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Comedian Al Murray and Historian James Holland issue plea to battle Covid mental health crisis with launch of Walking Home For Christmas

 

Comedian Al Murray and WW2 Historian James Holland have challenged the UK public to supply their best military jokes and banter to help support Walking With The Wounded’s ‘Walking Home For Christmas’ campaign – to support ex-military facing mental health battles.

 

The major fundraising drive is the Charity’s only event this year. It challenges the general public to step out of their comfort zone and to walk somewhere important to them in support of Britain’s ex-military. Taking place from Thursday 10th to Sunday 20th December, the challenge is the perfect way to beat lockdown blues while obeying local Covid-19 restrictions.

 

The pair who run the We Have Ways of Making You Talk podcast (which discusses all things Second World War), have both come on-board this year to support those who served and to lend a hand in overcoming the new Covid-19 battlefield that is adding extra pressure mentally and physically throughout the UK.   

 

They will be taking on their own epic walk in December that will involve one of the most therapeutic remedies for mental health - banter! Walking and talking is good for the soul, but add a bit of military banter into the mix and you are laughing!

 

Over the past six years, thousands of people have done their own memorable, solo and team walks - to raise vital funds for those who have served. They have walked home, to a war memorial, to their old barracks and even carried a Christmas tree to a friend. The charity’s Grenadier Walk of Oman expedition team, comprised of 5 ex-military and one currently serving, will also be walking in December in their own locations (after the expedition was postponed until early 2021), to bring attention to the struggles that military veterans face in their day-to-day lives, and how a simple laugh and a joke can brighten the spirits of those who need it most.

 

This year, we've been locked down, but we can get up again. Walking Home For Christmas encourages us all to get out, embrace the spirit of Christmas and serve those who served us.

 

In light of the dark Covid-19 environment, this year’s campaign theme has been given a comedy twist and Al and James are calling out to the public for the best banter the military and ex-military have to offer to keep them entertained on their walk. They would love you to get involved and share any jokes that will help the mental toils of 2020. You can share your jokes in the comment section of the video below.

 

They have called on Brits across the country to put their best foot forward to raise much-needed cash to help veterans and their families – simply by going for a walk.

 

Al Murray said “I would love for the British public to join me and walk. Yes, walk, it’s as simple as that. Joining Walking Home for Christmas and doing a sponsored walk will help in raising money for ex-military and their families dealing with mental health issues that have been even more challenging, with the strange Covid-19 times we find ourselves in. Myself and WW2 historian James Holland would love to hear your military jokes, stories and banter that we can read out on our walk together on our We Have Ways of Making You Talk podcast. The challenge is yours, between Thurs 10 and Sun 20 Dec for Walking With The Wounded. Sign up below. Good luck and get walking.

 

James Holland added, “It’s an honour to be involved with Walking Home For Christmas this year and it’s extremely important to shine a spotlight on the importance of our mental health as well as our military veterans. I’m a big fan of walking the ground and I’m hoping that the military jokes and banter you provide will put a smile on my face, as well as Al’s! With another lockdown being implemented, getting out and walking is a great way to unwind and clear your head. So, do it for a good cause and support Walking Home For Christmas.

 

The campaign invites anyone to register for free, receive a branded Santa hat and facemask and do a sponsored walk home, somewhere important to them anytime between 10th -20th December.

 

The event is aiming to support 200 ex-servicemen and women who are socially isolated, struggling with their mental health, homeless or caught in police custody as a result of poor mental health – and get them back into employment and independence.

 

Carolyn, WWTW’s Clinical Lead says “There has been lots of research that backs up the message that exercise is good for us and studies have shown that exercise and physical activity can in fact treat mild to moderate depression as effectively as antidepressant medication – it’s good for our mental health and wellbeing! 

 

“Exercise improves mental health by reducing anxiety, depression, and negative mood as well as improving self-esteem. Taking part in group activities can improve this even further bringing individuals together to achieve a common goal.  Being part a group of your peers can instill a sense of comradery which many ex-servicemen and women miss and will attest to the fact that the associated banter can give a little respite from the day to day difficulties that can be experienced by many.  Having a laugh, socializing with others and taking part in some physical activity is a recipe for improving our wellbeing and rebalances the nervous system – allowing us to put the brakes on any stressful situations we may be going through,”

 

Signing up for Walking Home For Christmas is easy and free

 


Following the release of their eighth studio album Encore, last year to critical acclaim, the band comprising Terry Hall, Lynval Golding and Horace Panter, hit the road again.The genius of the Specials is that they are observers, not commentators and they know that pop music is influential, important and exhilarating. They are a band embedded in this country's DNA, and especially in the DNA of Coventry, City of Culture 2021.

 

It is impossible to envisage the musical landscape without them, from the startling, angular Gangsters in 1979, to their swan song, the epoch-making Ghost Town in 1981. They infuse ska with punk and homegrown political anxiety with wider issues.

 

The skill of re-contextualising what has gone before and writing new songs that fuse this heritage with all that is current. Throughout the decades the Special's influence has never gone away. And we need it."I'm aware our work has been out there for forty years and I'm so grateful for what we've done, I pinch myself sometimes," says Lynval.

 

"I can pat myself on the back now, and say 'Well done,' because that what my father says to me. As a band, making this record, it was the closest we'd ever been.""That's the thing with the Specials," says Horace.

 

"We are three very different people, but you put us together and we become the greatest rock 'n' roll band in the world, as far as I'm concerned. Something remarkable happens."

 

Something remarkable will happen at the Ricoh Arena in 2021, when The Specials walk out onto the stage at the Ricoh Indoor Arena, Coventry on September 11th.

 

Comedian and actor John Sessions has died.

 

Best known as a panellist on 1980s and 90s improvisation TV show Whose Line Is It Anyway?, and for Stella Street, Spitting Image and QI, with acting credits included TV dramas Porterhouse Blue and Victoria, and Kenneth Branagh's 1989 film of Henry V, comedian Ronni Ancona described him as "a genius", while Helen Lederer remembered him as "such an original force of clever wit and talent". Rory Bremner said Sessions was "just the best, he'd blow everyone away on Whose Line with his speed of thought & breadth of reference". He added: "A flash of brilliance just went out."

 

During his career, he provided voices on Spitting Image in the 1980s - the only person to both provide impressions and be featured as a puppet on the satirical show.

 

The programme was among the trailblazers of alternative comedy, he told BBC Radio Scotland in September. "You really felt you were at the cutting edge of comedy," he said.

 

His impressions were also at the heart of Stella Street, a spoof soap opera about megastars like Keith Richards, Joe Pesci and Roger Moore who lived on the same suburban road, which launched in 1997.

 

Sessions recalled meeting Richards and the other members of the Rolling Stones. "They watched the show," he told Radio Scotland. "Keith said he really enjoys it and he's thinking of getting a little corner shop."

 

Paying tribute, comedian Sanjeev Bhaskar said Sessions was "always warm and fun company and amazing improv ability". Meera Syal remembered himbeing "always the funniest and kindest man in the room", while Jack Dee described him as "a delightful, funny, generous and hugely gifted man" and Sally Phillips said he was "unpredictable, dangerous, adorable".

 

Sessions appeared on the first ever episode of QI, and the team behind the panel show said: "His incredible wit and encyclopaedic knowledge played a huge part in the show's history and everyone at QI is deeply saddened to learn of his passing."

 

Broadcaster Danny Baker remembered him as "terrific company always and a true talent", and Michael Spicer described him as "a character actor with such extraordinary range and so very, very funny".

 

Sessions was born John Marshall in Largs, Scotland, in 1953, and moved to Bedfordshire with his family when he was three. He was accepted by Rada at the age of 26 in 1979. Eight years later, his one-man theatre show The Life of Napoleon transferred to the West End. "He is like nobody else," The Times' critic wrote. "He uses language like a poet; he can jump from the raft at Tilsit to Huck Finn on the Mississippi and make the metaphor work."

 

Soon after, he made his acting breakthrough on screen in Channel 4's Porterhouse Blue, before showing his surreal and cerebral comic energy on Whose Line Is It Anyway?

 

"When I left Rada, my plan was to try and do two careers at once - to be a comedian and an actor," he told The Guardian in 2014. "For some years, I managed to juggle the two, but I never felt I joined either club." He went on to star in a string of his own BBC TV shows, such as a self-titled solo improvisation series in the late 1980s, followed by John Sessions's Tall Tales and John Sessions's Likely Stories. But he never quite achieved the stardom of his friends Branagh and Stephen Fry. He said he "ran out of steam" when he turned 40. "As I was getting older, I wasn't getting more confident, I was getting less confident," he told The Guardian. "I lost my way."

 

His other TV credits included Victoria, The Loch, Just William, Tom Jones, and Gormenghast; and he had film roles in The Good Shepherd, The Merchant of Venice and The Bounty.

 

His knack for impersonating politicians was put to use in dramas too - playing former prime minister Edward Heath in the 2011 film The Iron Lady; another ex-premier, Harold Wilson, in 2010's Made in Dagenham; and former chancellor Geoffrey Howe in the 2009 Thatcher biopic Margaret. But he told The Telegraph in 2013: "I don't think I was very good at managing my career. You need to carve your own path and not just bob along."

 

Recently, he had narrated a 10-part radio adaptation of children's book series The Adventures of Captain Bobo.

 

In a statement, his agent Alex Irwin said: "It is with great sadness we can confirm that on Monday 2nd November, the actor John Sessions died at his home in South London. He will be hugely missed."

 

The Ayrshire-born star died from a heart condition, his agent said.

 

He was 67.

 

 

 

 

Over $110,000 (£85,000) was raised in support of an unwitting star of Sacha Baron Cohen's new mockumentary, Borat Subsequent Moviefilm.

 

Jeanise Jones, 62, was recruited for the film that sees Kazakh journalist Borat playing pranks on US citizens. She features in several scenes after being asked to babysit the fictional daughter of Cohen's infamous character. Following the film's release last week, her church pastor set up a crowdfunding page for fans "to say thank you".

 

Pastor Derrick Scobey said Ms Jones, who was hired from the congregation of Ebenezer Baptist Church in Oklahoma City, had recently lost her job of 32 years due to the coronavirus pandemic.

 

On the crowdfunding page, Mr Scobey said the movie's producers had asked for a "black grandmother for a small role in a documentary". During filming, Ms Jones was tasked with looking after Borat's daughter, Tutar, who was played by actress Maria Bakalova.

 

In a number of scenes, Ms Jones deflects misogynistic comments made by Mr Cohen's character, encourages Tutar to "be happy" and tells her to "use your brain, because your daddy is a liar".

 

"This was not scripted for Jeanise. It all came from the heart," said Mr Scobey. "She is one of the most authentic people I've ever met."

 

In an interview with the New York Post, Ms Jones said of her appearance in the film that she was "trying to give the best advice I know".

 

"In that kind of situation, you can't help but have patience because you're trying to help somebody - at least, that's what I thought," she said. She further that said she was yet to watch the film. She was paid $3,600 for her role in the movie, which drew millions of viewers during its opening weekend on Amazon Prime.

 

Ms Jones said that, since filming, she had been concerned about Tutar's welfare. But after a friend showed her a trailer for the movie earlier this month, she has looked back on the experience with good humour.

 

"I'm glad to know that Ms Bakalova's not really in that situation," she said. "Mr Cohen, I don't know.

 

“It wasn't real, so I would shake his hand and say, 'You got me.'"

 

Some of the biggest names in music are performing at a special McDonald's festival this weekend.

 

With Craig David, Lewis Capaldi, Olly Murs and Stormzy announced to take part in I'm Lovin' it Live music fans can attend the virtual festival via the McDonald's app throughout the weekend.

 

If the line-up wasn't enough to excite you, McDonald's are also helping music fans get into the festival spirit with their own limited edition clothing.

 

Not only that, you can get the Lovin’ it Live’ hoodies, bucket hats and golden wellies for free.

Unfortunately, there isn't enough products for everyone so McDonald's are running a competition where you could win some of the limited edition products.

 

The competition is being run on McDonald's official Facebook page, and you must be at least 16-years-old and living in England, Scotland and Wales to take part.

 

McDonald's I'm Lovin' it Live is a virtual three-day event featuring some of the biggest names in music.

 

Former The X Factor runner-up Olly Murs was named as one of the top names to take part and his features alongside the biggest names in the music industry, including rapper Stormzy and R&B legend Craig David.

 

The virtual performances can be accessed by downloading the My McDonald's app.

Once downloaded, you have to set up and register an account before you get access to the video footage. After you have registered, click on the link at the scheduled performance time to gain access to I'm Lovin' it Live.

 

Other stars who are set to perform over the weekend include; Stormzy, Becky Hill, Jess Glynne, Kaiser Chiefs and Lewis Capaldi.

 

Following the sold-out performances of ‘Lazuli Sky’, Birmingham Royal Ballet and Birmingham Repertory Theatre have announced a specially adapted production of the classic Christmas fairytale ‘The Nutcracker’, which will run at The REP from 14 – 22 December 2020.

 

This new adaptation of Birmingham Royal Ballet’s much-loved production will bring the family favourite to The REP for the very first time. In a COVID-safe environment including socially distanced seating allocated to household or bubble groups only, they are able to tell The Nutcracker story in a way that is equally safe for the performers and production crew, on and off stage.

 

This Christmas, the full-length production will be shortened to an 80-minute magical experience that will retain all of the most enchanting moments and characters from the classic full-length show. 

 

‘The Nutcracker’at The REP will whisk audiences from the heartwarming Christmas Eve party where Fritz and Clara meet the magician Drosselmeyer, to the rousing battle between King Rat and the toy soldiers, through a flurry of Snowflakes and onto a journey to the Kingdom of Sweets where Clara meets the Sugar Plum Fairy and her prince - all accompanied by the cherished Tchaikovsky score performed live by the Royal Ballet Sinfonia. This special series of shows will celebrate the 30th anniversary of Birmingham Royal Ballet’s original Birmingham Hippodrome production being created as a gift for the City in 1990.

 

The Nutcracker will also be performed the Royal Albert Hall this Christmas (30 Dec 2020 - 2 Jan 2021).

 

Director of Birmingham Royal Ballet, Carlos Acosta said: “Following the fantastic experience of staging our first shows since lockdown at The REP, we are so happy to continue our collaboration with this very special version of The Nutcracker so that audiences in Birmingham and the West Midlands can have something to look forward to this Christmas.

 

“The Nutcracker is an essential part of our annual season and we can’t wait to welcome audiences back to The REP in December for this celebration.”

 

The REP’s Artistic Director, Sean Foley added; “It was wonderful to collaborate with Carlos Acosta and Birmingham Royal Ballet for the World Premiere performances of Will Tuckett’s Lazuli Sky - and a particular thrill to welcome audiences safely back to The REP for the first time in seven months. We are just as excited to reveal the next stage in our ongoing creative partnership as we bring a special version of The Nutcracker to The REP for the very first time. A visit to theatre is an on-going Christmas tradition, and we can’t wait to share this magical experience with our audiences this festive season.”

 

This enchanting version of a Christmas favourite will be a fitting tribute to the company’s 30-year history, and one that looks to the future with hope and celebration. It is the quintessential Christmas treat for all the family.

 

 

 

 

Kazakhstan's tourism board has adopted the Borat catchphrase "very nice" in its new advertising campaign. The phrase is used by the film character Borat, a fictional journalist from Kazakhstan.

 

The first Borat film caused outrage in the country, and authorities threatened to sue creator Sacha Baron Cohen. But the country's tourism board has now embraced Borat as a perfect marketing tool - particularly as a second Borat film has just been released.

 

It has released a number of short advertisements that highlight the country's scenery and culture. The people in the video then use Borat's catchphrase "very nice".

 

"Kazakhstan's nature is very nice. Its food is very nice. And its people, despite Borat's jokes to the contrary, are some of the nicest in the world," Kairat Sadvakassov, deputy chairman of Kazakh Tourism, said in a statement.

 

The tourism board were persuaded to use the catchphrase by American Dennis Keen and his friend Yermek Utemissov. They pitched the idea and produced the advertisements, according to the New York Times.

 

The response from social media users has been positive with many saying the advertisements capitalise on the film and send a positive message. One said: "Well done. Great way to take the publicity created by a comedian and turn it to a positive message." The second film itself has had a mixed reception. The Kazakh American Association has slammed the film for promoting "racism, cultural appropriation and xenophobia".

 

In a letter sent to Amazon, which has distribution rights to the film, the group asked: "Why is our small nation fair game for public ridicule?" In Kazakhstan, more than 100,000 people signed an online petition demanding a cancellation of the film after a trailer was released.

 

"They completely desecrate and humiliate Kazakhstan and the dignity of the Kazakh nation," the petition said. Others on social media branded the film as a "stupid American comedy".

 

When the first Borat film was released in 2006, authorities banned the film and release of it on DVD and people were blocked from visiting its website. Officials felt the movie portrayed Kazakhstan as a racist, sexist and primitive country.

 

In the film Borat bragged about incest and rape. He also joked that the former Soviet nation had the cleanest prostitutes in the world. The film also caused outrage in Romania where an entire village said they were "humiliated" by the film.

 

The village was used as the backdrop for Borat's house. Residents said they were told the film was going to be a documentary, but instead were portrayed as backward people and criminals. Years later, however, the Kazakhstan government thanked Sacha Baron Cohen for boosting tourism in the country.

 

In 2012, the foreign minister at the time, Yerzhan Kazykhanov, said he was "grateful" to Borat for "helping attract tourists" to the country, adding that 10 times more people were applying for visas to go there.

 

 

 

 

Ireland’s rising talent Flynn has released just two solo tracks in 2020, but they’ve quickly placed him in prime position for greater things. ‘One of Us’ and ‘B-Side’ have introduced him as an artist with global potential, with numerous Spotify New Music Friday playlists plus The Pop List (Spotify) and New Pop Hits (Apple) helping to introduce him to a whole new audience. His surging status has also been spotlighted with a quick succession of tips from influential tastemakers including The Line of Best Fit, Wonderland, Fault and Clash.
 
While those two songs have delivered a snapshot of Flynn’s talents, his debut EP, also titled ‘One Of Us’, will show that there’s much more to come – out now via Jive Germany / Sony, Flynn launches the EP with the focus track ‘Selling Me Love’.  ‘Selling Me Love’ proves that Flynn is impossible to pigeonhole after the alt-pop of ‘One of Us’ and a modern update on the sounds of Stax with ‘B-Side’. ‘Selling Me Love’ is supremely larger-than-life, taking flight from understated opening verse into a dynamic chorus that melds hip-hop energy and chart-bound immediacy with a dash of muscular funk. The trait that shines through all three songs is Flynn himself, with a voice of seasoned maturity emerging from the young artist.
 
“This is my first EP release so I just really wanted to put my life so far into words and touch on all the little experiences I’ve encountered along the way. It feels so surreal to be able to finally share all these stories with everyone, I loved the whole process of making this EP and I’m really proud of it. I hope it resonates with people and they can take something away from it.” says Flynn.
 
In addition to the three recent singles, the ‘One of Us’ EP will be completed by the piano ballad ‘I Don’t Wanna Love You’ and the tropical soul of ‘Young’. 
 
Flynn co-wrote all five of the EP’s tracks with collaborations including producers Toby Scott (Cashmere Cat, JC Stewart, Kaiser Chiefs) and Blair MacKichan (Sia, Lily Allen). 
 
Flynn’s big breakthrough came when he featured on Lost Frequencies’ ‘Recognise’, which has since reached 42 million streams. He recently continued his connection with the renowned producer and DJ by featuring alongside Love Harder on ‘You’, from Lost Frequencies’ current EP ‘Cup of Beats’.
 
Despite that huge opportunity, Flynn is anything but an overnight sensation. He was raised in Mullingar in County Westmeath, Ireland before relocating to Bristol to focus on a career in music. It certainly demanded some sacrifices - in any given week, he might be found busking in Bristol then writing in London before heading home to work shifts in a local restaurant. That combination of talent and tenacity is now paying off.
 

Rapper/actor Chris Bridges, more popularly known as Ludacris, is set to produce a new animated series called ‘Karma’s World’ inspired by his eldest daughter Karma Bridges. The series will be released on Netflix soon.

Ludacris’ production company Karma’s World Entertainment is one of the producers of the coming-of-age story that will follow the life of 10-year old girl Karma Grant, an aspiring musical artist, rapper, and songwriter, who wanted to use her music to be able to change the world.

The 40-episode series with 11-minutes screentime each will feature original music scoring created and supervised by Ludacris himself in collaboration with James Bennett Jr. and produced by Gerald Keys. The compositions tackle the issues young children are facing from friendship, creativity, emotions to self-esteem, and discrimination.

Karma’s World Entertainment is partnering with 9 Story Media Group, Oscar-nominated Brown Bag Films, and Emmy Award-winning Creative Affairs Group to produce the new series. Ludacris is hoping the series will get to inspire young children and empower young girls.

“I’ve had a lot of accomplishments in my life, but everything that I’ve experienced seems to have led up to this point to where I can leave a legacy for all my daughters,” Bridges said.

“Karma’s World is one of those legacies. I hope this series will show kids that there are many ways to overcome difficult situations. This show is going to move hip hop culture forward and show young girls that they have the power to change the world. This project has been a long time in the making, and I can’t wait to bring Karma’s World to the entire world.”

 

The funeral for the founding fathers of reggae music, Frederick ‘Toots’ Hibbert, was stalled on eve of the planned service after no could find the burial permit as the body made its way to the Dovecot Memorial Gardens in St. Catherine, in Jamaica.

 

It followed concerns from family members who were disappointed at him being laid to rest outside his hometown. Hibbert’s daughter Jenieve Bailey, previously announced the decision to have her father’s body to be laid to rest in May Pen, in Clarendon, where other family members were buried.

 

Toots’ nephew, Wilbert, said: “The whole family agreed for him to come back home to where his mother, father, three brothers and sister are buried. He needs to take the country road back to the place where he belongs. You don’t need anything plainer than that.”

 

But just days before the planned date of burial, the announcement was made about a change in the place of rest.

 

In defending his stance he went on: “He sings about the country road in one of his biggest songs, and he is always visiting us down here. He never left us out.”

 

He went on: “From the time Miss Doreen (Toots’ widow) and some of the children came down here and chose the land, we didn’t hear a word. No grave digging was going on down here and everybody — my mother, sisters and aunt — were asking me what is happening?”

 

The day of the burial saw the planned procession, with a private service for close family members which took place at Perry’s Funeral Home chapel.

 

Hibbert’s body was transported to Dovecot Memorial Gardens, but no one in attendance possessed the burial certificate, which is usually provided by the Registrar General Department when receiving a signed death certificate.

 

Without a signed burial order, the body cannot be placed in the grave.

 

Following the family being unable to provide the relevant documents, Toots’ body was returned to the funeral home.

 

The reggae legend, 77, was admitted to the University Hospital of the West Indies after reporting concerns with his breathing before later passing away as a result of challenges brought on by COVID-19 last month.

 

 

Hollywood superstar Idris Elba and his wife, Sabrina Dhowre Elba, have said individuals can make a difference in tackling climate change.

 

The actor, producer and DJ, said: "There is definitely something that we can all do. You are doing it now listening to this. There is hope."

 

Model and actress Sabrina added: "There is a method, there are steps. It isn't just throw your hands in the air and go 'the world is on fire'.

 

"There are solutions and it's figuring out what those solutions are and how we can each play a part because we do know that every person can make a difference.

 

"It is so easy to feel hopeless when you do hear all of that scaremongering but people can make a change. Each individual person." Climate change is often seen as a problem that's so big, it needs to be tackled at the level of world governments. But the couple say every person can play a role.

 

The 10-part podcast explores issues and solutions around climate change. The couple feature in an episode which looks at the impact of climate change on our global food systems.

 

Idris said he wanted to use his platform to "shine a light" on those most affected by global warming. "There's no shortage of voices talking about climate change and the green debate," he said, "but there's not much visibility on the people that haven't much at all and still suffer climate change.

 

"We look at small farmers as slightly unrelated to us, somewhere in the Sahara, but that food chain links to all of us. The effect is not apparent now, but it will be massively."

 

Sabrina and Idris are ambassadors for the UN's International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD).

Some of IFAD's projects aim to make food production more resilient to the impacts of climate change. They are piloting climate adaption technologies such as rainwater harvesting and supplementary irrigation.

 

Sabrina said she and Idris had a strong passion for taking care of the planet for the coming generations. "We've just got married. I want to have children one day and bring them into a world which I don't think will be destroyed in the coming years," she said.

 

That sense of responsibility has led them to look for programmes which help people in Africa who are affected by climate change. Last year, they went to Sierra Leone to meet farmers affected by the Ebola epidemic.

 

"These farmers are probably the least contributors to the climate change problem but are yet being affected the most," said Sabrina. "This demand, which we saw go up with the pandemic, has always been an almost unreal demand. Food waste is no secret issue in the West and in the North".

 

Speaking of how he would like to see the world change, Idris said: "My son is six years old and I want him to know Daddy went to Sierra Leone to look at agriculture.

 

'What's agriculture, Daddy?' Well it's a way of growing food. It's a way of looking after our world. And if we look after our world, it will supply us back.

 

"And that is something we should leave with the next generation. Even if it's just not that everyone is going to be a great farmer but it's the understanding of the food chain and food supply.

 

“That is really important."

 

 

The Church of England is said to be a co-owner of Beyoncé's Single Ladies, Rihanna's Umbrella and Justin Timberlake's SexyBack and is one of hundreds of investors in a company called Hipgnosis, which, for the past three years, has been hungrily snapping up the rights to thousands of hit songs.

 

So far, it has spent more than $1bn (£776m) on music by Mark Ronson, Chic, Barry Manilow and Blondie. Its latest acquisition is the song catalogue of LA Reid, meaning it has a share in tracks like Boyz II Men's End Of The Road, Whitney Houston's I'm Your Baby Tonight and Bobby Brown's Don't Be Cruel.

 

And when those songs get played on the radio or placed in a film or TV show, Hipgnosis makes money. And, by association, does the Church of England, along with other investors like Aviva, Investec and Axa.

 

According to Hipgnosis founder Merck Mercuriadis, the music he's bought is "more valuable than gold or oil".

 

"These great, proven songs are very predictable and reliable in their income streams," he explains. "If you take a song like the Eurythmics' Sweet Dreams or Bon Jovi's Livin' On A Prayer, you're talking three to four decades of reliable income."

 

He says hit songs are a stable investment because their revenue isn't affected by fluctuations in the economy.

 

He explains: "If people are living their best lives, they're doing it to a soundtrack of songs. But equally, if they're experiencing the sort of challenges we've experienced over the last six months, they're taking comfort and escaping in great songs.

 

"So music is always being consumed and it's always generating income."

 

With Spotify users increasing by a monthly average of 22% between March and July, streaming royalties have increased during the Covid-19 pandemic. As a result, Hipgnosis' share price has largely withstood the turmoil that has affected much of the business world.

 

Mercuriadis, from Quebec, Canada, got into the music industry after calling the Toronto office of Virgin Records every day for months until they gave him a job in the marketing department, where he worked with acts like UB40, The Human League and XTC.

 

In 1986, he joined the Sanctuary Group, ultimately becoming its CEO, where he managed the careers of Elton John, Iron Maiden, Guns N' Roses, Destiny's Child and Beyoncé, as well as working on the relaunch of Morrissey's career in 2004.

 

Kanye West recently called him one "of the most powerful and knowledgeable people in music".

 

"I've been very lucky to work with everyone I've ever wanted to work with," says Mercuriadis.

 

“The key to managing any successful artist is to fight hard for them and tell the truth", even when it's uncomfortable.

 

"The thing that most people don't realise is that, if you have a career that's the length of Elton's, you're going to be the coolest artist in the world seven times over. Equally, you're going to be the most uncool artist seven times over.

 

"Real life is saying, 'This is where we currently are, this is where we want to be, and this is what we have to do to get there. So let's roll our sleeves up and get our hands dirty and get stuck in.'" He admits he's been "fired for telling the truth" in the past - although he won't name names.

 

"It happens all the time," is all he will say. "The truth is something few people want to tell. It's arguable that even fewer want to hear it."

 

The idea for Hipgnosis came to Mercuriadis in 2009, around the time Spotify launched in the UK.

 

"I could see that streaming was going to change the landscape, and was going to make the music industry very successful all over again," he says.

 

He points out that the industry's traditional benchmark for success is the platinum record - which, in the US, represents a million sales. It sounds impressive, he says, until you realise that a hit film like Toy Story 4 sold 43 million tickets. "So that immediately tells you that, while the vast majority of the population may enjoy music, very few of them put their hand in their pocket and pull out a tenner and pay for it."

 

Streaming changed that, he says, because previously passive consumers were willing to pay a monthly subscription. "Instead of the focus being that one in 350 people would actually pay for music, the focus is on all of them."

 

An estimated 88 million people subscribe to streaming services in the US, more than a quarter of the population. Unlike most music companies, Hipgnosis isn't focused on finding the "next big thing". A third of the songs it owns are more than 10 years old, and 59% are between three and 10 years old.

 

Fewer than 10% are newer releases.

 

Grime star Dizzee Rascal and Lady Leshurr amongst a list of Bitish music stars honoured in the Queen's Birthday Honours list.

 

Dizzee Rascal, real name Dylan Kwabena Mills, was made an MBE for services to music.

 

He is considered to have been one of the founding fathers of grime scene which grew out of London at the start of the century. In 2003 the MC became the youngest artist – at 19 - to win the Mercury Prize, with his debut album Boy in da Corner.

 

He said that he deserved to be given top billing at Glastonbury Festival. "I've toured this festival for years, never disappointed," he said. "You can always count on me."

 

"I'm basically at the stage where they need to make me headline this thing - because they ain't had no British rappers headline this festival."

 

Rapper Lady Leshurr was awarded the British Empire Medal for services to music and charity.

 

The freestyle performer, whose real name is Melesha Katrina O'Garro, performed her distinctive rap, Quarantine Speech, for a YouTube fundraiser during lockdown.

 

Rap duo Krept and Konan, real names Casyo Johnson and Karl Wilson, were also awarded the British Empire Medal for services to music and the community in Croydon.

 

They launched the Positive Direction Foundation three years ago, which offers activities including workshops in music production, engineering and songwriting for young people.

 

Last year they also judged the first series of BBC Three's The Rap Game UK.

 

Celebrity cook Mary Berry was honoured with a dame hood.

 

Reacting to the news, Dame Mary, who has earned the status of national treasure over a six-decade career, added: "When I was first told that I was going to be a dame you don't really believe it. And then it's so exciting, and you feel very proud.

 

"For most of my life I have been lucky enough to follow my passion to teach cookery through books and the media.

 

"To be a dame is really the icing on the cake."

 

Also being made a dame was veteran actress and Coronation Street star Maureen Lipman and The Woman in Black author Susan Hill, in being made a dame commander.

 

There were knighthoods for UK rock 'n' roll icons Tommy Steele, for services to entertainment and charity, along with Brookside, Grange Hill and Hollyoaks creator Professor Phil Redmond, for services to broadcasting and arts in the regions.

Hercule Poirot actor David Suchet was also knighted for services to drama and charity.

 

Derrick Evans - more commonly known as Mr Motivator - was also made an MBE after creating online home exercises during lockdown and hosting a week-long workout with Linda Lusardi to raise money for Age UK's Emergency Coronavirus Appeal.

 

Another English music star, singer Mica Paris, was also made an MBE, as well as performer and vocal coach Carrie Grant. Elsewhere, broadcaster and natural historian Sir David Attenborough added to his legacy by being made a GCMG - one the country's highest honours.

 

Sir Paul Smith, the chair of the clothing label Paul Smith, was made a Companion of Honour, for services to fashion.

 

Daytime ITV presenter and journalist Lorraine Kelly was made a CBE alongside Judy Cramer, the woman behind the movie Mamma Mia! and singer-songwriter/campaigner Joan Armatrading - for services to music, charity and equal rights.

 

Professor Brian Cox, scientist and presenter of BBC shows including The Wonders of the Universe, was also made a CBE alongside Birmingham-born actor Adrian Lester, who is currently starring in BBC drama series Life and appeared in the films Primary Colors and The Day After Tomorrow.

 

OBEs went to ELO singer and music producer Jeff Lynne; and Tony Hatch - the man who wrote the theme tunes for Neighbours, Crossroads, Emmerdale and Petula Clark's Downtown; as well as Last Tango in Halifax screenwriter Sally Wainwright - for services to television.

 

Booker Prize-winning-author Bernardine Evaristo was also appointed at the same level.

The Girl, Woman, Other novelist became the first black woman to win the award, when she shared it with Margaret Atwood in 2019, after the judges broke their rules by declaring a tie.

 

How to Train Your Dragon writer Cressida Cowell was made an MBE for services to children's literature, while ITV's Dr Hilary Jones was made an MBE too, for services to broadcasting, public health information and charity.

 

Englan and Manchester United striker, Marcus Rashford who is urging the government to extend its provision of free school meals has accepted an MBE.

 

The Queen's Birthday Honours list is usually revealed in June, but it was delayed this year by several months due to coronavirus.

American reggae and pop singer-songwriter Johnny Nash, best known for the 1972 hit I Can See Clearly Now, has died, his family has said.

 

Nash, whose health had been in decline, died at his home of natural causes his son said.

The musician began singing as a child and made his major label debut with the 1957 song A Teenager Sings the Blues.

 

Nash, born in Houston, was one of the first non-Jamaican singers to record reggae music in Kingston, Jamaica.

 

His single I Can See Clearly Now sold more than a million copies and reached the top of the Billboard Hot 100 chart in 1972, where it remained for four weeks.

 

He also had a number one hit in the UK in 1975 with Tears on My Pillow.

According to his official website, Nash helped reggae legend Bob Marley sign a recording contract.

 

More recently, the artist started work on transferring old analogue tapes of his songs from the 1970s and 1980s to a new digital format.

 

Besides his son John, Nash is survived by his wife, Carli.

 

He was 80

Revered guitarist and co-founder of the rock ban Van Halen, Eddie Van Halen, has died of cancer.

 

His son announced that the Dutch-American musician died after undergoing treatment for throat cancer. 

 

The musician’s band Van Halen was best known their song Jump, which hit the top of the US charts in 1984. 

 

His son Wolfgang paid tribute to him on social media, saying he was the best father he could ever ask for. "My heart is broken and I don't think I'll ever fully recover from this loss. I love you so much, Pop," his son wrote.

 

Van Halen died at St Johns Hospital in Santa Monica surrounded by his family.

 

He was 65.

CBBC star Archie Lyndhurst has died at the age of 19 after a short illness.

 

He was best known for playing Ollie Coulton in the comedy show So Awkward.

 

In a statement, his father, Only Fools and Horses actor Nicholas Lyndhurst, said he and wife Lucy were "utterly grief stricken and respectfully request privacy".

 

CBBC head of content Cheryl Taylor said he was "such a talented young actor", adding: "All of us at BBC Children's are devastated." She added: "He will be greatly missed by us all and our deepest condolences go out to his family and friends at this time."

 

Archie began his acting career at the Sylvia Young Theatre School at the age of 10. In 2013, his father Nicholas told the BBC that his son had inherited the "acting gene". He appeared in So Awkward, a sitcom following the lives of a group of friends in secondary school, from its first series in 2015.

 

Nicholas appeared alongside his son in a 2019 episode of the programme.

Channel X North, the independent production company that makes So Awkward, said it was "deeply shocked and saddened" by the news.

 

"He was an incredibly talented performer and his contribution to So Awkward, on and off screen, will not be forgotten," it said in a statement. "As well as hilarious, he was a generous, kind-hearted young man who we had the honour to work with on the show for seven years.

 

"Our thoughts are with his family and friends at this time."

 

John Challis, who played Aubrey "Boycie" Boyce in Only Fools, said Archie's death was "the saddest news of all". He said Archie was "just starting out on his chosen career in acting" and that his "heart aches for Nick and Lucy".

 

Actress Sue Holderness, who played Boycie's wife Marlene in the show, said the news was "too sad", adding: "My heart goes out to his Mum and Dad and to all who knew him."

 

Samuel Small, who appeared with Archie in So Awkward and also in a 2014 episode of Game of Thrones, posted a lengthy tribute on Instagram to his "brother" and "best friend".

 

"I still can't quite comprehend that you have passed," he wrote. "You still had so much life to live and I'd give anything for you to keep on living it.

 

"I wish you could've all known Archie how we knew him," he continued. "I've never met someone so full of life [who] touched so many people’s hearts.

 

"I still can't find the words that do him justice and show how much of a beautiful soul he was."

 

Archie's other roles included recurring appearances as a younger incarnation of comedian Jack Whitehall in various TV programmes.

 

These included BBC Three sitcom Bad Education, in which he was seen as a younger version of Whitehall's Alfie Wickers character.