The Frank PR news blog

NEWS FROM COW AND GATE

2012-01-10T14:53:00.001Z

Never mind the Bucket List, here’s the Potty List – a tongue in cheek guide to 36 things toddlers should have crayoned off a must-do list....by the time they are toilet trained.

The list was inspired by suggestions from parents nationwide and endorsed by experts, including nutritionist Amanda Ursell, psychologist Dr Richard Woolfson and trends forecaster Sean Pillot de Chenecey. The list comprises 36 activities for your ‘Little One-der’ – one for each month of their toddler years.

It forms part of the Little One-ders’ Toddler Census[1], commissioned by Growingupmilkinfo.com, and has been designed to celebrate the extraordinary growth and development Little One-ders go through from one to three years.

By no means exhaustive, it does however pinpoint some wonderful experiences for toddlers, from the fun to the fundamental.

Child psychologist Dr Richard Woolfson says: “As your toddler turns one and becomes a Little One-der their extraordinary growth over the next couple of years will amaze you. Toddlerhood is about learning, about development and about progress – it's also about pushing the boundaries a little.

“A growing child needs to be loved and to be happy, but fun activities play an essential part during the toddler years too, as now is the time they will master many of the skills that will set them up for life. Making a mud pie or jumping in a puddle has never been so important!"

The 36 must-do activities that make up ‘The Potty List’ are:

1. Made a mud pie

2. Baked a cake

3. Finger painted

4. Sung loudly in public

5. Climbed a big hill

6. Picked fruit

7. Danced with no inhibitions

8. Made sandcastles on the beach

9. Been chased by a monster

10. Jumped in a puddle so hard the water went in mummy’s shoe too

11. Belly-flopped

12. Fed the ducks

13. Blown bubbles

14. Had a teddy bear’s picnic

15. Chosen a favourite book

16. Ridden on the top of double-decker bus

17. Visited a museum

18. Been on a train ride

19. Fed an animal

20. Grown cress in the shape of your name

21. Worn pants on your head

22. Ridden the tea-cups at the fair

23. Flown a paper aeroplane

24. Poo’ed in the bath

25. Stayed the night away from home

26. Ridden on daddy’s shoulders

27. Scribbled somewhere you shouldn’t

28. Cleaned your own teeth

29. Answered the phone

30. Mastered a party piece

31. Had a ‘first love’

32. Bought something in a shop

33. Set your sights on a future career (pirate, fairy or builder, perhaps?)

34. Told a fib

35. Made up an inappropriate nickname for someone

36. Broken something valuable

However, in order to achieve the demands of The Potty List, toddlers require lots of energy.

Growingupmilkinfo.com nutritionist, Leanne Olivier, adds: “During this phase of amazing growth and development, relative to their size, toddlers’ energy needs are nearly three times greater than an adult’s. They require more than four times the amount of iron and vitamin C, plus about three times the calcium, zinc and vitamin A.

“Their stomachs are a lot smaller than ours, so they need to eat small amounts of foods often to give them energy and nutrients throughout the day, so they can make mud pies and climb hills.

“This means that they need three small meals with regular snacks in between to meet their very specific energy needs and each meal and snack needs to be balanced and nutrient-packed.”

It’s also why the UK Departments of Health recommend that children are given a supplement of vitamins A, C and D from the age of one-to-five², to help support even a healthy balanced diet. Research by Growingupmilkinfo.com [2] surprisingly found eight out of 10 parents were not aware of this advice.

Growing Up Milk is made from cows' milk but it is enriched with key nutrients that toddlers need like vitamins A, C and D, iron and calcium. Giving your Little One-der two 150ml beakers of Growing Up Milk each day is an easy way to help provide them with the extra nutrients they need, as part of a healthy balanced diet.

NEWS FROM PIZZAEXPRESS

2012-01-05T15:07:00.003Z

NEWS FROM HARD ROCK

2012-01-05T15:01:00.002Z

SHOW SOME SUPPORT FOR THE BOSS

Hard Rock announces its global search for the next big name in rock with a slot on the Hard Rock Calling 2012 bill alongside Bruce Springsteen

Hard Rock are offering a once in a lifetime opportunity for one band to support the legendary Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band at 2012’s Hard Rock Calling. Coined Hard Rock Rising the global battle of the bands competition will see local bands from all corners of the planet rocking it out to win the prestigious slot alongside The Boss and some of music’s finest performers.

Taking place from 13th-15th July Hard Rock Calling is now one of the UK’s, and the world’s, premier festivals. Housed in London’s iconic Hyde Park, the annual event has seen headlining performances from acts including The Killers, Bon Jovi, Stevie Wonder and Aerosmith. For the fourth year running the event has played host to one lucky band plucked from obscurity and thrust into the limelight alongside some of the industry’s biggest names.

Hard Rock, in a partnership with online music services company ReverbNation, will host an open registration for bands from Friday, 6th January through Tuesday, 17th January 2012. The combination of Hard Rock’s iconic brand and ReverbNation’s extensive network of over 1.8 million artists around the world, will give great undiscovered bands an international stage to jumpstart their careers.

“Hard Rock believes it is critical to support emerging artists and discover new musical talent through the Hard Rock Rising program,” said John Galloway, Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer for Hard Rock International. “We are confident our partnership with ReverbNation will help us secure world-class talent that we can showcase to the international music community at this year’s Hard Rock Calling festival.”

“Hard Rock is a worldwide icon of music, the perfect brand to provide this opportunity to deserving artists,” added Mike Doernberg, ReverbNation CEO and Co-founder. “From day one here at Reverb, we’ve been all about the artist and opportunities like Hard Rock Rising extend that mission exponentially.”

To register future UK rock stars bands can visit the London, Manchester and Edinburgh Hard Rock Cafe Facebook pages. Following open registration, fans decide who moves on to the live performance phase of the program and can vote on any Hard Rock’s Facebook page by downloading free tracks from bands of their choice. For full rules and a list of participating locations visit www.hardrock.com. Once fans have chosen their favorites Hard Rock Cafes around the world will host live battles will take place. Followed by a fan picked top 10 and then a panel of celebrities and industry professionals picking the first, second and third places.

The winner will not only win the place on the bill alongside Springsteen, but also the ultimate rockstar treatment during their time staying in London throughout the festival. Second and third place bands will receive $5,000 and $2,500, respectively, in ReverbNation PROMOTE IT credits, a revolutionary tool that creates targeted, highly effective Facebook advertising campaigns for musicians and venues promoting songs, Facebook pages and concerts.

-ENDS -
For more information please contact Ourhai Turkhan or David Wade at Frank PR on 0207 693 6999 / hardrock@frankpr.it
Notes to editors:

After fans choose their favorites, participating Hard Rock Cafe locations around the world will host a series of live competitions featuring these local bands. One winner will be selected from each location by the other participating bands. These local winners will be narrowed down to the top ten bands worldwide via fan voting on participating Hard Rock Facebook fan pages. Finally a panel of celebrity judges and music industry professionals will select the top three winners.

Hard Rock Calling, an iconic festival now in its seventh consecutive year, has established itself as one of the UK’s premier outdoor music events. The 2012 festival will take place from Friday, July, 13 to Sunday, July 15 in London’s Hyde Park. Headliners for the festival will include Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, who will take the Main Stage for their second Hard Rock Calling performance. Hard Rock Calling 2012’s performers will join a long line of rock ‘n’ roll greats who have taken the stage at this iconic festival including: Aerosmith, Eric Clapton, Neil Young, Paul McCartney, Stevie Wonder, The Who, Pearl Jam, Peter Gabriel, The Killers, The Police, Rod Stewart and Bon Jovi. Hard Rock Calling, produced by Live Nation and presented by Hard Rock International, is a unique and historic musical event with a main stage, second stage, renowned bands, on-site Hard Rock Cafe, as well as a variety of additional attractions. For further information on the 2012 artist lineup and ticket details, visit www.hardrockcalling.co.uk.

Visit www.hardrock.com for details on event dates and times, and head to a Hard Rock Cafe location in your city to watch your favorite local bands battle for the opportunity of a lifetime!

About ReverbNation
ReverbNation provides over 1.8 million artists, managers, labels, venues, festivals/events and other music industry professionals with powerful, easy-to-use technology to promote and prosper online. Their array of distribution and promotional solutions provide the hands-on tools and actionable insights that allow them to reach their goals in an increasingly complex music industry. The company operates worldwide with customers on every continent. Over 30 million visitors come to reverbnation.com every month. For more information, visit ReverbNation.com and follow ReverbNation on Twitter: www.twitter.com/reverbnation.

About Hard Rock International
With a total of 174 venues in 53 countries, including 137 cafes and 15 Hotels/Casinos, Hard Rock International is one of the world's most globally recognized brands. Beginning with an Eric Clapton guitar, Hard Rock owns the world's greatest collection of music memorabilia, which is displayed at its locations around the globe. Hard Rock is also known for its collectible fashion and music-related merchandise, Hard Rock Live performance venues and an award-winning website. In addition to the two flagship Seminole Hard Rock Hotels and Casinos in Tampa and Hollywood, Fla., Hard Rock Hotels/Casinos are located in Las Vegas, Biloxi, Orlando, Chicago, San Diego, Pattaya, Bali, Macau, Penang, Singapore and Punta Cana. Additional hotel and casino projects have been announced including Panama Megapolis, scheduled to open in 2012; Cancun and Vallarta scheduled to open in 2012; and Riviera Maya, Hungary, Dubai and Abu Dhabi, scheduled to open in 2013. Hard Rock International is owned by Seminole Hard Rock Entertainment, Inc. For further details on Hard Rock Hotels and Casinos, visit www.hardrockhotels.com. For more information on Hard Rock International, visit www.hardrock.com.

NEWS FROM SODASTREAM

2012-01-05T13:36:00.002Z

SODASTREAM IS FIZZING OFF THE SHELVES

SodaStream proves a festive hit with retailers

SodaStream, the sparkling drinks maker, has become one of the UK’s best-selling products this Christmas 2011.

The brand saw its Christmas sales rocket across its key retailers, as shoppers raced to buy their SodaStream in time for Christmas. The fun and entertaining nature of SodaStream has no doubt made it a gifting hit with people of all ages. Consumers appreciate the key benefits of convenience and cost-savings, and the recent trend towards do-it-yourself appliances has provided additional sales momentum.

General merchandise retailer Argos was blown away by the success it has had amongst its customers. With the number of SodaStream sales up by 380% year on year, the product was one of Argos’ top Christmas gift purchases.

Yvonne Stinson, Homewares Trading Manager at Argos, said: “We started selling Sodastream in 2004, and 2011 has by far been our biggest yet for sales. More functional kitchen items such as turkey roasters and carving sets typically sell very well at Argos in the run up to the festivities, but this year SodaStream was on a huge number of Christmas wish lists.”

And it’s not just Argos who witnessed record sales; SodaStream did extremely well across supermarket retailers. Sales continued to exceed expectations in Asda, which has led to a large increase in distribution for the New Year.

Online supermarket Ocado reported excellent sales, as did key department store John Lewis. Selfridges, who stocked SodaStream for the first time in 2011, proclaimed that it was one of its key Christmas sellers.

A spokesperson for Ocado, commented: “Sales of SodaStream have done extremely well this Christmas. It’s been one of our most popular items with sales up 95% year on year. The fun nature of the product has no doubt contributed to its success – and it’s a present that’s perfect for all the family.”

Chris Gardener, Buying Manager for Cookshop at Selfridges, also commented: “Sodastream has revamped machines with a stylish appeal and in tune with the Selfridges eco-credentials. For those of our customers who like their drinks with added fizz, they are perfect.”

Fiona Hope, Managing Director for SodaStream UK says: “SodaStream has sold phenomenally well this year, with many stores selling out entirely. Having invested heavily in TV advertising all year, it’s now clear SodaStream is really becoming a ‘must-have’ in many thousands of kitchens up and down the country. Customers are impressed with both the modern styling of the range of drinksmakers as well as its power to rid homes of loads of wasteful plastic-bottles.”

2012 sees the launch of several new SodaStream flavours including a Clear Plus range with added health benefits, as well as its Naturals range and a tastier than even Cola flavour.

In addition to this SodaStream is proud to be a supporting partner of Climate Week this March. Becoming a partner was an obvious choice for SodaStream, who offers a solution to reduce single-use plastic bottles.

-ends-

For more information or imagery, please contact Frank PR on 0207 693 6999 / getbusywiththefizzy@frankpr.it

More information can be found at: www.sodastream.co.uk

Find us on Facebook www.facebook.com/sodastreamuk or come and follow us on Twitter @sodastreamuk

Notes to Editors:

About SodaStream:
SodaStream manufactures home beverage carbonation systems, which enable consumers to easily transform ordinary tap water instantly into carbonated soft drinks and sparkling water. Soda makers offer a highly differentiated and innovative solution to consumers of bottled and canned carbonated soft drinks and sparkling water. Our products are environmentally friendly, cost effective, promote health and wellness, and are customizable and fun to use. In addition, our products offer convenience by eliminating the need to carry bottles home from the supermarket, to store bottles at home or to regularly dispose of empty bottles. Our products are available at more than 50,000 retail stores in 42 countries around the world. There is also no need for electricity, as when you buy your SodaStream drinks maker, a full CO2 gas cylinder is included under licence, entitling you to use the cylinder with your SodaStream. When the gas in the cylinder is used up, you exchange the empty cylinder for a full one, paying only the cost of the gas refill.
• SodaStream is available at John Lewis, Selfridges, Argos, Asda, Tesco supermarkets, Bestbuy, Sainsbury’s, Harvey Nichols, Lakeland, Robert Dyas, Comet, Currys Megastores, selected House of Fraser and other forward thinking retailers.
• SodaStream drinksmakers enable consumers to transform tap water into fizzy drinks in seconds, eliminating the need for bottled fizzy water and bottled soft drinks
• Each SodaStream reusable carbonating bottle is estimated to save the environment from an estimated 2000 bottles and cans each year
• SodaStream now offers a range of over 40 different flavours, including sugar-free, energy, isotonic, Naturals, mixers as well as fruit flavours and colas. A great alternative to pre-mixed drinks
• Each of the single 500ml bottles of Sodastream concentrate produces 12 litres of soft drink and each of these can replace 24 500ml PET bottles
• The drinksmakers retail from £49.99 and flavours from £3.29 making SodaStream the smart way to consume soft drinks.

About Argos:
Argos is the UK’s leading Multi-Channel retailer and provides a highly successful and unique offer of choice and convenience. It sells general merchandise and products for the home from over 750 stores throughout the UK and Republic of Ireland, online, over the telephone and TV. In the financial year to February 2011, Argos sales were £4.2 billion and it employed some 33,000 people across the business.

Argos serves over 130 million customers a year through its stores. On average, 17 million UK households, or around two thirds of the population, have an Argos catalogue at home at any time. Argos’ internet site, www.argos.co.uk, is one of the most visited high street retail websites and Argos continues to be the second largest internet retailer in the UK, with 400m website visits each year. Argos is part of Home Retail Group, the UK’s leading home and general merchandise retailer.
Home Retail Group has been awarded the Carbon Trust Standard which certifies that we have genuinely reduced our carbon footprint. We call our responsible approach ‘the basis of good business’. Find out more at: www.thebasisofgoodbusiness.com

About Ocado:
Ocado (www.ocado.com) was established in 2000, started trading in 2002 and is now one of Britain’s leading online supermarkets. Ocado operates a centralised distribution model which means that it does not rely upon a network of stores from which to service customers – orders are fulfilled at a unique, high-automated Customer Fulfilment Centre in Hatfield, Hertfordshire, before being loaded onto delivery vans making local routes, or transported by HGV to vans stationed at a network of regional UK distribution spokes. Ocado delivers over 21,000 product lines including Waitrose goods and a growing Ocado own-label range. Last October it was named World E-tailer of the Year at the prestigious World Retail Awards and, earlier this year, won Consumer Initiative of the Year at the Grocer Gold Awards for its popular mobile commerce platform.

NEWS FROM PREMIER INN

2012-01-05T13:33:00.001Z

CHRISTMAS GIFTS REUNITED
PREMIER INN RE-UNITES GUESTS WITH THEIR LOST CHRISTMAS PRESENTS

Five One Direction dolls, The Only Way is Essex box set and a pair of Eurostar tickets are just some of the weird and wonderful Christmas presents that were left behind in rooms at Premier Inn, Britain’s biggest hotel chain, this festive season.

Premier Inn’s Gifts Reunited Service will go live on 4th January 2012 at www.facebook.com/premierinn. Guests will be able to comment on the wall if they have lost any items and Premier Inn will do their upmost to reunite people with their long lost presents.

Gifts already listed on the site include:
• 3x novelty reindeer ties found at Cardiff North Premier Inn
• 1x iPhone 4S found at Manchester Central Premier Inn
• 1x TOWIE DVD box set series 1 & 2 found at Stratford Upon Avon Central Premier Inn
• 2x Eurostar tickets found at London Kings Cross Premier Inn
• 5x One Direction dolls found at Glasgow City Centre (George Square) Premier Inn
• 1x Cliff Richard 2012 calendar found at Birmingham Central East Premier Inn

Claire Haigh, spokeswoman for Premier Inn says, “We’re always willing to go the extra mile to ensure that our guests are well cared for, and following on from the success of this service last year, we’ve decided to re-launch it and do our upmost to get lost presents back their rightful owners.”

In the conventions of lost property offices everywhere, anyone trying to claim a lost present via Premier Inn’s Gifts Reunited service will have to prove ownership before they can be reunited.

Go to premierinn.com for further details.

-Ends-

For further information, please email Hannah Calder-Bundy or Sara Lincoln on
premierinn@frankpr.it

About the Premier Inn Gifts Reunited Service:
• The Gifts Reunited Service will run from 3rd January 2012 for two weeks on Premier Inn’s Facebook page
• Premier Inn will reply back to consumers from 4th – 17th January 2012 via the comments section on facebook
• After 17th January 2012, guests will need to contact the Premier Inn Customer Contact Centre who will help them with their request
• If a gift is truly lost we recommend that guests claim on their personal insurance

Notes to editors:

Award-winning Premier Inn is the UK’s biggest hotel brand with over 600 budget hotels and more than 46,000 rooms across the UK and Ireland. Premier Inn bedrooms feature en-suite bathrooms, TV with Freeview, and WiFi internet access. All Premier Inns feature a bar and restaurant; situated inside the hotel or adjacent, offering a wide range of food choices.

Premier Inn is open in Dubai and India. On a domestic front, Premier Inn aims to be the largest provider of budget hotels in London (within the M25) by 2012.

Premier Inn is currently offering rooms for just £29 (restrictions apply). Visit www.premierinn.com for full terms and conditions.

Premier Inn supports WaterAid, the international charity whose mission is to overcome poverty by enabling the world's poorest people to gain access to safe water, sanitation and hygiene education. To date Premier Inn has raised £1m for the charity.

NEWS FROM BEEFEATER

2011-12-06T17:52:00.000Z

A Cracker of a Joke

Beefeater Grill launches search to find the UK’s funniest Christmas cracker joke

As some of the UK’s most traditional and well known Christmas cracker jokes face the axe this festive season, restaurant chain Beefeater Grill today announces the launch of a nation-wide search to find the UK’s funniest cracker jokes for Christmas 2011. The winning comics will earn the honour of seeing their yuletide yarn printed in a special set of limited edition crackers.

Everyone loves a festive frolic and with three kings, a group of shepherds and an ass there’s plenty of material to inspire the UK’s budding jokers. Beefeater Grill will be picking the best six jokes from those sent in to be included in the limited edition crackers, winners will also be able to win a festive meal with family in the restaurant.

Amanda Barnett, a spokeswoman for Beefeater Grill, said; “Sharing a Christmas dinner is a time for families to relax and really celebrate together. At Beefeater Grill we hope to find a cracking joke to make us all laugh and we look forward to welcoming everyone to sample our new festive menus this Christmas.”

Anyone who fancies themselves something of a festive joker can enter their Christmas jokes at www.beefeatergrill.co.uk/cracker. Entries close 10th December 2011.

NEWS FROM GRAZE.COM

2011-12-06T17:37:00.001Z

Berry good discovery by graze.com

The lingonberry, an unlikely foraged fruit from the forests of the Nordics, is set for its UK debut as graze.com, who offer healthy snacks by post, bring the berry to British shores this December. Thought to be the only company in the UK to import the dried lingonberry fruit, the company, who offer over 100 healthy snacks and nibbles delivered straight to your door, are now including them in their latest snack combination.

Foraged from the floors of Norwegian forests the berries have been used in folk medicine for generations and in preserves, though never widely available in dried form. The berries kick a powerful health punch, containing vitamin C, provitamin A (as beta carotene), B vitamins (B1, B2, B3), and the elements potassium, calcium, magnesium, and phosphorus.

Ylva Johannesson Nutritionist at graze.com said; “Packed with a cocktail of vitamins and minerals the lingonberry is an incredible, though surprisingly underappreciated fruit! We predict the humble lingonberry to be one of the big new superfoods of 2012 and are really excited to be including it in one of our healthy punnets!”

For further information or to try a box please contact Sophie Smallwood or Tom Antoniw at FrankPR – 020 7693 6999 or email graze@frankpr.it. Please visit www.graze.com/press for product images and other bits and bobs or contact Ben Jones at graze directly on ben.jones@graze.com.

Notes to editors:

graze boxes are only available from www.graze.com and cost £3.49 including delivery using Royal Mail. The boxes fit perfectly through the letter box and arrive with the rest of your post, they are being delivered everywhere in the UK, from the Channel Islands to the Shetland Islands.

You can make a graze box even healthier if you choose one of the two ‘nutrition boxes’ put together by the nutrition team. Nutrition boxes contain only the healthiest snacks which are rich in micronutrients such as vitamins, minerals and complex omegas to give you the maximum nutritional benefit.

The company was started by seven school friends (Graham, Ben, Tom N, Neil, Edd, Tom P and Brendan) who all gave up their jobs to build the graze.com kitchen in April 2008. Their shared and continued passion to create tasty snacks that do you good has resulted in the creation of a brand new food category and a very clever route to market - Nature Delivered.

The company set up the ‘graze school of farming’ in 2010 (Reg. Charity No. 1102474). The school is based in Kabubbu in the heart of rural Uganda where students are taught how to grow, maintain and then harvest fruit from their own trees – graze.com have donated over £40,000 since 2010.

Graze.com won New Product of the Year at the Growing Business Awards in 2009 and were voted Venture Candy’s Best Food and Drink Company 2010 by Metro readers; they are also part of the Smarta 100.

NEWS FROM PREMIER INN

2011-11-18T15:26:00.001Z

BRITS WORRY THEIR WEEKENDS ARE BECOMING WASHOUTS
New research reveals Brits are not making enough of their weekends

With Brits having just two days a week to rest up after five long days at work, new research out today [18th November 2011] reveals that 70% of us confess to worrying we are ‘wasting’ our weekends by choosing to have lie ins and lazy mornings.

The research, carried out by the UK’s biggest hotel chain, Premier Inn, showed that millions of Brits are still relaxing in their pyjamas at midday on a Saturday, despite the average wake up time being 8.37am, with only one in ten of us getting up straight away.

With the working week being longer and more stressful than ever, when it comes to the weekend it takes an average of 23 minutes to get out of bed and until 10am to open the curtains, with 51% of Brits hitting the snooze button rather than getting up to enjoy the day ahead.

The Premier Inn research asked 3000 UK adults about their weekend behaviour and showed that whilst most of us indulge in a lazy morning, 41% would like to do more at a weekend and a third of us admit to feeling jealous of colleagues who talk about their fun-packed weekend on a Monday morning.

Claire Haigh from Premier Inn, which commissioned the study, said: “It’s important to enjoy quality time away and a change of scenery and a few days away can make a big difference.

Recharging the batteries is important so getting away from the stresses and strains of work is vital so we want to encourage Brits to enjoy a lie in but make the most of their weekend once they are up and about.

We are rewarding our customers with a fantastic offer of a free nights stay when they stay at a Premier Inn on three separate occasions. With over 600 Premier Inn hotels across the UK the benefits of a free night’s stay means that customers can enjoy a good night’s sleep without breaking the bank.

It’s natural that we take our foot off the pedal at the weekend after having worked hard all week.”
The nationwide survey of adults highlighted that a third of the nation feel ‘shattered’ from work and other weekday duties, which was the main reason cited for not making more of the weekend. Those who do muster up the time to get things done said their weekends are swallowed up by household chores and preparing for the week ahead, with little time to chill out and enjoy the time off work.

Premier Inn offers all guests the unique ’Good Night Guarantee’ – which means if you are not 100% satisfied with your stay you will get a full refund.

To find out more go to www.greatnightgiveaway.com.

- Ends -

For further information please contact the Premier Inn team on 020 7693 6999 or email premierinn@frankpr.it

The research was carried out by One Poll amongst 3000 UK adults in November 2011

Premier Inn was voted Hotel Chain of the Year at the British Travel Awards 2010 and 2011

NOTES TO EDITORS
Premier Inn
Award-winning Premier Inn is the UK’s biggest hotel brand with over 600 budget hotels and more than 46,000 rooms across the UK and Ireland. Premier Inn bedrooms feature en-suite bathrooms, TV with Freeview, and WiFi internet access. All Premier Inns feature a bar and restaurant; situated inside the hotel or adjacent, offering a wide range of food choices.

Premier Inn is open in Dubai and India. On a domestic front, Premier Inn aims to be the largest provider of budget hotels in London (within the M25) by 2012.

Premier Inn is currently offering rooms for just £29 (restrictions apply). Visit www.premierinn.com for full terms and conditions.

Premier Inn supports WaterAid, the international charity whose mission is to overcome poverty by enabling the world's poorest people to gain access to safe water, sanitation and hygiene education. To date Premier Inn has raised £1m for the charity.

NEWS FROM HOTELS.COM

2011-11-18T14:33:00.000Z

Parlay voo onglaze?
Brits ‘terribles’ at foreign languages, with 19% unable to even translate "bonjour"

While everyone loves going on holiday, research by Hotels.com today reveals that this does not 'translate' for Brits into an ability to understand and speak the local language. Shockingly 64% of us are completely unable to say anything in a foreign tongue, and only a third (34%) of us are willing to give the lingo a go when abroad. Even simple words such as "bonjour" and “goedemorgen” failed to register, with 19% and 63% of us respectively unable to translate “good morning” in French and Dutch.

Despite French, German and Spanish being on the National Curriculum, only 13%, 8% and 6% of Brits respectively consider themselves able to speak the language. Of those in this category, 25% can ask a limited range of everyday questions, 21% can just say “hello” and “goodbye” and a strange 2% claim that they can understand everything that is said to them, but are unable to say anything back.

The majority of Brits (61%) rarely or never try to speak a foreign language, with reasons for their lack of effort being put down to simply not being bothered (16%), being too embarrassed they will make a mistake (35%) or simply assuming that everyone can speak English (23%).

Surprisingly 47% of 18-24 year olds reported that they haven’t spoken the foreign language they learnt at school, since they left. Conversely, those aged over 55 were most likely to try and speak the country’s local language when on holiday, with 45% of respondents claiming to very often or always try.

Putting pints before their Ps & Qs, more people (43%) were able to translate “a beer please” in Spanish (“una cerveza por favor”) than were able to correctly translate “thank you” in Portuguese (“prego”) 29%.

Kate Hopcraft, from Hotels.com, said: “The results of our study seem to put British holiday makers to shame, with even languages typically learnt at school such as German, French and Spanish having incredibly low levels of comprehension. Brits often have a negative image abroad when it comes to languages and unfortunately it doesn’t seem to be anything we'll be saying auf wiedersehen to anytime soon.”

Percentage of Brits who could correctly translate these common foreign phrases:

Bonjour 81%
Una cerveza por favor 43%
Prego 29%
Ja 57%
Danke schoen 57%
Goedemorgen 37%
Buenas Noches 56%

For more information, please call:
Freyja Phillips at Frank PR on 020 7693 6999 or email hotels.com@frankpr.it
Or Kate Hopcraft, khopcraft@hotels.com, 020 7019 2165

Notes to Editors
The research was carried out between 12.10.2011 - 14.10.2011
Sample: 2,000 UK adults

About Hotels.com
As part of the Expedia group which operates in all major markets, Hotels.com offers almost 140,000 quality hotels, B&Bs and serviced apartments worldwide. If a customer can find the same deal for less on a prepaid hotel, Hotels.com will match it. Hotels.com benefits from one of the largest hotel contracting teams in the industry negotiating the best rates for its customers, plus there are more than 2.5 million reviews from users who have actually stayed in the hotels to ensure customers make an informed choice when booking. Travellers can book online or by contacting one of the multilingual call centres in England. During 2011, Hotels.com launched a specially-designed app for the iPad and several smart phone apps, all available to download for free. These allow users to search and book more than 20,000 last minute deals from around the world. Available in more than 30 languages, the apps also allow users to sort and filter hotels, browse user reviews plus find last minute hotel deals close to their location. Hotels.com has recently launched its Welcome Rewards customer loyalty programme worldwide, where customers can earn a free night for every ten nights stayed (subject to Welcome Rewards terms and conditions as set out at www.hotels.com .

NEWS FROM FOXY BINGO

2011-11-18T13:51:00.003Z

FOXY LAUNCHES CELEB CALENDAR
Foxy Bingo enlists a host of TV’s top stars from Nanny Pat to Alex Reid to feature in his 2012 calendar

Foxy, bingo’s biggest bachelor and face of FoxyBingo.com, has teamed up with a host of celebs to launch his calendar for 2012. Stars of ‘The Only Way is Essex’ Maria Fowler and Nanny Pat, cage fighter Alex Reid, and the cast of Geordie Shore join Foxy in recreating various iconic images for the aptly named ‘Foxy And His Famous Friends’ calendar. The calendar is available exclusively through FoxyBingo.com.

Following in the footsteps of the likes of Cliff Richard, Kylie Minogue and Cheryl Cole, Foxy is the latest in a long line of beloved showbiz personalities to launch his own official calendar. In January, Foxy will be king of the world as he embraces Maria Fowler on the bow of the Titanic. Come spring, the cast of Geordie shore join Foxy suspended on a girder above the New York sky line and in May, Foxy fans will be treated to the sight of their favourite Essex gran, Nanny Pat, posing over a subway grate as Marilyn Monroe. Alex Reid also stands alongside Foxy and dons an afro wig as the pair give their take on ‘Pulp Fiction’.

Foxy said, “Shooting this calendar has been the most fun I’ve ever had. I’ve been covered in clay with Maria, put an afro wig on Alex Reid and I’ve seen further up Nanny Pat’s skirt than I care to mention. I texted Mark Wright and said, ‘I’ve got your Nan here looking foxy dressed as Marilyn.’ He wasn’t impressed. But she’s a lovely lady and I know all the Foxy fans out there will love the pictures as much as I do.”

Foxy Bingo is the most popular online bingo site in the UK with over one million people registered to play and chat together. ‘Foxy’s Famous Friends Calendar’ is available exclusively at FoxyBingo.com from Friday 18th November 2011.

ENDS

For more information please contact Katie Bawler or Paul Goodman on
020 7693 6999 / foxy@frankpr.it

Notes to editors

Shot List:
January: Foxy and Maria Fowler embrace on the Titanic
February: Foxy enjoys a date with a mystery beauty
March: Foxy and the Geordie Shore cast share a ‘high tea’
April: Foxy in his golfing gear
May: Foxy and Nanny Pat in ‘The Seven Year Itch’
June: Foxy and Alex Reid in ‘Pulp Fiction’
July: Foxy stretches in his gym gear
August: Foxy and Maria Fowler at the pottery wheel
September: Foxy at his grand piano
October: Foxy loses out to Alex Reid
November: Foxy lounging in his bachelor pad
December: Foxy and Nanny Pat celebrate V-J Day

About Foxy Bingo:
Foxy Bingo launched in 2005 and is now one of the biggest names in UK bingo with more than 40 game rooms to play in. Cards start from just 1p and a whopping £6,000,000 is given away each month. Foxy Bingo players can enjoy a range of instant win games with progressive jackpots up to £50,000.
About bwin.party:
bwin.party digital entertainment plc is the world’s largest listed online gaming company. The Company was formed from the merger of bwin Interactive Entertainment AG and PartyGaming Plc on 31 March 2011. Incorporated and licensed and regulated in Gibraltar, the Group has over 3,100 employees in offices in Europe, India, Israel and the US and generated total pro forma revenues of €724.1m and pro forma Clean EBITDA of €193.7m in 2009. bwin.party is also licensed in Alderney, France and Italy and commands leading market positions in each of our four key product verticals: online sports betting, poker, casino and bingo with some of the world’s biggest online gaming brands including bwin, PartyPoker, PartyCasino and Foxy Bingo. At the heart of our business, our proprietary software, online gaming platforms and a strong portfolio of games collectively differentiate our customer offer compared with our competitors.

NEWS FROM OCADO

2011-11-10T09:52:00.000Z

Grocery pioneer Ocado is continuing its mission to deliver ‘on the go’ shopping to the masses by launching the UK’s first ever transactional supermarket app on BlackBerry.

A staggering 18.6 per cent of all Ocado checkouts are now attributable to mobile devices , little more than two years on from the arrival of an Ocado On The Go shopping app to Apple’s iPhone. Ocado, the first supermarket in the world to sell over iPhone, has since expanded its popular m-commerce platform to Android handsets and the iPad; and now extends it even further to BlackBerry and Windows Phone 7 handsets.

BlackBerry is a logical progression for the online grocer, given its reputation as the businessperson’s mobile of choice. Recent Ocado analysis of food shopping habits has found that orders made using the Ocado On The Go app are highest during peak travel times , in turn suggesting that mobile shoppers regularly use the daily commute to place their weekly shop. According to October 2011 data from Canalys, BlackBerry was the number one selling Smartphone in the UK .

Launched this week, the Ocado On The Go app for BlackBerry is both touch-screen and roller-ball enabled, and offers a specially-designed interface compatible with over 30 different models and handsets. Upgrades, including barcode scanning and delivery slot syncing with phone calendars, will be implemented in the coming weeks.

Ocado’s move onto BlackBerry coincides with a progression onto Windows Phone 7 handsets, a platform given added momentum by Nokia’s deal with Microsoft to use its operating system in place of Symbian. Both apps will provide customers with great value – across Ocado’s entire 21,000-product catalogue - and basket-filling flexibility around the clock, whether price matching on thousands of Tesco products on the commute to work or finalising Christmas plans at the school gates.

Interestingly, further sales data has revealed that Ocado On The Go customers have a different palate to those who place their orders via Ocado.com. While webshop users stock up on indulgent treats such as home baking products, wine and butter , , those using the app tend to prefer healthier ingredients with fresh fruit, veg, fruit juice and salads top buys .

Jason Gissing, co-founder of Ocado, comments: “Ocado is proud to be a major innovator when it comes to mobile commerce.

“Ocado On The Go is the first BlackBerry app in the UK to support supermarket shopping and the app’s arrival on to Windows Phone 7 will widen our reach even further, which is hugely exciting.

“Busy workers and casual mobile users alike can now find everything they need to ensure their households run smoothly; over 21,000 great value and quality products in their pocket.”

Available to customers today, find Ocado On The Go for BlackBerry by visiting the BlackBerry App World through your handset; the Ocado On The Go app for Windows Phone 7 is available from the Windows Phone Marketplace.

NEWS FROM OCADO

2011-11-07T14:46:00.003Z

Window Shopping...
Online supermarket Ocado hits the high street with pioneering new ‘shop’

November 04, 2011 OCADO, the award-winning online supermarket, has moved from computer screens to shop windows by taking residence on the high street this month with an innovative experiment in virtual shopping at Bristol’s Cabot Circus. It follows the arrival of Ocado’s great value, great quality delivery service to Bristol (and parts of South Wales and the South West) in March.

Live between November 4 and 10, Ocado’s integrated window display will let Bristolians purchase all their grocery essentials, and a few indulgent treats, on their mobile phones; all to be delivered direct to their kitchen table.

Ocado’s virtual shopping wall will offer household essentials ranging from tea bags and toilet rolls to pasta and potatoes – branded goods and quality Waitrose products alongside those from its fast-growing Ocado range; not to mention tasty treats from Ocado’s newly-stocked Reflets de France and Daylesford Organic ranges.

The Ocado virtual store at Unit 16 of Cabot Circus, between Ernest Jones and Wallis on Concorde Street, will be accessible 24 hours a day with customers able to shop in a few easy steps:

1. If you don’t have it already, download the Ocado On The Go app from the App Store or Android Market
2. Open the app and press the barcode symbol in the top right of your screen
3. Hold the camera screen over the barcode of a product until it recognises it
4. When the product appears on your screen, press ‘add’ to put it in your basket
5. Keep on shopping and then check out!

The online supermarket first hit the high street this August at the One New Change shopping centre in central London. It was the first time that Ocado, a strictly online business, had migrated from the internet to bricks and mortar. However, being a leader in online grocery retail - introducing the world’s first supermarket shopping mobile application on iPhone in 2009 and now, this month, launching onto Blackberry and Windows Phone 7 handsets - the company stuck to its digital technology roots with a distinctive spin on the future of high street shopping.

As of this October, mobile devices were used in a staggering 18.6 per cent of Ocado checkouts; an ever-increasing number of customers now regularly shop via the award-winning Ocado On The Go app.

Jason Gissing, Ocado co-founder, said: “Taking the virtual window shopping experience to Bristol is a natural move for Ocado, following a successful trial of this bold venture in London.

“Bristol is the perfect choice because, as of March, we started making our first deliveries here, and to people in the surrounding areas. The response since we arrived has been great. We hope that our loyal customers, and a few new faces, are just as excited to browse our innovative shop front, as we were to create it.”

Head down to Cabot Circus, Bristol from November 4 until the end of the week geared with your mobile phone to trial this unique window shopping experience.

-Ends-

For further information contact:

Estelle Boon, Frank PR Tel: 020 7693 6959 Email: estelleboon@frankpr.it
Francesca Hall, Frank PR Tel: 020 7693 6983 Email: francescahall@frankpr.it
Rochelle Collison, Frank PR Tel: 020 7693 7496 Email: rochellecollison@frankpr.it

Notes to Editors:

About Ocado:
Ocado (www.ocado.com) was established in 2000, started trading in 2002 and is now one of Britain’s leading online supermarkets. Ocado operates a centralised distribution model which means that it does not rely upon a network of stores from which to service customers – orders are fulfilled at a unique, high-automated Customer Fulfilment Centre in Hatfield, Hertfordshire, before being loaded onto delivery vans making local routes, or transported by HGV to vans stationed at a network of regional UK distribution spokes. Ocado delivers over 21,000 product lines including Waitrose goods and a growing Ocado own-label range. Last October it was named World E-tailer of the Year at the prestigious World Retail Awards and, earlier this year, won Consumer Initiative of the Year at the Grocer Gold Awards for its popular mobile commerce platform.

NEWS FROM SODASTREAM

2011-11-07T14:39:00.001Z

SodaStream Sparkles with New Naturals Range

New range of ‘better for you’ flavours for the whole family

Everyone knows the importance of natural goodness in your family’s diet but it doesn’t have to be boring, as SodaStream have proven with their brand new range of all-natural flavours.

The Sparkling Naturals range is available in three flavours; Lemon & Lime, Blackcurrant & Pear and Pink Grapefruit, with a sub-range of Sparkling Naturals for Kids also available in three flavours; Apple, Strawberry, and Orange & Peach. All six are free from artificial flavours and made from all-natural ingredients and bursting with flavour, enabling fizzy families to create their own delicious sparkling drinks at home with water straight from the tap.

Each of the Naturals flavours will be available in 750ml bottles priced at £3.99, which creates six litres of sparkling soft drink, offering a cost-effective and environmentally-friendly alternative to other carbonated soft drinks. Plus, kids will love being able to create their own fruity flavours, whilst having some fizzy kitchen fun!

This ‘better for you’ range has no artificial flavours, colours or sweeteners, simply using cane sugar and natural fruit juices to create the great taste. Parents can rest assured that this fruit fun is also providing sparkling goodness, as the Sparkling Naturals for Kids range gives 100% RDA of Vitamin C per serving.

SodaStream also helps to reduce bottle waste; its reusable carbonating bottle lasts up to three years and is estimated to save 2000 bottles. There are also fewer empty bottles or cans to discard or recycle and less energy wasted by transporting billions of litres of ready-to-drink soft drinks. This enables families to practice ‘precycling’ - reducing waste before recycling is necessary.

Each Sodastream drinksmaker also comes with a full CO2 gas cylinder and a one-off ‘user licence’ entitling you to use the cylinder throughout the life of your Sodastream. When the gas in the cylinder is used up, you just exchange the empty cylinder for a full one, paying only the cost of the gas refill.

So with this new range of great-tasting fruity flavours for your SodaStream, why not stock up on Naturals and start having some ‘good for you’ family fun in the kitchen!

-Ends-

Notes to Editors:

Whole Foods Market, the world’s largest retailer of natural and organic products will be exclusively stocking the Naturals Kids range in their Kensington store until the end of October. Both the adult and kids’ ranges will be rolling out to other key retailers towards the end of the year and are also available from SodaStream online.

SodaStream drinksmakers, and gas are available from John Lewis, Selfridges, Comet, Argos, Robert Dyas, Lakeland, Harvey Nichols, The Range, Maplin, Curry’s Megastores and selected Sainsbury, Asda and Homebase stores. SodaStream drinksmakers cost from £49.99 and 500 ml flavour concentrates from £3.29.

The 750 ml bottles of Naturals flavour syrups are available in Blackcurrant & Pear, Lemon & Lime, and Pink Grapefruit, priced at £3.99 each

The 750 ml bottles of Kids Naturals flavour syrups are available in Apple, Orange & Peach, and Strawberry, priced at £3.99 each

About SodaStream:

SodaStream manufactures home beverage carbonation systems, which enable consumers to easily transform ordinary tap water instantly into carbonated soft drinks and sparkling water. Soda makers offer a highly differentiated and innovative solution to consumers of bottled and canned carbonated soft drinks and sparkling water. Our products are environmentally friendly, cost effective, promote health and wellness, and are customizable and fun to use. In addition, our products offer convenience by eliminating the need to carry bottles home from the supermarket, to store bottles at home or to regularly dispose of empty bottles. Our products are available at more than 40,000 retail stores in 41 countries around the world.

Gas refills & cylinders:

SodaStream drinks makers work by dispensing CO2 from a gas cylinder in the back of the drinks maker, into fresh tap water to make your sparkling drinks. When you buy your SodaStream drinks maker, a full CO2 gas cylinder is included under licence, entitling you to use the cylinder with your SodaStream. When the gas in the cylinder is used up, you exchange the empty cylinder for a full one, paying only the cost of the gas refill. You can exchange your empty cylinder for a new one either in store or through our direct delivery system. For full details on the gas exchange process, see http://www.sodastream.co.uk/gbretail/Exchang-Programme.aspx

NEWS FROM NATIONALFIELD

2011-10-31T14:51:00.000Z

As the Obama re-election campaign swings back in to action this autumn, NationalField, the private social network for enterprise and organisations that helped the US President to the White House, is launching in the UK.

With clients including the NHS, Ocean Sky, Kaiser Permanente and the 2012 Obama re-election campaign, NationalField has had a stellar start. The company has grown rapidly and became profitable in its first year, with firms buying into the unique management tool designed to streamline internal communications, communicate vision and capture real-time data.

Founded by Oxford and Sorbonne educated Edward Saatchi and entrepreneurs Justin Lewis and Aharon Wasserman during the 2008 Obama for American campaign, NationalField is advised by some of the world’s leading luminaries across the social, enterprise social and pure enterprise sectors – bringing a breadth of relevant experience to the table. These include Chris Hughes - a founding member of Facebook, Sam Lawrence – former CMO of Jive and Jay Rossiter – SVP at Yahoo and VP at Oracle.

NationalField is a management tool for the 21st century, enabling managers to filter key business metrics to different parts of the company, oversee projects wherever they and their team are and understand what’s going on in their business at any given time. The patented technology allows businesses to combine the ‘Facebook generation’s’ enthusiasm for social with enterprise resource planning systems already in place – creating a unique structure for internal communications and management.

The system allows employees to swap information and intelligence in real time whether they are sitting next to each other or out in the field. It also helps to address some of the disconnect that can be experienced across different levels in a company.

“NationalField has resonance with today’s workforce as it looks and feels like social networks such as Facebook,” says Saatchi. “But it also gives managers a chance to see exactly what is happening in their organisation at any given time.

“Employees of all ages are now used to updating their status and getting instant feedback in their personal lives. We’re giving them an outlet to show what they are contributing to their company every day – not just once a year in their annual review,” says Saatchi.

It was on the 2008 Obama campaign trail that Saatchi, Lewis and Wasserman recognised a significant gap in the way communication was managed on the campaign. NationalField was born as a tool to improve communication among field staff and managers, revolutionising the way the campaign was managed.

NationalField’s success during the Obama campaign led its founders to take it to the next level and roll it out as a standalone company in the post-campaign period. Since 2009 the company has taken corporate and political America - and now the UK - by storm with a number of high profile clients across a cross section of industries.

As the company embarks on a new round of fundraising in Silicon Valley, it has also set up its European HQ at The Hub in Kings Cross near to London’s ‘Silicon Roundabout’. “We’ve chosen The Hub in order to tap into the entrepreneurial buzz in the area and help us fulfil our goal of becoming the market leader in the emerging ‘global social enterprise resource planning’ sector by 2020” says Saatchi.

NationalField’s executive team includes Edward Saatchi, CEO, Aharon Wasserman, chief product officer and Justin Lewis, chief technology officer. To grow the EMEA business, Saatchi is working with former Obama campaign colleague and organisational expert Alex Lofton, who is the firm’s head of business development in Europe.

NEWS FROM THE FOOD NETWORK

2011-10-21T16:06:00.003+01:00

World’s largest edible Taj Mahal sculpture unveiled by Food Network UK

A 3ft X 10ft X 5ft edible Taj Mahal sculpture was unveiled today, consisting of the nation’s favourite curry ingredients from pilau rice and poppadoms to Bombay potatoes.

The renowned and iconic white domes of the Taj Mahal were immortalised in Indian cuisine, outside one of the UK’s most famous landmarks, St. Paul’s Cathedral.

The spicy sculpture was commissioned by Food Network UK to celebrate the launch of its new series Reza, Spice Prince of India, starring celebrity chef Reza Mahammad, and consists of some of the most-loved ingredients used in Indian cooking:

- Pilau rice creates the structure of the Taj
- Poppadoms make up part of the garden leading up to the palace
- Green chillies were placed in the garden as trees
- Mango chutney was used as part of the garden
- Chipati bread forms main dome of the Taj

Nick Thorogood, Managing Director of Food Network EMEA says: “Our new show Reza, Spice Prince of India sees Reza exploring the magnificent palaces of Rajasthan, learning about the history and sampling local cuisine - so it’s only fitting that we created the most famous Indian palace out of food, giving people a unique taste of India here in the UK!”

Whilst the Taj Mahal took 22 years in total to complete and needed the help of more than 1,000 elephants and 20,000 North Indian labourers, this version, created by food artist Prudence Staite, took 5 days, 7 hours and 30 minutes to construct.

Reza Mahammad, TV chef and host of the show comments: “Whilst filming the show in Rajasthan, we visited the most extraordinary royal palaces, all which took years to complete, so it was incredible to watch this beautiful, edible Taj Mahal being constructed with such detail, and even better to taste it!”

Reza, Spice Prince of India premieres on Food Network UK on Monday, 24th October at 6.30pm. The show follows Reza Mahammad, as he embarks on an unforgettable journey around India’s residences to discover the fascinating traditions of Rajasthan food and royal feasting, with Reza offering his own contemporary take on traditional Indian dishes.

-Ends-
For further information please contact the Food Network UK team at Frank PR on foodnetwork@frankpr.it or call 0207 693 6977

NEWS FROM PREMIER INN

2011-10-04T12:08:00.001+01:00

IS THIS THE DREAM JOB?
Meet Premier Inn’s new Director of Bed Bouncing

Most people dream of spending their working day reclining on a comfortable bed, but for Natalie Thomas it’s a reality in her job as The Director of Bed Bouncing [DOBB] for Premier Inn, the UK’s biggest budget hotel chain.

In her role as DOBB, Natalie Thomas, aged 39 and ironically from ‘Bed’fordshire, is tasked with testing how comfortable each of the hotel chain’s 46,000 beds are every six months to ensure every guest gets a good night’s sleep guaranteed.

Natalie was appointed as DOBB due to her unique ability to feel even the smallest lump or bump in a mattress. With Natalie spending up to eight hours a day bouncing her botty on beds she has to take extra special care of her derriere, with regular moisturising and being careful not to wear any hard wearing materials, like denim.

So important is Natalie’s sensitive behind to being an expert at her job, that Premier Inn may well follow in the footsteps of J-Lo, who famously insured her bum for £18 million[i], with the budget hotel chain already in talks to insure Natalie’s bottom for up to £4m.

With almost two thirds of Brits* admitting that they have suffered a bad night’s sleep as a result of an uncomfortable mattress and 63% of Brits admitting to having suffered neck and back pain as a result of a bad mattress, Premier Inn made the decision to appoint a Director of Bed Bouncing to check the comfort levels of all their beds across their 602 hotels. And with 62% of the nation citing that they would like mattresses at hotels to be checked regularly to ensure maximum comfort, this was quite simply something the budget hotel chain could not ignore.

Natalie comments: “I absolutely love my job and really can’t imagine doing anything else now! I work with an excellent team of ‘bouncers’ and we work together to bounce on every part of the bed, before testing how comfortable it is to lie and sleep on. Whilst we have lots of fun bouncing on beds, we take our job very seriously as making sure every guest gets a good night’s sleep is of paramount importance to us all.”

Claire Haigh, spokesperson for Premier Inn said, “We’re thrilled with the work our Director of Bed Bouncing and her team are doing and we hope their hard work ensures our guests continue to have a good night’s rest on our comfortable beds.”

As DOBB for Premier Inn, Natalie travels 1000’s of miles a year across the UK visiting every one of the 602 hotels. Since being appointed at the beginning of the month, Natalie and her team of dedicated ‘bouncers’ have tested an average of 7200 beds and they plan to have tested all of them by the end of February 2012.

Premier Inn bosses are then planning to give Natalie’s bottom a rest and have provided her with a special support chair to use for a two week break before she will then hit the road to start the next round of mattress testing.

Premier Inn offers all guests the unique ’Good Night Guarantee’ – which means if you are not 100% satisfied with your stay you will get a full refund.

-Ends-
For more information, imagery or an interview with DOBB, please contact
Frank PR on 020 7693 6999 / premierinn@frankpr.it
Notes to editors:
*Research carried out by One Poll for Premier Inn, 2,000 respondents were surveyed in September 2011
Award-winning Premier Inn is the UK’s biggest hotel brand with over 600 budget hotels and more than 46,000 rooms across the UK and Ireland. Premier Inn bedrooms feature en-suite bathrooms, TV with Freeview, and WiFi internet access. All Premier Inns feature a bar and restaurant; situated inside the hotel or adjacent, offering a wide range of food choices.

Premier Inn has hotels in Dubai and India. On a domestic front, Premier Inn aims to be the largest provider of budget hotels in London (within the M25) by 2012.

Premier Inn is currently offering rooms for just £29 (restrictions apply). Visit www.premierinn.com for full terms and conditions.

Premier Inn supports WaterAid, the international charity whose mission is to overcome poverty by enabling the world's poorest people to gain access to safe water, sanitation and hygiene education.

[1] Jennifer Lopez insured her bottom for £18 million - one of the largest insurance premiums placed on a celebrity body part. http://tinyurl.com/6lx2fut

NEWS FROM THE FOOD NETWORK

2011-09-30T15:04:00.002+01:00

Airing weekdays (Double Bill), at 12.30pm & 6.30pm from Monday 26th September
Watch cheeky UK chef Andy Bates delve into the history of Britain’s most famous dishes and give them a modern ‘street food’ interpretation.

Andy Bates Street Feasts follows Andy as he travels the UK, stopping off at some of the nation’s most vibrant food destinations. In each location he zones in on popular local markets, food festivals, events or speciality food producers, cooking with some of the people he meets who share his passion for traditional British fare.

Classic treats such as Scotch Eggs, Chicken and Ham Christmas Pie, Baked Custard and Black Pudding, are all given a contemporary sparkle. Take pride in British food and tuck in, as Andy shows you how to rediscover these true classics.

Andy Bates
Andy Bates is known for his hearty, traditional British street food. Starting work in kitchens at 14 (before getting the chance at 17 to work in a Michelin-starred restaurant), Andy went on to study at a catering college in Canterbury. He then headed to France to hone his skills in French cuisine. Now, his company, Eat My Pies, produces classic Scotch eggs, pies and tarts which are sold on his stand at Whitecross street market.

NEWS FROM GROLSCH

2011-09-22T10:38:00.003+01:00

Harmony Korine, Jan Kwiecinski and Alexei Fedorchenko shoot new film
London September 22, 2011 – GROLSCH FILM WORKS today announces a trilogy of international directors brought together to shoot a unique, experimental feature film.

Each director will film a 30-minute short in their home nation - Harmony Korine in the US, Alexsei Fedorchenko in Russia and Jan Kwiecinski in Poland.

This is the first film to come from Grolsch Film Works, which launched in April 2011 as a studio to champion film talent worldwide and help bring creative, independent cinema to a wider audience. Grolsch Film Works is funded by the Dutch beer Grolsch and this feature film is created in collaboration with VICE Films.

Each film-maker will follow the same brief designed by project director Eddy Moretti, executive director of VICE, best known for his film Heavy Metal in Baghdad. Moretti will oversee the continuity of the three-part film.

Moretti said: “Grolsch is serious and sincere about supporting film art. They want to add something to the global film community, something far beyond sponsorship which is why we wanted to get involved.

“The mandate of the project is to create cinematic experiences with filmmakers that have truly unique approaches to character and story-telling. I created a weird and wonderful brief that tasks each director to create riveting characters that inhabit supra-normal worlds.

“At the heart of the brief is the notion of the ‘Fourth Dimension’. Each director was asked to explore what a ‘Fourth Dimension’ might be. What is it? Where is it? What does it look and sound like?

“What we got back from the filmmakers was in turns intense, hilarious, poignant and completely without precedent.”

Korine, whose credits include Kids, Gummo and Mister Lonely, is the first to shoot with Val Kilmer taking the lead role of a motivational speaker at the fictional ‘Lotus Community Centre’, set in Nashville.

Fedorchenko, who’s Silent Souls showed at the Toronto and Venice Film Festivals last year – scooping three jury prizes at the Lido - will start shooting in Eekaterinburg after he completes judging on the 2011 Venice Film Festival jury.

Kwiecinski is best known for his short-film Incident which won awards in festivals across Poland (e.g. New Horizons International Film Festival, Polish Film Festival) and attracted international attention when it screened around the world. Kwiecinski will shoot in Parysow, near Warsaw. This will be the first time he has directed on a full feature project.

Thomas Kamphuis, who heads up the Grolsch Film Works programme, said: “Grolsch Film Works supports all directors who are bold, standby their creative beliefs and bring to cinema audiences the opportunity to choose interesting films to sit back and enjoy.

“We want to work with film makers who create the sort of work that transports viewers somewhere new and original.

“The director’s involved in this project have had full creative licence to realise their vision of the brief. It’s an equal bold move from us to handover the controlling reigns of this project to their unique interpretations.
“We’re delighted to be working with three brilliant directors on our first feature film and are looking forward to showing the results of the debut project from Grolsch Film Works to the world.”

The currently untitled film is scheduled for release in the early part of 2012 and will be screened in each of the director’s countries and other territories globally.
Director Harmony Korine added: "I'm really excited to make a film with Grolsch Film Works. It's a great chance to experiment and make something amazing.

“The idea of these three films working together under one central idea is great. I think it's gonna turn out really nice. I'm very excited about it.”

His leading-man Val Kilmer, who will next be seen in Francis Ford Coppola’s Twixt, added: “I've never been more nervous during a comedy, and I've truly never been treated with more respect and pure love.”

Russian director Alexsei Fedorchenko, commented: “It has been a long time since I wanted to make a short-length film but the concept of the project seemed appealing because of how risque and cheeky, in a good way, it was.

“That was why I was excited to join this project. I wish luck to all film-directors on this project, its producers and the bold Grolsch company!”

Directing the Polish chapter of the film, Jan Kwiecinski, added: “Grolsch Film Works' first film brings together three directors from three totally different parts of the world and will give us access to the private lives of people and places we have never seen before.

“For me as a director there is nothing more exciting than that.”

For further information, images of the directors and pictures from the set of Harmony Korine and Val Kilmer’s film please contact grolsch@frankpr.it or call on 0207 6936999.

NEWS FROM ALTON TOWERS

2011-09-20T13:35:00.002+01:00

Alton Towers Resort have this week unveiled a select group of ‘Coaster Cuties’ as the official faces of ultimate rollercoaster TH13TEEN. Launched in June by Celebrity Big Brother and TOWIE star Amy Childs, the nationwide ‘Coaster Cuties’ search attracted nearly 1,000 entries from young women with a thirst for thrills and the chosen girls now feature in the unique thirteen month calendar, which is downloadable from www.altontowers.com

Having impressed the panel, the final 18 girls were invited to Britain’s Greatest Escape for the calendar photoshoot on board the world’s first freefall drop coaster. Having been put through their paces on the ultimate ride, the ‘Coaster Cuties’ feature in a variety of images for the official TH13TEEN calendar.

Katherine Duckworth, Head of Consumer Marketing at the Alton Towers Resort: “The ‘Coaster Cuties’ search generated an impressive array of entries from thrill seeking females across the country. TH13TEEN is certainly not for the fainthearted so it’s great to discover such an array of adrenaline junkies that are flying the flag for all female rollercoaster fans out there!”

The ultimate rollercoaster, THI3TEEN takes riders on a gruelling journey through The Dark Forest while being put through a series of twists and turns before plummeting into the unknown. If you dare, log onto www.altontowers.com for ticket and pricing information to experience the thrills of TH13TEEN for yourself!

NEWS FROM ALTON TOWERS

2011-09-20T13:15:00.002+01:00

The Alton Towers Resort has today launched ‘Extreme Apple Bobbing’ – a Halloween attraction with a difference that will see guests bob for apples in a shark tank. The unique attraction will be available at this year’s Scarefest event taking place from 15th – 31st October hosted at the Resort’s aquarium, Sharkbait Reef by SEALIFE, with resident sharks for company!

A first of its kind and available on request, guests visiting the Resort over Scarefest will have the opportunity to face their fears whilst plunging into the shark-infested waters for a selection of apples. A scary slant on the traditional Halloween favorite, the attraction is one of many interactive events taking place at Britain’s Greatest Escape this Halloween.

Guaranteed to be the most spooktacular yet, featuring favourites such as the Boiler House, Carnival of Screams and the infamous Terror of the Towers, guests will also be able to experience the theme park’s adrenaline pumping rides and family attractions until 9pm every night.

Katherine Duckworth, Head of Consumer Marketing at the Alton Towers Resort: “With Halloween preparations now well underway, we wanted to offer thrill-seeking families something bigger and better this year – so what better than old favourite apple bobbing, with a twist! For those too spooked to take to the shark-infested waters, we’ve also got a range of haunting horrors that cater for all ages this October.”

For more information about the Alton Towers Resort’s annual Scarefest or to book tickets and hotel packages, log onto www.altontowers.com.

NEWS FROM PINKBERRY

2011-09-14T16:47:00.003+01:00

Pinkberry debut their designer collection in celebration of London Fashion Week

It’s long been Hollywood’s most desirable fashion accessory, so in anticipation of London Fashion Week Pinkberry, the capital’s hottest new resident, introduces three delicious frozen yoghurts inspired by fashion greats.

Taking their place on the catwalk are three delectable new flavour combinations characterising some of the biggest names in the fashion industry:

The Anna: coconut with mango, strawberry and cap’n crunch – cool and crisp with a fantastic bite.
The Henry: watermelon with strawberry, pineapple and fruity pebbles – a real treat of a Pinkberry that doesn’t take itself too seriously.
The Karl: original with blueberries – classically sophisticated with a tart and tangy edge; loved and imitated by many.

California-born Pinkberry is the original and number one frozen yoghurt brand, made with only non-fat yogurt and natural, non-fat milk for a light, refreshing, clean taste that’s truly covetable. It’s the frozen yoghurt of choice for style icons across the US, with a solid celebrity following including David Beckham, Lady Gaga, The Saturdays and JLS.

The Pinkberry fashion menu is available exclusively at Selfridges’ London Foodhall from 16th to 20th September, so bag your spot on the front row and pay homage to the fiercest of fashionistas with a swirl of the original frozen yoghurt.

Join us on Facebook.com/pinkberryUK and Twitter.com/pinkberryUK for all the latest news.

NEWS FROM SODASTREAM

2011-09-09T15:14:00.001+01:00

SodaStream is getting fizz-ical this October in support of National Breast Cancer Awareness Month

SodaStream is joining the fight for women’s survival and helping to raise significant funds for Breakthrough Breast Cancer this October, with the launch of a gorgeous limited edition Pink Fizz drinksmaker.

The baby pink drinksmaker will add the perfect pop of colour to brighten up any kitchen and has been specially designed with all-over pink packaging inspired by this worthy cause.

By making this must-have girly kitchen product top of your wish list, you can do you bit to help win the battle against breast cancer. For every Pink Fizz sold, SodaStream worldwide will donate 5% of the purchase price to charity, helping to fund vital research, campaigning and education.

Practical yet pretty, the Pink Fizz machine, with its patented in-built Fizz Chip™ technology and digital display indicates when the gas cylinder needs to be re-filled and means no fizz fans will be left feeling flat! As well as being a delightful asset to any fashionista’s party, you and the girls can rest assured that you will be helping a truly inspiring cause.

Fiona Hope; Managing Director of SodaStream UK said, “As the most commonly diagnosed cancer, affecting almost 48,000 women each year, it’s a cause that SodaStream are proud to support and that’s why we’ve made a global commitment to raise funds in the fight against

breast cancer. In getting your hands on one of these unique, baby-pink drinks makers, you are helping SodaStream UK raise money for a wonderful cause.”

SodaStream also helps to reduce bottle waste; its reusable carbonating bottle is estimated to save 2000 bottles and cans in 3 years. With SodaStream there are fewer empty bottles or cans to discard or recycle and less energy wasted by transporting billions of litres of ready-to-drink soft drinks. SodaStream offers over 30 flavours to choose from in their extensive flavor range; the only hard part will be choosing which one to try first!

The limited edition Pink Fizz SodaStream will be available from October at Harvey Nichols, other good independent retailers and on the SodaStream UK website (www.sodastream.co.uk), priced at £119.99.

NEWS FROM FOSTER'S

2011-09-09T10:14:00.002+01:00

FOSTER’S AND THE FAST SHOW

Heineken UK is delighted to confirm that Foster’s, its leading lager brand, is commissioning a brand new series of The Fast Show which will take the series online for the first time.

The series that delivers quickfire sketches and a barrel of fast laughs will be available exclusively on www.fostersfunny.co.uk, the site that hosted the highly-acclaimed Mid Morning Matters with Alan Partridge and Vic & Bob’s Afternoon Delights.

Fast Show creators Paul Whitehouse and Charlie Higson say: "We are delighted to bring back the Fast Show not only for our old fans but also, we hope, for a whole generation of new ones. We'll be bringing back all our most popular characters from the show and we’ve managed to get the majority of the team back together, including Caroline Aherne. It’s also great to be sharing the Foster’s site with some of our comedy favourites like Vic n Bob and that other bloke who was in that thing with Rob Brydon."

Gayle Harrison, Marketing Manager - Foster’s at Heineken UK says: “The Fast Show is one of the best loved British shows and is famous for bringing innovative, fast-paced sketches to our screens with a speed and style that had never been seen before . We’re excited by our collaboration with the Fast Show team and we look forward to sharing more great new comedy via the fostersfunny website.”

-Ends-

September 2011

EDITORS’ NOTE:

Foster’s is the leading sponsor of comedy in the UK with a sponsorship portfolio that includes the Foster’s Edinburgh Comedy Awards, the 2011 British Comedy Awards and over 100 hours of Original Comedy programming on Channel 4. The Foster’s- commissioned internet series Mid Morning Matters with Alan Partridge attracted over 3 million hits and universal acclaim, cementing the brand’s position at the cutting-edge of British comedy.
Foster’s recently announced plans to sponsor Foster’s Comedy Live, a series of live stand-up shows in Highlight comedy club venues across the country and Foster’s Funny Live , a new programme of stand-up comedy in pubs and clubs that will run throughout the UK until October.

NEWS FROM SODASTREAM

2011-09-06T14:39:00.004+01:00

Research out today - 26th August - reveals over 10 million Brits are planning on celebrating the three-day weekend with parties, festivals and family get-togethers, predicted to result in over 40 million bin bags of rubbish.

Only a fifth of this will be recycled, and staggeringly half of the Britons surveyed in the study by Sodastream admit they do not feel guilty about it.

Furthermore 10% of this non-recycled rubbish will consist of plastic bottles with over a third of the nation admitting it hadn’t crossed their mind to try and reduce the number of plastic bottles they use, despite the impact it can have on the environment.

Brits top five bad habits this Bank Holiday are likely to include:
1. Throwing away food
2. Leaving lights on/wasting energy
3. Not recycling food packaging
4. Throwing away plastic bottles
5. Buying/using too many plastic bottles

The most wasteful cities in the UK when it comes to bottle waste are set to be Newcastle and Sheffield, with Brighton and Bristol the least wasteful.

The top five reasons cited for not recycling more in general were:
1. Local council do not provide enough facilities
2. It is easier to throw things in the bin
3. The bins the council provide are misleading
4. I am too busy to worry about it
5. I don’t know where to recycle

SodaStream research has revealed that Brits grossly underestimate the number of plastic bottles they use per week, with 60% believing they only use 1-4 plastic bottles, when the actual number is 15 each week.

SodaStream have commissioned the research to raise awareness of the practice of ‘pre-cycling’, reducing waste before there is any need for recycling. To illustrate the number of plastic bottles we waste in particular, SodaStream commissioned artist Bamber Hawes to create a ‘Bottle Family’ sculpture made up of 827 plastic bottles. This is the number of plastic carbonated bottles that an average family in the UK will use in a year; one SodaStream can help dramatically reduce all this bottle waste and more.

A spokesperson for SodaStream comments: “Looking at the Bank Holiday alone, it is staggering how much waste we will produce as a nation. With recycling so low on people’s agenda it makes the need for pre-cycling ever more pertinent so it is important to encourage people to reduce their everyday waste in the first place. SodaStream is the perfect alternative to other pre-packaged carbonated drinks.”

NEWS FROM PREMIER INN

2011-09-06T14:34:00.004+01:00

To celebrate the impending opening of the brand new Premier Inn hotel in London Stratford, today [1st September 2011] 50 gymnasts broke a World Record for the most people on one bed.

The flexible folk spent several hours limbering up in preparation to contort themselves to eventually create a 7ft high formation on top of a King Size Premier Inn bed.

The World Record attempt took place in the most talked-about location for next Summer overlooking the spectacular backdrop of the Olympic Stadium. The record marked both the opening of the new site for the UK’s biggest budget hotel chain, but also the first of many for Stratford, with plenty more sporting world records sure to be broken next year.

Patrick Dempsey, spokesperson for Premier Inn says, ‘"We are delighted to be opening our latest Premier Inn in such a fantastic location which has great views of the Olympic Park and is in the heart of Westfield shopping centre."

Jon Walters General Manager for Premier Inn London Stratford says, “I’m really looking forward to opening the doors to the new hotel and welcoming guests and what better way to mark the opening than breaking a World Record!”

Premier Inn London Stratford opens its doors to the public on the 13th September 2011, marking a £25m investment into the area. It is the closest hotel to the Stratford International station, making it only minutes from Central London and just over two hours to Paris on the Eurostar so it is set to be one of the best connected hotels in the country. The hotel is also just minutes away from Europe’s largest indoor shopping centre, Westfield - ideal for those planning a shopping break.

Rooms are now available to book at www.premierinn.com

NEWS FROM NPOWER FOOTBALL LEAGUE

2011-08-25T17:34:00.003+01:00

What’s Your Goal
Premieres Thursday 25th August at 19.30 Sky Sports 2 /2HD
Three part series to run weekly

TEENS REACH FOR THE STARS AS THEY WORK ALONGSIDE FOOTBALL INDUSTRY PROFESSIONALS IN THE NPOWER FOOTBALL LEAGUE

Earlier in the year, npower offered every budding Alex Ferguson, potential Howard Webb and future Jeff Stelling a chance to bring their dreams to life with the ‘What’s Your Goal?’ competition.

From the high-pressure role of a football manager to the split-second timing of a pitch-side photographer, this was an opportunity for children yearning for a job in sports media to get first-hand experience of the industry.

The prizes took youngsters to the QPR training ground, inside the Sky Sports studios and even within touching distance of the players in the npower Championship Play-Off final at Wembley Stadium.

Among the professionals offering their advice were Queens Park Rangers manager Neil Warnock and Sky Sports presenter Dave Jones.

In this three-part series, the children demonstrate the desire and passion needed to cut it in one of the nation’s biggest industries.

And for those youngsters aiming for a similar career, heed the advice of 12-year-old Oliver Marden who, having won the chance to experience being a sports presenter, said “You should try for everything and grasp every opportunity you can.”

npower is bringing back its What’s Your Goal initiative bigger and better than ever before for 2012. Any young people interested in getting involved should keep an eye out for updates on the website: www.npower.com/whatsyourgoal.

-ENDS-

For further information please contact the npower press office at Frank Lizzie Earl and Carmel Mulhall
0207 693 6999/ npower@frankpr.it

NEWS FROM THE ENGLAND & WALES CRICKET BOARD (ECB)

2011-08-25T17:30:00.002+01:00

GEMMA SWAPS HOLLY-OAK FOR CRICKET WILLOW

Gemma Merna pads up to captain the Lazy Bar Walkers (LBW) for this year’s Friends Life t20 Finals Day

Hollyoaks star Gemma Merna is set to bowl over Twenty20 cricket fans after being announced as the new captain of the LBW – Lazy Bar Walkers.

The new LBW initiative by the England & Wales Cricket Board (ECB) was launched by The Only Way is Essex star Sam Faiers at the start of the competition, but with Essex Eagles failing to progress to the finals, Lancashire girl Gemma stepped up to the plate. The Channel 4 actress will give a whole new meaning to the term ‘Leg Before Wicket’ as the sporty siren exchanges her handbag for a cricket bat.

Gemma’s latest starring role sees her captain The LBW team during Friends Life t20 Finals Day. Along with Gemma, the Lazy Bar Walkers will be helping cricket fans enjoy the finals even more on Saturday 27th August by being match-goers’ personal helper.

Friends Life t20 Finals Day takes place at Edgbaston and sees Lancashire Lightning take on Leicestershire Foxes in the first semi final followed by Somerset against Hampshire Royals. The winning sides will meet in the final scheduled to start at 18.45.

Following feedback from fans, the ECB launched the LBW service so that groups of match-goers wouldn’t miss any of the excitement of Friends Life t20 cricket which is a fast and adrenaline fuelled variety of the sport. Since its launch in June, the LBW service has proved hugely popular with fans, with thousands of booking requests received via the initiative’s website.

On the LBW initiative, Gemma said; “Being a Manchester girl, I’ve obviously got a real soft spot for Lancashire Lightning, but I won’t let my bias get in the way of making sure fans of all sides have a great day. Having been to a few t20 matches I understand the frustration of being stuck at the bar whilst all the action is happening at the crease.

“The LBW will take this pain away. We’re here so that cricket fans can enjoy the Friends Life t20 Finals Day even more than ever before and I like to think we can also provide a bit of friendly banter!”

The Friends Life t20 is the first cricket competition where the LBW service has been implemented in the UK and was selected due to the tournament’s lively nature which proves a great day out for groups of friends to watch matches together. Fans can expect a real carnival atmosphere at Edgbaston as the competition comes to an end and organisers are encouraging as many as possible to take advantage of the service so as not to miss out on some great moments.

A spokesperson for the ECB also commented: “The Friends Life t20 is an all out action competition. The speed of the game is so fast that if you blink, you will miss it.

“We are expecting a dramatic conclusion to this year’s t20 competition at Edgbaston on Saturday, so it is all the more important that the decisive moments are not missed queuing for food and drink. The LBW service has proved a massive hit at county grounds this summer, so we’re delighted to roll the team out for Finals Day and to have Gemma as our team captain.”

“Edgbaston is a fantastic cricket ground, with a vibrant atmosphere and has played host to some truly memorable moments in recent years. We’re hoping for more of the same on Saturday so urge cricket fans from all across the country to come down for what will be a great day out.”

The team of Lazy Bar Walkers are available to be booked for free from the LBW’s bespoke website www.lazybarwalkers.co.uk. To reserve an LBW for Friends Life t20 Finals Day, cricket fans can choose their own LBW, girl or boy, who will accompany them to the match.

For more information about the Lazy Bar Walkers Service, the ECB or Friends Life t20 please contact:

Greg Double on 020 7693 6999 or email ecb@frankpr.it

-ENDS-

Notes to editor:

• A t20 game involves two teams, each has a single innings batting for a maximum of 20 overs.
• A t20 game is completed in about three and half hours, with each innings lasting around 75 minutes.
• It was introduced to create a lively form of the game which would be attractive to spectators at the ground and viewers on television.
• The Friends Life t20 season runs from 1st June through to Finals Day in 2011 at Edgbaston on August 27.

NEWS FROM OCADO

2011-08-25T16:03:00.002+01:00

Window Shopping...
Online supermarket, Ocado, hits the high street with innovative new ‘shop’

OCADO will be moving from computer screens to shop windows, as the award-winning online supermarket takes residence at central London shopping centre, One New Change, to showcase the next generation in shopping.

In a UK first, live between August 25 and September 1, an integrated window display will allow shoppers to purchase all their grocery essentials and a few indulgent treats on their mobile phones, to be delivered direct to their door. From stamps to Shiraz; toilet roll to tuna; even delicious treats from the supermarket’s new Reflets de France and Daylesford Organic ranges, never has window shopping been so satisfying.

An experimental and innovative departure from its traditional business model, the Ocado virtual store at Unit 23, One New Change in the City of London will be accessible 24 hours a day with customers able to shop in a few easy steps:

1. If you don’t have it already, download the Ocado on the Go app from the App Store or Android Market
2. Open the app and press the barcode symbol in the top right of your screen
3. Hold the camera screen over the barcode of a product until it recognises it
4. When the product appears on your screen, press ‘add’ to put it in your basket
5. Keep on shopping and then check out!

A strictly online business, this is the first time Ocado has migrated from the internet to bricks and mortar. However, being pioneers in online grocery retail - introducing the world’s first transactional supermarket mobile application on iPhone in 2009 - the company was keen to stick to both its roots and strengths of digital technology with this unique spin on high street shopping. As of this May, mobile devices were used in a staggering 15% of Ocado checkouts; customers now regularly shop via the Ocado On The Go application.

Jason Gissing, Ocado co-founder, said: “The virtual shop window is a bold move for Ocado and something we are very excited about.

“We hope this trial is a hit, and based on its success, we’ll be looking at options around continuing this ‘virtual window shopping’ approach in other locations UK-wide.”

Head down to Unit 23, One New Change, from 26th August until the end of the month armed with your mobile phone for a truly unique shopping experience!

-Ends-
For further information contact:

Estelle Boon, Frank PR Tel: 020 7693 6959 Email: estelleboon@frankpr.it
Francesca Hall, Frank PR Tel: 020 7693 6983 Email: francescahall@frankpr.it
Rochelle Collison, Frank PR Tel: 020 7693 7496 Email: rochellecollison@frankpr.it

Notes to Editors:
About Ocado:
Ocado (http://www.ocado.com) was established in 2000, started trading in 2002 and is now one of Britain’s leading online supermarkets. Ocado operates a centralised distribution model which means that it does not rely upon a network of stores from which to service customers. Ocado delivers over 21,000 product lines including Waitrose goods and a growing Ocado own-label range. In June 2010, it scooped Online Retailer of the Year at The Grocer Gold Awards 2010 and Customer Technology of the Year at the BT Retail Week Technology Awards 2010. In October 2010 it was named World E-tailer of the Year at the prestigious World Retail Awards

NEWS FROM HOTELS.COM

2011-08-18T13:39:00.008+01:00

EU must be joking!

England has the least number of paid and public holidays across Europe

As our European neighbours begin their August escapes, research released today by Hotels.com reveals discrepancies in paid and public holiday entitlements across Europe. When looking at both statutory annual leave and public holiday allowances across the EU, it’s the English who come bottom of the table, with a minimum of only 28 days holiday when compared to residents of Sweden and Portugal, who benefit from 39 days in total.

Of the 12 nations surveyed, the hotel expert revealed the average leave and public holiday entitlement to be 34 days across Europe, meaning UK workers lose out on over a week away from the office and working at least six days more. With Ireland and the Netherlands following suit with just 29 days, it’s Denmark, parts of Germany, Portugal and Sweden doing the least work, with 38 and 39 days holiday respectively.

Despite having one of the lowest number of bank holidays on the calendar, the Danish appear to be well looked after, with 27 statutory days of annual leave ahead of Finland, France, Norway, Portugal and Sweden who all receive 25 days. Residents in the Netherlands, England, Ireland and Italy have just 20 days statutory paid annual leave, with additional entitlement at the discretion of employers.

A plethora of annual bank holidays also exist across Europe, with Portugal, Sweden, Spain and some parts of Germany topping the list with 14 days each, with holidays such as ‘Freedom Day’ (Dia da Liberdade) on April 25th in Portugal and ‘Midsummer's Day’ on June 25th in Sweden. In contrast, England has the least number of public holidays, only eight, with our patron saint’s day, St George’s Day on 23rd April not recognised with a public holiday, unlike Ireland’s St. Patrick’s Day, whose celebrations on 17th March are famous worldwide.

Alison Couper, from Hotels.com, said: “August is often the month when English holidaymakers typically head to continental European destinations such as France and Italy, just as residents of these countries escape themselves! The results of our research are sure to leave many thinking they’ve drawn the European short straw and wondering what they might do with the extra 11 days holiday a year if they lived and worked in Sweden or Portugal!”

Total European holiday entitlement (Click to enlarge)

For more information, please call:
Tom Antoniw or Freyja Phillips at Frank PR on 020 7693 6999 or email hotels.com@frankpr.it
Or
Kate Hopcraft, khopcraft@hotels.com, 020 7019 2165

About Hotels.com
As part of the Expedia group which operates in all major markets, Hotels.com offers almost 140,000 quality hotels, B&Bs and serviced apartments worldwide. If a customer can find the same deal for less on a prepaid hotel, Hotels.com will match it. Hotels.com benefits from one of the largest hotel contracting teams in the industry negotiating the best rates for its customers, plus there are 2m reviews from users who have actually stayed in the hotels to ensure customers make an informed choice when booking. Hotels.com has recently launched its Welcome Rewards customer loyalty programme in the UK, where customers can earn a free night for every ten nights stayed (subject to Welcome Rewards terms and conditions as set out at www.hotels.com). Hotels.com won the Gold Award for best hotel booking site in Webuser magazine in February 2009. Travellers can book online or by contacting one of the multilingual call centres on 0871 200 0171.

NEWS FROM HOTELS.COM

2011-08-18T13:33:00.001+01:00

The Inbetweeners Effect

Tourism surge as Brits follow The Inbetweeners to Malia

With The Inbetweeners Movie hitting the big screen this week, latest figures by Hotels.com reveal an increase in searches to Malia, Crete, where the nation’s favorite inbetweeners – Simon, Jay, Neil and Will take a trip in pursuit of the ultimate lad’s holiday. It appears the Greek destination is becoming a hit for fellow party-goers, with searches by holidaymakers up 243% this July when compared with the same time last year.

As Brits look to emulate the epic trip of the comedy foursome living up to their reputation as the ‘socially awkward’ teens, other findings from the hotel expert reveals that despite the tightening of purse strings, Brits are looking to head overseas this summer in hope of some guaranteed sunshine. Spanish destinations Cala Millor, Mallorca and Tenerife’s San Miguel de Abona, experienced an increase in searches of 360% and 321% respectively in July, whilst Greek destination Ayios Nikolaos also saw searches rise 346%.

Crawley, West Sussex also made it into the top ten of fastest rising searched destinations in July (up 432% year on year), as jet-setters choose to stay close to Gatwick airport ahead of an early morning check-in or late landing back into the UK.

Whilst Brits are looking to head abroad for their summer holidays, the Italians and Spanish are destined to stay closest to home. With nine out of the top ten fastest rising searched destinations for Italians residing within their own borders, seven out of the top ten fastest rising destinations searched for by the Spanish are also on the mainland, up 422% and 433% respectively when compared to the same time last year.

Kate Hopcraft from Hotels.com, said; ‘With thousands of Brits looking for a fun and lively get away this summer, it’s no surprise people are following in the footsteps of The Inbetweeners to the party town of Malia. With Neil’s extravagant dance moves and Simon on a mission to get over his break-up with Carly, there is definitely something everyone can relate to in this latest box office hit! ’

-Ends-

For more information, please call:
Freyja Phillips at Frank PR on 020 7693 6999 or email hotels.com@frankpr.it
Or Kate Hopcraft, khopcraft@hotels.com, 020 7019 2165

About Hotels.com
As part of the Expedia group which operates in all major markets, Hotels.com offers almost 140,000 quality hotels, B&Bs and serviced apartments worldwide. If a customer can find the same deal for less on a prepaid hotel, Hotels.com will match it. Hotels.com benefits from one of the largest hotel contracting teams in the industry negotiating the best rates for its customers, plus there are 2m reviews from users who have actually stayed in the hotels to ensure customers make an informed choice when booking. Hotels.com has recently launched its Welcome Rewards customer loyalty programme in the UK, where customers can earn a free night for every ten nights stayed (subject to Welcome Rewards terms and conditions as set out at www.hotels.com). Hotels.com won the Gold Award for best hotel booking site in Webuser magazine in February 2009. Travellers can book online or by contacting one of the multilingual call centres on 0871 200 0171.

NEWS FROM ALTON TOWERS

2011-08-18T13:27:00.004+01:00

Lights out for the bedtime story?

Research reveals 57% of children are never read to by an adult at home, despite 44% loving cosying up with their parents to a good book!

Snuggling down to a bedtime story and escaping into a world of fantasy is what childhood memories are made of, however research commissioned by the Alton Towers Resort Hotels reveals that over half of the nation's children (57%) are never read to by an adult during the average week at home. According to the findings by Britain's Greatest Escape, the widely cherished childhood routine of the bedtime story is in danger of being lost altogether, despite 44% of children admitting to loving their parents reading to them.

The study, involving over 500 six to eleven year old British children also reveals that a mere 8% are read to on a daily basis, with the majority of children (16%) only being read to once a week. Triggered by many parents being forced to juggle their professional and family life, the average reading time for children with a parent has fallen to less than a minute, with 29% experiencing as little as half a minute of reading. Less than one in ten children (9%) are able to enjoy half an hour of reading time with their parents, with the majority (12%) only getting to relish a precious ten minutes.

Whilst traditional forms of childhood entertainment are having to contend with the incessant lure of flashy gizmos, gadgets and computer games, it appears that our children's love of literature is not lost, with a surprisingly low 18% of the younger generation admitting to preferring playing computer games or watching TV over reading. In fact, nearly one third (30%) of children regard reading as the best one-on-one time they get with their parents, with the same number wishing their parents were able to spend more time reading to them.

The small and silver screen have undoubtedly had their influence on children's literary awareness, with books adapted for TV and film soaring past their classic counterparts in being the most recognised. Less than half the respondents had heard of children's classic, Robinson Crusoe (45%) whereas 98% and 95% were familiar with Horrid Henry and Harry Potter respectively. In terms of fictional characters, cartoon and computer animated Spongebob Squarepants (96%) and Shrek (96%) were the most recognised, ahead of Treasure Island's Long John Silver (55%) and the Railway Children's Roberta Phyllis with a mere 11%.

David Steel, Hotels Director at the Alton Towers Resort commented: "It's particularly striking to discover the amount of children who love being read to versus those who actually experience reading time with their parents. Given that nearly a third of children feel reading is the best one-on-one time they get with their parents, the Alton Towers Resort Hotels are encouraging parents to 'take a leaf out of their children's books' by offering a unique bedtime reading service on request* to help trigger the bonding benefits of reading at bedtime.”

Overnight packages at the Resort start from just £29.75 per person* per night and include a scrumptious breakfast and fantastical entertainment. The Alton Towers Resort’s bedtime reading service is available on request at the time of booking.** For the Theme Park, family prices start from £104.00 plus VAT for a two day family of four ticket when booked in advance at www.altontowers.com.

-Ends-

For more information please contact Freyja Phillips or Harriet Ray at Frank PR on 0207 693 6999 or e-mail altontowers@frankpr..it

*Based on four people sharing. Subject to availability
**Subject to availability

MERLIN ENTERTAINMENTS is the leading name in location-based, family entertainment, and has seen the most successful and dynamic growth of any company in the sector over the last five years. Europe’s Number 1 and the world’s second-largest visitor attraction operator, Merlin now operates over 74 attractions, six hotels/two holiday villages in 17 countries and across four continents. The company aims to deliver memorable and rewarding experiences to its 43.6 million visitors worldwide, through its iconic global and local brands, and the commitment and passion of its managers and more than 15,000 employees. Merlin Entertainments operates the following attractions - SEA LIFE, Madame Tussauds, LEGOLAND, The EDF Energy London Eye, Dungeons, Gardaland, LEGOLAND Discovery Centres, Alton Towers Resort, Warwick Castle, Thorpe Park, Chessington World of Adventures Resort, Heide Park, Earth Explorer, Sydney Aquarium, Sydney Wildlife World, Sydney Tower Observatory and Skywalk, Kelly Tarlton’s Antarctic Encounter Underwater World, Oceanworld Manly and Hamilton Island Koala Gallery. All brands which are distinctive, challenging and innovative – and which have great potential for growth in the future. Visit www.merlinentertainments.biz for more information.

NEWS FROM BANROCK STATION

2011-08-18T11:46:00.004+01:00

Banrock Station creates the world’s first living billboard made entirely of British flowers in support of Natural England

Shoppers in London were treated to quite a sight today, as a billboard made entirely of living flowers was revealed outside the Westfield Shopping Centre.

The interactive board has been created by environmentally- focused wine brand Banrock Station to mark the launch of their new special edition wines, proceeds of which will help Banrock Station work with Natural England to preserve 2,100 acres of British wildflower meadows. The billboard, made up of over 800 native British plants and from 14 different species took over two months to grow and more than 12 hours to install.

Depicting a bottle of wine pouring out a fountain of flora; the sun, butterflies and bees have all been intricately detailed using a variety of beautiful blooms. An interactive pump features as part of the installation, allowing passers-by to adopt the brand’s ethos of ‘giving nature a helping hand’ by watering the flowers to help them grow.

The hope is that the board will highlight the crucial role wildflowers play in the eco system, providing the nectar and pollen needed by vital wildlife to prosper and in turn pollinate up to one third of the food we eat.

The brand specifically supports causes that give something back to the earth and has backed almost 100 environmental projects since 1994. Through these special edition wines, Banrock Station is giving £30,000 to Natural England who will use the funds on their National Nature Reserves to help protect and enhance wildflower meadows across Britain.

Simon Huguet, Principal Adviser for National Nature Reserves at Natural England said; “We are delighted to work with Banrock Station and thrilled at their support for wildflower meadows on our National Nature Reserves. Home to many rare plants, traditional meadows provide vital habitat for birds, bees and small animals and are wonderful places to visit. In recent years they have become a rare sight across our countryside and it is great to see these special places getting a helping hand.”
Kate Thorn, Environment Manager at Banrock Station added, “We are always keen to support projects that share our philosophy of enhancing the natural environment and giving something back to nature. ‘Good Earth, Fine Wine’ is key to our philosophy so taking care of the environment is crucial to making our great wine. We understand how small changes to our land can have a big impact upon our environment and there seemed no better way to showcase the plight of the humble wildflower than by displaying these beautiful plants directly as part of our glorious living billboard.”

The billboard shall remain on display for two weeks and, once removed, all the wildflowers will be replanted in local communities to ensure they continue to grow and flourish long after the activity is completed. The billboard structure is made of 80% recycled material and will also be reused for future projects, while the printed elements are all fully bio-degradable.

For more information about Banrock Station wines please visit:
www.facebook.com/banrockstationwine or www.banrockstation.co.uk
Banrock Station Special Edition wines are available at Morrisons for RRP £6.49

-ENDS-
Notes to Editors:
About Banrock Station:
• Banrock Station is no stranger to eco-friendly deeds; since 1994 the wine brand has donated more than £2.5 million to 98 environmental projects in 13 countries. The winery uses the conservation expertise acquired from restoring the natural land of its own Australian vineyards to select which projects to support.

• 90% of UK sales of Banrock Station are from wines bottled in the UK. Analysis shows that shipping wine in bulk to bottle in the UK reduces CO2 emissions by 164g per 75cl bottle or 38% when compared against bottling at source. (Wrap: The life cycle emissions of wine imported to the UK. Mar 07)
• The Banrock Station core range uses a lighter weight glass. The impact of light weighting from the transportation stages when importing bottled wine from Australia is up to a 20% reduction on CO2. (Wrap: The life cycle emissions of wine imported to the UK. Mar 07)
• The Wine and Wetland Centre at Banrock Station uses as little energy as possible. The building is designed to catch cool breezes from the lagoon and the roof has double the usual amount of insulation to retain heat in winter, and to maintain a cool temperature during hot summers.
• For more information about Banrock Station Wines please visit www.facebook.com/banrockstationwine or www.banrockstation.co.uk
About the Banrock Station Living Billboard:
• The billboard is made of 80% post-industrial recycled material
• All plants and soil will be up-cycled to new locations once the installation is removed
• The printed elements use Bio Print products - this unique product is fully bio-degradable; the materials attract microbes from the earth allowing them to break down completely in 9 months in compost and five years in landfill.
• All elements of the water pump will be broken down and re-used in future projects

Tasting notes and serving suggestions:

Banrock Station Chardonnay

The fine wines of Banrock Station are loving crafted to deliver pure fruit expression and enjoyment.
Enjoy flavours of citrus peach and vanilla. A soft delicate Chardonnay with a light oak influence adding a touch of complexity. Enjoy served with fresh fish or chicken salad.

Banrock Station Cabernet Merlot

The fine wines of Banrock Station are loving crafted to deliver pure fruit expression and enjoyment.
A lively fruity red with flavours of ripe plum and blackcurrant. Oak influence adds a touch of delicate swe etness and complexity. Enjoy served with rich creamy pasta or blue cheese.

About Natural England:

Natural England is the government’s independent adviser on the natural environment. Established in 2006 our work is focused on enhancing England’s wildlife and landscapes and maximising the benefits they bring to the public.
• Natural England establish and care for England’s main wildlife and geological sites, ensuring that over 4,000 National Nature Reserves and Sites of Special Scientific Interest are looked after and improved.
• Natural England work to ensure that England’s landscapes are effectively protected, designating England’s National Parks and Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty and advising widely on their conservation.
• Natural England run Environmental Stewardship and other green farming schemes that deliver over £400 million a year to farmers and landowners, enabling them to enhance the natural environment across two thirds of England’s farmland.
• Natural England fund, manage, and provide scientific expertise for hundreds of conservation projects each year, improving the prospects for thousands of England’s species and habitats.
• Natural England promote access to the wider countryside, helping establish National Trails and coastal trails and ensuring that the public can enjoy and benefit from them www.naturalengland.org.uk
National Nature Reserves (NNRs) are some of the very finest sites in England for wildlife and geology, and provide great opportunities for people to experience nature. They protect the special wildlife habitats, species and geological features that occur there. These features are of national and often international importance, and many NNRs are important for study and research. Many are fully open throughout the year and free to visit. There are 224 throughout England.
Natural England manages a total of about 750ha of lowland and upland hay meadows across 25 sites. The funds will help to pay for vital survey work, restoration, public events and equipment

NEWS FROM NPOWER

2011-08-15T15:28:00.001+01:00

BREAK A LEG ROBBO!

Robbie Savage to set World Record for most football league shirts worn at once

IT’S UNLIKELY that Robbie Savage will ever wear a football shirt again professionally but the 36-year-old legend will still need some pre-season training as he attempts to set the World Record for the most football league shirts worn at once.

Savage brought his playing career to an end last season but to celebrate the start of 2011/12 season, the Welshman has teamed up with npower’s Club 72 initiative to wear a football shirt from every single football league club, and in doing so setting the record for most amount of football league shirts worn at one time.

In a league career spanning seventeen years, there’s not many team strips that Savage hasn’t encoutered before but with newly promoted AFC Wimbledon and Crawley Town both joining the league for the first time, there will be at least two shirts he won’t have seen before.

As well as donning the colours once again of some of his previous clubs such as Derby County and Leicester City, Savage will also model some real blasts from the past with Football League Shirts some fans would be pleased to forget!

On the record attempt, Savage said; ‘It seems quite an easy challenge at first glance but having seen photos of similar attempts I’m actually a little worried now!

Throughout my playing career I was fortunate enough to weigh exactly the same in my final season at Derby as when I first started out with Crewe Alexandra - I certainly don't think there is any room to be carrying any extra pounds for this challenge.

The t-shirts’ collective weight will obviously put my shoulders and back under a lot of pressure and heat stroke is also something else to consider.

‘Naturally I’m hugely proud of my playing career and this is a great way to end it. If I break the record, I expect that makes me the only player in the world to wear every single npower Football League team strip.’

The record attempt is to celebrate the launch of npower’s Club 72 initiative which will be an interactive platform for football supporters to chart their own performance throughout the season.

Launching on the 6th August to coincide with the start of the 2011/12 season, Club 72 will offer fans the chance to document their own performance in terms of attending football league games at www.npowerclub72.com. The site will allow fans to record the Football League stadiums they’ve been to and show how far they’ll go to follow the beautiful game. For every stadium visited, you’ll be awarded a virtual badge as well as bonus points for being a “lucky charm” (seeing three victories in a row) and reaching certain milestones such as “all Championship grounds visited”.

-ENDS-

For further information please contact the npower press office at Frank
Ourhai Turkhan and Greg Double
0207 693 6999/ npowerfootball@frankpr.it
www.npower.com

Notes to Editors
About npower
• npower is one of the UK's largest electricity suppliers and has 6.6 million customer accounts across the UK.
• npower sponsors The Football League
• npower has been awarded platinum status in Business in the Community’s CR Index and is one of twenty-nine companies to have achieved the CommunityMark since its launch. All CommunityMark achievers have been recognised for demonstrating excellence in their holistic and strategic approach to community investment.

NEWS FROM CLEARVISION

2011-08-10T12:25:00.001+01:00

When I Grow Up I Want To Be A …….Teacher

New research highlights the role of the teacher and how it has become the job of choice for the next generation of adults

In a society of high paid bankers and even higher paid sportsmen, the teaching profession was today outlined as the most sort-after job for the next generation of adults.

To mark the launch of the new film ‘That’s What I Am’ new research results, which questioned 1,073 pupils aged 6-15 years from across the UK, found a third of respondents (31%) selected being a teacher as the profession of choice. In comparison to just 4% of pupils who wanted to be reality TV stars and 8% who wanted to be a doctor or nurse. Bankers were the least favoured roles with only 2%.

The reasons for the career choice were down to a teacher’s ability to nurture imagination, confidence and good behaviour, alongside their trustworthiness. The research also found that half (50%) of the pupils surveyed trusted their teacher more than their friends, grandparents and even parents, with 44% regularly confiding in their teacher, ahead of their parents on topics such as, bullying, making friends and relationships

Whilst one in five (21%) did believe their parent’s role was to give them the best start in life, instilling good behaviour, this figure is dwarfed by the 51% of pupils who felt the teacher was better placed to help them achieve this. The leading role however, that pupils did attribute to their parents, are:
• The Bank– 1 in 3 (34%) children believed the role of the parent was to give them pocket money
• The Encyclopaedia- 1 in 4 (25%) children felt their parents were there to help them do their homework
• The Taxi Service – 1 in 3 (32%) children see their parents as a way of helping them to socialise with their friends

Kelly Steeples, voted best teacher in 2010 by The Pearson’s Teaching Award says, “The role of the teacher is exceptionally important for the future of our children, and since the profession began we have striven to not only be good tutors, but good role models too. It’s great that so many young children now see working as a teacher as aspirational as being a footballer or doctor.”

The research was carried out to mark the release of WWE Studios film ‘That’s What I Am’ starring Ed Harris, a wise and nurturing teacher helping two students define the meaning of friendship and encouraging the right moral choices, all set in a 1960s backdrop of social change.

‘That’s What I Am’ released on DVD and Blu-Ray from 11th July, and will be available at all good retailers and online at www.silvervision.co.uk. A percentage of the proceeds from the sale of each DVD will also go to Beatbullying, the UK’s leading anti-bullying charity.

Notes to Editor

Survey sample – 1073 pupils aged 6-15 years old
Survey date – 13th – 20th June

The best jobs (in order of preference)
1. Teacher – 31%
2. Nurse/doctor – 23%
3. Sportsman/woman – 20%
4. Postman – 12%
5. Other – 5%
6. Reality TV star – 4%
7. Lorry driver – 3%
8. Banker – 2%

Clear Vision Ltd (Corporate)
Clear Vision Ltd is one of the UK’s leading home entertainment publishing companies with an extensive international distribution network covering Europe, the Middle East and South Africa. Operating for over 20 years, Clear Vision is the exclusive DVD licensee for World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), National Basketball Association (NBA), Gaiam, Marvel’s classic animated TV series and a number of other titles. Via its labels Clear Vision, Silver Vision and FightDVD, the company sells both direct to consumers and through a variety of retail outlets. For further information on Clear Vision visit www.clearvision.co.uk. Clear Vision Ltd, Reg. No. 282 2227, The Lighthouse, 1 Aden Road, Enfield, EN3 7SE.

The Pearson Teaching Awards
The Pearson Teaching Awards is an independent charity founded in 1997 by Lord David Puttnam CBE. The organisation works in education to support young people in achieving their potential through 3 main projects:

The “Thank-a-Teacher” campaign; giving young people a voice by enabling them publicly to thank a teacher who has made a significant difference in their lives. The campaign recognises teachers who are having a great impact on the life chances of young people in the UK

The Pearson Teaching Awards: this prestigious award programme identifies and celebrates exceptional teachers who are achieving outstanding results, often in the most challenging circumstances. The UK final is filmed and broadcast by the BBC

Sharing Expertise; those who win Teaching Awards are leaders in their profession. On winning, they join the alumni of distinguished Teaching Award fellows who share their successful strategies across the profession through the Teaching Awards winners’ network. The Teaching Awards Network Database and On-Line Community is a significant development in our programme of Sharing Expertise. For further information go to www.teachingwards.com email info@teachingawards.com or telephone 0203 1171 908

NEWS FROM FASHION UNION

2011-08-09T11:28:00.005+01:00

NEWS FROM GROWING UP MILK INFO

2011-08-09T10:46:00.001+01:00

FIRST ‘CENSUS’ OF ONE-TO-THREES REVEALS THE SECRET LIFE OF BRITISH TODDLERS

Our “Little One-ders” Are Getting What They Want But Not Always What They Need

British toddlers spend longer staring at a screen each day than they do eating their meals and more time in a car than at a children’s playground, according to a first of its kind ‘Census’ giving a snapshot into the lives of our one to three years olds, released today (9 August 2011).

The ‘Census’ was commissioned by growingupmilkinfo.com, a website for parents seeking information about toddler nutrition and the role of Growing Up Milk within a healthy, balanced diet.

Busy Social & Cultural Lives
Results reveal our pre-schoolers are a busy lot, with their social development a top priority for parents. The average toddler has a circle of friends to rival their mum’s, spends three hours a day at nursery and 30 minutes visiting family. On top of that, they devote 23 minutes a day to using a computer or iPad, 40 minutes a day to watching TV, 26 minutes on messy play and 25 minutes listening to stories.

Toddlers are also quids-in when it comes to lifestyle, with the average toddler having nearly a four-figure sum spent annually on their activities/classes, almost £180 on toys and boasting a wardrobe of designer clothes. However, even though, “pound for pound”, they need more energy and nutrients than their parents, the survey results suggest that toddlers’ diets aren’t getting the same attention as other aspects of their lives – despite nutrition’s important role in helping growth and development. The ‘Census’ gives some fresh perspective on “the state of the toddler nation’s plates”, with eight out of ten parents questioned unaware that toddlers have different nutritional needs to the rest of the family.

Toddlers’ diets are ‘more burgers than broccoli’
Fast and convenience foods play a significant role in the diet. Typically, today’s toddler is more likely to have eaten a burger than broccoli. 60 per cent have been to a fast food restaurant, according to the new figures and the vast majority of toddlers questioned had tried chips (86%), pizza (80%) and chicken nuggets (68%). This echoes previous data from the Infant and Toddler Forum, which revealed 29 per cent of toddlers eat a takeaway once a week and that 81% of toddlers are regularly given ready-made adults foods likely to be high in fat, sugar and salt.

Report co-author Amanda Ursell comments, “This age group is poorly defined, with conflicting data and little attention is paid to toddlers’ unique nutritional needs. One to three year olds go through a period of such extraordinary growth and development that we should be thinking of them not just as toddlers but as ‘Little One-ders’.”

“Although their lifestyles can rival our own, toddlers are not mini-adults. Their bodies, brains and bones are developing at an amazing rate and they need the right nutrition to fuel this,” she says

NEWS FROM AMSCREEN

2011-08-05T15:58:00.002+01:00

AMSCREEN GROUP ACQUIRES DIGICOM SALES OPERATION AHEAD OF MAJOR EUROPEAN EXPANSION

TOM GODDARD TO BECOME DEPUTY CHAIRMAN & SHAREHOLDER OF AMSCREEN PLC

Lord Sugar’s Amscreen, the UK’s largest nationwide Digital out of Home network owner, today announced that it has acquired the entire Sales and Marketing Operation of Digicom, the specialist Digital out of Home Sales house founded two years ago by Tom Goddard, who now becomes Deputy Chairman and Shareholder of Amscreen and will support CEO Simon Sugar in the key areas of Media Sales and Development.

The move is part of Amscreen’s strategic plan to accelerate its U.K. growth and provide a solid platform for expansion into Europe. It comes as Amscreen expands its forecourt network overseas with a recently announced deal with BP Europe which is expected to see their audience initially increase to 40 million a week. In just two years Amscreen has successfully developed award-winning Digital Signage Networks in major forecourt, convenience, travel and health environments. Amscreen has worked alongside Digicom as its exclusive Sales partner during the expansion of its network, which currently broadcasts on over 3000 screens nationwide to a UK audience of 25 million a week.

Simon Sugar, Amscreen’s Chief Executive said “I am very excited about us acquiring Digicom and look forward to working closely with Chris Forrester and his team, who becomes Amscreen’s European Managing Director of Sales & Marketing and will help us to further develop the business. Having become market leaders in the UK, we want to achieve the same across Europe and bringing Digicom in-house will allow us to replicate our UK success internationally”.

Tom Goddard, Digicom’s Executive Chairman said “There can be no finer endorsement of one’s work than when a valued and respected client invites you to join their business. The consolidation of our interests will provide the back-bone of our planned roll out into Europe”.

End/August 2011

Notes to Editors
Tom Goddard has spent most of his career in media, running a succession of out of home businesses including Maiden Outdoor and CBS International.
He currently serves as Chairman on the Boards of Ocean Outdoor and Bravo outdoor in Ireland.
Chris Forrester has over 15 years of experience across magazines, press, online and out of home markets, working in some of the UK’s most respected media companies.
Most recently worked in the outdoor sector at CBS Outdoor and currently Managing Director at Tom Goddard’s digital Out of Home start-up Digicom.
Under his tenure Digicom has quickly developed into a company at the forefront of the Digital Out of Home industry with a cutting edge style and a creative and pioneering approach to business.’

NEWS FROM TIA MARIA

2011-08-04T16:55:00.004+01:00

TIA MARIA: A COCKTAIL FOR EVERY OCCASION

Tia Maria is the perfect drink for any cocktail occasion, whether heading off for an afternoon in the pub, eating at the finest restaurant or hitting a nightclub. Made to the original Caribbean recipe, this rich dark liqueur can be mixed with a whole host of flavours from ginger beer right through to chilli and even sambuca.

Tia Maria’s distinctive aroma of freshly grounded coffee with delicate hints of chocolate and exotic vanilla, mean it’s the perfect ingredient to pack cocktails full of flavour. The alcohol brand has recently been showcasing the following sumptuous cocktails to highlight the mixibility of Tia Maria and the occasions where one might drink it.

These can be found in the cocktail booklet and some highlights are below
For more information, images or cocktails please contact Katie Bawler or Julie-Anne Power at Frank PR on 0207 693 6999 or tiamaria@frankpr.it

Cocktail Bar Suggestions
Maria L’Orange
This fresh and fruity cocktail is perfect to enjoy with friends on a night out. Fusing Tia Maria, triple sec, orange and lemon juice and passion fruit it tastes just like a chocolate orange
Keep the Faith
This luxurious cocktail was designed exclusively for Tia Maria by Paloma Faith to reflect her fiery yet playful nature. Made with Tia Maria, rich chocolate liqueur and a whole chilli this winter warmer certainly packs a punch.

At the Pub Suggestion
Jamaican Swizzle
This twist on a dark and stormy mixes Tia Maria, dark rum and ginger beer for a refreshing long drink that tastes just like Pimms. The perfect drink to enjoy in a beer garden.

Clubbing Suggestion
Mojitia
A classic twist on a Mojito, this cocktail adds Tia Maria for a little extra kick. A refreshing drink to enjoy whilst dancing the night away with friends

Dinner Date
Dark Desire
This creamy cocktail is the perfect indulgence to enjoy with good food and good company. Made with Tia Maria, scotch whisky, ice cream and a little sprinkling of chocolate on top for a little treat.

Notes to Editors
Tia Maria cocktail recipes
Cocktail Bar
KEEP THE FAITH
(Created exclusively with Paloma Faith for Tia Maria)
¾ parts Tia Maria
1 part dark chocolate liqueur
¾ parts sugar syrup
5 – 6 slices of whole red chilli
Add all the ingredients into a shaker with lots of ice.
Shake well & strain into a martini glass.
Make a cut on the side of the whole red chilli, place on the rim of the glass.
Extra chilli can be added for more spice!

MARIA L’ORANGE
¾ parts Tia Maria
¾ parts triple sec
1 bar spoon passion fruit syrup
½ parts lemon juice
1 ½ parts fresh orange juice
Combine all the ingredients together with crushed ice in a boston and shake.
Pour into a martini glass.
Garnish with a lemon twist

1 part coconut milk
Combine all ingredients together with crushed ice in a blender
Blend until smooth
Pour into a snifter glass.
Top up with whipped cream and garnish with a slice of pineapple

At the Pub

JAMAICAN SWIZZLE
1 part Tia Maria
1 part dark rum
2 parts ginger ale/ginger beer
¾ parts lemon juice
1 dash Angostura
Shake the Tia Maria, dark rum, lemon juice and Angostura with ice then top up with ginger ale.
Clubbing

MOJITIA
1½ oz Tia Maria
1½ oz white rum
½ oz lemon juice
3 oz soda
Muddle mint leaves, lemon juice and powdered
sugar in a highball glass, then add crushed ice and
pour in blended Tia Maria and rum.
Top up with soda.

Dinner Date

DARK DESIRE
1½ oz Tia Maria
½ oz scotch whisky
1 spoon ice cream (vanilla)
1½ oz half & half
Combine all ingredients together in a blender.
Blend until smooth. Pour into a hurricane glass.
Top up with whipped cream and

NEWS FROM SODASTREAM

2011-08-04T16:02:00.016+01:00

BRITS HAVE GOT LOADS OF BOTTLE (AND IT’S NOT A GOOD THING!)
SodaStream unveils 10 foot family made entirely from plastic bottles

A giant 10 foot sculpture of a family of four made entirely out of plastic bottles was erected by SodaStream in London today, to highlight the issue of plastic bottle wastage.

The Bottle Family is made up of over 827 plastic bottles, and has been created to demonstrate the large amount of plastic carbonated soft drink bottles that the average British family will use in one year.

The striking sculpture was designed and created by artist Bamber Hawes and aims to educate consumers on the benefits of ‘precycling’ - the practice of trying to reduce waste before recycling is necessary in the first place.

Creating The Bottle Family was no mean feat – being made up of 827 different plastic bottles it took approximately 400 hours to complete and involved a team of five in order to complete the top of the 10 foot father’s head.

Artist Bamber Hawes comments, “This has been a fantastic project to work on, not only due to the scale of the sculpture but also as I’m passionate about the messaging behind the installation. The Bottle Family, is an in-your-face visual of the amount of carbonated soft drink bottle waste generated by the average British family of four each year. I was shocked to hear, and now to see just how many carbonated soft drink bottles are wasted each year and hope this will get people thinking about their own bottle waste.”

*Research commissioned by SodaStream reveals that the nation hugely underestimates the amount of bottle waste they generate; with almost half of all adults believing that their family uses between 1-5 bottles a week when the actual figure is over double that.

Fiona Hope, Managing Director of SodaStream UK says, “Environmental conscious-ness has certainly strengthened over the years but plastic is still very much a part of our everyday lives and sometimes it is hard to truly grasp how much waste we create. We hope this creation will enable people to see the extent of the issue and consider alternatives to pre-bottled carbonated soft drinks.”

On average only 100 out of every 500 plastic bottle used by an average family will be recycled, this means 80% of pre-packaged plastic bottles will end up in landfill. One SodaStream can dramatically reduce your bottle waste.

-Ends-
For more information or imagery, please contact Frank PR on 0207 693 6999 / getbusywiththefizzy@frankpr.it
More information can be found at: www.sodastream.co.uk find us on Facebook www.facebook.com/sodastreamuk or come and follow us on Twitter @sodastreamuk

Notes to Editors:
*Consumer research carried out in March 2011 among a nationally representative sample of adults and children.

About SodaStream:
SodaStream manufactures home beverage carbonation systems, which enable consumers to easily transform ordinary tap water instantly into carbonated soft drinks and sparkling water. Soda makers offer a highly differentiated and innovative solution to consumers of bottled and canned carbonated soft drinks and sparkling water. Our products are environmentally friendly, cost effective, promote health and wellness, and are customizable and fun to use. In addition, our products offer convenience by eliminating the need to carry bottles home from the supermarket, to store bottles at home or to regularly dispose of empty bottles. Our products are available at more than 40,000 retail stores in 41 countries around the world.

SodaStream launched in Selfridges this July. Marking the launch into one of the world’s most high profile retailers, SodaStream installed a plastic bottle bin which contained the same number of plastic beverage bottles consumer by an average London family over 4 years.

About A World Without Bottles:
A World Without Bottles campaign aims to raise awareness of plastic bottle waste and its devastating effects on the environment. To mark the campaign launch, SodaStream introduced a Limited Edition green and white drinksmaker in specially designed packaging that highlights the campaign messages. Each purchase will be matched by a donation from SodaStream to The Water Project, which helps to make clean drinking water available to deprived communities in Africa. The World Without Bottles campaign was fronted by supermodel and keen environmentalist Erin O’Connor and aimed to educate consumers of the benefits of precycling.

NEWS FROM NPOWER

2011-08-03T09:33:00.001+01:00

NPOWER BOSS GOES UNDERCOVER ON CHANNEL 4 SHOW

IT’S ONE of the most recognisable brands in the country, but after taking part in Channel 4’s award-winning Undercover Boss series npower is committed to recognising its own customers more. Chief operating officer Kevin McCullough assumed the identity of unemployed ‘Tom Nixon’ to shadow employees from across the npower business in a bid to understand more about how the company supports its customers.

He experienced working life at Didcot Power Station, on the road as a Hometeam boiler engineer, joined the complaints team in a contact centre and the meter installation team.

McCullough said of his experience: “I thought this would provide a great opportunity to work alongside colleagues and find out more about their experience of working at npower.

“I met some brilliant people trying to do their very best for our company and it was humbling."

McCullough, who started his career shovelling coal aged 16, used the opportunity to learn about the business:

"For a long time I have been concerned that the energy sector takes a bashing and simply reacts to criticism and media stories - I want npower to be on the front foot more often."

“There are things we need to fix and improve but this is now the start and not the end of a process. To that effect we will be launching new social media channels that will focus on a tremendously exciting energy business as it wrestles with its many challenges."

“Most importantly though this will give our customers direct access to me and the team.”

Follow McCullough and his team at @npowerhq and on Tumblr at http://npowerhq.tumblr.com

About Kevin McCullough

Kevin McCullough was appointed Chief Operating Officer in March 2011. He is responsible for the Customer Services divisions of npower, heads up Health and Safety for the whole organisation and is the lead interface with UK government on all matters relating to UK generation asset operations and development. In addition to this he is Chair of Horizon Nuclear Power – the joint venture established between RWE npower and E.ON to develop nuclear power generation in the UK. He has recently been appointed Chair of the Welsh Assembly Government’s Energy & Environment Sector Panel.

Kevin joined the CEGB in 1984 and held a number of operations and engineering positions at Ferrybridge, Drax and Staythorpe coal-fired power stations and Killingholme gas-fired power station, before being appointed Production Manager at Little Barford gas-fired power station in 1996.

In 1998 Kevin became Station Manager at the company’s Midlothian CCGT power station in Dallas, Texas and in 2000 took up the position of Executive Vice President at Innogy America LLC in Chicago.

Following a move back to the UK, Kevin was Head of Integration and Business Transformation within Retail before becoming Managing Director of npower renewables in 2003. He joined the board of RWE Innogy in 2007 as Chief Operating Officer, with pan-European responsibility for on- and off-shore wind power activities. He then joined the board of RWE npower as Chief Technical Officer on 1st October 2009 taking responsibility for the Assets Division of the business.

NEWS FROM BEEFEATER

2011-07-28T16:43:00.005+01:00

Tasty bit of Crumpet!

Beefeater Grill immortalises top breakfast companion Pippa Middleton in crumpets to celebrate its new breakfast menu

Surprise star of the Royal Wedding, Pippa Middleton, has today been named Britain’s tastiest bit of crumpet. To acknowledge her ‘top totty’ status, Beefeater Grill has commissioned two giant mosaics of famous Pippa shots made entirely from crumpets.

Though her sister is set to be the future Queen it is Pippa that has been crowned the nation’s number one choice to wake up for breakfast with, in a poll of 2,000 people to celebrate the restaurant’s new nationwide breakfast menu.

The striking artworks, designed and created by food artist Laura Hadland on behalf of Beefeater Grill saw a whopping 15,000 crumpets - weighing in at over a tonne - used to recreate the socialite’s likeness. More than 100 jars of spreads, including butter, jam and Marmite were used to create shading on the 13m x 20m giant mosaics. In a feat that took more than 24 hours to complete, both a close-up of Pippa’s face as well as a ‘cheeky’ recreation of the now infamous ‘backside shot’ from this year’s Royal Wedding were depicted.

She may have been beaten to rear of the year by Carol Vorderman, but Pippa has caused a stir since she was bridesmaid to her sister, Kate, and Prince William in April. More than a fifth (21%) of the adults polled voted Ms Middleton as their ideal female breakfast companion pipping both Fearne Cotton and Cheryl Cole to the post, who came in with 17% and 15% of the votes respectively. Those least favoured to share a morning meal with included reality TV star Katie Price, newlywed Kate Moss (both 3%) and Caggie Dunlop, of Made In Chelsea fame (2%).

David Murdin from Beefeater Grill said; “We wanted to do something to celebrate the launch of our new breakfast menu and thought it would be interesting to find out who the nation would most like to share their first meal of the day with. It’s no surprise that someone as striking as Pippa has ranked as the country’s top bit of crumpet! Sadly we may not be able to guarantee Pippa as part of our breakfast offering to guests, but feel confident that they’ll enjoy our extensive range of dishes, including our very own tasty crumpets and spreads, none-the-less!”

Until 31st August 2011 two children can enjoy a breakfast for free when accompanied by a paying adult purchasing a £7.99 Premier Breakfast at Beefeater Grill. The offer is also available at Brewers Fayre, Table Table or Taybarns.

For more information about the free kids breakfast offer and your nearest restaurant visit www.beefeatergrill.co.uk, www.tabletable.co.uk, www.brewersfayre.co.uk, www.taybarns.co.uk or www.premierinn.com

- Ends -

For more information, or high resolution images, please contact Paul Goodman on: whr@frankpr.it

Notes to Editors:

SURVEY: 72 POINT

2,000 RESPONDENTS SURVEYED

About Beefeater Grill:

Beefeater launched in 1974 and now stands at over 130 restaurants nationwide. The new look Beefeater Grill is warm, modern and stylish and offers guests their own personal space to enjoy their dining occasion at their leisure. Our restaurants come complete with low lighting, warm cosy booth seating, contemporary artwork and a welcome smile. Today our cooking platform centres around our chargrill which gives our food that unique Beefeater Grill taste. On our menu you will find succulent chicken and fish alongside our famous steaks as well as some fantastic vegetarian dishes, starters and tempting desserts. Beefeater Grill offers great daytime value menu which are available Monday-Saturday before 6.30pm where a selected main course from just £4.99. Evening value meals are available on Monday-Thursday after 6.30pm where two courses are priced from just £10.99

Beefeater Grill supports WaterAid, the international charity whose mission is to overcome poverty by enabling the world's poorest people to gain access to safe water, sanitation and hygiene education. Brewers Fayre, as part of Whitbread Hotels and Restaurants, aims to raise £1 million for WaterAid over the next two years.

NEWS FROM PREMIER INN

2011-07-28T14:52:00.001+01:00

BRITS WANT TO HOLIDAY TO HOGWARTS

Tourism on the rise as fans go potty for Harry Potter filming locations

The final Harry Potter film appears to have cast a spell on the nation, with Brits flocking to unusual destinations, like Hemel Hempstead, in a bid to see where their favourite scene was filmed, according to booking figures from Premier Inn.

Since ‘Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 2’ burst onto cinema screens last week, the UK’s biggest budget hotel chain has seen a significant increase in bookings at seven of their sites in the UK at wand-erful locations where famous scenes from the saga were filmed.

Rather than making the long journey across the Atlantic to visit The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, UK fans are instead grabbing their broomsticks and racing to places nearer to home such as Bodleian Library, in Oxford and Durham Cathedral, in Durham to see the interior of the famous Wizard school.

And it is not just a piece of Hogwarts fans are after, bookings at Premier Inn Hemel Hampstead, situated near Ashbridge forest which featured as the Forbidden Forest, has seen bookings up 150% since the film’s final premiere.

Premier Inn King’s Cross St Pancras has seen an hotel booking surge of 105% as fans flock to the area to have their picture taken at the infamous platform 9 ¾ at London’s King’s Cross station.

And the team at Premier Inn London County Hall have been inundated with guests asking for directions to Australia house on The Strand which features as Gringott’s Bank, the location for Harry and Hagrid’s first outing.

Premier Inn Hotel	Harry Potter location	% increase in hotel bookings
Premier Inn Durham	Durham Cathedral (Hogwarts interior)	up 140%
Premier Inn Oxford	Bodleian Library & Christchurch College (Hogwarts Interior)	up 129%
Premier Inn Kings Cross St Pancras	King’s Cross Station (Platform 9 ¾)	up 105%
Premier Inn Hemel Hampstead West	Ashridge (Forbidden Forest)	up 94%
Premier Inn Gloucester Longford	Gloucester Cathedral (Hogwarts interior)	up 80%
Premier Inn London County Hall	Australia House (Gringott’s Bank)	up 74%

Claire Haigh, spokeswoman for Premier Inn, said: “It’s great to see that the Harry Potter saga has increased tourism around the UK. Sites such as Bodleian Library and Durham Cathedral are some of the UK’s national treasures and it’s great one of the nation’s films has encouraged people to visit them.”

If you want to visit the places where Harry made his first potion, sneaked around corridors in his invisible cape and had his first encounter with Goblins, Premier Inn is offering 81,000 rooms at £29* across the county until the end of August 2011 so fans can still embrace Pottermania long after the final film.

-ENDS-

For more information please contact the Premier Inn team on 02076936999 or email premierinn@frankpr.it

About Premier Inn:

Award-winning Premier Inn is the UK’s biggest hotel brand with over 600 budget hotels and more than 43,000 rooms across the UK and Ireland. Premier Inn bedrooms feature en-suite bathrooms, TV with Freeview, and WiFi internet access. All Premier Inns feature a bar and restaurant; situated inside the hotel or adjacent, offering a wide range of food choices.

Premier Inn aims to be the largest provider of budget hotels in London (within the M25) by 2012. Premier Inn has also expanded internationally and now has hotels in Dubai and India.

Premier Inn is currently offering rooms for just £29 (restrictions apply). Visit www.premierinn.com for full terms and conditions.

Premier Inn supports WaterAid, the international charity whose mission is to overcome poverty by enabling the world's poorest people to gain access to safe water, sanitation and hygiene education. Details can be found at www.wateraid.org/whitbread.

*Terms and conditions for £29 rooms

NEWS FROM AMSCREEN

2011-07-28T13:59:00.008+01:00

AMSCREEN GOES CONTINENTAL WITH BP

Leading digital signage provider expands its forecourt network across Europe Amscreen, the UK’s largest nationwide digital media network owner, is expanding to foreign shores for the first time following a deal with BP Europe SE

The contract will see digital signage screens installed in forecourts across the continent initially in Germany, Poland, Luxembourg, Switzerland and Austria.

In just two years Amscreen has established the UK’s largest digital screen media network, broadcasting on more than 3,000 screens nationwide to an audience of 25 million a week. The decision to expand its forecourt network to Europe will see its audience increase to 40 million a week once this initial rollout with BP is complete. This exclusive five year deal will also see BP UK extending its partnership with Amscreen for a further five years.

Extensive research was carried out by Amscreen including eye ball tracking and exit interviews ahead of these developments which demonstrated several advantages for advertisers, many of whom have an existing global presence. The expansion will offer brands a pan European media network, enabling them to target a much larger audience in real time.

Jurgen Bloemers, Marketing and Cards Director Europe at BP, said: “Following on from the success of our partnership with Amscreen in the UK, it made perfect sense to mirror this onto our forecourt network across Europe. Amscreen’s unique ‘plug and play’ technology is easy for us to install and is sure to modernise digital advertising across European forecourts by centralising messaging, reducing wastage and maximising store compliance.”

Simon Sugar, CEO of Amscreen, said: “We are really excited about our expansion into Europe. After an encouraging two years in the UK we are keen to further develop the network and this deal with BP is a perfect starting ground to mark our entry onto the European market. The user friendly nature of our digital signage technology means that it can be easily rolled out across the continent and we hope to have our screens installed in over 1,800 BP and Aral sites in the coming months. This is just a start for us in Europe and we will be announcing other European forecourt partnerships in the coming months.”

-ENDS-

For further information, please contact Sophie Kay on 0207 693 6973 or sophiekay@frankpr.it

Notes to editors
About Amscreen:

Amscreen, run by CEO Simon Sugar, is the UK’s largest Digital Out of Home media company, offering a robust, end-to-end digital signage solution via its unique wireless plug and play technology. Its networks broadcast from more than 3,000 sites across the UK and are an effective communication tool for clients such as BP, Shell and WHSmith and a range of blue-chip advertisers such as BSkyB, Amex, Visa, B&Q, Camelot, Redbull and Lucozade.

As well as operating in petrol, convenience, leisure and travel locations, Amscreen provides screens to the healthcare industry. Its Healthcare network uses revolutionary software to provide customers with the ability to create and broadcast their own messages that can be viewed in prime dwelling areas such as waiting rooms, corridors and coffee shops.

In addition, the live Amscreen mapping system allows advertisers to locate screens across the UK. Visit http://www.amscreen.co.uk/digital-advertising/mapping_tool.html to view the live mapping link for further information.

If you are a forecourt owner and are interested in learning more about Amscreen’s forecourt network and how this could benefit your business, please email info@amscreen.co.uk

About BP Europe SE:

BP is one of the world's leading international oil and gas companies, providing its customers with fuel for transportation, energy for heat and light, retail services and petrochemicals products for everyday items.
BP Europa SE covers the countries Austria, Belgium, Germany, Netherlands, Poland and Switzerland with more than 3, 700 BP and Aral branded filling stations.

For more information on BP Europa SE visit www.bp-se.eu or www.bp.com

NEWS FROM FOSTER'S

2011-07-25T14:28:00.000+01:00

Two of Australia’s most famous exports, Foster’s lager and actress Holly Valance have joined forces to launch a new premium bottled lager, Foster’s Gold.

This tie up will see the gorgeous Aussie join Foster’s favourite beach blokes, Brad and Dan, to front a multi-million pound TV and print ad campaign, that embraces the Foster’s ‘Good Call’ mentality and highlights Foster’s Gold as being perfect for when you want to impress on mixed sex drinking occasions.

Since Holly Valance burst onto TV screens in 1999 in the popular Australian soap opera Neighbours she has become a poster-girl favourite and even ventured into the music world, with her first single debuting at number one.

With its stylish embossed bottle, Foster’s Gold is designed to appeal to men drinking at all events, from formal parties to summer barbecues.

Holly Valance said "It is with great pride that I'm working with such an iconic Australian brand! And it helps that I'm a loyal beer drinking Aussie girl myself!"

Gayle Harrison, Marketing Manager, Foster’s at brand owner Heineken UK, said:

‘We are delighted to be working with an Australian icon like Holly. Like Foster’s, Holly is down to earth and easy going but occasionally she wants to ‘dress to impress’ which makes her the perfect girl to launch new Foster’s Gold.”

Foster’s Gold is 4.8% ABV easier-drinking premium bottled lager with a crisp, refreshing taste. It is available in supermarkets and off-licences nationwide from this month and the new TV advertising featuring Holly Valance will be live from the end of August.

-Ends-

For further information please contact the Foster’s team at Frank PR on 02076936999 or email fosters@frankpr.it

NEWS FROM JEWISH CARE

2011-07-07T12:57:00.001+01:00

‘SEIZE THE DAY’ VOTED TOP BIT OF ADVICE
Latin phrase from 23 BC still as relevant today

‘Make the most of every day’ has been named as the nation’s favourite piece of advice, in a new survey conducted by UK health and social care charity, Jewish Care.

The phrase, often referred to as ‘Carpe Diem’, is over 2000 years old and topped the poll with 29 per cent of Brits voting it the most valuable pearl of wisdom handed down from older generations. ‘Believe in yourself and be brave’ came in second place, voted as essential life advice for 16 per cent of people, followed by ‘having no regrets' (12 per cent) and ‘never stop learning’ (10 per cent).

These wise words, which were shared by a group of 14 elderly care home residents for Jewish Care’s ‘Pearls of Wisdom’ viral campaign, were ranked in order of importance by 1000 respondents. The top five pearls also included ‘do not judge any man until you have stood in his shoes’ – voted for by 9 per cent of respondents.

Surprisingly, having sex before marriage came last on the list, which calls into question the perceived promiscuity of younger generations. However it does appear that respondents have not learnt from the recent failings of the economy, with only 3 percent of those questioned placing importance on the need to ‘only spend what they can afford’.

The candid group, aged between 83 and 100 (with a combined 1,271 years between them) became the latest unlikely stars of the web after the ‘Pearls of Wisdom’ video was spotted on Twitter by a host of celebrities including Jonathan Ross, Sarah Brown, Claudia Winkleman and Lord Alan Sugar. Watch the films on YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/JewishCareCharity.

Our top ten favourite words of wisdom were revealed as:
1. Make the most of every day: 29%
2. Believe in yourself and be brave: 16%
3. Don’t regret a thing: 12%
4. Never stop learning: 10%
5. Don’t judge any man until you have stood in his shoes: 9%
6. Each day you spend leaves you with one less, so spend them wisely: 8%
7. Take care of your friends, you never know when you might need them: 6%
8. Always look forward, but every so often take a glance back: 5%
9. Don’t buy things that you can’t afford: 3%
10. Have sex before marriage! Try it out: 2%

Ends

Frank PR 0207 693 6999

Notes to editors:

Jewish Care is the largest health and social care charity for the UK’s Jewish community, caring directly for over 7,000 people every week. Jewish Care runs 70 centres and specialist services throughout London and the South-East. The organisation provides a wide range of services for people who are elderly, mentally ill, physically disabled, visually impaired, as well as Holocaust survivors and refugees. Jewish Care also offers support and guidance to families, carers and the bereaved, as well as programmes for children and young people.

NEWS FROM AMSCREEN

2011-06-22T13:54:00.007+01:00

THE SUGAR AND MORGAN ‘FEUD’ CONTINUES
Lord Sugar has the last laugh by poking fun at Piers in spoof local advertising video

Lord Sugar is taking his ongoing Twitter quarrel with Piers Morgan to the next level by making digs at him in a cheeky video created for Linklocal, a service that allows local business to advertise across his Amscreen network of 3,000 digital screens across the country.

To mark the launch of the new Linklocal website, Amscreen have worked with Boleg Bros, renowned for their Apprentice Lego virals, to create a tongue-in-cheek instructional video which features none other than Lord Sugar’s Twitter rival Piers Morgan. In the video, Lord Sugar’s character explains that the service can be used by any ‘Tom, Dick or Harry’ and mischievously refers to Morgan. The pair have been embroiled in an ongoing spat on the social networking site for the last few months, including waging several high-stakes bets in aid of Great Ormond Street Hospital.

Amscreen is the UK’s largest digital screen media network owner and is today re-launching Linklocal, a website that provides a local advertising service enabling small businesses to pinpoint exactly where screens are located and place messages on them by simply adding text to a selected template. Situated in high footfall environments such as petrol stations, neighbourhood convenience stores, waiting areas of surgeries, the screens enable local advertisers to showcase their messages to drive more local customers to their business.

Simon Sugar, CEO at Amscreen said, “We wanted to re-launch Linklocal with a bang, and what better way than to create a fun video to spread the word and get people talking about it? The Boleg Bros’ work is hugely popular and so it seemed like the perfect fit. We hope people enjoy the video and visit Linklocal.co.uk to find out more”.

To watch the video, go to www.linklocal.co.uk

-ENDS-

For further information, please contact Frank PR on 0207 693 6973

Notes to editors
About Linklocal:

Linklocal is the next generation of local advertising and small business marketing. It allows local businesses to target potential customers by placing local advertising on one of 3,000 digital signage screens up and down the country. Using a live mapping service via their website, Linklocal provides a tailored search that enables small businesses to pinpoint exactly where screens are located and to place messages on them by simply adding their text to a selected template. Situated in high footfall environments such as petrol stations, neighbourhood convenience stores, waiting areas of surgeries, the screens enable advertisers to showcase their messages as and when they like and at a time that is convenient to them.
For more information on Linklocal, visit www.linklocal.co.uk

About Amscreen:

Amscreen, run by CEO Simon Sugar, is the UK’s largest Digital Out of Home media company, offering a robust, end-to-end digital signage solution via its unique wireless plug and play technology. Their networks broadcast from more than 3,000 sites across the UK and are an effective communication tool for clients such as BP, Shell and WHSmith and a range of blue-chip advertisers such as BSkyB, Amex, Visa, B&Q, Camelot, Redbull and Lucozade.

As well as operating in petrol, convenience, leisure and travel locations, Amscreen provides screens to the healthcare industry. Its Healthcare network uses revolutionary software to provide customers with the ability to create and broadcast their own messages that can be viewed in prime dwelling areas such as waiting rooms, corridors and coffee shops.

In addition, the live Amscreen mapping system allows advertisers to locate screens across the UK. Visit http://www.amscreen.co.uk/digital-advertising/mapping_tool.html to view the live mapping link for further information.

For more information on Amscreen, visit www.amscreen.co.uk

NEWS FROM THE ECB

2011-06-22T12:43:00.004+01:00

THE ONLY WAY IS CRICKET

Sam Faiers pads up for launch of the Lazy Bar Walkers (LBW)

TOWIE star Sam Faiers is set to bowl over Twenty20 cricket fans after being announced as captain of the LBW – Lazy Bar Walkers.

The new LBW initiative by the England & Wales Cricket Board (ECB) is being launched with a photoshoot that sees Sam give a whole new meaning to the term ‘Leg Before Wicket’ as the sporty siren exchanges her handbag for a cricket bat.

Sam’s latest starring role sees her captain The LBW team during the Friends Life t20 competition. Along with Sam, the Lazy Bar Walkers will be helping cricket fans enjoy the games even more this summer by being match-goers’ personal helper.
Following feedback from fans, the ECB set up the LBW service so that groups of match-goers wouldn’t miss any of the excitement of Friends Life t20 cricket which is a much faster and adrenaline filled variety of the sport.

On the LBW, Sam said; “Obviously I’m a supporter of the Essex Eagles and having been to a few t20 matches I understand the frustration of being stuck at the bar whilst all the action is happening at the crease.

“The LBW will take this pain away. We’re here so that cricket fans can enjoy the Friends Life t20 tournament even more than ever before and I like to think we can also provide a bit of friendly banter!”

The Friends Life t20 series is the first cricket competition where the LBW has been implemented in the UK and was selected due to the tournament’s lively nature which proves a great day out for groups of friends to watch matches together.

A spokesperson for the ECB also commented: “The Friends Life t20 is an all out action competition. The speed of the game is so fast that if you blink, you will miss it.

“We asked fans how to make it better and the feedback was to reduce the game of tasks such as going to the bar and queuing for food. Hence the Lazy Bar Walkers were formed and we’re extremely pleased to have Sam as our team captain.”

Hitting t20 for six, the team of Lazy Bar Walkers are available for hire for free from the LBW’s bespoke website www.lazybarwalkers.co.uk. To reserve a LBW, cricket fans can choose their own LBW, girl or boy, who will accompany them to the match.

For more information about the Lazy Bar Walkers Service, the ECB or Friends Life t20 please contact:

Frank PR or email ecb@frankpr.it

-ENDS-

Notes to editor:
• A t20 game involves two teams, each has a single innings batting for a maximum of 20 overs.
• A t20 game is completed in about three and half hours, with each innings lasting around 75 minutes.
• It was introduced to create a lively form of the game which would be attractive to spectators at the ground and viewers on television.
• The Friends Life t20 season runs from 1st June through to Finals Day in 2011 at Edgbaston on August 27.

NEWS FROM THE HARD ROCK CAFE

2011-06-22T12:40:00.003+01:00

WIN HARD ROCK CALLING VIP TICKETS DURING 'FIND, FOLLOW, & WIN FOR THE 40th'
Hard Rock Celebrates Its 40th Anniversary In The City Where It All Started

Celebrating 40 years, Hard Rock wants to give back to London, the city where it all started, by giving away Hard Rock Calling 2011 VIP tickets and other fantastic prizes.

From June 20-23, the Hard Rock team will be stationed at different locations around central London, handing out Hard Rock Calling 2011 VIP tickets, money-can’t-buy backstage tours, Absolute Radio digital radios, Vodafone phones, Hard Rock merchandise, and many more sought-after items. Hard Rock will be dropping location clues and checking in on Twitter and Foursquare. Find the crew and win before they move onto the next iconic spot.

To further add to the celebrations, the first person at each location who says “I follow Hard Rock,” will win Friday, Saturday, or Sunday Hard Rock Calling 2011 VIP tickets.

WHAT – You can win Hard Rock Calling 2011 VIP tickets, Absolute Radio goodies, Vodafone gear, and loads more. Plus, three Hard Rock Calling 2011 ticket winners
will also win a special money-can’t-buy backstage tour of the festival!

INTRO – Hard Rock is taking to the streets of London to play a game of hide and seek with the public, giving away Hard Rock Calling 2011 tickets and much more through Twitter and Foursquare.

WHEN – 20th-23rd June 2011

WHERE – All around London

To get more information, including terms & conditions, about 'Find, Follow, & Win For The 40th' go to www.hardrock.com/findus

- ENDS -

For further information please contact:

Frank PR– 0207 693 6999 email hardrock@frankpr.it

Notes to Editors

About Hard Rock International
With a total of 171 venues in 51 countries, including 134 cafes and 15 Hotels/Casinos, Hard Rock International is one of the world's most globally recognized brands. Beginning with an Eric Clapton guitar, Hard Rock owns the world's greatest collection of music memorabilia, which is displayed at its locations around the globe. Hard Rock is also known for its collectible fashion and music-related merchandise, Hard Rock Live performance venues and an award-winning website. In addition to the two flagship Seminole Hard Rock Hotels and Casinos in Tampa and Hollywood, Fla., Hard Rock Hotels/Casinos are located in Las Vegas, Biloxi, Orlando, Chicago, San Diego, Pattaya, Bali, Macau, Penang, Singapore and Punta Cana. Additional hotel and casino projects have been announced including Panama Megapolis, scheduled to open in 2011; and Hungary, Dubai and Abu Dhabi, scheduled to open in 2013. Hard Rock International is owned by Seminole Hard Rock Entertainment, Inc. For further details on Hard Rock Hotels and Casinos, visit www.hardrockhotels.com. For more information on Hard Rock International, visit www.hardrock.com.

About Hard Rock Calling

Hard Rock Calling is set in the beautiful surroundings of Hyde Park in the heart of bustling London and has fully established itself as one of the UK’s must see outdoor music events. The stage at Hard Rock Calling attracts some of the biggest musicians and bands in the world, with previous headliners including The Who, Paul McCartney, Eric Clapton, Bruce Springsteen, Neil Young, Stevie Wonder, Aerosmith,
Peter Gabriel, Pearl Jam and The Police. With a stellar line-up of artists already announced and lots more still to add, tickets to this year’s event are already flying.
Tickets are on sale at www.hardrockcalling.co.uk.

NEWS FROM ALTON TOWERS

2011-06-21T09:13:00.003+01:00

Amy Childs swaps the Salon for searching for ‘Coaster-Cuties’

Alton Towers Resort recruit TOWIE’S bold beautician to find the faces of ultimate rollercoaster TH13TEEN

Fresh from the beaches of Marbella, TOWIE star, Amy Childs has joined forces with the Alton Towers Resort to launch the search for a group of ‘Coaster Cuties’ - 20 fine and fearless female thrill-seekers to become the official faces of ultimate rollercoaster, TH13TEEN. Swapping a shift at the salon for a day of thrills at the Staffordshire Resort, the red-haired beauty is leading the way in the search for the nation’s ‘Coaster Cuties’ on behalf of Britain’s Greatest Escape.

With 20 places up for grabs, the search is on to find the nation’s cutest adrenaline junkies who will then be whittled down to a not so unlucky 13, starring in the Resort’s first official TH13TEEN calendar which will feature the final line-up being put through their paces on the world’s first freefall drop coaster. Open until August, entrants simply need to log onto www.altontowers.com and enter their details, upload a photo and a brief explanation on what makes them the ultimate thrill seeker!

Speaking at the launch of the ‘Coaster Cuties’ search, 21 year-old Amy said; “I absolutely love rollercoasters so the Alton Towers Resort for me is up there with Essex! I’m really looking forward to unveiling the new faces of TH13TEEN who like me have a real thirst for thrills and love to live life in the fast lane. Unveiled later this summer, remember to keep your eyes peeled for the final ‘Coaster Cuties’!”

Not for the faint hearted, the ultimate rollercoaster, THI3TEEN is the world’s first freefall drop coaster which takes riders on a gruelling journey through The Dark Forest whilst being put through a series of twists and turns before plummeting into the unknown. If you think you’ve got what it take to be a ‘Coaster Cutie’ and become the official faces of the Resort’s latest ride, simply log onto www.altontowers.com by Friday 5th August 2011.

-Ends-

Notes to editors:

Terms and conditions
• Entrants must be available to attend a photoshoot at the Alton Towers Resort in September
• Entrants agree for their name and entry photos / videos to be used for media purposes and posted online at the official Alton Towers Resort Facebook page and other social media
• Shortlisted participants will be notified of their inclusion in the photoshoot
• By participating in the photoshoot, entrants agree for images to be used in the media
• Entrants agree to media and press interviews when entering the competition
• All details and timings of the competition are subject to change
• Entries submitted on behalf of third parties will not be accepted
• Entries including pictures of an offensive nature will not be accepted
• Images taken remain the property of the Alton Towers Resort
• Entrants agree to all embargos and must only share information in the public domain with the permission of the Alton Towers Resort
• No cash or alternative prize will be offered if you are unable to accept the position of a coaster cutie
• The Alton Towers Resort’s decision is final
• All entrants must be over the age of 18

MERLIN ENTERTAINMENTS is the leading name in location-based, family entertainment, and has seen the most successful and dynamic growth of any company in the sector over the last five years. Europe’s Number 1 and the world’s second-largest visitor attraction operator, Merlin now operates over 74 attractions, six hotels/two holiday villages in 17 countries and across four continents. The company aims to deliver memorable and rewarding experiences to its 43.6 million visitors worldwide, through its iconic global and local brands, and the commitment and passion of its managers and more than 15,000 employees. Merlin Entertainments operates the following attractions - SEA LIFE, Madame Tussauds, LEGOLAND, The EDF Energy London Eye, Dungeons, Gardaland, LEGOLAND Discovery Centres, Alton Towers Resort, Warwick Castle, Thorpe Park, Chessington World of Adventures Resort, Heide Park, Earth Explorer, Sydney Aquarium, Sydney Wildlife World, Sydney Tower Observatory and Skywalk, Kelly Tarlton’s Antarctic Encounter Underwater World, Oceanworld Manly and Hamilton Island Koala Gallery. All brands which are distinctive, challenging and innovative – and which have great potential for growth in the future. Visit www.merlinentertainments.biz for more information.

NEWS FROM PREMIER INN

2011-06-02T17:30:00.002+01:00

BRITS ADVISED TO SLOW DOWN AND START DAY SUNNY SIDE UP

The morning routine for most of us consists of jumping out of bed at the ring of the alarm and getting ready for work, meaning having a decent breakfast is a thing of the past. New research revealed today [2nd June 2011] says that less than a third of Brits make time to sit at a table to tuck into the most important meal of the day.

The research, carried out by the UK’s biggest budget hotel chain, Premier Inn, revealed that millions of workers’ mornings are completely scrambled with them being more likely to tuck into their breakfast whilst throwing their clothes on in the morning, on their journey to work or even sat at their desk.

Premier Inn asked 2,000 Brits about their breakfast eating habits and the research highlighted that the majority of Brits only sit down for breakfast with their partner, kids, or flatmates twice a week, with one in five blaming a lack of time and almost 60% saying they wish they had more time to enjoy their breakfast.

And when it comes to what Brits enjoy for breakfast, 35% flag the traditional full English as their preferred dish, with 28% choosing bacon as their favourite part, closely followed by eggs (20%). 58% of the nation said that they even feel happier after they’ve treated themselves to a cooked breakfast.

Spokesperson for Premier Inn, said: “The research shows that as a nation we need to make more time to treat ourselves to a decent breakfast. Kids can now eat free* at all Premier Inn’s across the country, so it’s the perfect opportunity for families to enjoy a great value cooked breakfast together.”

Psychiatrist Dr Sandra Scott says: “We know breakfast is good for us; it is the most important meal of the day which gives us an essential energy boost and, above all, it improves our mood. According to this research from Premier Inn, almost 60% of Brits feel happier after they have had a cooked breakfast, and many see it as a treat. Taking the time to eat a full English breakfast gets families talking and they can enjoy the food whilst also setting themselves up to start the day ahead.”

The all you can eat Premier Inn breakfast includes delicious premium pork and vegetarian sausages, eggs (poached, fried, scrambled or boiled), back bacon, baked beans, mushrooms and omelettes. There is also a continental option including cereals, porridge, fresh fruit, yoghurt, granola, croissants and muffins as well as tea, coffee and a selection of fruit juices.

*Two kids eat free when one adult purchases the all you can eat Premier breakfast for £7.99. The Premier Inn breakfast is available at Beefeater Grill, Brewers Fayre, Taybarns and Table Table restaurants.

- ends -

For further information please contact the team on 020 7693 6999
or email premierinn@frankpr.it

Notes to editors:
The research was carried out by One Poll amongst 2000 UK adults in June 2011

Award-winning Premier Inn is the UK’s biggest hotel brand with over 600 budget hotels and more than 43,000 rooms across the UK and Ireland. Premier Inn bedrooms feature en-suite bathrooms, TV with Freeview, and WiFi internet access. All Premier Inns feature a bar and restaurant; situated inside the hotel or adjacent, offering a wide range of food choices.

In 2008 Premier Inn launched in Dubai and is now open in Bangalore, India. On a domestic front, Premier Inn aims to be the largest provider of budget hotels in London (within the M25) by 2012.

Premier Inn is currently offering rooms for just £29 (restrictions apply). Visit www.premierinn.com for full terms and conditions.

Premier Inn supports WaterAid, the international charity whose mission is to overcome poverty by enabling the world's poorest people to gain access to safe water, sanitation and hygiene education. Premier Inn, as part of Whitbread Hotels and Restaurants, aims to raise £1 million for WaterAid over the next two years. Details can be found at www.wateraid.org/whitbread.

NEWS FROM FOOD NETWORK UK

2011-06-02T16:45:00.004+01:00

THE DON OF THE DONERS

World’s most exclusive and expensive kebab is developed by Food Network UK

2 June 2011: The humble doner has undergone an extreme makeover with the ultimate kebab unveiled today complete with saffron infused flat bread, milk-fed lamb from the Pyrenees and edible gold leaf garnish.

The aptly named ‘King of Kebabs’, which has a retail value of £750 and served on a cloche by a private waiter, was developed by Food Network UK to mark the launch of The Great Food Truck Race – a show that celebrates the growing street food truck trend.

The UK street food favourite was designed by Food Network chef Andy Bates with only the very best possible ingredients in mind. The ‘King of Kebabs’ contains the following:

- Saffron infused flatbread
- Champagne infused mint and cucumber yoghurt
- Micro cress and lettuce salad
- Chilli sauce made from the world’s expensive chilli
- Milk-fed lamb from the Pyrenees
- Edible gold leaf garnish
- Ceour de Beouf tomatoes and oregano concass
- Barrel Aged Yews Feta cheese

Nick Thorogood, Managing Director of Food Network EMEA says: “Street food is really stepping up a notch with many street food trucks now providing the high quality, gourmet food and fine cuisine expected from top restaurants. The Great Food Truck Race celebrates this new movement, so we thought it only fair to mark its launch by showing that even the nation’s favourite doner kebab could be made gourmet.”

Andy Bates, the chef behind the ‘King of Kebabs’ says: “It took a fair bit of time to source the best possible ingredients to ensure that this kebab was the most exclusive one out there but I loved every minute.”
Whilst the UK public aren’t able to try the exclusive ‘King of Kebab’s’ themselves, chef Andy Bates has developed a gourmet kebab which will be available for free from The Great Food Truck Race truck located at Finsbury Avenue Square, Broadgate Estate, London, from 12pm-2pm on Friday 3rd June.

The Great Food Truck Race premieres on Food Network UK on Monday 6th June at 9pm. The show follows the most successful and outrageous mobile food trucks as they cook their way across America, with teams competing for a $50,000 grand prize.

-Ends-

For further information please contact the Food Network UK team at Frank PR on foodnetwork@frankpr.it or call 0207 693 6977

Notes to editors:

The Great Food Truck Race, Series 1 *UK Premiere*

Weekdays at 4pm and 9pm from Monday 6th June

The hottest show in food competition has rolled into the UK.

Hosted by chef and long time Food Network presenter Tyler Florence, The Great Food Truck Race follows the most successful and outrageous mobile food trucks as they cook their way across America.

Racing from city to city, seven teams compete to win over fans with everything from creative burgers to fine French cuisine. Teams that sell the most food move on to the next episode featuring a new city and new challenges. In the end, one food truck remains...and the team behind the wheel and the stove wins the $50,000 grand prize.

About Food Network UK

Food Network UK is not your typical ‘how to’ cooking channel. It is one of the fastest growing lifestyle and entertainment brands on Sky 262/263 (Freesat 405/406), packed with award-winning cooking and competition shows. Together with www.foodnetwork.co.uk, the channel is bringing a fresh perspective to the UK food scene and seeking out the next generation of UK chefs.
Foodnetwork.co.uk is the 24/7 companion to the TV channel. Find daily TV listings, episode guides, chef biographies, recipes featured on air, blog posts and more. Recipes are organised by season, ingredient, chef, course, and cuisine make meal planning easy.

Food Network UK’s “In the Kitchen” mobile application for the iPhone is the latest way to enjoy food on-the-go, with hundreds of recipes just a tap away. Wondering what to cook for dinner tonight? Let “In the Kitchen” plan the meal for you.
Food Network UK is owned by Scripps Networks Interactive (SNI), one of the leading developers of lifestyle content for the television and internet worldwide. Its sister brand Food Network is one of the most popular networks on US television and www.foodnetwork.com is the leading food website in the US.

Find us on: www.foodnetwork.co.uk and sign up for our weekly food newsletter or join us @foodnetwork_uk on Twitter and facebook.com/FoodNetworkUK

NEWS FROM THE GUMBALL 3000 Rally

2011-05-27T11:15:00.005+01:00

David Hasselhoff launches the 13th Annual Gumball 3000 Rally in London

London - Paris - Barcelona - Monaco - Venice - Belgrade - Istanbul

Thursday May 26th - Wednesday June 1st

It’s Gumball time again as celebrities and supercars converge on Covent Garden to participate in the annual Gumball 3000 Rally!

On Thursday 26th May over 100 amazing vehicles will set off from London on a 3000 mile journey across 10 countries all the way to Istanbul. Closing roads and city centres (think the ‘Tour de France’ with cars). From London the route incorporates Paris, Barcelona, Monte Carlo (attending the Monaco F1 race), Milan, Venice, Zagreb, Belgrade and Sofia before crossing the finish line in Istanbul on Wednesday June 1st.

The Gumball tour brings its own unique brand of entertainment to each city, hosting incredible supercar and eco car displays, free music concerts and VIP parties with a line up of stars and cars that is unsurpassed! Participants this year include the legendary David ‘The Hoff’ Hasselhoff, hip hop legends EVE, UGK’s Bun B, and Cypress Hill’s DJ Muggs; alongside Football Factory’s Tamer Hassan and Saw’s Costas Mandylor; Boyzone’s Shane Lynch, French footballer Djibril Cissé, NFL legends including New Orleans Saints superstar Reggie Bush, Detroit Lions’ Rookie of the Year Ndamukong Suh and Indianapolis Colts’ linebacker Cody Glenn; rubbing shoulders with legendary skiers, Winter X-Games Gold medallist Jon Olsson and five time Winter Olympic champion Bode Miller; next to the notorious Dirty Sanchez and The Dudesons filming for an MTV ‘Gumball Special’ it’s certain that participants and Gumball fans are definitely in for a treat!

The entry grid is a “who’s who” of the international social scene, where celebrities rub shoulders with Sheikhs, entrepreneurs, oil tycoons, and dot com billionaires, but if the line up of stars doesn’t get your attention then the cars are certain to get you revved up!

The incredible line up includes Pagani Zondas, Bugatti Veyrons, Ferraris, Lamborghinis, Rolls Royces, Bentleys, Aston Martins, Jaguars, Porsches, Morgans and several Lotus’, and this year will also see over 20 eco and concept electric cars take part as Gumball enters a new decade of green motoring!

Contact Frank PR for more information on Gumball3000@frankpr.it

NEWS FROM PREMIER INN

2011-05-27T11:06:00.005+01:00

ELTON JOHN AND DAVID FURNISH BECOME THE FIRST GAY COUPLE TO MAKE THE SHORTLIST FOR CELEBRITY DAD OF THE YEAR

26th MAY 2011 – Last Christmas brought a baby boy for one of the world’s most famous civil partnerships, Elton John and David Furnish. The couple have now won over the hearts of the nation and are in the running for Premier Inn’s Celebrity Dad of the Year 2011.

But can the new daddies beat the shortlist of 15 other high-profile dads to take the crown? The line up includes David Beckham who is currently awaiting the arrival of his fourth child and going head to head to be crowned top dad are comic personalities James Corden, Michael McIntyre and Jonathan Ross.

Peter Andre, the reigning champion of Celebrity Dad of the Year 2010 has once again made the shortlist so it will be interesting to see if Peter can be the first dad to win the title two years in a row.

Other celebrity dad favourites include celebrity reality TV stars Jeff Brazier and Gavin Henson who may have won over the public this year by demonstrating they could juggle parenthood whilst proving their dancing skills in sequin covered costumes.

Newcomers to the list this year include England cricketer Kevin Pietersen, who rushed across the Atlantic to be at the birth of his first born with ex-pop princess Jessica Taylor, and Rugby League star, Kris Smith, who announced the birth of his son with Danni Minogue last summer.

The dads in line for the Premier Inn Celebrity Dad of the Year award are (in no particular order):
1. David Furnish
2. Elton John
3. Wayne Rooney
4. David Beckham
5. Jeff Brazier
6. Gary Barlow
7. Kevin Pietersen
8. Rod Stewart
9. Frank Lampard
10. James Corden
11. Kris Smith
12. Michael McIntyre
13. Gavin Henson
14. Peter Andre
15. Jonathan Ross

The official Premier Inn Celebrity Dad of the Year award aims to reward the celebrity dad who has impressed the nation by balancing a hectic public life with the demands of parenting.

The public can register their votes from Friday 27th May 2011 at www.facebook.com/premierinn for who they would most like to see crowned with the coveted title in time for Father’s Day (Sunday, 19 June).

Britain has until midnight on Sunday 12th June 2011 to vote for its celebrity dad from the shortlisted top 15 by registering nominations at www.facebook.com/premierinn with the winner presented with their award at an exclusive presentation ceremony in London on 16th June 2011.

-Ends-

For further information on the event, a photo call notice or celebrity interview requests please contact the team on 020 7693 6999 or email: premierinn@frankpr.it

Notes to editors:

Award-winning Premier Inn is the UK’s biggest hotel brand with over 600 budget hotels and more than 43,000 rooms across the UK and Ireland. Premier Inn bedrooms feature en-suite bathrooms, TV with Freeview, and WiFi internet access. All Premier Inns feature a bar and restaurant; situated inside the hotel or adjacent, offering a wide range of food choices.

In 2008 Premier Inn launched in Dubai and is now open in Bangalore, India. On a domestic front, Premier Inn aims to be the largest provider of budget hotels in London (within the M25) by 2012.

Premier Inn is currently offering rooms for just £29 (restrictions apply). Visit www.premierinn.com for full terms and conditions.

Premier Inn supports WaterAid, the international charity whose mission is to overcome poverty by enabling the world's poorest people to gain access to safe water, sanitation and hygiene education. Premier Inn, as part of Whitbread Hotels and Restaurants, aims to raise £1 million for WaterAid over the next two years. Details can be found at www.wateraid.org/whitbread.

NEWS FROM FOXY BINGO

2011-05-27T11:03:00.002+01:00

Forget Mark: It’s Lauren and Foxy ‘Furever’

Foxy Bingo teams up with ‘The Only Way Is Essex’ star Lauren Goodger to launch new fragrance ‘Furever’

Bushy tailed internet gambling mogul Foxy Bingo unveils his first fragrance this week in partnership with ‘The Only Way Is Essex’ siren Lauren Goodger. The fragrance, ‘Furever,’ was designed with Lauren to help women everywhere unlock their inner vixen.

Created in collaboration with the perfumers behind Katie Price and Calum Best’s signature fragrances, ‘Furever’ is an infusion of fruity and floral tones with a hint of peppermint and a twist of vanilla. For fans who want to get their hands on the pink ‘eau de perfume,’ they will have to either win it at foxybingo.com or purchase it for £19.99 exclusively at gorgeousshop.co.uk.

Lauren Goodger said, “Foxy is a cheeky chappy and I was thrilled when he asked me to help him launch the perfume. I’ve had tons of compliments from people in Essex whenever I’ve worn it on a night out at Sugar Hut. It was great fun playing Posh and Becks for the photo shoot and it makes a nice change to be photographed with someone other than Mark.”

Foxy said, “I host the most popular UK bingo site and Lauren owns Essex glamour, so I always thought we’d make a winning combination. I want to give my foxy fans a fragrance that will help them feel good about themselves and unleash their inner vixen. I think that Lauren and I have come up with a real champ of a perfume in ‘Furever.’”

Foxy Bingo is the most popular online bingo site in the UK and the launch comes as TV’s most famous fox has amassed over one million bingo players on his site. The 100ml bottle is priced at just £19.99, including postage and packing and can be won at www.foxybingo.com, or bought exclusively at www.gorgeousshop.co.uk.

ENDS

For more information please contact Frank PR on
020 7693 6999 / foxy@frankpr.it

Notes to editors

About Foxy Bingo:
Foxy Bingo launched in 2005 and is now one of the biggest names in UK bingo with more than 40 game rooms to play in. Our cards start from just 1p and we give away a whopping £1,000,000 in guaranteed jackpots every month. Join Foxy Bingo today for a special sign up offer of £10 free to play.
About bwin.party:
bwin.party digital entertainment plc is the world’s largest listed online gaming company. The Company was formed from the merger of bwin Interactive Entertainment AG and PartyGaming Plc on 31 March 2011. Incorporated and licensed and regulated in Gibraltar, the Group has over 3,100 employees in offices in Europe, India, Israel and the US and generated total pro forma revenues of €724.1m and pro forma Clean EBITDA of €193.7m in 2009. bwin.party is also licensed in Alderney, France and Italy and commands leading market positions in each of our four key product verticals: online sports betting, poker, casino and bingo with some of the world’s biggest online gaming brands including bwin, PartyPoker, PartyCasino and Foxy Bingo. At the heart of our business, our proprietary software, online gaming platforms and a strong portfolio of games collectively differentiate our customer offer compared with our competitors.

NEWS FROM HOTELS.COM

2011-05-23T13:09:00.001+01:00

Brits set to holiday in Hogwarts?
Fictional tourism on the rise as 70% of Brits mistake fictional television settings for genuine towns!

Thousands of Brits believe the fictional settings of Emmerdale (14%), Albert Square (9%) and Weatherfield (7%) are genuine UK holiday destinations according to research released today by Hotels.com. The hotel expert also found that as holiday-starved Brits lean towards a staycation this summer, over one third (36%) even admitted they wanted to holiday in a number of fictional destinations from Dibley to Downton this summer when questioned.

The survey of 2,000 British adults revealed that as Brits start to plan their summer staycations, fictional destinations are being considered as viable holiday choices. Confusing fiction for fact by favouring the likes of Emmerdale over Eastbourne and Craggy Island over Cromer, Brits also appear bedazzled by the magic of Harry Potter with 6% planning to visit Hogwarts this summer, in addition to Craggy Island (4%) and even Albert Square (4%).

As period dramas enjoy a resurgence, almost one in ten Brits (9%) named Downton Abbey and Pride and Prejudice’s Meryton as real UK holiday hotspots, with 3% considering visiting this summer. Meanwhile, 7% of fans gripped by Midsomer Murders believe that murderous Midsomer is a genuine UK town, with 4% even considering risking their lives with a trip to the fictional destination this holiday season!

Alison Couper, Communications Director at Hotels.com, said: “When planning a staycation, we’d advise Brits get a good old fashioned map out to explore some of the fantastic holiday locations across the country, rather than relying on fictional television destinations – where drama may well follow them!”

The Top Ten most mistaken fictional destinations are:

1. Emmerdale
2. Albert Square
3. Weatherfield
4. Midsomer
5. Craggy Island
6. Hogwarts
7. Downton
8. Hollyoaks
9. Dibley
10. Meryton

-ENDS-

For more information, please call:

Frank PR on 020 7693 6999 or email hotels.com@frankpr.it

Notes to Editors

*The research was carried out between 27.04.11—03.05.11
Sample: 2,000 UK adults
Destination Programme
Emmerdale Emmerdale
Albert Square Eastenders
Weatherfield Coronation Street
Midsomer Midsomer Murders
Craggy Island Father Ted
Hogwarts Harry Potter
Downton Downton Abbey
Hollyoaks Hollyoaks
Dibley Vicar of Dibley
Meryton Pride and Prejudice

About Hotels.com
As part of the Expedia group which operates in all major markets, Hotels.com offers more than 135,000 quality hotels, B&Bs and serviced apartments worldwide. If a customer can find the same deal for less on a prepaid hotel, Hotels.com will match it. Hotels.com benefits from one of the largest hotel contracting teams in the industry negotiating the best rates for its customers, plus there are 2m reviews from users who have actually stayed in the hotels to ensure customers make an informed choice when booking. Hotels.com has recently launched its Welcome Rewards customer loyalty programme in the UK, where customers can earn a free night for every ten nights stayed (subject to Welcome Rewards terms and conditions as set out at www.hotels.com). Hotels.com won the Gold Award for best hotel booking site in Webuser magazine in February 2009. Travellers can book online or by contacting one of the multilingual call centres on 0871 200 0171.

NEWS FROM THE HARD ROCK CAFE

2011-05-23T12:58:00.000+01:00

HARD ROCK CAFE LONDON UNCOVERS RARE BAND AID DEMO
HARD ROCK CAFE, OLD PARK LANE - WEDNESDAY 18 MAY 2011

An original demo of the famous Band Aid single ‘Do The Know It’s Christmas’ was discovered today at the Hard Rock Cafe during the restaurant’s ‘Antiques Rockshow Event’.

The DAT tape was brought in by a member of the public and contains vocals from only Sting and Midge Ure. Sent over from America specifically for valuation by Bonhams at the London event, the tape still plays and is thought to be one of the first ever recordings of the song in existence, recorded during 1984 in Ure’s kitchen.

Estimated that it would auction for over £100,000, the tape was the definite highlight of Hard Rock’s first ever Antiques Rockshow. Today marked the start of the brand’s 40 Days That Rock which celebrates Hard Rock’s 40th birthday and culminates in the three day Hard Rock Calling Festival in Hyde Park. Other activities planned for the celebratory period include a guitar amnesty where the public are encouraged to bring old, used and damaged guitars to be fixed up and given to Barnardo’s for the Rock Stars of the future.

And on 14th June the Old Park Lane establishment will play host to the 1971 menu. The food will be available for the same price it was when the Cafe first opened its doors on 14th June 1971.

Other items uncovered at the Antiques Rockshow include an original signed Sting T Shirt, several Bob Dylan Bootlegs, Roger Daltrey’s signed microphone and an original piece of Pink Floyd stage backdrop. One of the day’s more interesting finds was bought in by Joel McIver of Total Guitar Magazine, a guitar smashed by Dimebag Darrell of heavy metal band Pantera during an interview with the magazine. Dimebag was shot dead on stage in 2004 during a gig in Ohio, USA, only six months after the interview took place. Valuations for the broken guitar came in around £3,000.

-ends-

About Hard Rock International

With a total of 163 venues in 50 countries, including 126 cafes and 15 Hotels/Casinos, Hard Rock International is one of the world's most globally recognized brands. Beginning with an Eric Clapton guitar, Hard Rock owns the world's greatest collection of music memorabilia, which is displayed at its locations around the globe. Hard Rock is also known for its collectible fashion and music-related merchandise, Hard Rock Live performance venues and an award-winning website. In addition to the two flagship Seminole Hard Rock Hotels and Casinos in Tampa and Hollywood, Fla., Hard Rock Hotels/Casinos are located in Las Vegas, Biloxi, Orlando, Chicago, San Diego, Pattaya, Bali, Macau, Penang, Singapore and Punta Cana. Additional hotel and casino projects have been announced in Panama, scheduled to open in 2012; and Hungary, Dubai and Abu Dhabi, scheduled to open in 2013. Hard Rock International is owned by Seminole Hard Rock Entertainment, Inc. For further details on Hard Rock Hotels and Casinos, visit www.hardrockhotels.com. For more information on Hard Rock International, visit www.hardrock.com.

Bonhams, founded in 1793, is one of the world's oldest and largest auctioneers of fine art and antiques. The present company was formed by the merger in November 2001 of Bonhams & Brooks and Phillips Son and Neale UK. In August 2002, the company acquired Butterfields, the principal firm of auctioneers on the West Coast of America. Today, Bonhams offers more sales than any of its rivals, through two major salerooms in London: New Bond Street, and Knightsbridge, and a further five throughout the UK. Sales are also held in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Carmel, New York and Boston in the USA; Toronto, Canada; and France, Monaco, Hong Kong, Australia and Dubai. Bonhams has a worldwide network of offices and regional representatives in 25 countries offering sales advice and valuation services in 57 specialist areas. By the end of 2009, Bonhams had become UK market leaders in ten key specialist collecting areas. For a full listing of upcoming sales, plus details of Bonhams specialist departments, go to www.bonhams.com (May 2010).

For further information please contact:

Frank PR– 0207 693 6999

NEWS FROM LAUGHING COW

2011-05-23T12:33:00.002+01:00

Amoosing: Study Concludes Cows Can Laugh

A unique experiment into bovine behaviour has today revealed that cows have a sense of humour and even display signs of laughter. The study combining cattle and comedy, thought to be the first of its kind, was conducted by The Laughing Cow together with award-winning comedian Milton Jones and leading independent cow expert, Bruce Woodacre.

The Can Cows Laugh? experiment, commissioned by The Laughing Cow, included a mixture of both observational and experimental research. Mock the Week and BBC Radio 4 comedian Milton took to a field to deliver an absherd comedy set to test the reaction of a field of Hertfordshire Fresians. The Pull the Udder One set, written exclusively for the experiment and featuring a range of both visual and verbal one liners, puns and jokes was performed to a packed herd – with Bruce able to closely monitor their reactions.

Despite recent research finding that only 11% of Brits believe that cows can laugh and 40% stating cows don’t have a sense of humour, Cambridge graduate and world renowned cow expert Bruce said: “Milton’s comedy definitely provoked a visible reaction from the herd. Cows are intelligent and naturally inquisitive animals with a strong social awareness and they’re capable of a range of emotions. It’s clear that most of them were engaged by Milton and displayed behaviour that suggests they were either amused by him… or they were mocking him!”

Bruce added “After over 40 years of studying the behaviour of cows across the world, I know that happy cows are more productive cows and there’s a chance we’ve stumbled across something here! Most of the herd crowded closely round the stage and jostled for a good position. They had their mouths open and their ears laid back, indicating that they were relaxed and content. Not everyone was entertained though – I definitely heard some low heckling moos and there were even a few walk-outs.”

Of his unique performance, Milton said, ‘Writing comedy for cows was very different to my day job but a comedian plays to his audience, so I wrote a raft of new material to really get under their hides. They were a tough crowd to begin with, although I’ve played to tougher, and whilst I tried not to milk it too much when I was up there, in the end I can say hand on heart they were udderly brilliant!”

Fiona Riches, Senior Brand manager at Bel UK said, “As the UK's most popular cheese triangle, The Laughing Cow is an iconic and much-loved character. We pride ourselves in going the extra mile to create the tastiest cheese, which is ‘Made with Laughter’. We’ve always believed that cows could laugh, so we got Milton and Bruce together to prove our theory and had a lot of fun in the process.”

Milton’s Pull the Udder One comedy videos are now available to view later this week on facebook.com/thelaughingcowuk, together with Bruce Woodacre’s analysis. The Laughing Cow campaign comes as the cheese brand unveils its latest 3D animated ‘High Farm’ TV ad bringing to life The Laughing Cow and a host of new characters as they have fun making their tasty cheese triangles.

- ENDS -

Notes to Editors

Research was conducted amongst 2,000 adults by 72 point between 5th May and 6th May 2011
Bruce Woodacre –Independent consultant cow expert - http://cowexpert.com/

About Laughing Cow:

The cheese revolution!

Our story began in France in 1921, when our company's founders Leon and Jules Bel invented The Laughing Cow ("La Vache Qui Rit") and in doing so created a whole new way of eating cheese.

As the first cheese spread to be packaged in individual foil portions, The Laughing Cow was a revolutionary product and stayed fresher for longer. Such was the importance of this innovation, our easy open foil wrapping technology remains top secret to this day.

The design icon

The Laughing Cow was registered as a trademark by Leon Bel in 1921, making The Laughing Cow, France's very first branded cheese — quite an honour in the cheese capital of the world!

In 1924 his friend, the famous illustrator Benjamin Rabier, created and designed a laughing cow caricature for the packaging and this remains relatively unchanged to this very day. This famous icon now adorns not only our packaging, but has inspired different artists, from graphic designers and comic strip authors to movie makers around the world.

The world phenomenon

Today The Laughing Cow is the UK's most popular cheese triangle and is loved in over 120 countries worldwide. The name has also been localised in some countries just to make sure everybody knows who our hero is.

Ten million portions of The Laughing Cow are enjoyed each day around the world — that’s a jaw-dropping 4,600 every minute and piled one on top of the other, they would be as high as 500 Eiffel towers!

About the Advert:

The 3D animated ‘High Farm’ advertising creative, breaks during ‘Britain’s Got Talent’ on Sunday 29th May. The advert introduces the charming and eccentric assortment of High Farm cow characters tasked with creating The Laughing Cow cheese triangles, accompanied by a modern and dynamic soundtrack. From collecting milk and producing wheels of cheese to cutting, melting and casting the individual portions, they come together expectantly at the final tasting to hear the verdict of The Laughing Cow herself. Developed by Mac Guff, whose credits include Universal Studios ‘Despicable Me’, and directed by Oscar-nominated Samuel Tourneux; the incredible 3D animation took four months of work involving 25 graphic artists and over 120,000 hours of calculation.

NEWS FROM GROLSCH

2011-05-09T14:24:00.004+01:00

Trainspotting might have been 15 years ago but we can still remember the shock vibrations that the film caused when it was released. Plus, we still have the poster rolled up somewhere under the bed.

Break away star of that film, Ewan McGregor, was with us last night at the Opening Night of the 54th San Francisco International Film Festival where his new film, Beginners was screened. We were very pleased the Scot made time for a chat with us, and joined the antics with Grolsch at the after-party, especially as he didn't even make the screening of the movie itself, dashing in instead from a delayed flight from France to the post-film Q&A.

We also spoke to the director of Beginners, Mike Mills. We loved his 2005 film Thumbsucker and asked him why he always makes films about his own life.

Afterwards it was back to the Opening Night party at San Francisco's awesome TERRA Gallery. If you were there, let us know.

Join us on grolschfilmworks.com

NEWS FROM HOVIS

2011-04-26T12:03:00.006+01:00

BRITS DON’T BUY BRITISH, YET!

Research reveals 91% of Brits think it’s important to buy British despite less than one in ten (6%) always going out of their way to do so

The Royal Wedding and the Olympics might be inspiring a wave of national pride but the vast majority of Brits are less patriotic when it comes to their food purchases, according to research released today by Hovis. The study1, involving 2,000 British adults, reveals that nine out of ten people (91%) think it’s important to buy British produce, but only 6% always go out of their way to do so. In fact, many Brits still remain in the dark about the origins of their food with only one in ten (11%) knowing exactly where the food on their table comes from.

British means quality
The research, commissioned by Hovis to promote the use of 100% British Wheat across its range², also revealed that there is real positivity for buying British produce with 77% of Brits claiming they would be more likely to buy something if they knew it was a British food product, and 28% admitting British produce tastes better than food that’s imported.

Confusion over origin
Amidst increasing debate over food miles and where our food comes from, 63% of those surveyed stated they genuinely care about their food’s origin. However, knowledge around origin is somewhat confused as although a third of us (33%) associate bread with being British, as little as five per cent of us actually think to buy British bread, with meat tops the list of British-bought produce (41%), followed by less than 20% specifically who look out for British fruit and vegetables.

National Divide
Londoners are the least interested in the origin of the food they eat, whilst the Welsh the most patriotic about British-sourced food as almost three quarters (71%) state they genuinely care about origin. Residents in the South East are three times more likely to try and source British food than those in the North East, whilst almost half (47%) of those in the West Midlands always try to source British food.

Age also appears to be a deciding factor as those aged 55 and over are the most conscious about the origin of their food, in contrast to two thirds (67%) of under 18s who admit to never checking food labels.

Supported by TV presenter and farmer Jimmy Doherty, the 100% British Wheat campaign celebrates the hard work and endeavour of British wheat farmers and encourages the nation to ‘Eat British Wheat’, as 90% of the nation lack knowledge of where the wheat in the bread they purchase comes from.

Jimmy said: “It’s great to be part of a campaign that champions British food and most of all supports our farmers. Historically, to get the best quality wheat it needed to be sourced from overseas and that didn’t seem right to Hovis. They have spent six years working with 450 farmers to grow the best quality wheat right here in Britain and now are the only major national bread brand that uses 100% British Wheat across its range². It’s clear that people don’t realise the source of their food, or may even consider for something like bread that it could be made with flour milled from imported wheat. As a farmer myself, I know how important it is to invest in British farming – not only for the British economy but also our fantastic British countryside. It’s clear that consumers want to buy British, and Hovis are giving consumers an everyday easy way to do so.”

To find out more about the Hovis 100% British Wheat campaign, log onto www.facebook.com/hovisbakery
-Ends-

NEWS FROM GYMBOX

2011-04-26T10:10:00.005+01:00

IT’S A ROYAL WORKOUT!
- GYMBOX employs heirs to the throne to lead their latest exercise class -

As the nation gears itself up for the royal wedding, gym chain GYMBOX is allowing the common man, and woman, the chance to get in royal shape, by taking part in a work-out led by genuine Royalty. Heirs to the throne, Ellen and Amy Lascelles, 56th and 57th in line respectively, have been leading the ‘Royal Workout’ exercise class, which is currently running at GYMBOX gyms throughout April.

The exercise class, designed by GYMBOX’s top trainers with consultation from the ‘Royals,’ will ensure fat burning and toning via a mixture of cardio and weight-lifting over the 45 minute session. The first half of the class will involve a dance workout featuring some of Queen and Prince’s greatest hits followed by a toning session where gym goers will be able to banish bingo wings by practising the royal wave. The last element will involve weight-lifting 10kg dumbbells to replicate the weight of an average royal corgi. Gym goers keen to attend the class can book their slot at www.gymbox.co.uk.

Ellen and Amy are also joined by Peter Lidell-Grainger, who although at 335th in line to throne, is unlikely to ever feel the weight of the crown upon his head, has lent his regal expertise to the workout.

Amy Lascelles, granddaughter of George Lascelles the 7th Earl of Harewood, commented; “I am honoured to be working with GYMBOX on their ‘Royal Workout’. We’ve created the classes to give a great workout royal style so hopefully everyone in the class will have a good time. The workout includes some very polished push-ups and chivalrous crunches. It’s everything a person could need to create a physique that’s the envy of every aristocrat.”

Richard Hilton, MD of GYMBOX added; “We wanted to offer our members the chance to get in touch with their royal self and what a better way to do it then get in some blue-blooded instructors? The class is not only jolly good fun, but has been designed with some of our top trainers, ensuring a really thorough work-out for everyone who comes along.”

- ENDS -

FOR MORE INFORMATION OR IMAGERY PLEASE CONTACT FRANK PR

NEWS FROM ALTON TOWERS

2011-04-26T10:02:00.003+01:00

To have and to gold

The Alton Towers Resort unveil their unique wedding gift to Prince William and Catherine Middleton – a 24-carat gilded carriage of THI3TEEN, the world’s first free fall drop coaster

Everyone knows that marriage has its ups and downs but when Kate and Will tie the knot on April 29th the adage will take on quite a different meaning as they receive the unique wedding gift. The carriage, the only one of its kind in the world, is available for the royal couple’s exclusive use when they visit the Resort in Staffordshire.

Coined the ‘Royaller-Coaster’ by staff, the carriage has over 20 square meters of 24-carat gold plating and will be housed away from public view. Despite the royal couple asking for no gifts on their wedding day, the Resort hopes to encourage future royal attendance with the gift. Princess Anne, Prince Andrew and Prince Edward have previously visited the Resort, hosting ‘It’s a Royal Knockout’ at the Theme Park in 1987.

Britain’s Greatest Escape will be showing the royal wedding live on a giant screen on the front lawn of the popular theme park, serving traditional British favourites Pimm’s, as well as strawberries & cream to toast the eagerly anticipated event. A two day ticket for a family of four to Britain’s Greatest Escape is £104.00 plus VAT, visit www.altontowers.com for further information.

NEWS FROM PREMIER INN

2011-04-19T11:43:00.003+01:00

CELEBRATE THE ROYAL WEDDING WITH ROYAL BED-DING

It’s every girls dream to wake up next to a Prince and the opportunity of
Premier Inn’s ‘Royal Bed-ding’ gives you the chance to do just that.

Designed to celebrate the Royal Wedding, the UK’s biggest budget hotel chain is giving guests in certain London Premier Inn sites* the chance to wake up as Prince William and Kate Middleton by printing images of the Royal couple’s bodies onto a limited selection of duvets at Premier Inn hotels in the capital city.

The duvets will feature printed images from the neck down of Prince William and Kate Middleton and all guests need to do is to get into bed, line their head with the printed bodies and then they can be the future King and Queen for the night.

Steve Conway, Premier Inn spokesman says, “We like to treat our guests like Royalty at every opportunity. Now some of our guests can enjoy a great night’s sleep and wake up as a future King or Queen.”

-Ends-

For further information, please contact Sara Lincoln or Hannah Calder-Bundy on
0207 693 6999 or email premierinn@frankpr.it

*The Royal Bed-ding is a limited offer and will only be available on the evening of 28th April 2011 at selected Premier Inn Central London sites on a first come, first served basis. The bedding request must be submitted prior to 22 April 2011 at enquiry@premierinn.com

Terms and conditions for Premier Inn Royal Bed-ding
1. This limited offer is available on a strictly first-come, first-served basis by Premier Inn guests wanting Royal Bed-ding on the evening of 28th April 2011.
2. The Premier Inn Royal bed-ding request must be submitted by the 22nd April 2011 and requests can only be made online via enquiry@premierinn.com
3. When making a request, the following information must be given:
a. Name
b. Contact telephone number as well as e-mail address
c. Preferred selected site for booking
4. Email notification with a reference number will be sent to you if your request is successful in securing the bedding within 48 hours of making your request
5. Royal bed-ding is available at the following 5 selected Premier Inn hotels only and is subject to availability, with two royal bed-dings available at each of 5 selected hotels: London Southwark, Bankside, 34 Park Street, London, SE1 9EF, United Kingdom; London King’s Cross St. Pancras, 26-30 York Way, Kings Cross, London, N1 9AA, United Kingdom; London Victoria, 82-83 Eccleston Square, Off 55 Gillingham Street, London Victoria, SW1V 1PS, United Kingdom, London County Hall, Belvedere Road, London, SE1 7PB, United Kingdom and London Heathrow Airport (Bath Road), 15 Bath Road, Hounslow, Middlesex, TW6 2AB
6. Premier Inn cannot accept responsibility for any error, omission, interruption, deletion, defect, delay in operation or transmission, communications line failure, theft, destruction, alteration of or unauthorized access to submitted enquiries or enquiries lost, damaged or delayed as a result of server functions, technical issues, virus, bugs or other causes outside Premier Inn’s control
7. Premier Inn reserves the right to disqualify any submitted request if it has reasonable grounds to believe such entry may have breached any of these terms and conditions
8. Premier Inn has the right to amend or withdraw this package without notice
9. The bedding is not available to employees of Whitbread Group plc, Premier Inn, Whitbread Restaurants, or Costa brands, or anyone professionally connected with the promotion

Notes to editors:
Award-winning Premier Inn is the UK’s biggest budget hotel brand with over 600 budget hotels and more than 43,000 rooms across the UK and Ireland. Premier Inn bedrooms feature en-suite bathrooms, TV with Freeview channels, and WiFi internet access. All Premier Inns feature a bar and restaurant; situated inside the hotel or adjacent, offering a wide range of food choices.

In 2008 Premier Inn launched in Dubai and is now also open in India. On a domestic front, Premier Inn aims to be the largest provider of budget hotels within the M25 area by 2012.

Premier Inn supports WaterAid, the international charity whose mission is to overcome poverty by enabling the world's poorest people to gain access to safe water, sanitation and hygiene education. Premier Inn, as part of Whitbread Hotels and Restaurants, aims to raise £1 million for WaterAid over the next two years. Details can be found at www.wateraid.org/whitbread

NEWS FROM PREMIER INN

2011-04-04T17:51:00.002+01:00

Lenny Stars in Local Opening (At Premier Inn Stratford-upon-Avon)

Lenny Henry was in Stratford-upon-Avon this weekend to mark the official opening of Premier Inn’s newest hotel in the city.

The hotel opening sees an investment of £8.5 million into the city’s economy and over 25 jobs created for the local community.

Lenny joined the new hotel’s General Manager, Matt Warrick, in cutting the ribbon to mark the opening of the hotel and then released 100 purple balloons to celebrate the grand opening.

Located on Payton Street, the new hotel is just a short walk from the High Street and Shakespeare’s birthplace, and features 87 bedrooms priced from only £29 per night.

Matt Warrick, General Manager of Stratford-upon-Avon Premier Inn says, ‘Having Lenny here to celebrate the opening of the hotel was a real honour and we can’t wait to start welcoming guests to enjoy either a meal or a comfortable night’s stay with us.’

Lenny Henry said, “I am delighted to be opening the latest edition to the Premier Inn collection at Stratford-upon-Avon. I have been travelling around the UK on my current comedy tour and staying at Premier Inn along the way. I look forward to adding Stratford-upon-Avon to the list.”

Each bedroom caters for up to two adults and two children (aged 15 and under) and includes an en-suite bathroom; a king size bed; remote control TV with freeview; tea/coffee making facilities, and a spacious desk area with WiFi Internet access. The site will also offer the All You Can Eat ‘Premier Breakfast’ – which from just £7.99 is the perfect way to start your day!

Premier Inn offers all guests the unique ’Good Night Guarantee’ – which means if you are not 100% satisfied with your stay you will get a full refund.

-Ends-
For further information please contact Frank PR on
on 0207 693 6999 or email premierinn@frankpr.it

Notes to Editors:

About Premier Inn … Award-winning Premier Inn is the UK’s biggest hotel brand with over 600 budget hotels and more than 42,000 rooms across the UK and Ireland. Premier Inn bedrooms feature en-suite bathrooms, TV with Freeview, and WiFi internet access. All Premier Inns feature a bar and restaurant; situated inside the hotel or adjacent, offering a wide range of food choices.

In 2008 Premier Inn launched in Dubai and is now open in Bangalore, India. On a domestic front, Premier Inn aims to be the largest provider of budget hotels in London (within the M25) by 2012.

Premier Inn is currently offering rooms for just £29 (restrictions apply). Visit www.premierinn.com for full terms and conditions.

Premier Inn supports WaterAid, the international charity whose mission is to overcome poverty by enabling the world's poorest people to gain access to safe water, sanitation and hygiene education. Premier Inn, as part of Whitbread Hotels and Restaurants, aims to raise £1 million for WaterAid over the next two years. Details can be found at www.wateraid.org/whitbread.

NEWS FROM OCADO

2011-04-01T11:49:00.001+01:00

ONLINE GROCER ACCOMPLISHES FRUITY AMBITION WITH LAUNCH OF O-CADO

Ocado, the online supermarket, is giving Britons a new taste experience with the launch of what it hopes will become ‘the world’s sexiest fruit’ - the ‘O-cado.’
The curvaceous fruit is a cross between a Navel orange and Hass avocado, combining the orange’s rugged skin, with a luscious, fleshy yellow and lime green interior. The sensuous pear-shaped fruit also combines the avocado’s signature rich ‘buttery’ taste with an unusual citric undertone guaranteed to tickle the taste buds of fruit adventurists. Rich in Vitamins C and E, the ‘O-cado’ has been proven to boost and sustain energy levels when eaten.

The ‘O-cado’ has been in development at a sustainable Fruit and Vegetable Improvement Centre in California for the past five years, American cross-pollination experts having developed over 100 prototypes before the finished sample was sent for food safety certification.

The bespoke fruit is a welcome addition to the Ocado Range, an extensive selection of great value, own-brand goods first launched in September 2010. The ‘O-cado’ will fulfil the online supermarket’s long-held ambition to create a unique product that it can proudly put its name to.

Ocado co-founder Jason Gissing says:

“People often ask me ‘what does Ocado mean’ and ‘where does it come from’? At last we can point to something and tell them that our business is named after what is quite possibly ‘the world’s sexiest fruit’. The O-cado has been at the forefront of our minds for the past decade - part orange, part avocado, and totally delicious!”
The ‘O-cado’ will be available exclusively to Ocado customers from April 1st, priced at £3.49 for a pack of two.

ENDS

For further information contact: Frank PR Tel: 020 7693 7496

Notes to Editors:
About Ocado:
Ocado (http://www.ocado.com) was established in 2000, started trading in 2002 and is now one of Britain’s leading online supermarkets. Ocado operates a centralised distribution model which means that it does not rely upon a network of stores from which to service customers. Ocado delivers over 21,000 product lines including Waitrose goods and a growing Ocado own-label range. In June 2010, it scooped Online Retailer of the Year at The Grocer Gold Awards 2010 and Customer Technology of the Year at the BT Retail Week Technology Awards 2010. In October 2010 it was named World E-tailer of the Year at the prestigious World Retail Awards.

NEWS FROM FOXY BINGO CELEBRITY MUM OF THE YEAR

2011-03-29T16:12:00.003+01:00

STACEY ADDS ANOTHER CROWN TO THE CABINET
Stacey Solomon is named Foxy Bingo Celebrity Mum of the Year 2011

London (March 29th, 2011), after an outstanding few weeks in the media spotlight, the nation’s favourite single mum, Stacey Solomon, has today been awarded the coveted crown of Foxy Bingo Celebrity Mum of the Year by the British public.

The down-to-earth Dagenham girl seems to have hit the right note with the public as she fought of stiff competition from a host of famous mums including her 2009 X Factor mentor Dannii Minogue and last year’s winner Holly Willoughby. Aussie based Dannii was hot on Stacey’s heels in the voting until the final few days when Brits plumped for home grown talent and loveable Stacey stole the number one spot.

Despite a well publicised comeback Kerry Katona, who has won the award twice previously, seems yet to win the public support she craves, finishing 8th. The blow comes just days after Stacey was announced as the new face of frozen food chain Iceland – a role Kerry previously fulfilled until 2009.

Stacey, who juggles her career with being a mum to three year old Zachery, stole the nation’s heart when she was crowned Queen of the Jungle on ITV’s popular reality show, I’m a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here, earlier this year. The star whose support from the public appears to be going from strength to strength has also been signed alongside Vernon Kay to star in her own quiz show.

Noel Rowse, Managing Director, Foxy Bingo said: “We are delighted to announce Stacey as the winner of the Foxy Bingo Celebrity Mum Award for 2011. She is a down to earth person who is in the spotlight for the right reasons. Her attitude towards work, spending quality time with Zachary, and her likeability factor has clearly struck a chord with the voters. She is a wonderful role model for mothers faced with the difficulties of juggling work/life pressures and we at Foxy Bingo congratulate her on her fantastic achievements”

The top ten celebrity mums are as follows:
1. Stacey Solomon
2. Dannii Minogue
3. Holly Willoughby
4. Amanda Holden
5. Katie Price
6. Coleen Nolan
7. Victoria Beckham
8. Kerry Katona
9. Kym Marsh
10. Billie Piper

-Ends-

For further information on the award or images please contact the team on 020 7693 6999 or email: celebritymum2011@frankpr.it

Notes to Editors:
• To place a bet with Party Bets please visit: https://www.partybets.com/bets.ap?sportName=specials&sport=15826

NEWS FROM LORD SUGAR

2011-03-23T17:59:00.003Z

Lord Sugar's reaction to the budget

“The fact that I have a private jet has prompted many media enquiries on today’s budget announcement that users are to now pay passenger duty.

I have tried to understand the message behind it but like most others I find it rather weak and inconclusive. I have concluded it is merely a window-dressing publicity stunt. If ever there was a statement to try to bring the public on side how better to put it than in the way the Chancellor stated:

“We will also seek to bring private jets, which pay no duty at all, into the scope of taxation. The wealthiest should not escape the tax the ordinary holidaymaker has to pay”

I hope people see through this PR stunt, the general meaning of which is “We are going to whack the rich and look after the poor.” But in fact the revenue on private flights, based on the same duties paid by holidaymakers, will not add up to a row of beans when you consider private flight passengers number a few thousand annually compared to the many millions of passengers on commercial flights.

In fact, I will go as far as to say that annual revenues collected for private flight passengers would hardly be enough to pay for private flights like the ones taken by William Hague a few weeks ago to North Africa, where he spent £300k of tax payer’s money for reasons only he understands.

Might I also say that an owner of a private jet has paid for it themselves out of tax-paid income. They also employ staff like pilots and engineers to maintain their aircraft - again out of tax paid income - and the proposal is that to fly on it one has to pay some tax again. What PR stunt are we to expect next? That anyone who owns a Rolls Royce or a Range Rover has to pay for every passenger they carry on every journey?”

NEWS FROM FOXY BINGO CELEBRITY MUM OF THE YEAR

2011-03-18T12:39:00.005Z

Celebrity Royal Grandma of the Year?

The Queen reigns over celebrity mums in the race to be crowned Foxy Bingo Celebrity Mum of the Year 2011

London March 17, 2011 - EARLY FIGURES released by Foxy Bingo Celebrity Mum of the Year 2011 show HRH Elizabeth II is ruling the race to be crowned Queen of Celebrity Mums – with two weeks to go she is well ahead of Coleen Rooney and Samantha Cameron, to name a few.

The news will come as a blow to Coleen Rooney who in the past year has faced near marital collapse and her TV show being axed. Now the most famous Grandma in the country is beating her in the Celebrity Mum polls too.

A spokesperson for Foxy Bingo Celebrity Mum of the Year 2011, said: “Coleen really does need a boost in the nation’s popularity polls.

“She’s had a tough year and there must be plenty of people out there rooting for her!

“There has been a surge of popularity for the Queen - which must be down to the current tide of positivity towards all members of the monarchy.

“If the Queen wins she would be our first Grandma to take the award - it would be exciting to imagine the trophy on the mantelpiece at Buckingham Palace!”

Odds from PartyGaming currently put HRH at 20/1, while Coleen Rooney, who is lagging behind in the voting polls, is still the bookies favourite at 3/1.

The www.foxybingo.com/celebmum website has been inundated with visitors since voting for the much anticipated title of Foxy Bingo Celebrity Mum of the Year opened on Tuesday 9th March and the nominations continue to flood in.

Members of the public have until 11.59pm on Sunday 27th March to nominate the celebrity mum they want to win at www.foxybingo.com/celebmum and the winner will be announced at an exclusive presentation ceremony at the Renaissance London, Chancery Court Hotel on 30th March.

The celebrity mums competing for this year’s coveted award are (in alphabetical order):
Foxy Bingo Celebrity Mum of the Year 2011
Award Shortlist Foxy Bingo Celebrity Mum of the Year 2011 Party Bets.com Odds
1 Amanda Holden 13/2
2 Billie Piper 20/1
3 Charlotte Church 25/1
4 Coleen Nolan 25/1
5 Coleen Rooney 3/1
6 Danielle Lineker 20/1
7 Danielle Lloyd 16/1
8 Dannii Minogue 12/1
9 Elen Rives 25/1
10 Holly Willoughby 5/1
11 Katie Price 16/1
12 Kerry Katona 33/1
13 Kym Marsh 33/1
14 Miriam Clegg 14/1
15 Myleene Klass 8/1
16 Queen Elizabeth II 20/1
17 Rachel Stevens 14/1
18 Samantha Cameron 12/1
19 Stacey Solomon 8/2
20 Victoria Beckham 12/1

- ends –
For further information on the event, a photo call notice and celebrity interview requests please contact the team on 020 7693 6999
or email: celebritymum2011@frankpr.it

Notes to Editors:
• To place a bet with Party Bets please visit: https://www.partybets.com/bets.ap?sportName=specials&sport=15826

NEWS FROM FOXY BINGO CELEBRITY MUM OF THE YEAR

2011-03-18T12:37:00.003Z

ALL THE SINGLE LADIES

Foxy Bingo Celebrity Mum of the Year 2011 recognises the nation’s single mums
in this year’s race for the title

Celebrity mums are flying the flag for single parents across Britain with a record number in this year’s shortlist, for the coveted Foxy Bingo Celebrity Mum of the Year Award 2011. Recognised for the way they have coped with single parenthood, as well as the pressures of stardom.

Kerry Katona, Charlotte Church, Danielle Lloyd, Elen Rives, Stacey Solomon and Katie Price have been celebrated by the public for their achievements as single mothers, overcoming the hardships that come with juggling fame and family life, and are now in the running to be crowned Foxy Bingo Celebrity Mum of the Year.

Britain’s reigning Celebrity Dad of the Year, Peter Andre, has been influencing the women in his life with his parenting skills, as three of his former flames are tipped for the top spot. Elen Rives, Pete’s latest love, has made this year’s shortlist along with come-back queen Kerry Katona and ex-wife Katie Price, who is back in the running after having missed out on last year’s nominations.

For the first time in the history of the award, and in the midst of the Royal Wedding, Queen Elizabeth II has also made the shortlist. Danielle Lineker is another surprise nomination, as the first step-mum to be up for the award, while Miriam Clegg joins Samantha Cameron in the polls race. Will this be the year of the first Celebrity Mum of the Year coalition, or will the House of Windsor take the title?

Last year’s winner Holly Willoughby who won the award due to her fun-loving nature and warm personality has once again made the shortlist along with fellow TV favourites Myleene Klass and Dannii Minogue.

Voting is now open for the prestigious award which is in its 11th year. Log on to www.foxybingo.com/celebmum to cast your vote for this year’s winner from a shortlist of 20.

The celebrity mums competing for this year’s coveted award are (in alphabetical order):

Foxy Bingo Celebrity Mum of the Year 2011
Award Shortlist Foxy Bingo Celebrity Mum of the Year 2011 Party Bets.com Odds

1 Amanda Holden 4/1
2 Billie Piper 20/1
3 Charlotte Church 20/1
4 Coleen Nolan 25/1
5 Coleen Rooney 12/1
6 Danielle Lineker 20/1
7 Danielle Lloyd 16/1
8 Dannii Minogue 8/1
9 Elen Rives 25/1
10 Holly Willoughby 3/1
11 Katie Price 16/1
12 Kerry Katona 25/1
13 Kym Marsh 25/1
14 Miriam Clegg 12/1
15 Myleene Klass 10/1
16 Queen Elizabeth II 16/1
17 Rachel Stevens 16/1
18 Samantha Cameron 8/1
19 Stacey Solomon 13/2
20 Victoria Beckham 10/1

The www.foxybingo.com/celebmum website has been inundated with visitors since the nominations opened last week and celebrity mums from the world of fashion, reality TV and the cabinet have all been shortlisted by the public.

The official Foxy Celebrity Mum of the Year 2011 Award aims to reward Britain’s best loved celebrity mum, who has impressed the public with her ability to juggle a hectic life in the spotlight while coping with the demands of parenting.

Members of the public have until 11.59pm on Sunday 27th March to nominate the celebrity mum they want to win at www.foxybingo.com/celebmum. The winner will be presented with her award at an exclusive presentation ceremony at the Renaissance London, Chancery Court Hotel on 30th March.

- ends –

For further information on the event, a photo call notice and celebrity interview requests please contact the team on 020 7693 6999
or email: celebritymum2011@frankpr.it

Notes to Editors:
• To place a bet with Party Bets please visit: https://www.partybets.com/bets.ap?sportName=specials&sport=15826

NEWS FROM NPOWER

2011-03-18T12:14:00.002Z

BEN FOGLE MAKES A SPLASH WITH NEW CAMPAIGN TO INSPIRE UK ‘GREENAGERS’
npower launches the annual Climate Cops SOS campaign, to reward kids for improving their local environment

THURSDAY 17TH MARCH – Ben Fogle cuts a striking resemblance to Colin Firth in the iconic still from the BBC’s adaptation of Pride and Prejudice after performing a ‘jog-and-dip’ – the fully clothed lake diving initiation that winners of npower’s Climate Cops SOS campaign will face later this year.

The campaign is an annual competition for schoolkids to prove their eco credentials, by running a project to help the environment in their local area. As a reward, npower will give the most deserving kids the chance to spend time with Ben Fogle at a weeklong residential Green Course run by The Outward Bound Trust at one of their centres in the Lake District.

As well as the ‘jog-and-dip’ Ben Fogle-style, the kids will embark on a range of adventurous activities, from fell walking to canoeing, giving them the chance to learn more about the great outdoors, live with minimum environmental impact and build their eco-consciousness at the same time.

Ben Fogle said:

“It’s been such fun to experience what the winners of npower’s Climate Cops SOS will face when they first arrive at The Outward Bound Trust’s Ullswater centre – it really is throwing them in at the deep end!

“It is so important that young people are introduced to green initiatives and rewarded in an inspiring and creative way; there are adventurous ways of being green!

“npower’s Climate Cops SOS gives young people the chance to make a real change in their community as well as taking part in a week of adventurous and challenging activities requiring their own energy and nothing more.”

Clare McDougall, npower’s head of education and community, said:

“Each and every year we’re impressed and inspired by the innovative and imaginative ideas the nation’s ‘greenagers’ come up with to improve the environment in their area.

“With past npower Climate Cops SOS teens making their school litter free or getting wasted food recycled, cleaning up local rivers or organising car share schemes; we’re expecting great things from 2011’s contenders and know we won’t be disappointed.

“An adventure with Ben Fogle is a dream come true for would-be adventurers and any teenager with a love for the great outdoors, so competition is sure to be tough!”

‘Greenagers’ can enter by visiting www.npower.com/climatecops.

-ENDS-

For further information, images or interviews with Ben Fogle and npower representatives please contact the npower press office at Frank:
npower@frankpr.it or 020 7693 6999

Notes to Editors:

About the npower Climate Cops Programme
In its fourth year, npower’s Climate Cops programme inspires children aged 4-14 to make positive differences to the environment – showing them how to take action (both at home and school) to use energy more efficiently. npower provides a combination of ‘green makeovers’ for schools including free energy audits, helping to implement tailor made energy efficiency measures to reduce their carbon footprint and helping children learn how to be greener.

npower’s Climate Cops programme has won an array of prestigious awards including; The IVCA Clarion – Climate Change Communication Award, a ‘Gold’ Green Apple Award from the Green Organisation and the Environment Utility Industry Achievement Award. The awards are not-for-profit and recognise best practice in communicating the importance of CSR, sustainable development, social inclusion and ethical debate. And in 2010, Climate Cops has been awarded a Marketing Week Award and a Big Tick from Business in the Community.
http://www.ivca.org/ivca/live/news/2008/2008-ivca-clarion-award-winners.html

About npower
• npower is one of the UK's largest electricity suppliers and has 6.6 million customer accounts across the UK.
• npower sponsors The Football League
• npower has been awarded platinum status in Business in the Community’s CR Index and is one of twenty-nine companies to have achieved the CommunityMark since its launch. All CommunityMark achievers have been recognised for demonstrating excellence in their holistic and strategic approach to community investment.
About The Outward Bound Trust
The Outward Bound Trust is an educational charity which raises over £5m a year in order to make an Outward Bound® course available to up to 27,000 young people a year. Money raised by The Outward Bound Trust enables children and young adults to take part in residential experiential learning courses where adventurous outdoor activities inspire and encourage them to learn about respect for themselves, their peers, nature and the environment. Outdoor skills and adventures such as: canoeing, orienteering, cutter sailing, abseiling, raft building, gorge walking and overnight camping expeditions, help to develop key skills such as team building, self-confidence and personal responsibility, in a safe yet challenging and educationally structured format. Every year more than 60% of all participants are supported by The Outward Bound Trust’s bursary scheme. Monies raised by The Outward Bound Trust come from a combination of individual private donations, corporate support, trusts and foundations, and various fundraising activities and events.
Please visit www.outwardboundtrust.org.uk

®Outward Bound and the Compass Rose are each registered trademarks of The Outward Bound Trust.

NEWS FROM BEATBULLYING

2011-03-16T12:55:00.002Z

BEATBULLYING CONFIRMED AS BENEFICIARIES OF THE ROYAL WEDDING CHARITABLE GIFT FUND

London March 16th, 2011 – Prince William and Miss Catherine Middleton have set up a charitable gift fund for those who very generously may wish to donate to charity to help the couple celebrate their wedding.
Having been touched by the goodwill shown them since the announcement of their engagement, Prince William and Miss Middleton have asked that anyone who might wish to give them a wedding gift consider giving instead to a charitable fund.
St James’s Palace has today confirmed Beatbullying as one of the charities to be recipients of the wedding gift donations.
Beatbullying is a leading children’s charity, working with young people to create a world where bullying, violence and harassment are unacceptable.
The charity focuses its campaigning around tackling bullying and child-on-child violence, training young people to become CyberMentors, equipped with skills to deliver mentoring support to their peers both off and online. CyberMentors is an award-winning peer mentoring social networking site, which to date has supported over one million children and young people.
Involvement with the Charitable Gift Fund will support Beatbullying’s mission to deliver its vital bullying prevention programmes – helping the one in three young people who experience bullying – and continue its work empowering young people to understand, recognise, and say no to bullying, violence and harassment.
Emma-Jane Cross, founder and CEO of Beatbullying says:
“Beatbullying is delighted to be working with the Charitable Gift Fund and greatly appreciates HRH Prince William and Miss Catherine Middleton’s kind acknowledgement of our charity and the work we strive to do.
“We hope this partnership will help Beatbullying’s message resonate worldwide – that we all need to protect our children and young people who are often the most vulnerable in society.
“Monies raised through the fund will enable Beatbullying to increase its provision of support to the victims of bullying and their families, expanding our peer mentoring social networking site www.cybermentors.org.uk, supporting those being bullied as well as working with those who bully to help change their behaviour.
“Our research shows that one in three children have been bullied – this is unacceptable, but together we can stop this.”
For more information about the Charitable Gift Fund and to make a donation go to www.royalweddingcharityfund.org

For further information, interviews, access to high resolution imagery and statistics please contact:

Frank PR – beatbullying@frankpr.it | 0207 693 6999

ENDS

NOTES TO EDITORS
Beatbullying is the UK's leading bullying prevention charity, creating a world where bullying, child on child violence and harassment are unacceptable. Beatbullying empowers people to understand, recognise, and say no to bullying, violence and harassment by giving them the tools to transform their lives and the lives of their peers. We work with families, schools, and communities to understand the problem, campaign for change and provide a sustainable efficient and proven solution.

CyberMentors.org.uk is a safe, social networking site providing information and support for young people being bullied or cyber bullied. Young people, aged 11-25, are trained as CyberMentors, offline and online, so that they can offer support to their peers. Encapsulated by cutting-edge technology, it is a safe website where young people can turn to other young people for help and advice. CyberMentors are also supported by trained counsellors, available online. CyberMentors is a Beatbullying project.
Beatbullying has gained significant recognition for its anti-bullying work in schools and communities across the UK, working with more than 1.6 million children and young people since its launch in 1999. For more information go to www.beatbullying.org and www.cybermentors.org.uk.

NEWS FROM HOTELS.COM

2011-03-09T18:35:00.001Z

The Only Way REALLY Is Essex

Tourism surge as Brits seek to experience what Essex has to offer
In the wake of the success of ITV2 series The Only Way Is Essex, the South East county has become an unlikely tourist hot spot, according to the latest figures released today by Hotels.com.

A county previously famous for white stilettos, fake tan and Denise Van Outen, Essex is currently experiencing a resurgence with tourism alone up 140% according to hotel expert Hotels.com, based on internet searches when compared with the same time last year.

TV phenomenon The Only Way Is Essex, which follows the lives of Club promoter Mark Wright and his privileged friends Kirk Norcross, Amy Childs, Lauren Goodger and Sam Faiers, has put the Essex towns of Brentwood, Chigwell and Basildon on the map since its launch last year. Home of popular night spot Sugar Hut, Brentwood has experienced a surge of 103% in hotel searches, alongside Basildon, home of Brian ‘Bas Vegas’ Belo, which has seen searches rise by 94%.
Other celebrities who are currently flying the flag for Essex include Brit award winner Jessie J, Jungle Queen Stacey Solomon, X-Factor singers Matt Cardle and Olly Murs and Dancing on Ice star Jeff Brazier.

Alison Couper, Communications Director at Hotels.com, said: “It’s great to see Essex back on the tourism map as Brits rush to visit the county currently enjoying its spot in the limelight. Not only famous for The Only Way Is Essex, the county also benefits from having the longest coastline in the country, as well as a variety of historic attractions from Audley End House, one of England's grandest stately homes to the world’s longest leisure pier in Southend-on-Sea.”

Growth in searches on Hotels.com in Essex comparing January 2010 with January 2011
Destination % increase in searches
Chelmsford up 211%
Clacton-on-Sea up 170%
Colchester up 122%
Brentwood up 103%
Basildon up 94%

-ENDS-

For more information, please call:
Frank PR on 020 7693 6999 or email hotels.com@frankpr.it

About Hotels.com

As part of the Expedia group which operates in all major markets, Hotels.com offers more than 130,000 quality hotels, B&Bs and serviced apartments worldwide. If a customer can find the same deal for less on a prepaid hotel, Hotels.com will match it. Hotels.com benefits from one of the largest hotel contracting teams in the industry negotiating the best rates for its customers, plus there are 1.8m reviews from users who have actually stayed in the hotels to ensure customers make an informed choice when booking. Hotels.com has recently launched its Welcome Rewards customer loyalty programme in the UK, where customers can earn a free night for every ten nights stayed (subject to Welcome Rewards terms and conditions as set out at www.hotels.com). Hotels.com won the Gold Award for best hotel booking site in Webuser magazine in February 2009. Travellers can book online or by contacting one of the multilingual call centres on 0871 200 0171.

NEWS FROM FOOD NETWORK UK

2011-03-07T10:15:00.003Z

FLIPPING HUGE
NEW WORLD RECORD SET FOR THE TALLEST STACK OF PANCAKES

Pancake history has been made as staff from Food Network UK batter-ed a new World Record for the highest stack of pancakes.

Staff from the entertainment food TV channel spent the weekend cooking, flipping and carefully stacking 725 pancakes into an impressive 32 inch high tower to celebrate Pancake Day a little bit differently than normal.

The impressive pancake tower took the team 13 hours and required 253 eggs,11 lbs of flour and over 26 pints of milk to create.

Nick Thorogood, Managing Director of Food Network UK said; “One of the greatest aspects of British Food is its tradition and the celebration of events such as Pancake Day. We wanted to celebrate this year’s Pancake Day with something a little different and what better way than to create a giant stack of pancakes! Needless to say the team at the Food Network UK headquarters are going to have their fill by the end of the day!”

Other pancake based feats in the past include the highest pancake flip (9.17 metres) at the Palace Theatre in New York in 2010, the largest pancake (15m long) set in Rochdale in 1994 and the most number of pancakes eaten in 1hour by an individual (855) in 2006.

Tune into Food Network UK (Sky 262/263) on Shrove Tuesday to see how the likes of Nigella Lawson and Paula Deen achieve the perfect pancake. Alternatively go to www.foodnetwork.co.uk to check out our pancake day menu.

-Ends-

For further information please contact Frank PR on 0207 693 6999 or email foodnetwork@frankpr.it

About Food Network UK
Food Network UK is not your typical ‘how to’ cooking channel. It is one of the fastest growing lifestyle and entertainment brands on Sky 262/263 (Freesat 405/406), packed with award-winning cooking and competition shows. Together with www.foodnetwork.co.uk, the channel is bringing a fresh perspective to the UK food scene and seeking out the next generation of UK chefs.
Foodnetwork.co.uk is the 24/7 companion to the TV channel. Find daily TV listings, episode guides, chef biographies, recipes featured on air, blog posts and more. Recipes are organised by season, ingredient, chef, course, and cuisine make meal planning easy.
Food Network UK’s “In the Kitchen” mobile application for the iPhone is the latest way to enjoy food on-the-go, with hundreds of recipes just a tap away. Wondering what to cook for dinner tonight? Let “In the Kitchen” plan the meal for you.
Food Network UK is owned by Scripps Networks Interactive, one of the leading developers of lifestyle-oriented content for television and the internet, and leading international broadcaster Chello Zone.
Find us on: www.foodnetwork.co.uk and sign up for our weekly food newsletter or join us @foodnetwork_uk on Twitter and facebook.com/FoodNetworkUK

NEWS FROM NPOWER

2011-03-07T09:30:00.002Z

KEVIN KEEGAN ASKS THE NATION’S YOUTH…
WHAT’S YOUR GOAL?

npower inspires teens across the UK to kickstart their future careers

TODAY Kevin Keegan is announced as one of eleven football experts who will showcase the vast and varied careers found in our national sport, creating a dream team of teenagers who will get the chance to do their dream job for a day.

You don’t have to play football to become a key player in the game and npower’s What’s Your Goal is focused on helping teens kick off a fantastic career by allowing them to get their hands dirty and muck in with professionals.

The chosen 11 will be thrown in at the deep end: one budding football pundit will sit alongside Kevin Keegan at a high profile Football League match, another will prove they’ve got the gift of the gab while managing a group of professional players with Neil Warnock at QPR, while one particularly confident winner will have to stick by their decisions as they work alongside Sasa Ihringova, The Football League’s most senior female referee.

In addition to the these three, the other mentors are a SKY Sports TV producer and TV presenter, a sports photographer, a sports journalist from First News, the sports therapist at Swindon Town, the business manager from Ipswich Town, the acadamy coach at Derby County and Crystal Palace’s kit manager.

Kevin Keegan said:

“What’s Your Goal is a one-of-a-kind programme that gives students a foot in the door to try their hand at incredible jobs they’ve never considered before, inspiring thousands of others to believe in their own capabilities and futures.

“We’re looking for an extra special set of skills, ones that students can’t always get across in school exams and tests; the strength of character to be a referee; the assertiveness of a coach who needs to keep their team in check when the pressure is on and the quick but caring quality of a team’s sports therapist.

“With one in five young people not able to find work in the UK, npower’s What’s Your Goal is a great way of using young people’s love of football to inspire their future goals, helping students to start thinking differently about their careers.

“Getting a break in football is extremely difficult and it was no different for me, but blind stubbornness pushed me to succeed. Hopefully I can inspire teenagers out there to get involved who knows, they might be replacing me before long!”

Clare McDougall, npower’s head of education and community, said:

“What an opportunity for eager and hungry youngsters to get a foot up the football ladder: it’s a fantastic way to get teenagers to really think, ‘what is my goal?’.

“We have some of the brightest and best in the football industry on board, from the roles that help keep a football club afloat, to the people behind the talent on the pitch; from the photographers and journalists who bring the action alive in the media, to the experts who analyse the results.

“What’s Your Goal is a fantastic opportunity to show how ambitious and talented our teenagers are and how bright their futures could be.”

To enter, students are asked to fill out a job application, downloadable at www.npower.com/whatsyourgoal

-ENDS-

For further information please contact the npower press office at Frank
0207 693 6999/ npower@frankpr.it
www.npower.com

Notes to Editors
About npower
• npower is one of the UK's largest electricity suppliers and has 6.6 million customer accounts across the UK.
• npower sponsors The Football League
• npower has been awarded platinum status in Business in the Community’s CR Index and is one of twenty-nine companies to have achieved the CommunityMark since its launch. All CommunityMark achievers have been recognised for demonstrating excellence in their holistic and strategic approach to community investment.

NEWS FROM PREMIER INN

2011-02-21T11:46:00.003Z

NEW WORLD RECORD HAS BEEN SET FOR FASTEST BED-MAKING

A hotel housekeeper from Premier Inn has just set a brand new World Record for the fastest bed-making in just 95 seconds.

A group of housekeepers decided to try and set a new world record this morning on the banks of the Thames in London, and Louise Waller from Sheffield was crowned a new World Record holder, making a king-sized bed quicker than anyone else before.

Previous World Record holders in the bed making category have been Sister Sharon Stringer and Nurse Michelle Benkel of the Royal Masonic Hospital, London who broke the team record for bed-making in 1993 at 14 seconds and Wendy Wall from Australia in 1978 who broke the record for making a single bed in 28.2 seconds.

To set the new World Record for making a king-size bed Louise had to tackle two pillows with pillow cases, a mattress cover, a king size bed sheet, a king size duvet and duvet cover and a Premier Inn bed runner, all presented to a high professional standard.

Louise Waller, aged 30, the new World Record holder said, ‘I am so happy to have set a brand new World Record for the fastest bed-maker! As a housekeeper I have to make beds perfectly everyday, so I knew with a bit of practice I’d be a World Record holder!” Louise Waller has worked for Premier Inn Sheffield City Centre (St Mary’s Gate) for 15 months.

Steve Conway Head of Marketing for Premier Inn said, “We pride ourselves on having the most efficient team around so it’s only right that one of our esteemed housekeepers has been recognised as a World Record holder.”

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For further information, please contact Frank PR on
0207 693 6999 or email premierinn@frankpr.it

Notes to editors:

Award-winning Premier Inn is the UK’s biggest budget hotel brand with over 590 budget hotels and more than 42,000 rooms across the UK and Ireland. Premier Inn bedrooms feature en-suite bathrooms, TV with Freeview channels, and WiFi internet access. All Premier Inns feature a bar and restaurant; situated inside the hotel or adjacent, offering a wide range of food choices.

In 2008 Premier Inn launched in Dubai and is now open in Bangalore, India. On a domestic front, Premier Inn aims to be the largest provider of budget hotels within the M25 area by 2012.

Premier Inn supports WaterAid, the international charity whose mission is to overcome poverty by enabling the world's poorest people to gain access to safe water, sanitation and hygiene education. Premier Inn, as part of Whitbread Hotels and Restaurants, aims to raise £1 million for WaterAid over the next two years. Details can be found at www.wateraid.org/whitbread

NEWS FROM HOTELS.COM

2011-02-21T11:45:00.001Z

Tourists still in search of Middle Eastern Promise

Syria has topped the list of fastest rising destinations in January 2011, experiencing an increase in hotel searches in January of 486% when compared with the same time last year, according to figures released today by Hotels.com.

Other destinations prominent in the Hotels.com January hotlist provide a key insight into where Brits are looking to travel in 2011 and it appears sunshine is high on the agenda. Popular destinations include Spanish hot spot Menorca which took the second place spot (up 466%), Gibraltar (up 445%) and Crete (up 446%) along with the usual popular American cities of Las Vegas (up 434%) and Orlando (up 442%).

Ireland, also saw a surge in searches with Kinsale receiving a 430% increase and capital city Dublin experiencing a 417% boost.

Alison Couper, Communications Director at Hotels.com, said: “Syria is definitely an up and coming destination for a Middle Eastern break and our January search figures support this. The number of tourists going to Syria is expected to rise by up to 40 percent this year according to their government; with historic Damascus, Ugarit in northern Aleppo (the archaeological site) and year round hot temperatures proving popular with Brits.”

1 Damascus, Syria 486%
2 Menorca, Balearics 466%
3 Medina, Saudi Arabia 457%
4 Malia, Crete 446%
5 Gibraltar 445%
6 Fort Lauderdale, USA 444%
7 Orlando, USA 442%
8 Las Vegas, USA 434%
9 Kinsale, Ireland 430%
10 Dublin, Ireland 417%

-ENDS-

For more information, please call:
Frank PR on 020 7693 6999 or email hotels.com@frankpr.it

About Hotels.com

As part of the Expedia group which operates in all major markets, Hotels.com offers more than 130,000 quality hotels, B&Bs and serviced apartments worldwide. If a customer can find the same deal for less on a prepaid hotel, Hotels.com will match it. Hotels.com benefits from one of the largest hotel contracting teams in the industry negotiating the best rates for its customers, plus there are 1.8m reviews from users who have actually stayed in the hotels to ensure customers make an informed choice when booking. Hotels.com has recently launched its Welcome Rewards customer loyalty programme in the UK, where customers can earn a free night for every ten nights stayed (subject to Welcome Rewards terms and conditions as set out at www.hotels.com). Hotels.com won the Gold Award for best hotel booking site in Webuser magazine in February 2009. Travellers can book online or by contacting one of the multilingual call centres on 0871 200 0171.

NEWS FROM ALTON TOWERS

2011-02-21T11:41:00.003Z

96 legs are better than one!
Biggest display of Japanese Spider Crabs arrive in the UK

Having travelled over 6,000 miles, 96 legs crawled their way into the Alton Towers Resort today, as the UK’s leading short break destination took a delivery of 12 gigantic Japanese Spider Crabs ahead of its February half-term season opening on 19th February. Brand new for 2011, the breathtaking creatures will reside in the all-new area of Sharkbait Reef by SEA LIFE, recently named Skeleton Bay.

The largest display of Japanese Spider Crabs in the UK, the giant amphibians are set to reach a combined weight of 230kg, and each span nearly four metres in length, the equivalent of the entire Oblivion track at Britain’s Greatest Escape.

Usually found off the southern Japanese island of Honshũ in depths up to 600 metres, the crabs will now settle within the Resort’s pirate-themed Mutiny Bay alongside over 300 other species of fish, including sharks and seahorses and more than one million litres of water.

Divisional Director of the Alton Towers Resort, Ian Crabbe said: ‘After months of anticipation and planning we’re really excited to be welcoming our 12 Japanese Spider Crabs into Sharkbait Reef by SEA LIFE and are now looking forward to seeing the reaction of visitors when they enter the new Skeleton Bay attraction and come face to face with the giant creatures! With endless family fun to be had this February half-term, we hope hosting the UK’s biggest ever display of Spider Crabs will provide our guests with a unique and memorable experience to take home in 2011!

The Alton Towers Resort is open from 10am-4pm every day between 19th-27th February for the February Half Term. With prices from just £13 per person for a family of four 2 day ticket when booked at altontowers.com, the Alton Towers Resort is a great day out of short break!

For more information on the UK’s number 1 short break destination and Britain’s Greatest Escape, visit www.altontowers.com or call 0871 222 9901

Facts and figures

• Laid out together, the leg span of the 12 Japanese Spider Crabs is equivalent to the track length of Oblivion!
• The combined weight of the crabs is over 230 kg – that’s the same as the flying ship in the Alton Towers Hotel
• The bodies of the crabs can grow up to 40 centimetres – that’s the same diameter as the rubber rings in the waterpark
• The team at Sharkbait Reef by Sea Life will clean the Spider Crabs with toothbrushes
• The natural habitat of the spider crabs is in the Pacific between 300-400 metres deep – that’s 20 times the height of TH13TEEN

- ends -
Notes to Editor
• The Alton Towers Hotel was voted Best UK Family Hotel by the Mother & Baby Magazine Survey, August 2007
• Alton Towers voted Best UK Theme Park attraction – British Travel Awards 2009 and 2010!
• Alton Towers theme park voted best UK day out experience at the British Travel Awards 2010
• Alton Towers voted large visitor attraction of the year at the 2010 Heart of England Excellence Awards

NEWS FROM BENNETTS

2011-02-21T11:21:00.003Z

JENNIFER METCALFE SWAPS MERCEDES FOR A MOTORBIKE
Hollyoaks actress launches 2011 Bennetts Babes Search

Swapping her lycra for leathers, former Dancing on Ice star Jennifer Metcalfe turned biker babe today to launch the search for the 2011 Bennetts Babes squad. The annual competition, run by the UK’s No.1 for bike insurance*, sees the nation’s sexiest babes compete for a place in the hottest squad in the biking world with a modelling contract also on offer.

Having left the reality show last Sunday, when judges voted to keep Vanilla Ice in the competition, the Hollyoaks actress best known for her role as mouthy Mercedes is now on the lookout for the next set of eight beauties to be the face of the biking brand. The Bennetts Babes, now in its eighth year, has played a huge part in the careers of a number of famous faces including Big Brother 10 winner Sophie Reade and This is Essex’s Maria Fowler.

With only eight places up for grabs, the chosen babes will be unveiled in April before taking part in a string of events, modelling assignments and marketing campaigns to represent Bennetts throughout 2011.

Hannah Squirrell, Marketing Director of Bennetts said “We’re after eight gorgeous girls to form this year’s Bennetts Babes squad and hope 2011 will be the biggest and best search yet! We wish all wannabe models the best of luck and hope everyone will be as eager as Jennifer step into a pair of leathers!”

For further details on the Bennetts Babes search and to enter, visit www.bennettsbabes.co.uk where you can upload your entry photos, contact details and statistics. To be in with a chance of making this year’s squad you must be over 18 and a UK resident. Deadline for entries is 14th March 2011.

* Based on brand tracking research in June 2010
- Ends –

For further information or photography please contact:
Frank PR on 020 7693 6999 or email bennetts@frankpr.it

Notes to editors
HISTORY OF THE BENNETT
S BABES
Now in its eighth year the Bennetts Babes are an established feature within the Bennetts brand and have previously been a well-known fixture at Superbike events and amongst the biking and wider male audience. The nationwide search to find the girls is well recognised and is becoming bigger and better every year.

THE BACKGROUND TO BENNETTS
• Bennetts was established in Coventry by the Bennett family in 1930 to provide insurance services for the West Midlands.

• In the early 1980’s Bennetts devised a number of specialist insurance schemes for all types of biker. These schemes are constantly reviewed to give bikers the exact cover they need.

• In 2000 Bennetts was the first motorcycle insurance specialist to launch a quote and buy facility through its website, www.bennetts.co.uk.

• In October 2001, the Bennetts brand was acquired by the BGL Group (formerly the Budget Group of Companies), through its purchase of the Dial Direct Group, a major UK car insurance intermediary.

o The BGL Group was established in 1992, and has grown to be the UK’s third largest personal lines insurance intermediary, through a combination of organic growth and a series of major strategic acquisitions.
o The BGL Group now arranges and administers insurance for around 2.3 million customers with more than £600million GWP. It has contact centre operations in Peterborough, Coventry, Sunderland, and Cape Town, South Africa. It currently employs over 2000 people and its head office is in Peterborough.

• In January 2005, Bennetts signed the biggest sponsorship deal in the history of the brand by becoming title sponsor of the 2005 Bennetts British Superbike Championship. Bennetts continued its sponsorship of the British Superbike Championship in 2006, 2007 and 2008.

• In June 2007, Bennetts became official series sponsor of the World Superbike Championship for the remainder of the 2007 championship and for the entire 2008 championship.

• Bennetts has been personal sponsor of two-time World Superbike Champion James Toseland since July 2007.

• In June 2010 independent brand tracking research identified Bennetts as the UK’s No.1 brand for bike insurance.

NEWS FROM CANCER RESEARCH UK

2011-02-02T14:51:00.003Z

RACE is the word!
Cancer Research UK introduces its ‘Musicommercial’ – ‘Join the Girls’

The first ever ‘Musicommercial’ is unveiled today to launch this year’s Tesco and Cancer Research UK’s Race for Life – the UK’s largest women-only fundraising event series.

Cancer Research UK has teamed up with a host of celebrities and stars of the West End stage to present ‘Join the Girls’, a compressed musical theatre performance that tells the story of Race for Life in under six minutes. The musical will be touring major cinemas across the UK throughout February, before the screening of various ‘chick flicks’. It will create a live musical advert that will entertain audiences at the same time as encouraging women to sign up for their nearest event and to raise money to help beat cancer.

’Join the Girls’ will star a different celebrity in each region, launching in London on Wednesday 2nd February with Michelle Heaton and TV presenter Jeff Brazier, both of whom have close connections to the cause. The celebrities will be joined by ambassadors in each region who have been touched by cancer. They will be backed by a core cast of West End performers who have had lead roles in several major musicals including Oliver and Chicago.

Natasha Dickinson, Head of Race for Life, said: “I’m not sure what Gershwin, Sondheim or Lloyd Webber would think, but we are excited to be pioneering this new medium where art meets advertising to promote Race for Life 2011. We believe that ‘Join the Girls’ is a fun and entertaining way to spread the word about Race for Life and we hope it will encourage women to sign up to their nearest event this summer. We want to make this year’s Race for Life series the biggest yet and raise more money than ever to help beat cancer.”

The Musicommercial continues Cancer Research UK’s innovative approach to promoting Race for Life. In 2010, the charity launched its first ever single, a remake of Cyndi Lauper’s ‘Girls Just Want To Have Fun’, featuring 25 celebrities including Kym Marsh, Caroline Quentin and 80s icon Carol Decker.

Michelle Heaton added: “It was great fun getting involved in the musical, I couldn’t believe how much they packed in to six minutes! I know audiences across the UK are going to have such a laugh watching ‘Join the Girls’, and will be inspired to take part in Race for Life this summer. My message to women out there is you don’t have to run it, you can even sing your way around the course if you want. But just make sure you take part so we can raise as much money as possible for Cancer Research UK’s life saving work.”

Now in its 18th year, Race for Life is the UK’s largest women-only fundraising event series, with over 300 events taking place in 2011. Women from across the UK come together to simply walk, jog or run 5k and raise money to help beat cancer. It is not competitive and women of all ages, shapes and sizes take part each and every year. Last year nearly 690,000 women took part and raised an incredible £54m towards beating cancer. This year the charity hopes to make it even bigger and is encouraging women from all across the UK to sign up for their nearest event at www.raceforlife.org.

2011 is the tenth year that Tesco has supported Race for Life and to celebrate the tenth anniversary of the partnership, Cancer Research UK and Tesco will be joining forces with a goal of raising £80 million to help fund the charity’s lifesaving research.
- Ends –
For more press information. images or interviews please contact Frank PR on 020 7693 6999 or email cancerresearchuk@frankpr.it

Notes to editors:
About Race for Life
• Race for Life opens for entries on 17th January 2011
• Entry fee is £14.99 to cover organisational and administration costs of the series
• Enter now at www.raceforlife.org or via the hotline on 0871 641 1111
• You can also follow Race for Life on twitter twitter.com/raceforlife and via facebook www.facebook.com/raceforlife
• 2011 is the tenth year that Tesco will have been supporting Race for Life
• In recognition of the increased commitment from Tesco, in 2011 Race for Life will be re-named ‘Tesco and Cancer Research UK’s Race for Life’ and it should be referred to by its full name on first usage. ‘Race for Life’ can be used in subsequent copy.
•

About Cancer Research UK
• Cancer Research UK is the world’s leading cancer charity dedicated to saving lives through research
• The charity’s groundbreaking work into the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of cancer has helped save millions of lives. This work is funded entirely by the public
• Cancer Research UK has been at the heart of the progress that has already seen survival rates double in the last forty years
• Cancer Research UK supports research into all aspects of cancer through the work of over 4,000 scientists, doctors and nurses
• Together with its partners and supporters, Cancer Research UK's vision is to beat cancer
• For further information about Cancer Research UK's work or to find out how to support the charity, please call 020 3469 6699 or visit www.cancerresearchuk.org

NEWS FROM DISNEY XD

2011-01-31T16:16:00.004Z

BECKS REIGNS SUPREME FOR BRITISH BOYS

New Disney XD Aim High research reveals young boys’ role models

He may well be a 35-year old dad of three and in the twilight years of his footballing career, but when it comes to inspiring Britain’s young males, David Beckham is still premiership class. Seven years post his UK exit, new research from Disney XD’s Aim High confirms that one in five (18%) British boys still look up to the footballing legend as their number one, second only to their Dads (50%).

The nationwide study of over 1200 boys and their parents1, was conducted to mark the 2011 launch of Disney XD’s Aim High, www.disneyxd.co.uk/aimghigh which offers boys a once-in-a-lifetime mentorship with their heroes. The 2011 all-star line up includes international R&B sensation Jay Sean, a premiership footballer, Leicester Tigers and England rugby hero Toby Flood and cricketing hotshot Stuart Broad.

As the country and government gear up to support the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, a message echoed by HM The Queen who highlighted the importance of sport as a medium to help build communities in her Christmas Day speech, findings reveal that sports stars reign supreme in the inspiration stakes. A massive 28% of young boys cited Cristiano Ronaldo, David Beckham and Roger Federer amongst their top sporting heroes.

The findings are in stark contrast to those of parents who favoured musicians, actors and even royalty amongst their icons with Madonna and Princess Diana securing pole position with 14% each.

Cricketing ace and Disney XD Aim High mentor, Stuart Broad said: “It’s been a great start to the year for British sport, so it’s fantastic to see it’s such a strong and positive influence amongst today’s generation of boys. It’s important to have strong role models in life – given the right tools and guidance, there’s no limit to what young people can achieve.”

Proving sporting prowess isn’t the only profession wowing our youngsters, knowledge and entrepreneurism pull significant rank. Jeremy Clarkson clinched second place behind Beckham, followed closely by business moguls Lord Alan Sugar, Bills Gates and Simon Cowell. And, while they may admire celebrities, an overwhelming 50% of boys said there was no one quite like their Dad, demonstrating that core family values do still exist and are as important as ever before.

Louise Ellis, Sport Psychologist and Performance Consultant commented “It’s fantastic to see that Beckham is still inspiring a completely new and younger audience. It’s testament to Beckham’s sheer hard work and determination both on and off the pitch – as a sportsman, a businessman, a father and a global ambassador, he’s a winning inspiration for the new generation.

“The sports stars that their parents grew up with differ drastically from the global athletes and individual sporting brands that we know today. A healthy mind, body and spirit ethos has enveloped the UK and the modern belief is that physical improvement and centring the mind from an early age will enlighten individuals and develop all round well-being, ambition and future success.”

Further statistics revealed that almost six in ten boys today (59%) believe hard work is the key to success as opposed to just 19% who think talent alone will get you to the top. Encouragingly, only two per cent said good looks were enough to climb the ladder although seven per cent also cited luck as a factor.

Make sure you are part of this year’s Disney XD Aim High by visiting www.disneyxd.co.uk/aimhigh and find your dream mentorship.

-ENDS-

For further information, please contact:

The Disney XD Aim High team at Frank PR on 0207 693 6999 or email aimhigh@frankpr.it

Notes to Editors:

Research
1 The research was conducted amongst 601 male children aged 8-14 years old, as well as 601 parents of the same household between 30th November – 9th December 2010

Top Ten inspirations

Top Ten People 8-14-year-old boys look up to

1. David Beckham
2. Princess Diana
3. Kevin Keegan
4. Harrison Ford
5. John Travolta
6. Michael Jackson
7. Margaret Thatcher
8. George Michael
9. Tom Cruise
10. John McEnroe

Top Ten People their parents looked up to at the same age

1. Madonna
2. Jeremy Clarkson
3. Cristiano Ronaldo
4. Alan Sugar
5. Daniel Radcliffe
6. Bill Gates
7. Simon Cowell
8. Barack Obama
9. Justin Bieber
10. Roger Federer

Disney XD Aim High
Disney XD launched the Aim High initiative last year to help inspire a generation of kids to get the most out of life, try new things and learn from some of the UK’s most talented and dedicated professionals. 2011 will see fans given more opportunities to take part in a ‘once in a lifetime’ experience with one of Disney XD’s fantastic Aim High mentors including; England cricket hero Stuart Broad, international R&B star Jay Sean, a premiership footballer, promising Leicester Tigers and England fly half Toby Flood plus a whole host of other mini-mentorships led by some of the UK’s top professionals.

2011 Aim High mentors:

Stuart Broad

English cricketer Stuart Broad is one of England’s young rising stars representing his country in Test and One Day International cricket. A vital member of the victorious 2009 England Ashes squad Broad was the leading wicket taker with 18 wickets and subsequently won Man of the Match in the fifth Test at the Oval. Broad also plays for Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club.

Jay Sean

A multitalented singer, songwriter and producer, Jay Sean is an international popstar and multi-platinum UK artist having sold over 6m copies of his smash-hit ‘Down’. Growing up in London, Jay rose to stardom in 2004 and has since gone on to release two hit albums, scoring two top ten singles including a US No.1 hit and nominated twice for Britain's prestigious MOBO Awards.

Toby Flood

Toby Flood is a top English rugby union player who currently plays at fly half for Leicester Tigers whom he joined from Newcastle Falcons in 2008. With 35 caps for England and the Rugby World Cup approaching Toby is one of the country’s most promising players.

About Disney XD

Launched in the UK in August 2009, Disney XD is the country’s first boy-focused, girl-inclusive channel for kids aged 6-14 years. Disney XD includes a compelling mix of live-action and animated programming, hyper-targeting boys and their quest for discovery, accomplishment, sports, adventure, music and humour. Next X is a brand new local production for Disney XD. Disney XD branded content spans television, online and VOD platforms. The programming line-up includes series, movies and short-form content.

About The Walt Disney Company in Europe Middle East and Africa:

The Walt Disney Company (TWDC) is a leading diversified international family entertainment and media enterprise with five business segments: media networks, parks and resorts, studio entertainment, consumer products and its interactive media group.

TWDC has had a presence in Europe Middle East and Africa (EMEA) for more than 70 years, with operations in twenty three countries with more than 5,500 employees. As a major film distributor in the region, TWDC has seen recent success with films such as Disney/Pixar’s ‘Up’ and the blockbuster 3D hit ‘Alice In Wonderland’. As one of Europe’s foremost suppliers of TV content, TWDC distributes Disney-branded and non-branded television programming and channels including ESPN channels and hit series such as ‘Lost’ and ‘Desperate Housewives’ which ranks in the top 10 US series on air in France, Germany, Italy and the UK with young adults. Disney Channel first launched in the region in 1995 and its growth has continued through 2009 when Disney Channel launched in an additional fifteen territories across EMEA, making it available in over 58 million homes. Together with Disney XD, the new boy-focused girl-inclusive channel which launched in thirteen territories across EMEA in 2009, there are 53 branded Disney channels in EMEA in 20 languages covering 109 countries and more than 70 million homes. Disneyland Paris has grown since its opening in 1992and its two parks are now Europe’s number one tourist destination.

NEWS FROM CASIO G-SHOCK

2011-01-31T16:13:00.002Z

Spread the Joy…

Joy McLaren, Britain’s Next Top Model Contestant- the new face of Baby-G

Baby-G are proud to announce that Joy McLaren, best known for her participation in 2010’s Britain’s Next Top Model, has joined the team and is the new UK brand ambassador for 2011!

BNTM saw the contestants style it out on a rooftop in Malaysia, modelling Baby-Gs and competing for the chance to win the ultimate prize of becoming the new face of the brand. The girls were joined by Baby-G representative Sarah Salter, who sat on the judging panel with Elle Macpherson, Julian MacDonald, Grace Woodward and Charley Speed. It was clear from the off that Joy’s edgy look shone through, she went on to win the contract and become Baby-G’s latest face.

Joy was known and loved for her pretty tough style and no nonsense talking. Originally from Leeds, Joy aims to add some Northern spirit to the already tough brand. Joy owes her recent modelling success to her determination and toughness; “if you really apply yourself, go to castings and make sure you’re always on time, you’ll be fine,” and thanks to Baby-G’s latest range, this shouldn’t be a problem!

Joy is thrilled to be the new brand ambassador for Baby-G as she has been an avid fan since childhood. She comments, “Everyone had them at school, but I had to wait until I was in high school.” Joy’s first Baby-G was bright pink- she now has three, and plans to build on her collection. “I love the watches because they’re not office-y they are really fun, colourful and come in a nice variety of styles.”

With a bright and fresh outlook ahead of her, Joy is sure to inspire style and edge in girls the world over. The toughest contestant and toughest watch out there-what a combination!

ENDS

For further information please contact the
G-Shock Press Office at Frank PR
Tel: 020 7693 6999 email: gshock@frankpr.it

Follow us on Twitter @GSHOCK_UK

www.g-shock.eu

NEWS FROM G-SHOCK

2011-01-12T10:25:00.002Z

The Battle Lines are Drawn!

G-Shock is Proud to announce that the Secret Wars Euroleague Grand Final has finally arrived…

On Saturday 15th January 2011 from 8pm, the eagerly anticipated Secret Wars Euroleague Grand Final will storm into East London’s Village Underground. Age old rivals Birmingham and Amsterdam, will take each other on in a 90 minute battle of epic proportions, on the biggest Secret Wars wall ever created.

The grand final will be the culmination of over 60 Europe-wide battles held throughout 2010 and will see the winning team crowned Euroleague Champions! They will then be granted the chance to create their very own limited edition G-Shock watch design and will also qualify to fly to New York in the spring to compete against team USA, in the biggest battle in Secret Wars history.

Taking place in the darkest corners of each city, the Secret Wars art battles were originally set up and promoted through word of mouth alone, with those in the know spreading the word to artists and art fans. With 16 amazing European locations, including London, Berlin, Amsterdam and Barcelona, the Secret Wars Euro League blazed a trail of black marker pens and staggeringly creative, humorous designs, from country to country during 2010.

The rules of battle are simple: there are 90 minutes on the G-Shock clock, during which an artist is placed either side of an invisible line. Only black paint can be used on white walls, with no sketches or pencils allowed! The battles are judged by two guest judges and a crowd vote, which is measured using a decibel reader. It is a clean and fair fight, to find the best of Europe’s burgeoning artistic talent.

Tim Gould, Marketing Director for Casio UK, commented, ‘G-Shock have been thrilled to sponsor the Secret Wars Euro League in 2010 and we are eagerly anticipating the results of the grand final. As a brand, we have a passion for true innovation and creativity, which lends us an affinity with Secret Wars. We whole-heartedly support the way it champions the raw, burgeoning talent that can be found in the underground art scene, and we can’t wait to see the watch design that the winning team creates for us!’

ENDS
For further information please contact the
G-Shock Press Office at Frank PR
Tel: 020 7693 6999 email: gshock@frankpr.it

Follow us on Twitter @GSHOCK_UK

www.g-shock.eu

NEWS FROM PREMIER INN

2011-01-12T09:46:00.003Z

PREMIER INN CHANGES NAME TO 'PREMIER INN-INGS' IN TRIBUTE TO ASHES WINNING ENGLAND SIDE

To celebrate England’s victory against Australia during The Ashes, the UK’s biggest hotel chain, Premier Inn, is changing the name of one of its 580 hotels to ‘Premier Inn-ings’ to honour the teams’ triumph.

Premier Inn London Victoria, which is close to the Lords Cricket Ground, is recognising the 24 year long-awaited win of the England cricket team over in Australia by re-naming the site ‘Premier Inn-ings’ until the team make their way over to India for the World Cup in February.*

Karin Holmes the General Manager of London Victoria Premier Inn-ings says ‘We are delighted to pay tribute to England’s fantastic performance in The Ashes, and what better way than adopting a cricket themed name for the hotel! We thought it would be a fun way to give our guests a chance to celebrate this win with us!'

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For further information, please contact Frank PR on
0207 693 6999 or email premierinn@frankpr.it
Notes to editors:
*Premier Inn London Victoria will return to it’s original name on 12th February 2011

Award-winning Premier Inn is the UK’s biggest budget hotel brand with over 580 budget hotels and more than 42,000 rooms across the UK and Ireland. Premier Inn bedrooms feature en-suite bathrooms, TV with Freeview channels, and WiFi internet access. All Premier Inns feature a bar and restaurant; situated inside the hotel or adjacent, offering a wide range of food choices.

In 2008 Premier Inn launched in Dubai and is now open in Bangalore, India. On a domestic front, Premier Inn aims to be the largest provider of budget hotels within the M25 area by 2012.

Premier Inn supports WaterAid, the international charity whose mission is to overcome poverty by enabling the world's poorest people to gain access to safe water, sanitation and hygiene education. Premier Inn, as part of Whitbread Hotels and Restaurants, aims to raise £1 million for WaterAid over the next two years. Details can be found at www.wateraid.org/whitbread

NEWS FROM HOVIS

2011-01-05T17:13:00.005Z

Snack Attack
Research reveals British women will consume over one thousand
unhealthy snacks in 2011

The average British woman will devour 1,092 unhealthy snacks this year, from crisps, sweets and biscuits to cakes and chocolate, according to research released today by Hovis Wholemeal. The study[ii], involving 2,000 British women, reveals that an average of over 129 packets of crisps, more than 127 chocolate bars, over 77 cakes and more than 133 biscuits will be consumed by every female in 2011 alone.

As the nation grapples with New Year’s resolutions and healthy eating regimes, the research also reveals that over half of all women (54%) can’t resist snacking on unhealthy treats at least twice or three times per day, with a staggering four million women in the UK[iii] (one in seven) potentially eating five or more sugary and salty snacks each and every day.

The research, commissioned by Hovis Wholemeal to mark the launch of the Hovis Stop Snacking Facebook app at www.facebook.com/hovisbakery, also showed that over half (55%) of women wish they could give up their unhealthy snacking vice, 48% admit that mid-morning hunger pangs are the culprit for them reaching for the biscuit tin, and the sofa (49%) and the office (33%) are the most popular places to indulge.

Developed in conjunction with Hovis ambassador and Olympic gold medallist Victoria Pendleton, the Hovis Stop Snacking app will help encourage women to ditch their daily snacking vices. Victoria said, “As an athlete I understand how important it is to stay motivated in January and most importantly start the day the right way, which is why the Hovis Stop Snacking app is great. The app will encourage women to try a Hovis Wholemeal breakfast and then set a snack-related challenge in return for daily prizes, rewards for completion and a range of recipes and motivational advice from me.

She continues, “The basic facts are simple, Hovis Wholemeal is rich in fibre which can help you feel fuller for longer and could help stop snacking. I have it for breakfast and it works for me! ”

A trial[iv] conducted on behalf of Hovis showed that 64% of women who swapped their regular breakfast for Hovis Wholemeal felt fuller for longer and 86% agreed that eating Hovis Wholemeal for breakfast helped them snack less on naughty treats in-between breakfast and lunch. To help resist the lure of the biscuit tin this January, sign up to the Hovis Stop Snacking app at www.facebook.com/hovisbakery.
- Ends –

For more information, recipes and images contact: Frank PR on 0207 693 6999 or e-mail hovis@frankpr.it

Notes to editors:
This January Hovis Wholemeal Challenge is encouraging women to try Hovis Wholemeal for breakfast and provides a range of quick & tasty recipes that provide a great start to the day and are around 300-350 calories. Just two slices of Hovis Wholemeal provides your daily intake of wholegrain and its rich in fibre which may help you feel fuller for longer and could help you stop snacking.
Hovis Wholemeal is available from Tesco, Sainsbury's, Asda, Morrisons, Somerfield, Waitrose, Co-op, Budgens and other independent food outlets across the UK.
Victoria Pendleton is a British Olympic and world champion track cyclist and face of the Hovis Wholemeal Campaign.
[1] UK research conducted with 2,000 female adults, between 14th and 15th December 2010 on behalf of Hovis
[1] Office of National Statistics 2008 data based on 31,000,000 women in the UK
[1] Commissioned by Hovis with 50 bloggers

NEWS FROM OCADO

2011-01-05T14:59:00.004Z

THE FUTURE’S BRIGHT: THE FUTURE’S FRIDGES
Ocado explores the future of the domestic fridge

Forward-thinking online supermarket Ocado (www.ocado.com) is working with the University of Central Lancashire’s future development ‘Product Design’ team on the fridge of the future.

The team forecasts that fridges could evolve into something truly cerebral, offering predictive, fully automated shopping (courtesy of a link to the Ocado website,) robotic ‘stock’ rotation, self-cleaning routines and waste food management – all of which could change the way we eat forever.

Ocado has partnered with the Product Design courses at the University of Central Lancashire mindful of the changing lifestyles of supermarket shoppers. With Brits putting in an additional 36 million hours of free overtime a year, it leaves very little time to complete mandatory chores such as the weekly food shop or fridge clean-out.

Scanning for your supper
Future fridges will be able to scan their multi-shelf contents and then calculate a meal appropriate to those items found. Recipes, organised via categories, will allow for choice between country, cuisine and season.

The future fridge will be ‘plumbed in’ to the Ocado website, and its smartphone apps, and will be able to automatically order food based on contents already used.

First come first served
The smart fridge will incorporate stock rotation with ‘nano articulated technology’ surfaces. Whilst feeling smooth to the human touch, millions of independently controlled micro tiles will manoeuvre products which need to be eaten to the front of the fridge.

The fridge will also monitor gases released by degrading foods and ‘push’ these items to the front of its shelves.

Weight watcher
Using ultrasound-scanning technology (built into the door) to ‘swipe and capture’ the food on a plate before and after meal-time, the future fridge can make an accurate assessment of what type and volume of food is wasted. The fridge will link to the household bin, with its own management system from which to feed back types and weight of food wasted.

The future fridge can cross reference and act upon this data, reducing the ingredients used in future meal suggestions and helping minimise food waste.

Jon Rudoe, Head of Retail & Customer at Ocado, comments:
“It’s exciting and very insightful for us to see how technology in fridges will advance in the future. At Ocado we have always been committed to evolving our service, and evolving it to work with amazing technological developments around us.

“We were the first supermarket to launch a transactional shopping app for the iPhone; customers can also now shop with us on Android handsets and via iPad. According to the last figures we have released, over 6% of Ocado sales are generated through mobile platforms, showing that customers are open to using technology if it helps making their shopping experience and lives easier.

“We are constantly looking at future technological trends to ensure shopping at Ocado is as convenient, accessible and stress-free as possible.”

Simon Sommerville, Course Leader for Product Design at UCLan suggests that the fridge’s revolutionary advance won’t stop here – predicting UV filters that will self-clean interiors, and sophisticated hands-free loading mechanisms to quickly unpack the weekly shop and distribute it to the right shelves and compartments. This kind of futuristic, streamlined living could be among us and in our kitchens in as little as 50 years.

-END-

For further information, please contact:
Frank PR on 0207 693 6951

About Ocado

Ocado (www.ocado.com) was established in 2000, started trading in 2002 and is now one of Britain’s leading online supermarkets. Ocado operates a centralised distribution model which means that it does not rely upon a network of stores from which to service customers. Ocado delivers over 20,000 product lines including Waitrose and John Lewis-branded goods and a growing Ocado own-label range; most recently it has launched non-food lines such as toys, magazines, kitchenware and fresh flowers. In June 2010, it scooped Online Retailer of the Year at The Grocer Gold Awards 2010 and Customer Technology of the Year at the BT Retail Week Technology Awards 2010. In October it was named World E-tailer of the Year at the prestigious World Retail Awards.