Gloom to bloom: towns set to be showered with flowers

GREY-T BRITAIN

– Gloom to bloom - towns set to be showered with flowers –

In the last twelve months over half of adults (51%) in the UK have considered moving away from their home town or city for a fresh start elsewhere in the UK or abroad, with the highest number being from London (56%).

According to the new research by the Flower Council of Holland, the desire to have more colourful or interesting surroundings (64%) was an even bigger factor than the weather (54%) and being close to nature and the countryside (33%).

Three quarters (75%) of Britons across the UK also told researchers that in the last year they believed their mood has been negatively affected by a dull or drab backdrop in their home town – rising highest in Newcastle (81%).

In addition to a grey environment, however, the research revealed it is the small things that get us down on an everyday basis. Missing the bus by a split second (53%); being caught in downpours unprepared (52%); receiving parking fines (41%) and late payment notices (38%) rated highest in a list of items most likely to bring us down.

To combat Brits’ increasing blues, the Flower Council of Holland is on a mission to bring a burst of colour to towns and cities across the UK as winter sets in. This course of action came as the poll revealed that over 50% of the UK had not been given flowers in recent memory and a further 68% had never bought flowers for themselves.

Psychologist, Dr. Glenn Wilson, explains how seemingly unimportant day-to-day happenings can have a significant effect on a person’s state of mind, “In the last twelve months many Britons have seen a few closures on their high-streets or received an unexpectedly large bill – it’s amazing how your state of mind can be changed for the worst in a split second. However, by equal measure, the smallest things in life can have a profoundly uplifting effect.”

In a recent, 10-month long study*, which measured changes in subjects’ behaviour and moods when they were around flowers, scientists found that they boosted feelings of wellbeing, calmness and overall happiness.

Dr Wilson comments, “The researchers discovered that flowers had this effect on people because of their natural simplicity, the surprise and enjoyment in the moment and their ability to connect people. People were more open and sociable, smiled more and felt their anxieties eradicated. In fact, people with flowers at home were even more productive and enthusiastic at work.”

Jonathon Read, of the Flower Council of Holland explained, “It’s about time we gave ourselves something to smile about. We Britons need flowers more than ever right now - and we’re bringing those flowers to towns and cities across the country. We are literally going to shower towns across the UK with the power of flowers in November – look out for our Flower Power Shower bus heading your way.”

The Flower Power Shower bus will be setting off on a road trip across the UK from the 9th to the 13th of November. Passers by will get their hands on free blooms and discover the opportunity to nominate friends and loved ones to win one of 1,000 bouquets at www.funnyhowflowersdothat.co.uk.

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For more information, please call the Flower Council of Holland’s press office at Cow on:
020 7234 9150 or email: flowers@cowpr.com


NOTES TO EDITORS

2,000 Britons across the UK were surveyed
The Flower Council of Holland is the worldwide organisation that promotes the enjoyment and sale of fresh flowers and houseplants.
*Research was carried out at Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey

BOW-WOW! WORLD’S LARGEST DOG BISCUIT UNVEILED

Flickr Set

- Record-breaking Scooby snack weighs in at 16.5 stone -

You couldn’t call it half-baked. The world’s largest dog biscuit has been created to celebrate the release of Scooby-Doo! The Mystery Begins on DVD and the new Scooby-Doo playset.

Prepared by the Canine Cookie Company for Warner Bros, the record-breaking, monster snack measures a staggering 11ft by 4ft making this treat 2,332 times the size of an average dog biscuit.

Manoeuvring the giant treat is no small feat either: weighing in at a whopping 105kg (16.5 stone), it needs several burly men to carry and beats the previous record-holder by 33kg.

Made following a standard dog biscuit recipe, the quantities for the giant Scooby snack are suitably huge. The world’s largest Scooby Snack recipe consists of:

• 59.5kg of plain flour
• 21kg of vegetable oil
• 21kg agave nectar
• 140 eggs

However, home bakers beware if you’re considering taking on the record! It took the team of two bakers, one baking assistant and two chefs over an hour to mix, four hours to bake, three hours to cool, and one hour to ice.

The giant doggy treat is on display exclusively in Harrods Pet Kingdom on Sunday 11th October. Following its debut, it is being donated to The Dogs Trust, where it will keep pooches’ rumbling tummies at bay for long while!

A spokesperson for Warner Bros. said; “We’re always keen to shout about our new DVD releases, but this launch really takes the biscuit.”

Stephanie Mehanna, Director of The Canine Cookie Company added; “When I first heard about this project I thought they must be barking mad! It’s safe to say this is the biggest project we’ve undertaken and I’m over the moon about our achievement – it’s a ‘dog’s dinner’ to be proud of!”

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For more information or images please contact the Warner Home Video press office at Cow PR on 0207 234 9150 or cartoon@cowpr.com.

NOTES TO EDITORS

About the World’s largest Scooby Snack

• The World’s largest Scooby snack has been officially awarded the Guinness World Record for the world’s largest dog biscuit granted on Thursday 8th October 2009
• It beats the previous world record held by Microsoft in conjunction with the Mud Bay Company in Redmond, Washington, USA set in October 2006. This dog biscuit weighed in at just 71.2 kilos
• The giant Scooby Snack took a team of 5 people to make: 2 bakers, one assistant and two chefs & 7 people to lift and transport it
• Ingredients included: 51kg plain flour, 21kg vegetable oil, 21kg agave and 140 eggs. The baking process took a day and included 1hr to prepare – grease and lay silicone paper in a baking tray, mix all the ingredients. The mix was poured into the mould and rolled out using standard rolling pins. It was then put into the oven and baked for 4 hours at 160 degrees centigrade. The biscuit was left to cool and then iced.

About Warner Home Video

With operations in 89 international territories, Warner Home Video commands the largest distribution infrastructure in the global video marketplace. Warner Home Video’s film library is the largest of any studio, offering top quality new and vintage titles from the repertoires of Warner Bros. Pictures, Turner Entertainment Company, Castle Rock Entertainment, HBO Video and New Line Home Entertainment.

About Scooby Doo! The Mystery Begins

Scooby-Doo! The Mystery Begins:
Spec: One disc amaray, one feature film
DVD running length: 80 minutes

Scooby-Doo Live Action Movie triple pack:

Spec: Three disc amaray including:
Scooby-Doo! The Mystery Begins,
Scooby-Doo & Scooby-Doo 2
DVD running length: 251 minutes

About Harrods Pet Kingdom

Harrods Pet Kingdom is situated on the 4th floor with over 11,000 sq feet catering to London and the UK's most fashionable dog owners. Pet Kingdom is also home to the Canine Cookie Company, which houses a wonderful selection of animal friendly cupcakes, cookies and Barkday cakes. Whatever your pet requests or concerns the Pet Kingdom is on hand to ensure all expectations are met by an attentive team of fellow animal lovers known as the pet concierge team.

About the Canine Cookie Company

Canine Cookie Company is the UK’s premier bakery for dogs. Our hand-made, gourmet pet treats and celebration cakes are made with organic, human-grade ingredients. Our products are free from additives and preservatives, added salt and sugars, and all products are tested on humans. Whether you’re looking for a gourmet meal for your pet, a birthday cake or pet party planning, the Canine Cookie Company has everything you need for fine doggy dining. www.caninecookie.com

PARACHUTING POTS MARK LAUNCH OF GOLDEN WONDER'S THE NATION'S NOODLE

(Additional photos)

Southsea Common in Portsmouth was the scene of a stunning aerial bombardment on Sunday as hundreds of parachuting noodle pots descended from the skies to an excitable crowd below.

The ambitious stunt was carried out to celebrate the launch of Golden Wonder: The Nation’s Noodle – a brand new range of instant noodle and pasta snacks from the iconic and much-loved British brand.

Dropped from a vertigo-inducing 150 ft, the daredevil pots appeared to be coming in to land on British soil for the first time having crossed the English channel – a fitting image as Golden Wonder has been in the hot snacking wilderness for the best part of the last 15 years.

When the pots hit the ground just after 11:00am, the scramble that ensued to get hold of them wasn’t just born out of warm, nostalgic feelings for an old British favourite.

The 300 Portsmouth folk that charted their downward course had beaten off competition from thousands of others to win places at the event, and were striving to get hold of the one parachuting pot that contained £1,000.

Tuan Anh Nguyen, 24 years old from Southsea in Portsmouth, was the lucky testosterone filled male to walk away with the money.

Commenting on the drop a Golden Wonder spokesperson said, “Golden Wonder is as big a British institution as red telephone boxes, Only Fools & Horses, cups of tea and the Queen herself – so naturally we wanted do something attention grabbing to mark its return to the big time. While Portsmouth is the home of the British Navy local residents will no doubt have seen various army aircraft flying overhead in their time – what they won’t have seen before is anything like the noodle invasion witnessed today!”


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For further information and images of the drop please contact Martin Ayres or Bridey Lipscombe in the Golden Wonder Press Office at Cow PR on:

Tel: 07973 311223

goldenwonder@cowpr.com

- Notes to Editors -

Golden Wonder: The Nation’s Noodle and The Nation’s Pasta is a brand new range of hot instant noodle and pasta snacks packed with full-on flavour.

The Nation’s Noodle line up includes: Chicken & Mushroom, Beef & Tomato, Sweet & Sour and Chip Shop Curry

The Nation’s Pasta range includes: Spaghetti Bolognese, Spicy Tomato and Macaroni Cheese

The entire range is available now from all good supermarkets nationwide with an RRP of 85p.

For further product information visit www.thenationsbest.co.uk

LEEDS LEADS THE FASHION PACK

- Research reveals that the real heart of fashion is on Leeds’ streets –

London, watch out! When it comes to individuality, the streets of Leeds are proving to be as hip as any catwalk at London Fashion Week. New research* from Vauxhall Motors shows the city’s trendsetters have even beaten Londoners’ in the style stakes.

Of the 2,000 Britons surveyed, nearly half (40%) found Leeds’ street fashion is the most inspiring in the UK, pipping London’s street cred (32%) to the post.

With Leeds hot on the stacked heels of London’s fashion credentials, Vauxhall, whose Vauxhall Fashion Scout initiative is the biggest off-schedule venue at London Fashion Week, has brought Car’Walk to Leeds.

Car’Walk is an exclusive taste of London Fashion Week, broadcasting catwalk shows and backstage commentary from the boot of an Agila at the city’s historic high-end shopping haven, the Victoria Quarter.

Simon Ewart, from Vauxhall Motors commented, “We’ve known for a long time that Leeds has a great reputation in the fashion world, so we thought we’d drive the best bits up.

“The Car’Walk is a first and it is our way of raising awareness about Fashion Week outside of London and also giving people in Leeds a front row taste of what they are so passionate about.”

The research also revealed that Leeds locals are most adventurous with their dress sense.

Well over a third (38%) claimed they don’t follow rules, preferring to accessorise, customise and individualise so they stand out from the crowd. By contrast, just 28% of Londoners were willing to take a chance on expressing themselves through clothes with over a quarter (26%) preferring to take their lead from celebrity magazines and high street retailers’ windows.

Martyn Roberts, director of Vauxhall Fashion Scout, says: “It’s well known that Leeds is a hot fashion hub. In fact some of the designers we work with, such as Leeds-born Andrew Bannister of studio_805 get their inspiration from its streets.

“People in Leeds ‘get’ fashion. It is a young, energetic city and fashion is very important to its people. Walking around Leeds you see a kind of style-conscious competitiveness in the way people dress and that is inspiring and exciting for trend-spotters.”

The Car’Walk event (so named because the London catwalk shows are broadcast to Leeds from the boot of an Agila) will feature collections from some of the hottest tipped talent in the UK today – Vauxhall Fashion Scout’s Ones to Watch**.

The survey identified the top five trendsetting cities dominated by the north, highlighting a fashion divide. The link is made stronger thanks to celebrities such as style icons Agyness Deyn and Cheryl Cole.

1. Leeds (40%)
2. London (32%)
3. Glasgow (15%)
4. Manchester (7%)
5. Newcastle (6%)

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For more press information about Vauxhall Fashion Scout and Car’Walk, please contact the Vauxhall team at Cow on 020 7234 9150 or email Vauxhall@cowpr.com


NOTES TO EDITORS:
* 2,000 people between the ages of 18-35 from across the UK were polled

** Designers topping this season’s Ones to Watch list include Gareth Pugh’s protégé, Ada Zanditon; Central St Martin’s Womenswear Designer of the Year Award 2009 winner, Dean Quinn; the rising star who has worked for design houses of both McQueen and Galliano, Hermione de Paula; and Belgrade Fashion Week 2008’s Best Young Designer award winner, Mark Mitanovski.
For more information on Vauxhall Fashion Scout please visit: www.vauxhallfashionscout.co.uk
For more information about Andrew Bannister, please visit: www.studio805.co.uk

BURGER KING® IS KING OF THE CASTLES!

- Burger King launches its first ever, restaurant made of sand –

This August Bank Holiday weekend, BURGER KING® fans visiting Weston-Super-Mare are being treated to a restaurant like no other, as the UK’s favourite high street fast-food chain takes to the beach – quite literally!

Burger King on Weston-Super-Mare beach is the first ever, operational restaurant in the world to be made entirely out of sand sourced from North Somerset’s favourite seaside town!

The eye-catching new-look restaurant, which is located in the middle of Weston-Super-Mare beach is dedicated to serving BK® Fusions Mint Choc Swirl ice-creams to visitors during the Bank Holiday heatwave.

Designed and constructed by globally renowned sand sculptor, Mark Anderson, the stunning sand castle restaurant took three days to build, contains approx, 100 tonnes of sand and boasts 15 seats and will be looking to serve-up around 1000 ice-creams, weather permitting

Mark Anderson, owner of Sculptures in Sand comments: “I was extremely excited when BURGER KING® initially approached me with the original concept for the restaurant as I am a huge fan of its Fusions ice-creams.

"The idea of a dedicated ice-cream parlour on the beach made out of sand is fantastic; I’m sure that it will prove extremely popular with the general public over the course of the weekend.”

Sarah Power, Marketing Director UK and Ireland for BURGER KING® adds: “Our
Fusions ice-creams have always proved extremely popular with consumers ever since they launched in 2007.

"We are always looking into new marketing avenues and site locations that will enable us to bring our ice-creams to more consumers throughout the year. Opening a sand restaurant during the Bank Holiday weekend seemed the perfect answer and what better place than Weston-Super-Mare, one of the most popular beachside towns in the UK.”

To mark the launch of the new sand restaurant, BURGER KING® is selling Fusions ice-creams to customers at a reduced price of £1 on Sunday 30th August with all proceeds going to Weston Hospice care.

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For more information please contact the BURGER KING® Press Office at Cow PR
on 020 7234 9150 or email burgerking@cowpr.com

About BURGER KING®:

The BURGER KING® system operates more than 11,400 restaurants in all 50 states and in 70 countries and U.S. territories worldwide. Approximately 90 percent of BURGER KING® restaurants are owned and operated by independent franchisees, many of them family-owned operations that have been in business for decades. To learn more about Burger King Corp. please visit the company’s Web site at www.burgerking.co.uk



About Weston Hospicecare:

· Weston Hospicecare supports people in North Somerset and neighbouring parts of Somerset with life limiting illnesses

· The annual running cost for Weston Hospicecare is about £2.7 million with about 80 per cent of which comes from voluntary donations.

· WHC will be helping nearly 1000 patients this year from within Weston-super-Mare and the surrounding area

· A Community nurse specialists cost about £35,000 a year each, and care for 120 patients each in the community

· In 2008 the community team cared for 750 patients, made 5,600 face to face visits and 2,865 telephone calls to patients.

· Money raised from fundraising events will help to continue to deliver the critical work to patients who are suffering a life limiting illness.

· Weston Hospicecare Ltd. Registered Charity No. 900328. Registered in England No. 2414541

SCRAPPED FOR CASH!

- Vauxhall celebrates success of scrappage scheme with £2,000 giveaway -

Del Boy and David Dickinson will be praising British bargain hunters today, as research from Vauxhall reveals that over 150,000 old bangers have been scrapped for a cash bonus towards a younger model.

According to the research, London is driving the cars for cash scheme with almost one in ten owners upgrading their wheels, compared to Cornwall and East Anglia where only 1% of drivers have scrapped their cars. To mark London taking the title of the Banger Capital of Britain, Vauxhall has created the first ever Cash Car – an Astra encrusted with £2,000 worth of loose change.

The car, which is covered from boot to bonnet in bona-fide British mint was mobbed today by hundreds of commuters at Liverpool Street station, eager to pocket some free cash.

A spokesperson from Vauxhall Motors added, “We fully support the scrappage scheme and feel that the first ever Cash Car is a great way to bring to life the benefits of trading in your old car for a newer, safer and more environmentally friendly model. Hopefully, we gave commuters more than they bargained for on their journey to work this morning!”

The activity coincides with Vauxhall's nationwide direct mail campaign driving 100,000 car owners to take part in the Government's scrappage scheme.

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For more information please contact the Vauxhall Press Office on 0207 234 9150 | Vauxhall@cowpr.com

Notes to editors
Research from the scrappage scheme figures on the BIS website – it applies to cars and light commercial vans (max. 3.5 tonnes)

Man’s Best Friend – part dog, part cat, part horse….

Research by More Th>n reveals the ‘Equicanigattus’ – the ultimate designer pet

Meet Max, officially Britain's perfect pet. He’s an Equicanigattus - a crossbreed like nothing ever seen before.

The result of extensive research by MORE TH>N pet insurance, Max has the ears of a rabbit, face of a cat, body of a golden retriever and tail of a horse, and is what the nation’s animal lovers would most like to have as their furry, four-legged companion.

Based on comprehensive interviews with 2,000 British pet lovers and interpreted by MORE TH>N’s team of pet experts, the study was undertaken to create a composite image of the nation’s perfect animal – the result of which was a cuddly cocktail of 49% dog, 35% cat, 9% horse and 7% rabbit!

Research also included analysis of various canine and feline personality traits, allowing MORE TH>N to create the psychological profile of the nation’s perfect pet; Max has high energy levels, loves daily walks and sleeps for an average of 9 hours, 27 minutes a day.

He’s the proud owner of a loud, husky St. Bernard-style bark - ideal for warning-off unwelcome visitors - and true to the notion of ‘man’s best friend’, Max is loyal to his family, choosing only to show affection towards household members.

MORE TH>N’s Pete Markey comments: “This experiment has provided great insight into exactly what it is about their animals people love, both in terms of looks and personality, and it goes to show what a pet-obsessed nation we are.

"However, as much as Max looks cute and cuddly – and we’ve had great fun creating him – there’s a serious message to get across and it’s one of responsible pet ownership. Making sure you’ve got adequate insurance for your animal is a good place to start”.

For more information on pet insurance, or for a quote, call 0800 107 1905 or visit
www.morethan.com

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Media enquiries:
Ella, Russell or Dan at Cow, 0844 967 0630


Notes to Editors:
Research conducted among 2,011 people by Opinium Research (July - August 2009)
For the chance to share their thoughts on the ‘perfect pet’ and upload pictures of their own pets, readers can visit http//:living.morethan.com

About MORE TH>N:
MORE TH>N is the direct financial services arm of RSA. It offers motor, home, pet, life and travel insurance by phone and via the internet. It also offers van, shop, office, business car, hotels, property, club and contractor insurance direct to small businesses.

In December 2006 MORE TH>N, together with its parent company RSA, became the first insurer in the UK to be carbon neutral. The company has cut its carbon footprint by over half since 2000 and has offset the remainder by purchasing vol