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Spectator
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Spectator
Spectator Competition: First thoughts
Competition 3403 invited you to provide an extract from a prequel to a well-known work of prose or poetry. It was a stellar haul this week, with prose and poetry represented equally. I was sorry not to have space for Ralph Goldswain's 'Eleventh Night', Brian Murdoch's The Lion, the Witch and the Trip to Ikea, George Simmers's 'On First Considering Looking into Chapman's Homer' or John O'Byrne's The Pretrial. Also worthy of special mention are Sue Pickard, Alan Bradnam, Mike Morrison, D.A. Prince, Nick Syrett, Joe Houlihan, Sylvia Fairley, Martin Parker and the Revd Dr Peter Mullen. The £25 John Lewis vouchers go to those entries printed below. Had she been of a less patient nature, Maisie Farange, a girl of six years, custody of whom proved contentious in the acrimonious divorce of her parents, might have contested the argument, advanced by attorneys in the case, that her opinions ought not be sought on the grounds of her inexperience. Considerable lawyerly wit was deployed in the listing of things of which Maisie as yet knew nothing. The proceedings of certain of the Punic Wars were instanced, together with the ability to parse Latin sentences and the process for successfully bleeding a radiator. Maisie's mind, they argued, stood as an unfurnished room, wanting only the chattels of knowledge to fill it. Maisie, hitherto content to run about said empty room and greatly enamoured of its unique atmosphere, demanded from the court an exhaustive list of accomplishments required for the attainment of personhood. Its compilation, and necessarily the case, continues. Adrian Fry/'What Maisie Doesn't Yet Know' A handsome young Owlet aloft in a tree Gazed down on a Kitten below, The Owlet was smitten at once by the Kitten Whose whiskers were whiter than snow. 'Dear Kitten,' he said 'we're too young to be wed But I simply adore your sweet purr, Do you think that we might, when we're older, unite In a marriage of feathers and fur?' 'We might or might not,' the Kitten replied, 'I imagine it rather depends On how things turn out but I'm sure beyond doubt We'd be happy for now to be friends. Let's frolic and play for a year and a day Content to be cheerful and free, What the future might hold has yet to be told And till then we must just wait and see.' Alan Millard/'The Owlet and the Kitten That's my first duchess painted on the wall Looking as grim as a warrior from Gaul. She'd move in mourning black from room to room And everywhere she breathed was filled with gloom. I dreamt of having someone who'd beguile And warm my heart with the magic of a smile; Someone who'd grace the title that I gave her With regal looks and exquisite behaviour. Instead I got a witch whose evil spell Made me believe that I had gone to hell. But thankfully she's dead and I must find A wife who dotes on me, who's warm and kind, And mindful of the horrors of the past I pray my next duchess will be my last. Frank McDonald/'My First Duchess' Santiago, clutching the plastic Che Guevara bucket his mum had bought in Havana, caught a sudden movement in the rock pool. Translucent, mysterious, with dark brown stripes – la gamba! With his long antennae the shrimp looked to Santiago like a bull in the corrida. Imagining himself in the plaza de toros, he waved his net like a matador's cape. The shrimp glared at him, did a little salsa turn then darted under a rock. Santiago waited, net in one hand, bucket in the other. 'I will catch you, hijo de puta, if I have to wait for ever,' he thought, smoking an imaginary Cohiba cigar. Then he began to move the other rocks. 'Cangrejo,' he muttered, as a little crab scuttled away. But with the shrimp, it was personal. An obsession. 'Shrimp,' he said softly, 'I love you and respect you very much. But you will be in this bucket before sunset.' David Silverman/'The Young Boy and the Rockpool' And I saw in my dream, a man that stood not up, nor moved (Esther 5:9), but turned aside and stood still (II Sam. 18:30), and could not in three days expound the riddle of what he must do (Judg. 14:14, Num. 6:21). And it came to pass after three days, that he was still in the same place where he was on the first day of the first month when I saw him (Josh. 3:2, John 11:6, II Chr. 29:17, Rev 1:7), without hope, not walking northward, southward, eastward, or westward (Job 7:6, II Cor. 4:2, Gen. 13:14), and stood like a pot of ointment (I Sam. 6:14, Job 41:31), as the horse, or as the mule, which have no understanding (Ps. 32:9), proceeding neither to the right hand, nor to the left (Rev. 22:1, 11 Chr. 34:2), and falling into a trance (Num. 24:16). The fool! (Ps. 53:1). Bill Greenwell/'Pilgrim's Standstill')' Do not go careless into that good morn, young dads should juggle coffee cups and toys; engage, engage with your offspring and spawn. Jog with the pram, change nappies, feed at dawn, Join playgroup meetings, relish bathtime noise, Engage, engage with your offspring and spawn. Read bedtime stories, scrub off puréed corn, Dress them in onesies, rompers, corduroys, Engage, engage, with your offspring and spawn. Take naps, build castles, get those pictures drawn, Give up wild nights of drinking with the boys, Engage, engage with your offspring and spawn. For each new father this time flies, I warn, Curse, bless the little darlings and their joys, Do not go careless into that good morn, Engage, engage with your offspring and spawn. Janine Beacham No. 3406: Problematic You are invited to cast a well-known fictional or non-fictional character, living or dead, in the role of agony aunt or uncle and provide a problem of your invention and their solution. Please email entries (150 words maximum) to competition@ by midday on 25 June.
The Irish Sun
5 days ago
- Health
- The Irish Sun
Geordie Shore's Holly Hagan reveals she was ‘scared to sleep' amid fears her baby son would die weeks after giving birth
HOLLY Hagan has revealed she was so overwhelmed after giving birth, she was terrified of going to bed at night. The Advertisement 6 Holly said she was scared to go to sleep in case Alpha-Jax died Credit: Instagram 6 The 32-year-old said she wished someone had warned her about the drop in hormones Credit: Instagram 6 Holly's husband Jacob has been a tower of support to her Credit: instagram 6 The couple's son is now two years old Credit: Instagram Speaking on her new She confessed: 'I wish somebody had warned me about the baby blues, because oh my God, that hormone drop once I got home from hospital — I was crying for no reason. 'It would get to 6pm, 7pm and I'd just burst into tears. I was scared of going to bed, I didn't want to be alone.' The reality TV favourite added: 'It was very strange, but thankfully that passed after a week or so. But nobody warned me. I wish someone had spoken to me about that. It wasn't fun.' Advertisement Read more in Reality TV And it wasn't just the hormones keeping Holly up at night — she was plagued with anxiety over Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS), and found herself obsessively checking on Alpha-Jax. Geordie Shore star Holly Hagan cruelly mum shamed as she shares toddler's 'I worried about febrile seizures and all these things you don't really hear about until you have social media,' she admitted. 'It's great for advice but it also shows you loads of terrifying stuff. 'I thought SIDS was really common. I was absolutely terrified thinking one day he might just stop breathing. I even used an Owlet sock that tracked his breathing, oxygen and heart rate because I'm such an anxious person.' Advertisement Most read in Celebrity Exclusive Exclusive Holly also opened up about the challenges of parenting a 'high-temperament' child and said it's taken her two whole years to feel like she's finally cracked motherhood. 'I've made no secret that it's been a difficult journey with him since he was about four months old,' she said. 'I'm finally getting into the swing of it, but it's taken a long time. Motherhood completely turns your life upside down.' 6 Holly found fame on MTV's Geordie Shore Credit: Getty Advertisement 6 The 32-year-old has recently launched a new podcast Credit: Alamy
Scottish Sun
5 days ago
- Health
- Scottish Sun
Geordie Shore's Holly Hagan reveals she was ‘scared to sleep' amid fears her baby son would die weeks after giving birth
The reality star opened up about the unexpected emotional toll of becoming a mum WORST FEARS Geordie Shore's Holly Hagan reveals she was 'scared to sleep' amid fears her baby son would die weeks after giving birth Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) HOLLY Hagan has revealed she was so overwhelmed after giving birth, she was terrified of going to bed at night. The Geordie Shore star, 32, welcomed her son Alpha-Jax, now two, with footballer hubby Jacob Blyth, but says the early days of motherhood left her in tears every evening. Sign up for the Entertainment newsletter Sign up 6 Holly said she was scared to go to sleep in case Alpha-Jax died Credit: Instagram 6 The 32-year-old said she wished someone had warned her about the drop in hormones Credit: Instagram 6 Holly's husband Jacob has been a tower of support to her Credit: instagram 6 The couple's son is now two years old Credit: Instagram Speaking on her new CBeebies Parenting Helpline podcast with BBC Radio 1 DJ Charlie Hedges, Holly opened up about the unexpected emotional toll of becoming a mum. She confessed: 'I wish somebody had warned me about the baby blues, because oh my God, that hormone drop once I got home from hospital — I was crying for no reason. 'It would get to 6pm, 7pm and I'd just burst into tears. I was scared of going to bed, I didn't want to be alone.' The reality TV favourite added: 'It was very strange, but thankfully that passed after a week or so. But nobody warned me. I wish someone had spoken to me about that. It wasn't fun.' And it wasn't just the hormones keeping Holly up at night — she was plagued with anxiety over Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS), and found herself obsessively checking on Alpha-Jax. Geordie Shore star Holly Hagan cruelly mum shamed as she shares toddler's 'I worried about febrile seizures and all these things you don't really hear about until you have social media,' she admitted. 'It's great for advice but it also shows you loads of terrifying stuff. 'I thought SIDS was really common. I was absolutely terrified thinking one day he might just stop breathing. I even used an Owlet sock that tracked his breathing, oxygen and heart rate because I'm such an anxious person.' Holly also opened up about the challenges of parenting a 'high-temperament' child and said it's taken her two whole years to feel like she's finally cracked motherhood. 'I've made no secret that it's been a difficult journey with him since he was about four months old,' she said. 'I'm finally getting into the swing of it, but it's taken a long time. Motherhood completely turns your life upside down.' 6 Holly found fame on MTV's Geordie Shore Credit: Getty
Daily Mirror
7 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Geordie Shore star 'scared of going to bed' after having first baby
Geordie Shore's Holly Hagan-Blyth and Radio One DJ Charlie Hedges have teamed up to talk about babies, parenting and the 'fun' of potty training on CBeebies new podcast. Holly Hagan-Blyth recently lifted the lid on one of motherhood's biggest challenges as she admits she was scared of going to bed after welcoming her son Alpha-Jax. Geordie Shore star Holly Hagan-Blyth and BBC Radio One DJ Charlie Hedges may have become friends while recording a new CBeebies Parenting podcast, but there is one subject the two mums disagree on. 'I got a lot of advice from Charlie with regards to potty training, and she said it was really, really fun,' says Holly, 32, who is mum to two year old son Alpha-Jax. 'I don't think I am finding it as fun as she said it was!' She and Charlie, 38, have joined forces to host the Parenting Helpline podcast for CBeebies' new online parenting community, chatting to a different expert each week and helping parents answer those burning questions about pregnancy, birth and raising young children. 'It's about supporting parents and carers from pregnancy right up to starting school, which is where me and Holly are right now,' Charlie says. 'There is so much advice and stuff online, which is great, but I think as a new parent you kind of get lost in all of that. There's lots of information out there, but where? Where is the one solid place you can go to? I think the CBeebies parenting hub will be so helpful and I'm so proud to be part of it.' But there's another piece of advice Holly wishes she'd had before motherhood. ' I wish somebody had warned me about the baby blues, because oh my God, that hormone drop once I got home from hospital, I was crying for no reason.' 'I didn't realise I was going to feel all those emotions. It would get to 6pm, 7pm and I just burst into tears because I was scared of going to bed, I didn't want to be alone,' she says. 'It was very strange, but thankfully that passed after a week or so. But nobody warned me about that. I wish somebody had spoken to me about that, because that wasn't fun.' Holly has had her own experience of falling down the online advice rabbit hole and scaring herself as a new mum by reading stories about Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS). 'I worried about febrile seizures and all of these things you didn't really know about before you had social media,' she says. 'It's great to get advice but it can be really bad for being able to see a lot of negative things. It feels like SIDS is a really common thing and I was absolutely terrified. Thinking that one day a baby might just stop breathing is terrifying to me. I even had an Owlet sock for the first year of his life that tracked his breathing and oxygen and heart rate because I am an anxious person.' Charlie, whose daughter Summer Rose will be three in August, is proud that she and Holly have shared their own experiences as mums of toddlers on the podcast, and have been joined by parents talking about their own challenges and triumphs. 'It has been beautiful to encourage people to ask questions and be open and honest, because that helps other people as well,' she says. 'I can't wait to reach the point where my daughter is old enough to understand that this is something I have done, because it's myself and Holly talking about our own personal situations.' The pair have also given advice to each other, but Holly admits that her experience with raising her son has been poles apart from Charlie's life with her daughter. 'Raising sons and daughters is completely different, they have different brain chemistry, they have different teaching styles,' Holly says. 'I also think temperament is a big thing as well, every child has a different temperament. I've got a very high temperament child, and I've made no secret that it has been a difficult journey with him from being around four months old. I'm getting to the point now where we're two years in and I feel like I am finally in the swing of motherhood, but it has taken me a long time to get there and be comfortable with it, it just turns your whole life completely upside down.' Things have definitely improved as Alpha-Jax has approached his second birthday – the age many other parents dread. 'For me, the 'terrible twos' have become the terrific twos,' Holly says. 'This is the best age I could ever imagine. So many people say 'Just wait,' but I think 'no, you don't realise what we have been through the last year and a half.' It's been really hard, he was very whingey, and nothing could please him. It was like he just hated being a baby. And now that he's able to communicate, he's speaking in full sentences, we're having conversations and he is just the best thing in the world.' Working together on the podcast, both Holly and Charlie have thought about the advice they themselves were given as new mothers. For Charlie, one of the best pieces of advice came from her own mum. 'I remember my mum saying to me, that everything is a phase,' she says. 'I've heard that many times but it is important. Baby's not sleeping through the night, or you're at the weaning stage and things are really tough. It's something to have in the back of your mind that whatever it is, it isn't going to go on for a long, long time. Nothing lasts forever.'
IOL News
22-05-2025
- Health
- IOL News
Compassion in action: 16-year-old Leah Cupido's inspiring donation drive for Hannah's Place of Safety
16-year-old Leah Cupido needs help to get the wheels in motion for her donation drive Image: Supplied While many 16-year-olds are caught up in TikTok trends and teen culture, Leah Cupido from Bay View is walking a very different path — one inspired by purpose, compassion, and her namesake from the Bible. Determined to make a real difference, Leah has taken it upon herself to gather baby goodies and essentials for Hannah's Place of Safety (HPOS), a Westridge-based sanctuary that cares for abandoned and vulnerable infants. A soft spoken, well-mannered teen sat beside her mom Cheryl Cupido explaining what prompted her to take up this task: 'I did this before, when I was 12, I did it for my birthday, I asked my parents to not throw me a party but rather buy things for Hannah's Place of Safety. 'This time around, I sat and a thought just came to me…how's Hannah's doing…I went onto their Facebook page and saw they are asking for donations for an Owlet device (a digital sock that monitors a child's heart rate, oxygen level, and sleep trends). 'So then it hits me, while they are busy with this I will focus on the essentials." Leah said she then got into contact with Janine Fabe to check up on HPOS and also informed her of the idea for the donation drive. 'My goal is to volunteer there, but I can't do that yet- I have to be 18, so why not use this time and show my support?' Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ Leah at her first drive for Hannah's Place of Safety with her parents Cheryl and Byron Cupido Image: Tracy-Lynn Ruiters The grade Grade 10 learner at Groote Schuur High School also got her school's clubs to assist. She still however needs donations of baby clothing sizes 6-12 months, bibbies, nappies numbers 1,2,3,4, 4+, wet wipes, baby bottle cleaning solutions, baby vicks and/or karvol. Her proud mommy told the Weekend Argus that she wasnt shocked when Leah came to tell her the plans for another drive. 'Leah's always cared about those smaller than her and since small she wanted to do something for those who are not capable of doing it themselves. That is who Leah is, truly living up to her name.'
