Ellie Walker-Arnott

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Monthly Archives: September 2011

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Wish You Were Here…

Posted on September 29, 2011 by elliewalkerarnott

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After years of neglect, the pretty seaside town of Margate is cashing in on its nostalgic, retro appeal and quickly reclaiming its place as one of Britain’s must-visit towns. Whether you are an art enthusiast or a secret shopaholic, there is plenty to keep you entertained in Margate; the town boasts a number of quirky, to downright eccentric, attractions and is the perfect spot to indulge in some good, old-fashioned seaside fun.

A stay at The Reading Rooms is almost reason enough to visit Margate; located in the old town, the Reading Rooms boutique B&B is the ultimate place to lay your head. Each room of the 5-star hotel is the perfect luxurious getaway, boasting  hand carved super-king beds and fluffy white towels….

To read the rest of the article click on the link and flick to page 20 in the autumn issue of Heart Home Mag.

Published in the autumn issue of Heart Home magazine.  

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Posted in Article Category, Arts, Heart Home magazine, Lifestyle, Publication, Published Articles, Reviews, Travel Tagged furniture designer, Heart home magazine, Mad Hatter Tearooms, Margate, margate regeneration, Margate travel guide, RG Scotts Furniture Emporium, The Reading Rooms Margate, Turner contemporary, Zoe Murphy

Heart Home magazine

Posted on September 27, 2011 by elliewalkerarnott

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The first issue of  Heart Home magazine launched on September 15th. Run by the lovely Carole King (Dear Designer’s Blog), Arianna Trapani (Arianna Interiors) and Daniel Nelson (Atelier Tally) (with a little bit of my help!), Heart Home is the first digital magazine of its kind.  It is a quarterly magazine celebrating all that is unique and good about interior decor and lifestyle, championing independent British Designers and inspiring readers to create their own great British Homes.

Look out for my articles on Margate and London’s weirdest hotels. Hope you enjoy!

Posted in Article Category, Arts, Fashion, Heart Home magazine, Interviews, Lifestyle, Photo shoot, Publication, Published Articles, Travel Tagged Arianna Interiors, Arianna Trapani, Atelier Tally, british interiors, Carole King, Daniel Nelson, Dear Designer’s Blog, digital interiors, Heart home magazine, interiors magazine, magazine launch, Terence Conran, Zoe Murphy

The Daily

Posted on September 26, 2011 by elliewalkerarnott

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All You Need Is Love

Paul McCartney will marry his girlfriend of four years, Nancy Shevell, in the same London venue where he married first love Linda more than 40 years ago.

The pair, who announced their engagement in May, have posted marriage banns at Westminster Register Office. The hall is near to the Abbey Road studios where the Beatles recorded many of their most popular songs. Though the couple will have a year to marry at the Marylebone venue, it is expected that they will marry within the month.

Similarities are being drawn between Shevell and McCartney’s first wife Linda, who sadly died 13 years ago after a battle with breast cancer. Their wedding will mirror McCartney’s 1969 ceremony and will be a small family affair.

Rumour has it Shevell has offered to sign a pre-nup, though McCartney – who calls the New York millionairess his ‘comfort blanket’ – has refused. Seems optimistic after the Heather Mills debacle…

 

BRING BACK CANING

In the wake of last month’s riots, half of British parents are championing a return to corporal punishment.

A survey conducted by YouGov revealed that 49 per cent of parents believe smacking or caning should be used to punish badly behaved pupils. Parents believe that corporal punishment, which was banned in schools in state schools 1987, would provide the discipline needed for effective teaching.

The survey concluded that Britain needs to give teachers more authority, with 85 per cent of parents concerned that teachers were less respected than they were when they were at school. A further 91 per cent said they feared that teachers were scared of their pupils.

Surprisingly, almost a fifth of secondary school children agreed with a return to smacking and caning.

 

NATIONAL TRUST AT WAR

Ministers are going head-to-head with the National Trust over planning reforms.

Concerns over the loss of the green belt have led the National Trust to launch a campaign opposing changes to the planning system. The trust has expressed concern that the government’s plans for housing developments in the countryside will destroy some of Britain’s most treasured landscapes, as well as pose a risk to our rural communities.

The government believes that changes to the planning system are essential for economic growth. They are arguing that alternations need to be made in order to resolve Britain’s chronic house shortage. The National Trust, however, is urging members of the public to sign their petition to protect Britain’s countryside.

 

LUKE SKYWALKER’S HOME DISCOVERED

Well, in a way. Science fiction has turned into reality as astronomers reveal that they have found a new planet which orbits around two twin suns. The planet, named Kepler-16b, enjoys a double sunrise and sunset, just like the fictional world of Tatooine that Luke Skywalker originated from.

Nasa’s Kepler spacecraft detected the planet which lies 200 light years away from earth. The spacecraft is currently being used to scour the Milky Way for Earth-like planets that are in the habitable zone, an area not too close nor too far away from the star they orbit.

The planet, however, is likely to be uninhabitable. Nasa says that Kepler-16b appears to be cold and gaseous, a polar opposite from George Lucas’ hot and dry Tatooine.

Kepler-16b is the first confirmed planet of its kind, outside of science fiction.

 

THE MYSTERY OF WILLOW

A cat that went missing five years ago has been returned to its owners.

Willow, who disappeared in 2006, was found wandering the streets of Manhattan on Wednesday. The cat was an impressive 1,800 miles away from her home, having travelled from Colorado to New York.

Willow is healthy and appears to have been well-fed on her travels. A spokesperson for The Animal Care & Control of New York City noted that ‘obviously someone was taking care of her’. Staff also said it was unlikely that the cat travelled over half-way across America on its own.

How the cat got to New York, or spent the last five years of her life for that matter, will remain a mystery to her surprised – but delighted – owners.

THOMPSON PENS NEW PETER RABBIT TALE

Oscar-winning actress Emma Thompson is bringing Peter Rabbit back to life to mark his 110 year anniversary.

Her new title, called The Further Tale of Peter Rabbit, will be released next September, more than 80 years since the last of Beatrix Potter’s stories were published.

Thompson’s new tale will take Peter a long way from home. He will visit his distant relative Finlay McBurney in Scotland, a place Potter herself loved.

Lochcarron of Scotland have already produced a Peter Rabbit tartan that Finlay McBurney will wear in the accompanying illustrations.

To coincide with the launch of the book, readers will be able to purchase an Apple app and the commemorative Peter Rabbit tartan.

 

DEER DESTROYING HEDGEROWS

Deer numbers have returned to heights not seen for hundreds of years.

New breeds such as the fallow, muntjac and Chinese water deer, as well as the native roe and red deer, are flourishing. After being hunted almost into extinction during the 18th century, the total numbers now stand at around two million.

Indeed, so many deer now roam Britain’s countryside that they are posing a threat to woodlands and smaller animals. Deer destroy the habitats of woodland mammals, birds and butterflies by eating hedgerows and shrubs. Concerns have also been raised about the possibility of the Bambi-esque creatures spreading diseases such as bovine tuberculosis and foot-and-mouth. This unprecedented increase heightens the spread of diseases like Lyme disease, which human’s can catch, and traffic accidents.

In certain areas of Britain, culls may be necessary; however, plans have come under attack from animal rights groups who argue that deer are an essential part of Britain’s heritage and should be protected.

 

Published on The Lady magazine’s website on Friday 16th September. 

Posted in Article Category, Books, Lifestyle, Music, News, Publication, Published Articles, The Lady magazine Tagged The Lady magazine

The Daily

Posted on September 26, 2011 by elliewalkerarnott

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Amy Lives On

Amy Winehouse’s final single was released yesterday, almost two months after her death.

Yesterday, which would have been the singer’s 28th birthday, also marked the launch of The Amy Winehouse Foundation, a charity set up by the singer’s family.

The charity will aim to help, support and care for vulnerable young people, and will be funded by the proceeds from Amy’s last single.

The single is a cover of the 1930’s jazz classic Body and Soul, which Amy recorded with U.S. legend Tony Bennett in the months before her death.

THE END OF SELL-BY DATES

Plans were unveiled today to ban sell-by dates in an attempt to curb Britain’s food waste.

It is estimated that a shocking 12 billion pounds worth of good food is thrown away every year. Consumers are often confused by the information printed on their food and, as a result, 60 per cent of food we throw away is actually still safe to eat.

The move will help households cut down on waste and save money. In future, our food will only be issued with one date, either a best before or a use-by date. Best before dates, which are used to indicate when food will taste best, will apply to most foods while use-by dates will be used sparingly and only on foods such as meat, fish and ready meals, which can be dangerous to eat after a certain date.

Apparently 55 per cent of shoppers even throw away food which is past its best before date but still perfectly edible. Clearly, it’s time we started using our common sense…

SETTING THEIR SIGHTS HIGH

Nasa has today revealed plans to build a 18 billion dollar monster rocket.

The new Space Launch System, which is due to be completed in 2017, has been dubbed ‘the most powerful rocket in history’.

Major-General Charlie Bolden, a former shuttle astronaut who now heads up Nasa, called it ‘the next chapter in America’s space exploration story’. The hope is that the rocket will bring America a step closer to landing a crew on an asteroid by 2025.

At 320ft tall, the Space Launch System still stands shorter than the Saturn V, which was used in the moon landings. If the new rocket is a success, Nasa intends to build a larger version that will allow the USA to carry out a manned Mars landing.

THE BIRDS…

Flocks of wild birds have been spotted, or, rather, heard, mimicking the behaviour of pet parrots.

Scientists have reported an increase in concerned calls from people who have heard voices calling down to them from trees and lamp-posts. Apparently growing numbers of escaped pet parrots, who have been taught to repeat phrases by their past owners, are teaching the words to their new found flocks.

Much like our children do, baby birds copy the sounds the older birds are making. So if a baby bird lives in a flock with an escaped pet parrot, the ability to talk will be passed down the generations. ‘Hello darling!’ and ‘Who’s a pretty boy, then?’ are the two most commonly taught phrases, so keep an ear out next time you go for a walk…

THE PERKS OF BEING AN EARLY-RISER

A study which quizzed 1,100 men and women about their health and sleeping habits has concluded that getting up early is the best way to shed the pounds and beat the blues.

Research has revealed that early birds are slimmer, happier and healthier than late sleepers. Those who rise before 7am also have the fewest signs of depression and anxiety. They are more productive, completing chores and thriving at work, and are more likely to eat breakfast, which is linked to weight loss.

However, if you are a bit of a nightlark – with a penchant for a late night and a love affair with the ‘snooze’ button – you have a significantly higher chance of feeling stressed or becoming overweight.

CHOCOLATE IS GOOD FOR YOU – PROMISE

A study has revealed that, far from being bad for you, a little daily chocolate can actually boost your athletic performance.

When small doses of dark chocolate were combined with regular exercise, the study found that performance was increased by an impressive 50 per cent. It has been revealed that dark chocolate contains epicatechin, a plant compound which stimulates muscle growth in the same way that vigorous exercise does.

Currently the theory has only been tested on mice but fingers crossed it will apply to humans too. If so, dark chocolate could be used in treatments for muscle wastage… and there would be no need to feel guilty next time you reach for a sweet treat!

OVER-DIAGNOSING

Psychologists have warned of the risks facing hundreds of thousands of British children who are currently on mood altering drugs.

650,000 children between the ages of 8 and 13 are taking Ritalin, a drug prescribed to children with ADHD, with many more taking drugs for depression or anxiety.

British psychologists are concerned that, following the publication of U.S. guidelines in 2013, which widens the criteria for mental illnesses, more of our children will be diagnosed. New guidelines make it likely that shy or unhappy children will be recommended for treatment or prescription drugs by their doctors. With an abundance of ‘new’ disorders our children can be diagnosed with, Britain’s children are at risk of being put on drugs that they simply don’t need.

Under these new guidelines, teenagers who lose their temper or argue with their parents will be diagnosed with oppositional defiant disorder whilst young children who cry or cling in social situations will be deemed as having a social anxiety disorder.

Published on The Lady magazine’s website on Thursday 15th September. 

Posted in Article Category, Arts, Health, Lifestyle, Music, News, Publication, Published Articles, The Lady magazine Tagged The Lady magazine

The Daily

Posted on September 25, 2011 by elliewalkerarnott

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R.I.P. RICHARD HAMILTON

Richard Hamilton, hailed as the father of British pop art, died early yesterday morning following a short illness.

Up until a few days ago, the 89-year-old painter and printmaker had been working on a new museum retrospective which was due to travel to a number of galleries around the globe.

Hamilton was born in London in 1922 and dedicated his life to art and design. His most famous work, the 1956 collage Just What is it That Makes Today’s Homes so Different, so Appealing?, broke the boundaries of conventional fine art and is considered to be a landmark in 20th century design.

Hamilton went on to design the iconic cover to the Beatles’ 1968 White album.

BUSY PARENTS BUY PRESENTS

Unicef has revealed that British parents are under pressure to buy material goods for their children, apparently feeling that they are putting their offspring at risk from bullying if they fail to provide the latest must-have item.

According to a study published today, mothers and fathers are plying their children with expensive gifts in a desperate attempt to make them happy. But the study, which questioned hundreds of children internationally, proves that the desires of our little ones are really a lot simpler.

The study revealed that British families are failing to give their children the time and attention they crave. Shockingly, an earlier Unicef study had concluded that Britain was the unhappiest place to be a child in the developed world.

British homes are filled with all the latest gadgets and an abundance of things to keep children entertained, but all at the expense of quality time spent as a family. Parents claimed that they were just too tired to spend time with, or even talk to, their children when they get home from work. Britons work among the longest hours in the EU.

THE PRINCE AND THE TORTOISE

Prince Charles is following in Darwin’s footsteps and turning his hand to animal rescue.

The Prince’s Foundation for the Built Environment is setting up a new office on the Galapagos Islands. The islands play host to a number of important animals, including George the giant tortoise, as the native species developed in isolation 600 miles out in the ocean.

The Galapagos, which have seen a massive increase in tourism and resident population over recent years, are planning to double to size of the islands’ largest town. Prince Charles’ office will offer advice to local people on how to build sustainable housing without increasing the threat to the islands’ already endangered species.

Published on The Lady magazine’s website on Wednesday 14th of September 2011. 

Posted in Article Category, Lifestyle, News, Publication, Published Articles, The Lady magazine Tagged The Lady magazine

The Daily

Posted on September 25, 2011 by elliewalkerarnott

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PASS THE SLOP BUCKET…

Plans to return the glamorous-sounding slop bucket into every British kitchen have been questioned following a recent survey.

Rather than being dumped in land fills along with other household waste, the government, as part of their zero waste initiative, aim to have Britain’s homes recycling their food scraps. Slop buckets, which are already provided by all councils in Wales and half of those in England, are soon to be enforced nationwide.

But a poll carried out by Friends of the Earth has revealed that the effect slop buckets have on reducing waste may have been exaggerated. After asking 1,000 homes, the survey concluded that there is no significant difference in the perceived amount of food thrown away between those with slop buckets and those without.

However the poll also found that 80% of homes had positive attitudes towards having a slop bucket.

PUBLIC TRANSPORT KEEPS YOU SLIM

Those who use public transport as opposed to travelling by car are less likely to be overweight.

Taking the bus has been hailed as the way to beat obesity in a study published today by Imperial College London. The study monitored around 9,000 men and women over the age of 60 and found that those who used their free bus passes were 20 per cent less likely to become obese than those who didn’t.

The free bus pass scheme, which was introduced in 2006, cost England an estimated £943 million in 2009. The authors of the study hope that the apparent health benefits of England’s free bus passes will protect the scheme from future cuts.

A DEPRESSING STATISTIC 

Record numbers of women are feeling blue, with one in seven being affected by depression.

According to a recent study, women are twice as likely to suffer from the illness than they were 40 years ago, giving them double the chance of getting depression than men.

One argument is that the pressure of pursuing a career and having a family is leaving women needing to reach for medical help, although the study suggests that rather than an actual increase in depression rates, there could simply be an increase in the number of anti-depressants being prescribed to women. The study found that women are more likely to visit their GP and as a result are twice as likely to be diagnosed as depressed.

Published on The Lady magazine’s website on Tuesday 13th September. 

Posted in Article Category, Health, Lifestyle, News, Publication, Published Articles, The Lady magazine, Travel Tagged The Lady magazine

The Daily

Posted on September 25, 2011 by elliewalkerarnott

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Doris Day Rockets into the Charts

Doris Day Rockets into the Charts

Almost twenty years since her last album release, Doris Day (pictured here with Rock Hudson) has staged a musical comeback at the age of 87.

The success of Day’s newly released album My Heart has made the singer the oldest artist to ever secure a place in the Top 10 chart with an album featuring previously unheard material. Despite being released 47 years after her last major UK hit, Move Over, Darling, My Heart has gone straight to number nine in the charts.

The record breaking album is made up of tracks recorded between 1951 and 1994, and was produced by her son, who died in 2004.

Women cope with pain better than men…

…although, unsurprisingly, we are more likely to reach for the painkillers.

A poll carried out by joint care brand Regenovex has revealed that women are better at dealing with pain than their male counterparts. Of those who took part in the poll, a quarter of men and 52 per cent of women agreed that women coped with pain in a better way then men.

The report, which questioned more than 3,000 adults, found that women are more likely to seek treatment whereas a huge 78 per cent of men will simply grin and bear it.

SING!

With the help of TV personality Gareth Malone and popular television shows such as Glee, choirs have definitely come back in to vogue – and with research showing that joining a choir can have health benefits, it is hardly surprising.

The Sidney De Haan Research Centre for Arts and Health in Canterbury has revealed the extraordinary changes that singing can make to a patient’s health. Research has found that patients with COPD, a form of lung disease, may be able to control and improve their breathlessness through singing whilst those suffering from Parkinsons may be able to make their voices stronger and less wobbly. The upright posture adopted whilst singing also benefits Parkinsons’ and COPD patients.

Joining a choir can also significantly help patients to beat the blues; whilst singing in a group is an uplifting experience, it also triggers the release of the mood hormone oxytocin which lowers both stress levels and blood pressure.

Published on The Lady magazine’s website on Monday 12th September 2011. 
Posted in Article Category, Arts, Health, Interviews, Music, News, Publication, Published Articles, The Lady magazine Tagged The Lady magazine

Review: Jane Eyre

Posted on September 23, 2011 by elliewalkerarnott

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Jane Eyre, Charlotte Bronte’s iconic novel, has been dramatised countless times for both TV and the big screen. Almost every year brings with it another adaptation of this classic story and 2011 has been no exception. But what could have been just another copy-cat adaptation actually turned out to be pleasantly surprising. Bold, artistic and always true to its gothic roots, Cary Fukunaga’s adaptation is miles ahead of its predecessors.

Jane Ayre

Jane Eyre manages to tell Bronte’s story, but without blindly copying it. The film retells Charlotte Bronte’s classic tale of the orphaned and sorrow stricken Jane Eyre, following Jane through her childhood at the hands of her cruel Aunt, a spell at the strict Lowood boarding school and on to the life of a governess at Thornfield. But Fukunaga’s cleverly crafted sequences and reworked chronology make this well known story feel unfamiliar. The unusual starting point is one of the many things which set this film apart from previous adaptations. Jane Eyre surprises us by opening in the middle of the plot, with our protagonist escaping from Thornfield, running through the mist and attempting to seek comfort from the barren landscape.

What follows are beautifully filmed and skilfully shot sequences of the dramatic skyline and Yorkshire’s bleak and desolate moors – if for nothing else, this film should be valued for its artistic merit. These powerful scenes and the image of Jane, small against the enormity of the landscape, at crossroads etched into the heather creatively captures Jane’s desperate plight in a way no other adaptation has quite managed to do. After Jane is taken in by St John, brilliantly played by a very grown up and beard clad Jamie Bell, the film mainly resumes its familiar chronology. When the flashbacks begin the film feels a bit like you’ve seen it all before yet Fukunaga always manages to pull the unexpected out of the bag…..
Click the link to read the rest of the review: http://www.themotiononline.co.uk/2011/09/jane-eyre/
Published on September 18th 2011 on The Motion Online.
Posted in Article Category, Film, Lifestyle, Publication, Published Articles, Reviews, The Motion Online Tagged Cary Fukunaga, film review, Jane Eyre 2011, Jane Eyre film, Jane Eyre film review, Mia Wasikowska, Michael Fassbender, The Motion Online

Summer issue of Razz

Posted on September 18, 2011 by elliewalkerarnott

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After weeks of trying, I have finally worked out how to publish the magazine on my blog! This is the summer issue of Razz, Exeter uni’s student magazine, and the last magazine Emma and I edited. Hope you enjoy reading it!

Click on the ‘RAZZ’ tab to view the other three magazines we put together during 2010/11.

Posted in Article Category, Arts, Beauty, Books, Fashion, Interviews, Lifestyle, Music, Photo shoot, Publication, Published Articles, Razz My Berries Magazine, Reviews, Travel Tagged beach photo shoot, Razz My Berries Magazine, Student magazine, summer photo shoot, the university of Exeter, vintage beach photoshoot, vintage seaside

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Currently a writer for RadioTimes.com. Living in London, tweeting @Ellie_Wa.
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