thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-11-28--How The Crown Could Portray Diana's Death, According To Industry Insiders

Season 5 of The Crown is rumoured to start filming sometime next year, so we have a while to wait before we can binge another series of the Netflix hit.
It isn’t yet known which particular royal events will be represented in the fifth and sixth series, although both seasons have been confirmed with Tenet actor Elizabeth Debicki taking over from Emma Corrin to play Princess Diana.
Advertisement
There’s no way to know either, just how the writers and producers will represent the tragic death of the princess, which had a seismic cultural impact on our national consciousness when she died in a car crash in 1997.
Diana’s death instigated conversations about how our nation deals with grief. The event is something that anyone who was alive at the time remembers vividly.
Diana’s legacy can also still be felt: her work as an activist is remembered by her set of incredibly devoted fans, some of whom HuffPost UK spoke with earlier this month when Emma Corrin began playing the role of a young Diana in season 4 of The Crown.
So how might The Crown portray the death of the princess, one of the 20th century’s most shocking events?
Advertisement
Princess Diana, as played by Emma Corrin, on the left. On the right, Princess Diana leaving her Earl's Court apartment Supplied
″I don’t imagine for a moment they’d be so sensationalist as to show the accident,” says Philip Lawrence, a scriptwriter for Casualty who has written a death scene for the show. “No one needs to see that. It’s the reactions of those left behind that will really tug at the heartstrings.”
He adds: “Writing real-life tragedy, especially something within living memory like The Salisbury Poisonings or the death of Princess Diana, you can’t ignore the fact that some viewers are already emotionally scarred by it. But I do think it’s possible to be dramatic and still respectful and sensitive.”
“While it may initially feel crass to make drama about real-life tragedy, TV shows can often serve purposes other than entertainment.”
Philip’s sentiment is aligned with that of The Crown’s creative team. When HuffPost UK spoke with Benjamin Caron, director of two episodes from season 4 and executive producer on the show, he said: “My approach to these events is always in emotional terms... For me it’s always about the characters, the emotions and that’s what I believe our audiences relate to.”
Advertisement
In dramatic terms, the approach not to show the actual incident is taken because “less is very often more,” reminds Philip. “Seeing the reactions of a close friend and feeling that grief alongside them can be more affecting than watching someone slowly ebb away on camera.
“I think it’s about allowing room for the viewer to fill in the emotional gaps themselves. Personally I find it far more touching to watch someone just about holding it together through the heartache than someone letting rip with a full-on ugly cry.”
Diana, as portrayed by Emma Corrin in season 4 of The Crown. Netflix
For Paul Andrew Williams, who directed two Bafta-winning films about tragic deaths, Murdered By My Boyfriend and Murdered For Being Different, it’s about simply displaying the truth. While it may initially feel crass to make drama about real-life tragedy, TV shows can often serve purposes other than entertainment, he reminds.
“I would definitely say the way I’ve handled it previously... is to tell the truth,” he says of the shows he’s worked on. He adds of The Crown’s forthcoming season 5: “I think it’ll be in good taste and I don’t think they will sensationalise it.
Advertisement
“Drama has a big power to not educate necessarily - but raise awareness” - Director Paul Andrew Williams
“If you turn a tragedy into entertainment it’s a different thing, but drama has a big power to not educate necessarily, but raise awareness,” he says. “Both of those shows, all of these, focused on issues which are very important.”
In Paul’s drama Murdered For Being Different, about the death of 20-year-old Sophie Lancaster who was attacked in a park, he decided to show the actual incident to raise awareness of the issues at play.
“She was beaten up horrifically and we showed the whole thing,” he says. “The parents saw it, gave it their blessing, and I think as long as you’re not making a pop video out of it, and you’re making it like ‘this is what happened,’ I think that’s fine.”
Diana, played by Emma Corrin in The Crown Netflix
Advertisement
Paul says that making a drama about people who are still alive, such as the royals who were directly affected, is always tricky. “Where do you draw the lines in terms of what you show? But it is a drama and it’s not a documentary,” he adds.
Show creators have always asserted exactly that: that this show fictionalises the behind-closed-doors moments of the royals, imagining a world that exists between public events, such as royal births, royal weddings and tragically, royal deaths.
It is because of this dramatic style that they are unlikely to recreate the horrors of that car journey, although the historic significance of the princess’s death and the resulting cultural impacts it had on the entire country - and world - make it impossible to avoid.
“I think people need to see what did happen and what people can do, what other humans can do,” Paul concludes of drama’s ability to represent atrocities and ignite conversations sensitively.
“You can always offend someone and you can always please someone, and you just do your upmost to make sure that you didn’t cause pain to anyone.”
Advertisement


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-11-28--We Left London In 2020. What We Miss (And What We Don't)

HuffPost is part of Verizon Media .
We and our partners will store and/or access information on your device through @ @ @ @ @ similar technologies , to display personalised ads and content , for ad and content measurement @ @ @ @ @ development .
Your personal data that may be used • Information about your device and @ @ @ @ @ IP address • Browsing and search activity while using Verizon Media websites and apps Find @ @ @ @ @ use your information in our Privacy Policy and Cookie Policy .
To enable Verizon Media @ @ @ @ @ your personal data select ' I agree ' , or select 'Manage settings ' for @ @ @ @ @ your choices .
You can change your choices at any time by visiting Your Privacy @ @

HuffPost UK HuffPost UK
They say the grass is greener on the other side – and never has there been a better time to find out, as masses of people have moved out of cities due to the pandemic.
Rents have dropped by as much as 45% in cities and one of the most common conversations during our socially distant walks and Zoom catch-ups is how people are uprooting their life to find solace elsewhere – some are heading to the countryside, others are simply seeking bigger homes with outdoor space.
Advertisement
“We’ve got a three-bedroom house in Rye, near the sea, for half the cost of our one-bedroom rented flat in London,” says Julia Leyland, 30.
HuffPost UK spoke to those who have ditched city life in London this year to find out how they’re getting on: is it all it’s cracked up to be?
‘I’ve saved so much money’
Linda, 26, who preferred not to share her surname, is an analyst and podcaster. She moved from London to the smaller city of Southampton for more space.
Supplied Linda
Advertisement
“I moved to Southampton in April because I wanted more outdoor space. I lived in a flat with no shared garden – and I was living alone, so I decided to stay with my family. Also, with everything shut down, the city doesn’t have much to offer. “I’ve really enjoyed the change in pace that’s come with the move, and I think it will be permanent. I don’t live far from London so I can still access the best bits when things go back to normal (even if it takes a bit more planning) without the living costs! It helps that the pandemic has made it easier to work remotely. “Pros to moving include saving money – eliminating London living, commute, and eating out costs – as well as being able to spend more time with my family. Nature is also more accessible and I have a lot more space in general than when I lived in London. On top of that, since I’ve been here it’s allowed me to focus on myself a lot more. I’ve made time to start a lifestyle podcast. “The cons include less options for activities and dining for spontaneous catch-ups, and networking and socialising has become harder, even in the context were things are back to normal, as most of my friends live in the city.”
‘There’s a total lack of diversity’
Julia Leyland, 30, works in international development. She moved from London to Rye, East Sussex, during the pandemic.
Supplied Julia
“My partner and I decided to temporarily leave London to save money and experience a new place – making the best out of a bad situation. Having visited Rye in East Sussex, we made the decision to move to ‘hipster countryside’ as one of my colleagues put it. We moved two days after the national lockdown, and I quickly realised it was more countryside, less hipster! I’ve spent the past eight years in London, and I’m a neurotic stress-head with a high-pressure job. I quickly learned no-one really cares about that here.
Advertisement
“Something I hadn’t considered (and that I miss considerably) is my anonymity. In London, there are so many people. You can walk around your neighbourhood and most of the people you see, you’ll never see again. In Rye, however, I was on first name terms with the postman after a few weeks! My desk is set-up is by the window and every other person stops and waves at me. They peer in and smile, so I look up from a call to acknowledge them. If I ignore them, will word get around that I am heartless? Another con is the total lack of diversity.
“Having said that, the people are lovely. On move-in day, a woman appeared offering cups of tea for us and the moving men. No one would do something so kind in London! Plus, there’s a brilliant local dog scene. It is beautiful here, but we quickly realised we still have some London years in us yet.” up here, but the Covid restrictions have put a pin in that for now.”
‘I’ve driven an hour through the countryside to track down a Starbucks’
Lauren Lunn Farrow, 33, PR Expert, moved from London to West Berkshire during the pandemic.
Supplied Leaving London
“After 16 years living in London, I knew moving to the country would be a big change. I thought I’d miss Ubers into town last minute to meet friends, or having Oxford Street’s Topshop only 20 minutes from home. But in fact, it has been neither of those I’ve missed. I’ve been in West Berkshire a few weeks now, having left a two-bed flat for a five-bedroom house with half an acre.
“The move has exposed my serious coffee addiction to Starbucks. Seven days into, I drove through the hills on a mission to track down a Starbucks coffee. The hour-round trip was to pick up a large skinny sugar free vanilla latte – part of my daily London diet for 16 years. I was so excited to see the Starbucks sign, I picked up two knowing one would just not be enough. The city girl in me is going to take some time to adapt.
Advertisement
“But, the pandemic has solidified the move for me. The farm shops are open, I’ve located a drive-thru Costa and my lunch break is used to take the dogs out on the downs for a walk. It’s been great to have the slower pace out of London – it makes lockdown easier to navigate. It’s taken a while to get my head around things not being on our doorstep (it’s a 40-minute round trip for a takeaway) but I’ve had enough Deliveroo in London to last me a lifetime so I think I’ll cope!”
‘Remote working has got me reconsidering my original plan of going back to the city’
Amina, 22, who preferred not to share her surname, is a software engineer. She moved from London to Ipswich before lockdown.
Supplied Amina
“I moved out of the city earlier this year. I had the option to move back to London during the first lockdown, but chose not to – simply because of the rules and case spikes there.
“When I moved out of London, I wanted a break from city life and had the opportunity to switch careers. The job was outside of London and while I could commute to work and back, I felt that this was my opportunity to move away from the city and be able to save money regularly for the first time. I wanted to settle into a new industry in a new environment and moving out allowed for that transition to happen successfully and improved my quality of life.
Advertisement
“Remote working has got me reconsidering my original plan of going back to the city, especially given the political climate.”
‘The array of boring chain restaurants here will always be clear’
Sam Kelley, 28, works in commercial partnerships and moved from London to Milton Keynes just before the pandemic.
Supplied Leaving London
“I moved from London to Milton Keynes just before the pandemic because I wanted to buy a house whilst staying within touching distance of London. I’ve loved not having to listen to an ambulance, a police car or a club closing outside my window at 3am, which is what my nights consisted of in zone 2.
“My room in London used to cost me £800 a month, now my mortgage is less than that for a two-bed house. Since the move, the lack of social aspects to town life have surprised me. London had that ‘always something to do’ feel to it that you don’t have in a town. With everything closed, it’s 10-times harder.
Advertisement
“Even when lockdown ends, the array of boring chain restaurants in Milton Keynes will always be clear compared to London. It hasn’t changed my feelings about the move, but I certainly miss commuting a few days a week to enjoy London with my colleagues. Plus, pre-pandemic, if you wanted to see your favourite band, they’d always have a gig in London soon. I can guarantee you my favourite band from South Africa won’t be playing in Milton Keynes.”


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-11-28--12 Ways To Have A Very Merry Christmas (Despite Covid)

LOADING ERROR LOADING
Families across the UK now know they can form “Christmas bubbles” from December 23 to 27 – meaning three households can get together for five days.
Despite the relaxing of rules, many will be refraining from gathering in groups to celebrate what’s being dubbed ‘mini-mas’ instead – while others stay keen to visit their loved ones after what’s been a tough year apart, but know that things will look a little different this year.
Advertisement
For everyone who is planning to spend Christmas on the down-low, there’s plenty you can be doing in the lead up to December 25 to feel festive, despite the tiers and restrictions in place. Here are some ideas to get you started.
1. Go big on decorating
People have been putting their Christmas trees up earlier than ever, and there’s also been a surge in people decorating their entire homes – inside and out – with garlands, wreaths, lights, advent calendars, candles, the lot. Homebase has reported a massive 13,000% increase in searches for Nordic Christmas Gnomes (or Gonks), and they’re a bestseller at Poundland too.
Luxury event planner Charlotte Ricard-Quesada says: “I’m a big believer that decorating my home makes me happier at this time of year with the longer nights – let alone when a global pandemic is around. So get those trees, baubles, wreaths and other decorations out and go for it. It will keep you all busy for a day or two and will put a smile on your face every time you see it. Exactly what we all need now.”
fazeful via Getty Images
Advertisement
2. Make your own wreath
Crafting can be incredibly calming and therapeutic at the best of times, so why not go foraging for some materials to make your own wreath at home? Think evergreen foliage like pine, as well as birch, holly, ivy, hawthorn, eucalyptus, pine cones, dried oranges and cinnamon sticks (granted, you’ll find some of this stuff in your kitchen, rather than the great outdoors).
Florist Emma McDonald, from Stems in Scotland, says preparation is key, so make sure you’ve got everything you need before you start. That includes a strong pair of scissors/secateurs; reel wire; string; ribbon; wreath frame/ring; and your foliage and decorations. You can find step by step instructions on wreath-making here.
3. Set up a hot chocolate station
Christmas-lovers flock to the All About Christmas Facebook group to share what they’ve been doing to prepare for the Big C. This year, there’s been a marked rise in interest for hot chocolate stations, which are exactcaly what they sound like – people setting up lovely trays or cake stands in their living rooms or kitchens with glass jars filled with hot chocolate powder and various sweet toppings: fluffy marshmallows, candy canes, flakes, cinnamon and nutmeg.
This is great one to indulge in, whether you have kids or not.
Emma Lynch
Emma Lynch, from Skelmersdale in Lancashire, made the hot chocolate station above for her daughter. “The jars are from Home Bargains, there are candy canes, snowmen marshmallow toppers, mini marshmallows, chocolate sprinkles and mini cookies,” she tells HuffPost UK.
Advertisement
She also bought festive straws, a Christmas placemat from Matalan, and a festive mug and plate from Poundland to finish off the look – and it’s gone down a hit in her household. “My little girl is absolutely thrilled with it,” she says. “I thought that with Covid restricting where we can visit for Christmas treats, I would bring the treats to her. And it certainly cheered her up.”
4. Visit a Christmas market (online)
Christmas markets might be cancelled IRL, but that doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy the lovely trinkets and gifts that would usually be on offer. Plenty of Christmas markets have moved online this year so you can still bag some festive, handmade gifts for your nearest and dearest.
Check out Bath’s online Christmas market as well as the virtual Christmas markets Facebook group, where Manchester-based stallholders and businesses are selling their wares. It’s a great way to support local businesses too.
romrodinka via Getty Images
5. Plan a community advent calendar
The idea is relatively simply: 25 houses need to sign up in your neighbourhood, with one home responsible for decorating their window and unveiling the display (with their number, of course) for each night of Advent. People in the can then go around and spot the newly revealed window each day – it’s great for kids, but also older adults who find it nice to wave at the little ones from a socially-safe distance. Check out some top tips for setting one up in your street on the Eden Project Communities website.
Advertisement
6. Don’t forget to see Santa
Santa’s grottos are shut, too, but that doesn’t mean your kids can’t see Father Christmas in the run up to the big day. Santa’s Grotto Live is an online experience that allows children to tell Santa, via a personalised video experience, what’s on their Christmas lists this year – he’ll appear live from his home in Lapland and be on hand for individual chats with kids and their families.
Santa’s Calling You also lets you do a live video call with Santa in his North Pole grotto – you simply book a date and time, fill in your details of what you’d like him to know ahead of the call, and wait for the big day. If your kid is shy or a little scared of Santa, they can speak to Mrs Claus or an elf instead.
insta_photos via Getty Images
7. Plan a virtual get together
The run up to Christmas is often wall to wall socialising – sometimes to excess. But this year will be different. In lieu of “friendsmas” – that glorious day in mid-December when you meet up with pals for a big old festive lunch or drinks session, event planner Charlotte Ricard-Quesada suggests planning a Zoom call catch-up with a theme – whether that’s cocktail party, wearing festive headbands, or Christmas jumpers. You could indulge in a digital murder mystery or if you’re not too quizzed out, here are some suggestions for new rounds. ‘Whose Fridge?’ comes highly recommended by the HuffPost office.
Advertisement
8. Do your presents differently
With plenty of people relying on the postman or woman to deliver gifts if they can’t visiting people in person, we predict there’ll be a real focus on one or two high quality items rather than buying lots of cheap tat, which, let’s face it, is bad news for the planet and a logistical nightmare to deliver in one piece.
Advertisement
We also predict a boom in homemade gifts (a product of the second lockdown – so many idle hands!), as well as gift from independent shops, rather than big retailers. Be sure to check out these tips from a professional gift-buyer before you start your own Christmas shopping.
9. Enjoy a Christmas movie marathon
There’s really no excuse not to binge-watch all of your favourite Christmas films throughout December. Why not schedule in a festive film night every Friday in the run up to the big day. If there’s a few of you in the household, put your favourite film names on scraps of paper in a hat and get a different person to pick one out each week.
VeranikaSmirnaya via Getty Images
10. Try baking your own treats
Whether your go-to Christmas sweet treat is a mince pies, Christmas cake, or a juicy Christmas pudding, why not try baking your own this year? You’ve got plenty of time to master the recipe, after all. Grab your ingredients, a big bowl and wooden spoon and you’re good to go. Or if baking’s not your bag, then read our bumper guide to shop-bought minch pies and indulge away.
11. Track Santa on Christmas Eve
To help keep the magic of Christmas alive this year, why not tune in to Facebook to track Santa Claus on Christmas Eve. Join at 6:30pm to see exactly where Santa is on his journey – there will also be shoutouts on the page, and a bedtime reading of ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas’
Advertisement
12. Stick to traditions on Christmas Day
It’s nice keeping to your favourite traditions on Christmas Day, says Ricard-Quesada – “whether you wake up in PJs and open the stockings before getting washed and dressed and start prepping the huge lunch, or the kids burst into your bedroom screaming that Santa has been.”
Know what you like to eat for Christmas Day breakfast? Then make sure you’ve ordered the smoked salmon in. Love to spend the afternoon vegged out in front of the TV? Check out our guide to some of telly treats we’re getting this year.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-11-28--Like Meghan Markle, I Had A Miscarriage. For A Long Time, I Thought I Was 'Okay'

LOADING ERROR LOADING
My second pregnancy ended quietly, with none of the sharp cramps that marked the end of the pregnancy Meghan Markle grieves in her recent New York Times piece. While her life may bear no other resemblance to mine, she, I and at least 20% of women share the tragedy of miscarriage.
But while we share in it, most of us never talk about it. We don’t share it with people; perhaps we even tell ourselves we’re okay. Who would even know to ask “Are you okay?” and start the healing process Meghan describes in her article?
Advertisement
My pregnancy only lasted long enough for my waist to thicken sufficiently that my partner’s mother privately noted that I’d gained a couple of pounds, and for me to crave starchy carbs. An eight-week scan showed a perfectly round, imperfectly empty, egg sac.
“It’s probably too early,” said the gynaecologist, on a Friday evening, in the Spanish clinic in the next town from our vacation rental.
But this pregnancy hadn’t felt right for days. Somehow I knew it wasn’t too early. It was too late. Too late for whatever it was that had begun forming and, it turned out, had stopped, probably at about six weeks, leaving behind the beginnings of the placenta that continued to produce the hormones that were making me want mashed potatoes.
“I’m prepared for the fact there might be nothing there,” I told the doctor. “I know this kind of thing can happen.” He agreed with me, his own wife had experienced two miscarriages before the birth of their children.
Advertisement
Not that anyone asked, but if they had, I’d have said “I’m okay.” And I thought I was. I didn’t cry then, nor at the 10-week scan that showed the blob, now banana-shaped, as my body began to miscarry.
I was “OK.” If OK means feeling not so much sad but a burgeoning sense of secret guilt. Several people would be able to attest to my calm, pragmatic assertion that something had felt off about this pregnancy and that I wasn’t expecting the next scan to find a suddenly less camera-shy foetus. Curled up on the sofa that night as my body set about rejecting the blighted ovum, I said, “I just want it gone.”
Even at the hospital four days later I was fine, smiling even, in a photo taken of me gowned-up on the hospital bed before they put in the pessary that made me nauseous with cramps. It was almost over and I was “okay.” After all, I’d made it without painfully miscarrying at home over the long, and terribly timed, holiday weekend.
But inside, I was stacking up the case against myself. Hadn’t I left it recklessly late to have children, the first at a few years into the “geriatric” pregnancy age range, and this second two years later? “It’s almost as if you wanted to lose a baby,” my internal prosecutor said. “You are aware, surely, of the stats that show a one in three chance of an early miscarriage at your age?”
Was I feeling okay because maybe I hadn’t wanted this baby enough? Or, worse, had I done something to bring about what was called an aborto spontaneo in Spanish ― a spontaneous abortion ― as if it were something my body had carried out at the whim it had detected from the supposed mother?
Advertisement
In the nights after the operation, unable to sleep and googling, phone glowing under the sheets, I found the evidence on spurious websites and forums. It must have been the super-strength ibuprofen tablets I’d taken for a nasty bout of pharyngitis before I knew I was pregnant. Ibuprofen, one site somewhere down the rabbit hole said, could cause problems with cell division in a developing embryo. And what about the raw organic apple cider vinegar I’d gargled at the same time, which another site claimed was potent enough to cause miscarriage? It was my fault. I was my own worst cop, chief prosecutor, judge and jury, sentencing myself to a life of wondering what I should have done differently.
But still, I was okay, I thought. Although when a friend announced her pregnancy on Facebook a few days later, the familiar due date put me off congratulating her for months. Logically I knew these things happen, that I had no reason to think I would have any problems carrying a baby to term in future. But somewhere under the logic, the fear and mistrust had settled in.
Fortunately, by the time my friend’s baby was born a few days before that shared due date, I was three months pregnant. Pregnant and paranoid. I refused to take a home test, knowing now that it could only prove conception and not a successful pregnancy. I booked the first scan as late as I could, at 13 weeks. I only told my partner at ten weeks and no one else found out until it became too physically obvious to pretend.
Even then, I didn’t relax until I’d reached the 28 weeks when a foetus could be considered viable and likely to survive if my body decided to spontaneously terminate again.
I was lucky. My pregnancy resulted in my second, longed-for child, but it was a long time until I was truly okay. Perhaps if I had taken better care of myself by opening up to people and giving them the chance to ask if I was okay, I would have healed faster. I certainly should have been asking myself that question more.
Advertisement
I hope Meghan Markle checks in with herself, and that those supporting her and her husband continue to ask, “Are you okay?” Because miscarriage is short, but the recovery and grieving are long.
This article first appeared on HuffPost Personal


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-11-29--Stricter Tiers Wouldn't Be Needed If People 'Hadn’t Broken The Rules', Says Tory MP

BBC
A Conservative MP has said if people “hadn’t broken the rules” the new strict coronavirus restrictions would not need to be imposed.
Alexander Stafford, the MP for Rother Valley in South Yorkshire said the tier 3 measures imposed on the county would be “absolutely devastating” for local businesses but were needed to save lives.
Advertisement
“Let’s be honest, if people had obeyed the stricter rules, and hadn’t broken the rules, we wouldn’t be in this situation,” he told the BBC’s Politics North programme on Sunday.
“We’ve got to take this seriously, people are still dying,” he said. “I am disappointed we are in tier 3. I am disappointed we have the coronavirus.”
Stafford added “no one is blaming anyone” but “if you ignore the rules you’re endangering lives”.
Naz Shah, the Labour MP for Bradford West, accused Stafford of unfairly blaming the public.
“Instead of accepting the government has failed time and time again, let’s blame the people,” she said. “I’ll give you an example of the best rule breaker, it was Dominic Cummings.”
I can not believe a Tory MP decided to blame the public for #Lockdowns. It is his government that has failed to control the virus NOT THE PUBLIC! #COVID19 #PoliticsNorth #ToryIncompetence pic.twitter.com/OO2vHOFSQv — Naz Shah MP (@NazShahBfd) November 29, 2020
Advertisement
Lilian Greenwood, the Labour MP for Nottingham South added: “With a few exceptions my constituents have stuck to the rules and case numbers have been falling for weeks.
“The government failed to act in Sage advice, failed on track and trace and still haven’t delivered the rapid testing they announced weeks ago.”
MPs will vote on Tuesday whether to approve the new three-tier system of coronavirus rules.
If the government wins, the new rules replacing England’s national lockdown will come into force from Wednesday December 2.
Under the system, the country will be split into tier 1, tier 2 and tier 3.
In total, almost 99% of England’s population will enter tier 2 or 3, with tight restrictions on bars and restaurants and a ban on households mixing indoors.
Only the Isle of Wight, Cornwall, and the Isles of Scilly will be under the lightest tier 1 controls, while large swathes of the midlands, north east and north west are in the most restrictive tier 3.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-11-29--Labour Will Not Vote Against New Coronavirus Tiers, Says Shadow Minister

Boris Johnosn may have to rely on Labour leader Kier Starmer (pictured) to win the vote. House of Commons - PA Images via Getty Images
Labour will not vote against Boris Johnson’s new three-tier system of coronavirus restrictions, a shadow minister has confirmed.
The prime minister is facing a significant rebellion from Tory MPs when the measures, due to come into force from December 2, are put to parliament on Tuesday.
Advertisement
Such the scale of Conservative opposition, Johnson could be forced to rely on Keir Starmer’s Labour win the vote.
And Jim McMahon, the shadow transport secretary, said on Sunday it would be “illogical” for Labour to vote against the government and there was “no” chance it would.
Starmer is due to meet with Chris Whitty, the chief medical adviser, on Monday to “understand the evidence” behind the tiered system, McMahon added.
Labour could still abstain however, and shadow foreign secretary Lisa Nandy said the party was seeking “clarity” about the new tier system and warned support was “not unconditional”.
Advertisement
Johnson has told Conservative MPs the new strict tiered system of local restrictions are necessary to avoid a third “damaging″ national lockdown.
But in an attempt to soften the growing Tory rebellion against the plan, the prime minister said it would be reviewed at the “end of January”.
In a letter to MPs, he said the restrictions, which split England into tier 1, tier 2 and tier 3, would legally “sunset” on February 3 and would need parliament’s approval to continue.
The government has said it believes the tiered restrictions will need to remain in place until the end of March to control the virus.
Almost 99% of England’s population will be placed into into tier 2 or 3 from December 2 when the nationwide lockdown ends. Only the Isle of Wight, Cornwall, and the Isles of Scilly will be under the lightest tier 1 controls.
Advertisement
Parliament will vote to approve the new system on Tuesday, and Johnson said the government would publish “further analysis of the health, economic and social impacts” of the restrictions in an attempt to keep Tory MPs onboard.
Several senior Tories have expressed opposition to the measures, including the 1922 Committee chairman Sir Graham Brady who said he wanted to see people “treated as adults” and trusted with their own health decisions.
Pauline Latham, Conservative MP for Mid Derbyshire, said on Sunday she “might” support the government in a vote on the tiered measures if “more evidence” is laid out.
Speaking about the new system on Times Radio, McMahon said: “It would be illogical to vote against it, because essentially, there wouldn’t be any restrictions in place.
“And we know in large parts of the country, including my own town here in Oldham, you know that the infection rates are still too high.
Advertisement
“We need to bring down the spread of the virus we need to keep people safe.”
He added: “But we’re also very clear with the government that they need to do far more to give people the support to do the right thing.”
Asked to confirm there was no suggestion no question the party would vote against the government on Tuesday, he said: “No, not on the basis of the the tier system that we have seen.”
Johnson has also committed to reviewing the tier imposed on “every local authority area and each region” on December 16.
The prime minister will announce any changes to the tiers on Thursday December 17 and they will come into effect on Saturday December 19.
“We will set out publicly the circumstances that need to change in each region for it to be considered to move down a tier,” he said.
Advertisement
“No prime minister wants to impose restrictions which cause such harm to society, the economy and people’s mental health.
“The tougher tiers, which must cover much of the country because of high prevalence, will continue to limit social mixing, and hit pubs and bars particularly hard.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-11-29--Boris Johnson Uses Series Of Bizarre War Metaphors In Defence Of New Coronavirus Restrictions

LOADING ERROR LOADING
Boris Johnson has warned there will be “disastrous consequences” if new tiered coronavirus restrictions aren’t introduced this week.
Never the one to waste the opportunity of using five words when two will do, the PM used a series of obscure war references to warn of the potential “disastrous consequences for the NHS”.
Advertisement
Johnson who faces a Commons showdown with his own MPs over the stringent measures, used a column in the Mail on Sunday urged the nation to “work together” with tiering, testing and vaccines.
He stressed that it was too early to relax restrictions, but said he believed Easter would mark a “real chance to return to something like life as normal”.
In what appears to be a reference to the ending of the 60s classic The Great Escape, he wrote: “We are so nearly out of our captivity. We can see the sunlit upland pastures ahead.
“But if we try to jump the fence now, we will simply tangle ourselves in the last barbed wire, with disastrous consequences for the NHS.”
Advertisement
And perhaps thinking his previous efforts were a bit... obvious, he likened the development of effective vaccines to the “morale-boosting bugle-blasting excitement of Wellington’s Prussian allies coming through the woods on the afternoon of Waterloo”.
There were some other notable themes in the letter, not least the volcano reference.
″“We can’t blow it now,” he wrote.
“We can’t just throw it all away – not when freedom is in sight. We have worked too hard, lost too many, sacrificed too much, just to see our efforts incinerated in another volcanic eruption of the virus.”
His comments came as he attempted to head off a rebellion by offering parliament another chance to vote on the restrictions early next year, saying the legislation will have a “sunset of February 3”.
He also said that at the first review of the measures on December 16 he would move areas down a tier where there is “robust evidence” that coronavirus is in sustained decline.
PA
Advertisement
Johnson wrote to Tory MPs on Saturday night ahead of a crunch Commons vote on the restrictions on Tuesday, when scores of them could rebel.
They are angry at that so much of the country will be under stringent restrictions when the national lockdown ends.
Johnson said the government will review local areas’ tiers every fortnight and bring the regulations before Parliament after the fourth review on January 27 which will determine whether the tier system stays in place until the end of March.
He also said the first such review, on December 16, would consider the views of local directors of public health, with a final decision on whether any areas should change tiers made at a Cabinet committee. The changes would come into effect on December 19.
In a further olive branch to MPs, the PM committed to publish more data and outline what circumstances need to change for an area to move down a tier, as well analysis of the health, economic and social impacts of the measures taken to suppress coronavirus.
Advertisement
Only the Isle of Wight, Cornwall, and the Isles of Scilly will be under the lightest Tier 1 controls, while large swathes of the Midlands, North East and North West are in the most restrictive Tier 3.
In total, 99% of England will enter Tier 2 or 3, with tight restrictions on bars and restaurants and a ban on households mixing indoors when the four-week national lockdown lifts on Wednesday.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-11-29--Star Wars' Mark Hamill Leads Tributes To Darth Vader Actor Dave Prowse

LOADING ERROR LOADING
Star Wars legend Mark Hamill has led the tributes to his former co-star Dave Prowse, who has died at the age of 85.
Dave played Darth Vader in the original Star Wars trilogy, while James Earl Jones provided the character’s voice.
Advertisement
On Sunday, Dave’s agent confirmed that he had died following a short illness, with tributes being paid by many of those who worked with him over the years.
Dave Prowse and Mark Hamill pictured in 2007 Shutterstock
This included Luke Skywalker himself, with Mark Hamill tweeting: “So sad to hear David Prowse has passed. He was a kind man & much more than Darth Vader.
“Actor-Husband-Father-Member of the Order of the British Empire-3 time British Weightlifting Champion & Safety Icon the Green Cross Code Man. He loved his fans as much as they loved him.”
Advertisement
So sad to hear David Prowse has passed. He was a kind man & much more than Darth Vader. Actor-Husband-Father-Member of the Order of the British Empire-3 time British Weightlifting Champion & Safety Icon the Green Cross Code Man. He loved his fans as much as they loved him. #RIP pic.twitter.com/VbDrGu6iBz — Mark Hamill (@HamillHimself) November 29, 2020
He was also remembered by the Peter Mayhew Foundation, an organisation set up in memory of the actor who played Chewbacca.
Sharing a photo of Peter and Dave on set with R2-D2 actor Kenny Baker, who died in 2016,, they tweeted: “RIP Dave Prowse. I hope you’re up there sharing a pint and a story with the boys.”
RIP Dave Prowse. I hope you’re up there sharing a pint and a story with the boys. #DarthVader #DaveProwse #RIPDaveProwse #StarWars pic.twitter.com/XoUtq2YihW — Peter Mayhew Foundation (@TheWookieeRoars) November 29, 2020
Others from the Star Wars universe – including Carl Weathers and Daniel Logan – have also paid their respects, while many remembered Dave’s role as the “Green Cross Code man”, for which he was awarded an MBE in 2000:
Advertisement
RIP David Prowse. That stature contributed so much to Darth Vader’s legend. #BePeace https://t.co/0YWlZVolRV — Carl Weathers (@TheCarlWeathers) November 29, 2020
Sad to hear of the passing of a #StarWars family member. RIP Dave Prowse. Darth Vader wouldn't be the same without you in the costume. We had many fun times & laughs at cons together over the years. Glad to have been able to call you a friend. Rest now and be one with the Force! pic.twitter.com/st28CQGckF — Daniel Logan (@Daniel_Logan) November 29, 2020
As a kid Dave Prowse couldn’t be more famous to me; stalking along corridors as evil incarnate in the part of Darth Vader & stopping a whole generation of kiddies from being mown down in street as the Green Cross Code man. Rest in Peace, Bristol’s finest. https://t.co/VYdxM37JWb — edgarwright (@edgarwright) November 29, 2020
Rest well, Dave Prowse x. I once heard something I've tried hard to remember. If one can live a life that aims to do very little harm, then one might contribute a lot that's positive. Mr Prowse seemed to embody this modesty for me. It's no small thing to tell good stories. — Stephen McGann (@StephenMcGann) November 29, 2020
In the early 1960s, Dave represented England in the weightlifting field at the Commonwealth Games, and years later decided to break into the world of acting.
Advertisement
He eventually won the role of Darth Vader after Star Wars producers were impressed by his 6′6″ physique, but the franchise’s creator George Lucas wasn’t sure Dave’s voice (or West Country accent) were right for the role, which is why James Earl Jones was later cast.
It’s said that Dave was invited to audition for the roles of Darth Vader and Chewbacca after George Lucas spotted the actor playing a bodyguard in the film A Clockwork Orange.
Asked why he opted to play Darth Vader over Chewie, the star claimed: “You always remember the bad guys.”
Dave is survived by his wife, Norma, and their three children.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-11-29--More Than 10,000 Turkeys To Be Culled After Bird Flu Outbreak On North Yorkshire Farm

Nick David via Getty Images
Thousands of turkeys are to be culled at a farm in North Yorkshire due to an outbreak of avian flu.
All 10,500 birds at the premises will be “humanely culled” to limit the spread of the disease, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) said.
Public Health England (PHE) and the Food Standards Agency have assured consumers that avian influenzas pose a very low risk to people, and that properly cooked poultry products including eggs are safe to eat.
Advertisement
A Defra statement said: “Avian influenza of the H5N8 strain was confirmed at a turkey fattening premises near Northallerton on Saturday November 28.
“A 3km and 10km temporary control zone has been put in place around the infected site to limit the risk of the disease spreading.”
The statement said there is not anticipated to be any impact on the supplies of turkeys or other birds over Christmas.
UK chief veterinary officer, Christine Middlemiss, who advises the government on animal welfare, said “immediate steps” were taken to stop the disease from spreading when it was detected at the farm on Saturday.
Advertisement
She added: “Bird keepers should remain alert for any signs of disease, report suspected disease immediately and ensure they are maintaining good biosecurity on their premises.
“We are urgently looking for any evidence of disease spread associated with this farm to control and eliminate it.”
Dr Gavin Dabrera, consultant in acute respiratory infections at PHE, said the World Health Organisation has never confirmed a case of the avian flu strain (H5N8) in humans.
He said: “As a precaution the local Health Protection Team will offer routine health advice to those working on the farm. We will work with Defra to monitor the situation closely.”
A detailed investigation is in progress to determine the most likely source of this outbreak, but Defra has said it does not anticipate any impact on the supplies of turkeys or other birds over Christmas.
Advertisement


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-11-29--Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden Admits Concerns Over The Crown Season 4

LOADING ERROR LOADING
Culture secretary Oliver Dowden has expressed concerns about the most recent series of The Crown, specifically claiming the show should be more explicit about its fictional elements.
The fourth season of the royal Netflix drama debuted earlier this month, and received rave reviews from critics.
Advertisement
However, others – including presenter Piers Morgan and Princess Diana’s brother Earl Spencer – have called out the show for not being clear enough about certain storylines that could be interpreted as factual, despite being invented purely for the show.
Emma Corrin, Olivia Colman and Gillian Anderson in The Crown Netflix
Dowden, Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), told the Mail On Sunday: “[The Crown] is a beautifully produced work of fiction, so as with other TV productions, Netflix should be very clear at the beginning it is just that.
“Without this, I fear a generation of viewers who did not live through these events may mistake fiction for fact.”
Advertisement
Oliver Dowden Mark Kerrison via Getty Images
The most recent series of The Crown introduces both Princess Diana and former prime minister Margaret Thatcher, played by Emma Corrin and Gillian Anderson, respectively.
Dowden’s statement echoes comments from Diana’s brother, Earl Spencer, who recently told Lorraine Kelly: “I think it would help The Crown an enormous amount if, at the beginning of each episode, it stated that: ‘This isn’t true but it is based around some real events’.
“I worry people do think [the show] is gospel, and that’s unfair.”
Responding to reports claiming the real-life royals were “not happy” with the way certain events were depicted on screen, Emma Corrin said last week: “I think for everyone in the The Crown, we always try and remind everyone that the series we are in is fictionalised, to a great extent.
“Obviously it has its roots in reality and in some fact, but Peter Morgan’s scripts are works of fiction.”
Advertisement


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-11-29--Dominic Raab Refuses To Rule Out Third National Lockdown

TOLGA AKMEN via Getty Images
Dominic Raab has refused to rule out a third national lockdown if there is another wave of the coronavirus pandemic in the new year.
The foreign secretary, who took charge of the government when Boris Johnson was hospitalised with Covid-19 earlier this year, told BBC One’s The Andrew Marr Show there was a “risk” of a third wave “if we don’t get the balance right”.
Advertisement
He said: “But so far the R level is coming down – that’s really important – and that’s why we’re starting with the tiered approach.”
But asked whether there would be another national lockdown if people fail to comply with the rules, Raab said: “We’re doing everything we can to avoid that.”
It came as Johnson attempted to head off a Tory rebellion by offering parliament another chance to vote on the restrictions early next year, saying the legislation will have a “sunset of February 3”.
He also said that at the first review of the measures on December 16 he would move areas down a tier where there is “robust evidence” that coronavirus is in sustained decline.
Advertisement
Johnson wrote to Tory MPs on Saturday night ahead of a crunch Commons vote on the restrictions on Tuesday, when scores of them could rebel.
They are angry at that so much of the country will be under stringent restrictions when the national lockdown ends.
Johnson said the government will review local areas’ tiers every fortnight and bring the regulations before parliament after the fourth review on January 27 which will determine whether the tier system stays in place until the end of March.
He also said the first such review, on December 16, would consider the views of local directors of public health, with a final decision on whether any areas should change tiers made at a Cabinet committee. The changes would come into effect on December 19.
In a further olive branch to MPs, the prime minister committed to publish more data and outline what circumstances need to change for an area to move down a tier, as well analysis of the health, economic and social impacts of the measures taken to suppress coronavirus.
Advertisement
Several senior Tories have expressed opposition to the measures, including the 1922 Committee chairman Sir Graham Brady who said he wanted to see people “treated as adults” and trusted with their own health decisions.
Pauline Latham, Conservative MP for Mid Derbyshire, said she “might” support the government in a vote on the tiered measures if “more evidence” is laid out.
Asked how strong the anger is among MPs and how many might rebel, she said: “I think it will depend very much on what Boris does between now and Tuesday.”
She added that “people are not happy” and that MPs are “only reflecting what their constituents are saying to them”.
Shadow foreign secretary Lisa Nandy said Labour was seeking “clarity” about the new tier system ahead of this week’s vote, warning her party’s support was “not unconditional”.
Advertisement
Only the Isle of Wight, Cornwall, and the Isles of Scilly will be under the lightest tier 1 controls, while large swathes of the Midlands, North East and North West are in the most restrictive tier 3.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-11-29--HRVY Was 'Told Off' By Strictly Bosses After Being Caught On Camera 'Failing To Social Distance'

LOADING ERROR LOADING
Strictly Come Dancing star HRVY has revealed he got a “telling off” from the BBC over behind-the-scenes photos in which he seemingly failed to social distance from his co-stars.
Earlier this month, HRVY and Janette Manrara were caught on camera with Maisie Smith and Gorka Marquez, walking closely together without wearing masks.
Advertisement
The pictures made headlines at the time, with media outlets pointing out the stars looked to be less than two metres apart from one another.
Strictly’s Maisie Smith & HRVY break social distancing after show's Covid chaos https://t.co/Doltxmi7YE — The Sun Showbiz (@TheSunShowbiz) November 13, 2020
Speaking to PA News, HRVY addressed the photos, and claimed they had led to him being reprimanded by the BBC.
“It was me and a couple of other pros going from one studio to the next studio outside, and obviously we try our best to socially distance when we are walking around the studios and outside but obviously when you are walking and talking you don’t even realise,” he explained.
Advertisement
“But no one touched each other. I just think we were maybe slightly closer than two metres while we were talking.
“But also the cameras, when you get a picture taken of you it can make you look a lot closer than you actually are.”
HRVY BBC
He added: “The BBC told us off and everything is all good and everyone is trying their best to maintain all the rules and regulations. We are all good. We are all OK.”
HRVY’s Strictly journey got off to a bumpy start, with the singer contracting coronavirus shortly before filming began.
Advertisement
Fortunately, he tested negative just before the pre-recorded launch show took place, meaning he was able to go ahead with the series.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-11-29--Strictly Craig Revel Horwood Throws Serious Shade At Anton Du Beke As Motsi Mabuse Returns

LOADING ERROR LOADING
Advertisement
Motsi has now returned to the Strictly ballroom, prompting a typically cutting comment from Craig.
As Craig critiqued Bill Bailey’s most recent performance, some members of the cast and crew were heard voicing their disapproval, to which the judge joked: “Is that Anton booing from the cheap seats, darling?”
“Sorry, Anton,” he continued. “But you’re no longer up here.”
THE SHADE CRAIG THREW AT ANTON! 🤣 pic.twitter.com/SLXDwOznmu — BBC Strictly ✨ (@bbcstrictly) November 28, 2020
The studio then descended into mass booing, with Tess Daly commenting: “He loves that sound.”
“That’s more like it,” Craig added with a grin. “That fills me with excitement.”
Craig previously teased that Anton might be “like Trump… hard to get rid of” when the time came for the regular professional to hang up his judging paddle.
Craig Revel Horwood and Anton Du Beke BBC
Advertisement
Saturday night’s live show saw HRVY and Janette Manrara smash a Strictly record previously held by Debbie McGee and Giovanni Pernice, landing the earliest perfect score in the show’s history.
Sadly, not everyone had such a strong week, though, with Radio 1 presenter and Strictly fan favourite Clara Amfo and her partner Aljaž Škorjanec landing at the bottom of the leaderboard for the second week in a row.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-11-29--13 Tweets That Will Make So Much Sense To Introverts

If you’re an introvert, you value your alone time. You tend to think before you speak. You’d much rather socialise one-on-one than in a group. A phone call is probably your worst nightmare. But most of all, you are silently strong.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-11-29--Dave Prowse, Star Wars' Original Darth Vader, Has Died Aged 85

LOADING ERROR LOADING
Star Wars actor Dave Prowse, best known for portraying Darth Vader in the original sci-fi trilogy, has died at the age of 85.
Dave appeared as the villainous Darth Vader in the first three Star Wars films, with James Earl Jones providing the character’s voice.
Advertisement
His agent said that Dave – who previously trained as a weightlifter before turning to acting – had died on Saturday, following a short illness.
Dave Prowse pictured in 2008 Julian Makey/Shutterstock
“May the force be with him, always!” his agent Thomas Bowington said in a statement.
“Though famous for playing many monsters – for myself, and all who knew Dave and worked with him, he was a hero in our lives.”
He went on to describe Dave’s death as a “truly and deeply heart-wrenching loss for us and millions of fans all over the world”.
Advertisement
In the early 1960s, Dave represented England in the weightlifting field at the Commonwealth Games, and years later decided to break into the world of acting.
He eventually won the role of Darth Vader after Star Wars producers were impressed by his 6′6″ physique, but the franchise’s creator George Lucas wasn’t sure Dave’s voice (or West Country accent) were right for the role, which is why James Earl Jones was later cast.
It’s said that Dave was invited to audition for the roles of Darth Vader and Chewbacca after George Lucas spotted the actor playing a bodyguard in the film A Clockwork Orange.
Asked why he opted to play Darth Vader over Chewie, the star claimed: “You always remember the bad guys.”
Advertisement
Dave was also the subject of the 2015 documentary I Am Your Father.
Dave Prowse received an MBE for services to charity and road safety from Queen Elizabeth II in 2000 PA
Some may also remember Dave as the first ever Green Cross Code man, a character invented to help children better understand road safety.
Because of this campaign, he was awarded an MBE in 2000.
Dave is survived by his wife, Norma, and their three children.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-11-29--People On Lowest Incomes Unable To Get Self-Isolation Grants Due To 'Admin Error'

LOADING ERROR LOADING
An admin error has left people on benefits and low income unable to access the government’s self-isolating support grant in yet another NHS Test and Trace blunder.
It was claimed up to four million vulnerable people in England could be eligible for the £500 grant when prime minister Boris Johnson announced the Test and Trace Support Payment in September.
Advertisement
However, those asked to self-isolate by local track and trace teams have been unable to access the cash because local councils cannot provide an NHS Test and Trace code.
Likewise, people asked to self-isolate by the NHS Test and Trace app are also not given reference codes because, due to the app being voluntary, there is no way of knowing who receives an alert.
The scheme, which runs until the end of January, is only accessible to people told to self-isolate by NHS Test and Trace directly and not those automatically notified by the app.
Anna Stevenson, a welfare benefit expert from anti-poverty charity Turn2us, said: “It is ridiculous that if you are told to isolate by the national phone line you get support, but if you are told by the app, or a local official, you don’t get any support.
Advertisement
“The government needs to fix this as soon as possible, because without the correct financial support people are going to struggle to self-isolate.”
Applicants for the grant must be claiming specific benefits and provide their council with a bank statement, proof of employment and evidence of being self-employed or unable to work from home.
In England, the scheme can only be accessed by people receiving Universal Credit, Working Tax Credit, income-based Employment and Support Allowance, income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance, Income Support, Housing Benefit and/or Pension Credit.
Hannah Grieveson Hannah Grieveson
Hannah Grieveson, a 29-year-old hairdresser from Wallsend, applied for the grant days after testing positive for Covid-19 and being told to self-isolate in October.
Advertisement
But, more than one month on, her claim has still not been approved by North Tyneside Council, who told her the reference ID she was given in relation to her test was wrong.
She said: “It has been totally devastating. I was unable to work because I was self-isolating and now we’ve gone into another lockdown. I’ve had to claim benefits for the first time in my life, but Universal Credit only covers roughly a quarter of my loss of earnings.
“When I heard back from the council about the grant, they said it was the wrong reference code, but they haven’t told me how to find the right one – I just want to say ‘help us’, how am I supposed to find it?”
Grieveson’s hairdressing business has been put on hold because of lockdown and she has been relying on Universal Credit to survive.
“It is ridiculous that if you are told to isolate by the national phone line you get support, but if you are told by the app, or a local official, you don’t get any support” - Anna Stevenson, Turn2us
Advertisement
Nicola Wood, a 40-year-old NHS nurse from Nottinghamshire, helped her husband, Steven, apply for the self-isolation grant when they both tested positive for the virus in October.
The claim was rejected by Broxtowe Borough Council, which informed them it had been “unable to verify [the] NHS Track and Trace ID number” and “there is no right to appeal”.
She said: “It was just another stress for us and, having spoken to other people who have applied for the grant, everyone has been told the reference number is wrong.”
After contacting their MP, they submitted a second application, which was also turned down – this time because Wood had received 80 per cent of a director’s salary from his business under the furlough scheme.
“This grant would be a real lifeline to us, but we have been left out because my husband was paid part of his director’s salary, which is only normally £700 a month anyway,” Wood added.
Advertisement
“And because he was honest about when he did and didn’t work, some months that only worked out as about £200 or £300.
“They take dividends into account when deciding whether or not someone can claim benefits but, when it comes to providing support, they just aren’t interested.”
Campaign group ExcludedUK has been campaigning since May on behalf of nearly three million people it says have received little or no financial support during the pandemic.
Co-founder Aron Padley said: “It’s an obvious irony that we might now have a vaccine ready before the government has closed those gaps in support, or even corrected the systemic failures of NHS Test and Trace.
“For anyone that has been denied previous support, and is now prevented from working, even £500 is a lot of money.”
Advertisement
Low income thinktank Resolution Foundation’s Maja Gustafsson said that while the £500 grant was a “generous and welcome innovation”, just one in eight workers are eligible for it.
She added: “Take-up among those who are entitled is disappointingly low – due in part to administrative errors, coupled with a lack of publicity.
“A good policy on its own isn’t enough – communication, public awareness and effective implementation are equally important.”
A panel of experts told the Work and Pensions Committee last week that “almost no one” is receiving the payment, due to administrative errors and a lack of public awareness.
The issue was raised in parliament last week when the Liberal Democrats’ spokesperson for environment, food and rural affairs, Tim Farron, described it as a “flaw in the system”.
Advertisement
He told ministers: “[It] is preventing many people from making the choices that they need to make to keep everybody safe, while also putting food on the table.”
When asked how many people had successfully claimed the grant, the Department of Health and Social Care said the figures are not routinely published.
A spokesperson said: “NHS Test and Trace contact tracers will make people they contact aware of the potential support available to those who are eligible, including where they need to go to apply.
“We have also provided support for local authorities to advertise the scheme through their own networks.
“We are actively exploring ways to expand the payment scheme to include those who are advised by the app to self-isolate because of close contact with somebody who has tested positive.”


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-11-29--HRVY Makes Strictly Come Dancing History With His Stunning Couple's Choice Routine

HRVY made Strictly Come Dancing history with his impressive performance in Saturday night’s live show.
He and his partner Janette Manrara performed their Couple’s Choice routine in this week’s show, which was set to Coldplay’s A Sky Full Of Stars, and landed a perfect score from the judges.
Advertisement
While HRVY and Janette a standing ovation from Shirley Ballas and Motsi Mabuse, Craig Revel Horwood told the pop singer he was the “GOAT”, with each of the judges awarding the duo 10 points.
This made them the first couple to bag a perfect score just six weeks into the competition, beating a record previously held by Debbie McGee and Giovanni Pernice, who won 40 out of 40 in 2017 for their week 10 performance.
Sadly, not everybody had such a good week on the Strictly dance floor.
Radio 1 presenter and Strictly fan favourite Clara Amfo marked a second week at the bottom of the leaderboard, after she and partner Aljaž Škorjanec took on the Jive to a Tina Turner classic.
Advertisement
They bagged 19 points overall, an improvement on last week’s 18, but still the lowest score of the night.
Elsewhere, it was another strong night for former EastEnders star Maisie Smith, who earned a near-perfect score of 29 for her Quickstep, while JJ Chalmers was in third place on the leaderboard for his Viennese Waltz (which he performed in a kilt, no less).
Find out how the seven remaining pairs have fared in the voting in Sunday night’s results show, airing at 7.25pm on BBC One.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-11-29--Gambling Is A Women's Problem Too. Lockdown Made It Worse

As a military wife, Mina*, 35, was often left home alone with two children under the age of three. Her husband Raj was away for work a lot, and when the family moved to Wales, she was far from relatives and friends, too. Desperately lonely, Mina sought an escape online – in gambling.
It started quietly. Working long night shifts as a carer, she would place bets of £20 to pass the time. Soon, all her weekly wages were being funnelled into her addiction. After gambling away a £5,000 loan intended for a housing deposit in two days, she had no choice but to tell her husband.
Advertisement
“I felt so helpless,” says Mina, who had to explain how she had maxed out her account and a secret credit card. “My husband wasn’t a professional and couldn’t understand – we would argue because I would promise him that I wouldn’t place another bet and then go and do it again the next day.”
After four years of broken promises and repeated relapses, Mina attempted to take her own life in March 2019. “As a problem gambler I don’t think you can say that you are ever cured,” says the mother-of-two, who has now been in recovery for 18 months.“You have to live and fight with it every day.”
Marcos Calvo via Getty Images
Two million people in the UK are thought to be either problem gamblers or at risk of addiction. Over the past five years, the number of women reporting a problem has risen at more than twice the rate of men, from 2,303 in 2014/15 to 3,109 in 2019, according to figures from Gamcare, which also provides support and treatment for gambling related harms.
Advertisement
“Problem gambling starts when someone starts to depend on gambling to change a low mood for the better, then they develop a dependency on it,” explains Liz Karter, a therapist who specialises in this area. “It is a coping strategy that goes horribly wrong.”
Almost 70% of women who gamble use apps and websites, with slots a firm favourite – accounting for nearly half of all online activity reported by women.
The Gordon Moody Association, which helps problem gamblers, has seen a huge surge in demand since the pandemic, with a rise in women accessing its services – a YouGov study published in July 2019 found that among women with a gambling problem, around a third (35%) were from a BAME background.
“It has all been so secretive,” says Mina, who has told only immediate family about her problem. Lockdown made reaching out more difficult due to the lack of face-to face contact with her family, she adds, and she is grateful for the online counselling sessions that have helped her though a difficult year.
Prostock-Studio via Getty Images
Advertisement
When Cathy* from Leicester lost her job as manager of a betting shop, she never once thought it could be due to her own gambling problem.
It was only several years later when she turned to gambling as a means of dealing with her health anxiety that she realised she was an addict.
She had promised her wife Vicky that she would invest a £20,000 inheritance she’d received from her grandmother into a Help-to-Buy ISA. But Cathy gambled the money away, losing more than £200,000 in two years.
Unable to pay their rent, refused credit loans and with more than 10 credit cards registered under both their names, Cathy finally came clean to her wife. Her mum took out a loan, she and Vicky entered counselling together, but despite the support of her family, Cathy struggled to fight the urge to stop gambling.
“I would sit in couples counselling and lie promising that I hadn’t gambled thinking the whole time about the bets I had placed,” says the 36-year-old.
Advertisement
“Many say they wish they had a drug or an alcohol problem, because then people would comprehend just how addictive gambling can be.” - Liz Karter, therapist
At her lowest point, when she was caught stealing from her mother’s bank account, Cathy contemplated suicide. “I didn’t know any other way out of it because I didn’t like the person that I was,” she reflects. “I lied and I cheated everybody. It took over my life to the point that I didn’t want to live anymore.”
She credits Gordon Moody staff with saving her life. “Admitting I had a gambling addiction was one of the hardest things I have ever had to do,” she says. “I feel so ashamed of what I have done and I feel so much guilt – it is such a hard addiction to get over and it is so easy to hide.”
Exceptionally high levels of guilt and shame can stop women coming forward for treatment, says Liz Karter, who suggests it is society’s misconception that gambling is always a conscious choice.
“Often women tell me that they’ve tried to talk about their problem with a friend or a family member and people don’t understand why they do it,” says Karter. “Many say they wish they had a drug or an alcohol problem, because then people would comprehend just how addictive gambling can be.
Advertisement
Vladimir Sukhachev via Getty Images
The idea of gambling as a ‘man’s problem’ also leads to fewer women seeking help – with a higher proportion of women than men citing stigma as a barrier.
“It’s not seen as something that women do, but yet you watch television all day every day and women are bombarded and targeted by all-singing all-dancing pink fluffy adverts enticing them into bingo sites,” says Kelly Field, 38.
The mother-of-one from the north West believes the visibility of gambling advertising throughout lockdown, at a time when people may be furloughed or working from home, but financially precarious, has been highly irresponsible.
Field lost nearly £70,000 gambling after taking some extended time off work. She immersed herself in the anonymity of gambling apps – a world away from the traditionally male-dominated bookies and betting shops – spending up to eight hours a day on her phone.
Advertisement
“You can be sat there and no matter what is going on in the real world nobody online knows what is happening in your life; nobody knows who you are,” says the 38-year-old, who used multiple credit cards and her overdraft to fund her addiction. “You can just sit and play – that is the danger in it.”
Even though there is no one-size fits all approach, seeking help will be the best thing you do, suggests Wight, who with the support of Beacon Counselling Trust, started talking therapy and is now in recovery. “There is a lot of shame and guilt attached to being a female gambler, but there is light at the end of the tunnel,” she says. “You can live gamble-free.”
*Some names have been changed and surnamed omitted to offer anonymity.
The National Gambling Helpline provides information, advice and support for anyone affected by gambling harms. Advisers are available 24 hours a day on freephone 0808 8020 133 or via web chat at www.gamcare.org.uk.
Useful websites and helplines
Mind, open Monday to Friday, 9am-6pm on 0300 123 3393.
Samaritans offers a listening service which is open 24 hours a day, on 116 123 (UK and ROI - this number is FREE to call and will not appear on your phone bill).
CALM (the Campaign Against Living Miserably) offer a helpline open 5pm-midnight, 365 days a year, on 0800 58 58 58, and a webchat service.
Advertisement
The Mix is a free support service for people under 25. Call 0808 808 4994 or email help@themix.org.uk


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-11-29--Trying To Marry My Incarcerated Partner During Covid-19 Was A Nightmare, But Love Prevailed

Courtesy of Chelsea Moore The author and her husband in the prison visit room before visits closed indefinitely due to COVID-19.
In January of this year, I printed out Department of Corrections (DOC) Form 20-213: Marriage Application for Intended Spouse.
Like any other official form, it asked me, “the intended spouse,” for my full legal name and birthday. On the next line, instead of asking for the full legal name of “the other intended spouse,” it read, “Offender Name.” In lieu of a birthday, I filled in his DOC number ― something my partner, Chris, has carried with him since he was first incarcerated at the age of 12.
Advertisement
I intended to marry the kindest, most creative and loving person I know, who also happens to be serving his 17th year of a 45-year prison sentence. Before we could even secure a marriage certificate like any free-world couple has to, we also had to go through the process of assembling our DOC marriage packet.
The packet mostly consisted of me stating, in form after form, that I know why Chris is incarcerated and answering questions like, “How do [I] feel about marrying an offender?”
Having worked on Chris’ case for quite some time now, I know it like the back of my hand. I’ve even read his entire juvenile file — which, at 335 pages, is 100 pages longer than the dissertation I’m currently writing.
In our society, “prison wives” are looked upon with a mixture of morbid curiosity and outright repulsion. Under the guise of “safety and security,” the criminal justice system is set up to tell us again and again: Prisoners are not human, prisoners are not lovable, prisoners are not “us.” How else can we as a society incarcerate 2.2 million people?
Advertisement
We are told constantly through media and education that all people in prison are irredeemable monsters. To fall in love with one of “them” disrupts that narrative. The unlovable suddenly become worthy of love.
“In our society, 'prison wives' are looked upon with a mixture of morbid curiosity and outright repulsion.”
In order to maintain the comforting feeling that what we’re doing to these people is justified because they are “other,” those of us who love incarcerated people are framed as broken and disturbed.
DOC Form 20-213 even asks if we’ve had a past history of abuse.
Unsurprisingly and concerningly, this repulsion toward people who love someone in prison extends to the DOC. They’ve erected a hostile bureaucratic labyrinth to try to deter people from marrying.
Yet to the chagrin of prison administrators, the Supreme Court has a pesky habit of ruling access to marriage a fundamental right. In fact, it is one of the few you do not lose upon incarceration.
Advertisement
In the 1987 landmark decision Turner v. Safely, the Supreme Court ruled that the DOC could not block two incarcerated people from becoming married, even though the DOC could block them from being able to correspond once they became married. Marriage and its positive emotional and religious impact, the court reasoned, is a “fundamental” right.
Much like just about everything else in this world, Covid-19 has wreaked havoc on this right for the 2.2 million people currently incarcerated in the United States. Prison marriage ceremonies take place during visits. Since mid-March, prison visits have been indefinitely suspended.
In June, on the 53rd anniversary of Loving v. Virginia, a case that ruled anti-miscegenation laws unconstitutional on the basis that “marriage is one of the basic civil rights of man” and that it is “fundamental to our very existence and survival,” I reached out to DOC headquarters. At that point, it had been going on six months since Chris and I initiated our marriage application. While visits remained closed, the prison was now allowing for both religious ceremonies and legal visits. I wrote to inquire about the possibility of getting married separated by glass in a legal visit booth.
Courtesy of Chelsea Moore The author and her husband in the prison visit room before visits closed indefinitely due to COVID-19.
The right to marriage may seem frivolous in such dark times ― although the abundance of Zoom weddings and governor’s orders across the states allowing for the solemnisation of marriages to occur over video conference indicate that even in the worst of times people want to be married ― but here’s what keeps me up at night: Incarcerated people are 550% more likely to get Covid-19 and 300% more likely to die of it.
Advertisement
Should Chris, god forbid, become deathly ill and we were not married, I would have no legal right to see him in the hospital. Should something happen to me, he would have no legal right to attend my funeral.
I imagine there are many other couples across the country in this same situation.
The response I got from DOC was that because virtual wedding ceremonies are not allowed by law in Washington state, where we both live, I have to wait until visitation resumes to become married.
With that answer, Chris and I set off to lobby the governor to issue a proclamation allowing for the solemnisation of marriages over video conference. New York and California had already issued these types of orders.
On the day I was scheduled to lecture about the right to marriage in my ‘Sex, Rights, and Power’ course, we got an email from the general counsel of the governor’s office letting us know the chief justice of the Washington Supreme Court had weighed in on this issue and that virtual ceremonies were now allowed. Luckily, since Washington prisons have video visits, the DOC already had the infrastructure to conduct these ceremonies.
Courtesy of Chelsea Moore The author in front of the prison on her way to the wedding.
Advertisement
Elated, we reached out to DOC immediately with the good news. Within an hour, I got two responses: one from the head of the department saying that short video conference marriages seemed feasible, and another from a woman several levels below him saying that the marriage policy did not allow for “media coverage” during ceremonies and could therefore not be conducted over video visits.
When I asked her to clarify about the policy, she asked me, “What’s the urgency that appears to be associated with this?”
Asking us to justify our desire to be married is akin to asking someone to prove themselves enough of a believer to receive religious accommodations, something that is squarely illegal. Ironically, this woman is in charge of programming for prison families and has been married multiple times herself.
When I asked that our correspondences remain over email instead of a phone call, she wrote back saying, “I am sorry you are not interested in speaking so I could hear your concerns and allow me to ask questions ... Further correspondence will not be addressed regarding this issue.”
Loved ones of the incarcerated have come to know this form of bureaucratic bullying well. DOC staff use the thick maze of bureaucracy to torture families and the incarcerated with little to no oversight.
Advertisement
In one swift email, a public employee whose emails are subject to public records refused to correspond with me further because I would not go off the record.
“Those who work in the department have a reductionist view of incarcerated people. Incarcerated people are not nuanced humans, but instead they are living embodiments of the worst mistake they’ve ever made — to view them as anything else would make their treatment repulsive.”
The strange thing about these bureaucratic bullying tactics is that I truly believe some of the motivation is rooted in administrators thinking they’re saving us, the damaged women who marry men in prison, from making a grave mistake.
Those who work in the department have a reductionist view of incarcerated people. Incarcerated people are not nuanced humans, but instead they are living embodiments of the worst mistake they’ve ever made ― to view them as anything else would make their treatment repulsive. DOC staff know the incarcerated. Prison wives do not. How could we? We don’t live with them like they do.
People like to say that you don’t really know someone until you’ve had to grocery shop with them in a crowded store on a weekday at 6 p.m. when you’re both hungry. Or had to tackle a sink full of dishes with them when you’re both tired. That may be true for most people. And while I do not know how promptly Chris washes the dishes in the sink — though judging from the frequency with which he discusses cleaning his cell, I suspect it’s more promptly than me — I know the true nature of his character when he’s confronted with the daily grind of an institution meant to break him.
Advertisement
I know his patience. How it withstands the new prison guard insisting he present his used toilet paper roll in exchange for a new one or risk a write-up; as if having more than one roll of toilet paper is a high-level security threat.
I know his kindness in spaces where it is denied and discouraged. I’ve had men he’s locked up with tell me stories about how when their father or mother died, Chris looked after them, checked up on them, and even comforted them in the hallways, breaking prison policy that prohibits “offender contact” to give them a hug.
I know his vulnerability, even though it takes an impossible amount of strength to show me. When the pain of missing each other becomes overwhelming and we cry together over the phone, he does so standing at a row of public pay phones with a hundred other men merely steps away.
Courtesy of Chelsea Moore The author and her husband at their wedding in the prison visit room with their chaplain Brian Henry.
I do not need to know how he would react to a long line at the grocery store. I witness him every day live through the constant stress of an institution even 10,000 hungry trips to the grocery store and a million dirty dishes could not come close to replicating. You don’t really know someone until you’ve navigated the criminal legal system with him. Until you’ve been kept apart by arbitrary and unnecessarily punitive laws, and still found it was possible to experience intimacy and foster love. I know him. We know each other.
Advertisement
It took another month and a call from a state senator to get DOC to change its mind and let us get married. We were finally married on September 18.
Even when it looked like DOC wasn’t going to allow us to get married, I knew we would make it through. Part of what keeps us so strong is our refusal to allow others to tell us we cannot and should not be in love.
It is a radical act for him to allow himself to be loved by me and for me to love him, despite the world telling us both that he is unlovable and that I am delusional.
Love is radical in that it erodes distinctions between “us” and “them.” It’s the reason miscegenation and anti-same-sex marriage laws were so ardently upheld. If there is one thing history has taught us it is this: Love finds a way, past concrete, past barbed wire, and even past bureaucracies that put Kafka to shame.
Chelsea Moore is a Ph.D./J.D. Candidate at the University of Washington. This article first appeared on HuffPost Personal.
Advertisement


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-11-30--Struggling Parents Would Rather Christmas Was Cancelled Amid Covid Pandemic

LOADING ERROR LOADING
Struggling parents admit they would avoid celebrating Christmas if they could as they face financial and mental health pressures during the Covid-19 pandemic, according to new research.
Action for Children, a charity supporting vulnerable young people, questioned a combined two thousand parents and children on their feelings and concerns ahead of the festive season.
Advertisement
The polling found that one in six (17%) parents would “cancel” the festive holiday this year if they could, while over half of children (57%) think their parents will be worried about making it a happy time for their family.
Nearly half (46%) of surveyed parents on Universal Credit said they were facing their first ever Christmas on the benefit, with 41% of these wishing they could cancel Christmas and 55% reporting plans to delay paying household bills, borrow money or sell belongings to pay for festive celebrations.
The findings come from an online survey, conducted by pollster YouGov between October and November, of 1,060 parents of children aged 18 and under and 1,031 children aged six to 15.
Polling revealed that around half of children (49%) reported feeling anxiety, a third felt lonely (33%), a quarter felt angry (26%) and more than a third (38%) said they were scared of falling ill or dying.
Advertisement
One in five (22%) parents reported their children having mood swings or panic attacks, while 13% of children admitted to suffering nightmares.
Carol Iddon, deputy chief executive of Action for Children, said: “Christmas should be the most exciting time of the year but instead children and young people are desperately struggling to get through this crisis, with parents wishing away the pressure of the festive season.
“Every day our frontline workers are helping parents keep their heads above water as some face the prospect of eviction or selling belongings to cover the cost of Christmas, while vulnerable children who should be enjoying a safe and happy childhood are suffering nightmares, panic attacks, or being scared of issues like death and illness.”
She urged the government not to reduce benefits payments next year.
In interviews, families told the charity of the difficulties they face in meeting their basic needs as coronavirus restrictions increase living costs.
Parents Caroline Rose and Neil Tugby, both aged 28 and from Sandwell near Birmingham, were both made redundant shortly after the first lockdown.
Advertisement
Their daughter Heidi was born prematurely and has been in and out of hospital while Rose was on maternity leave.
With finances tight, the couple were helped by Action for Children to buy food and toys.
“I’m dreading Christmas as I’m struggling with my mental health, and Neil’s hair and beard is falling out from all the stress too,” Rose said.
“I’ve found a part-time job but it’s not enough and Neil found a temp job but because we’re now shielding for another operation for Heidi, they had to let him go after only a few weeks.
“I think we have £12.12 in the bank right now. How am I going to pay our rent? We’re probably going to lose our house as our savings have run out. I’m now considering selling my engagement ring. We’d definitely be cancelling Christmas this year if we could.”
Mike Trower, 32, a single parent from Paignton in Devon, was forced to put on hold plans to open a new business as the Covid-19 crisis unfolded.
Advertisement
He described how his four-year-old son Cody’s behaviour changed during lockdown.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-11-30--Covid-19 Infections Fell 30% During England's Second Lockdown, Study Reveals

LOADING ERROR LOADING
Covid-19 infections in England fell by 30% during the country’s second lockdown, according to the latest findings of a major coronavirus study.
Between November 13 and 24, more than 105,000 volunteers were tested for the virus as part of an ongoing study by Imperial College London and Ipsos MORI to work out infection levels in the general population.
Advertisement
According to the study, between these dates 96 people out of every 10,000 were infected with Covid-19 – down from 132 per 10,000 between October 26 and November 2.
There was an even more dramatic drop in infections during lockdown in the north of the country, with the prevalence of Covid-19 dropping by more than 50%.
In the North West, the rate fell from from 2.53% to 1.08%, while the North East saw the rate drop from 1.88% to 0.72%.
England’s second countrywide lockdown – which was introduced in a bid to get spiralling coronavirus rates under control – began on November 5.
Advertisement
Researchers found that between November 13 and 24, around the midpoint of the lockdown, the virus was halving every 37 days in England, with the national R-rate estimated to be 0.88.
However, researchers found that prevalence remained high in the East Midlands, dropping only to 1.27% from 1.31%, and the West Midlands, where the rate only fell 0.01% to 1.55%.
It means that for every 10,000 people in the area, 155 have the virus – the highest figure in the country.
Doctor in protective gloves & workwear holding Testing Kit for the coronavirus test. Images By Tang Ming Tung via Getty Images
Health secretary Matt Hancock said that the UK had been “able to get the virus more under control” thanks to the “huge efforts of the public over the past few weeks”.
Advertisement
“This latest data shows we must keep our resolve and we cannot afford to take our foot off the pedal just yet, despite the encouraging fall in cases and progress on vaccines.
“The next few weeks and months are the busiest time of year for our NHS, so it’s vital we all continue to follow new local restrictions, wash our hands, wear a face covering and observe social distancing.”
Meanwhile Professor Paul Elliot, director of the programme at Imperial, said that data showing a significant drop in infections in areas that were previously worst affected “suggest that the tiered approach helped to curb infections in these areas and that lockdown has added to this effect”.
A tougher version of the three tier system of restrictions is set to come into force on Wednesday, when lockdown ends.
Under the new scheme, 99% of England will enter tier two or three, with only the Isle of Wight, Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly set to go into tier one.
Advertisement
Don’t Know The Level Of Restrictions In Your Area? Use HuffPost UK’s Covid-19 Tier Checker
Boris Johnson is facing a rebellion from Tory MPs over the new, beefed up measures. On Saturday night, the PM wrote to MPs to tell them the tier system has a “sunset” expiry date of February 3.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-11-29--It's Beginning To Look (A Bit) Like Christmas: The New Rules On Everything From Carolling To Santa's

It's Beginning To Look (A Bit) Like Christmas: The New Rules On Everything From Carolling To Santa's Grottos

Portrait of Santa Claus, sitting in chair with sack full of presents, looking at Christmas list Gpointstudio via Getty Images
The government has already made it very clear that Christmas 2020 is going to be far from normal.
Like always, there will be Christmas songs, mince pies and someone will inevitably have too much sherry. But for the first time, there will a limit on the number of people around the Christmas dinner table (one that’s not just based on how many camping chairs you have in the loft).
With 99% of England set to be under tier two and three restrictions when lockdown ends on December 2, people will only be able to meet up in a bubble of three households between December 23 and 27 in a bid to keep coronavirus infections under control.
Advertisement
But that’s not the only set of festive rules you need to be aware of. On Sunday, the government published a new set of Crimbo restrictions – and these ones cover everything from carolling to Santa’s grottos.
Here’s what you need to know in England.
Carolling
Three generation family are doing door-to-door carol singing. There is a senior woman at the door, appreciating their singing. DGLimages via Getty Images
With research showing that singing can increase the risk of coronavirus transmission through the spread of small droplets and aerosols, it’s hardly surprising that the government’s guidance on carol singing is pretty extensive.
Here are the key facts:
There are no limits on the number of people allowed to perform and rehearse in children’s choirs or professional adult choirs – but amateur adult choirs are restricted by local rules on gatherings.
Indoor and outdoor performances are allowed – but the maximum number of people in attendance must take into account the area of space and allow for 2m social distancing.
Audiences must not join in with indoor performances.
Audiences may take part in outdoor performances – but should remain seated where possible.
Door-to-door carolling can go ahead in groups of six or less people. However, you must stay at least 2m away from anyone who is not in your regular household or bubble.
Santa’s grotto
Close up of Santa holding a Christmas present stocknroll via Getty Images
If your kids have been begging you for weeks to take them to visit Santa so they can hand over their Christmas lists in person – you’re in luck.
Santa’s grottos will be able to open in all tiers, as long as they are located in venues that are otherwise allowed to open. However, the guidance makes it very clear that Covid-secure measures – including social-distancing – must be in place.
Visiting churches and places of worship
From December 2, you can attend places of worship in all tiers – but who you can go with will depend on which tier you live in.
In tiers two and three, you must not socialise with anyone from outside your household or support bubble while there.
Advertisement
However, between December 23 and 27, you will be able to attend a place of worship with people inside your three-household Christmas bubble, regardless of what tier your area is in.
Nativity plays
The school nativity play – for many parents (and kids), it’s a staple event in the run up to Christmas.
According to new government guidance, nativity plays can go ahead in all tiers, as long as they take place within existing school bubbles.
However, parents will only be allowed to watch in person in tier one and two areas, with audiences banned in tier three. Instead, schools should use “alternative methods”, such a live-streaming the play or recording it, guidance says.
Christmas shopping
charmedlightph via Getty Images
Advertisement
When lockdown ends on December 2, who are you are allowed to go Christmas shopping with will depend on which tier of restrictions your area is under. In other words – if you’re in anything other than tier one, you can’t go shopping indoors with anyone outside of your household or your usual (non-Christmas) bubble.
Between 23 and 27 December, the rules on who you can meet in shops will not change. This includes Boxing Day sales.
Volunteering
For many of us, volunteering is a key part of Christmas – and the government has agreed to allow this to continue in all tiers.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-11-29--Clara Amfo Leaves Strictly Come Dancing After Landing In Dance-Off

LOADING ERROR LOADING
Clara Amfo has become the fifth celebrity to be eliminated from this year’s series of Strictly Come Dancing.
The Radio 1 presenter had a tough night on Saturday, when she and her professional partner Aljaž Škorjanec landed at the bottom of the leaderboard for the second week in a row, following their Jive routine.
Advertisement
While the previous week, the public saved Clara from the dance-off, she wasn’t so lucky the second time around, ending up in the bottom two against Jamie Laing and his partner Karen Hauer.
After both couples performed for the second time in Sunday night’s results show, it was up to the judges to decide which pair to save, and it wasn’t a decision they found especially easy.
Clara Amfo and Jamie Laing landed in the dance-off this week BBC/Guy Levy
Craig Revel Horwood went first, saying that while both couples “danced with so much passion and love”, he wanted to save Clara and Aljaž.
Advertisement
However, Motsi Mabuse didn’t agree, pointing out that Clara had made a “mistake in the steps and in the timing”.
“I have to say this was one of the toughest decision I’ve ever had to make,” Motsi said. “Based on that dance-off only I saw one couple that did their choreography and had all the steps correct and I saw another couple who had a mistake in the steps and in the timing.”
This meant the decision ultimately fell to Head Judge Shirley Ballas, who decided to save Jamie and Karen, as she felt they had more “conviction”.
Clara and Aljaž have become the latest couple to leave the show BBC/Guy Levy
Clara said: “I’ve had the best time ever, the best time ever and got a new friend for life. I’ve loved it, its one of the best things I’ve ever ever done, it’s been a dream come true.”
Advertisement
Aljaž then told his partner: said “I’m so happy we got to do Lady Clamalade, the Claraston – which I’ve never done before in my life – the Clarasambafo... you are a dream to be around, you’re a beautiful girl inside out, I hope that people at home got to see that.
“This series has been so special and it’s only because of you, thank you so much. I’m going to miss dancing with you.”


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-11-29--F1 Driver Romain Grosjean Walks Away From 53G Impact And Massive Fireball With Singed Hand

The crash of Romain Grosjean of France and Haas F1 during the F1 Grand Prix of Bahrain at Bahrain International Circuit on November 29. Bryn Lennon via Getty Images
Romain Grosjean miraculously survived a huge crash on the opening lap of the Bahrain Grand Prix when his car hit the wall and burst into flames.
The Frenchman, 34, veered off the track after just three corners, hitting the barriers with an impact registering at 53G.
Advertisement
The sport held its breath as the TV cameras cut away from the flashpoint and the race was immediately stopped.
Some seriously scary angles of Romain Grosjean's Bahrain crash.#BahrainGP pic.twitter.com/pxAF97epjp — bear 🐻 (@beartorius) November 29, 2020
But Grosjean’s Haas team reported that the driver was out of the cockpit.
He was then pictured sitting in the medical car before gingerly heading towards a stretcher.
A replay then showed Grosjean frantically leaping out of his fireball inferno with the aid of a medical doctor.
It emerged that his car sliced in half on impact, with one part of the car going through the other side of the barrier.
Advertisement
A Haas spokesperson said: “Romain has minor burns on his hands and ankles but otherwise he is OK. He is with the doctors now.
“As a precaution and for further medical evaluation Romain will be transported to hospital.”
Grosjean was subsequently airlifted to the MDF MC Military Hospital, 10 miles north of the Bahrain International Circuit, with suspected broken ribs.
Further replays showed that Grosjean moved to the right of the track, clipping the front-left wheel of Daniil Kvyat’s AlphaTauri before crashing head on into the barriers.
There will now be question marks as to how Grosjean’s car managed to penetrate a steel barrier and even if the race will resume.
Advertisement
A delay of at least 45 minutes was confirmed by race directors. Lewis Hamilton was seen shaking his head upon watching a replay of the remarkable incident.
It emerged that his car sliced in half on impact, with one part of the car going through the other side of the barrier.
Track marshals clear the debris following the crash of Romain Grosjean of France and Haas F1 during the F1 Grand Prix of Bahrain. Pool via Getty Images
A Haas spokesperson said: “Romain has minor burns on his hands and ankles but otherwise he is OK. He is with the doctors now.
“As a precaution and for further medical evaluation Romain will be transported to hospital.”
Grosjean was subsequently airlifted to the MDF MC Military Hospital, 10 miles north of the Bahrain International Circuit, with suspected broken ribs.
Advertisement
Further replays showed that Grosjean moved to the right of the track, clipping the front-left wheel of Daniil Kvyat’s AlphaTauri before crashing head on into the barriers.
There will now be question marks as to how Grosjean’s car managed to penetrate a steel barrier and even if the race will resume.
A delay of at least 45 minutes was confirmed by race directors. Lewis Hamilton was seen shaking his head upon watching a replay of the remarkable incident.
I'm so grateful Romain is safe. Wow... the risk we take is no joke, for those of you out there that forget that we put our life on the line for this sport and for what we love to do. Thankful to the FIA for the massive strides we've taken for Romain to walk away from that safely https://t.co/dG8AXmsbKN — Lewis Hamilton (@LewisHamilton) November 29, 2020
Hamilton, who maintained his lead at the front of the grid, tweeted while the race was suspended and took the crash as a reminder of the dangers of the sport.
Advertisement
“I’m so grateful Romain is safe. Wow… the risk we take is no joke, for those of you out there that forget that we put our life on the line for this sport and for what we love to do,” he wrote.