thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-10-18--Queen Intervenes To Reduce Murder Sentence Of London Bridge Terror Attack Hero

Memorial to the London Bridge terror attack of November 2019 on 7th January 2020 in London, England, United Kingdom. Floral tributes to those who lost their lives were placed at the foor of Monument in remembrance. (photo by Mike Kemp/In Pictures via Getty Images) Mike Kemp via Getty Images
The convicted murderer who helped foil the terror attack on London Bridge last November armed only with a Narwhal tusk will see his sentence cut following an intervention by the Queen.
Steven Gallant, 42, was on day release at the event for reformed prisoners in Fishmonger’s Hall when he helped end Usman Khan’s rampage, which left two Cambridge graduates dead.
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Jack Merrit, 25, and 23-year-old Saskia Jones – both part of the Learning Together scheme to help prisoners access education – were killed, while several others were wounded.
It was Gallant’s first time out on licence after being jailed for life with a minimum term of 17 years in 2005 for the murder of a firefighter in Hull.
He helped restrain Khan, who was wearing fake suicide vest and armed with two knives, before the terrorist was shot dead by police.
The Ministry of Justice revealed on Saturday that the Queen had employed the little used “Royal Prerogative of Mercy” to bring Gallant’s case before the parole board 10 months early.
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The monarch used the power on the advice of Lord Chancellor Robert Buckland.
A spokesman for the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) said: “The Lord Chancellor has granted Steven Gallant a Royal Prerogative of Mercy reducing his minimum tariff of 10 months in recognition of his exceptionally brave actions at Fishmongers’ Hall, which helped save people’s lives despite the tremendous risk to his own.”
The final decision ultimately rests with the parole board, but it is highly unlikely Gallant will be denied his freedom.
It is understood he has been a model prisoner who has expressed remorse for his crimes and has not faced any punishment or loss of privileges for the past 10 years.
Jack Merritt’s father David, 55, welcomed the news.
He told the Daily Mirror: “Steve fully deserves this pardon, or reduction in sentence.
“It is fantastic. He was very close to Jack and he turned his life around and reformed. I am really pleased for him.”
Gallant has also participated in a number of interventions, including addressing previous substance abuse, and is in the process of studying for a business degree.
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He was one of two men convicted of the murder of Barrie Jackson, 33, who was beaten to death outside a pub in Hull.
The pair lay in wait for Mr Jackson outside the Dolphin after believing he attacked Gallant’s girlfriend.
Jackson was sprayed with CS gas and beaten so savagely with a hammer by a group of men that paramedics were unable to find his mouth.
The previous year, Jackson had himself been cleared of the attempted murder of a 64-year-old woman – stamping on her face and dumping her unconscious in a skip. He was convicted of assault.
Jackson’s student son Jack, 21, told the Mirror: “In my mind, Gallant has nearly done his time and if someone has undergone rehabilitation and change, which it seems he has, then it’s fair enough.”


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-10-18--Furlough's Ending Very Soon. Here's What You Need To Know

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The government furlough scheme has been a safety net to millions during the pandemic. Without it, unemployment would have risen off the charts, but we always knew the support was only going to last for so long.
Under furlough, the government was initially covering 80% of an employee’s wage up to £2,500 per month – but employers are now paying a larger portion.
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As the economy began to reopen over the summer, people started going back to work, but following the recent spike in coronavirus cases and lockdowns, many are back to working from home, or facing reduced hours or redundancy.
Chancellor Rishi Sunak has announced a new support package that will replace the furlough scheme in a battle to stave off mass unemployment during the difficult winter months. But with businesses facing reduced demand and constrained capacity, what will life after furlough look like?
So, how is job support changing?
The new Job Support Scheme (JSS) will start immediately after furlough ends on November 1 and will continue until the end of April 2021. Employers will continue to pay the wages of their staff for the hours they work.
For hours not worked, the employer and government will cover roughly a third of an employee’s usual pay. The government’s contribution will be capped at £697.92 a month – considerably lower than the original furlough scheme of £2,500.
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The chancellor said ending furlough was a “hard choice” and that the government was focused on protecting ‘viable’ jobs – rather than those that could only exist with the financial support of furlough.
“We have to be mindful of the cost of all these things and we obviously can’t sustain the same level of things at the start of this crisis,” Sunak said.
To be eligible for the new support scheme, an employer must meet certain access conditions and the employee must not be on a redundancy notice – this is in place to encourage companies to retain staff.
The scheme is open to all small and medium sized businesses, even if they didn’t use the furlough scheme.
What if my job isn’t considered ‘viable’?
For the millions of people who have relied on furlough to pay their rent and bills, it’s obviously worrying to think about what will happen from November onwards. Lyle Copeland, 29, co-founder of Indigo & Ivy Events in London, who has been furloughed since June, says the scheme has been a lifesaver for him. “It’s a real kick in the teeth for an industry worth approximately £40bn that also employs over 500,000 people across the UK,” he tells HuffPost UK. “It seems crazy to cut off any type of support for so many companies working within this space.” When the scheme ends businesses will have multiple options. A business can either bring employees back full-time, agree to reduced working hours with some or all staff on reduced pay, furlough staff for a further period (at the expense of the business, not the government) – or consider redundancies.
Many argued that the furlough scheme should be extended in some form for people working in certain sectors such as arts, events, and hospitality that have been particularly hard-hit by the pandemic.
“With the rule of six set for the foreseeable future, along with conferences being postponed, there is nowhere near enough demand to get close to completing a third of our weekly hours to qualify for any governmental help,” says Copeland. “Especially when you take into account that social distancing rules are set to get even more draconian during the winter months.”
On October 9, the chancellor expanded the job support scheme to cover businesses whose premises will be legally required to shut for some period over the winter as part of local or national restrictions.
Eligible businesses will get grants to pay the wages of staff who cannot work for up to two thirds of each employee’s salary, up to a maximum of £2,100 a month.
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Nuthawut Somsuk via Getty Images
What if my employer is considering redundancies?
There’s been a sharp rise in redundancy-induced anxiety, and no wonder – with people dealing with the possibility of suddenly losing their livelihood at a time when unemployment is rising and new jobs are hard to come by.
By law, furloughed employees who are then made redundant should receive statutory redundancy pay based on their normal wages and not on the reduced furlough rate. Employees that have been made redundant who have worked in the same place for more than two years are usually entitled to a statutory redundancy payment that is based on length of service, age and pay, up to a statutory maximum. It’s important to know that the furlough scheme is not there to fund statutory redundancy pay and it is for the employer to foot that bill.
“You can be made redundant while you’re furloughed, but there are still rules your employer must follow,” explains Matthew Bradbury, employment expert of Citizens Advice. “In a genuine and fair redundancy, employees who are made redundant are entitled to statutory and contractual redundancy payments, notice of their redundancy dismissal, and any wages and holiday pay.”
It’s worth noting the new job retention bonus, which encourages firms to keep and bring back furloughed workers – businesses will be granted a one-off £1,000 payment for every furloughed employee who remains continuously employed through to the end of January 2021.
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What about holiday time that I haven’t taken?
You can ask to take holidays when you’re furloughed in the usual way, if your employer agrees. You should be paid in full for any holiday you take within the furlough period and for any paid annual leave you haven’t yet taken.
“Holiday pay, whether the worker is on furlough or not, should be calculated in line with current legislation, based on a worker’s usual earnings. The underlying principle is that a worker should not be financially worse off through taking holiday,” explains Lisa Townsend, solicitor consultant at Richard Nelson LLP.
“Where a worker has regular hours and pay, their holiday pay would be calculated based on these hours. If they have variable hours or pay, their holiday pay is calculated as an average of the previous 52-weeks of remuneration excluding weeks in which there was no remuneration,” she adds.
I haven’t heard from my employer yet ...
Employers should engage with their workforce and a good employer should be keeping crystal clear communication between both parties – it’s only fair and reasonable as an employee to understand your situation and know your likely employment status is as soon as possible so you can plan for the future.
“Work worries are really ramping up. With the end of the furlough scheme in just a few short weeks, a lot of people feel like they’re in the waiting room for a redundancy,” says Andy Gillet, telephone advice manager at Citizens Advice Blackpool. “The hardest thing is people saying that if they lose their job there won’t easily be another to go into – for many, that’s the reality of the labour market.”
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thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-10-18--Why You Shouldn't Panic About Covid-19 Reinfection Yet

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The first confirmed case of Covid-19 reinfection in the United States was announced this week. A 25-year-old Nevada man tested positive for the virus in April, recovered, then fell ill and tested positive again in June.
His situation, which was described in a case report in The Lancet this week, has grabbed headlines for many reasons. The man was young and healthy with no underlying conditions. He not only contracted Covid-19 twice, but his subsequent infection was much more serious. He developed breathing problems and had to be hospitalised.
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It’s not the only reinfection case generating attention. This week researchers also reported the first death of a patient who was reinfected with Covid-19: An 89-year-old Dutch woman who was undergoing chemotherapy.
Together, the two cases — which join a handful of other reports describing reinfection — paint an unsettling picture. Not only is it possible to contract Covid-19 more than once, the second round can be severe.
But experts also caution against worrying too much about these recent developments, for several reasons. Here are a few to keep in mind.
The measures that protect against initial COVID-19 infection also protect against reinfection.
Since the early on in the pandemic, health officials have emphasiSed that we simply do not know all that much about Covid-19 immunity. Some experts believe that about 90% of people who get infected and who are symptomatic will have enough antibodies to fight off another exposure to the virus.
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But that is really a best guess. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention went out of its way this summer to clarify that no one really knows exactly how Covid-19 immunity works, or how long it might last. Given that reinfection is possible, it is important for people to continue taking a layered approach to prevention ― even after they’ve been ill and recovered.
“Until there’s a vaccine that is proven to be safe and effective, the public health measures need to stay in place,” said Alvin Tran, an assistant professor in the Department of Health Administration and Policy at the University of New Haven in Connecticut. “That means we need to continue wearing masks properly in public settings, practice social distancing and wash our hands frequently.”
“Those who have been previously infected with Covid-19 and have recovered are not totally out of the woods,” he added.
Reinfection seems to be really rare for now.
It’s difficult for doctors and researchers to gauge exactly how widespread Covid-19 reinfection is. Infectious disease experts are confident saying they believe reinfection is extremely uncommon. So far, there have only been a handful of confirmed reinfections around the world — and more than 38 million confirmed cases globally. In the US, for example, there has been one confirmed case of reinfection so far, among more than 7 million total confirmed and probable cases of Covid-19.
“Reinfection seems to be a rare occurrence,” said Sandra Kesh, an infectious disease specialist with Westmed Medical Group.
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“This is not cause for alarm,” she said of the recent case study, and the handful of other examples of reinfection that have been confirmed around the world. “It’s cause for continued vigilance.”
Artur Debat via Getty Images The United States reported its first confirmed case of COVID-19 reinfection, which was more severe than the patient's first bout of the illness.
It has implications for vaccine research, but it does NOT mean a vaccine is impossible.
The recent reinfection report in The Lancet is of interest to vaccine researchers because the authors of that study were able to do genetic sequencing of the virus both times the man was infected. That sequencing showed they were genetically distinct.
“Both were the SARS-CoV-2 virus,” Kesh said. “But there was enough genetic difference between them that they were two totally different strains.”
Multiple strains of a common virus is not atypical, she said. There are at least 160 types of rhinovirus, for example, which causes the common cold. The flu virus mutates often, which is one reason why the flu vaccine is tweaked every year to try and match the strains experts believe will circulate.
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At this point, experts just don’t know why reinfection seems to happen to some people and how exactly mutation might fit into all of that.
“We don’t know how many — and exactly what type — of antibodies were present in these people at the moment they were reinfected, so we don’t know if the antibodies were not protective, or not the correct type, or just not high enough levels,” explained Margaret McCort, an infectious disease specialist with the Montefiore Health System in New York.
“We don’t know whether changes in the genomic sequence of the virus make it more virulent, or more likely to cause a severe infection,” she said, noting that experts also don’t know whether different strains of the virus mean that antibodies don’t work.
All of that matters for the Covid-19 vaccine, but it’s nothing researchers weren’t prepared for, McCort said. The vaccines being worked on right now are aiming to provide immunity to all genetic variants or strains of the coronavirus, she said. Despite some recent temporary stoppages in vaccine trials, experts are still hopeful that a vaccine is not too far off.
In the meantime, for the rest of us, the message is the same: masks, social distance, and hand washing are really our best means of keeping ourselves and others safe from Covid-19.
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thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-10-18--I Never Expected To Find A Sperm Donor On Tinder. Here’s How — And Why — I Did.

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I decided to entrust a man I’ll call “PikaBird,” who I met on Tinder, with a monumental task: getting me pregnant. I knew there was a chance things could go terribly wrong. I didn’t care. I was placing my trust in him not because I was desperate, but because I was determined.
I had been yearning to experience motherhood since I was 29. Of course, life seemed to be constantly yanking me away from that potentiality. My longest relationship to that point — a messy courtship of three years — had just ended. I was juggling several part-time jobs that didn’t pay very well. I had moved around enough during my 20s that my support system was scattered across the country. There was no obvious path forward.
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Except ― what was that feeling? Oh, right, an unmistakable, unflagging desire to become a mom. Some people in their late 20s might look at another person’s baby and think, Aww, how cute, I’m totally ready to be a parent when it makes sense in my life. For me, it was more like, Wow, yep, I must become a mom ― as soon as possible.
I had a dream that year about a tiny elephant — which I took to represent my baby — splashing around in a pond, looking for me. The dream, and its accompanying sensation of motherhood, was so vivid that I started decorating my apartment with elephants. I later even got a tattoo of the elephant on my left arm.
This so-called “baby fever” most certainly doesn’t affect all women. I didn’t want to be a cliche, tethered to whatever biological or societal phenomenon held me in its grip. But there I was, with a very real baby fever and a parallel anxiety that it would never happen that continued to ratchet up as I got older. I turned 30, 31, 32 — and still, I was single and babyless. I needed a plan.
“I decided I would start the conception process on my own if things didn’t change soon. I hoped to conceive by age 35, which is when women’s fertility generally takes a dip, and I didn’t want to take any chances that would make it harder for me to get pregnant.”
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I decided I would start the conception process on my own if things didn’t change soon. I hoped to conceive by age 35, which is when women’s fertility generally takes a dip, and I didn’t want to take any chances that would make it harder for me to get pregnant. I’d need time to get myself well-situated and to get donor sperm lined up before then. So, I selected May 1, 2015, when I’d be 33-and-a-half, as the date on which I would venture wholeheartedly into the journey of becoming a mom — a single mom, if it came to that — on purpose.
Well, May 1, 2015, arrived, complete with chirping robins and budding daffodils, and while I was still single, my career, though less than stunning, had improved. I was ready to fulfil my promise to myself.
After my parents granted me their blessings — this was important to me — I started looking at methods for conceiving as a “single mom by choice,” or SMC. There’s a flourishing SMC community online, and my area also had a local SMC Facebook group that would, on occasion, host in-person meet-ups. I learned that individuals in this group became parents by lots of different means. Some adopted or fostered children, others used donor sperm to fertilise their own eggs, and still others used donor embryos.
I knew I wanted to experience pregnancy and infancy if I could, and my eggs were likely still plentiful, so I started honing in on how to acquire donor sperm. Sperm banks seemed to be the most popular option among those in my local SMC group. But while sperm from a bank was a sensible option, it was also expensive, and I learned I could easily expect to pay thousands of dollars before conceiving, even if I tried at-home, rather than clinical, insemination. I felt that if possible, I needed to save for when my child actually arrived, or for the chance that it would take much longer than expected to conceive.
Since the world is basically awash in sperm, I decided to look into another option I’d heard about: getting sperm from a “known donor” online. These known donors are actually strangers who have signed up through an online forum to offer their sperm to couples and single folks who need it in order to make a baby.
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One popular known donor site I explored noted that while sperm bank processing removes many health and legal risks from the conception process, it also means involvement with a for-profit industry and it leaves no flexibility with regard to donor involvement (such as co-parenting). And, of course, using a sperm bank is by no means always a transparent process. Unlike a sperm bank donor, a known donor is known to, and works directly with, a recipient, and offers their sperm for free or a fee in a vial, cup, or, well, the old-fashioned way (yep — through sex).
I hadn’t met anyone who’d successfully conceived using this option and it felt like a lot of work to screen these strangers on my own, over the course of just a few meetings or emails. They were neither institutionally vetted, nor friends I knew intimately, and I had trouble trusting that I could find someone on one of these sites who would feel like a match for my needs and boundaries. This option might have worked for me had I pursued it, but I decided not to.
Instead, I started to inventory my male friends, people I already knew well, and spread the word that I was looking for a donor. It was hard to make myself vulnerable enough to broach the topic, but once I did, the first guy-friend I asked was willing to donate. I flew to California in the summer of 2015 to try using a turkey baster to inseminate myself with his sperm. But despite my best efforts — including taking pro-fertility supplements and relaxing with professional massages and long walks — it didn’t take.
“It was hard to make myself vulnerable enough to broach the topic, but once I did, the first guy-friend I asked was willing to donate. I flew to California in the summer of 2015 to try using a turkey baster to inseminate myself with his sperm.”
I was disappointed. I still wonder what our kid would have been like. But after I flew back to the Upper Midwest and got my negative pregnancy test result, I realized I’d need to find someone closer to home. I suspected that the stress and disruption of traveling weren’t great for my hormone cycle and continuing to fly out West to try and inseminate would quickly get expensive. I started asking around again, locally, hoping that a donor with a good reference, perhaps a friend-of-a-friend, would turn up nearby.
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Just because I was trying to conceive didn’t mean I had given up on dating. In fact, I was so used to consistently dating in my early 30s, when I was trying to meet “the right guy,” that by 33, I felt more at ease when I had a date lined up for the weekend than when I didn’t. Tinder was what people were using at the time, so I went on a couple of casual Tinder dates during the summer and fall of 2015.
One of them was with PikaBird.
At first I had no intention of asking this guy to become my sperm donor. I hadn’t wanted to pursue a donation from a stranger through the known donor registry, so why would I ask my Tinder date? Besides, mentioning my goal of becoming a mom to my dates seemed like a bad idea. I told one date about my plan before I’d started trying in earnest to conceive, and he’d made it clear that he thought “no guy” would be interested in getting involved with a woman trying to get pregnant on her own. I wasn’t going to lie to PikaBird, but I would keep my cards close to my chest unless this relationship moved beyond casual.
However, after just a couple of dates with PikaBird, I realised I couldn’t both casually date and actively be trying to conceive. At that time I’d started to move forward with a sperm donation from a local friend-of-a-friend, but I realised there was just too much cognitive dissonance between the two lives I was leading. Perhaps you saw this coming a mile away. I did not. In any case, something had to give. I told PikaBird my dilemma.
I can’t remember which one of us actually brought up the option of him becoming my donor, but by the end of our conversation, we decided that he would help me conceive. Using intercourse. If we kept dating afterward, great. If not, we would break up and create a contract that gave me sole responsibility for the child. Does this sound fishy to you? A bit risky? Do you hear a whisper of disaster up ahead? I did, too, but for once in my life, I decided not to listen to it.
I’d actually led a relatively risk-avoidant life up to that point. For instance, in spite of being sexually active, I used birth control — hence, my non-parent status. In contrast, the option of conceiving with PikaBird via sex presented risk everywhere. He might have a disease he hadn’t already been tested for. He could fall in love with me even if I didn’t fall for him; that would make things messy. He could try to secure custody of the child, using our romantic relationship and conventional conception method as leverage. He could turn out to be a monster. Anything was possible.
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In fact, the whole endeavour to become a mom was a risk. The often tremendous financial strain of childrearing means that parents on average experience a lower sense of well-being than other adults. Solo parenthood can also mean significantly less time to pursue any kind of romantic relationship. It could mean a hit to my career, or it could force me to move in with my parents. I could imagine feeling guilty that I hadn’t created a good-enough life for my child. What if I regretted everything?
To move forward with the plan, I’d have to get over this worst-case-scenario thinking. And, surprisingly, it wasn’t that hard. In part I used logic: PikaBird and I had already forged a connection, and this was the most straightforward way for me to get pregnant. I also decided that the likelihood of a positive outcome outweighed the likelihood of a negative outcome, such as ending up with a disagreement about the child’s custody. Of course, all my risk-weighing really hinged upon what I can only describe as PikaBird’s palpable sense of integrity. This integrity was something that couldn’t be established using objective evidence — I sensed it intuitively. But is intuition to be trusted? It’s certainly no guarantee.
As I thought this through, I stretched out on a loveseat in my garden-level apartment, listening to the old cast-iron radiators clank into action and taking in the smell of the warm metal. The heat was turning on for the first time that season. I gazed at the small elephant statue sitting on my windowsill.
What would really let me take this leap was my certainty — greater certainty than I’d ever before experienced — that this decision to have a baby was not one I would regret, no matter what else chance had in store for me. I would make the baby happen and let the other proverbial chips fall how they were going to fall. I decided to take the risk because I realised I couldn’t control the future, I could only push in relatively small ways for what I wanted most. Up until then, I’d tried hard to create a perfect life, and nothing had turned out the way I’d planned. Perhaps my attempts at planning needed to focus less on figuring out every little detail of my future. I needed to think less about all the small potatoes, and focus more on the few big ones that really mattered. Or, in this case, on the one big baby potato that had come to matter most of all.
“I decided to take the risk because I realized I couldn’t control the future, I could only push in relatively small ways for what I wanted most. Up until then, I’d tried hard to create a perfect life, and nothing had turned out the way I’d planned. Perhaps my attempts at planning needed to focus less on figuring out every little detail of my future.”
So, one freezing, full-moon night in October, I called PikaBird. I had been busy all day, and I was tired. A big part of me just wanted to go home and binge-watch “House” or “Star Trek,” but I remember looking up at the moon that night and knowing, inexplicably, that it was time. I was ovulating.
I conceived that night, Oct. 19, 2015.
I wouldn’t know the results until 13 days later, Nov. 1. I’d spent the previous evening dancing and sipping water at a Halloween party, trying not to think about whether the exercise would help my pregnancy chances or all the jostling would hurt them. But that morning, when my pregnancy test developed that telltale second pink line, my apartment’s walls couldn’t contain me. I dashed outside, phone in hand, to call my family and tell them the good news.
PikaBird and I broke up shortly thereafter, in mid-December. First, we stopped hanging out as much as we had been. When we finally got together for a talk about our relationship, we realised we were both on the same page about ending things. We wrote up the donor contract we had previously discussed: I would be the sole parent with sole rights and responsibilities. My own parents would take over the child’s guardianship should anything bad happen to me. And with that, we parted ways.
After a delightful pregnancy and a terrible labor experience, I was finally back home with my daughter in my arms a few weeks before my thirty-fifth birthday. The weeks that followed were difficult; more difficult than I’d ever imagined, even with the support of family and friends. But my heart was at ease, and in fact it had been at ease ever since I made the choice to finally start trying to conceive.
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Now PikaBird and I exchange a text message about once a year. I didn’t catch any diseases. I didn’t sue him for child support. And he didn’t ask for custody of the child. Once I saw him on the street, on a date with another woman. We exchanged a warm greeting and moved on. Since then, I have moved out of town, across the country.
My daughter is now four years old. I get to goof around with her every morning before daycare and give her a horsey-back ride every night before bed. The other day, I bought her a Frozen helium balloon from the grocery store for no reason, and I revelled in her delight. I did end up losing that better job I’d gotten — maybe because I became a single parent or maybe for other reasons; it’s hard to tell. I also ended up meeting a wonderful man to whom I am now engaged — maybe because I became a single parent or maybe for other reasons; it’s hard to tell.
I could never have predicted the odd path my life has taken. I certainly wasn’t able to control much about its direction. But I cast my dice toward conception — the thing I wanted, despite the risks — and I’m so happy I did.
While weighing risk is still something I struggle with on a daily basis, I try to remember that very few choices are risk-free, and that resisting all unwanted outcomes is a futile endeavour. I can trust my logic and intuition to guide me well, to the extent that anything can guide us through this chaotic muddle called life. But letting go of controlling everything was what allowed me to follow through with my plan to conceive, and I couldn’t be happier that I did.
This article first appeared on HuffPost Personal
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thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-10-18--'No Privacy': Why Blind Women Really Need Accessible Pregnancy Tests

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Danielle Cleary was 22 when she thought she might be pregnant. She’s been blind her whole life due to retinopathy and her partner at the time also had a visual impairment, meaning the pair were unable to see the result of their pregnancy test.
Cleary, from Croydon, London, didn’t want to tell family and friends, so she resorted to asking her neighbour to read the test for her.
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“To be in that situation and not to be able to find out what’s going on with your body before someone else does, is horrible,” she tells HuffPost UK. “It was negative and my neighbour said: ‘That’s probably for the best, isn’t it?’ I thought: ‘That really isn’t any of your concern.’”
At the age of 27, and by this time ready for a baby, Cleary realised her period was late again, and so she asked her mum to read the pregnancy test for her.
She gave birth to a baby girl, but her relationship ended two years later, and Cleary, now 36, is a single parent, living with her mum, best friend and eight-year-old daughter.
She says the stigma surrounding being a blind mum continues.
Danielle Cleary
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Cleary is sharing her story as part of a campaign by Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB), called Design For Everyone. The initiative aims to raise awareness of the importance of accessible design and information – and uses pregnancy tests as an example.
Every year, thousands of blind and partially sighted women have no choice but to rely on other people to read their pregnancy results, meaning their private news becomes public.
To prove that accessible tests are possible, RNIB has worked with designers to create the first prototype for a new, tactile test. The test uses the same technology as digital tests, but has a mechanical output, instead of a screen, with raised buds to communicate pregnancy.
RNIB RNIB
Cleary describes the prototype test as “like gold” and says it would have made a real difference to her. But finding out if you’re pregnant is just the first hurdle for women with visual impairments.
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Charlotte Makepeace, 25, from Leeds, gave birth to her son Rory in June. Makepeace has very little vision, so she had to rely on her husband to read her test results when they were trying for a baby.
Mothers across the country have faced disruptions to antenatal and midwife services during the pandemic and Makepeace says having a visual impairment made this even tougher, as she struggled to find information online.
“I have had a few extra face-to-face consultations because I needed that extra support, but there’s quite a lot of things that aren’t available,” she says.
“For example, I have a guide dog and they [trainers] haven’t been able to come out and do any training with me on walking with the guide dog and the baby together.”
Charlotte Makepeace Charlotte Makepeace
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Another challenge for Makepeace during pregnancy was balance. She struggles with spacial awareness anyway, but found this particularly tough towards the end of her pregnancy.
She says there’s a stigma attached to being pregnant if you’re visually impaired. “On the bus there were a couple of ladies talking behind me about how it must have been accidental,” she recalls. “I think a lot of people think you couldn’t possibly be choosing to start a family.”
Cleary agrees, saying that while close friends and family were supportive, she often felt there was an “elephant in the room” when she was pregnant and a new mum, with people wondering how she would be able to look after her daughter.
“People don’t ask that question directly, perhaps because they think it’s inappropriate. But I think if people asked that question in a sensitive way, it would actually be beneficial for their own knowledge, for the potential safety of the child and just to understand a bit more about visual impairment,” she says.
“My eyes don’t work, but I still know when my baby needs feeding or when my baby needs changing. Sure, there were a couple of times when I needed sighted assistance, but in actual fact, it doesn’t matter that I can’t see.”
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Makepeace and Cleary also had very different experiences of attending scans, so they would like there to be more training for sonographers across the board, so all women have positive experiences.
Makepeace describes her first scan as “amazing” and says she was made to feel “incredibly involved”; the sonographer let her listen to her baby’s heartbeat and explained everything on the screen, giving her a detailed description of her son. But Cleary had to ask her sonographer to turn the sound on (it wasn’t done as standard at her hospital) and she was abruptly handed a picture at the end.
“Nobody said: ‘If you would like me to, I can take your hand and show you the outline of your baby’. Nobody offered that, so I had no idea what my daughter looked like,” she says.
The number of people with sight loss is estimated to rise to 2.7 million by 2030, according to RNIB and by the time we reach 75, one in five of us will be affected. This should be enough to make everyone passionate about accessibility issues, says Cleary.
“It’s very easy to skim past something and say ‘that doesn’t affect me’, but what you don’t realise it that it could,” she says. “It may not be you now, but it could be you in five years time, God forbid, or it could be your sister, your daughter, your niece.
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“All I’m asking as a visually impaired person is to be afforded the same as you, I’m not asking to be treated differently, I’m asking to be treated the same. And I don’t think that’s very much to ask.”


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-10-18--Voters In The 'Red Wall' Want 'Places To Meet', Poll Reveals

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Voters in the so-called red wall marginal battleground have said a lack of “places to meet” each other is their top priority.
A Local Trust/Survation poll surveyed 225 neighbourhoods in England which fall into the 10% most deprived regions.
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The poll covered areas in the north of England which deserted Labour in favour of the Conservatives at the 2016 general election.
Boris Johnson promised those voters who helped deliver his crushing election victory in December he would “repay your trust”.
People in the areas surveyed were asked if they feel they are getting their fair share of resources, compared to other nearby communities.
The poll, shared exclusively with HuffPost UK, revealed over four in ten (42%) responded saying they were getting less, with 38% saying it was “about the same”. Just 4% felt they received more.
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Of those saying they got less, “places to meet” was cited most as the biggest area where people were not getting their fair share (57%).
This was closely followed by community projects such as leisure and sports facilities (55%).
They were both seen as more important than investment in job opportunities and tackling unemployment – the third highest priority at 53%.
A person wearing a face mask walks past a mural of a nurse in Manchester, as the city is waiting to find out if the region will be placed into the Very High category with tier 3 lockdown restrictions to curb the spread of coronavirus. PA
The findings come as large swathes of the north of England have seen the imposition of stricter local coronavirus lockdown restrictions following a surge in infections.
Matt Leach, the CEO of Local Trust, said the survey showed if the prime minister’s commitment to “levelling up” areas of the country was to succeed, the government had to “balance creating new economic opportunities with investment in improving the social and civic infrastructure”.
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“This includes supporting investment in new community hubs, recreational and leisure facilities, libraries, and community owned pubs and cafes in areas that cannot sustain free market alternatives,” he said.
“These are vital and foundational community assets, which once in place, allow local people to organise, gain confidence, and contribute to levelling up the neighbourhoods they live in.”
Carl Shoben, director of strategic communications for Survation said: “This research needs to be read and understood by both political parties, in relation to their perceptions of what so called red wall voters care about the most.
“They are far more optimistic and happy with where they live and come from than the political class acknowledges, and the polling suggests it is improvements to their place, through better parks and leisure facilities that is the priority, over and above the large infrastructure projects that politicians obsess most with.
He added: “They want more control over their lives, not necessarily unrecognisable change.”
The poll also showed that if more money was made available for these areas what people wanted investment to tackle mental and physical health issues (79%).
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thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-10-18--6 People Who Got A Peerage Even Though There Isn't Room For Dr John Sentamu

Although there is no automatic right for archbishops to be given a life peerage, Sentamu’s rejection marks a break in precedent which saw his predecessor, Lord Hope, and the last Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams, made into life peers in 2005 and 2012 respectively.
The government said they didn’t award Sentamu a life peerage because they needed to scale back on numbers in the House of Lords, The Sunday Times reported.
A spokesman said: “The size of the House of Lords needs addressing. But given retirements and other departures, some new members are needed to ensure that the Lords has the appropriate expertise and it continues to fulfil its role in scrutinising and revising legislation.”
The snub has been widely condemned with Tottenham MP David Lammy describing it as “institutional prejudice”.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-10-18--Coronavirus Vaccine Should Available Early Next Year, Says Sage Scientist

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The “worst-case scenario” of 50,000 cases of coronavirus per day across the UK is “almost exactly where we are at”, professor Jeremy Farrar has claimed.
Speaking to Sky News’ Sophy Ridge On Sunday, he said Christmas will be “tough” this year and is unlikely to be a traditional family celebration if coronavirus infections continue to increase.
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Farrar, who is a member of the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage), said the UK faces a “very, very difficult” period over the next three to six months.
But the Wellcome Trust director said there is “light at the end of the tunnel”, as he believes a Covid-19 vaccine was “three to six months away”.
“I think in the first quarter of next year we will have vaccines - will have more than one vaccine,” he said.
“The ONS survey, which is the best data in the country at the moment, shows that 27,000 people are getting this infection every day. But that was until the 10th of October,” he said.
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“Today it will be over 50,000, just as the CMO (chief medical officer) Chris Whitty and (the government’s chief scientific adviser) Patrick Vallance suggested some three weeks ago.
“It would be at 50,000 new cases across the country every single day, and that’s almost exactly where we are.”
Farrar added: “The reasonable worst-case scenario that Sage articulated has now been broached, it is worse than the situation Sage advised on three or four weeks ago. So that’s the scenario we are in today.”
Farrar said a short national lockdown known as a circuit-breaker is needed to reduce transmission rates, as previously recommended by Sage last month.
He said: “Christmas will be tough this year. I don’t think it’s going to be the usual celebration it is and all families coming together, I’m afraid.
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“I think we have to be honest and realistic and say that we are in for three to six months of a very, very difficult period.
“The temperatures drop, we are all indoors more often, we have the other infections that come this time of year.
“It’s much better for us to be upfront and honest now, and say we are in for a really difficult time, but there is light at the end of the tunnel.”
He said the “best time” to have introduced the temporary lockdown would have been around September 20, but added “it was never too late”.
He said: “The second best time to do this is now, and the worst time to do this is at the end of November when things would have really got considerably worse.
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“So it’s never too late, it’s better to do it now than in a month’s time.”
Meanwhile, Dr Alison Pittard, dean of the Faculty of Intensive Care Medicine in London, later told the programme that doctors’ evolving understanding of the virus has dramatically upped the survival rate.
She said doctors’ haste to mechanically ventilate patients at the start of the pandemic might have contributed to the higher rate of death in spring compared to now.
At the start of the pandemic, just 66% of people in hospital with coronavirus survived, compared to 84% in August.
Dr Pittard said: “Initially we used to put patients straight on to mechanical ventilation – so we would bring them to intensive care, sedate them and put them on ventilators.
“But we have slowly started to realise that perhaps we could manage some patients without doing that.”


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-10-19--No.10 Rules Out Brexit Talks In 2021 If No Deal Is Reached This Year

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Boris Johnson has ruled out Brexit negotiations in 2021 to resolve any damage caused by failing to agree a trade deal by the end of the transition period on December 31.
The prime minister’s official spokesperson repeated demands for concessions from Brussels before talks can resume on the future UK-EU relationship.
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But if there is no agreement and the UK and EU default to World Trade Organisation trading terms on January 1 – widely predicted to be the most economically damaging Brexit outcome – Johnson will not return to the negotiating table next year.
Some Brexit observers have speculated that the two sides may return to negotiations once the damaging impacts of failing to agree a trade deal come to fruition
But the PM’s spokesperson said: “We are very clear that we will not be back to negotiate further next year.”
No.10 also said the PM was “certain that we will prosper” under so-called “Australian terms”, which business secretary Alok Sharma admitted on Monday were broadly the same as a no-deal Brexit, describing the difference as a matter of “semantics”.
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Brussels’ chief negotiator Michel Barnier and the prime minister’s Europe adviser Lord Frost were speaking on Monday afternoon with the trade talks in limbo following the lack of progress at last week’s summit of EU leaders.
“If the EU change their position then we will be willing to talk to them,” the PM’s spokesperson said.
“But they must be ready to discuss the detailed legal text of a treaty in all areas.”
They must also be committed to a resolution that “respects UK sovereignty and independence”.
“If not, we will end the transition period on Australian terms,” the spokesperson said.
Johnson last week accused European leaders of having “abandoned the idea of a free trade deal” and told the country to “get ready” for leaving without a deal.
And Lord Frost told Barnier not to travel for planned talks, with the UK calling for a fundamental change in direction of the bloc’s approach.
But they are expected to discuss the structure of future talks over videoconferencing.
The joint committee on implementing the withdrawal agreement (WA) Johnson and the EU signed earlier this year also met on Monday morning, with face-to-face talks between Michael Gove and his opposite number Maros Sefcovic.
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Gove will update the Commons on Monday afternoon, as the row over the government’s law-breaking internal market bill reaches the Lords.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-10-19--How The Government Is Using Your Google Search Data To Monitor Coronavirus

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When the coronavirus pandemic began, governments around the world scrambled – with varying senses of urgency – to pull together the tools and resources needed to fight it.
While much attention has rightly been paid to vaccines, lockdowns and the merits of face masks, one powerful weapon hasn’t got much credit – your keyboard.
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That’s right, Public Health England (PHE) uses Google search data – particularly searches about Covid-19 symptoms – to “understand and monitor the pandemic in England”.
And the data, which contributes to the government’s weekly surveillance reports, was able to accurately give a 20-day warning about whether cases were going up or down during the height of the pandemic.
The assumption is pretty straightforward – people with symptoms of an illness will Google what is wrong with them before they go to or even book an appointment with a health professional.
Google also has the added bonus of being relatively anonymous so people tend to be far more honest than they are when talking to other people about illnesses (and practically everything else), a phenomenon documented in the book Everybody Lies by Seth Stephens-Davidowitz.
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Using a survey from March that examined the “first few hundred” cases, a list of 19 symptoms associated with confirmed Covid-19 cases was created as well as their probability of occurrence.
A separate and more general search category was created for Covid-19-related keywords, for example “Covid-19” itself and of course “coronavirus”.
Researchers then used a specialist version of the publicly available Google Trends dashboard that focuses on health data called Google Health Trends.
And the results were startling.
“When we looked at this for a number of countries, around eight, we saw on average there was a 20-day early warning that Covid cases are going to go up or down,” one of the architects of the method, data scientist Bill Lampos of University College London, told HuffPost UK.
“We expected that at the time because health systems were very slow to test, so people were tested mainly when they presented themselves in a hospital with more severe symptoms, and it takes some time to get to that stage.
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“People will search for their symptoms and seek help later on. And if your symptoms were not severe, you didn’t get a test so you were not a case in the system but the search did not miss that out.”
A chart showing the increase in searches for coronavirus symptoms around the time lockdown was imposed in England. PHE
The data also raises some interesting historical insights. For instance, a report on the methodology published in July, highlights how effective non-lockdown measures were in the early days of the outbreaks.
It reads: “We also note that for Australia and the UK, search scores were already in decline after the application of physical distancing measures but before lockdowns.”
The report adds: “Our work provides evidence that online search data can be used to develop complementary public health surveillance methods to help inform the Covid-19 response in conjunction with more established approaches.”
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Testing is now more widespread in the UK – albeit not as widespread as it should be at this stage in the pandemic – but the data Lampos and his team provides is still useful and contributes to PHE’s weekly infection survey report.
“The model followed the death rate very closely after the big peak in April and since then it’s followed the expected rate,” said Lampos.
Six months into the pandemic the UK combines a number of indicators into its weekly assessment including swabbing, NHS Test and Trace and hospital admissions.
But the search data method still retains one major advantage over all of these – people will generally search symptoms before they come into contact with any official testing or tracing service.
The latest search data Lampos submitted to PHE has reflected the recent upward trend in cases and has been confirmed by data from patient swabbing – but it’s still uncharted territory.
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“Now there are second waves, we will have to do a second assessment of the models to see what we are doing correctly and what we’re getting wrong,” says Lampos.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-10-19--Manchester Intensive Care Will Be Overwhelmed By November 12, No.10 Claims

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Greater Manchester hospital intensive care beds will be overwhelmed with coronavirus patients by November 12 in a best-case scenario, Downing Street has claimed.
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The prime minister’s official spokesperson said cases continue to rise in Greater Manchester, with infections among over-60s tripling in the most recent 15 days where full data is available.
Currently, the number of Covid-19 patients in intensive care in the city is around 40% of the number seen at the height of the first wave of the pandemic in spring.
Given hospitalisations occur two to three weeks after transmission, Downing Street expects that number to rise “significantly” over the next few weeks.
Under projections that assume hospitalisations double every 14 days – which the spokesperson said was a best-case scenario outlined by the government’s SPI-M scientific committee – all free intensive care capacity will be used by October 28.
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Hospitalisations will go past the peak of the first wave by November 2, they predict, while Covid patients would take up the city’s entire intensive care capacity by November 8, and the entire surge capacity by November 12.
Surge capacity is built by local NHS managers freeing up space in hospitals.
But the figures do not take into account extra beds at Nightingale hospitals, including one in Manchester that is currently being prepared for potential reopening.
Asked if the projections meant hospitals being overwhelmed by November 12, the spokesperson said: “Yes, that’s the entire surge ICU capacity.”
It comes as Johnson and the Greater Manchester mayor are locked in a standoff over whether the city should enter “very high” coronavirus restrictions, with Burnham apparently holding out for more financial support.
Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham speaking to the media outside the Central Library in Manchester on Thursday PA
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The PM’s official spokesperson said the government has committed a total of £465m of extra funding for English local authorities on top of £300m for “test, trace and contain” work.
But on reports the government could offer Manchester £100m to get agreement to enter tier 3, the spokesperson said: “Certainly I wasn’t familiar with the sort of numbers that were around this morning.”
No.10 also appeared to reject Burnham’s call for a parliamentary debate and vote on support for workers and businesses hit by restrictions before areas go into tier 3, as a way to break the “impasse”.
But Johnson’s spokesperson said: “The chancellor set out his financial support package to parliament, including for areas moving to high alert levels, and since then the House of Commons has spent more than 11 hours debating the latest situation, which has included extensive debate on the financial support package.
“I think parliament has had and continues to have a lot of opportunity to debate the situation and the government’s response to it.”
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Senior Conservatives, including the influential chair of the 1922 committee, Sir Graham Brady, have backed the Greater Manchester mayor in resisting tier 3 for the region.
Earlier, communities secretary Robert Jenrick said there had been “productive” negotiations with Greater Manchester but Monday’s talks would be the “final discussions”.
“We do now need to draw these conversations to a conclusion and to take decisive action,” Jenrick told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme.
Downing Street said discussions about coronavirus restrictions were also taking place with leaders from the north-east, South Yorkshire, West Yorkshire and Nottinghamshire.
Liverpool City Region received a £44m package as part of its Tier 3 measures, but Greater Manchester wants more extensive support – including a furlough scheme paying 80% of wages for affected workers.
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Responding, No.10 again pointed to figures showing that workers can access 67% of their wages on chancellor Rishi Sunak’s job support scheme, and in some cases top up some of the remaining lost earnings through universal credit (UC) to a level which could reach at most 88% of their original income.
But many will receive significantly less than that figure due to the way UC works.
Burnham said whether a deal can be reached is “not about the size of the cheque”.
He told Sky News: “It’s about protecting low-paid workers, people who are self-employed, supporting businesses and preventing them from collapsing. That’s what this is about.
“We’ve always said we would put people’s health first, and we will do that. But health is about more than controlling the virus – people’s mental health, I think, is now pretty low given that we’ve been under restrictions here for three months already.”
The row comes as the Welsh government introduces a two-week “circuit breaker” lockdown similar to the first restrictions imposed in March, covering the half-term break (October 23 to November 2).
Scotland and Northern Ireland have both imposed their own versions of a “circuit breaker”, with pressure mounting on England to U-turn and do the same.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-10-19--Wales Imposes Two-Week 'Circuit Breaker' Lockdown

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A two-week “circuit breaker” lockdown similar to the first restrictions imposed in March is to be introduced in Wales from next week, first minister Mark Drakeford has announced.
The lockdown will begin at 6pm on Friday October 23 and last until November 9, it will see bars, restaurants and non-essential shops shut.
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Speaking at a press conference on Monday, Drakeford said everyone in Wales will be required to stay at home apart from critical workers and jobs where working from home is not possible.
Household mixing both indoors and outdoors will be banned. But there will be an exception for adults living alone and single parents, who will be able to see someone else for support.
The period covers the half-term break (Friday October 23 – Monday November 2).
Primary schools will reopen after half-term break, and Years 7 and 8 will return to secondary schools.
Community centres, libraries and recycling centres will also close while places of worship will be shut other than for funerals or wedding ceremonies.
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Drakeford said the strict measures were needed as “a short, sharp shock” to suppress a surge in coronavirus cases.
“Unless we act, the NHS will not be able to look after the increasing number of people who are falling serous ill,” he said.
Local lockdowns are already in force in 17 areas of Wales affecting more than 2.3 million people.
A travel ban preventing people from areas of the UK with high levels of coronavirus from entering Wales came into force on Friday.
Businesses affected by the lockdown will be supported with a fund of almost £300m, which will open next week.
Every business covered by the small business rates relief will receive a £1,000 payment, while small and medium-sized retail, leisure and hospitality businesses that have to close will receive a one-off £5,000 payment.
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The Welsh government said “additional discretionary grants” and support for smaller businesses would also be available.
An £80m fund announced last week to help businesses develop in the longer term will be increased to £100m, with £20m ring-fenced for tourism and hospitality.
Paul Davies, Conservative leader of the opposition in the Senedd, said he believed the national lockdown was “not proportionate”.
“The Welsh government must be clear what actions they are taking during the lockdown to prevent further Wales-wide lockdowns which will have a significant impact on people’s lives and livelihoods,” he said.
Boris Johnson has so far resisted calls for a similar short-term national lockdown to be imposed in England.
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thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-10-19--Bette Midler Unveils A Special Halloween Treat For Hocus Pocus Fans

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Bette Midler is getting the witches back together this Halloween as a special treat for Hocus Pocus fans.
It’s been 27 years since the singer and actor appeared alongside Sarah Jessica Parker and Kathy Najimy in the spooky comedy film, and now they are returning for one night only.
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Bette revealed on Instagram that the trio are taking part in a virtual ‘Hulaween’ fundraiser for the New York Restoration Project on Friday 30 October.
She shared a snap of her, SJP and Kathy in character as the Sanderson sisters, writing: “Your 3 fav witches - @sarahjessicaparker @kathynajimy & ME - are returning for 1 night only on 10/30 at 8p ET!
″In Search of the Sanderson Sisters is the best thing to happen to Halloween since Hocus Pocus + Reeses Pieces.
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The ticketed virtual special will also include appearances from the likes of Glenn Close, Jamie Lee Curtis, Todrick Hall, Jennifer Hudson and Meryl Streep.
The website for the event warns that the show will not be broadcast again after the listed date and time, with tickets now on sale.
The 1993 Disney classic saw Bette, Sarah and Kathy as witches Winifred, Sarah and Mary Sanderson, who return to modern day Salem 300 years after being hanged.
The cast’s reunion comes ahead of the confirmed sequel to Hocus Pocus, which will debut exclusively on the Disney+ streaming service.
Bette recently confirmed to Yahoo! Entertainment that she will reprise her role as Winifred, but there’s no official confirmation yet as to whether Sarah Jessica and Kathy will join her on screen.
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As yet, there is no official release date for Hocus Pocus 2.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-10-19--Why Black Cats Are No Longer Being Overlooked For Adoption

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Black cats have a lot to celebrate this month, as the CEO of Cats Protection has said they’re no longer being overlooked in animal shelters.
The charity launched an awareness day (National Black Cat Day, October 27) a decade ago to highlight how black cats took longer to re-home than other cats, often due to incorrect beliefs that they’re bad luck, associated with the supernatural or are not photogenic.
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In a letter to the Southern Daily Echo, James Yeates, Cats Protection’s CEO, said black cats now spend 11 days less on average in care than they did prior to them launching Black Cat Day in 2010.
Around 65,000 black or black-and-white cats have since been homed through the charity’s adoption centres, which equates to almost half (44%) of all cats homed through its centres during that time. To celebrate this momentous occasion, here are some wonderful stories of black cats who’ve proven to be the purr-fect companions to their owners – particularly during the pandemic.
Nancy Rose via Getty Images
‘My dad’s recovery has been long, but Shadow has been there with him throughout’
Chris Jurczak, 57, from Sutton Coldfield, had two strokes in the space of a week four years ago. It hugely impacted his speech and he had to learn how to read and write again. During his recovery, his daughter Ellen found him a black rescue cat called Shadow to keep him company.
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“He was a bit apprehensive about caring for a cat by himself but was quickly won over by this gorgeous, easy going black cat,” said Ellen Jurczak. “I’d been worried about leaving him but, as I went out the door, he had Shadow in his arms and was absolutely beaming. Since then, the two have been inseparable.”
Ellen said Shadow has helped her father sleep soundly once more. “Dad had been really struggling to sleep but, once Shadow moved in and started sleeping on the bed with him, he was much better,” she said.
The black cat has also helped him gain some routine and structure to his day. “His journey to recovery has been long and challenging but Shadow has been there with him throughout. I really do believe he has made a huge difference.”
Supplied Chris and Shadow
‘I may well have gone mad without her’
Jacqueline Wilkinson, 35, from Croydon credits her black cat Cleo with supporting her through a difficult few years – including helping her stay mentally well while working from home during the pandemic.
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“My ex-husband and I adopted Cleo three years ago,” she said. “Since then she has supported me through various illnesses and ailments. She never left my side when I broke my arm – as well as a divorce and moving house.
“The last eight months have been particularly intense for the whole country and I’ve recently been off work with stress. Cleo has provided company, warmth and love over this time, as well as participating in my afternoon video meetings when I am working. I may well have gone mad without her.”
Capuski via Getty Images
‘She helped me get better faster and got me out of a very low place’
Susie Taylor, 48, from Dorset credits her black cat Rosie for helping her through a difficult time when she became sick with Covid-19 while working as a healthcare assistant. “I was feeling very low and isolated as I had to leave my home where I lived with my elderly mum,” she said.
“I thought a cat would help so I took in one-year-old Rosie from a local shelter who’d already been rejected from four different homes.
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“She was so scared at first and spent her first week under my bed but she gradually started to trust me. Just having a cat with me made me feel better and I really feel she helped me get better faster and got me out of a very low place.”
‘My cat’s snuggles and purring became my daily meditation’
Liz Parsley, 38, from Billericay, Essex, said her black cat Buster saved her from loneliness during the pandemic. “I live on my own and normally work long hours in London,” she said. “When lockdown started I was incredibly grateful to be able to work from home... but after a few weeks, the lack of human interaction really started to hit me and my motivation felt like it was dropping off a cliff.
“My black cat Buster wasn’t having any of it. He wanted to eat and his meowing became my new alarm clock. When I was feeling super stressed at work, or generally anxious about the pandemic, I’d hunt him out for a stroke and belly rub. His snuggles and purring became my daily meditation routine, where I could take a breath and clear my mind.”


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-10-19--Labour MP Yasmin Qureshi In Hospital With Coronavirus

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Labour MP Yasmin Qureshi is being treated in hospital for pneumonia after contracting Covid-19.
The Bolton South East MP, who also serves as Keir Starmer’s shadow international development minister, is 57 and tested positive for coronavirus two weeks ago.
The MP said in a statement on Facebook that she had been admitted to the Royal Bolton Hospital with pneumonia on Saturday and had isolated at home since testing positive.
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The statement reads: “Two weeks ago, I began to feel unwell. I then tested positive for Covid-19, so my family and I immediately self-isolated at home. I have not travelled to Westminster or anywhere else.
Yasmin Qureshi, Labour MP for Bolton South East PA
“I continued to work as best I could remotely, attending virtual meetings and doing casework, but after 10 days, I began to feel much worse and on Saturday I was admitted to the Royal Bolton Hospital with pneumonia.
“I’m being very well looked after and have nothing but praise and admiration for the wonderful staff at the hospital. They have been amazing throughout the process and I would like to extend my thanks to everyone working here in such difficult circumstances.
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“Although I am currently in hospital, my staff are continuing to work as normal – if you have any issues that you need help with, please get in touch by contacting the office on qureshiy2@parliament.uk.”
Labour leader Keir Starmer wishes Qureshi well in a tweet on Monday morning.
My thoughts are with my friend @YasminQureshiMP who has been admitted to hospital after being diagnosed with Covid-19.
My thanks go to the staff caring for Yasmin at the Royal Bolton Hospital, along with NHS staff across the country who are on the frontline against Covid-19. — Keir Starmer (@Keir_Starmer) October 19, 2020
Qureshi’s constituency is in Greater Manchester, which has been placed in tier 2 restrictions amid rising cases and hospitalisations.
Boris Johnson wants to escalate the area into the highest alert level, tier 3, but the move is being resisted by local leaders – including mayor Andy Burnham.
Former health secretary Burnham has called for a vote on tier 3 restrictions for Manchester, as the move can include the closure of pubs, bars, casinos and other hospitality venues.
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In a dramatic stand-off with the government, he has accused the prime minister of exaggerating the level of infection in the city region and demanded ministers introduce an 80% furlough scheme to support people forced out of a job by the curbs.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-10-19--Shirley Ballas Has A Warning For The Early Strictly Come Dancing Favourite

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Strictly Come Dancing’s head judge Shirley Ballas has given a warning to contestant Maisie Smith after emerging as this year’s early favourite.
The EastEnders star and her partner Gorka Marquez have been marked out as ones to watch with bookies and viewers alike, after Maisie won last year’s Strictly Children In Need special.
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However, Shirley has told Maisie that she should not think that having previous experience on the BBC ballroom show will count for anything in this year’s competition.
Shirley Ballas BBC/Guy Levy
In an interview with The Sun, she said: “I know she won the special but if I was Maisie I wouldn’t take anything for granted because doing one dance is not like doing ten weeks.
“You’ve got to be there and you’ve got to be full on and you’ve got to go the whole nine yards.”
She added: “You could see the competitive spirit, you could feel it. These people all look like they were at the starting block, ready to move forward.”
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Gorka Marquez and Maisie Smith BBC/Guy Levy
Shirley also said viewers should keep their eye on comedian Bill Bailey – who is partnered with last year’s winning pro Oti Mabuse – in the coming weeks, after impressing her with his moves during the group dance on Saturday’s launch show.
Admitting she’d initially pegged him as “this year’s Ed Balls”, she changed her mind after seeing him dance.
“He was rotating his hips, he was giving it some stick,” she said.
Oti Mabuse and Bill Bailey BBC/Guy Levy
This year’s Strictly stars are currently rehearsing with their partners ahead of this week’s first live show.
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Saturday’s launch episode introduced us to the 12-strong line-up, and saw the celebrities meet their partners for the first time.
There was also a number of notable changes to fit in with coronavirus guidelines, including a socially distanced audience, individual judges’ desks and pre-recorded routines from the professional dancers.
Strictly Come Dancing continues on Saturday at 7.25pm on BBC One.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-10-19--Thought Lockdown Was Hellish? At Least You Didn’t Have To Spend It Pretending To Be Someone Else Lik

Thought Lockdown Was Hellish? At Least You Didn’t Have To Spend It Pretending To Be Someone Else Like Sacha Baron Cohen Did

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Sacha Baron Cohen had to spend five whole days of lockdown in character as Borat while shooting the sequel to the hit mockumentary.
The Borat films see Sacha posing as fictional Kazakh journalist Borat Sagdiyev while interacting with real-life people.
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After reprising the role for the upcoming Amazon Prime release, Sacha admitted being unable to escape being his character when living with “two conspiracy theorists” during lockdown had been especially hard.
Sacha Baron Cohen as Borat in a recent trailer for the new film Amazon
In an interview with The New York Times, he said: “The hardest thing I had to do was, I lived in character for five days in this lockdown house. I was waking up, having breakfast, lunch, dinner, going to sleep as Borat when I lived in a house with these two conspiracy theorists.
“You can’t have a moment out of character.”
The Hollywood star also revealed how he snuck into Vice President of the United States Mike Pence’s rally dressed as President Donald Trump.
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He said: “I spent five hours in makeup that morning with the prosthetic team changing my face into Trump’s face. This fat suit is huge. It’s a 56-inch fat suit to turn my waist into Trump’s because we had estimated that was the most realistic.”
Sacha has targeted Trump many times during his screen career, with the US president being one of the unwitting targets of Da Ali G show in 2003.
The episode saw Sacha ’s character try to pitch him a product called ice cream gloves, but Trump walked out when he realised it was a prank.
Trump also branded Sacha “a moron who should have been pummeled” after a red carpet stunt at the Oscars in 2012.
In September, Amazon confirmed it had acquired worldwide streaming rights to the new Borat film, which will debut on 23 October.
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Sacha Baron Cohen originated the character of Borat on his series Da Ali G Show.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-10-19--Greater Manchester Lockdown: The Row Between Andy Burnham And Boris Johnson Explained

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A row between local leaders in Greater Manchester and central government has been rumbling for days, amid an impasse over whether to place the region into a tier 3 coronavirus lockdown. The two sides have been holding talks to try and bridge the divide.
What does the government want?
Boris Johnson wants to impose a tier 3 lockdown on Greater Manchester to combat a recent rise in coronavirus cases.
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The prime minister warned on Friday the infection rate had “doubled in the last nine days” and urgent action was needed.
Under the “very high” alert level, the strictest restrictions in the three tier system, people from different households will not be allowed to mix, pubs and bars not serving food will be forced to close and residents will be told not to travel outside the area.
The government so far resisted introducing a so-called “circuit breaker” national lockdown England that would impose strict measures across the entire country.
Instead it wants to target measures where cases are rising locally. Communities secretary Robert Jenrick told the BBC on Monday morning a national lockdown would have an unfair and “very significant” economic and health impact.
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“The argument for a national circuit-breaker is not one that I, personally, find, at all persuasive,” he said.
“This is to apply on a blanket level – the same approach in Nottingham, the city which my constituency is next to, where the number of cases today is well over 700, to Somerset or Herefordshire, where the number of cases per 100,000 is below 40.”
What does Andy Burnham want?
The Labour mayor of Greater Manchester, with the support of local Tory MPs, has resisted the government’s plan to impose tier 3.
Burnham has argued any strict lockdown must be matched with an increase in financial support for people and businesses.
He has demanded the Treasury bring back a level of support that existed during the first national lockdown in March for anywhere under the “very high” alert level.
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The measures he has asked for include:
A furlough scheme for all affected workers covering 80% of an employee’s regular wage or at least the national minimum wage.
A self-employed income support scheme set at 80% of average monthly income.
An improved compensation scheme for businesses directly or indirectly impacted based on the national scheme on rateable values.
The government’s current approach also means different regions of the country under the same lockdown tier can have slightly different rules as well as different financial support packages from central government.
Burnham, with the support of other local leaders, has called for one single national support package rather than “side deals with local areas”. He wants an “urgent debate and vote” in the Commons.
He has said “clear national entitlements” similar to during the first lockdown are essential to create the “sense of fairness” to ensure compliance with new restrictions.
Will it be resolved?
Ministers do not need Burnham’s approval to impose a tier 3 lockdown and could introduce the stricter measures without it.
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Jenrick told Times Radio on Monday morning any further talks today would have to be the “final discussions”.
“I think we do need now to bring this to a conclusion,” he said.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-10-19--Adele Sparks New Music Speculation After Exciting Saturday Night Live Announcement

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Adele has sent her fans into meltdown after announcing she’s set to guest host Saturday Night Live.
The singer sparked speculation that new music could be on the way, as she made the surprise announcement on Instagram on Sunday night.
Adele will helm the long-running US sketch show for the first time on 24 October.
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Writing on Instagram, Adele said she is “so excited” and “absolutely terrified”.
She wrote: “Bloooooody hellllll I’m so excited about this!! And also absolutely terrified! My first ever hosting gig and for SNL of all things!!!! I’ve always wanted to do it as a stand alone moment, so that I could roll up my sleeves and fully throw myself into it, but the time has never been right.
“But if there was ever a time for any of us to jump head first into the deep end with our eyes closed and hope for the best it’s 2020 right?”
Adele previously appeared as a musical guest on Saturday Night Live in October 2008, also on the eve of the presidential election, and in November 2015.
Adele SIPA USA/PA Images
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She said her upcoming hosting “feels full circle”, adding: “It’ll be almost 12 years to the day that I first appeared on the show, during an election…which went on to break my career in America, so it feels full circle and I just couldn’t possibly say no!
“I am besides myself that H.E.R will be the musical guest!! I love her SO much I can’t wait to melt into a flaming hot mess when she performs, then confuse myself while I laugh my arse off in between it all. See you next week.”
Given that Adele’s new album was previously rumoured for an autumn 2020 release, her high-profile slot on SNL has got many believing it could mark the start of her promotional run for an album.
SHES GOING TO ANNOUNCE NEW MUSIC OMG — HRH COLLECTION STAN (@TUENEMIGOEFRAIN) October 18, 2020
According to @showbiz411, a reliable source who has previously announced the release of 25, Adele’s upcoming album will be released on October 30th.
One week after her just announced SNL hosting gig!
· Source: https://t.co/C27CTYsDW9 pic.twitter.com/cmwWL1oiY6 — Adele Daily (@adeledailynet) October 18, 2020
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Adele's team was testing websites and the radio stations were teasing new music, she is coming 100%, her hosting SNL is to get her back with the general public before releasing — marie (@angeIsemotions) October 18, 2020
WAIT... ADELE PRESENTING SNL? NEW MUSIC COMINNNNN OMG — JΛCKELINE ツ (@LovaticJAM) October 19, 2020
Y’all think adele is gonna host snl and not release music. Obviously she dropping new music when she host — Daj (@onesunonemoonn) October 18, 2020
i just know adele is going to release new music soon which i am here for. she ain’t coming back after a 5 year hiatus just to host snl without making an announcement 😂😂 — 𝘀𝗮𝗹𝘄𝗮 ⁷ (@idyllicjin) October 18, 2020
🚨Adele rumored to release her new album on Friday, October 30th, @Showbiz411 reports.
The singer just revealed on social media that she will be hosting #SNL on October 24th.
🔗: https://t.co/KPZhvuaXSr pic.twitter.com/v72H0BdyiY — Pop Crave (@PopCrave) October 18, 2020
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Adele’s either dropping a teaser at SNL or she’s dropping her single and performing it, and then her album in November 👀 — diva (@divaxblink) October 18, 2020
Adele is rumored to release her new album on Friday, October 30th after Hosting SNL pic.twitter.com/lCELWJXEpw — The Honest Vocal Coach (@thehonestvocal) October 18, 2020
However, we should point out that in Adele’s statement, she refers to hosting SNL as a “stand alone moment” and H.E.R is the musical guest, indicating that the Hello singer will likely not be taking to the stage herself.
It had been highly anticipated her follow up to 2015′s record-breaking 25 would be released in 2020.
However, earlier this year Adele’s manager confirmed it had been pushed back, owing to the pandemic.
Jonathan Dickins told Music Week: “It isn’t coming in September, it’ll be ready when it’s ready.
“We’re all in the same boat, you’re doing stuff and then all of a sudden, the world stops. It’ll come when it’s ready. I can’t put a date on that yet. We have music, but we’re still working.”
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thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-10-19--Manchester 'Running Out Of Hospital Beds' As Political Row Over Tier 3 Lockdown Grinds On

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Hospitals in Greater Manchester are running out of hospital beds, according to leaked NHS documents, as political wrangling over whether or not the area will enter Tier 3 restrictions continue.
Data seen by the Guardian and Sky News, show two of the region’s twelve hospitals are operating at full capacity and another is at 94%.
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The NHS in a statement said it was monitoring the situation “very, very closely” and added it is “not unusual for 80% to 85% of ICU beds to be in use at this time of year”.
Covid deniers clearly have no idea what's actually happening right now on the ground in our NHS hospitals.
The more Covid cases overwhelm us, the less capacity we have for non-Covid care.
Staff are finite.
We simply can't be in two places at once 😔https://t.co/eC5Z839l33 — Rachel Clarke (@doctor_oxford) October 18, 2020
The development comes amid a battle between the government and Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham over Covid restrictions.
The area may be offered millions in extra funding to accept the strictest coronavirus restrictions as Boris Johnson seeks to prevent a lockdown revolt and Burnham presses for a Commons vote to break the “impasse”.
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The Labour mayor was said to have had a “constructive” conversation with the prime minister’s chief strategic adviser, Sir Edward Lister, over the weekend and further talks have been scheduled for Monday.
Senior Conservatives, including the influential chairman of the 1922 committee, Sir Graham Brady, have backed the Greater Manchester mayor in resisting Tier 3 for the region.
Burnham called for MPs to help workers and businesses hit with the harshest restrictions by having an urgent debate this week, warning “this is not just a Greater Manchester issue”, PA Media reports.
No 10 did not comment on reports in various newspapers that Johnson could offer the region tens of millions of pounds to accept the lockdown, but on Monday morning communities secretary Robert Jenrick told BBC Breakfast: “I have offered, in discussions that we have had, a range of different things that local leaders would like.
“Whether that’s greater control over local tracing, whether it is use of the armed forces, whether it is more resources for local councils.
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“We want to put together a package of measures that will actually work.”
Jenrick also expressed frustration about the amount of time spent on discussions, telling Sky News “they have probably gone on too long now”.
He added: “There has been a sense of uncertainty, which isn’t helpful to people living in Greater Manchester.
“More importantly, the number of cases is rising and the pressure on some of the hospitals in Greater Manchester is there for all to see.
“So, I think further measures and action now is important.”
Business leaders have called for greater support from the Treasury for firms forced to close in Tier 3, as well as those in Tier 2 which face “dramatically” hampered finances.
The British Chambers of Commerce told the PM that any new lockdown restrictions must come with “truly commensurate” financial support or risk “catastrophic economic consequences”.
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thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-10-19--Trump Mocks Joe Biden: If Elected, 'He'll Listen To The Scientists'

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US President Donald Trump sought to insult former Vice President Joe Biden on Sunday by saying that his Democratic opponent would listen to scientists if elected president.
Amid a global pandemic that’s claimed more than 219,000 lives in the US, Trump mocked Biden during a campaign rally in Carson City, Nevada, which around 5,000 mostly unmasked supporters attended.
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“If you vote for Biden, he will surrender your jobs to China. He will surrender your future to the virus. He’s going to lock down, he’s going to want us to lock down,” Trump said.
“He’ll listen to the scientists,” Trump continued. “If I listened totally to the scientists, we would right now have a country that would be in a massive depression, instead of, we’re like a rocket ship. Take a look at the numbers.”
Trump mocks Biden for pledging to listen to scientists. Watch this clip and ask yourself if Trump was trying to kill Americans by infecting them with coronavirus, how would it sound different? pic.twitter.com/aZSugwvoML — Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) October 18, 2020
Throughout the Covid-19 pandemic, Trump has dismissed and disputed science, sent mixed messaging to the public, ignored his own government’s guidance, feuded with public health experts and mocked others for following the rules ― even after he and dozens of people in his circle tested positive.
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To date, the US has the highest Covid-19 case count and death toll of any country in the world, and the rates of new infections and deaths continue to climb.
Biden campaign spokesperson Andrew Bates responded to Trump’s comments in a statement to Axios.
“Donald Trump tanked the strong economy he inherited from the Obama-Biden administration by continually discounting and attacking warnings from the scientific and medical experts working around the clock to save lives,” Bates said. “Now new coronavirus cases are surging and layoffs are rising.”


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-10-19--Gemma Collins Launches New Sweatshirt Range… Complete With Massive Typo

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Gemma Collins has unveiled a new range of sweatshirts emblazoned with some of her famous phrases, but one of the designs has a massive typo.
Fans of the former TOWIE star pointed out the spelling mistake after Gemma shared snaps of her modelling the new design on Instagram.
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As well as a top featuring the iconic line ‘I’m claustrophobic Darren’, fans can also get their mitts on another that says ‘Sorry, I don’t que hun’.
Gemma Collins Gemma Collins/Instagram
Oh dear.
The sweatshirt in question (complete with typo) is yours for just £38.99.
Gemma returned to our screens last week in ITVBe’s Diva Forever And Ever, and she was up to her old tricks as she headed to a safari park in an effort to become “the next David Attenborough” (her words, not ours).
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However, Gemma’s ambitions of becoming a conservationist hit somewhat of a stumbling block when she got freaked out during an encounter with a polar bear.
She had been invited to help feed the arctic creature after it was guided into a safe, caged environment.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-10-19--US Infectious Disease Expert: The 'Darkest Of The Entire Pandemic' Has Yet To Come

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Michael Osterholm, a renowned infectious disease expert, told NBC’s “Meet the Press” Sunday that “the next six to 12 weeks are going to be the darkest of the entire pandemic” and expressed concern that the US lacks a leading voice to guide the public.
“Vaccines will not become available in any meaningful way until early to [the] third quarter of next year. And even then, about half of the US population at this point is sceptical of even taking the vaccine,” said Osterholm, director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota.
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Osterholm pointed to the daily tally of 70,000 new Covid-19 cases in the US Friday, the highest level since July. Between now and the holidays, the number of Covid-19 cases in the US will likely “blow right through that,” he said.
He stressed that one reason for concern is that there are a number of voices guiding the public instead of just one, “which is part of the problem.”
Michael Osterholm NBC News / Meet The Press
“This is more than just science. This is bringing people together to understand why we are doing this. This is FDR fireside chat approach, and we’re just not doing that,” he said, referring to President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s evening radio addresses during the Great Depression that boosted public confidence.
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Osterholm said the goal is to achieve herd immunity, not by allowing people to contract the virus, but by inoculating them through a vaccination program. That requires strengthening public confidence.
“We need somebody to start to articulate, ‘What is our long-term plan? How are we going to get there? Why are we asking people to sacrifice distancing? Why are we telling people if you really love your family, you won’t go home for Thanksgiving or Christmas and end up infecting mum or dad or grandpa and grandma.’ We don’t have that storytelling going on right now, and that’s every bit as important as the science itself,” he said.
Osterholm expected Covid-19 cases to rise in coming weeks, but he vehemently dismissed the idea that herd immunity can be a solution to the pandemic or that it can be achieved with just 20% of the population infected. That low percentage was reportedly proposed by Trump medical adviser Scott Atlas.
“First of all, that 20% number is the most amazing combination of pixie dust and pseudoscience I’ve ever seen,” Osterholm said. “It’s 50% to 70% at minimum.”
Dr Anthony Fauci has also dismissed the idea that herd immunity can be achieved with such a low percentage.
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Attempts to achieve herd immunity by infection, and not by vaccination, will have negative results, Osterholm added. “There will be lots of deaths, a lot of serious illnesses,” he said.
Even if 50% to 70% of the population becomes infected, virus transmission is merely slowed down, not stopped, he said.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-10-19--UK Archbishops Pen Rare Joint Brexit Warning Over 'Disastrous Precedent'

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The government’s controversial new Brexit legislation could set “a disastrous precedent” if passed in its current form, the UK’s archbishops have warned in a rare joint letter.
The five senior church leaders, including the Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby, said the decisions implemented in the UK Internal Market Bill would “profoundly affect” the relationship between the four nations of the United Kingdom.
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The Bill sets out the way that trade within the UK will work once it is outside the EU’s single market and customs union.
But it also threatens to breach international law by overriding key parts of the European Union Withdrawal Agreement.
Writing in the Financial Times, the archbishops said they wished to “highlight the grave responsibility” of peers in the House of Lords as they debate the Bill on Monday.
“The Bill represents a profound shift in how trading relationships within the UK will be regulated and governed,” the archbishops said.
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“This will not be a return to a trade regime that existed before UK joined the EU, it will be an entirely novel system, replacing one that evolved slowly and by careful negotiation over decades.”
PA
They warned that if the Bill is made law without the consent of the devolved administrations it would “further undermine trust and goodwill” among those governing the different parts of the UK.
In a report published on Friday by the House of Lords Select Committee on the constitution, peers said ministers should listen to the concerns of the devolved administrations over the Bill and amend it accordingly.
The three devolved administrations of the UK have raised concerns over the Bill, with the Scottish government describing the legislation as a “power grab”.
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The archbishops said in their letter: “The Bill is, of course, not just concerned with domestic law. It currently asks the country’s highest law-making body to equip a government minister to break international law. This has enormous moral, as well as political and legal, consequences.
“We believe this would create a disastrous precedent. It is particularly disturbing for all of us who feel a sense of duty and responsibility to the Good Friday (Belfast) Agreement – that international treaty on which peace and stability within and between the UK and Ireland depends.”
The archbishops said that through the Bill, the UK government was preparing to breach the Northern Ireland Protocol, which had been agreed to facilitate the UK’s departure from the EU.
Their letter said: “If carefully negotiated terms are not honoured and laws can be ‘legally’ broken, on what foundations does our democracy stand?
“We urge lawmakers to consider this Bill in the light of values and principles we would wish to characterise relationships across these islands long after the transition period.”
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thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-10-19--35 Funny Tweets About The Lies Parents Tell Their Kids

Two months until Christmas and I’m already running out of lies to tell my kids about the Amazon packages showing up
Kids: ooh! What is it?
Me: I think daddy ordered a tool for his deck project...BORING lol
[Husband walks in] what’s up?
Me: Not much, I need you to build a deck


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-10-19--Vegan And Vegetarian Sandwich Recipes That Make Lunch Less Boring

Let’s be honest. If you’re looking for a quick vegetarian sandwich to slap together, grilled cheese is always a tempting option ― bread and cheese are in almost everyone’s kitchen, and it’s potentially one of the most delicious foods in the world. But your body deserves a little more nutrition than that.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-10-19--This Build-Your-Own Pizza Recipe Will Go Down Well With Kids

Halfpoint Images via Getty Images
Cooking With Kids is a weekly recipe series on getting creative in the kitchen with the family.
Pretty much all kids would jump at the chance of having a build-your-own pizza party – and we’ve got the perfect recipe they’ll love: the mimosa pizza. Think of it like the Neapolitan equivalent of the British fish fingers, chips, and baked beans supper.
“The mimosa is actually a little yellow flower that is given to women on International Women’s Day,” explains Pizza Pilgrim’s founders Thom and James Elliot. “We serve this pizza each March to celebrate the female pizzaiolas in our company. The Italians flock to buy it but, oddly, Londoners tend to turn their nose up at it (they are missing out!).”
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Kids can get stuck in at any point of the pizza-making. From stretching out the dough to putting on the final topping touches. “The kids love to feel involved and get their hands messy!” they say. “Plus, they can learn a little history about Italy and where the mimosa pizza came from. How the pizza reflects the flower, the sweetcorn is supposed to look the flowers so it’s nice for them to learn this little bit of history.”
Mimosa Pizza
Serves: 1 x 10 inch pizza | Dough proof and rest time: 6-8 hours | Prep time: 5 mins | Cook time: 5 mins
Pizza Pilgrims Mimosa Pizza
Ingredients:
For the dough: 1000g (35oz) ‘00’ flour (we recommend Caputo ‘blue’) 2g (2⁄3tsp) fresh yeast 620ml (21fl oz) tepid water 30g (1oz) fine sea salt For the pizza: 1 ball of Neapolitan pizza dough 40ml (11⁄4fl oz) double (heavy) cream 4–5 basil leaves Parmesan, for grating 1 tbsp good-quality olive oil 80g (3oz) fior di latte mozzarella, torn or sliced 2 slices of good-quality Italian roasted ham 2 tbsp canned sweetcorn (corn) Cracked black pepper
Method:
1. For the dough. Make a mountain of flour in the middle of the table. Using your fist, make a deep well in the middle of the flour, exposing the surface of the table (turning your mountain into a moon crater).
2. Crumble the yeast into the tepid water. Use your good hand to mash up the yeast in the water until it has dissolved. Fill your crater of flour with a third of the yeast/water mix. Using your fingertips, start making very small circular motions to combine the flour and water.
3. Start dragging in some more flour to the mix, by ‘undercutting’ the walls of the crater with your fingertips. As you do this the mixture in the middle will become thicker. Once it reaches the consistency of porridge, you need to add a bit more water. Don’t let it get too thick; if it starts to form a dough too soon it becomes difficult to incorporate the rest of the water. Keep dragging in a little flour to thicken the mix, then pouring a little bit more water in to loosen it, until you have all the water used up.
4. Sprinkle the sea salt over the mixture while it’s still very wet to ensure it dissolves and disperses evenly throughout the dough. Now use both hands to push the remaining flour from the outside into the middle. Fold and press the mix until all the flour is absorbed and dough comes together. If you have a dough scraper it really helps get everything off the table, but you can improvise with a paint scraper, spatula, or knife.
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5. Work the gluten by kneading the dough. Use the heel of your hand to stretch out the dough and roll it back up, while the other hand acts like an anchor. You’ll be able to see the strands of gluten stretching, breaking, being put back together, and becoming stronger. Continue this for about 8 minutes until the dough becomes smooth and glossy. It should also feel tighter and elastic.
6. Let the dough have a 10-minute rest to relax the gluten. Cover the dough with a damp cloth or some clingfilm (plastic wrap) to keep the air from drying it out. Then divide your bulk of dough into individual portions. We recommend 230g (8oz) dough balls for 10-inch pizzas. Ensure your dough balls are neatly shaped – pinched at the bottom and tight on the top – then place them in a tray or container 3cm (1in) apart. Cover with a tight lid or clingfilm (plastic wrap).
7. Leave the dough at room temperature for approximately 6 hours until it expands to almost double its size, then store in the fridge overnight. The next day remove the dough from the fridge for 1–2 hours and bring it back to room temperature before making your pizzas.