it is my reader's love or movies being made out of my books. And I believe these gifts are being given to me so I can do something greater for my country - whether inspire a generation or make India a better place.
How did 'Bollywood Calling' happen? Was it something which was always at the back of your mind or was it all of a sudden and completely unplanned?
When my first book came out and became popular, I started getting some enquires from Bollywood. I have always been a big Hindi movie fan, and there is a desire in me to touch as many Indians as possible in my lifetime. So what better way than Bollywood!!!
Hello which releases this week is based on your best seller One Night @ the Call Centre. Could you brief us a little on what the film is about for the benefit of all those who have not yet read the book?
Quite simply, as the book's title says - it is the story of one night about six people who work in a call center. The night is special because they get a phone call from God.
How similar is the film to the original book?
It is quite similar as I only wrote the script and Atul was clear he wanted to make the book. He said, "I've loved the book as it was fun to read and it made me more self-confident after I read it. I want the same effect with the film". There are some changes that had to be made due to the requirements of cinema - but they don't really take away much from the book. Continued...
Saturday, November 1, 2008
Woman finds wedding rings five years later
Continued...
The news stunned everyone in the family, and soon that sick feeling in the pit of Kathleen's stomach was gone.
"I am so happy I found them," said Schaecher, who has three children, seven grandchildren and one great grandchild on the way. "If I had $1 million, it wouldn't have made me so happy."
As happy as she is, she admits she's afraid to wear the rings. She wasn't on the day I visited her home. They were tucked safely in a small black ring box because she's worried she'll lose them again.
I asked if she would put them on for a photograph, and she agreed. She gingerly took them out of the box and kissed them before sliding them onto her finger.
They're so loose on her fingers, no wonder she has been hesitant to wear them. But they haven't left her sight. She kept them in her purse when she went to church the next Sunday, terrified to leave them at home. She never took her grip off the purse, not even for communion.
Kathleen knows exactly what her husband would be saying right now: "What took you so long to clean the freezer?"
The truth is, she had cleaned it before. More than once.
"It's just amazing that I never saw them," she said.
Maybe the rings got caught somehow on one of the baskets inside or on the ledge of the metal thermometer that hangs on one of them. She has no idea.
"They were frozen in time," she said with a smile.End.
Source
The news stunned everyone in the family, and soon that sick feeling in the pit of Kathleen's stomach was gone.
"I am so happy I found them," said Schaecher, who has three children, seven grandchildren and one great grandchild on the way. "If I had $1 million, it wouldn't have made me so happy."
As happy as she is, she admits she's afraid to wear the rings. She wasn't on the day I visited her home. They were tucked safely in a small black ring box because she's worried she'll lose them again.
I asked if she would put them on for a photograph, and she agreed. She gingerly took them out of the box and kissed them before sliding them onto her finger.
They're so loose on her fingers, no wonder she has been hesitant to wear them. But they haven't left her sight. She kept them in her purse when she went to church the next Sunday, terrified to leave them at home. She never took her grip off the purse, not even for communion.
Kathleen knows exactly what her husband would be saying right now: "What took you so long to clean the freezer?"
The truth is, she had cleaned it before. More than once.
"It's just amazing that I never saw them," she said.
Maybe the rings got caught somehow on one of the baskets inside or on the ledge of the metal thermometer that hangs on one of them. She has no idea.
"They were frozen in time," she said with a smile.End.
Source
Friday, October 31, 2008
Woman finds wedding rings five years later
Continued...
She met Ambrose — Bruce to family and friends — through a mutual friend. He was from Oregon and in the Army. She was from Ireland and a student nurse at a hospital.
Kathleen wanted to get a good look at Bruce before she agreed to go out with him. One night he came to the hospital, and she went to the front door. But there was a mandatory blackout during that time, and it was too dark to see. Someone shined a flashlight toward Bruce's face.
"All I saw is that he had such pretty teeth," she said with a chuckle. "How silly."
They dated and then corresponded by letter when military responsibilities took Bruce away. He proposed in one of those letters, and she said yes. He had his parents, who lived in Mount Angel at the time, purchase the rings at a Portland jewelry store and shipped them to him. His family also shipped a wedding dress for Kathleen.
The rings arrived in time for their wedding Feb. 3, 1945, at a small church near the hospital. But not the dress.
When the war ended, Bruce had to return to the States. By that time, Kathleen was pregnant with their first child. He didn't want her to be alone so he took her home to her family in Ireland to have the baby. Bruce didn't get to see his daughter until she was 1. That's when Kathleen and the baby finally were able to join him.
They raised three children and lived in Albany before settling in Salem, in the house where Kathleen still lives. Bruce worked for years at Teledyne Wah Chang. She spent some years working as a nursing aide.
After he died, she wore his ring with hers — until that day at Costco, when they vanished.
For Christmas that year, Schaecher opened a special gift that included an antique ring similar to hers and a gold band.Continued...
"My children bought me these rings to fill the void, and they have very much done so," she said.
Sort of. But not really.
And then came one of the happiest days of her life, Oct. 6, 2008. It was a Monday, and she was cleaning the freezer.
She noticed something round and shiny at the bottom of the chest, which is about 3 feet deep. Suddenly, she realized what it was. Her ring.
Her first thought was how sad it was not to see her husband's ring nearby. Then she glanced at the bucket on the floor and there, beside a rag she had been using, was his.
Schaecher cried, and she left the contents of her freezer on the garage floor. She called her daughter-in-law, Nancy Schaecher, who was with her that day five years ago.
"Her voice was all shaky," Nancy said. "I thought somebody must have died."
She met Ambrose — Bruce to family and friends — through a mutual friend. He was from Oregon and in the Army. She was from Ireland and a student nurse at a hospital.
Kathleen wanted to get a good look at Bruce before she agreed to go out with him. One night he came to the hospital, and she went to the front door. But there was a mandatory blackout during that time, and it was too dark to see. Someone shined a flashlight toward Bruce's face.
"All I saw is that he had such pretty teeth," she said with a chuckle. "How silly."
They dated and then corresponded by letter when military responsibilities took Bruce away. He proposed in one of those letters, and she said yes. He had his parents, who lived in Mount Angel at the time, purchase the rings at a Portland jewelry store and shipped them to him. His family also shipped a wedding dress for Kathleen.
The rings arrived in time for their wedding Feb. 3, 1945, at a small church near the hospital. But not the dress.
When the war ended, Bruce had to return to the States. By that time, Kathleen was pregnant with their first child. He didn't want her to be alone so he took her home to her family in Ireland to have the baby. Bruce didn't get to see his daughter until she was 1. That's when Kathleen and the baby finally were able to join him.
They raised three children and lived in Albany before settling in Salem, in the house where Kathleen still lives. Bruce worked for years at Teledyne Wah Chang. She spent some years working as a nursing aide.
After he died, she wore his ring with hers — until that day at Costco, when they vanished.
For Christmas that year, Schaecher opened a special gift that included an antique ring similar to hers and a gold band.Continued...
"My children bought me these rings to fill the void, and they have very much done so," she said.
Sort of. But not really.
And then came one of the happiest days of her life, Oct. 6, 2008. It was a Monday, and she was cleaning the freezer.
She noticed something round and shiny at the bottom of the chest, which is about 3 feet deep. Suddenly, she realized what it was. Her ring.
Her first thought was how sad it was not to see her husband's ring nearby. Then she glanced at the bucket on the floor and there, beside a rag she had been using, was his.
Schaecher cried, and she left the contents of her freezer on the garage floor. She called her daughter-in-law, Nancy Schaecher, who was with her that day five years ago.
"Her voice was all shaky," Nancy said. "I thought somebody must have died."
Thursday, October 30, 2008
Woman finds wedding rings five years later
You know that sick feeling you get in the pit of your stomach when you lose something you treasure, something irreplaceable? It never really goes away, unless by some miracle you find the item.
Kathleen Schaecher gives us all hope. She recently found her wedding ring and her husband's wedding band after losing them five years ago.
"I never, ever dreamed I would see my rings again," the 84-year-old Salem woman said. "It's hard for me to believe. I'm still shocked."
She found them in the bottom of the 16-cubic-foot Kenmore chest freezer in her garage. And all this time, she thought she'd lost them at Costco.
"I'm glad I found them," she said, "because I hated going to Costco."
She lost the rings Nov. 2, 2003. It was a Sunday, a day Schaecher will never forget.
She had just been to Mass at St. Joseph Catholic Church and was shopping at Costco with her daughter-in-law. She remembers putting a ham in the cart, maybe even hearing a tinkling sound at one point and later discovering her rings were gone. She wore them together on her left ring finger, as she had since her husband died in 1998. The rings had been resized but still were loose on her finger.
Schaecher frantically retraced her steps in the warehouse and in the parking lot. Costco employees joined the search. She went home empty-handed and heartbroken, leaving her name and number in hopes that someone would find the rings and turn them in. But Schaecher just knew they were gone forever.
"It was a most horrible feeling," she said. "I was devastated."
The years passed, and Schaecher often thought about her rings and where they disappeared to. Now and then, her hopes of finding them were renewed, once after reading about a woman who accidentally tossed her wedding ring in the garbage but was able to find it at the dump. How lucky that woman was, Schaecher thought.
The rings weren't insured because they really weren't that valuable. His was a simple gold band. Hers was a modest solitaire diamond set in gold.
"It's tiny, but it's a good little diamond," she said, repeating what a jeweler once told her.
The four Cs (carat, clarity, color and cut) have never been important to Schaecher. The true value of their wedding rings was what they symbolized. The love she and her husband shared for 53 years. Their courtship and wedding in London, during World War II.Continued...
"How sweet is their love story. The value of a something is not measured on its price.It is the memory and the reason it was bought and used."
Kathleen Schaecher gives us all hope. She recently found her wedding ring and her husband's wedding band after losing them five years ago.
"I never, ever dreamed I would see my rings again," the 84-year-old Salem woman said. "It's hard for me to believe. I'm still shocked."
She found them in the bottom of the 16-cubic-foot Kenmore chest freezer in her garage. And all this time, she thought she'd lost them at Costco.
"I'm glad I found them," she said, "because I hated going to Costco."
She lost the rings Nov. 2, 2003. It was a Sunday, a day Schaecher will never forget.
She had just been to Mass at St. Joseph Catholic Church and was shopping at Costco with her daughter-in-law. She remembers putting a ham in the cart, maybe even hearing a tinkling sound at one point and later discovering her rings were gone. She wore them together on her left ring finger, as she had since her husband died in 1998. The rings had been resized but still were loose on her finger.
Schaecher frantically retraced her steps in the warehouse and in the parking lot. Costco employees joined the search. She went home empty-handed and heartbroken, leaving her name and number in hopes that someone would find the rings and turn them in. But Schaecher just knew they were gone forever.
"It was a most horrible feeling," she said. "I was devastated."
The years passed, and Schaecher often thought about her rings and where they disappeared to. Now and then, her hopes of finding them were renewed, once after reading about a woman who accidentally tossed her wedding ring in the garbage but was able to find it at the dump. How lucky that woman was, Schaecher thought.
The rings weren't insured because they really weren't that valuable. His was a simple gold band. Hers was a modest solitaire diamond set in gold.
"It's tiny, but it's a good little diamond," she said, repeating what a jeweler once told her.
The four Cs (carat, clarity, color and cut) have never been important to Schaecher. The true value of their wedding rings was what they symbolized. The love she and her husband shared for 53 years. Their courtship and wedding in London, during World War II.Continued...
"How sweet is their love story. The value of a something is not measured on its price.It is the memory and the reason it was bought and used."
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
I'd given up hope of finding my mother'
Continued...One day, only a couple of months ago now, Rodney phoned me sounding excited and said he had good news. He had discovered that my mother, Margaret, had married again in 1935 and what's more, she'd had three children.
I was flabbergasted to think there was someone out there who was a living connection to my mother.
A couple of days later, Rodney phoned again. He said, "Guess what George, I've been talking to your nephew, Timothy." I nearly fell out of my chair. "He was a bit aghast when he heard that he had an uncle, but he has agreed to talk to his father," Rodney continued. "His name is David and he lives in Rutland." Obviously finding out that your mother had an illegitimate child when she was a teenager can come as a bit of a surprise, so when Timothy told David about me he was a little sceptical at first. But he rang round his relatives and an aunt admitted to him that Margaret had revealed the existence of her long-lost son before she died.
David agreed he would come down from Rutland the following weekend and before I knew it, my long lost half-brother was standing at my door. We both have a bit of our mother's Greek looks about us so it was obvious we were related. He dived in and clasped me and we both got emotional.
We shared our histories and David told me a great deal about what sort of person my mother was. She was apparently very caring. After her second marriage in 1935 she had retrained as a psychiatric nurse. All the time we were talking, sitting side by side, he would not let go of my hand.
We also discovered that we had the same sense of humour, and before the day was out he not only gave me a photo of my mother but a lock of her hair too. To never know what your mother looks like and then, at the age of 90, to be given a photo of her is a feeling I cannot put into words. Before he left I asked him, "David, this is not just going to be a one-off is it?" To my relief he assured me it wasn't.
Finding my family has lifted me up. When you live in a small retirement flat on your own it makes all the difference in the world to know you have family outside the four walls around you. I have something to think about and plans to make. If I want to talk to someone, I can phone them. I've got a laptop now and have learned to email, which is useful because I have relations all over the place to catch up with, including another half-brother in Australia called Peter. His son has just had a boy so there's another family member to think of.
Some people say it's a shame we were not reunited all those years ago, that it's such a waste. I say better late than never. End.
Source
I was flabbergasted to think there was someone out there who was a living connection to my mother.
A couple of days later, Rodney phoned again. He said, "Guess what George, I've been talking to your nephew, Timothy." I nearly fell out of my chair. "He was a bit aghast when he heard that he had an uncle, but he has agreed to talk to his father," Rodney continued. "His name is David and he lives in Rutland." Obviously finding out that your mother had an illegitimate child when she was a teenager can come as a bit of a surprise, so when Timothy told David about me he was a little sceptical at first. But he rang round his relatives and an aunt admitted to him that Margaret had revealed the existence of her long-lost son before she died.
David agreed he would come down from Rutland the following weekend and before I knew it, my long lost half-brother was standing at my door. We both have a bit of our mother's Greek looks about us so it was obvious we were related. He dived in and clasped me and we both got emotional.
We shared our histories and David told me a great deal about what sort of person my mother was. She was apparently very caring. After her second marriage in 1935 she had retrained as a psychiatric nurse. All the time we were talking, sitting side by side, he would not let go of my hand.
We also discovered that we had the same sense of humour, and before the day was out he not only gave me a photo of my mother but a lock of her hair too. To never know what your mother looks like and then, at the age of 90, to be given a photo of her is a feeling I cannot put into words. Before he left I asked him, "David, this is not just going to be a one-off is it?" To my relief he assured me it wasn't.
Finding my family has lifted me up. When you live in a small retirement flat on your own it makes all the difference in the world to know you have family outside the four walls around you. I have something to think about and plans to make. If I want to talk to someone, I can phone them. I've got a laptop now and have learned to email, which is useful because I have relations all over the place to catch up with, including another half-brother in Australia called Peter. His son has just had a boy so there's another family member to think of.
Some people say it's a shame we were not reunited all those years ago, that it's such a waste. I say better late than never. End.
Source
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
I'd given up hope of finding my mother'
George Hall was adopted in 1922, aged four. He had always hoped to track down his biological family, but at 90 was living alone with no relatives left. Then a letter arrived ...
I was put up for adoption in 1922 at the age of four, before official adoption records began. My mother, Margaret Allen, had been 19 when she'd had me, outside of marriage, and she was forced to give me up when she met and married a first world war veteran. All I ever knew about my father was that he and my mother met and courted during the war. I always assumed that he returned to the front and got killed but whether that's true or not I will never know.
My adoptive parents were strict, but they looked after me well and treated me as their own. They sent me to a Catholic school in Stratford, east London, fed me, clothed me and gave me toys. Eventually, I found out that they'd had their own son. He had been sent out to get a bottle of lemonade and was run over and killed by a horse and cart. In some ways I think I was a replacement for him.
As much as my adoptive parents wanted me to love them, I knew they were not my real mother and father, and I resented them for it. Occasionally, one of them would ask me to sit on their lap and read a comic but I would want to run a mile. When I was 13, I rummaged through my adoptive father's papers and found my adoption certificate, which only made me feel more unwanted.
My adoptive parents seemed to have few friends, but this was partly due to the number of times we moved house around east London. I later found out that this was to stop my mother from finding me when her husband died in 1928 of his old war wounds.
After I left school at 14, I went through a series of jobs before joining up as a Royal Marine in 1940 to fight in the second world war, the same year that I met my wife Joan. I was one of the lucky ones - I came back from the war, and when I was demobbed in 1944, Joan and I went to live in Rainham, east London. I went back to my job as a machinist at a paper company, and in 1945 we had our first and only child, Barbara. It was an emotional moment for me when she was born, and around that time I started thinking about trying to trace my own mother. I'd always spoken to my wife about it, but in those days it was not advisable to go around talking to people about illegitimate children - it was the sort of thing that could easily have broken up marriages. To have had a child out of wedlock was a sin and a disgrace.
The problem was that I had very little to go on. All I had was a lasting memory of going to a wedding as a young boy in Limehouse, where my mother had lived. For some reason I had it set in my mind that the person who got married that day was my mother. So I went up to Limehouse and tracked down the house where the wedding had been held.
By an extraordinary stroke of luck the woman who answered the door remembered the wedding. She said the person who got married had been a twin and a teacher, but she had no idea where she now lived. I went to the local newsagent and asked if there was anyone by the name of Snell (my mother's married name) living nearby. And indeed, after knocking on a couple of doors, I was eventually directed down the road to some prefabs.
By the time I arrived to find a woman putting washing out on a line, I had pretty much convinced myself that I was going to find my mother. But when I explained who I was looking for she said, "Oh, no, that's not me. I have had no children like that." I even asked her if she was certain, I was that disappointed. I had no one to turn to and, as far as I was concerned, that was the end of it. I gave up hope of finding my mother, but the desire to find out about her has remained with me for the rest of my life.
Years later, in 1992, my wife contracted cancer. She was a fighter and I am proud to say that I looked after her until her last day in 1994. She had always said she wanted to live until she was 70 - or three score years and ten as she said - and she got her wish. My life became very difficult for a period, but eventually I made an effort to get out of the house, and that was when I met Rita. Although you never stop grieving for someone, you have to move on. Rita helped me to do that and we enjoyed a lot of good times together. But casting a shadow over those years was the fact that only two years after my wife's death, my daughter Barbara was also diagnosed with cancer. In a cruel twist of fate Rita was also diagnosed with the disease and died in October 2004. After battling for 10 years, Barbara passed away in January the following year.
We all think our children should survive us, and all I could think was that I was the one who should have died. I suffered from panic attacks and used to kick up such a stink that the neighbours would have to call the doctor round to give me tablets to quieten me down.
Soon after, what my doctor had thought was arthritis turned out to be a burst appendix. At the age of 87, it was more than I could take. I wanted to die and - in my more delirious moments - I said exactly that. Without some friends who helped me through that period, I am sure I would not be here today.
Then, out of the blue in early 2006, I received a letter. It was from a cousin called Rodney on my adoptive parents' side who was researching his family tree and wanted to meet me. We ended up becoming good friends and Rodney agreed to help me try to trace my mother using my adoption certificate. He'd had so many difficulties tracing his own family, though, that I did not get my hopes up.Continued...
I was put up for adoption in 1922 at the age of four, before official adoption records began. My mother, Margaret Allen, had been 19 when she'd had me, outside of marriage, and she was forced to give me up when she met and married a first world war veteran. All I ever knew about my father was that he and my mother met and courted during the war. I always assumed that he returned to the front and got killed but whether that's true or not I will never know.
My adoptive parents were strict, but they looked after me well and treated me as their own. They sent me to a Catholic school in Stratford, east London, fed me, clothed me and gave me toys. Eventually, I found out that they'd had their own son. He had been sent out to get a bottle of lemonade and was run over and killed by a horse and cart. In some ways I think I was a replacement for him.
As much as my adoptive parents wanted me to love them, I knew they were not my real mother and father, and I resented them for it. Occasionally, one of them would ask me to sit on their lap and read a comic but I would want to run a mile. When I was 13, I rummaged through my adoptive father's papers and found my adoption certificate, which only made me feel more unwanted.
My adoptive parents seemed to have few friends, but this was partly due to the number of times we moved house around east London. I later found out that this was to stop my mother from finding me when her husband died in 1928 of his old war wounds.
After I left school at 14, I went through a series of jobs before joining up as a Royal Marine in 1940 to fight in the second world war, the same year that I met my wife Joan. I was one of the lucky ones - I came back from the war, and when I was demobbed in 1944, Joan and I went to live in Rainham, east London. I went back to my job as a machinist at a paper company, and in 1945 we had our first and only child, Barbara. It was an emotional moment for me when she was born, and around that time I started thinking about trying to trace my own mother. I'd always spoken to my wife about it, but in those days it was not advisable to go around talking to people about illegitimate children - it was the sort of thing that could easily have broken up marriages. To have had a child out of wedlock was a sin and a disgrace.
The problem was that I had very little to go on. All I had was a lasting memory of going to a wedding as a young boy in Limehouse, where my mother had lived. For some reason I had it set in my mind that the person who got married that day was my mother. So I went up to Limehouse and tracked down the house where the wedding had been held.
By an extraordinary stroke of luck the woman who answered the door remembered the wedding. She said the person who got married had been a twin and a teacher, but she had no idea where she now lived. I went to the local newsagent and asked if there was anyone by the name of Snell (my mother's married name) living nearby. And indeed, after knocking on a couple of doors, I was eventually directed down the road to some prefabs.
By the time I arrived to find a woman putting washing out on a line, I had pretty much convinced myself that I was going to find my mother. But when I explained who I was looking for she said, "Oh, no, that's not me. I have had no children like that." I even asked her if she was certain, I was that disappointed. I had no one to turn to and, as far as I was concerned, that was the end of it. I gave up hope of finding my mother, but the desire to find out about her has remained with me for the rest of my life.
Years later, in 1992, my wife contracted cancer. She was a fighter and I am proud to say that I looked after her until her last day in 1994. She had always said she wanted to live until she was 70 - or three score years and ten as she said - and she got her wish. My life became very difficult for a period, but eventually I made an effort to get out of the house, and that was when I met Rita. Although you never stop grieving for someone, you have to move on. Rita helped me to do that and we enjoyed a lot of good times together. But casting a shadow over those years was the fact that only two years after my wife's death, my daughter Barbara was also diagnosed with cancer. In a cruel twist of fate Rita was also diagnosed with the disease and died in October 2004. After battling for 10 years, Barbara passed away in January the following year.
We all think our children should survive us, and all I could think was that I was the one who should have died. I suffered from panic attacks and used to kick up such a stink that the neighbours would have to call the doctor round to give me tablets to quieten me down.
Soon after, what my doctor had thought was arthritis turned out to be a burst appendix. At the age of 87, it was more than I could take. I wanted to die and - in my more delirious moments - I said exactly that. Without some friends who helped me through that period, I am sure I would not be here today.
Then, out of the blue in early 2006, I received a letter. It was from a cousin called Rodney on my adoptive parents' side who was researching his family tree and wanted to meet me. We ended up becoming good friends and Rodney agreed to help me try to trace my mother using my adoption certificate. He'd had so many difficulties tracing his own family, though, that I did not get my hopes up.Continued...
Monday, October 27, 2008
Wendy Richard's wedding day dawns
Former EastEnders actress Wendy Richard is to marry her long term partner on Friday, before starting chemotherapy.
By Chris Irvine
Actress Ms Richard, 65, best known for playing Pauline Fowler in the BBC soap, is marrying her long term partner John Burns, 45, in a civil ceremony in London, after living together for 10 years.
The couple live together in Marylebone, London. They marry before Ms Richard starts chemotherapy treatment on October 13.
Ms Richard revealed earlier this week she had written her will and planned her funeral after being diagnosed with an aggressive form of cancer that has attacked her kidney and spread to her bones.
The star, awarded the MBE for her services to television in 2000, has twice before been diagnosed with breast cancer.
Around 60 family and friends are expected to attend her marriage, including former EastEnders co-stars Toddy Carty, James Alexandrou and Natalie Cassidy.
Speaking of the moment she found out the cancer had returned, she said: "I was absolutely raging, hopping mad to have to go through it all again. It has come as a terrible shock and you just get so fed up. You think, 'Oh, crikey, here we go again', but you just have to buck your ideas up and get on with these things."
The wedding will not be a celebrity affair but one star guest will be Wendy's beloved dog Lily, a two-year-old Cairn terrier, who is the niece of Betty, Pauline's dog on EastEnders.
Mr Burns, 45, who has two daughters, Jade, 18, and Shannon, 15, said: "It will be one day when we can hopefully put Wendy's illness to the side because it has been a very turbulent time. All we have had recently is bad news."
"I am very sorry for this turn of events for Wendy. Marriage would be s start of a new life for her.I hope she can get over with the disease."
By Chris Irvine
Actress Ms Richard, 65, best known for playing Pauline Fowler in the BBC soap, is marrying her long term partner John Burns, 45, in a civil ceremony in London, after living together for 10 years.
The couple live together in Marylebone, London. They marry before Ms Richard starts chemotherapy treatment on October 13.
Ms Richard revealed earlier this week she had written her will and planned her funeral after being diagnosed with an aggressive form of cancer that has attacked her kidney and spread to her bones.
The star, awarded the MBE for her services to television in 2000, has twice before been diagnosed with breast cancer.
Around 60 family and friends are expected to attend her marriage, including former EastEnders co-stars Toddy Carty, James Alexandrou and Natalie Cassidy.
Speaking of the moment she found out the cancer had returned, she said: "I was absolutely raging, hopping mad to have to go through it all again. It has come as a terrible shock and you just get so fed up. You think, 'Oh, crikey, here we go again', but you just have to buck your ideas up and get on with these things."
The wedding will not be a celebrity affair but one star guest will be Wendy's beloved dog Lily, a two-year-old Cairn terrier, who is the niece of Betty, Pauline's dog on EastEnders.
Mr Burns, 45, who has two daughters, Jade, 18, and Shannon, 15, said: "It will be one day when we can hopefully put Wendy's illness to the side because it has been a very turbulent time. All we have had recently is bad news."
"I am very sorry for this turn of events for Wendy. Marriage would be s start of a new life for her.I hope she can get over with the disease."
Saturday, October 18, 2008
Wigs, corsets, hoops shape the career of Keira Knightley
By Mal Vincent
Let’s talk about those corsets.
“They are necessary, of course, for the women of these periods. Without them, they’d be naked, of course, which is all right if the script demands it. I’m too skinny to get anyone excited, but I did my first topless scene when I was 15. For legal reasons my mother had to be present and agree. Since I’ve been working since I was 8, I regarded it as just a part of working. If it’s in the script and there’s no way to get around it, it’s all right – but I’m not just stripping off at will.”
She describes herself as a “tomboy beanpole” but is regarded as one of the world’s great beauties. Recently she was named as the new face of Chanel in international ads for the fragrance “Mademoiselle.”
For “Pirates,” she decided to “do a Scarlett O’Hara thing” and get the corseted waist down to 18½ inches. “I lasted for five minutes. The cleavage was fantastic, but I needed oxygen more than cleavage.”
For “The Duchess,” though, the costumes were imperative. “I was literally sewn into those dresses. Because of that and the hoops, I couldn’t fit into the loo at all. I just had to hang on all day.”
As for the wigs: “When I’d walk by, members of the crew would yell, 'TIMBER!’ What was this woman thinking? I mean, you couldn’t nod your head.”
She is playing Georgiana Spencer, the Duchess of Devonshire, a distant ancestor (great, great, great, great aunt) of Princess Diana. The two women had parallel lives in that they both were extremely popular with the masses and the press, and they both had trouble with their husbands. “We never thought of Diana in making this movie,” Knightley says. “It just wasn’t a thought. Any parallel is coincidental, but I would resent it if the movie company tried to sell this by using her name. That simply wasn’t our intent.”
The film is not without sexual overtones. Georgiana is bartered to the highly powerful and rich Duke of Devonshire (Ralph Fiennes) at 17. She is raped on her wedding night in 1774. She gives highly successful parties and becomes the toast of London, but she is unsuccessful in providing a male heir. She takes a lover, a young Whig politician (Dominic Cooper) who later becomes the prime minister. But she gets something of a comeuppance when her best friend becomes her husband’s mistress.
“I refuse to think of her as a victim,” Knightley says, “because victims aren’t interesting.”
In a similar situation, would the actress allow her husband to keep her best friend as his mistress?
She thinks for a moment. She obviously has an answer but isn’t going to speak it.
“None of your business. I’m not answering that. Besides, I don’t see any relation between this woman and me. I don’t see playing a part as any form of self-expression. It’s, if anything, getting out of myself. That’s one reason why I like doing historical films. They provide a distance. Personally, I go to the movies to escape.”
The daughter of actor Will Knightley and playwright Sharman Macdonald, she was born in Richmond (a suburb of London). At age 3, she had an agent and worked on commercials. She got her first role at age 9.
It really runs in the blood. Perfection comes from constant practice of one's craft.
Let’s talk about those corsets.
“They are necessary, of course, for the women of these periods. Without them, they’d be naked, of course, which is all right if the script demands it. I’m too skinny to get anyone excited, but I did my first topless scene when I was 15. For legal reasons my mother had to be present and agree. Since I’ve been working since I was 8, I regarded it as just a part of working. If it’s in the script and there’s no way to get around it, it’s all right – but I’m not just stripping off at will.”
She describes herself as a “tomboy beanpole” but is regarded as one of the world’s great beauties. Recently she was named as the new face of Chanel in international ads for the fragrance “Mademoiselle.”
For “Pirates,” she decided to “do a Scarlett O’Hara thing” and get the corseted waist down to 18½ inches. “I lasted for five minutes. The cleavage was fantastic, but I needed oxygen more than cleavage.”
For “The Duchess,” though, the costumes were imperative. “I was literally sewn into those dresses. Because of that and the hoops, I couldn’t fit into the loo at all. I just had to hang on all day.”
As for the wigs: “When I’d walk by, members of the crew would yell, 'TIMBER!’ What was this woman thinking? I mean, you couldn’t nod your head.”
She is playing Georgiana Spencer, the Duchess of Devonshire, a distant ancestor (great, great, great, great aunt) of Princess Diana. The two women had parallel lives in that they both were extremely popular with the masses and the press, and they both had trouble with their husbands. “We never thought of Diana in making this movie,” Knightley says. “It just wasn’t a thought. Any parallel is coincidental, but I would resent it if the movie company tried to sell this by using her name. That simply wasn’t our intent.”
The film is not without sexual overtones. Georgiana is bartered to the highly powerful and rich Duke of Devonshire (Ralph Fiennes) at 17. She is raped on her wedding night in 1774. She gives highly successful parties and becomes the toast of London, but she is unsuccessful in providing a male heir. She takes a lover, a young Whig politician (Dominic Cooper) who later becomes the prime minister. But she gets something of a comeuppance when her best friend becomes her husband’s mistress.
“I refuse to think of her as a victim,” Knightley says, “because victims aren’t interesting.”
In a similar situation, would the actress allow her husband to keep her best friend as his mistress?
She thinks for a moment. She obviously has an answer but isn’t going to speak it.
“None of your business. I’m not answering that. Besides, I don’t see any relation between this woman and me. I don’t see playing a part as any form of self-expression. It’s, if anything, getting out of myself. That’s one reason why I like doing historical films. They provide a distance. Personally, I go to the movies to escape.”
The daughter of actor Will Knightley and playwright Sharman Macdonald, she was born in Richmond (a suburb of London). At age 3, she had an agent and worked on commercials. She got her first role at age 9.
It really runs in the blood. Perfection comes from constant practice of one's craft.
Friday, October 17, 2008
Wigs, corsets, hoops shape the career of Keira Knightley
By Mal Vincent
There is no corset that can hold her.
And, apparently, no career boundaries.
We’re talking about Keira Knightley. She is the third-youngest actress ever to receive an Academy Award nomination, at age 20 for playing Elizabeth Bennet in the latest remake of “Pride & Prejudice.” She hit box office heaven as the feisty pirate girl who kisses Orlando Bloom in the “Pirates of the Caribbean” trilogy and was the tragic beauty of “Atonement.” Now the 23-year-old Briton is starring, again corseted, in the lavish, luscious, 18th century drama “The Duchess,” which opened in theaters this weekend.
There seems to be a pattern. Knightley, one of the few current actresses who might actually be a movie star, specializes in historical period pieces, which feature women and girls in those costumes.
“I don’t know how they ever managed even to have sex,” she says. “I don’t know, in fact, how they breathed. It seems very impractical, but I snapped to right away when I was offered 'The Duchess,’ in spite of her blasted clothes. It’s a great part, even if I have become overly identified with period movies. It’s a risky part. She has to be the toast of all London, gorgeous and all that. How do you play that? But we all have to face failure. Might as well go for it.”
We’re at the Sutton Place Hotel in Toronto, where “The Duchess” was unveiled to North America at the Toronto International Film Festival last month. Knightley is wearing a little black dress and heavily applied eye shadow that makes her look a little like a gorgeous raccoon. She tucks one foot beneath her and sits on it.
“Well, are you going to ask me something, or did I just stop by for tea?” she says.Continued...
I am an avid fan of Keira Knightley. She acts very well.
There is no corset that can hold her.
And, apparently, no career boundaries.
We’re talking about Keira Knightley. She is the third-youngest actress ever to receive an Academy Award nomination, at age 20 for playing Elizabeth Bennet in the latest remake of “Pride & Prejudice.” She hit box office heaven as the feisty pirate girl who kisses Orlando Bloom in the “Pirates of the Caribbean” trilogy and was the tragic beauty of “Atonement.” Now the 23-year-old Briton is starring, again corseted, in the lavish, luscious, 18th century drama “The Duchess,” which opened in theaters this weekend.
There seems to be a pattern. Knightley, one of the few current actresses who might actually be a movie star, specializes in historical period pieces, which feature women and girls in those costumes.
“I don’t know how they ever managed even to have sex,” she says. “I don’t know, in fact, how they breathed. It seems very impractical, but I snapped to right away when I was offered 'The Duchess,’ in spite of her blasted clothes. It’s a great part, even if I have become overly identified with period movies. It’s a risky part. She has to be the toast of all London, gorgeous and all that. How do you play that? But we all have to face failure. Might as well go for it.”
We’re at the Sutton Place Hotel in Toronto, where “The Duchess” was unveiled to North America at the Toronto International Film Festival last month. Knightley is wearing a little black dress and heavily applied eye shadow that makes her look a little like a gorgeous raccoon. She tucks one foot beneath her and sits on it.
“Well, are you going to ask me something, or did I just stop by for tea?” she says.Continued...
I am an avid fan of Keira Knightley. She acts very well.
Thursday, October 16, 2008
The Sweet Wedding Dress Made from White Chocolate!
A wedding dress has been created that besides being an eyeful is good enough to eat - as it is made out of white chocolate.
The delicious creation, complete with boned corset, quilted skirt and funky top hat, is the work of award winning bridalwear designer Ian Stuart and London chocolatiers Rococo.
The edible created was modelled by Lianne Nagel, a contestant in hit talent search show 'Britain's Next Top Model', reports the Daily Express.
The scrumptious dress was created to promote National Chocolate Week, which starts on 13th October.
The wedding dress is yummy. Its a unique idea to promote a National Chocolate Week.
The delicious creation, complete with boned corset, quilted skirt and funky top hat, is the work of award winning bridalwear designer Ian Stuart and London chocolatiers Rococo.
The edible created was modelled by Lianne Nagel, a contestant in hit talent search show 'Britain's Next Top Model', reports the Daily Express.
The scrumptious dress was created to promote National Chocolate Week, which starts on 13th October.
The wedding dress is yummy. Its a unique idea to promote a National Chocolate Week.
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
A new lease of life for British film
From pop and fashion to football, films on show this month reveal homegrown cinema is in great shape
By Jason Solomons
The world film spotlight will shine on Leicester Square on Wednesday when the Bfi London Film Festival opens with the premiere of Ron Howard's Frost/Nixon. Written by Peter Morgan and starring Michael Sheen, it is a fitting and glamorous opener for the festival.
Danny Boyle's Slumdog Millionaire, set in India, closes events 15 days hence, with the small matter of the new Bond, Quantum of Solace debuting in between. These are all British enterprises in various ways, emphasising our industry's prominent place in global cinema. But this year, alongside the high-end offerings, there is a stirring of British activity in and around the Square. Last year's festival had little domestic product to shout about - perhaps the most successful film in the New British Cinema selection was Boy A, which last week triumphed at the Dinard Film Festival. Boy A was never released here in the UK, showing only on C4. Now, 13 new films swell that section, with others including Michael Winterbottom's Genova, Steve McQueen's Hunger, Richard Eyre's The Other Man and Terence Davies's Of Time and the City
So, can it be true that, after years of stops, starts and stutters, we are experiencing the flourishing of a new screen generation? Has the new wave of production schemes, regional film funds and a widening of the feature film talent pool finally borne fruit?
I suppose the more crucial question remains: are any of these films any good? I came away from the Edinburgh Film Festival in June concerned that the low-budget British films on show had bleak commercial prospects. Glancing at the LFF line-up, I would say our national cinema's subject matters haven't changed much over the years - expect council estates (Shifty), criminals (Bronson), drugs (Better Things), pop music (1 2 3 4 and Telstar), football and street fashion (Awaydays). Despite such familiarity, there does seem to be a renewed energy and an increased, nationwide vigour for film culture: settings for these films include the Cotswolds, South Wales, Edinburgh (Richard Jobson's New Town Killers), the Wirral, Finsbury Park and the Isle of Skye.
Continued...
By Jason Solomons
The world film spotlight will shine on Leicester Square on Wednesday when the Bfi London Film Festival opens with the premiere of Ron Howard's Frost/Nixon. Written by Peter Morgan and starring Michael Sheen, it is a fitting and glamorous opener for the festival.
Danny Boyle's Slumdog Millionaire, set in India, closes events 15 days hence, with the small matter of the new Bond, Quantum of Solace debuting in between. These are all British enterprises in various ways, emphasising our industry's prominent place in global cinema. But this year, alongside the high-end offerings, there is a stirring of British activity in and around the Square. Last year's festival had little domestic product to shout about - perhaps the most successful film in the New British Cinema selection was Boy A, which last week triumphed at the Dinard Film Festival. Boy A was never released here in the UK, showing only on C4. Now, 13 new films swell that section, with others including Michael Winterbottom's Genova, Steve McQueen's Hunger, Richard Eyre's The Other Man and Terence Davies's Of Time and the City
So, can it be true that, after years of stops, starts and stutters, we are experiencing the flourishing of a new screen generation? Has the new wave of production schemes, regional film funds and a widening of the feature film talent pool finally borne fruit?
I suppose the more crucial question remains: are any of these films any good? I came away from the Edinburgh Film Festival in June concerned that the low-budget British films on show had bleak commercial prospects. Glancing at the LFF line-up, I would say our national cinema's subject matters haven't changed much over the years - expect council estates (Shifty), criminals (Bronson), drugs (Better Things), pop music (1 2 3 4 and Telstar), football and street fashion (Awaydays). Despite such familiarity, there does seem to be a renewed energy and an increased, nationwide vigour for film culture: settings for these films include the Cotswolds, South Wales, Edinburgh (Richard Jobson's New Town Killers), the Wirral, Finsbury Park and the Isle of Skye.
Continued...
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
A new lease of life for British film
From pop and fashion to football, films on show this month reveal homegrown cinema is in great shape
By Jason Solomons
The world film spotlight will shine on Leicester Square on Wednesday when the Bfi London Film Festival opens with the premiere of Ron Howard's Frost/Nixon. Written by Peter Morgan and starring Michael Sheen, it is a fitting and glamorous opener for the festival.
Danny Boyle's Slumdog Millionaire, set in India, closes events 15 days hence, with the small matter of the new Bond, Quantum of Solace debuting in between. These are all British enterprises in various ways, emphasising our industry's prominent place in global cinema. But this year, alongside the high-end offerings, there is a stirring of British activity in and around the Square. Last year's festival had little domestic product to shout about - perhaps the most successful film in the New British Cinema selection was Boy A, which last week triumphed at the Dinard Film Festival. Boy A was never released here in the UK, showing only on C4. Now, 13 new films swell that section, with others including Michael Winterbottom's Genova, Steve McQueen's Hunger, Richard Eyre's The Other Man and Terence Davies's Of Time and the City
So, can it be true that, after years of stops, starts and stutters, we are experiencing the flourishing of a new screen generation? Has the new wave of production schemes, regional film funds and a widening of the feature film talent pool finally borne fruit?
I suppose the more crucial question remains: are any of these films any good? I came away from the Edinburgh Film Festival in June concerned that the low-budget British films on show had bleak commercial prospects. Glancing at the LFF line-up, I would say our national cinema's subject matters haven't changed much over the years - expect council estates (Shifty), criminals (Bronson), drugs (Better Things), pop music (1 2 3 4 and Telstar), football and street fashion (Awaydays). Despite such familiarity, there does seem to be a renewed energy and an increased, nationwide vigour for film culture: settings for these films include the Cotswolds, South Wales, Edinburgh (Richard Jobson's New Town Killers), the Wirral, Finsbury Park and the Isle of Skye.
Continued...
From pop and fashion to football, films on show this month reveal homegrown cinema is in great shape
By Jason Solomons
The world film spotlight will shine on Leicester Square on Wednesday when the Bfi London Film Festival opens with the premiere of Ron Howard's Frost/Nixon. Written by Peter Morgan and starring Michael Sheen, it is a fitting and glamorous opener for the festival.
Danny Boyle's Slumdog Millionaire, set in India, closes events 15 days hence, with the small matter of the new Bond, Quantum of Solace debuting in between. These are all British enterprises in various ways, emphasising our industry's prominent place in global cinema. But this year, alongside the high-end offerings, there is a stirring of British activity in and around the Square. Last year's festival had little domestic product to shout about - perhaps the most successful film in the New British Cinema selection was Boy A, which last week triumphed at the Dinard Film Festival. Boy A was never released here in the UK, showing only on C4. Now, 13 new films swell that section, with others including Michael Winterbottom's Genova, Steve McQueen's Hunger, Richard Eyre's The Other Man and Terence Davies's Of Time and the City
So, can it be true that, after years of stops, starts and stutters, we are experiencing the flourishing of a new screen generation? Has the new wave of production schemes, regional film funds and a widening of the feature film talent pool finally borne fruit?
I suppose the more crucial question remains: are any of these films any good? I came away from the Edinburgh Film Festival in June concerned that the low-budget British films on show had bleak commercial prospects. Glancing at the LFF line-up, I would say our national cinema's subject matters haven't changed much over the years - expect council estates (Shifty), criminals (Bronson), drugs (Better Things), pop music (1 2 3 4 and Telstar), football and street fashion (Awaydays). Despite such familiarity, there does seem to be a renewed energy and an increased, nationwide vigour for film culture: settings for these films include the Cotswolds, South Wales, Edinburgh (Richard Jobson's New Town Killers), the Wirral, Finsbury Park and the Isle of Skye.
Continued...
Monday, October 13, 2008
Terminally ill Wendy's all smiles for her wedding day
By CLAIRE SMITH
PROFILE
WENDY Richard often spoke of the sacrifices her parents made to send her to stage school, saying it was the reason she was such a hard-working actress.
She performed in two Carry On films – Carry On Matron and Carry On Girls – which also starred EastEnders castmate Barbara Windsor.
From 1972 to 1985, Richard became well known as Miss Brahms, the mini-skirted shop assistant in the department store sitcom Are You Being Served?.
The actress starred in the first episode of EastEnders as Pauline Fowler and was a key character in Albert Square for the next 21 years. Her departure from the soap on Christmas Day 2006 was watched by 10.6 million viewers.
Richard was awarded an MBE in the millennium honours list.
I admire her very much. Her life's story is very dramatic.
PROFILE
WENDY Richard often spoke of the sacrifices her parents made to send her to stage school, saying it was the reason she was such a hard-working actress.
She performed in two Carry On films – Carry On Matron and Carry On Girls – which also starred EastEnders castmate Barbara Windsor.
From 1972 to 1985, Richard became well known as Miss Brahms, the mini-skirted shop assistant in the department store sitcom Are You Being Served?.
The actress starred in the first episode of EastEnders as Pauline Fowler and was a key character in Albert Square for the next 21 years. Her departure from the soap on Christmas Day 2006 was watched by 10.6 million viewers.
Richard was awarded an MBE in the millennium honours list.
I admire her very much. Her life's story is very dramatic.
Sunday, October 12, 2008
Terminally ill Wendy's all smiles for her wedding day
By CLAIRE SMITH
AS PAULINE Fowler, Wendy Richard faced 21 years of trials and tribulations in EastEnders.
Yesterday, however, she was all smiles as she married her long-term partner – just days after revealing that she had been diagnosed with an aggressive form of cancer.
Richard said her one wish was for a fun and "pain-free" day among her friends and family.
She smiled and waved to photographers as she arrived at London's Chesterfield Hotel for her wedding to John Burns, who is 20 years her junior, which was moved forward to fit in with her next bout of chemotherapy – which begins on Monday.
They are planning a honeymoon in the United States – but have postponed it until the actress is in better health.
Richard said her diagnosis had inspired the couple, who have been together for 13 years, to plan their wedding:
"We were going to get married anyway, but when we got the diagnosis we decided to push ahead and get married now. There was no rush before."
Among the 60 guests attending the ceremony were East- Enders stars Natalie Cassidy, Perry Fenwich and Emma Barton, as well as Todd Carty, who played Richard's on-screen son.
A glossy magazine is believed to have paid for exclusive access to the party. Mr Burns yesterday said that the couple, who live in Marylebone, were determined to enjoy their day, despite the circumstances.
"It will be one day when we can, hopefully, put Wendy's illness to the side because it has been a very turbulent time.
"All we have had recently is bad news. It has just been one depressing phone call after another."
According to friends, the actress has been inundated with messages of love and support from fans and colleagues.
Richard, who is a heavy smoker, has fought off breast cancer twice, but in January was told the disease had spread to her right kidney and bones.
She said in a recent interview that she had been in pain for the past five years, adding: "Some nights I've just wanted to scream the place down."
The actress has already written her will and arranged her funeral, saying: "You've got to be practical about these things. I want all my affairs to be in order."
Richard played Pauline Fowler, the endlessly put-upon matriarch of Albert Square, for 21 years before leaving the soap in 2006.
She is also well-known as the sexy but slightly dippy assistant Miss Brahms in the BBC comedy Are You Being Served as well as for several roles in the Carry On films. Continued...
This is a sad love story. If I am on her shoes, I don't know what to do.
AS PAULINE Fowler, Wendy Richard faced 21 years of trials and tribulations in EastEnders.
Yesterday, however, she was all smiles as she married her long-term partner – just days after revealing that she had been diagnosed with an aggressive form of cancer.
Richard said her one wish was for a fun and "pain-free" day among her friends and family.
She smiled and waved to photographers as she arrived at London's Chesterfield Hotel for her wedding to John Burns, who is 20 years her junior, which was moved forward to fit in with her next bout of chemotherapy – which begins on Monday.
They are planning a honeymoon in the United States – but have postponed it until the actress is in better health.
Richard said her diagnosis had inspired the couple, who have been together for 13 years, to plan their wedding:
"We were going to get married anyway, but when we got the diagnosis we decided to push ahead and get married now. There was no rush before."
Among the 60 guests attending the ceremony were East- Enders stars Natalie Cassidy, Perry Fenwich and Emma Barton, as well as Todd Carty, who played Richard's on-screen son.
A glossy magazine is believed to have paid for exclusive access to the party. Mr Burns yesterday said that the couple, who live in Marylebone, were determined to enjoy their day, despite the circumstances.
"It will be one day when we can, hopefully, put Wendy's illness to the side because it has been a very turbulent time.
"All we have had recently is bad news. It has just been one depressing phone call after another."
According to friends, the actress has been inundated with messages of love and support from fans and colleagues.
Richard, who is a heavy smoker, has fought off breast cancer twice, but in January was told the disease had spread to her right kidney and bones.
She said in a recent interview that she had been in pain for the past five years, adding: "Some nights I've just wanted to scream the place down."
The actress has already written her will and arranged her funeral, saying: "You've got to be practical about these things. I want all my affairs to be in order."
Richard played Pauline Fowler, the endlessly put-upon matriarch of Albert Square, for 21 years before leaving the soap in 2006.
She is also well-known as the sexy but slightly dippy assistant Miss Brahms in the BBC comedy Are You Being Served as well as for several roles in the Carry On films. Continued...
This is a sad love story. If I am on her shoes, I don't know what to do.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)