‘Woke' toy firm removing St George's flag from kid's jigsaw puzzle is nonsense – why is our national flag so offensive?
MIKE JUPP'S jigsaw I Love Spring was Gibsons Games' 'most profitable' puzzle.
Suggesting, you might think, that those buying it in their droves rather liked it and, accordingly, it should be considered an unmitigated success and left alone.
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But no. It seems 'the team' at Gibsons Games decided that, 'acting in line with our values' (sigh) it needed to be changed so it was 'no longer offensive'.
At this point, your mind is perhaps boggling at what might be considered offensive about a cartoon image depicting the bucolic scene of a rural English village enjoying a fete and parade?
Well, for starters, there's apparently 'no need for the St George's flag on the top of the church' even though, according to Mike, the scene is set 'on or around' April 23 — aka St George's Day.
Is Emily Thornberry now in the top job at Gibsons Games?
Or does this fourth-generation family firm based in Sutton, England, genuinely feel there's something offensive about the English national flag?
Would they remove the Saltire from a scene depicting the Scottish Highland Games, or the Red Dragon from a St David's Day parade? Doubt it.
Next they came for the Morris dancers who, despite having tell-tale bells on their legs, were mistaken by 'the team' at Gibsons for members of Ireland's Orange order.
'Although many Orange marches are without incident, marches through mainly Catholic and Irish nationalist neighbourhoods are controversial and have often led to violence', they opined in an email to Mike who is based in Bognor Regis, West Sussex.
It would be laughable if it wasn't so dumb.
Once Mike had pointed out that they were actually Morris dancers, they were allowed to stay, but other saucy postcard-esque images didn't fare so well.
A bride was showing too much cleavage and needed 'smaller breasts', a bull drooling over a cow in stockings had to be replaced by cute rabbits, and a cartoon baby left on top of a bin bag was substituted with a fox because 'the team' were 'struggling even to see why it's funny'.
As Mike himself points out: 'Telling a cartoonist how to depict humour is as disrespectful as it is infuriating.'
Quite. Nonetheless, given the implied threat that the puzzle would be withdrawn from sale if the changes weren't made, he spent three months altering it as asked.
But then they wanted 'loads of changes' to his back catalogue, which includes I Love Gardening, I Love Winter etc, and he decided 'enough was enough'.
'I told them to shove it and withdrew my licences. They then sold off my remaining stock for next to nothing,' adds Mike, who says that taking this stand means his income has reduced by 90 per cent.
He's now selling through AJP, a Devon- based company 'who appreciate that the public like and buy my nonsense' but it's small beer compared to Gibsons.
So here's a suggestion. If you're thinking of buying a jigsaw, why not support Mike's stand against this seeking-offence nonsense by buying one of his puzzles direct from him?
I have just completed his new creation I Love Healthcare and would thoroughly recommend it. He has also produced a poignant 'Remember' puzzle to commemorate the fallen.
And if you see the original Gibsons version of I Love Spring in a charity shop, make sure you snap it up.
It's now a collector's item.
You can take a look at Mike's work, and buy it, at alljigsawpuzzles.co.uk.
IT'S A JOB TO FATHOM
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SARAH FOSMO used to work for Microsoft billionaire Bill Gates and has experience of 'managing complex, high-stakes operations for ultra-high-net-worth individuals'.
So why, pray tell, has she just taken a job as 'chief of staff' to the Duke and Duchess of Sussex?
Will she be helping Meghan decant pre-bought pretzels into paper bags for house guests?
Or perhaps helping Harry to remember where his old friends live?
Time will tell. If, of course, she sticks around long.
HUMAN IDIOCY
A LION has mauled its 'owner' to death and then eaten him.
What a shock, said no one. For reasons best known to himself, Aqil Fakhr al-Din was keeping the animal in his garden in Iraq and planned to 'tame' it. Yeah, right.
Why do people lose all common sense around dangerous animals?
Like the woman from West Lothian who saw a bear outside the car window while on holiday in Romania last year.
She wound down the window to take a photo and, surprise, it reared up and mauled her arm.
But thankfully, her thick M&S 'this is not just a jacket' saved her from losing the limb.
In 2016, a woman got out of her car on a safari in Beijing and was dragged off by a tiger. She survived but her poor mother was killed as she understandably tried to save her daughter.
Koalas are supposed to be the dumbest animals.
But in some cases, it might just be humans.
BLUNT TV SO SHARP
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ITV 's The Assembly is wonderful television.
The premise is simple: A group of neurodiverse young adults take it in turns to put questions to whichever celebrity has agreed to be in the hot seat.
So far, we've seen Danny Dyer, David Tennant, Gary Lineker and Jade Thirlwall from Little Mix.
'Did you get sacked from the BBC?' Lineker was asked. Answer, no.
He was also asked how much he's paid and whether he'd be going to the World Cup in Saudi Arabia, where the LGBT community can face the death penalty.
I'll leave you to watch the show to find out his answers, and the David Tennant episode is surprisingly moving.
It's a clever vehicle because, were these celebrities asked such blunt questions by journalists, they'd have a fit of the vapours and some helicoptering PR would step in to say, 'We're not talking about that.'
But as the inquisitors are neurodiverse, there's no hiding place. Delicious.
CARE COSTS CRISIS
MY mother, who has dementia and requires 24/7 care, is in a nursing home near me in South London.
Following a small price rise last year (to give the lovely staff a pay rise – no problem) the bosses have just imposed a hefty 9.6 per cent rise.
Which means that staying in a nice but not particularly fancy care home is now costing £1,900 a week.
Yes, you read that right. And that's still pretty reasonable for London.
So my mother's hard-earned savings from her job as a teacher are dwindling fast.
When I queried the eye-watering price hike, they replied that 'several significant external factors' had forced it.
Namely that water rates have increased by as much as 50 per cent in some regions, waste collection charges are expected to rise by eight per cent, and the Government's recent National Insurance hike means they anticipate their organisation-wide expenses to rise by more than £2million.
That cost is immediately passed on to the elderly savers of the world and, of course, now Labour plans to make it harder for care homes to employ foreign workers (a significant chunk of their workforce), the situation will only get worse.
FROM KISS CHASE TO OLD HAT
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OLIVIA HAWKINS and Louis Russell (nope, me neither) have been spotted kissing.
Apparently, she was once a contestant on Love Island, and he was on a similar dating show called Too Hot to Handle.
And their appearances on these two shows seemingly means they can now be regarded as 'famous' – hence their appearance on Celebs Go Dating, where the smooch took place.
They join the merry carousel of former muggles who now earn a living from 'influencing' (being paid to flog brands to their online followers) via their newly acquired stardom.
And when they're deemed too old for all this bikini-clad malarkey, there's always Celebrity Antiques Road Trip.
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an hour ago
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The stage show essentially combines three TV scripts spliced together with barely any changes, although mercifully, the racial slurs aired by the Major in the original have been cut. 'People are sensitive to those things and quite rightly, you can't go around calling people w--- and the N-word,' says Nicholas. Cleese maintained in a piece for The Telegraph last year that those lines were written at the Major's expense, but Nicolas argues the only thing that matters is that they are no longer there. 'Because then the comedy comes about one thing, which is the Major being a racist. Of course, there is a willingness to be offended among some people, and they do seem to have a very loud voice. But taking the piss out of someone because they are a different skin colour is the lowest form of humour. We've kept the goose stepping though. The goose-stepping is OK.' 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He often made jokes about how much he paid out in alimony and is said to have sacked a secretary caught with another man in his office for fear she might become a rival to his reputation. Nicholas, though, is fairly forgiving of a man who, in later life, admitted he regretted not being a better father to Nicholas and Nicholas' younger step-brother Richard. 'He came from quite a poor background. His father was a chef on a ship. So he didn't have it easy,' he says. 'He left school to work for a law firm as a 14-year-old boy and qualified in the end as a lawyer. He didn't have much time for me and my mother because he was trying to create a path for himself. But their relationship was not good. They were not at all well suited, and there was a lot of shouting. When I was about 12, they split up. I thought: thank God for that.' Either way, Nicholas certainly possessed his father's same drive and desire for reinvention. Desperate to become a performer, he sent off for piano lessons because his mother couldn't afford a teacher, 'although when I got them in the post I couldn't understand them. And also, we didn't have a piano'. He formed a band at school and, after leaving school in 1962, joined The Savages as a keyboard player. One of Screaming Lord Sutch's more famous acts was a Jack the Ripper sketch, and Nicolas would put on a frock and play the female victims. 'It was the high point of his show. He'd stab me, then pull out a rubber heart and rubber lung. Later, he went to the butcher and got the proper stuff.' He is surprised when I point out that this act would not go down well today. 'You don't think it would? It's factual, though isn't it? It happened.' In the mid-1960s, he started branching out as a pop singer. In 1967, Bowie, who at the time was still known as Davy Jones, wrote for him the jail break single Over The Wall We Go, which was promptly banned by the BBC for fear it would inspire copycat prison breakouts. 'I didn't mind at all,' says Nicholas. 'It gave me good bragging rights.' Nicholas soaked it all up, joining the Aldermaston 'ban the bomb' marches, and with Sutch, played at the Star Club in Hamburg, where the Beatles would later play. 'England was opening up. The 50s had been very tight arsed; people had been recovering from the war. But in the 1960s, people were restarting their lives.' In 1967, he won the role of the narrator Claude in Hair. The production had to wait until the abolishment of theatre censorship in 1968 before it could open because it contained scenes of nudity and the F-word, but as soon as it premiered, it became a sensation. Part of the show includes a scene where the audience joined the cast onstage. One night, Nicolas noticed Princess Anne was standing right next to him. 'She came a few times actually. It's funny because we are supposed to be very reserved in this country but inviting people up on stage only happened in London. It didn't happen in New York. You probably couldn't do it now because of health and safety. ' Then came Jesus Christ Superstar, in 1972, in which Nicolas played Jesus himself. The show was met with protests on opening night because of its perceived blasphemous nature, but Nicolas argues the production was never intended to shock. 'To call Jesus Christ a superstar was a bit transgressive and we did have people protesting. But when he was crucified, audiences were moved by the whole thing. It wasn't a cheap stunt. It was a pretty honest portrayal – there was nothing deliberately offensive about the production.' It's quite a CV. Did the 1960s and 1970s feel freer than today? 'Probably. You didn't have people watching you. 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'At the start, I wasn't very clever in terms of the ladies,' he says. 'Women had just got the pill and I was a little bit free and easy, to be honest with you, so I'm not particularly proud of how I behaved. Although I should point out this was prior to being married [he married his first wife, Susan Gee in 1966 and they had two children]. If you were in a band, your encounters tended to be one-night stands. And girls used to wait, although not necessarily for me. I always resented the bass player; he always seemed to do quite well. But the odd girl did seem interested.' He's being a bit disingenuous: his personal life was complicated. He had already had two children by different women when he married Gee. That marriage then ended when Nicolas met the actress Linzi Jennings – they married in 1984, and have two children together; they now live in Highgate and Nicholas proudly shows me a photograph of his two-year-old grandson – he has 12 altogether and three great grandchildren. Yet in 1977, his first wife died aged 38 in a car crash. 'That was utterly horrible. Initially, my mother helped out with the children. But they already knew Linzi, so eventually we all moved in together. It was pretty dreadful to lose someone like that so suddenly. You pick up the phone and you hear. It was as devastating as one can imagine.' He is wary about quantifying the impact on the children he had shared with Gee, who were eight and 10. 'All I know is that we did what we could to get them through.' After Superstar, Nicolas worked in both theatre and film and resurrected his pop career. He had three UK top 20 hits, including Reggae Like It Used To Be, Grandma's Party and Dancing With The Captain, while his 1977 single Heaven on the 7th Floor reached the US Billboard top 10. The videos on YouTube are extraordinary. He embodies the sort of squeaky clean, nudge nudge wink wink charisma much more likely to appeal to the mothers of teenage girls rather than the girls themselves. 'I got a bit of fan mail but not like the Beatles,' he says. 'I certainly didn't get women throwing themselves at my feet.' Still, he had enough female fans to win him the role of Vince in the 1983 John Sullivan sitcom Just Good Friends. The show focused on Vince and Penny (Jan Francis) who meet five years after Vince jilted her at the altar. He got the part only because the women in the typing pool at the BBC lobbied the sceptical casting director; he also sang the theme tune. He's remained a jobbing actor ever since, starring in numerous West End musicals and plays, appearing as Gavin Sullivan in EastEnders and in 2017, The Real Marigold Hotel. In 2021, he released a rap single Bad Bad Rapper. It's curiously quite good. All the same, it's hard to square the man in front of me with that of the man who once delivered leaflets for Lord Sutch when Sutch stood against Harold Wilson in the 1966 election while wearing leopard skin pants. Has he always been politically active? 'Actually I don't really have any politics. In fact I've never voted. I did vote for the Greens once. 'But I've never really felt passionate enough about any one party to say, 'I'm for you'.' He is certainly no fan of the outsized personality politics of someone like Sutch, however much on the fringe Sutch remained. 'I was very disappointed when Trump got in. I honestly didn't think he would.' What does he think of Nigel Farage? 'I don't pay attention to Farage and Reform. Although I can understand it. I've got a friend who was a Thatcherite, and he is now voting Reform. Farage speaks to that kind of old Conservative who misses whatever it is that they want.' I suspect Nicholas is an old hippy at heart, although he protests that's not the case either. 'I don't live for the 60s. A lot of it was people sitting around smoking dope and falling asleep. We had more energy in the 1970s. There was Thatcher. People thought: 'I've got to get on with things.' There wasn't so much sitting around hoping things would happen because they never do.' Given that he is now entering his seventh decade as a performer, not sitting around could be his personal philosophy. 'I'm just a guy who likes to work.'
Daily Mail
an hour ago
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Strictly star John Whaite opens up on his struggle with health condition that 'makes life almost unbearable'
John Whaite has opened up about his struggles with ADHD, admitting that the health condition can sometimes 'make life almost unbearable'. The former Strictly Come Dancing star, 36, revealed that he had been diagnosed with ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) in 2023, noting at the time that he wished he'd found out 'sooner' so he could include it in his memoir. ADHD is a neurodevelopmental disorder that affects concentration, impulse control and activity levels. Common symptoms include restlessness, distractibility, forgetfulness, difficulty following instructions or managing time, and making impulsive decisions. And taking to Instagram on Sunday, John gave an update on living with the condition, telling his fans that while it's his 'superpower', it can almost make life 'confusing.' He wrote: 'Much as #ADHD can be a superpower, sometimes it makes life confusing. Sometimes it makes life almost unbearable. I was promised I'd get older and wiser, but sometimes I feel like I'm just an ageing fool.' From A-list scandals and red carpet mishaps to exclusive pictures and viral moments, subscribe to the Daily Mail's new showbiz newsletter to stay in the loop. John went on to go into further detail on his condition in a heartfelt video as he shared how it affects him. He said: 'Oh can we just talk about the reality of life with ADHD because you know a lot of the time we think we have a superpower and sometimes it can serve us very well. 'It can serve us in so many ways where we can fixate on things and achieve things and create things and really do the best work or something imaginable but often that's such a pyrrhic victory because we bleed ourselves dry or we exhaust ourselves in doing it or we abandon plans or friends or family and the reality of ADHD is that it can make us believe that what we're doing in life sometimes is the exactly the righteous course of action for us. 'It's the right path in spite of what people who love us might say. And then when it gets to the point where we are our interest fizzles away, the reality kicks in and we see the truth and we see the situation for what it is. 'At that point we're left kind of thinking f***, I've given up so much for this. I've ignored people who love me for this. 'And this is really exhausting because usually the older you get the wise you get. And while that can still be true in a situation where you have ADHD I think the reality. 'As you get older you don't necessarily get wiser, you just get older and when you get older and you keep making silly little mistakes people become less tolerant of those mistakes because you're meant to be older and wiser.' The Great British Bake Off winner went on to say: 'So much as we can say that ADHD is a superpower it is, also lets admit it concrete block around us and I think we need to acknowledge. 'You know there's so much positivity, but on the flip side of it can be so crippling and so dehumanising and annoying." 'If I could chose to live life neurotypically at this point in my life, I would jump at the chance and I know that's not very pro ADHD it's not very kind of holding up the flag our community but sometimes it's just exhausting, it's horrific and sometimes I f****** hate it.' In 2023, John revealed that he was revealing his ADHD diagnosis to help others. He has previously been very honest about his mental health, sharing his battle with depression and bulimia and difficult relationship with alcohol. Sharing a photo of himself, John wrote: 'Am I posting this for a dopamine rush, or to inform? Well, it turns out, a little bit of both. Because I have ADHD, which explains a lot. 'I've known my behaviour over the past decade (and my thinking for the past 30-odd years) has not been 'normal'. 'I've often questioned whether I have some personality disorder, deep-rooted psychological trauma, or just a brain that isn't quite wired up right. 'I've been impulsive and borderline addicted (to sex, porn, shopping, food, drink, drugs), and have made some very questionable decisions. 'But these weren't decisions, they were compulsions, because of the neurological functioning inside my head.' Staying positive, he added: 'But it's not all bad. Because I truly believe it's my ADHD that has allowed me to become so obsessed and focussed on things I like, that I work hard at them until I'm burnt out. 'While burn-out isn't great, the skills I've garnered and career paths I've taken along the way, have been a huge part of my strength and success. And I'm grateful for those chances and opportunities. 'But I'm even more grateful for the knowledge that I have ADHD. Because instantly the shame and guilt can be replaced with conversation - destruction becomes construction.' He continued: 'I wasn't going to share this. I was going to keep it for myself. But I know from speaking openly about depression, alcohol use, bulimia, that people can seek comfort from the experiences of others. I know I certainly have. 'So, I may be looking for a dopamine rush here. I may be doing my duty as someone in the public eye to share my lived experience. Either way, make of this what you will. 'A huge heartfelt thank you to @shahna_h (and @irondoctorhaz) for their kindness and support ❤️.' He concluded: 'I just wish I'd known this sooner, so I could have written about it in my memoir (which has already gone to print), but now when you read it, I think you'll understand it even better.' WHAT IS ADHD? Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a behavioural condition defined by inattentiveness, hyperactivity and impulsiveness. It affects around five per cent of children in the US. Some 3.6 per cent of boys and 0.85 per cent of girls suffer in the UK. Symptoms typically appear at an early age and become more noticeable as a child grows. These can also include: Constant fidgeting Poor concentration Excessive movement or talking Acting without thinking Inability to deal with stress Little or no sense of danger Careless mistakes Mood swings Forgetfulness Difficulty organising tasks Continually starting new tasks before finishing old ones Inability to listen or carry out instructions Most cases are diagnosed between six and 12 years old. Adults can also suffer, but there is less research into this. ADHD's exact cause is unclear but is thought to involve genetic mutations that affect a person's brain function and structure. Premature babies and those with epilepsy or brain damage are more at risk. ADHD is also linked to anxiety, depression, insomnia, Tourette's and epilepsy. There is no cure. A combination of medication and therapy is usually recommended to relieve symptoms and make day-to-day life easier.
