The investigation into claims of a VIP paedophile sex ring widened dramatically yesterday after police raided the home of a disgraced Tory MP. Harvey Proctor, 68, had been named on a list of politicians passed to police by campaigning Labour MP John Mann. Scotland Yard officers spent two days searching his grace-and-favour home at Belvoir Castle in Leicestershire after a police team arrived on the estate on Wednesday. Harvey Proctor insisted he was a 'discreet' man and had never been part of 'any rent boy ring' with Cabinet ministers, MPs or military top brass . Former Essex MP Proctor, who quit Parliament in 1987 after admitting ‘spanking sessions’ with rent boys, was forced to deny any knowledge of the abuse and deaths of three young boys. He said he did not attend Westminster ‘sex parties’ at an exclusive address near Parliament and claimed to be trapped in a ‘Kafka-esque fantasy’. It is understood that investigators now have up to nine current and former senior politicians on Mr Mann’s list in their sights as the sensitive inquiry gathers pace. Speaking last night, Mr Mann said he was pleased at the progress of the investigation and insisted that ‘no stone must be left unturned’. ‘It is encouraging to see that the Met are continuing to fully investigate allegations of child abuse and prominent people,’ he added. Mr Proctor today said he knew nothing about the allegations and wanted to talk to police at the 'earliest opportunity' Proctor faces being interviewed under caution within weeks by detectives with the Met’s Operation Midland squad – which was set up in November to investigate claims of a VIP Westminster child sex abuse ring in the 1970s and 1980s. Victims have come forward to claim men in powerful positions abused boys at the luxury Dolphin Square apartments in Pimlico. They are also examining allegations that figures in politics, the military and law enforcement abused children at other locations. At the centre of the inquiry is an eyewitness described by police as ‘credible’ who claims three of those abused were murdered. In addition, detectives are examining a list passed to them by Mr Mann last December which identifies 22 potential suspects across the political spectrum. It is believed that Proctor’s name has been repeatedly given to police by at least two alleged victims. On Wednesday, detectives arrived at Belvoir Castle near Grantham – the seat of the Duke of Rutland – where Proctor has lived since 2003. They searched at least two properties on the 16,000-acre estate including a red ramshackle building he moved out of in recent months. A Metropolitan Police spokesman confirmed the search. Proctor quickly proclaimed his innocence yesterday, denying any knowledge of abuse or murders. Standing in the grounds of Belvoir Castle, he said he is ‘helping police with their inquiries’. Earlier he told BBC Radio 4: ‘I find myself in a very Kafka-esque fantasy situation. I have never attended sex parties at Dolphin Square or anywhere else. I have not been part of any rent-boy ring with Cabinet ministers, other Members of Parliament or generals or the military.’ Mr Proctor, 68, lives in the 16,000-acre grounds of Belvoir Castle (pictured), near Grantham in Leicestershire . He added: ‘I was a discreet person and regarded in the House of Commons as a very independent MP and a loner.’ Proctor also said he was keen to be interviewed by police as soon as possible to clear his name. Mr Proctor said that he had pleaded guilty to four charges of gross indecency in 1987 for offences relating to to the age of consent for homosexuality, which has since been lowered from 21 to 16 . He added: ‘I believe the number of victims grows by the day, and the number of alleged perpetrators – through death – diminishes. That is a problem. It’s certainly a problem for me. My problem is that I am still very much alive.’ Proctor, who represented Basildon and nearby Billericay, was an outspoken hard-right Tory but left Parliament after pleading guilty to gross indecency. The MP – who was given the nickname ‘Wacko’ – would order rent boys as young as 17 to call him ‘Sir’ or ‘Keith’ and pretend he was a headmaster as he caned them. He was fined just £1,450 but the case signalled the end of his career because his confession followed years of vehement denials. Two months before his court appearance it was revealed how Proctor was caught by security staff on holiday in Morocco with a naked 15-year-old local boy hiding under his bed. He later went to work for the Duke of Rutland as his private secretary and in recent years has been responsible for ‘public and park events’. The 1987 offences would no longer be crimes under current laws after the age of consent for homosexual activity changed from 21 to 16. Campaigning MP John Mann passed his dossier naming suspected Westminster paedophiles to police in December last year. The explosive list identifies 22 potential suspects across the political spectrum who are allegedly linked to historic child abuse between 1970 and the late-1990s. Of these, nine are still alive, and are said to include four serving MPs, three former MPs, a member of the House of Lords and one high-ranking town hall figure. The document also includes the names of 13 ex-ministers, including at least two who allegedly went to ‘abuse parties’. The report names 14 Tory politicians, five Labour and three others. As a young councillor in South London, Mr Mann uncovered evidence a Tory Cabinet minister was allegedly involved. He alerted police but was told three months later that the inquiry was being shelved on the orders of ‘those at the top’. Sorry we are not currently accepting comments on this article.

Harvey Proctor denies attending sex parties in London's Dolphin Square . Says he knows 'nothing about' claims three young men were murdered . Is in 'Kafka-esque situation' of not knowing why police investigating him . Detectives from Operation Midland searched his house overnight . He lives in the grounds of Belvoir Castle near Grantham, in Leicestershire . In 1987 pleaded guilty to gross indecency for having underage gay sex . Labour MP John Mann said many more Westminster figures will be probed . Mr Mann has handed police list of 22 politicians accused of historic abuse .

 Tom Watson.
He is the latest in a string of people, including former Tory ministers and an ex-chief whip, to be arrested in the investigation, dubbed Operation Midland, into claims by four men that they were abused by VIPs as children. Yesterday, the police revealed that the men made the claims between 1979 and 1994 and that most of them said they were repeatedly abused by former high-profile figures, including senior police and intelligence officials. The police now want to know whether the men were victimised for telling their stories in a BBC Panorama documentary.
It is understood that the police are trying to find out whether politicians and other influential people who were alleged to have been involved in the abuse of the four men had been questioned by police in the early 1980s.
A friend of one of the men, who has not been arrested but is helping with the inquiry, said: “The police are saying that everyone who had anything to do with these crimes is now a person of interest to them. Harvey Proctor is as much a person of interest to them as anyone else.”
Two of the men said they were raped by a high-ranking Conservative and Labour MP from 1983 to 1985, the third claimed he had sex with the peer in the early 1970s, and the fourth said he was raped by a high-profile politician when he was eight.
Their names were revealed as the inquiry widened and it emerged that the police had raided the London home of David Owen. The former foreign secretary, 78, was a senior Labour MP at the time of the 1980s allegations. Yesterday he told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme that he had been interviewed by the police some years ago – but not since April when he was asked to give a second statement.
“I can’t reveal what I said to them and I can’t comment on what they asked me,” he said. “They are obviously continuing with their inquiries.”
Labour’s acting leader, Harriet Harman, said the party would want to know if politicians had been asked by police “to give evidence relating to allegations they heard from people they knew to be vulnerable and who were telling their truth for the first time”.
Labour members were also keen to know whether their party had been used as a conduit for information.
Ms Harman said the party had worked with the police when they looked into allegations in the past, but added:


Who says cats hate water? Jaguar this week launched its new, second-generation XF compact sports saloon with a high-wire drive over water on cables just an inch thick. In a stunt worthy of the latest Bond film Spectre — for which the firm is supplying many of the cars — the XF was revealed in a dramatic stunt in the heart of London's Docklands. High over the Royal Dock in Canary Wharf, stuntman Jim Dowdell — a veteran of the Bond, Bourne and Indiana Jones films — drove the car 240 metres across wires to demonstrate the car's lightweight aluminium construction and agility. Don't look down! Jaguar's new XF seen crossing London's Royal Dock by high wire this week . Excitement aside, Jaguar's XF sport saloon promises 'business class' levels of comfort and refinement with a new generation of frugal engines. It's being built at Jaguar Land Rover's Castle Bromwich factory in Birmingham alongside the allaluminium F-Type sports car and top-of-the-range XJ limousine. Its official global debut is at the New York motor show on April 1 before going on sale in the autumn from £30,000 to £80,000. Jaguar's XF sport saloon (pictured) promises 'business class' levels of comfort and refinement with a new generation of frugal engines . The new version is 80kg lighter than its closest competitor. This helps it return more than 70 mpg with CO2 emissions of 104g/km. Engines include 163bhp and 180bhp 2-litre Ingenium diesels linked to six-speed manual and eight-speed automatic gearboxes. The manual 163bhp diesel is 'the lightest, most efficient non-hybrid diesel model in its market segment,' says Jaguar. All other engines are eightspeed automatics. There is also a powerful 3-litre 300bhp V6 twinturbo diesel and a 3-litre 380 bhp V6 supercharged petrol engine. The proportions have also been tweaked. While 7mm shorter and 3mm lower than its predecessor, its wheelbase is 51mm longer, meaning more back seat space, legroom and headroom. Jaguar is investing £600 million in its manufacturing capacity in Britain, £400million at its Castle Bromwich plant. Great to see Britain's former 'Motown' — Coventry, once the capital of our motor industry — getting some bumper good news this week. The city that for decades has built the iconic London taxi is to gain a new factory, costing £250million, creating up to 1,000 jobs and building up to 36,000 vehicles a year. Chinese motor giant Geely , which bought the UK firm outright two years ago after holding a stake since 2006, said the state-of the-art research, development and assembly plant for the London Taxi Company will be built in the city of Lady Godiva (and Peeping Tom). It is a tenfold increase on the company's site, which has been home to London taxis for 70 years and heralds the introduction of the next generation electric and ultralow emission London black cab. Coventry's links with China go back a long way after it had the foresight in the early Eighties to twin itself with the Chinese city of Jinan in Shandong province. What the two cities had in common was silk: Jinan is at the end of the Silk Road and Coventry — before the rise of the motor industry — was a centre for the finest silk-working. The Chinese think long-term and have an important concept called guanxi — or social connections — which help smooth business. Coventry was early to establish these vital connections. Looks like it's paying off. April should put a spring in the step of outdoor touring types as order books open for the new generation of Audi's epic seven-seat luxury sport utility vehicle the Q7. But you'll have to wait until August for first deliveries. In April order books open for the new generation of Audi's epic seven-seat luxury sport utility vehicle the Q7 (pictured) Priced from £50,340 to £53,835, it will be available at launch with a 272 bhp V6 TDI engine. A 218bhp 3.0 TDI Quattro is expected to follow in late summer 2015. And finally ... what possible future could there be for a loud, middle-aged, overweight, motormouth petrolhead who's originally from 'up North', is always behind the wheel of some fancy car or other, divides opinion, drives everyone nuts and is not even that funny? Wonder if I should apply for that vacant Top Gear slot now that whatsisname's gone and got the sack?

The stunt was worthy of the latest James Bond film, Spectre . The car was driven 240 metres above the Royal Dock in Canary Wharf . Jaguar's new saloon promises 'business class' levels of comfort . Its official global debut is at the New York motor show on April 1 .

 without all the explosions and supercars, naturally — a 100 tonne crane lifted a gleaming Jaguar XF onto two steel cables, each one just an inch thick, 100 metres above the water, before the car gracefully skimmed over the top of the Thames just yards from its mooring at the Canary Wharf development in the Isle of Dogs.
Jaguar's stunt was undertaken to highlight that XF drivers, unlike Bond, do not have to worry about keeping one eye on the traffic and the other on their petrol consumption. A car fitted with the company's latest Touch Pro infotainment system now allows for drivers to set a fuel-saving Eco mode, or an aggressive “Track mode” for when their inner Bond is feeling particularly randy. The XF's 3.0-litre supercharged V6 engine is capable of returning 53.2 mpg according to the EU Combined Cycle, rising to a class-leading 58.9 mpg with the 2.0-litre diesel engine option. The XF is not just about eco efficiency, however. In fact, according to Jaguar, it is the most efficient and technologically advanced XF yet, with a raft of cutting-edge infotainment and safety features.
A 10.2-inch Touch Pro interface has been introduced, allowing the driver to manage maps, apps, music and other entertainment. The head-up display can project crucial information in front of the driver rather than down on the windscreen, while the Active Safety Seat cushion uses sensors to monitor for signs of driver fatigue or movement that might indicate that the car is being driven erratically. There's a full-colour, HD rear-view camera to help with parking, as well as a 19-speaker, 1,200-watt Bowers & Wilkins audio system — or 14 speakers and 1,000 watts for an entry-level version.
At launch, there will be three new engines: two new turbocharged four-cylinder engines with 180hp and 240hp respectively and a new 3.0-litre supercharged V6 S with 335hp and a 0-62 mph time of 5.6 seconds and a top speed of 155 mph. The new Jaguar XF will be on sale in the UK from this summer, but the car will launch in the Middle East soon after, with further countries to follow.
The 2016 Jaguar X


Beijing (CNN)If you live in China and haven't watched -- or at least heard about -- "Under the Dome," you must have been living under a rock. The almost two-hour documentary on air pollution in China produced by a famous TV journalist has quickly gone viral since its online release Saturday, clocking millions of views on various video sites and stirring ferocious debates across Chinese cyberspace. The air pollution that's choking Asia . Here are five things to know to put the phenomenon in context: . The slickly produced video shows journalist Chai Jing presenting a comprehensive slide show, intercutting with fast-paced footage of her travels across China and the rest of world, to find answers to three questions: What is smog, where does it come from and what can be done to tackle it? As shocking levels of air pollution continue to choke much of China regularly, the video has struck such a chord with the audience that, in two short days, it's easily attracted over 100 million views -- a hugely impressive number even in the world's most populous nation. Many Internet users have compared it to "An Inconvenient Truth," the Oscar-winning documentary on former U.S. Vice President Al Gore's effort to raise awareness on the dangers of global warming. Chai, 39, was already a household name before last weekend thanks to her career at China Central Television, the state-run national broadcaster. As a long-time CCTV anchor and investigative reporter, Chai stood out from her peers by covering sensitive topics -- ranging from the environment to homosexuality -- in a country where many journalists at state media stay away from such potential landmines. Her choice of stories and style of reporting -- calm but tenacious -- have earned her legions of fans nationwide -- with some nicknaming her "the Goddess" for her elegance and intelligence on air. Plenty of detractors, however, consider her a leading elitist voice for the country's liberal intellectuals. After writing a best-selling autobiography chronicling her time at CCTV, Chai quit her job last year to take care of her daughter, who had been born with a tumor. Declaring a personal war against smog as a worried mother, Chai tries to dig deep in her self-funded documentary. With her former CCTV connections opening doors, she followed and interviewed top environmental and energy officials and experts in China -- and received surprisingly candid responses. While there is no obvious hero in the video, the villain seems to be clear. A former chief engineer of the state-owned oil conglomerate Sinopec brushes off Chai's suggestion that his powerful industry -- which oversees pollution standards for itself and has rendered environmental authorities toothless -- should become more socially responsible. Tracing the main source of tiny and dangerous pollutants in China to extremely inefficient energy exploration and use, Chai sees the solution in dismantling entrenched interests of the state energy sector -- and also appeals to the public for less reliance on cars and more proactive reporting of polluters. Admiration from celebrity and ordinary viewers -- many said to be moved to tears -- poured in almost immediately. In countless reposts of the video links, people praise Chai for her courage to address the sensitive topic head on and spread the knowledge to the masses. One text message of gratitude to Chai from the new minister of environmental protection -- who had been appointed only a day earlier -- has fueled suspicion among her critics that the video was nothing more than a government PR move. They point to the positive coverage of the video's massive online launch across state media, including an in-depth interview with Chai on the website of People's Daily, the ruling Communist Party's official newspaper. Also, the timing: The video was released just days ahead of China's annual parliament session, during which legislators are expected to rubber-stamp the Communist leadership's policy agenda. President Xi Jinping had declared keeping the sky blue in the country as a top priority. Some argue that the energy industry makes a convenient political target, as Xi's ongoing anti-corruption campaign had netted a former senior leader whose power bases included the state oil sector. Others even see the video as propaganda to prepare people for mass layoffs in overbuilt and inefficient state industries as the government restructures the economy. Questions have also arisen on the science in the video -- including Chai's apparent linking smog to her baby daughter's tumor. And the cacophony surrounding it seems to have caught even China's seasoned censors off guard. Heated arguments have raged online, including blaming pollution on China's political system due to its lack of accountability. By late Sunday night, although the video remained online, all mention of it had been scrubbed from homepages of web portals and news sites. With discussions on the video shifting to social media, a common consensus seems to have emerged: Love it or hate it, Chai's documentary has stirred an important debate in a country where authorities censored air pollution data from the U.S. embassy as recently as November. Some internet users have compared "Under the Dome" phenomena to the discussion over "the dress"— you can fight over the color but what's important is that it's being talked about.

Two-hour documentary on China's air pollution goes viral . Documentary shot by former TV anchor after birth of child . Film generated ferocious debate, took censors by surprise .

 China's coal heartlands has sparked heated debate across the country, both online and in the real world.
It doesn't get more serious than that. But it can get pretty funny, too.
The story of how Wang Hui, a farmer from Jixian in the Hebei province, ended up in Beijing to appear as a witness in the film, has become a meme in China.
Wang, whose face and name were changed for the documentary, has been the subject of multiple Internet parodies, a book about the project and was recently interviewed on one of China's largest news shows. His simple appearance in "Under the Dome" has turned him into a sort of celebrity -- an average man in a suit, with a slightly perplexed look on his face.
As he walked up to the stage of the China Central Television studios this spring, the crowd was chanting "Wang Hui!" with the TV cameras rolling.
Wang, who stands at 5 foot 2, says he can't explain how it happened that he found himself sitting in the studio.
"I'm so glad I could be part of this project," he said when we spoke together, shortly after he returned to Jixian from Beijing.
"At my age, it's not very easy to start something new. If I didn't have this opportunity [it would be difficult for me to achieve that]," he says.
Wang is a relatively ordinary-looking man in his 50s. He was born and raised in a small county where many of his neighbors eked out a meager living by farming.
Now Wang drives a tractor. And at the beginning of spring each year, when the fields were drenched in a thick layer of water from melting snow, he would spend his days tilling and planting crops. That was his life.
But it changed in 2009, when the Chinese government announced that it would ban coal-fired industrial boilers, including those in heating plants and coal-fired power plants. The country was fighting to clean up its air pollution.
Wang's county was one of 1,300 across China that were affected. His village would lose one of its main sources of income.
Wang was also one of thousands of villagers who came to Beijing to protest in April 2011.
"It's hard to explain what I did in Beijing," he says. "It wasn'


The banks of the Dead Sea are under threat from soaring numbers of sinkholes that are appearing as the salt lake dries up, an environmental group has warned. EcoPeace Middle East estimates that there are more than 3,000 sinkholes now along the banks of the salt lake, which is bordered by Israel and Jordan. Water evaporation from the lake - which is occurring at nearly four feet per year - drawing freshwater into the pockets of salt left behind by the lake. Environmental groups report that there are now more than 3,000 sinkholes, shown above filled with water, along the banks of the main body of the Dead Sea, caused by the loss of water from the giant salt lake . As the salt dissolves in the fresh water, it causes the earth above it to collapse. Gidon Bromberg, director of EcoPeace Middle East claims that the appearance of the sinkholes has been accelerating in recent years. For thousands of years, the Dead Sea has attracted visitors who come to float in its salty waters and reap its reported health benefits. But the salt lake's water elves have fallen from 394 metres below sea level in the 1960s to about 423 meters below sea level at the end of 2012. As a result, the Sea’s water surface area has been reduced  by one third: from roughly 950 square kilometers to 637 square kilometers today. The water level continues  to drop at an alarming pace of 0.8 to 1.2 meters per year. The significant decline of the water level over the past 30 years is due to diversion of water from the Jordan River and from the Dead Sea itself due to population increase. The first one appeared in the 1980s, by 1990 there were 40 and by 2005 there were 1,000 holes. Now, Mr Bromberg says, a new sinkhole is appearing almost every day. Speaking to ABC News, Mr Bromberg said: 'These sink holes are a direct result of the inappropriate mismanagement of water resources in the region. 'They could develop overnight or over time, making them unpredictable and very dangerous.' Mr Bromberg and his colleagues believe the rate of these sinkholes appearing has been increased by the construction of dams and reservoirs beside the lake. Water is also pumped from the lake to be evaporated so that minerals such as potash and bromide can be extracted. Water is also pumped from the lake to help maintain the pools that sit outside the spa hotels that attract tourists from around the world. Sitting nearly 1,300ft below sea level, the Dead Sea is the lowest inland area in the world and has a salinity of almost 33 per cent. Sink holes like this one at Mineral Beach beside the Dead Sea on the West Bank are becoming more common . These sinkholes appeared in the fields in south east corner of the Dead Sea near to the Lisan Peninsula . It has historically been maintained by a flow of fresh water from rivers and streams that have equaled the water is loses to evaporation in the scorching heat - about 160 billion gallons a year. Now the Dead Sea is thought to receive less than 10 per cent of the water it needs to maintain its size and it has declined from being 50 miles long in the 1950s to around 30 miles long today. Warning signs now dot the shores of the lake to highlight the danger of the open pits that have been appearing as a result of the sea's shrinkage. Mr Bromberg fears that the sinkholes may soon start posing a threat to the roads and infrastructure that run alongside the Dead Sea. Israel's Transportation Ministry had to close down a stretch of its Route 90 in January after several metres on its eastern side sank by two inches. The Dead Sea is an inland lake that sits on the border between Israel and Jordan, as shown in the map above . The salt formations, seen in the aerial view above, are left behind as the mineral rich water evaporates away . This sink hole beside the Dead Sea, caused by collapsing alt deposits left by the lake, has filled with water .

Environmental group estimates there are 3,000 sinkholes beside Dead Sea . It claim that new sink holes are on the banks appearing almost every day . They say the lake is being over exploited causing it to drop by 4 feet a year . Fresh water is being drawn into salt pockets left behind by receding lake . This dissolves the underground salt, causing the earth above to collapse .

 Dead Sea coastline – up from under 1,500 a few years ago. The sinkholes, which can be as big as small swimming pools and 20 metres deep, are threatening to swallow a 15-kilometre stretch of the banks.
“Sinkholes are forming because the Dead Sea is drying up, and the Dead Sea is drying up because it’s being used and abused. All these ‘green’ projects in the Dead Sea are actually worsening the problem.”
“Israel uses half the waters of the Jordan River in the Dead Sea,” said Amira Hass, a freelance journalist in Tel Aviv. “I can’t imagine the sea ever drying up; I don’t understand how that can be allowed to happen.” Israel took over Jordan’s share of the Jordan River in the 1980s, increasing its use from 40% to 80%. Israel and Jordan rely on it for drinking water. Jordan has repeatedly expressed concern at Israel’s use of the river water.
Hass reports that the Israeli government and water companies “keep going on about the Jordan River being an international river.” “So why does Israel get to draw water for drinking out of it and Jordan has to rely on it for other purposes?” she asked.
The river is used for “some agriculture and fishing. They also want to use it for desalination. There are plans to bring in water from the Mediterranean and desalinate it on land before returning it to the sea so it doesn’t go to waste.”
The river is used for “some agriculture and fishing. They also want to use it for desalination. There are plans to bring in water from the Mediterranean and desalinate it on land before returning it to the sea so it doesn’t go to waste.”
A report this week by the United Nations Office for Project Services says there are fears of “severe environmental and social impacts” on the Jordan River and Dead Sea, as a result of projects including the Allenby Bridge water desalination plant and the Aqaba-Eilat pipeline, both built by the US-Israeli company, “OASIS.”
EcoPeace, based in Jerusalem, is calling on the Israeli government to halt the projects. “The Allenby Bridge water desalination plant is being constructed by OASIS in partnership with Israel and Jordan,” Hass said. “If you look at the Dead Sea, and you look at the


Leicester, England (CNN)"God save King Richard!" A cry rings out in the bright spring air as the simple oak coffin of Richard III is carried away from the tower block-filled campus of the University of Leicester for the final time. The medieval monarch's skeleton has been kept at the university since its discovery beneath a council car parking lot in the city sparked excitement around the world in August 2012. But on Sunday the bones -- which have been studied by archaeologists and experts from all fields in the years since -- ended their tenure as scientific specimens and became, once more, the mortal remains of a king. Some 35,000 people lined the streets of Leicester and the surrounding towns and villages as the cortege wound its way through the countryside to the site of Richard's final battle, Bosworth, where he died in 1485, before returning to the city for a commemoration at Leicester Cathedral. The day began on the freshly-mown lawns in front of the university's Fielding Johnson Building, where a crowd gathered for a solemn service of farewell, dignitaries dressed in their Sunday best alongside students and local families clad in jeans and waterproof jackets in case of a March shower. Leicester University student Anna Boyer, from North Carolina, said she and her classmates had come to watch the ceremony "so I can say I was here," adding: "It's an important historical event -- we don't have things like this in the States." Leicester alumni Sara and Leeroy Paskell brought their daughters Saoirse, 6, and Orlaith, 9, to watch the cortege pass by. "We thought it would be nice for the children to see it," said Sara Paskell. "It is amazing to be part of history, it makes me really proud of the university and of Leicester." That pride is something which those who helped in the search for Richard III share. Leicester University's president and vice-chancellor Paul Boyle said the discovery of the bones had been a "defining moment" which "reshaped history," and pointed out that the university had been custodian of Richard III's remains for longer than he ruled England. Genetics expert Turi King, who proved the identity of the bones by matching their DNA to a living relative of the monarch, Michael Ibsen, said: "It has been an amazing project to be part of -- we all feel very privileged to be involved." King, who read Robert Frost's poem "The Road Not Taken" at the university service and laid a white rose -- a reminder of Richard's heritage as a member of the House of York -- on the coffin, said she considered the commemorations the end of a chapter in his story, but not the end of the story itself; she is still working to sequence his entire genome. Michael Ibsen and another living relative of Richard III, Wendy Duldig, were there as the hearse carrying the coffin pulled away from the somber grey-brown bricks of the Fielding Johnson Building; accompanied by archaeologist Richard Buckley, who led the dig which uncovered the King's bones, they walked silently behind as the cortege's journey began. Thousands of people lined the route of the procession, out through the Leicestershire villages visited by Richard III on his way to the Battle of Bosworth. Perched on fold-up picnic chairs they gathered on roadside verges, along pavements decorated with bunting, flags and paper chains of white Yorkist roses, and in pub car parks to be entertained by folk dancers as they waited for the coffin to pass by. At Fenn Lane Farm, thought to be the closest location to the spot where Richard III died, earth from three key points in his life was placed in a casket carved with his symbol, a boar. The casket, and the procession, then made their way to Bosworth, where they were greeted by men dressed in medieval armor. Here, Richard's role as a "warrior king" was commemorated and tributes were paid to the others who died fighting alongside him. A beacon, which will burn until he is laid to rest on Thursday, was lit on the battlefield. Back in Leicester, thousands more gathered around the cathedral and in nearby Jubilee Square. Waiting to go in to the service, Judy Ellis, from the nearby town of Hinckley, said there was a "real buzz" around the city. "It's quite exciting, coming over on the train I met people who'd come from all over the world to be in Leicester today." Ellis, who named her son Richard, said she had used the parking lot where the king's remains were found. "Four days before the dig started I parked my car over that grave!" she said. Adults -- some carrying single white roses and others wearing boar badges -- in village churches along the route watched the services play out on a big screen as children ran around in the late afternoon sunshine while they waited for Richard's return. In 1485, the defeated king's body was treated with little sense of occasion. It is said to have been slung naked over a horse and taken to Leicester, where it was put on display for three days before being hurriedly crammed into a too-small plot in the Grey Friars Church. More than five centuries on, those who sparked the search for Richard III's remains were determined to put right that ancient wrong by giving him a more fitting farewell. Philippa Langley, who led the "Looking for Richard" project, said its aim was "to give Richard what he didn't get in 1485 ... to recognize what went on in the past, but not repeat it, to make peace with the past." To that end, the king's skeleton is to be given two things it did not have before: a coffin and proper burial rites. The coffin is a simple affair: English oak and yew, made by Richard's relative Michael Ibsen who, as chance would have it, is a cabinet maker by trade; it is carved with the king's name and a white rose. The burial rites are somewhat more complicated: they have entailed the rebuilding of parts of Leicester's cathedral, a guest list numbering into the thousands and delicate questions of location and religion. But with those puzzles overcome, the first of several high profile pre-reinterment services was held Sunday evening: The coffin was carried through the city on a gun carriage, accompanied by two "knights" in full suits of armor, riding on horseback, to the cathedral. Those who had gathered to pay tribute to Richard III threw roses into the procession's path as it passed the new visitor center which has been built over his original resting place. As the city's church bells tolled and dusk began to fall, the coffin was lifted onto the shoulders of the pallbearers and taken into the cathedral, accompanied by four official "mourners" -- descendants of some of those who fought with Richard at Bosworth. Once inside, it was covered with a heavily-embroidered cloth, and a Bible and specially-commissioned crown were laid atop the casket, the latter by a local Brownie, 9-year-old Emma Chamberlain, whose height meant a step had to be placed next to the coffin to allow her to reach it. In his sermon, the Archbishop of Westminster, Cardinal Vincent Nichols alluded to Richard III's controversial reputation and "tumultuous life," which had seen moments of "astonishing brutality." Nichols said the king's short reign was "marked by unrest and the fatal seepage of loyalty and support" but insisted that he was also "a man of prayer, a man of anxious devotion" and one who had done good for his people. As those who had attended filed back out into the darkening spring evening, one final illuminated tribute was paid: the initials RIII and a crown were projected onto the cathedral's tower, while nearby, white roses surrounded a statue of the king. As she left the service, Victoria McKeown, who won a ticket to the event, said the experience had been "brilliant" and the memorial "absolutely lovely." "It's a lovely way to spend a Sunday evening -- not like being at home doing the ironing," she told CNN. "It's part of history: I can say 'I've been to a king's funeral.'"

Richard III will finally be laid to rest in Leicester Cathedral this week . On Sunday his remains were taken from the city's university to the site of his final battle, Bosworth . The bones, in a coffin made by a living relative of the king, are now lying 'in repose' at the cathedral .

More than three centuries and several continents after he was killed in the courtyard of the now-vanished Grey Friars, the remains of the last York king will be laid to rest in Leicester Cathedral on 26 October.
The university that hosted one of Europe's best-known open days, when its archeologists excavated Richard's corpse from under a car park in 2012, is marking the occasion with a solemn service, one of the biggest events in the city's calendar, a procession through the streets and a service attended by royals from more than 20 nations.
When Richard died, there was no great ceremony; no pomp, no pageantry. He was buried in the ruins of the Leicester Cathedral, where today he is once again laid to rest.
But in between those two events, three years of investigation followed.
Archaeologists, osteologists, pathologists, geneticists, facial re-constructionists, historians, linguists, musicians and medievalists used 'forensics' and DNA to find him.
"We have done so much to re-establish Richard as a real human being and not just a cartoon villain," said Alison Weir, author of "The Life and Death of Richard III" and other books on the king.
"I think this is the most important historical story to happen in my lifetime," says the professor of history at the University of Nottingham.
Read:
Richard is not the only king of the world to get the funeral treatment. But he is, perhaps, the most notable because of the discovery of his remains under a car park.
Read: How King Richard III's skeleton came to light
"It was the discovery that started a revolution in archaeology," said Clare Downham, a professor of medieval history at Oxford University.
"The way it all went, and the way it was announced to the world, has been a model for archaeology ever since."
To say that it was the discovery of the century -- or perhaps, in the 21st Century, it could be the discovery of the millennium -- might sound bold, but there is evidence.
Read: Death of Richard III: How the discovery is reshaping British history
In 2012, Leicester University announced that the bones that they were analyzing were those of the king. The following year, in April, the first DNA analysis suggested that they were not.
The next autumn, a new DNA test, using 24 ancient Y


It says something for the way things have changed in English football that Arsene Wenger admitted only last week that Arsenal have no chance of winning the Barclays Premier League. The same, of course, could be said of Manchester United. It is, we should remind ourselves, only the start of March. Given United’s enduring financial capacity, it should not be too long before the most successful club of the Premier League era are competing with Manchester City and Chelsea at the top of the table once more. (Left to right) Marcos Rojo, Phil Jones, Jonny Evans and Michael Carrick warm-up during training on Sunday . Rojo (left) and Radamel Falcao share a joke as United step up their preparations for their clash with Arsenal . David de Gea (left), Marouane Fellaini (centre) and Luke Shaw arrive at the Aon Training Complex . Red Devils centre back Chris Smalling (left) stretches out during his side's training session . Evans, pictured with Michael Carrick, took part in Sunday's training session despite his six-match suspension . Manchester United duo Antonio Valencia and Daley Blind are both expected to start against Arsenal . United duo Jones (left) and Falcao (right) will be hoping to start against Arsene Wenger's side . As for Arsenal, it is more difficult to say. Arsene Wenger’s team have been a peripheral concern for quite a while now. Whatever the case, on Monday night at Old Trafford, these great modern rivals come together with something more at stake than a place in the last four of the FA Cup. With United not involved in Europe this season and Arsenal staring at likely Champions League expulsion in Monaco next week — they trail 3-1 after the last-16 home leg — victory tonight would at least keep one of them relevant from a domestic point of view. No wonder United staff have been encouraging supporters to bring flags and banners to Old Trafford in a bid to bolster tonight’s atmosphere. This may not be a cup final but it may feel a little bit like one. ‘United and Arsenal are placed third and fourth in the Premier League so it’s almost like a final, I think,’ said United manager Louis van Gaal. ‘It is a big event with two good teams. I hope we can give a fantastic match for the fans. United boss Louis van Gaal is targeting his first piece of silverware since arriving at Old Trafford last summer . Wayne Rooney during United's training session at Carrington on Sunday ahead of the game . ‘I think if we beat them it is a big blow for them but if they beat us it is a big blow for us. It is a very important game, not only for the FA Cup but also for the rest of the season.’ United have not won the FA Cup for 11 years. Arsenal are the holders after last season’s victory over Hull but, prior to that, their previous success in the competition had come back in 2005. This says much for the manner in which both clubs’ focus has been elsewhere for so long. Arsenal and United have always valued the FA Cup but, during the years they disputed the league title and had grand aspirations in Europe, it was occasionally allowed to slide down the priority list. That is no longer the case. Van Gaal in particular has been respectful towards the game’s most famous cup competition ever since he arrived in Manchester last summer and has made no attempt to hide what it would mean to him — and his club — if United could win it. The first trophy Van Gaal ever won as a coach was Holland’s KNVB Cup with Ajax in 1993. He still considers his first Dutch championship, which arrived a year later, as the most important trophy of his coaching career. But he admitted he understood Jose Mourinho’s view that his most crucial success in England was his first — the 2005 League Cup triumph. Francis Coquelin evads the challenge for Aaron Ramsey during Arsenal's Sunday training session at Colney . Arsenal forward Danny Welbeck gets through some speed work at his side's St Albans base . Ramsey strides forward during the Gunners' last field session before facing United on Monday night . The Gunners squad are put through their paces as they look to reach Wembley for the third time in two years . Laurent Koscielny puts in the effort with a sprint as Wengers' team got ready for the vital game at Old Trafford . ‘You can say you play for your profession but that is not enough,’ said Van Gaal. ‘You want to win something. That is why you play and coach. The players want to win something and also the manager and also the fans. ‘When you win a title like the FA Cup, which in England is very important, and when you fight for something and you get it, you are pleased and that is why Jose Mourinho is saying what he says about his first one. ‘When you compare coaches with one another then titles are very important. And when a player wins something, they then have the experience of winning a final so there are a lot of positive things.’ Van Gaal was not hired last summer to win the FA Cup. He knows he must get United back into the Champions League. No Premier League club with aspirations of winning the league can afford to be locked out of money-spinning European competition for more than the odd season. Similarly, Wenger knows what his true responsibilities are. French centre forward Olivier Giroud is finally looking capable of scoring consistently for the Gunners . On Monday night, however, the expectation is that this should feel like the most important night of these teams’ seasons so far and the contest should benefit from that. Arsenal have been playing reasonably well for some time and have won 10 of their last 11 domestic games. With their French centre forward Olivier Giroud finally looking capable of scoring consistently, the holders will head north knowing they have the capacity to trouble their great rivals. They also have a league defeat from early winter to avenge. Arsene Wenger's side are current FA Cup champions after their dramatic victory against Hull last season . United’s football, on the other hand, has been more patchy but Van Gaal will hope that inspiration can be taken from an away win at Newcastle last Wednesday that had an important feel about it. He will also hope his captain Wayne Rooney can use his own rather sketchy FA Cup past as a motivating factor. ‘He has not won the FA Cup,’ said Van Gaal. ‘And that is something that is missing for him. ‘My first championship with Ajax was very important for me, it was also an emotional thing. It will be the same for Wayne.’

Manchester United face Arsenal in the FA Cup sixth-round on Monday . United are not involved in Europe this season . While Arsenal are staring at likely Champions League expulsion in Monaco . Arsene Wenger's side trail 3-1 after the last-16 home leg at the Emirates . United have not won the FA Cup for 11 years . Martin Keown hopes United will play with more freedom on Monday night .

 impossible not to feel sorry for the French manager. He has worked wonders, but that is as much in terms of financial might and marketing power as it is for the way his players have been able to express themselves on the pitch.
With this in mind, his recent comments about the top four looking like a "dominant group of clubs" are as much an acknowledgement of the current state of play as a criticism of the quality of the Premier League, but he was being as forthright as you would expect.
Wenger is still very much a winner and it is easy to imagine him being on the brink of his ninth league title when Sir Alex Ferguson, who is not yet 70, decides to walk away from Manchester United, if not this season, at some point in the not too distant future. So, it is difficult not to suspect that he is starting to cast his eye over the landscape and deciding if the current state of the game and the new economic realities that have emerged in England and across the Continent are conducive to Arsenal remaining competitive.
On Wednesday night at Old Trafford, the answer is almost certainly no. United were so clinical, so precise in front of goal, and in Wenger's words, "we had no answer" to their efficiency. He said United were "like a machine", but in truth, they are more like a well-oiled machine.
Arsenal started well in the opening exchanges, but once the Red Devils went in front after only four minutes, when they hit Arsenal on the break and scored through Robin van Persie, they never relinquished their advantage. At half-time there was some hope for Arsenal. Van Persie looked injured, so United had been "one down," and the Gunners knew if they could get the Dutchman out of the way they might have a chance.
But, of course, Van Persie was not only not injured, he was in sparkling form and scored two goals to take his tally to 31 for the season, while Ryan Giggs also scored with a delightful shot, and Shinji Kagawa added a third with an almost effortless finish.
All that was in addition to the second-half contribution of an inspired Michael Carrick, who was named man of the match. As if United's dominance in the first half was not enough, Sir Alex Ferguson brought on Danny Welbeck and Wayne Rooney to give them the perfect finishing touch.
United have now gone 13 matches unbeaten in the league


Ready for retirement? David Cameron was seen doing shopping and enjoying a slice of cake near his home in Chipping Norton . David Cameron looked as if he was preparing himself for the quiet life today as he was spotted picking up some shopping and watching his son play football. The Prime Minister was seem walking out of a shop in Chadlington, near Chipping Norton, holding a carrier bag filled with shopping as he tucked into a slice of cake. He was pictured gorging himself on the slice as he walked around the market near his Oxfordshire home, paying for fruit and veg and chatting with locals. The Conservative leader, who today finally reached an agreement with opposition parties and broadcasters on televised election debates, was earlier seen watching his son Arthur play football for Chadlington FC. Despite Arthur's under-9s team losing 2-1, Mr Cameron remained in good spirits as he chatted with other parents during the match. Sporting a black jumper and cosy black Berghaus coat, the Prime Minister later picked up a few essentials from Sainsbury's, carrying them in a bag for life. He was then seen entering Chadlington Quality Foods - a community-run bakery and deli - leaving a few moments later with a slice of cake in a white paper bag. Mr Cameron stopped to chat with a few market traders before paying in cash for some fruit and vegetables. The Prime Minister's jaunt through the Oxfordshire town came on the day it was finally announced that broadcasters and political leaders had reached an agreement on televised debates in the run up to May's General Election. Broadcasters have confirmed plans for a seven-way discussion on April 2, as well as a range of other programmes before the nation goes to the polls. The first will see the Mr Cameron and Ed Miliband  interviewed separately before answering questions from a live studio audience. The Prime Minister had earlier watched his son Arthur play for Chadlington FC, but the side lost 2-1 . Shoulder barge? Mr Cameron chatted with parents after the match near Chipping Norton in Oxfordshire . Picking up supplies: The Prime Minister paid in cash for some vegetables after visiting a Sainsbury's . The Labour leader will then appear in a BBC debate with counterparts from Ukip, the SNP, the Greens and Plaid Cymru two weeks later. The final encounter will be a special Question Time on BBC One on April 30. Mr Cameron, Mr Miliband and Nick Clegg will answer questions separately from a studio audience. There will be no head-to-head debate between the Prime Minister and the Labour leader. Labour immediately branded Cameron a 'coward' for avoiding a head-to-head debate with Miliband. A source said: 'The cowardice of David Cameron is still preventing the head-to-head debate on the 30th. 'Cameron is now in the ludicrous position of saying he will attend the same programme and take the same questions from the same audience as Ed Miliband, but will not debate him face to face.' Whistle while you take a day off work: The Cameron looked relaxed as he wandered through town . Time for a treat: The peckish PM was seen walking into a community-run shop for a snack . He emerged again moments later and was nibbling on a cake as he took a stroll on his Saturday off . David Cameron (left) and Ed Miliband (right) will face off alongside five other party leaders in a single televised general election debate on April 2 . A Labour spokesman added: 'After weeks of pressure from the Conservative Party, Channel 4 and Sky have indicated to us that they are unwilling to stick to their commitment of March 6 to proceed with the head-to-head debate programme if David Cameron refused to take part.' But a Tory source insisted they had secured a better deal than they were hoping for. 'If anything this is an improvement on the deal we were offered last week. The PM has always believed too many debates would suck the life out of the campaign,' they said. 'In all these formats, we are confident the choice between competence and chaos will be clear.' A Liberal Democrat spokesman said they were happy to take part in the proposed format. 'If it was down to us, we would be in every TV debate and every interview and are ready to take part in any of them,' they said. 'But we think that the politicians and broadcasters have ducked and dived on this long enough and just need to get on with it now.'

Prime Minister was seen enjoying a Saturday off work in Chipping Norton . David Cameron watched his son Arthur play football and went shopping . He was pictured gorging himself on a slice of cake and picking up supplies . The PM chatted with market traders as he bought fruit and veg from a stall .

 two young children play in his home town of Chipping Norton, Oxfordshire this morning.
Chipping Norton is about a half hour drive west of where the PM lives in London with his wife Samantha and their two children. The town of about 4,800 is known for being a place where many celebrity residents choose to live, including the likes of David Cameron and Robbie Williams. And Mr Cameron also seemed to be enjoying his favourite pastime as he took his sons to the town’s playground this afternoon. The school holiday is in full swing in the UK and the Prime Minister has revealed that the break with his family was a long time coming as he had so much work to do - but now he has time to relax.
David Cameron is pictured shopping for the family at the Waitrose branch at Chipping Norton this morning. The Prime Minister was pictured carrying a selection of snacks, and was pictured loading them into the boot of his car after his shopping trip. He also treated his children to some treats, carrying them into the garden of the Co-operative food shop where they were buying some ice lollies for a picnic they planned on going on later in the day.
But the father-of-two could not resist a last minute treat for himself, picking up a slice of cake from the Co-op’s bakery and enjoying it as he sat in the garden. Mrs Cameron and the couple’s children, Nancy and Ivan, all went into the garden at one point and he was seen leaning against the car chatting to his wife as they enjoyed a well earned break before the rush of the summer term returned for the school holidays.
The PM was also spotted giving his children some treats to go on the picnic, buying them an ice lolly each in a clear wrapper. The couple’s older son, Ivan, was pictured carrying the bag, which he proudly waved at his father as they made their way back into their car. And Mrs Cameron was seen carrying the bags of cakes and treats as she and her husband drove off.
The couple returned home to the family home in Chipping Norton later to enjoy a well earned cup of tea before they headed to the garden for the evening’s adventure. David Cameron was seen carrying three tins of ice lollies for the family picnic and a packet of biscuits in a Tesco carrier bag. He was also seen carrying the large cake box with him, while his wife was busy packing their two children, Nancy and Ivan, into the back of the car. But the


While one husband only left his wife a farthing because she called him a 'rotten old pig', another man bequeathed £26,000 to Jesus Christ - but only if He could prove His identity. The bequests in these bizarre wills also include one from a father who wanted his step-daughter to receive the 'price of half a pound of pork sausages' after her late mother did not pay her for them. The team at genealogy firm Fraser and Fraser - based in Farringdon, central London - have spent almost half a century compiling a list of the strangest requests they have discovered on wills. Unusual: The strange wills include the 1888 document by boot and shoe manufacturer Albert Orton from Coventry, who left his wife one farthing after her 'rotten old pig' insult hurled at him because of his flatulence . 'Rotten old pig: Mr Orton, who only left one farthing to his wife, was born in 1818 and died in 1888, aged 70 . Bequest: Frank Smith, from Romsey, Hampshire, wrote in his will to leave all remaining possessions to his daughter if she did not continue living with her 'immoral husband' or allow him to benefit from the inheritance . Writing's on the will: Isaac Cooke from Surrey, who died in 1936, left everything to his wife, Alice. He wrote his entire will in a seven-verse rhyming poem. One section reads: 'To Alice Cooke my loving wife, for her to keep or use. Without reserve throughout her life, however she may choose' During that time the experts have dug up scores of unusual passages written on the legal declarations - before whittling these down to a top ten, which have now been revealed. Their discoveries include the 1888 will of boot and shoe manufacturer Albert Orton from Coventry, who left his wife one farthing after her 'rotten old pig' insult hurled at him because of his flatulence. They also found a 'beautifully written' seven-versed poem and a will revealing how a man left money to Christ, as long as He could prove His identity. In another will, 59-year-old Annie Langabeer wanted to give her brother-in-law two shillings and sixpence so he could 'buy a rope' because she wanted him to hang himself. Employees at the firm have looked through a staggering 200,000 wills since the late 1960s trying to trace people's family trees. They found one written in 2002 by Stephen Cuthbert, from Wiltshire, which included strict instructions that his estate paid for the 'p*** up' after his funeral. Money: The will of Kenneth Gibson, born in 1923 in Lincolnshire, who requested in 1999 that his step-daughter should get the 'price of half a pound of pork sausages that she claimed in my presence that her late mother Ann Cox had not paid her for' Wide-ranging: Sir Charles Stewart Henry Vane Tempest Stewart, the 7th Marquess of Londonderry, wrote his 55-page will in 1945. He was one of the richest men in the country at the time and had everything covered. He not only wanted his wife to have all of his animals, but also 'the natural increase of animals' too . Romantic: Richard Walker wrote his will in 1981 and decided to leave the majority of his wealth, £10,000, to the 'love of his life', Miss Miss Gay Varasporn Suwanahong - who he met in a bar in Thailand. She could only receive the sum when she turned 21. Mr Walker, from Wolverhampton, died in Bangkok in 1982, aged 41 . Staff at Fraser and Fraser also stumbled across the will of Frank Smith, from Romsey, Hampshire, who decided what to do with his £2,989 in December 1937. He asked to leave all of his remaining possessions to his daughter as long as she did not continue living with her 'immoral husband'. Mr Smith, who died in November 1942, said the money should go to the Exchequer if she disobeyed his request. Information from another will written in February 1999 found Kenneth Gibson, from Lincolnshire, included a peculiar request. He said his stepdaughter must be given the 'price of half a pound of pork sausages' after her late mother, Ann Cox, did not pay her for them. He died two months later in April, aged 75. The father's odd request was discovered by Neil Fraser, 39, a partner at Fraser and Fraser, while he was working on a case and trying to trace a family tree. Hanging request: The will of Annie Langabeer, from Sutton, Surrey, who died aged 59 in 1932. She wrote that her brother in law, Daniel Jones, should be paid two shillings and sixpence to enable him to purchase a rope . Choice: The will of Martin Turner, from January 1916. He was in the British Army and had the original surname of Tuchmann, which was stated in all records. But he requested everyone should call him, his heir heirs and children by the surname Turner only . A drink to say goodbye: The will of Stephen Cuthbert, from Wiltshire, who wrote his will in 2002 with strict instructions that his estate paid for the 'p*** up' after his funeral . Long process: The team at genealogy firm Fraser and Fraser - including partner Neil Fraser (above) - have spent almost half a century compiling a list of the strangest requests they have discovered on wills . He said: ‘Most of them are fairly old. Usually when we find the hilarious passages, we are all just researching people's next of kin and we suddenly stumble across something unusual. ‘Anyone can access the wills and they take two weeks to arrive from the Principal Registry of the Family Division. You can even apply for the Queen Mother's will or Princess Diana's. ‘We have looked through around 200,000 wills since 1969 and it's quite hard to spot the unusual lines because they are typically just one paragraph in a five page document. ‘But every now and again you will stumble across a funny line, paragraph or strange request which makes us laugh in the office.’ Mr Fraser, of Highgate, north London, added: ‘We can choose to leave everything we own to a charity, a next door neighbour or we can even leave it to a dog. I think there is always a place for humour in a will.’ 1. Annie Langabeer, from Sutton, Surrey, died in Epsom, aged 59 in 1932. She wrote in her will her brother in law, Daniel Jones, should be paid two shillings and sixpence to enable him to purchase a rope with the message 'though dead our spirits live'. 2. Isaac Cooke, from Surrey, wrote his will in 1935 and died in 1936. He left everything to his wife, Alice, and wrote his entire will in a seven-verse rhyming poem. One section reads: 'To Alice Cooke my loving wife, for her to keep or use. Without reserve throughout her life, however she may choose.' 3. Frank Smith, from Romsey, Hampshire, had £2,989 and wrote his will in December 1937. He died in November 1942. He wrote in his will to leave all remaining possessions to his daughter as long as she doesn't continue living with her 'immoral husband' or permit her husband to benefit from the inheritance. And if the daughter does not do this, everything will go to the Exchequer for the purposes of the state. 4. Albert Orton, 70, from Coventry, was born in 1818. He only left one farthing to his wife because he was disgusted at the treatment he received from her. The boot and shoe manufacturer said she called him a 'rotten old pig' because he broke wind. He died in 1888, aged 70. 5. A man left £26,000 to Jesus Christ, provided that his identity could be established. 6. Kenneth Gibson, born in 1923 in Lincolnshire, requested in 1999 his step daughter should get the 'price of half a pound of pork sausages that she claimed in my presence that her late mother Ann Cox had not paid her for'. He died in April 1999. 7. Martin Turner, wrote his will in January 1916. He was in the British Army and had the original surname of Tuchmann which was stated in all records. But he requested everyone should call him, his heir heirs and children by the surname Turner only. 8. Richard Walker wrote his will in 1981 and decided to leave the majority of his state, £10,000, to the 'love of his life', Miss Miss Gay Varasporn Suwanahong - who he met in a bar in Thailand. She could only receive the sum when she turned 21. Mr Walker, from Wolverhampton, died in Bangkok in 1982, aged 41. He wrote in his will: 'Tell her I love her more than anyone I have ever met.' 9. Sir Charles Stewart Henry Vane Tempest Stewart, the 7th Marquess of Londonderry, wrote his 55-page will in 1945. He was one of the richest men in the country at the time and had everything covered. He not only wanted his wife to have all of his animals, but also 'the natural increase of animals' too. 10. Stephen Cuthbert, from Wiltshire, wrote his will in 2002 with strict instructions that his estate paid for the 'p*** up' after his funeral.

One woman wanted to give brother-in-law money for rope to hang himself . Man included strict instructions that  estate paid for 'p*** up' after  funeral . One husband left will as 'beautifully written' seven-verse rhyming poem . Bizarre wills collated by London-based genealogy firm Fraser and Fraser .

 wills are just a few of the more unusual entries in a fascinating new book which charts more than a century of bizarre will cases from around the country.
Titled The Will, it is being published this month by The Law Society of England and Wales. 'I was a lawyer for 25 years and I never came across such bequests,' says author and legal commentator Professor David Burrows, a former deputy High Court judge.
'Some have a sense of humour, others have a sense of their own self-importance,' he says. 'But the majority have the same reason: they have an affection or a connection with something - their church, their favourite charity - but the will is the closest they can get to saying thank you or goodbye.'
They range from the poignant - such as the woman in her late 80s who leaves the sum of just over £2,500 to her dog - to the puzzling. Some wills specify that a man's first born child must be named after his daughter, with the words: 'I love my only daughter dearly, and if I have any other children in future, I wish them to be named after my daughter's own name.'
Another instructs: 'If my son wishes to marry my daughter I shall have no objections. I love my daughter dearly.'
Others are full of whimsy or the quirky sense of humour of their author, the majority of whom wrote the wills themselves. Some bequeathed substantial sums to one relative and nothing to another.
'I've got some lovely ones,' Professor Burrows, 56, says. 'There is one will from about 100 years ago by a man in his 40s who was going to leave his brother a penny, his nephew £1, his brother-in-law £5 and his wife £25 - but said he had no confidence in the brother-in-law and wanted him to prove he was his sister's husband. This is from when there was a lot of uncertainty about who was a legitimate heir - although the brother-in-law was indeed the husband.'
One of the most memorable was one man who left £50 to be invested by his local vicar.
'He said if he was still alive he would like to come to her office and see her to see how his money was doing,' says Professor Burrows, who recently retired from his role as a legal expert for ITV News.


A debut at Carnegie Hall meant to showcase a young composer was abruptly canceled after management realized it featured a snippet of a Nazi German anthem. The New York Youth Symphony was set to premiere the orchestral work on Sunday at the prestigious concert hall but the orchestra's management removed it, saying that such an explosive musical reference required a longer conversation. No one has suggested any Nazi sympathy by composer Jonas Tarm, a 21-year-old Estonian American, who intended for the work to deplore war including recent bloodshed in Ukraine. Composer: The New York Youth Symphony canceled Jonas Tarm's 'Marsh u Nebuttya' after management realized it featured a snippet of a Nazi German anthem . Piece: Tarm uploaded this photograph of his work 'Marsh u Nebuttya,' which is Ukrainian for 'March to Oblivion.' It featured both a portion from the Nazi song 'Horst-Wessel-Lied' and the anthem of Soviet-ruled Ukraine . But the controversy raised a broader question -- how explicitly do artists need to state that allusions to history's darkest chapters are meant to condemn rather than condone? The New York Youth Symphony, which recognizes performers and composers under age 22, said Tarm only informed the management last week that his piece included 45 seconds of 'Horst-Wessel-Lied,' one of the Nazis' main anthems which is banned in modern Germany and Austria. The symphony said that the nine-minute piece could have been 'an important teaching moment for our students' but that Tarm refused to lay out his reasons for using 'Horst-Wessel-Lied.' 'Without this information, and given the lack of transparency and lack of parental consent to engage with this music, we could not continue to feature his work on the program,' the symphony said in a statement. 'We believe deeply in a free creative process. But along with freedom comes responsibility, even more so when young people are involved,' it said. Tarm had entitled his work 'Marsh u Nebuttya,' which is Ukrainian for 'March to Oblivion,' and it also incorporated the anthem of Soviet-ruled Ukraine. He initially explained his work only with a dedication in the program 'to the victims of hunger and fire' and an excerpt from T.S. Eliot's post-World War I poem 'The Hollow Men.' 'Between the conception and the creation / Between the emotion and the response / Falls the Shadow,' runs the verse from Eliot, who is often considered the premier 20th century English-language poet but also faced accusations of anti-Semitism. Disclosure: The New York Youth Symphony said Tarm only informed the management last week that his piece included 45 seconds of 'Horst-Wessel-Lied,' one of the Nazis' main anthems. The song is  banned in modern Germany and Austria . Upset: After Tarm's Carnegie Hall (pictured) debut was cancelled, Tarm spoke more at length, saying he was 'disappointed and confused' by the rejection of a piece 'not meant to provoke, but to evoke . Intent: Tarm has said the piece is 'devoted to the victims who have suffered from cruelty and hatred of war, totalitarianism, polarizing nationalism -- in the past and today' Music speaks for itself? After the cancelation, Tarm spoke more at length, saying he was 'disappointed and confused' by the rejection of a piece 'not meant to provoke, but to evoke.' The piece ''s devoted to the victims who have suffered from cruelty and hatred of war, totalitarianism, polarizing nationalism -- in the past and today,' he said in a statement. 'The old joke about how do you get to Carnegie Hall -- you practice. Apparently, you also have to self-censor. I'm disappointed that this work will no longer have the ability to speak for itself,' he said. Tarm, who is studying at the New England Conservatory in Boston, said that the orchestra had been practicing the piece for weeks without any complaints. The controversy has echoes of a furor last year at the Metropolitan Opera which staged John Adams' 'The Death of Klinghoffer,' about the wheelchair-bound Jewish American Leon Klinghoffer who was killed by Palestinian hijackers of a cruise ship in 1985. Protesters rallied outside and several disrupted performances in part because Palestinian characters in the opera make anti-Semitic remarks as Adams tries to set the context for the killing. Ken Jacobson, deputy national director of the Anti-Defamation League, which fights anti-Semitism and racism, said that he could not judge the canceled Carnegie Hall piece without listening to it but urged reflection before banning artwork that cites offensive material. 'I assume that the New York Youth Symphony did what it did out of good motives. But I would also say that in works of art, one has to be thoughtful and careful before one wants to censor,' he told AFP. The orchestra went ahead Sunday with a performance that featured rising violinist Elena Urioste, who performed Beethoven's Violin Concerto and Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov's 'Scheherazade.'

The New York Youth Symphony was set to premiere Jonas Tarm's orchestral work on Sunday at Carnegie Hall . The orchestra's management removed it, saying that such an explosive musical reference required a longer conversation . Tarm, a 21-year-old Estonian American, intended for the work to deplore war including recent bloodshed in Ukraine . The symphony said Tarm only informed the management last week that his piece included 45 seconds of 'Horst-Wessel-Lied' The song was one of the Nazis' main anthems and is banned in modern Germany and Austria .

 bowed out following an article in the New York Times that drew attention to the music’s origins.
Music director Steven Sloane, who arranged for the orchestra to premiere composer Benjamin Wanger’s work, “Concerto Grosso,” said the 28-year-old conductor was taken aback when a reporter showed him the piece by a 1999 Dutch composer.
“When I saw the piece I didn’t recognize it,” Sloane said Monday. “So I read the description and it said, ‘Concerto Grosso 1936.’”
“The 1936 version was used during Hitler’s re-inauguration ceremonies,” he continued. “I was horrified to learn that the piece I thought was being performed was actually used in a Nazi ceremony.”
Sloane said the piece contains a section that features “a portion of the national anthem of Holland played in a rhythmic passage.”
The piece had a title change on Monday, Sloane said, and was performed by an older, different orchestra on Monday at a concert at Columbia University’s Miller Theater.
Sloane said the work is dedicated to the victims of the Holocaust.
“The piece is not a concert piece, its meant to be played at a higher level of education … so it’s going to be performed at a small venue and the intention is to use the piece as a way to reach young people. And this piece is in direct conversation about our times,” he said.
An article in The New York Times on Sunday first reported the planned orchestral premiere of “Concerto Grosso 1936.”
The piece was originally played by the New York Youth Symphony in November of 2014.
Following the performance, the orchestra invited Wanger to New York for their Young Composers Institute, which culminates in performances of the orchestra under the supervision of Sloane.
But Sloane said he was initially unaware of the composition’s origins. He discovered its connection to the Hitler era when a reporter showed him the composer’s bio in the newspaper.
The conductor said he will work with Wanger to decide how to handle the work in the future.
“As this unfolds, I will keep the NYYS board of directors informed of all actions taken,” he said. “At this time, we will explore whether or not the piece is appropriate for further performances or we will withdraw it from further performances. If it is appropriate for further performances, we


A northeast Ohio bridal store linked to Ebola nurse Amber Vinson has put its building up for sale after announcing plans to close. Miss Vinson, 30, a nurse at Texas Presbyterian Hospital in Dallas, was diagnosed with Ebola days after visiting Coming Attractions Bridal & Formal store in Akron, Ohio in October. The store temporarily closed and was cleaned before reopening, but its owner, Anna Younker, said there was a lingering 'stigma' and business failed to bounce back. On Friday she announced on the shop's Facebook page that the bank has now cut off the business credit line, forcing her to sell the building for $338,000. Negative press: Coming Attractions Bridal & Formal store in Akron, Ohio, (above) which was linked to Ebola nurse Amber Vinson, is now up for sale after business failed to bounce back . Chain of events: Miss Vinson, 30, a nurse at Texas Presbyterian Hospital in Dallas (pictured), was diagnosed with Ebola days after visiting the shop in October . The store, located at 1220 E. Tallmadge Ave., is listed with Cutler Real Estate. Particulars describe it as a 'great 4,000 sq ft brick retail building, built in 1996 with eye-catching curb appeal. 'The space would be ideal for beauty shop, message facility, auto parts store, doctors/dentist office, day-care center or veterinarian with plenty of parking.' Younker, who has been in business for 30 years, said her shop became known as the 'Ebola store' after news of Vinson's visit hit the press. She claims that the temporary closure and canceled orders cost the store at least $100,000. The loss wasn't covered by her insurance because the plan excludes viral illnesses. Ms Younker told NewsNet5 that Miss Vinson, who was visiting her hometown for a few days to plan for her wedding, should have been more careful. Sanitisation process: The store temporarily closed and was cleaned before reopening, but its owner, Anna Younker, said there was a lingering 'stigma' and business failed to bounce back . 'I wish that now she knew better not to travel. The impact its had on me is huge,' the store owner said. 'Never in a million years did I expect something like this to cause our business to have to close.' Ms Younker said she was particularly offended when Miss Vinson asked for a $480 refund on her bridesmaid dresses. Miss Vinson, who recovered from Ebola nine days after treatment, asked that the shop refund her bridesmaids the $479.89 they paid for their dresses, via her attorney. Ms Younker said the refund request feel like 'a slap in the face'. In January she posted a message to customers on Facebook, announcing that her business would be closing down. 'Despite our best efforts, we simply have been unable to recover,' she wrote. 'The decision for me to close was not easy for me. Anna Younker (above), who has been in business for 30 years, said her shop became known as the 'Ebola store' after news of Vinson's visit hit . 'Over the years I have met and worked with the most amazing brides, mothers of brides, bridesmaids, prom girls and many other wonderful people. 'I want to thank all our customers, the people in our community and the well wishers from afar for being so supportive. Your kind words and loyalty have been great comfort. 'I also want to thank my amazing staff for all of their hard work and dedication to our customers and our business. I appreciate your understanding and support.' One of the four staff members losing their jobs, Kayla Litz, told NewsNet5 that the Ebola scare had been particularly worrying for her because she was in her first trimester of pregnancy at the time. Ms Litz came through the quarantine period of 21 days Ebola-free along with the other employees of the store. The store is still filling orders that were made through January and plans to shut for good in May. Akron officials had considered ideas to help relocate or save the store, but its operators said they didn't plan to take the city up on that offer.

Coming Attractions Bridal & Formal store in Akron, Ohio announced its closure in January after it never recovered from its link with Ebola . Miss Vinson, a Dallas nurse, was diagnosed with the virus days after visiting the store in Akron, Ohio in October . Owner Anna Younker, who has been in business for 30 years, said her shop has become known as the 'Ebola store' She claims the temporary closure and canceled orders cost the store at least $100,000 . Now her bank has cut off the business credit line .

ractions Bridal in North Canton, Ohio, for alterations for her wedding.
The store was the first of hundreds of people across the country to cancel wedding and party events after she was stricken with the deadly disease.
"I think it's a smart business decision," said owner Kelly O'Brien, 41, of the store's closing. She said she spent $40,000 to remodel her shop so Vinson could get her gown there. Vinson's mother was planning to be there for the wedding, she said.
O'Brien, who didn't have a wedding party but bought dresses for her sister and bridesmaids, lost about half the income she had expected for the weekend. Now she's hoping to make the money back from the sale of the building.
The 9,000 square-foot building is on the market for $500,000. The building includes 3,200 square feet on the main floor and 3,200 square feet upstairs for storage.
The building has two entrances, one from a parking lot and the other on a side street. The building is located about 20 miles west of Akron, and 15 miles east of Canton.
O'Brien said she is considering moving the shop to a less expensive space in the Akron area. The store opened in March 2012. O'Brien said she had hoped to sell the shop to a new owner who would want to keep the shop open for another business.
The Ohio Department of Health has been working with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to trace anyone who might have had contact with Vinson and potentially contracted the virus while she was in the state.
Vinson flew from Ohio to Texas after the wedding.
She developed a fever while she was flying. She was moved from a Dallas hospital on Friday to a federal center to be treated in isolation. A team of doctors there have been working to prevent the virus from spreading to others.
Health officials in Ohio, where Vinson had been living while attending training at an infectious-disease hospital in Cleveland, determined that none of her close contacts have been infected. Vinson has been at the hospital in Dallas under 24-hour watch by specially trained staff.
The health department says the likelihood that she has infected others is low because she has not been outside.
O'Brien is saddened by the whole situation, but also proud of her staff.
"It takes a special person to come in for a fitting,"


A cloud of toxic smog blown across the channel from Europe has sent pollution levels in the UK soaring to dangerous levels and will continue plaguing the country into tomorrow. High pressure and little wind means the pollution is building up, and also means that the blanket of cloud which is currently covering much of the country will persist into Friday, blocking out the eclipse for most people. A Met Office spokesman said for most sky-gazers the only sign the eclipse is happening will be when light levels dip at around 9.30am. She added that there will be pockets of clear skies, but that it is difficult to predict where these will be. Meanwhile the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) is advising the elderly, young and those with heart and lung conditions to avoid strenuous activity, especially outdoors, adding that those with asthma may also experience increased breathing problems. Scroll down for video . The Department for Environment, Food and Rural affairs (Defra) is warning the elderly, children and those with heart and lung problems to avoid strenuous activity, especially outdoors (pictured, fog in Manchester this morning) Pollution blown across from Europe has settled across much of the UK today (left), sending levels of toxic particles soaring, and light winds mean it will remain for much of tomorrow (centre) before dissipating on Friday (right), though cloud will remain, blocking the eclipse . Asthmatics are also being told they may experience increased breathing difficulties after levels of pollutants reach level 9 out of a possible ten earlier today (pictured, Manchester this morning) High pressure which has settled over the UK will mean little change in the weather over the coming days, with cloud ruining any chance of seeing the eclipse on Friday for most of the country . Pollution blown across from Europe, where Paris is currently shrouded in smog, has sent levels of 'particulate matter' soaring to level nine out of a possible ten across much of the south west and London, while moderate to high levels were recorded across the midlands and parts of Scotland. A Defra spokesman said: 'Adults and children with heart or lung problems are at greater risk of symptoms. Follow your doctor's usual advice about exercising and managing your condition. 'It is possible that very sensitive individuals may experience health effects even on low air pollution days.' A Met Office spokesman added: 'Some individuals, such as those with existing heart or lung conditions, may experience increased symptoms. 'The Met Office is working very closely with Defra and Public Health England (PHE) to ensure they have the most up-to-date and accurate air quality forecasts in order to provide relevant advice to the public.' Kay Boycott, Chief Executive of Asthma UK, says: 'Two thirds of people with asthma find that air pollution makes their asthma worse, putting them at an increased risk of a potentially fatal asthma attack. 'When air pollution is high it’s vital people with respiratory conditions including asthma check air pollution forecasts, carry their reliever inhaler with them at all times, and ensure that they are taking their preventer inhaler every day because this will help build resilience to asthma triggers like air pollution. 'People with asthma have told us that on days when air pollution levels are high they feel that they can’t even leave the house for fear that it will trigger an attack.' London was badly affected by smog in April last year when high pollution levels from Europe combined with toxic particles from the UK and dust blown in from the Sahara to create a thick cloud that was visible across parts of the capital. Paris is currently shrouded in a thick layer of smog, and pollutants blown over from the continent have been causing problems in the UK . Last year authorities in Paris took the unprecedented step of banning cars from the road for a day in order to cut pollution levels . Settled weather conditions have allowed pollution levels to rocket, exceeding EU recommended limits by up to three times in some places (pictured, the Eiffel Tower is seen among the smog) An unusual combination of factors had conspired "to create a 'perfect storm' for air pollution,' according to Helen Dacre, a meteorologist at the University of Reading. 'Toxic gases, such as nitrogen dioxide and ozone, as well as fine dust particles in the air blown in from the Sahara and from burning fossil fuels, all contribute to cause problems for people with heart, lung and breathing problems, such as asthma,' she said. Around the same time Paris took the unprecedented step of banning cars from the roads for a day in an effort to ease pollutant levels, which had reached dangerous levels. For the rest of this week the weather is set to stay mild, dry and predominantly cloudy for most of the UK over the next couple of days and into the weekend, as an area of high pressure persists. Nicola Maxey, a spokesman for the Met Office, said: 'Tomorrow is going to be similar to today with more cloud around, particularly for the North. There is a chance of showers in the South East and just a risk of some more showers later on for Scotland. London was badly affected by a 'perfect storm' of smog last year as local pollution, toxic particles from Europe and dust blown across from the Sahara combined to create dangerous conditions . Canary Wharf can just be made out amid a pall of smog that covered London in April last year leading to Defra putting out health warnings . 'There is going to be a weather front pushing in to the North West and areas of Scotland which may clear a little of the cloud. Elsewhere it will continue to be cloudy. If you catch a break in the cloud, like today, you will see some sunshine. 'It will be cloudy throughout Friday with a chance of some breaks, though it is too early to say exactly where they might be. 'Saturday there will still be cloud around with temperatures dropping because we have got air moving in from the North, bringing them down to a little below average. It will be much the same on Sunday.'

Pollution covering Paris has been blown across channel and weak winds mean it has settled across the UK . It will remain for much of tomorrow before new weather front will cause it to dissipate by Friday morning . However cloud will still blanket the country on Friday, meaning most people will miss the eclipse at 9.30am .

 area of airspace that the pollution will affect will expand.
The air pollution has not caused any deaths so far, but it will certainly be enough to cause health problems, and with no wind to help dilute the toxic fog people are likely to be advised to limit their exposure to the atmosphere.
Most of the air pollution has been blown into the Midlands and Scotland, but those areas will also be at risk tomorrow.
The smog is the result of a mass of pollution that has been building up over Western Europe, with Paris, London, and Berlin affected on Friday. Paris was hit on Thursday night and Friday, with pollution levels reaching critical, and in London, the air was particularly bad in and around Heathrow Airport.
The air pollution comes off the back of an unusually hot, dry, and sunny summer that has exacerbated the problem. With an inversion layer occurring at ground level – where ground temperatures are hotter than surrounding air – the smog was trapped at ground level.
The smog is most likely to be felt in and around London and the Home Counties, and is very unlikely to reach the far North and the Western seaboard. Air quality in and around London will almost certainly deteriorate further into the weekend.
It should be pointed out that, although smog has been detected, there have been no alerts issued, and that, as the smog will only continue to hang around for the rest of the weekend and into Monday, there are unlikely to be any more alerts issued.
In London the air quality is in the ‘Very Bad’ category on the Air Quality Index (AQI), and with a reading of 205 in parts of London, the AQI for air pollution is in the ‘Very Dangerous’ range.
The AQI categorizes air quality from very good, which is a 0-50 reading, to very poor, which is over 350. Levels between 51 and 100 are generally considered moderately bad, while 101-150 is deemed extremely bad.
The AQI has a ‘scale factor’ of 150, so anything over 150 is dangerous. The scale factor is also why there are no alerts for levels in excess of 150 in London.
The air pollution also has an impact on the environment. Many of the particles in the air are larger than the ones normally found in London, and therefore able to more easily escape from the inversion layer. However, there are also smaller particles which are able to remain in the lower


They are extraordinary treasure troves, stuffed full of some of the greatest works of art that Britain has ever produced. But the National Trust now wants its stately homes to have fewer exhibits – because they are too demanding on visitors. The charity, which owns 500 historic homes and gardens, is worried that rooms often have ‘so much stuff’ it puts off all but the middle classes. The National Trust, which owns 500 historic homes and gardens such as Cliveden House in Buckinghamshire, is worried that exhibitions often have ‘so much stuff’ it puts off all but the middle classes . In an attempt to try to broaden the appeal of Britain’s grand properties, bosses yesterday launched a ten-year strategy that includes plans to ‘simplify’ some exhibits. Dame Helen Ghosh, director general of the National Trust, said simplifying the exhibits may be necessary. ‘We are making visitors work too hard in some places,’ she said . ‘It’s not surprising given that where we have come from, that the type of places that we own are the places where the middle classes feel more comfortable, that it forms more of their cultural background. ‘Our analysis is that it isn’t the entrance fee that is putting people off, it is that they think this isn’t “the place for them” So how do we get them in?’ The Trust's director general Dame Helen Ghosh, said places like the Carrick-a-Rede bridge attracts visitors from all social classes . Dame Helen, who was Permanent Secretary of the Home Office until she was appointed to the Trust in 2012, said that some properties have a broader appeal. ‘When you go to somewhere like Carrick-a-Rede in Northern Ireland and watch people walking over the rope bridge, they are from every socio-economic background, wearing shorts, flip flops, all of that,’ she said. But many of the large stately homes have a far narrower visitor base. The Trust is to experiment with simplifying the exhibits at some of its properties. Dame Helen said: ‘When it comes to our big grand houses one of the things we have to look at is the sheer number of exhibits. There is so much stuff in there. ‘Let’s not expect our visitors to look at every single picture in a room - let’ s pick one lovely thing, put it in the middle of the room and light it really well. ‘Let’s just have six or seven of those things dotted around that anybody would love - it’s not difficult. ‘We make people work fantastically hard - we could make them work much less hard.’ But she denied that the Trust is ‘dumbing down’ its approach in order to boost visitor numbers. ‘In many ways it is much more intellectually rewarding,’ Dame Helen insisted. ‘People will learn much more by looking at one object in a lot of detail, than they ever would going round a room getting a vague impression.’ Tim Parker, chairman of the Trust, added: ‘Every museum and gallery has the middle class problem. ‘We have serious aspirations to broaden our appeal - but the worst thing we can possibly do is to semi-condescend a group of people in order to a property seem more attractive.’ The National Trust is also putting a renewed emphasis on the great outdoors in the spirit of its founder Octavia Hill, who campaigned to provide open spaces for the poor. As part of that goal it is working as a consultant body with councils in Sheffield, Manchester and Coventry, to look at new ways to maintain and fund urban parks. The Trust hopes to use its experience in establishing endowments - the funding model that it uses to conserve many of its historic houses - to help set up new funding models for green city spaces. Although the Trust is not putting in any money to the schemes, other charities such as the Heritage Lottery Fund and Nesta are also involved. Mr Parker, a businessman who recently took over as chairman from outspoken journalist Sir Simon Jenkins, said outdoor space is a key way to broaden the Trust’s appeal. ‘The fantastic opportunity for the Trust is that we are not confined to buildings - we have lots of parks - people don’t have to go inside,’ he said. ‘We can do lots of things to make the whole offer that we have appeal not just to people who are in their 50s and 40s but people who are in their 20s and 30s as well. It is an age thing, not just a class thing.’

National Trust launches ten-year strategy for Britain's stately homes . Scheme to attract more visitors includes plans to ‘simplify’ exhibits . Charity says exhibits make many feel like it is not 'the place for them'

 best known for its iconic red phone box, has warned trustees that unless they make cuts, its buildings are likely to be ‘derelict’ within 10 years.
The organisation will soon need to spend £1.7 billion of its £1.2 billion annual income simply to keep all its buildings in repair – and it fears there simply is not the money around. The charity says that it is the first time it has made such stark warnings.
So why are the National Trust buildings – and the contents within them – becoming increasingly expensive to maintain? There are a number of reasons. The first is that we simply have a lot more houses and buildings to look after than we had 20 years ago.
Our historic properties are older – and therefore tend to need more maintenance. Secondly, as the population is ageing, the number of volunteers is falling. The charity says it has a shortfall of 4,000 volunteers – although the government points out the number of volunteers increased by 20,000 last year.
The National Trust also has to deal with the rising costs of energy and utilities – and the high costs of paying for the upkeep of staff. The organisation now pays its staff – and its trustees – considerably more than in previous years.
In 1999, the National Trust paid the chairman, Sir David Attenborough, just £100,000. This week the BBC’s new boss, Tim Davie, is due to take up a £900,000-a-year role with the charity. The 2004 chairman, who now lives in Barbados and is no longer a trustee, took home £200,000.
It is likely that all of these changes have led the charity to question whether there is any money to pay for the 30million people who have become members in the last year alone. The organisation believes it has to make some drastic changes – and it says members’ money ‘cannot be taken for granted’.
If the charity is to survive, it will have to consider moving back some historic properties to local authority ownership – and if that happens it would be bad news for future generations. It is why the National Trust is currently fighting the sale of the grandest of all English stately homes – Sudeley Castle, in Gloucestershire. It is also why it was in the national spotlight this week after it was revealed the organisation will make £10 million in cuts.
But if the charity is to succeed