Community News

The waterfront city of Portsmouth is the perfect destination for a family-friendly short summer break, offering a variety of activities from the stunning coastline to the fun filled history, heritage and learning experiences. The wide range of safe yet enjoyable physical activities available include cycle hire, swimming and tennis courts. Good quality family accommodation and family friendly restaurants make the historic city an all-round summer destination.

Emirates Spinnaker Tower

Visitors can start their visit on a high with unrestricted views of The Solent, The Isle of Wight and the rolling hills of Hampshire's South Downs, plus a unique perspective on Portsmouth from 100m above the city harbour at Gunwharf Quays. Experience the thrill of crossing the amazing glass Sky Walk.

Blue Reef Aquarium

Overlooking the busy but beautiful Solent, Portsmouth's Blue Reef Aquarium takes visitors on the ultimate undersea safari,  from the rich variety of British waters to the beauty of a tropical coral reef. Over 40 displays include an otter holt and a giant tropical reef tank that is home to a variety of tropical sharks and stingray, black tip reef sharks, crested horn sharks, terrapins, frilled dragons and much more.

The Pyramids Centre swimming pool

The Pyramids Centre is one of Portsmouth's largest entertainment, leisure and event complexes, located just off Southsea Beach. The venue boasts a variety of activities for all ages with fun leisure pools, funky flumes, wacky waves, pool inflatables and a three-level soft play adventure world filled with mazes, climbing nets and ball pits, as well as a multipurpose gym, fitness classes including Zumba, Yoga and Health Circuits and an in-house spa

His Royal Highness The Earl of Wessex  was given a royal welcome as he paid a visit to Birmingham Conservatoire in his role as the institution’s Royal Patron.

The Earl  was the guest of honour at the historic music school and was treated to a special musical performance before being taken on a guided tour of the state-of-the-art new facilities currently under construction at the institution’s £57 million new home.

His Royal Highness was welcomed by Birmingham City University Vice-Chancellor Professor Graham Upton Conservatoire Principal, Professor David Roberts, Pro Vice-Chancellor and Dean for the Faculty of Arts, Design and Media and Conservatoire Principal Professor Julian Lloyd Webber.

On his arrival HRH was led into the Recital Hall where he enjoyed a performance from the Conservatoire’s brass band, before talking with students about their studies and future careers.

The Earl was formally named as the institution’s first Royal Patron last year, reflecting his strong interest in the arts in both his public and personal life.

Birmingham Conservatoire Principal Professor Julian Lloyd Webber said: “It was fantastic to welcome The Earl of Wessex through our doors again and to give him the chance to see our students perform.

“All of us at the Conservatoire are extremely grateful to His Royal Highness for being such a caring and active Royal Patron.

“As our wonderful new building is nearly completed this was the perfect opportunity for us to show him  around the new facility in Eastside and showcase the state-of-the-art facilities that will make our new home a Conservatoire fit for the digital age.”

Part of Birmingham City University and with a history dating back to 1859, the Conservatoire is one of the leading music academies in the country.

Internationally renowned cellist Professor Julian Lloyd Webber took up the role of its Principal in 2015.

The new Conservatoire, which is being built by Galliford Try, will be equipped with more than 70 music practice rooms for musicians and will also be home to Birmingham’s only dedicated jazz venue.

The new £57 million home for Birmingham Conservatoire is being built alongside Millennium Point, adjacent to Jennens Road in Eastside. The development is being taken forward in partnership with Millennium Point and Birmingham City Council.

British painter William Turner is regarded as one of the fathers of Rhine romanticism. Today, his paintings are still ambassadors for the Middle Rhine Valley, which, with its high density of castles, sloped vineyards and the various localities on the narrow banks, has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Yet, Rhineland-Palatinate has so much more to offer: Moselle romanticism certainly has as many benefits as 'Father Rhine' – one more reason to introduce the popular Moselle-Saar holiday region.

The Moselle – home to one of the most photographed castles in Germany Nostalgics from the Moselle region look at the DM500 note they may still possess melancholically. However, this is not only due to its former nominal value. Rather, they miss the vignette of the impressive Eltz Castle, which they were so proud of. Located in a side valley of the Moselle, Eltz Castle is reminiscent of Sleeping Beauty's castle to many a visitor in the area. The stone and timber-frame structure, still in perfect condition, is a source of fascination, especially since it has never been destroyed. The castle has been the family estate of the Counts of Eltz for centuries. Many visitors consider it the Neuschwanstein Castle of Rhineland-Palatinate.

In a bid to help those who have been affected by the Manchester bombings, TOA taxis have raised just over £2000. Half the amount was raised by collecting donations from every black cab driver on the ranks in Birmingham City Centre and Birmingham International Airport. The other half of the money has been kindly donated directly by TOA Taxis, matching the total amount collected by all of the black cabs in Birmingham.

On May 22^nd 2017, a suicide bomber detonated an explosive device at Manchester Arena following a concert by American singer Ariana Grande. The blast killed 22 victims and left 116 individuals injured. The deceased include 10 people under the age of 20, the youngest an eight-year-old girl.

The whole nation has been shocked by the attack and communities are coming together to support those affected by the dreadful event. Birmingham based taxi firm, TOA Taxis, have been doing their best to collect as much money as they can for the victims and families of those who were killed or were injured. Ram Singh, TOA taxi driver and member of the TOA board of management, has been leading the collection and has been taking time out of his day to walk down the ranks throughout the City and Birmingham International Airport, gathering funds with TOA staff from all black cab drivers to raise as much money as possible in support of the devastating aftermath of the attack.

TOA first formed in 1961, starting initially with circa 25 cabs. The company now boast an impressive 380 cabs, covering the whole of Birmingham.

Imran Akram, Secretary at TOA Taxis, comments: “The Manchester cabbies did a valiant job in taking people from the stadium home for free. This is the least we could do to support the victims of the tragedy.”

To celebrate the 5th anniversary of Pop In The City, Geneva will be hosting the first unisex edition of the urban adventure race on 7th October 2017. Traditionally, this race has been exclusively for women, but with popularity growing at an exponential rate, event organisers couldn't resist inviting men to join in the fun as well!

Having been voted against Lisbon and Toulouse in by previous 'Pop In' participants, Europe's leading city break destination is set to offer a fantastic location for this special edition of the urban adventure race. Participants will have to complete a range of Genevan inspired challenges dotted around the city which guarantees to push people to their limits, whilst creating an exciting and rewarding experience. Challenges will include mastering the workings of a clock, rafting along the Rhone and negotiating peace at the UN.

Staff and volunteers at Galton Valley Pumping station in Smethwick will celebrate the building's 125^th anniversary with a free family and community fun day next month.

The wildlife themed event is on Saturday 8 July between 10am and 3pm and will be at the station itself and further down the canal.

Jane Hanney, Sandwell's museum services manager, said: “Staff from Dudley Zoo will be at the event with some of their smallest animals, as well as representatives of the RSPB and Birmingham and Black Country wildlife trust with information and activities to get involved with.

“There will be a heritage boat and an arty and crafty boat with loads to have a go at. Visitors can also enjoy the live music, craft activities and trails along the canal,” she added.

"There is something for all ages and a great opportunity to take a walk along the Galton Valley canal and spot the wildlife and nature."

Councillor Richard Marshall, cabinet member for leisure, said: “The Galton Valley pumping station  is a truly historic building and was built to regulate water levels between the old and new mainline canals.

“It is wonderful that after 125 years visitors can get along and learn about life on the canals and how they were built and played such a big part in the industrial development of the area.”

The building is opened once a month staffed by our brilliant volunteers who help Sandwell Museums look after this building.

Hundreds of pupils from across Wolverhampton took part in a spectacular musical performance in Queen Square.

Around 500 children from 16 primary and special schools in the City joined the free concert, performing songs in a wide range of styles and traditions led by Paul Wilcox from Wolverhampton Music Education Hub.

The performance marked the culmination of a six-month project organised and delivered by Wolverhampton Music Service. Teachers from schools around Wolverhampton took part in regular workshops, learning songs which they could subsequently teach in their own schools in preparation for the performance.

Sarah Tulley, Wolverhampton Music Service Assistant Headteacher, said: “The concert was an enormous success. There was an amazing atmosphere as the children sang and there was even some audience participation.

“The weather was kind this year, so the children only wore waterproof ponchos for their performance of ‘Singin’ in the Rain’, unlike last year when there were downpours.

“The children really enjoyed themselves and were a huge credit to their schools. Wolverhampton is very proud of them.”

She added that Wolverhampton Music Service plans to repeat the event again next year.

Claire Darke, the City of Wolverhampton Council’s Cabinet Member for Education, said: “This performance demonstrated once again just how talented our children and young people are, and I would like to say a huge well done to everyone involved.”

Wolverhampton Music Service provides tuition and musical opportunities for youngsters from schools across the city, including the chance to perform with its flagship groups, Wolverhampton Youth Orchestra and Wolverhampton Youth Wind Orchestra.

City of Wolverhampton Council was crowned Council of the Year at the ‘Oscars of local government’ and also scooped three other awards at a ceremony in London.

The council was the star of the show at the Municipal Journal (MJ) Awards held at London’s Hilton Park Lane Hotel and hosted by television star Joanna Lumley.

The MJ Awards are open to all councils across the country and are judged by a panel of leading experts.

This year City of Wolverhampton Council was a finalist in seven out of the 14 categories – which was more than any other council.

As well as winning the top accolade of Council of the Year, City of Wolverhampton Council also took home Most Improved Council, Senior Leadership Team of the Year and Excellence in Governance and Scrutiny.

It was also highly commended in the Impact and Learning in Children’s Services category.

Winning four awards is believed to be a record.

Heather Jameson, Editor of the MJ, said: “Judges praised City of Wolverhampton Council for delivering consistently excellent services across all key areas and the council was described as an outstanding example of modern local government where the resident is at the heart of sound commercial decision-making.

“It was a truly fabulous night and congratulations to all our winners and particularly City of Wolverhampton.”

City of Wolverhampton Council leader Cllr Roger Lawrence said that the outstanding success was independent recognition of the transformation of the authority over recent years.

He added: “Receiving these four fantastic accolades is a testament to the hard work we’ve invested into putting our residents at the heart of all we do, improving services and making our city a rising star within the local government world.

“I am delighted that we took home the top prize of the night, ‘Local Authority of the Year’ after being runner up last year.

“It shows the huge strides we have made on our transformation journey to become a confident, capable council. – and I would like to thank all those involved for helping make this possible.”

Managing director Keith Ireland said: “To be finalist in seven of the 14 categories and win four of those awards is absolutely fantastic. This is a real achievement for the city council, its residents. employees, councillors and partners.”

Spectators will line the Canals of Birmingham this Saturday as the 18^th annual Brindleyplace Dragonboat Race sponsored by Deutsche Bank returns to the City with a record-breaking target of raising £100,000 for Birmingham based blood cancer charity, Cure Leukaemia.

Teams from across the region including Nandos, Greater Birmingham Chamber of Commerce, GVA, West Midlands Combined Authorities, Siamais, Kind Group, Colliers International, The ICC, Jaguar Land Rover, Middleton Foods, Genting Casino, Harvey Nash and not forgetting the event sponsors Deutsche Bank, will battle it out in fancy dress to find out who will be crowned Dragonboat Champions!

The monumental target of £100,000 has been set to help fund 10% of Cure Leukaemia’s £1million Centre Appeal to fully fund the expansion of the Centre for Clinical Haematology at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Birmingham. Work started on the transformational £3.2m project last month and when complete, the capacity of the globally significant Centre will be doubled meaning double the number of patients treated and hopefully more lives saved, just like that of 28-year-old Elizabeth Dean from Birmingham.

Back in 2014, Lizzie was happily enjoying life.

She had a successful job as a mechanical engineer and had recently moved in with her boyfriend Phil. Lizzie had been suffering from tonsillitis and after a visit to her GP, was prescribed antibiotics. The antibiotics cleared the tonsillitis but Lizzie continued to feel ill, tired and was suffering from a high heart rate. After phoning the NHS helpline who were alarmed by her high heart rate, Lizzie was referred to A&E.

The next morning, as Lizzie sat in the waiting area, she found herself too ill to walk and as her name was called to go through to triage, she stood up and passed out immediately.

She was taken up to the Ward, before blood tests revealed she had Acute Myeloid Leukaemia and her course of treatment started that very day.

Lizzie said, “After being diagnosed, I lay on the bed with my partner sat next to me and it dawned on me that in the snap of my fingers, I had gone from being normal to being ill. Everything had changed.”

“When the Doctor told me I had blood cancer, my first question was – am I going to have a normal life?”

“She simply replied, I don’t know.”

“I accepted it pretty fast. I told myself, it is what it is and being sad and upset isn’t going to change it. I made that decision very early on. Not to be sad, not to cry and to be as happy as I can each day. That way it would be better for me and everyone visiting me.”

“Working as a mechanical engineer, I fix things. And I told myself if I did exactly what the Doctors told me, then they would fix me too.”

After the first four cycles of treatment, Lizzie was told she was in remission and went back to work.

Just a few months later, she then received the dreaded news that her cancer had returned and shortly after, she underwent a bone marrow transplant and once again went in to remission.

Despite being in remission, Lizzie continued to suffer from side effects and her vision became blurry due to a leukaemic mass behind her optic nerve. The leukaemia had returned for the second time and she lost the sight in her eye as a result.

She was told that there was nothing more they could do for her and she had just months to live.

Despite hearing this, Lizzie was placed on a world first clinical trial (VIOLA), run by the team of Doctors and Nurses at the Centre for Clinical Haematology, Birmingham.

She said, “I wouldn’t be alive now without the Centre for Clinical Haematology and the fact that I was referred to Birmingham for my bone marrow transplant after the first relapse.”

“The Centre is always crowded and the new expansion is so important. By doubling the capacity, they can treat more patients and hopefully keep more people alive, just like they’ve done for me. If the nurses at the Centre weren’t funded by Cure Leukaemia, they wouldn’t be able to carry out these life-saving trials and treat the patients.”

Lizzie kindly agreed to feature in Cure Leukaemia’s £1m Centre Appeal brochure to share her story.

“I feel like I’m helping a little bit” she said.

“People are doing incredible things for Cure Leukaemia - cycling, running, triathlons and all those taking part in the Dragonboat Race this Saturday. I can’t do any of that as I’m not strong enough but if I can help in this little way (by sharing my story), then it’s a fantastic way to raise funds for the Doctors and Nurses who helped me since my diagnosis three years ago.”

The first race begins at 11am with the final taking place at 16.15pm. There will be a host of family activities taking part in Brindleyplace including a children’s fancy dress competition, arts and crafts market, face painting, Punch and Judy show and so much more. Spectators are being invited to wear red to turn Birmingham a sea of red and all races will be broadcast LIVE on a giant screen in the square thanks to Elonex Outdoor Media.

A Birmingham St Mary’s Hospice volunteer has won a prestigious accolade in recognition of his outstanding efforts to the community.

Richard Green, who volunteers in the income generation team at the Hospice, won ‘Community Volunteer of the Year’ at the Birmingham Voluntary Service Council (BVSC) volunteering awards.

The retired engineer from Sutton Coldfield picked up the award at Soho House in June, at a ceremony that celebrates the achievements of Birmingham’s top volunteers.

Having dedicated five years to the charity - which provides vital care and support to families living with terminal illness across Birmingham and Sandwell – Richard took home the acclaimed gong due to his fundraising and event-planning efforts.

The award-winner was particularly praised for his role in the organisation’s ‘Treecycling’ campaign – a seasonal initiative that recycles unwanted Christmas trees whilst raising funds for the Hospice. By writing proposals, securing top sponsorship deals and mapping out collection routes, Richard’s support helped raise an incredible £33,000 earlier this year, which was a 32 per cent increase from 2016.

Richard Green, volunteer at Birmingham St Mary’s Hospice, said: “Winning this award is not only rewarding from a personal point of view but it is a fantastic way of raising the profile of the Hospice and our brilliant Treecycling campaign. Seeing our community grow year-on-year is gratifying and I’m proud to be a part of it.

“I am incredibly grateful to the fundraising team at the Hospice for their help, support and friendship, and for giving me the opportunity to work on some amazing projects and events – it has been both a privilege and a pleasure.”

Tina Swani, CEO at Birmingham St Mary’s Hospice, said: “Richard is an exceptional volunteer and we couldn’t be prouder of his award win. His specialist skills, and his drive, passion and positive thinking, have had a huge impact on the fundraising team and the campaigns he regularly supports.

“Without Richard’s help – or the assistance of our other 400 volunteers – we wouldn’t be able to provide such a wide range of services to support local families living with terminal illness. The BVSC awards are a brilliant way of recognising the commitment of these individuals and we’re thrilled that Richard was amongst the winners on the night.”

City of Wolverhampton Council was crowned Council of the Year at the ‘Oscars of local government’ and also scooped three other awards at a ceremony in London.

The council was the star of the show at the Municipal Journal (MJ) Awards held at London’s Hilton Park Lane Hotel and hosted by television star Joanna Lumley.

The MJ Awards are open to all councils across the country and are judged by a panel of leading experts.

This year City of Wolverhampton Council was a finalist in seven out of the 14 categories – which was more than any other council.

As well as winning the top accolade of Council of the Year, City of Wolverhampton Council also took home Most Improved Council, Senior Leadership Team of the Year and Excellence in Governance and Scrutiny.

It was also highly commended in the Impact and Learning in Children’s Services category.

Winning four awards is believed to be a record.

Heather Jameson, Editor of the MJ, said: “Judges praised City of Wolverhampton Council for delivering consistently excellent services across all key areas and the council was described as an outstanding example of modern local government where the resident is at the heart of sound commercial decision-making.

“It was a truly fabulous night and congratulations to all our winners and particularly City of Wolverhampton.”

City of Wolverhampton Council leader Cllr Roger Lawrence said that the outstanding success was independent recognition of the transformation of the authority over recent years.

He added: “Receiving these four fantastic accolades is a testament to the hard work we’ve invested into putting our residents at the heart of all we do, improving services and making our city a rising star within the local government world.

“I am delighted that we took home the top prize of the night, ‘Local Authority of the Year’ after being runner up last year.

“It shows the huge strides we have made on our transformation journey to become a confident, capable council. – and I would like to thank all those involved for helping make this possible.”

Managing director Keith Ireland said: “To be finalist in seven of the 14 categories and win four of those awards is absolutely fantastic. This is a real achievement for the city council, its residents. employees, councillors and partners.”

An array of military memorabilia will be on display at two events in the City of Wolverhampton next week in the build up to Armed Forces Day on Saturday, June 24.

The national day gives the country the chance to pay tribute to serving troops, veterans, cadets and their families.

Wolverhampton Art Gallery is running an exhibition from Monday, June 19 to June 24 to mark 80 years since the Boulton Paul Defiant’s test flight at Pendeford Airfield in 1937. The Wolverhampton-built aircraft went on to see service in the Second World War.

Tettenhall Transport Heritage Centre will be providing displays about the Defiant inside the Lichfield Street gallery, as well as equipment used by the Royal Air Force and the British Army dating back as far as the First World War.

Curator Alec Brew said: “We are happy to display what we can for this excellent cause, and people can also come along to our own Military Day on July 15th, when the local army reserve unit will be displaying their modern equipment.”

The Mercian Regiment Museum will be at the Mander Centre (Lower Mall) on Tuesday, June 20, between 10am and 4pm.

It is an opportunity to view an exhibition of the past and present, and compare the experiences of First World War and Second World War soldiers from the Staffordshire Regiment with the modern-day soldier in the West Mercian Regiment.

Antique weapons, uniforms and memorabilia will be on display, and there is the chance to take photos with former soldiers in their uniform of the day, as well as try your hand at poppy and medal making.

City of Wolverhampton Council Cabinet Member for City Economy, Councillor John Reynolds, said: “These fabulous museums are just two of the events all the family can get involved in to support our Armed Forces.

“Armed Forces Day 2017 will be the culmination of a week of celebrations in Wolverhampton honouring the incredible contribution made by the UK's Armed Forces in the past, present and future.

"It is our chance to demonstrate our gratitude to them, and I hope the people of Wolverhampton will turn out in force to show their support.”

Wolverhampton is a signatory of the Armed Forces Community Covenant, a pledge of mutual support between the city and its Armed Forces community.

It calls on local people to support the Armed Forces community, recognise and remember the sacrifices they have made over the years and encourage activities that help members of the Armed Forces integrate into local life.

It also encourages members of the Armed Forces support the wider community, and promote understanding and awareness among the public of some of the issues faced by former members of the Armed Forces as they return to civilian life.

Staying Cool, the award-winning boutique serviced apartment operator, has announced plans for a new 41 unit apartment hotel in Manchester to open next year.

The hotel on Chorlton Street, within the Whitworth Street / Princess Street Conservation Area, will see the regeneration of a strategic city centre building – a former cotton warehouse – that has lain empty for several years.

Once home to Oliver Peyton’s Mash & Air in the 1990s, the building was acquired by the Cringle Corporation. In January, Staying Cool won a competitive tender, led by CBRE, to find the right hotel or serviced apartment operator.

The two parties have signed heads of terms and submitted a joint planning application, which includes the addition of a new roof top extension. If approved, redevelopment works will commence this Autumn and Staying Cool will welcome its first guests in late 2018.

“Given the location of the building, and its particular loft style features and appeal, interest in leasing the site was significant, with strong bids received from a range of regional, national and international operators. We selected Staying Cool for their forward-thinking business style, attention to detail, quality and award-winning brand,” said Cringle Director, Joshua Senior.

“The building is a real gem, a classic Manchester warehouse, with tonnes of character,” said Paul Taylor, co-founder of Staying Cool. “We believe that the significant redevelopment schemes in the immediate neighbourhood, including Kampus across the road, make this a perfect location for a design-led apartment hotel by Staying Cool.”

This is the first joint partnership scheme with Bespoke Hotels, announced last year, which will see the Staying Cool brand brand roll out across the UK. Staying Cool already has a 45 bed apartment hotel on the top floors of Birmingham’s iconic Rotunda.  “We’re delighted to be able to announce this new scheme – one of a number over the next few years as we move ahead with our ambitious expansion plans. We are especially pleased to be opening in Manchester as it is the city where our story began,” continued Paul Taylor.

The architects on the scheme are Halliday Meecham and Euan Kelly Property Solutions the planning consultants. Staying Cool was advised by Tony Bray of Pure Real Estate Solutions. Nick Huddleston of CBRE managed the tender process on behalf of the Cringle Corporation.

Birmingham City Council has scooped Platinum – and the Geoff Hamilton award for the best exhibit in the floral category – at this year’s Gardeners’ World Live Show at the NEC.

It follows the council’s sixth successive Gold at the Chelsea Flower Show last month.

The display at Gardner’s World Live Show is a smaller version of the Chelsea Flower Show display, which celebrates the work of Rowland Emett OBE – famous for his Chitty Chitty Bang Bang inventions.

Deputy Leader for Birmingham City Council, Cllr Ian Ward, said: “After last month’s Gold at Chelsea it’s great to follow up with a Platinum closer to home at the NEC, and the Geoff Hamilton award really is the icing on the cake.

“I would like to thank the team who have worked so hard to celebrate Emett’s work, and our sponsors who have paid for the display and all the plants and moving features within it.”

The BBC Gardener’s World Live Show is in its 50th year.

We may have long been a nation of cat and dog lovers, but the extent to which we’re going to incorporate our beloved pets into our everyday lives has now never been more extreme. Some owners are even going as far as having their pets baptised, or including them in their will according to new research.

The study, which has been commissioned by MORE TH>N, reveals in the full the lengths owners are going for their pets.

It has been timed to coincide with the launch of ‘Pet Peeves’ – a new comedy web-series in which a dog and a cat are given their moment in the spotlight to air various light-hearted grievances about their owner. Voiced by stand-up comedian Russell Kane, the videos are designed to encourage owners see things more from their pet’s perspective.

Beyond revealing some of the more common ways we are guilty of pampering our pets, with over half of owners (53%) admitting they let their pet sleep in their own bed, and 63% confessing that they regularly feed them human-food, the study also uncovered some more unusual trends.

Among these findings were that one in five (20%) would consider including their pet in their wedding day. 18% meanwhile confessed they would consider leaving them as a beneficiary in their will, while 7% of those surveyed even admitted they would consider having them baptised.

Owners have even put their pets on social media -  8% have set up a Facebook, Twitter or Instagram page for their dog or cat, with each of these accounts having an average of 177 followers. 59% said their pet has more followers than them on social media, with a third (34%) saying that they post more on their pet’s account than their own.

Celebrating together on special occasions proved to be another instance of the lengths people are going to when it comes to catering to their pet. A whopping 89% of owners said they buy their cat or dog a Christmas present each year, with 12% spending upwards of £50 on the gift.

Almost half (45%) also admitted that they celebrate their pet’s birthday. The most popular ways of doing this included giving them a birthday present (77%), giving them a birthday cake (33%), take the day of the work to spend time with them (9%) and even throwing them a birthday party (8%).

Furthermore, no expense appears to be being spared when it comes to ensuring pets look their finest throughout the year, with 21% of owners spending upwards of £200 on having their dog groomed over a 12-month period.

Premiering online for the first time this week, the ‘Pet Peeves’ web-series features a clever canine and feisty feline - both voiced by Kane – doing stand-up comedy as a means of airing various gripes about their owner. It has been created to help people better understand their pets.

An example of a gag the dog tells includes: “Listen up, I’m all for physical contact. But lingering embraces… they make me uncomfortable. As a general rule, if you’re squeezing your Chihuahua and one of its eyes pops out flies across the lounge, I’ve reckon you’ve just crossed that line.”

The cat meanwhile jokes: “Kids? Who’d have them – not me. But, seriously, when they pull my tail, which is basically my spine, my claws come out. A gentle stroke! Yes please. My vertebrae being yanked out by a five-year-old off his head on sugar. I don’t think so!”

Gail Parker, marketing director at MORE TH>N said: “It’s fair to say that, as a nation, our beloved pets have never played a bigger part in our everyday lives. Above and beyond seeing them as a member of the family, the fact that so many people are going as far to include them in their wills and on their wedding day is testament to how fundamental a part of our lives they’ve become.”

“At the same time however, it’s remains important to appreciate that, however much we love them, they will undoubtedly have their own needs when it comes to the way we treat them, which is our new Pet Peeves video sets out to portray in a fun, tongue-in-cheek way – I’m sure all owners will be able relate, one way or another!”