In tribute to Sir Ken Dodd I haven't spoken to my mother-in-law for eighteen months-I don't like to interrupt her. I had an idyllic childhood and when my parents bought me a Punch and Judy Show and a ventriloquist's dummy, I'd perform anywhere, anytime. My parents were wonderful when I told them I wanted to be an entertainer. Laughter is the greatest music in the world and audiences come to my shows to escape the cares of life. They don't...Read more

Orange juice with my vodka!

NEWS COPY By Gemma Francis The recipe for leading a long and healthy existence is maintaining a young mindset, being immature from time to time and regularly enjoying a touch of nostalgia, according to a study. Researchers who polled 2,000 adults found almost three quarters of Brits believe forgetting you are an adult from time to time is important. One in four of those revealed they wanted to stay ‘child-like’ as long as possible. The study commissioned by Healthspan to...Read more

Car profile drawings from Graeme Jenner Graeme Jenner’s a man on a mission; this, to draw profiles of some of the world’s most iconic cars. The challenge is Graeme’s drawings are amazingly detailed and time consuming however the finished article is well worth the effort. The technique used is known as profile drawing, the detail though as precise as a technical drawing has a delightful warmth and feel to it with approaching 700 cars in the series Graeme’s focus in...Read more

Joanna Lumley, Ray Winstone and Richard Wilson are among celebs who will appear in a series of short films which aimed at getting more military veterans into 'civvy street'. Downtown Abbey’s Hugh Bonneville, DIY SOS star Nick Knowles and ex-EastEnders Larry Lamb and Michelle Collins also highlight the skills, attitude and knowledge ex-soldiers, sailors and airmen can bring to employers. Entitled, ‘Veterans Work’, the films, by The Drive Project, were produced to encourage UK businesses to consider veterans as viable...Read more

Defunct high-street store Woolworths has topped a list of things Brits would most love to make a ‘comeback’, according to research. The shop where you could once buy anything from gardening goods to kids clothes beat arctic rolls and penny sweet shops to claim top spot. Popular pastimes to make the top ten included BBC children’s TV show, Watch with Mother, Baby Sham and Corona Man, the old truck which used to collect empty fizzy pop bottles. Jackie Magazine also...Read more

Brits are not officially “over the hill” until the ripe old age of 83, a new poll revealed yesterday. Researchers surveyed adults in their 50s, 60s and 70s - and discovered that most pensioners are living life to the full, with the majority not feeling you are truly "old" until after your 83rd birthday. In fact, nearly a quarter of those polled said they still feel in their prime because they regularly attract attention from the opposite sex, while one...Read more

Royal Mail revealed a new stamp issue featuring some of the most iconic and much-loved British toys from the last 100 years. Evoking feelings of nostalgia across generations, the toys featured are: the Merrythought Bear; Sindy Doll; Spirograph; Stickle Bricks; W.Britan Toy Figures; Space Hopper; Fuzzy Felt; Meccano; Action Man and Hornby Dublo trains. In the 19th century, the growing middle class of the Victorian era was fuelling an expansion in toy-making and major names in British manufacturing started to...Read more