Scroll down for video . A new BBC2 television series has challenged one British family to dine through the decades, lifting the cooking pot lid on how eating habits for UK households have changed dramatically since World War II. For two-and-a-half months last summer, the Robshaw family rolled back the years to find out exactly how they would have eaten as a family living in each of the post-war decades in the 20th century. The results, to be screened later this month on BBC2's Back in Time for Dinner programme, were fascinating - if not occasionally stomach churning. Stepping into a different dining room for each decade, the Robshaws - dad Brandon, mum Rochelle and children Miranda, 17; Rosalind, 15 and Fred 10 - lived through how menus have changed. Writing in The Independent, Brandon said the family's normal, 21st century diet was a 'fusion of the functional and the foodie' with easy-to-cook recipes dominating week days and more 'ambitious' dishes being tried at the weekend. Bread and dripping for breakfast, cow-heel pie for dinner... The Robshaw family took on a brave culinary challenge to eat as a family would have in every decade from the 1950s to the 1990s. Pictured, from left to right, Rosalind, 15, mum Rochelle, Fred, 10, dad Brandon and Miranda, 17, in the 1950s episode . Forty years later, the Robshaws found themselves eating in the Nineties, sampling such delights as homemade pasta. 'Within living memory, the way we eat has been utterly transformed, not once but several times, and is still changing,' remarked Brandon . Like most modern kids, Miranda, Rosalind and Fred are in possession of a wide-ranging palate and enjoyed dishes from a global menu, says their dad. So, what was their reaction when they were plunged into the immediate post-war period, when rationing dominated the diets of the early 1950s? Brandon says the family felt 'hungry' all of the time with ten-year-old Fred finding it particularly hard to sate his sweet tooth without the biscuits and snacks that are readily available today. Faced with an 'of-the-time' dining room for each decade; the 1960s kitchen had 'luminous sky-blue walls' and 'radioactive yellow walls', while the 1970s saw a move towards open-plan dining, something which made the kitchen much more of a social hub for families. The Hairy Bikers' Dave Myers pictured with the Robshaw family as they sample the food of the Sixties . Sampling the Good Life... although the Robshaws found that food in the 1970s was more brightly coloured - but perhaps less enticing - than ever before. After all, this was the decade that gave us the Pot Noodle. The rise of the TV dinner: The Robshaw family, pictured above in their 1980s-style kitchen found the decade to be all about convenience, with gadgets aplenty helping them to make meals . The arrival of multiple television sets per household in the eighties stifled mealtime communication however, with TV dinners - effectively a meal on a tray in front of the box - becoming commonplace. 'It brought home to us all how British food has been revolutionised in an incredibly short time,' says Brandon. 'Within living memory, the way we eat has been utterly transformed, not once but several times, and is still changing.' The series looks too at how technology made a difference; a 1950s housewife would be forced to do a daily shop without the luxury of a fridge. While a stay-at-home mum in the eighties would lay out an afternoon tea that might have been made using a Magimix machine for the cake and coffee from a filter machine. The family said there were highs and lows to each decade with particularly dismal offerings including the 'national loaf' that was rationed out to families after World War II. The bread was filled out with potato starch and, according to Brandon, was a one-way ticket to indigestion. Highs included a vegan bean casserole, fresh from the seventies which was 'lipsmackingly good' and a trip to famed restaurateur Anton Mosimann's London eatery, where very eighties nouvelle cuisine and lashings of champagne were served. Here, we take a through-the-decades look at what the Bradshaws experienced. Stepping back in time for a Mary masterclass: Baking supremo Mary Berry teaches the Robshaws how to make a cake as it would have been done in the 1950s . The Fifties . Easily the starkest decade for dining in the last sixty years, the fall-out from World War II meant that families were still using ration books for almost half of the 1950s. Even cups of tea would have to be apportioned out. Bread came in the form of the 'National Loaf' and because flour was scarce, it was often padded out with potato starch, making for an indigestion-inducing crust. How a family might have started the day in the early 1950s, with bread - often the rationed 'National loaf' - and left-over roasted meat fat aka 'dripping' Snacks that modern-day children take for granted were nowhere to be seen and hunger was an all-too-familar feeling. And when mealtimes came, small portions were the order of the day. Bread and dripping (often left-over fat from the Sunday roast), now largely consigned to the history books, was a reality at breakfast time. Vegetables were often taken from community allotments. With no fridges except in the most west-heeled family homes, food was largely eaten fresh and shopping was a daily occurrence. The decade did get better though and the Sixties loomed...with the promise of the first ready-meal. On the dinnerplate: Cow-heel pie and home-grown vegetables . The Sixties . On every level, the 1960s were about liberation. Gastronomically, the country began to breathe easier with rationing a distant memory and plenty of new-fangled ideas hitting the kitchen cupboards. Packets of cereal still familiar to us today - Rice Crispies, Frosties and Corn Flakes - all found themselves on the breakfast table for the first time. The breakfast cereal, now an essential item on most UK families' dining table in the mornings made their first appearance back in the 1960s . Curry but not as we'd recognise it now: Families began to get a taste for spicier food and  Vesta introduced an early ready meal in the shape of a beef curry . The beginning of a tomato-based love affair: Spaghetti bolognese arrived in the UK from our Italian friends...and hasn't left British dining tables since . Fridges became more commonplace, introducing the weekly shop to households. The tin-opener became a big ally in the kitchen as tins of Spam and corned beef were popular dinnertime treats. The Italians gave us our first garlic-infused sample of spaghetti bolognese and we liked it. On the downside, families began to get their first taste of processed food as sugar, salt and preservatives began to enter the equation. On the dinnerplate: One of the first meals in a packet, the Vesta beef curry . The Seventies . Three layers of sweetness! The Fab ice lolly proved a huge hit with youngsters in the 1970s . Dining rooms went open plan for the first time, making them a real social hub of the household for the first time. A freezer added further longevity to food in the family home. It wasn't all sophistication though, power cuts were a frequent event and dad would be found holding a candle as mum tried to concoct dinner in the dark. In an attempt to tantalise British palates, food packaging became brighter and more exciting...and often the bright colours would extend to the products inside. Children would go to the cinema and find such icy treats as Fabs and Sky Rays sold at the half-time interval. Spice came into the cupboards too, as curries became popular. Convenience food arrived in earnest, with the Pot Noodle stocked on supermarket shelves for the first time...much to the delight of students everywhere. Even cookbooks were dominated by making life easier, with casseroles and one-pots a big foodie trend. No self-respecting dinner party host would not think of serving fondue. On the dinnerplate: Curry and chips . Rise of the Pop Tart? Put it in the toaster or just eat it plain...kids went crazy for Kellogg's easy-to-eat snack . The Eighties . This decade saw the family cook look to appliances to make favourites with a more professional finish. Bakers fell in love with the Magimix and coffee tasted better in the filter machine. Working mums would rely on the ping of the microwave to feed their family quickly. The French sent over Nouvelle Cuisine and aspiring chefs went crazy for pretty, tiny portions...fancy food was all the rage in restaurants. Takeaways became a regular family treat. The number of televisions per household rose which saw the rise of the TV dinner, sidelining the dining table in favour of a tray on your lap. In between meals, kids would reach for one of the many snacks that were heavily advertised on television: Skips, Quavers and other high-salt, low nutrition foods were devoured. A more healthier backlash was on its way though... On the dinnerplate: Takeaway pizza . Just like mama used to make: Britons in the 1990s began to try their hand at making pasta at home...cue lots of families buying pasta machines . The Nineties . Health concerns for the first time began to make people think twice when supermarket shopping. A trend towards ditching processed food in favour of organic produce saw people conscious of their 'five-a-day' for the first time. Compared to the stark rationing of the Fifties, shopping was now all about variety with 10 types of apple, 20 types of bread laid before us. Although lots of food still clocked up plenty of air miles to get to our kitchen table, there was an awareness that eating locally was important. We discovered how to make our own pasta. The biggest vice? Booze! Meals would readily be accompanied by a nice bottle of Shiraz and supermarket shelves creaked with bottles of plonk, often at cut-down prices. On the restaurant scene, the gastropub arrived, reinventing old boozers by putting a chef with ambition in the kitchen. On the dinnerplate: Home-made pasta...with a nice bottle of red . 'Back in Time for Dinner' begins on BBC2 on 17th March at 8pm .

The Robshaw family spent ten weeks eating in different decades . TV challenge saw them experience post-war rationing and nouvelle cuisine . Arrival of fridges and other kitchen gadgets changed the lives of families . A typical breakfast in the 1950s might have included bread and dripping . By the nineties, families were starting to kick back against processed food .

half months, the family was required to follow the rules of wartime rationing, and were given a budget of just £55 per week to provide three meals and snacks for the five family members.
The show, called Ration Challenge: A British Family Rations Itself, also encouraged the family to forfeit some modern comforts of life - such as running water, central heating, television and even a working cooker - and live how their parents' generation did. The BBC2 show, which debuted on Wednesday night, was based on The Great British War, written by Alex Langlands and directed by David Atkinson.
The father of the family, Michael, is a carpenter and was asked to make a number of wooden devices which would have made the household chores of war-time Britain simpler.
These included the "slipper", which was a wooden boot with a hole in the sole and a large wooden handle which enabled it to be used to scoop up boiling water, and the "dodger", a long wood block with a loop handle which could be used to swish at flies.
However, with the £55 budget, they were asked to buy the essentials: meat, eggs, bread and potatoes for dinner, and then create a three-course meal using only those ingredients. As well as the meals, the family was also challenged to make the modern conveniences of life - such as running water, central heating, television, even a working cooker - all redundant.
The family were given a budget of just £55 per week to provide three meals and snacks for the five family members
To ensure their rationing experiment was as true to reality as possible, the family was also told they had to go a fortnight without running water, and cook every meal over an open fire outside.
The family was asked to choose their meals from the ration books of the past, which have been reprinted by the Imperial War Museums, and make some traditional British wartime dishes to ensure they were eating as well as the families did before. These included boiled cabbage, Yorkshire puddings and a chocolate Victoria sponge, which they were asked to cook outside.
However, as well as the recipes that have stayed virtually unchanged since wartime, the family also had to make some other meals to reflect the times in which they were living. During the war, many men in Britain were drafted to go to war abroad, and with this happening, food prices increased dramatically.
This lead to many British families having to choose between eating


Steven Gerrard will play alongside Chelsea captain John Terry and former Liverpool team-mates Xabi Alonso, Luis Suarez and Fernando Torres in a mouth-watering line-up at Anfield later this month. The Reds captain, who will also team up with Arsenal legend Thierry Henry, is to feature in an all-star XI for a charity game organised by the Liverpool FC Foundation on March 29. Gerrard will also manage the side with his former Liverpool team-mate and Sportsmail columnist Jamie Carragher leading the opposition. Steven Gerrard and Jamie Carragher will go head-to-head in a charity match at Anfield later this month . Gerrard and Sportsmail columnist Carragher took turns in picking their first XIs for the charity clash . The legends stand by the teams they have selected for the match organised by the Liverpool FC Foundation . Brad Jones; John Arne Riise, John Terry, Stephen Warnock; Ryan Babel, Xabi Alonso, Steven Gerrard (C), Kevin Nolan; Luis Suarez, Fernando Torres, Thierry Henry . Pepe Reina; Alvaro Arbeloa, Jamie Carragher (C), Martin Kelly, Craig Noone, Raul Meireles, Jonjo Shelvey, Craig Bellamy, Luis Garcia, Didier Drogba, Dirk Kuyt . Gerrard and Carragher appeared in a relaxed mood as they faced the media at Anfield on Thursday . The game gives Liverpool fans one last opportunity to see Gerrard in action alongside the best players from the array of sides he has captained throughout his time at Anfield before he leaves for LA Galaxy at the end of the season. A number of current Liverpool first-team players will also be involved. Gerrard and Carragher took turns selecting from 22 star players with Reds stopper Brad Jones the surprise first name out of the hat. Gerrard revealed he was ‘staying loyal’ to his current team-mate. The former England captain then selected the ‘best defender' he has 'ever played with' as Terry was picked to line-up at centre-half. Fernando Torres, in action for Atletico Madrid, will play alongside Luis Suarez and Thierry Henry . Luis Suarez will return to Anfield for the first time since his £75million summer switch to Barcelona . Carragher claimed his fellow Sky Sports pundit and Arsenal legend Thierry Henry is 'excited' about the match . Carragher responded by joking that the Chelsea captain, whose side were dumped out of the Champions League by Paris Saint-Germain on Wednesday night, ‘couldn’t run’. Bayern Munich midfielder Alonso was hailed as a ‘top passer’ by Gerrard and was the 35-year-old's first pick in midfield. Suarez, the Barcelona striker deemed to be 'the man in form’ was selected to lead Gerrard’s attack. Carragher responded by picking Chelsea legend Didier Drogba to go head-to-head with club team-mate Terry. Torres was then chosen by Gerrard to team up with Suarez and Henry was also selected by the Liverpool legend to form a tantalising three-pronged attack. Xabi Alonso, now of Bayern Munich, will team up with Gerrard after he was selected by the Reds skipper . Suarez celebrates after scoring for Liverpool against Crystal Palace in the Premier League last season . Torres pictured scoring for Liverpool against Wolves. He was sold to Chelsea for £50m in January 2011 . With the teams decided, Carragher accused Gerrard of ‘going for the egos', but claimed he had picked a 'proper team'. 'It's going to be a great occasion,' said Gerrard at a press conference on Thursday. 'When I made the phone calls and told them about playing in front of a full house, they loved the idea. 'Me and Jamie should not get any credit, it's credit to everyone who wants to come and help out. I know all those who are involved. They are winners and it will be a great game. 'I am feeling good, looking forward to the future. I am staying respectful to Liverpool. I am fit and available and I want to be.' Carragher added: 'Thierry Henry was more excited than I was when we spoke about it.' Proceeds raised from the event will help fund Liverpool FC Foundation's community programmes, which benefit thousands of young people and adults throughout the city of Liverpool, and also support Alder Hey's new Hospital in the Park as well as providing support packages to Claire House, Positive Futures, Centre 56 and Cash for Kids.

Steven Gerrard selects his former Liverpool team-mates for charity game . Gerrard will also line up alongside Thierry Henry in match on March 29 . Sportsmail columnist Jamie Carragher will play and manage the opposition . Carragher's first XI includes Pepe Reina, Craig Bellamy and Didier Drogba .

 up with the Spain players, made the announcement on Instagram.
Steven Gerrard
It's not official... yet, but Gerrard has announced he's playing a game at Anfield on the 26th of March. pic.twitter.com/cU1I8tNfR9— FootyAccumulators (@FootyAcca) February 25, 2015
Chelsea star, Terry, a former England captain is playing against his old rivals Manchester United at Anfield and Alonso, Suarez and Torres will also play.
Gerrard is one of the most-capped English players with 114 caps and captained England, most recently, in the 2-2 draw against Scotland on 20 March 2013. The 35-year-old was in fantastic form this season and was chosen to feature in Team of the Season, as voted by fans on Fifa.com. The Liverpool captain is now 11/4 to win the FIFA World Cup 2015 Golden Ball award.
The former Liverpool star has been linked with a move to Los Blancos in recent years. Gerrard is one of the top three midfielders in the world but his future is unclear. He is in a new contract at Liverpool till 2016 but his contract is expiring next year. Liverpool will offer Gerrard a new deal as he is a player they value a lot.
Manchester United captain Wayne Rooney believes Gerrard can win the FIFA World Cup Golden Ball award. The Liverpool midfielder has scored just one goal in 21 appearances.
“He (Gerrard) is the best player in this World Cup," Rooney said in an interview with Sportweek.
Gerrard has played a total of 110 times for England and has scored 28 goals. He was captain until recently when he lost the armband to Rio Ferdinand.
Former Chelsea player, Alonso, will line up with Terry at the centre of defence. Alonso is known as a very offensive minded midfielder and he was an integral part of the Spain team. Alonso has an impressive scoring record for club and country with a total of 19 goals in 108 matches for Spain.
Luis Suarez and Fernando Torres are also going to be part of the Anfield line-up. Torres has struggled since leaving Liverpool after a £50m move to Chelsea in 2011. The former Liverpool star scored 65 goals in 142 appearances in four years for the


TV presenter Laura Csortan has been ridiculed for her alleged penchant for photoshopping Instagram snaps. Despite her denials, at least the former Great Outdoors presenter can know she is in good company. Her fellow accused include the likes of Beyonce, Kim Kardashian and home grown supermodel Miranda Kerr, all of whom have come under fire for appearing to tweak their pictures. Scroll down for video . Hashtag no filter? Miranda Kerr is among a host of stars accused of using photo editing tools to appear slimmer in her Instagram pictures . Spot the difference: Miranda raised eyebrows by posting a picture in 2013 on Instagram (right) which was a slimmed-down version of the original (left), taken at the 2012 Victoria's Secret Fashion Show . While many Instagram users are guilty of adding a flattering filter to their selfies, it seems the stars are taking it a step further, and using photo editing tools to appear thinner. Miranda Kerr has twice been accused of needlessly slimming down her waist in pictures posted to her Instagram account. In 2013 the supermodel attended a Michael Kors event in Japan wearing a cut-out gown, but raised eyebrows when she uploaded a picture in which her already slender waist appeared noticeably smaller. Real life vs Instagram: TV presenter Laura Csortan has been repeatedly accused of tampering with her images to make her already incredible figure appear smaller . Tell-tale signs: A number of Csortan's Instagram snaps show evidence of photoshop including a blurry background . Not quite right: This picture shows Laura's waist looking skewed and obviously slimmer than in a duplicate image posted on a friend's account . In another incident, the 31-year-old issued an apology for posting a picture which she claims she did not realise had been photoshopped. Miranda shared a picture of herself with her then fellow Victoria's Secret Angels Doutzen Kroes and . Alessandra Ambrosio backstage at the 2012 Victoria's Secret Fashion Show. But some of her 5.5million followers were quick to point out that her waist appeared significantly thinner than in the original photograph. When Kim Kardashian took a trip to the Versace house in March 2014 she faced criticism for the picture on the right, in which she appeared to have slimmed her waist and hips . British reality star Lauren Goodger has been accused of smoothing her waist to appear thinner, as shown in this picture posted when she attended the Clothes Show last year . After making headlines around the world and a facing an army of fans questioning why the incredibly slim and fit star would need to photoshop her body, Miranda said in a statement: 'When I re-posted the photo this week to support the girls I screen grabbed it off the internet when I was working in Japan. I had no idea it was Photoshopped.' For her part, Laura Csortan has flat-out denied slimming down her body in her Instagram pictures, despite obvious signs of tweaking such as blurring and skewed lines appearing in the snaps. She has previously told Daily Mail Australia she uses filters, Instagram settings and occasionally a blemish remover app. Beyonce is no stranger to  controversy, she has previously been accused of slimming down her pictures and in this snap, taken whilst she was holidaying in the South of France, it looked like her waist was slimmer . These two photos were taken just two days apart whilst Geordie Shore personality Charlotte Crosby holidayed in Perth in February, in the picture on the left she looks rounder than she does in her Instagram snap . Lauren appears to be a fan of heavy filtering, as shown in the softened selfie on the right . 'Apart from using the filters on Instagram, I have never altered any of my pictures,' she has said. British reality stars such as Charlotte Crosby and Lauren Goodger have previously posted pictures to the social networking site where they look considerably smaller than in paparazzi pictures of them taken on the same day. Of course, stars like Beyonce and Kim Kardashian are no strangers to being accused of altering their photographs. When singer Beyonce posted photographs of her summer holiday to Instagram last year she was accused of slimming down both her waist and legs. And when Kim took a trip to the Versace house last year the picture she posted to the social networking site made her look thinner than those taken of her by the photographers waiting outside. They say the camera never lies, but some seem to be telling a few fibs. Here are some more stars that might have been given a helping hand... In these pictures of Britney Spears, which were taken on the same day in November, she looks considerably slimmed down in the picture on the right which was posted to her Instagram . Holly Hagan has lost a lot of weight over the last year, however, she looked like her waist was slimmer in this picture posted to Instagram (right) around the same time that she attended the NTAs (left) Jennifer Lopez has beautiful skin already but it looks as though she used a filer to make it completely flawless in this picture taken as she promoted The Box Next Door in January .

Miranda, Laura, Kim K and Britney appear thinner in Instagram snaps . Some of them have been accused of editing their photographs . Beyonce has previously been accused of slimming down her body .

 (known to be a Photoshop pro herself), Lady Gaga and Scarlett Johansson. These are just a few of the famous women whose pictures are the subject of speculation and criticism from netizens. Many of these pictures are, admittedly, far from unedited. Yet this has not discouraged people from picking out their perceived photo manipulations. What is the source of this fixation? Why are people so keen to detect these manipulations? And what role does social media play in this situation?
The source of our fixation
With the exception of a few, the celebrities that are accused of editing their pictures are extremely photogenic. The likes of Beyonce, Lady Gaga and Scarlett Johansson are the sort of people whose good looks are not in the slightest bit hard to spot. The same goes for several of those accused of photoshopping. While it could be said that the accused are under some social pressure to look perfect, many of these celebrities are so popular precisely because of the good looks that were already there to begin with. Yet some of the accusations of photoshopping are for good reason. It’s simply a case that these pictures are “enhanced” by the process to a lesser or greater degree.
The case for social media
Of course, social media does bear some responsibility for the heightened expectations of beauty from celebrities. This in turn has made many of these celebs feel like they have to “step up their game”. However, Instagram as an app is largely in line with this demand for perfection and photoshopping. Instagram filters do much of the work for them. By providing a choice of filters that (allegedly) enhance certain features of a picture, these filters essentially make it so that it is no longer necessary to photoshop your way to beauty. There are so many filters that it is a case of just finding the right one to suit your own image. After all, not every filter will enhance every image – and vice versa.
The final word
In short, there is nothing inherently negative about the use of photo-editing software. There is no shame in wanting to look better online or in a magazine. The problem arises with the intent behind the editing. To take an innocent example, the use of filters can make it easy to look your best while still retaining your own unique look. This is not the case with so-called “celebrity filters” such as the one that allegedly boosts Rihanna’s hips. These filters do the opposite to the point of ridicule. Celebrities


Spring came falling down Monday on winter-weary residents in Wisconsin, Minnesota, Illinois and Iowa with more than a foot of new snow in some areas. The National Weather Service measured 15 inches of snow in Fennimore, Wisconsin, and 13 inches in neighboring Crawford County. Decorah, Iowa, was dealing with 11.5 inches of snow, while ten inches fell in Rochester, Minnesota. A sprinkling of snow disrupted rush hour traffic in Chicago. Scroll down for video . Spring hasn't sprung: A plow truck goes down a Mankato, Minnesota, street and clears about six inches of snow . Snowy beard: Snow fell at the Paul Bunyan Logging Camp in Wisconsin (left) and in Minnesota (right) as well . Family affair: Daniel Garcia and his two sons  shovel the snow in front of a residence in Kenosha, Wisconsin . Schools in southwestern Wisconsin and southeastern Minnesota canceled classes as snowplows hit the highways and streets and the locals fired up their snow blowers or brought out their shovels for another round. The accumulating snow stands in contrast to a week ago, when temperatures hit the 70s in some spots. Flowers on Main in Zumbrota, Minnesota, received a shipment of spring flowers Monday despite having 12.3 inches of new snow on the ground. Employee Jan Ryan said. 'We just got in all of our Easter lilies and hydrangeas. 'It just doesn't feel right,' said with a chuckle. ''We kind of feel like we're in a ghost town today. 'It halts people walking around town. It just halts operations.' Don't put away that winter coat: A pedestrian covers up from the wind and cold in Chicago on Monday . Still need the snow tires: A brave biker makes his way along Minnehaha Parkway in Minneapolis, Minnesota . Snow day: School buses were covered by snow on Monday in Niles, Illinois, as about five inches fell in the area . Customer traffic was also minimal at the Hungry House restaurant in Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin, where 13 inches of snow fell since Sunday. Manager Sam Etemi said he didn't take much stock in the forecast, which predicted a mountain of new snow, until he woke up Monday morning. He said: 'I certainly wasn't a believer until I stepped outside. I was just amazed and shocked. 'Mother Nature has its ways.' Many roads are still closed and schools in the Prairie du Chien School District were closed Monday. Winter wind: A woman braces herself against the cold as she makes her way through downtown Chicago . Hold on tight: A woman walks with an umbrella during the snowstorm in Niles as the weather swirls around her . Not a great shopping day: Pedestrians and shoppers battle the elements and walk the streets in Chicago . The Illinois governor's motorcade was among the vehicles involved in scores of accidents Monday as the early spring storm caused near white-out conditions and slippery roads in northern Illinois. Reports of crashes and spinouts started coming in after 5.30am, a State Police spokesman said. Some caused minor injuries, including to a state trooper traveling in Rauner's motorcade. Police said one of the vehicles driven by a member of the State Police unit that protects the governor lost control on Interstate 55 near the Chicago suburb of Countryside around 8.15am and struck the rear tandem axle of a truck trailer. The driver was treated and released from a hospital. More than 250 flights were canceled at O'Hare International Airport and more than 20 were canceled at Midway International Airport. Flights that were getting out were experiencing significant delays. The mess should be short-lived. Meteorologists said Tuesday's high temperatures were expected to be in the mid-40s, and that the Wednesday high could hit 63 degrees. Buried: John Polkinghorn begins to clear off over 15 inches of snow from his truck after a snowstorm overnight . Too bad there's still class: A student walks across the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse campus Monday . Winter fun for some: Century High School students in Rochester, Minnesota were able to look on the white side . The snowstorm in northern Iowa has dampened Mason City's efforts to get a jump-start on spring cleaning. City officials had rescheduled the town's first yard waste collection day of the year for Monday because of a recent bout of pleasant weather. But the storm that dumped about two inches of heavy snow in Mason City by early Monday left officials questioning their decision to switch their original April 6 start date. Despite the weather, City Administrator Brent Trout told the Mason City Globe Gazette that the city did expect some yard waste to be picked up. Can't ride through this: A man walks his bicycle through a snow-covered street in Des Plaines, Illinois . More coming? The forecast calls for a wintry mix to be present in some parts of the Midwest on Tuesday . Maybe the last time: A man shovels late season snow in Mason City, Iowa, after getting hit with more on Monday .

Parts of Wisconsin, Minnesota, Illinois and Iowa got more than foot of snow . Schools were closed and snow also disrupted rush hour traffic in Chicago . A week ago temperatures hit the 70s in some areas of the Midwest . Tuesday's forecast calls for a wintry mix in portions of the Midwest . High temperatures on Tuesday are expected to be in the mid-40s .

14.3 inches in LaCrosse. Many areas around the Twin Cities were also buried. In Minnesota's Lake Country area, some snowmobile clubs were pulling all their equipment out of the woods. By late Monday, the snow had stopped in much of the area, but it was still coming down heavily in southern Wisconsin. The weather system is blamed for several crashes, including one in LaCrosse that involved a semi and three cars. The National Weather Service expects light snow to continue throughout much of the area Tuesday. — Associated Press
Warming temperatures are melting all that snow in the Midwestern states, and it's making its way westward. On Tuesday, the snow had largely disappeared in the Twin Cities, but other parts of the metro area are still buried. Many school districts delayed the start of classes until 10 a.m., and the city said it wouldn't plow side streets until after 6 a.m. By midday Tuesday, the snow had turned to rain in the area, which is also expected to warm through Tuesday.
More snow, rain, cold forecast
In the southwestern corner of the state, forecasters said rain and sleet will be a problem in parts of Wisconsin, and parts of Iowa will face freezing rain. More snow is forecast for the Badger State, but not much, and the Weather Service said as much as 1 to 2 inches of snow was expected across the area. More significant amounts of snow are expected along the western edge of the weather system in parts of Michigan's Upper Peninsula, with 6 to 8 inches of snow forecast by the Weather Service.
Wisconsin, Illinois, and Indiana were expected to see temperatures drop Tuesday night, along with snow, sleet and freezing rain in Wisconsin, Minnesota and other parts of the Upper Midwest. Freezing temperatures, in the upper single digits, are expected for much of the East Coast on Tuesday night, said AccuWeather.com senior meteorologist Alex Sosnowski. Temperatures were forecast to be higher Tuesday in Philadelphia, where the National Weather Service expected a high of 62 degrees.
More cold could follow the system Tuesday night, as low temperatures in western New York, southern New England and the Canadian Maritimes are expected to plunge as much as 20 degrees, Sosnowski said.
A 'March' blizzard?
Sosnowski said forecasters weren't sure whether the storm would become one of the strongest winter storms the region has


Westminster’s Public Administration Committee said the country’s top mandarin, Sir Jeremy Heywood (pictured), had been ‘wrong in law’ during a row over two of Theresa May’s Special Advisers . Sir Jeremy Heywood was given a humiliating rebuke by MPs yesterday for clearing taxpayer-funded advisers to take part in political campaigning. Westminster’s Public Administration Committee said the country’s top mandarin had been ‘wrong in law’ during a row over two of Theresa May’s Special Advisers. It is another blow to the reputation of the Cabinet Secretary – who is known as Sir Cover Up for trying to block the publication of letters related to the Iraq War. Nick Timothy and Stephen Parkinson, two of the Home Secretary’s closest aides, refused an order from Tory HQ to take part in telephone canvassing during last year’s Rochester by-election. The pair said it was a breach of the special adviser's code, which says that - as public servants - they should not conduct canvassing in by-election campaigns and are required to resign their posts if they wish to do so. Number Ten and Tory HQ disagreed – suspending both men from the list of candidates at the forthcoming General Election as a punishment. To justify the decision, Number Ten relied upon advice from Sir Jeremy, who wields enormous power inside Government. He controversially ruled it was acceptable for special advisers to take part in ‘backroom support’ activities in their private time and telephone canvassing fell into this category. But that interpretation has now been flatly rejected by the public administration committee. The committee said: ‘Any direction to a Special Adviser to conduct telephone canvassing was misguided, and that advice that such a direction or such canvassing was permitted under their Code and contract of employment was wrong in law. ‘We recommend that Special Advisers should never again be confronted with directions or informal pressure that puts them in breach of the Code and of their contracts of employment.’ The Speaker’s Counsel, Michael Carpenter, told MPs he had been ‘unpersuaded’ by Sir Jeremy’s arguments. Mr Carpenter said that, far from being a backroom activity, telephone canvassing involved taking part in a political debate with members of the public. Mr Timothy and Mr Parkinson are now expected to apply to be re-instated to the candidates list after the election. Sources said they appeared to have a ‘slam dunk case’ to get their suspension lifted. Labour deputy chairman Jon Ashworth said: ‘The Parliamentary Authorities have delivered a damning assessment of the Number 10 operation, and we now need to know which Ministers were complicit in issuing this ‘misguided’ advice. Sir Jeremy controversially ruled it was acceptable for special advisers to take part in ‘backroom support’ activities in their private time and telephone canvassing fell into this category. Pictured: Theresa May . ‘Given the proximity of the election campaign, we need a formal government response today which outlines how Number 10 will ensure no rules will be broken over the role played by Special Advisers.’ At the time, the decision to remove the advisers from the candidates list was widely seen as the latest episode in a long-running feud between Downing Street and the Home Office. Tensions have repeatedly flared amid fevered speculation over Mrs May’s own leadership ambitions. Polls have shown she is the activists’ favourite to succeed the Prime Minister. Another of the Home Secretary’s advisers, Fiona Cunningham, was forced to quit last summer after clashing with Michael Gove over extremism in schools. Last week, Sir Jeremy came under fire over new rules which ban the country’s 430,000 civil servants from talking to journalists without ministerial approval. He approved the order at the request of Cabinet Office Minister Francis Maude. Yesterday, the Mail told how the move was opposed by London Mayor Boris Johnson, who said: ‘Sunlight is the best disinfectant.’

Sir Jeremy Heywood given humiliating rebuke by MPs in row over advisers . Given dressing down for clearing advisers to help in political campaigning . He ruled it was acceptable for Nick Timothy and Stephen Parkinson to do ‘backroom support’ activities in private time and telephone canvassing .

wood had written a letter to Mrs May saying Cabinet Secretary Mark Sedwill and Brexit Secretary David Davis could be ‘forced into a Cabinet’,
Sir Bernard Jenkin, Chair of the Committee, said Mr Sedwill and Mr Davis ‘should not have been consulted at all’ because their roles as ‘non-cabinet ministerial advisers’ meant they had no formal legal status.
The Committee, which is responsible for scrutinising government policy, published the letter and the responses from Mr Sedwill and Mr Davis this week at the request of MPs who have been pressing for an explanation about the way ministers are operating.
The MPs said the pair had been working like permanent ministers for more than six years. But in legal advice to the Prime Minister Mr Jenkin said the pair ‘are not in the Cabinet’.
The Committee ‘agrees’ with the advice of Mr Jenkin, legal officers at 10 Downing Street, who said their roles ‘in practice’ do not confer formal legal status.
The MPs did, however, express ‘disagreement’ over why Mr Jenkin had failed to say so in a letter to the Prime Minister last year telling her the pair could not be sacked without her express authority.
The legal advice from Mr Jenkin, who is known for his right-wing views, said the pair had a right to know ‘without qualification’ whether they were ministers.
He also expressed ‘surprise’ at the claim that Mr Davis had been ‘inadvertently misquoted’ when he said he had told Mr Sedwill ‘there was no need for me to tell the Prime Minister’ that the pair were being ‘unconstitutionally treated’.
But he admitted the ‘misuse of words’ over which of the pair should have been sacked if Mrs May had sacked both her cabinet.
The document, published on Thursday, said: ‘The first two of the Cabinet Office advisers have been in their non-cabinet roles for well over six years and were, without qualification, ministers.
‘The third, the Cabinet Secretary, is certainly a “minister” of Cabinet status, and I can only surmise that you are seeking to make some distinction between the first two. I regret that I cannot find any authority on the subject and there is no persuasive reason on the wording or purpose of the Constitution or the Cabinet Manual.’
Last year it was disclosed that Mrs May had ‘hug


International observers trying to monitor the ceasefire in the Ukraine are being led on an impossible game of 'hide and seek' that could shatter the peace deal. Both pro-Russian rebels and government troops have been accused of concealing weapons  from the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) which could threaten the treaty. Under the agreement heavy artillery should have been pulled back from the front line, but just last week the opposing forces were seen to be breaking the deal. International observers of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) look at an armoured vehicle of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic (DNR) The inspection by the international observers took place in 100km easts of Donetsk . Yesterday eye-witnesses saw two rebel controlled tanks  pushing forward and days earlier Ukraine troops were seen transporting a tank and a large calibre gun close to the battlefront. In a bid to monitor the fragile ceasefire the OSCE has asked to know how many weapons each side has and where they are being stored. Armed with cameras and clipboards the international observers have been driving around eastern Ukraine looking for rocket launchers and artillery. 'Some information has been provided from both sides, but we still need substantial information,' said Michael Bociurkiw, the OSCE mission spokesman. It is unclear to what extent the OSCE teams are able to decide on their own where to inspect. The monitors are also regularly complaining that they are not being allowed to travel through Ukraine freely. Sometimes they are made to wait at checkpoints, forcing delays, while in more extreme cases they are blocked entirely from reaching their destination. Mr Bociurkiw said even a short wait violates the verification process. 'Any delays are unacceptable in our books,' he said. This week a group of inspectors travelled from Donetsk to Novoamvrosiivske, a village near the Russian border, to visit a cement factory in the rebel controlled territory. Here they scrutinized dozens of tanks, rocket launchers and howitzers taking photographs and making notes. As they made there way back fresh tracks could be seen indictating that a convoy of heavy machinery had passed through while the inspectors were engaged elsewhere. In a bid to monitor the fragile ceasefire the OSCE has asked to know how many weapons each side has and where they are being store . Journalists in the Ukraine who followed the tracks found two tanks in a multi-vehicle convoy that included truck-pulled cannons and troop carriers full of rebel fighters. Two days earlier a Ukraine solider had boasted that a cease-fire busting cannon was being taken towards the front line. Ukrainian military officials have at times conceded that they are refraining from a complete withdrawal of heavy weapons, citing what they say is rebel reluctance to do the same. 'We will not withdraw all our weapons, as we have no confirmation that the same is being done by the enemy,' military spokesman Andriy Lysenko told reporters earlier this month. 'It would be wrong and criminal to leave our troops without any cover.' Armed with cameras and clipboards that international observers have been driving around eastern Ukraine looking for rocket launchers and artillery . And Ukrainian authorities say artillery fire continues in sporadic clashes along the front line. Donetsk region police chief Vyacheslav Abroskin said a resident of Avdiivka was killed yesterday after a shell struck a home in the town. In addition, neither side is willing to agree that tanks fall under the weapons to be withdrawn, although the cease-fire clearly envisions their removal. The conflict in the Ukraine has already left more than 6,000 dead in a year .

Pro-Russian rebels and Ukraine troops accused of concealing weapons . Organization for Security and Europe trying to monitor both warring sides . Both have to remove heavy weapons from the front line as part of deal . Eye-witnesses told how the opposing forces were breaking agreement .

-- a practice that may mean the truce has become pointless.
While the UN's main monitoring team appears to have given up on tracking the whereabouts of its own observers, the UK-led OSCE has gone into hiding. The OSCE’s chairman-in-office, Swedish diplomat Thomas Hammarberg, was last seen in Ukraine a fortnight ago. According to media reports, he was barred from entering a rebel-controlled area in the country’s east. ‘The Ukrainian government is aware of the reports of Mr. Hammarberg’s situation and we are making representations to the Ukrainian authorities on behalf of the secretary general for his safe return,’ a spokesperson for Mr. Hammarberg was quoted by EurActiv as saying.
The OSCE, which has 800 observers in the Ukraine, can only access parts of the east and south of the country and is not allowed to cross the demarcation line separating government-controlled areas and the rebel-held territories. In response, the Russian Foreign Ministry is calling for new rules -- which would allow OSCE observers to pass through the line. Russia is also threatening to expel observers from the organisation unless its rules are adapted by August 12. Russia is not part of the OSCE, but observers from the organisation have been monitoring the conflict there since 2014.
‘For OSCE observers to be barred from going across the line is just nonsense, [the ceasefire] should be working both ways,’ Ukraine’s new foreign minister Petro Poroshenko told Euractiv. ‘It’s time we had a full discussion.’
‘The only thing the conflict parties can agree on is how best to make observers disappear,’ said Tim Ashy, head of the Europe and CIS division of the Centre for European Policy Studies (CEPS), in an interview to Euractiv.
‘They can’t agree on a comprehensive plan and they’re doing everything they can to undermine the UN’s plan,’ Mr. Ashy added.
Both Ukraine and the rebels are trying to blame each other for the failure of the truce. Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko suggested at the end of July that it would be in rebels’ interests not to adhere to the ceasefire and to continue their war against the government. Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova t


Omoa, Honduras (CNN)Alexis González walks slowly and with some hesitation, using the outside wall of his house for balance. "I'm getting used to the prosthesis," the 16-year-old says. He tries to smile, but an expression of sadness quickly returns to his face. When he was 15, González made a decision that would forever change his life -- to leave Omoa, an impoverished village in Honduras  -- with dreams of getting to the United States. At the end of the trek -- about 2,500 kilometers (1,500 miles) across Mexico and Guatemala -- he saw hope, school, a job and the chance to send money home. "Sometimes we don't even have food to eat and I also wanted to get a higher education," González says. His mother was singlehandedly raising nine children, working odd jobs in restaurants and the nearby fields. They lived in a single room, an adobe house with dirt floors built on a steep and muddy hill. Chickens being raised for food roamed around the structure.  González says his father left the family when he was little boy. When Gonzalez left in January 2014, he didn't ask his mother for permission. He only left a letter telling her about his plans. "I wouldn't have let him go," his mother Mercedes Meléndez says. "When he left I went looking for him everywhere." She even went to Corinto on the Honduras-Guatemala border to ask authorities if they had seen him, she says. González says he traveled by land through Honduras and Guatemala with a teenage cousin.  They took the bus and also walked and hitch-hiked in some places. Once in Mexico, they got on the cargo train migrants call "The Beast." Migrants get a risky, but free ride clinging to the outside of the train. Violent gangs sometimes board the train to rape, rob and kill migrants. Those without money to pay off the gangsters are thrown off, sometimes to their deaths in deep ravines or sharp rocks. González says he never faced any gangs. Things seem to be going well for him and his cousin for a while.  They had been traveling for a few days on the train and were excited at nearing the U.S.-Mexico border and crossing into the land of their dreams. But they were also tired. They ate what they could, but were unable to sleep for more than an hour at a time.  They were hanging onto the grate above the train car's couplers.  "We used our own sweaters to tie ourselves to the train so we wouldn't fall off," González says. But tragedy was just around the corner. Somehow, he doesn't know how, he fell off the train while sleeping. He woke up bleeding profusely. "The train had severed my right leg and part of my left heel," he says. He was eventually rescued by the Mexican Red Cross and taken to a hospital where he recovered for a month. He stayed at a shelter for wounded migrants for another two months. There he was fitted with a prosthesis free of charge. It's not difficult to find stories of minors in Central America who have lost limbs, been kidnapped or died while trying to travel through Mexico with the dream of migrating to the United States. Juan Armando Enamorado, a 22-year-old who lives in the coastal town of Tela, Honduras, says he almost lost his life at 17 when he jumped off the train, fleeing from gangs. "They got on the train to steal money from people. When I heard they were coming, I jumped off the train traveling at more than 30 mph," he says. Enamorado says he was barely able to make it to the nearest town after walking for four days without food and very little water. Children are fleeing endemic poverty and drug violence in Central America. Last year, U.S. immigration authorities in the United States detained nearly 18,000 minors from Honduras as they were trying to cross the border without documents.  Altogether, more than 67,000 minors, mainly from Central America, were detained, according to U.S. government figures. To understand why children are fleeing in droves, CNN traveled to San Pedro Sula, Honduras.  The second largest city in the country. It has the highest reported murder rate in the world.  Violence is fueled by turf wars between two powerful gangs that control entire neighborhoods. The Honduran government is trying to change this harsh reality by deploying security forces to hotspots. Vilma Maldonado says her son was forced to leave because of death threats from gangs when he was only 15 years old.  He left La Lima, just outside San Pedro Sula, four years ago at the age of 19. The last time she heard from him he was in Monterrey, Mexico, hoping to cross into the United States. "Sometimes I think he's dead," Maldonado says crying. "But then I seek refuge in God and try to think the opposite and ask God to take these ideas out of my mind because if I'm trusting God you have to have faith that my son is still alive." For Monsignor Rómulo Emiliani, Auxiliary Bishop of San Pedro Sula, the migration of Central American children to the United States is a regional disgrace. "It's something terrible, sad and shameful for us Hondurans that nearly 18,000 of our children have desperately left because of hunger and violence. It's a slap on our faces and there are people that don't care about these 18,000 children. "Can you imagine the trip for a child who's 4, 6, 10, 12 years old all the way to the United States?  Many girls have been fondled and raped by the smugglers," Monsignor Emiliani says. Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernández says his country has fallen victim to powerful criminal organizations fueled by drug dollars and weapons coming from the north and drugs from the south, but insists his government is working hard to stem the tide. "We have our own responsibility.  We accept that and we're doing our work. We are pushing this forward with all that we have. Other countries are responsible for this war that we're living," President Hernández says. Back in Omoa, Mercedes Meléndez, the mother of Alexis González, says she's deeply worried about her son. "He has told me that he's depressed. He has recently been better, but he used to say he wanted to die.  I was getting very worried because he said that he wanted to kill himself," Meléndez says. The teenager says he now draws and writes to forget. He shows us a drawing of a family of four holding hands. He uses pastel colors and soft features in the drawing and inscribed words like "happy," "love," and "I love you" throughout. He may never be able to go to college or help his family the way he wanted. But asked if he regrets his decision to leave, he says he doesn't: the rewards were so high, it was worth the incredible risk. And for countless others like him -- from across Central America -- the same is true. And they will keep trying.

Honduran teen tells how he lost his leg trying to get to the U.S. He fell from the outside of a train rumbling through Mexico . It's a trip also attempted by tens of thousands of other desperate children .

 "In a few more days, I'll be able to walk well." The left side of his leg is still attached to a blue plastic socket.
It's a little more than a month after Alexis went through an amputation surgery after he and his family were forced to leave their home in San Pedro Sula in northwestern Honduras. Alexis and his family moved to Guatemala to avoid gang violence and the rampant crime in his country.
The teen is now just days away from his journey's end. He has boarded a bus with his family, and they will be on the road for 10 hours -- or maybe even longer. They are going to El Salvador in search of asylum in the country where Alexis can learn to play soccer and get his life back.
"I don't want to go to another country, but it's for my life," Alexis says. "I don't want to play soccer here, because all there is to do is commit crimes." Alexis has had to learn to live in a world without his left leg in a matter of weeks. He has to go to the hospital every day and get his prosthesis cleaned and adjusted. The last step in the process is to get it put in and then adjust to moving with a new leg.
"Now that he doesn't have a leg, he feels even worse, but at least now he can walk a little better."
'He feels even worse.'
González is the first in his family to receive an amputation surgery. It was in December when a stray bullet shattered his bone. His right leg was saved with amputation, but the gang who shot him knew this.
For González and his family, there were no other options but to flee from the country.
The family decided to go to Guatemala to apply for asylum. But there is no way to get there. "There's a law that says you cannot cross the border unless you apply for asylum, so you can't go without filing paperwork," says his mother. "But we've applied and the only option is to wait."
On a cold December day, the family took a bus to Tegucigalpa, Honduras' capital. For now, it's their home. They wait for the chance to enter Guatemala.
"It's difficult for us," she says, pointing at her 13-year-old daughter, who holds her younger brother by her side. "


With injuries piling up ahead of Scotland’s final Six Nations match against Ireland, Vern Cotter has identified a solution to his selection problem. ‘We will play the Under-20s against them,’ said the Scotland head coach in his laconic, deadpan style. ‘We had eight players injured against England. How many are doubts for the Ireland match? All of them.’ Jim Hamilton, seen here tackling England's James Haskell, is one of five doubts for the Ireland game . Such was the despondent air hanging over the Scotland head coach as he spoke in the bowels of Twickenham on Saturday evening, he could be forgiven for thinking the worst at the time. Thankfully, a Scottish Rugby Union medical bulletin issued on Sunday suggested it was five players — not eight — who will require further treatment ahead of the match at BT Murrayfield. Second row Jim Hamilton, who had to come off for a time after being concussed in the first half, then had to be replaced following a back spasm, is the biggest doubt to face Ireland. Matt Scott suffered a ‘dead leg’ with bad bruising and now faces a race against time to be ready. Alasdair Dickinson has a leg injury he picked up in a tackle, winger Tommy Seymour an elbow problem and flanker Blair Cowan a calf strain. The walking wounded will be excused training on Monday, with an SRU spokesman saying the medical team will be working with them over the next few days to try to ensure they can put some work in before the final Six Nations match. Vern Cotter was downbeat after the defeat, which came with a heavy price in terms of personell . Others who Cotter thought were more seriously hurt, such as Finn Russell, David Denton and Euan Murray, should be fit. ‘We have been unlucky with injuries, which hasn’t helped us,’ said Cotter, who lost Alex Dunbar in the build-up to the Calcutta Cup encounter. ‘Everybody has to be patient. We can turn the corner, come back strong and do well against Ireland. ‘Right now, we have to take that defeat to England on the chin and keep working, analysing what went wrong, what went right and moving forward. ‘I thought there were some real positive aspects for us in our game at Twickenham but we have Ireland next week and they beat England — so it will be very tough test.’ Cotter continues to insist his side are ‘heading in the right direction’ despite a fourth Six Nations defeat and a likely wooden spoon. Scotland captain Greig Laidlaw takes a heavy hit as he brings down Ben Youngs during the narrow defeat . VIDEO O2 Inside Line: England v Scotland match review . He praised his players for battling back against England after losing a fourth-minute converted try from Jonathan Joseph. ‘England based their strategy on starting well and they did just that,’ added Cotter. ‘What I saw from our team after that pleased me. I saw great character. They didn’t panic, got themselves back into the match and I got a message down to them to say don’t worry about it. ‘They also showed they could change tactics when needed, which is a great thing. ‘On top of that, I thought our line-out defence and our scrum, after the first one, was very good. ‘If I thought we were being dominated from start to finish I might worry but I don’t think we are. There is more to come from this team, no question.’ Captain Greig Laidlaw was instrumental in dragging Scotland back in the face of England’s early onslaught. He inspired those around him with his leadership qualities. Laidlaw admitted Scotland needed to be more intelligent with the ball, but praised his team's spirit . He gave the backs quick ball and put over two penalties and a conversion in a top-class display. Laidlaw admitted. ‘England came flying out the blocks but, once that happened, we had to deal with it. ‘The response I got from the guys was calm and controlled. ‘From then on, we played some magnificent rugby until half-time. In the second half, a couple of times there was a bounce of the ball that maybe went against us and the game just went away from us a little bit. We should know when to offload and when to hold the ball. ‘When we did get into their half, we put little kicks through when we should have held the ball. We need to learn that Test-match rugby is won by small margins.’

Soctland lost eight men during defeat to England on Saturday . Five of those are doubtful for Ireland clash next weekend . Scotland have lost all four games so far, but Vern Cotter calls for patience .

 style, the dead-pan expression of a man who is in no mood to be drawn into needless speculation or any form of detail.
Cotter made the off-the-cuff comment in response to a question from The Herald at a media conference to preview Saturday’s meeting at Murrayfield, which could yet be rearranged as a friendly given that Ireland, Scotland’s third-placed opponent in the tournament, are only four points off the Grand Slam.
The Under-20 team is already in Edinburgh and will be involved in the match, although it is not known which game the youngsters will play at Scotstoun on March 10. What will be interesting is how long Cotter decides to keep to his word after the end of an eventful, and increasingly painful, season.
As he admitted during the Six Nations, the injuries have been ‘pretty severe’ and it is the impact of the injuries to key personnel – the second of which came to light yesterday when Jamie Ritchie was ruled out of Scotland’s clash with Ireland after rupturing his bicep – that has forced Cotter to rethink his team selection. He said: ‘It looks like we’ve lost another one.
‘Jamie Ritchie’s going to be out for eight weeks with a bicep tear, which has kind of put a spanner in the works a little bit. We were trying to get some consistency for him with the Glasgow back row, so that’s one that we’ve lost. We’ll take the Under-20 team and see how we go there. I think they’re a much better team than we expected them to be.
‘We said we wanted to give players who had done well in the Premiership a chance and the boys that were playing well there were in the Under-20s, so we’re going to give them a chance. We’ve got a big game coming up and we’ll see how it goes.
‘We’ve had some injuries that have come back to bite us a little bit with these second rounds of the Six Nations. We’ve had a couple more come out of the woodwork. With the Under-20s, it kind of gives you a bit of cover there and it is a good opportunity for our new kids to have a crack, to be in a bit of a different environment and see how they go.’
The Under-20s have a couple of games in hand, the


Just a few years ago, Lesley Hutchinson was worried her partner Chris Coulter would die in his sleep because of severe breathing problems brought on by his excess weight. Now the couple, from Newcastle upon Tyne, have shed nearly 22 stone between them – with Chris losing more than half his body weight – and have compiled a 'slim list' of things they plan to do to celebrate their amazing achievement. Tipping the scales at 29st 5lbs Chris, 51, suffered with sleep apnoea, which regularly saw him stop breathing in his sleep, and 55-year-old Lesley feared one day he might not wake up. Scroll down for video . Lesley used to fear her partner Chris would die in his sleep due to excessive weight, but the couple went on to lose 22 stone between them . Chris and Lesley Hutchinson pose with lifesize cut outs showcasing how much weight they have each lost . And Lesley weighed 15st 4.5lbs and wore a dress size 22. Since joining Slimming World and losing a combined weight of 21st 11lbs, the pair have been named as the organisation's Couple of the Year 2015. Chris and Lesley, who have been together for 25 years, began to have weight problems around 15 years ago. Chris said: 'We stopped smoking and replaced cigarettes with snacks like crisps, sandwiches and pies. Around the same time we got a second car so didn't need to walk places anymore. 'Then when the kids – I have two daughters and Lesley has one daughter from previous relationships – left home we fell into the habit of eating more takeaways and washing them down with a bottle of wine.' A low point: Chris was left mortified after a wooden chair collapsed underneath him at a family barbecue. At that point, he decided that losing weight was his only option . The couple, pictured before their weightloss, began to have weight problems around 15 years ago when they began to replace cigarettes with snacks . However things changed when, in summer 2010, Chris was left mortified after a wooden chair collapsed beneath him at a family barbecue. The garden furniture broke into pieces and cut into Chris' leg, which became infected with cellulitis and worsened and ulcerated because of his weight. Soon after, Chris suffered further embarrassment when he was unable to fit into a hotel shower and the couple had to request a new room. So when his doctor, who was a Slimming World member herself, recommended Chris join his local group in May 2011, he decided losing weight was his only option. Chris, pictured before his weight loss, used to eat 3 or 4 slices of toast with butter or a sausage sandwich with tomato sauce just for breakfast . Chris, pictured at 29st 5lbs on a camping holiday, regularly stopped breathing in his sleep . Chris said: 'My leg was in a real mess and it was getting to the point where they didn't know what else to do, I started to worry that I might actually lose my leg. 'I knew I had to do something about my weight. I was embarrassed and worried because I thought I'd be the only man in a roomful of women, so Lesley agreed to come with me. 'As soon as we walked through the doors though, we were warmly welcomed and made to feel comfortable – it was nothing like we'd expected. Now I can't wait to go to group every week.' Lesley lost 4st 9lbs, going from 15st 4.5lbs to 10st 9.5lbs, and dropped from a dress size 22 to a 12 . Chris and Lesley, holding an old pair of Chris's jeans - he has since dropped 32 inches from his waist . The pair began following Slimming World's Food Optimising programme and swapped their regular takeaways for healthy home-cooked meals, including their favourite Friday night dinner of homemade cheese burgers and Slimming World-style chips (baked in the oven). In his first week Chris lost 8.5lbs and since then he has gone on to lose a total of 17st 2lbs, going from 29st 5lbs to 12st 3lbs, and dropped 32 inches from his waist. His health problems are gone and he's discovered a passion for healthy eating: 'Our tastes have changed completely since we started slimming. 'We don't even want the foods we used to enjoy because the meals that we make at home are so much nicer. The pair joined Slimming World's programme and swapped their unhealthy diets for home-cooked meals. Chris shed a total of 17st 2lb and Lesley lost 4st 9lbs . 'I've learned so much about healthy eating, and I wanted to share that so I'm in the process of setting up a healthy catering company.' Meanwhile Lesley, who works for a children's charity, has lost 4st 9lbs, going from 15st 4.5lbs to 10st 9.5lbs, and dropped from a dress size 22 to a 12 to fit into her first pair of jeans for more than 20 years. Breakfast: 3 or 4 slices of toast with butter or a sausage sandwich with tomato sauce . Lunch: Pasties, pies or sandwiches with either crisps or chips . Dinner: Spaghetti bolognese with cheese on top and a garlic bread baguette, a takeaway from the local chip shop or a pizza . Snacks: Crisps, sandwiches, cheese and biscuits, pasties . She says the couple are much more active thanks to their weight loss, especially with their four grandchildren: 'We go camping in Wales every year. Before we used to just sit in our extra-large camping chairs and watch the kids running around. 'Now we're running around with them, swimming with them, and it's much more fun. It's really important to us because you don't get those times back.' Chris and Lesley are also keen walkers and have climbed the highest peak in Mid Wales twice, and Chris enjoys cycling and finds a round of golf much easier nowadays. In fact, the pair have so much more energy that they decided to compile a 'slim list' of places they'd like to visit and things they'd like to do minus their extra 21st 11lbs, which includes travelling to Paris, Venice and Dublin and re-visiting the Royal Albert Hall so that they can fit comfortably into the seats. Lesley says: 'We'd never been abroad as a couple, we wouldn't have dreamed of trying to go on a plane because Chris would never have fit into the seats. Chris, pictured before his weight loss, said he would dine on spaghetti bolognese with cheese on top and a garlic bread baguette, a takeaway from the local chip shop or a pizza for dinner . At his heaviest, 51-year-old Chris was 29st 5lb, but went on to lose more than half his original body weight (right). He now tips the scales at 12 stone 3lb . 'Now we've been to Venice and to Paris and we had a brilliant time. It's like a whole new world has opened up for us. 'Before we lost weight we didn't have a life, we just sat around the house. We didn't really go anywhere or do anything, we didn't enjoy ourselves. Now things are completely different. Breakfast: Porridge with berries or a full English breakfast (grilled instead of fried) Mid-morning: A piece of fresh fruit . Lunch: Homemade soup or jacket potato topped with beans and salad . Mid-afternoon: A fat-free yogurt and another piece of fruit . Dinner: Homemade cheese burger with Slimming World-style chips (baked in the oven), peas and pickles or a homemade curry with rice. Snacks: Fresh fruit, fat-free yogurts, homemade frittata, scotch eggs and onion bhajis . 'My only regret is that we didn't do something sooner. I'd been worried about Chris' health for a long time and I dread to think how bad it might have got, but I didn't say anything because I thought it was kinder not to upset him. 'I was completely in denial about my own weight too, but when I look back I realise how unhappy I was. 'I would hide behind big baggy clothes and always turned down invitations to parties and events. We both wish we'd been honest with ourselves and with each other. 'We've done it now though, and the only way is forward – after all, we've got to make up for all the things we missed out on in our 30s and 40s.' Chris says: 'While it's obviously not why we joined Slimming World in the first place, it's amazing to be the Couple of the Year. 'Going on this journey together has been so important because it's meant we've had the other person to bounce ideas off and support from each other, as well as from our Consultant Adam and the rest of the group. 'I couldn't be more proud of Lesley and of myself, too.'

Lesley Hutchinson and Chris Coulter enjoyed diet of pasties and pizza . Chris, 51, tipped the scales at 29st 5lb and Lesley, 55, at 15st 4lb . And Lesley weighed 15st 4.5lbs and wore a dress size 22 . Joined Slimming World and Chris lost more than half his body weight . H ave climbed highest peak in Mid Wales twice and visited Paris, Venice .

 them.
“We’re still fat, but we’re thinner and I’m getting my health back,” says the 51-year-old.
“I was so worried I wouldn’t see Chris again. He’s had three heart attacks and a triple heart bypass, he’s had a stroke and had a lung haemorrhage. I’m hoping we’re saving each other’s lives now.”
The couple, who work in the public sector, knew they had to do something drastic to get healthy, and with so many quick-fix diet plans around, they decided to set up their own diet group, the Fat Fighters, offering support to people with a BMI of over 28 (Chris’s was 39.8).
The club is open to anyone with a BMI over 30 and more than 2st of weight to lose, offering up to five hours of healthy eating, exercise and advice.
It runs once a week for up to 10 weeks, but the group is so popular that they now offer it three times a week. And unlike many diets, it’s free of charge.
As well as being a great source of support and guidance from others going through the same problems, the group is run by two health professionals – a GP and a dietitian.
Chris and Lesley, who are about to celebrate their 12th wedding anniversary, have both lost 17st between them so far.
Lesley had been unhappy with her weight for a long time. She remembers looking at photographs of her first wedding in 1997 “and thinking ‘Oh my goodness, what did I let myself go for?’” says the former police constable. “I didn’t want to go out in public because I was so self-conscious.”
Lesley tried a few quick-fix diets, but none of them worked long term. Then she was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, the result of her weight gain.
“It was a wake-up call. My GP said I couldn’t stay where I was. It had started to make a difference to my health,” she says.
Lesley lost weight with Slimming World but soon became disheartened. She began to feel her 5ft 6in frame was too large to ever be slim. That’s when she met Chris, a tall man of 6ft 4in.
“I was really overweight, but


With less than a week before British Summer Time starts on March 29, British Grooming Time has kicked off in earnest. Do you want to present perfectly primped limbs to the world when the weather heats up and opaque tights and cardies are cast aside? Then you need to get to work. Here, we test the latest beauty gadgets and creams and give them a BGT (British Grooming Time) rating. Scroll down for video . There's less than a week now until British Summer Time starts, after the long winter are you ready to show off your perfectly prepped body to the world? BRIGHTEN DULL HAIR . PROBLEM: Spring sunshine means it’s time to lighten your locks. ‘Going two or three shades lighter will keep hair looking natural, but fresh for spring,’ says Jack Howard, Poppy Delevingne’s colourist at Paul Edmonds salon in Knightsbridge. ‘Or you can freshen up your existing dye job with an at-home mask.’ SOLUTION: I decide to lighten my five-week-old highlights with Maria Nila Golden Blonde Colour Refresh (£16.99, sallyexpress.com, launches on Monday). Maria Nila Golden Blonde Colour Refresh (£16.99, sallyexpress.com) This fruity-smelling non-permanent hair mask promises to revitalise dyed hair using temporary pigments. I do a strand test first, then, reassured, squeeze a little orange-gold liquid into my hand and massage into wet hair. To my relief, my highlights do, indeed, look a couple of shades lighter and my hair is glossy and groomed. BGT rating: 7/10 . REGAIN YOUR GLOW . PROBLEM: ‘The beginning of spring needs to signal the end of lacklustre skin,’ says Dr Mervyn Patterson, cosmetic doctor at Woodford Medical Aesthetics. ‘Months of cold weather and central heating have taken their toll. The top layer of your skin is full of dead cells. Microdermabrasion is a great way to get rid of dead cells and dirt.’ PMD Personal Microderm (£150, harrods.com ) SOLUTION: The PMD Personal Microderm (£150, harrods.com) is a hand-held gadget for at-home microdermabrasion. It looks like an electric toothbrush, but at the end is a clear plastic lid with a hole at the top. Under this is a small, flat head covered in fine aluminium oxide crystals. Read the instructions carefully — this could damage your skin if used incorrectly. Epionce Intensive Nourishing Cream (£79, epionce.co.uk ) I choose a medium-strength head and turn it on, running the end of the nozzle up the back of my hand. There is a faint tingling. I try it on my face, holding the skin taut and running it carefully and slowly up my cheeks and chin. When I’ve finished I look much brighter, my fine lines are reduced and my skin is clear and glowing. I’m impressed with the results around my nostrils, which had lots of blocked pores. Expensive, but seriously effective. I follow this with celebrity favourite, Epionce Intensive Nourishing Cream (£79, epionce.co.uk), for hydration. BGT rating: 9/10 . ULTRA SMOOTH LEGS . PROBLEM: ‘Winter can leave your legs as scaly as a thirsty lizard,’ says Dr Patterson. ‘Those comforting hot baths will have leached away natural hydrating lipids.’ This season’s fashionable ripped jeans and off-the-shoulder tops mean every bit of you needs to be petal-soft. SOLUTION: ‘Exfoliate away dead dry skin and use a rich moisturiser all over,’ says Dr Patterson. Marks & Spencer’s Huile d’Olive Miracle Oil (£10, marksandspencer.com) I whizz up a body scrub by slugging a glug of coconut oil into a jam jar, adding a mound of sea salt and shaking well. I smear the gloop all over me in the shower and get to work with a loofah. After rinsing, I apply Marks & Spencer’s Huile d’Olive Miracle Oil (£10, marksandspencer.com, out at the end of the month). It smells divine and the next morning my skin feels clean and silky. BGT rating: 8/10 . FIRM UP ARMS . PROBLEM: ‘As skin loses collagen with time, it begins to sag, including on your upper arms,’ says Dr Patterson. Not a problem when you can cover up with a cardigan, but tricky in a sleeveless dress. I have noticed that my arms look saggy. I have my eye on some sleeveless tops from Zara, but I’m reluctant to remove my cardies. SOLUTION: Ultrasound waves stimulate collagen production to make skin plump and radiant. I try the ACCELerator Ultra (£175, harrods.com), by U.S. skin specialist Nurse Jamie. I apply conductor gel to the metal head and move it in a circular motion over my left arm. All I feel is a slight warmth. Apparently, results may be seen within three minutes — but not on me. The company claims any benefits will appear over a few weeks. BGT rating: 4/10 . Veet Natural Inspirations Hair Removal Cream with Shea Butter, £6.99 . PERFECTLY PALE . PROBLEM: The fashion for pale skin means you can’t conceal wispy hairs under a layer of fake tan. ‘Pale, end-of-winter skin means dark hairs on arms stand out more,’ says Dr Patterson. SOLUTION: ‘Hair removal creams will probably be better than waxing,’ says Dr Patterson. ‘It’s hard to hold skin taut and pull off a waxing strip with one hand.’ I invest in Veet Natural Inspirations Hair Removal Cream with Shea Butter, £6.99 ( boots.com) and smooth it on my forearm.After five minutes I remove it with the spatula and wipe the area clean. My skin looks and feels like satin. Invest immediately. BGT RATING: 9/10 . BABY SOFT KNEES . PROBLEM: My knees are so wrinkly they look like walnuts. SOLUTION: ‘Marine algae is good for hydrating, especially super-dry areas such as knees and elbows,’ says Dr Patterson. So I try a Casmara Algae peel-off mask (£9.99, boots.com). This bright red mask comes in a black cylinder with two sachets that you mix in the lid, apply, then peel off. Casmara Algae peel-off mask (£9.99, boots.com ) Veet Sensitive Skin wax strip (£7.29, superdrug.com) When mixed, the powder and clear gel turn into a vibrant poster paint gloop, which I slop on my knees. After 15 minutes, the mask is set hard and I peel it off to reveal baby-soft knees. A great one-off. BGT rating: 7/10 . WAX HAIRY TOES . PROBLEM: ‘Open-toed mules are in fashion, so hairy Hobbit toes must be dealt with,’ says podiatrist Emma Supple. SOLUTION: ‘Wax toes,’ says Supple. ‘Hairs here are thick and you’ll see the ends of the follicles if you shave.’ Prepare feet by soaking in hot water and scrub with a nailbrush, then apply a cream such as Supple London Mineral foot cream (£16, supplefeet.com), which contains lactic acid to melt away dead skin. I cut a strip from a Veet Sensitive Skin wax strip (£7.29, superdrug.com) and apply it along each toe. When I rip it off, my feet look cleaner and well-groomed. BGT rating: 8/10 .

It's less than a week until British Summer Time starts on March 29 . Are you ready to display your perfectly prepped body to the world? Here, we test the latest beauty gadgets that could help you achieve this .

 aside? Here are 4 of our favourite Spring-Summer 2015 beauty tips to help you out, so that your legs look gorgeous all summer long.
Nails can make or break a look, and they can be the easiest way to update your Spring/Summer beauty look from season to season – and there are plenty of trends for the season to inspire you.
We asked London salon owner, Emma Walker, for her take on the most Spring/Summer 2015 nails on offer this year.
‘Pink is such a girly colour, and has become a modern classic, so we love these French tip-style nails with pink French polish. To keep this look current, we have used a matte topcoat on top of the nails instead of a shine, which is super on-trend right now – and matte looks really stunning against the pink.’
Nails © London Nail House, image courtesy of Emma Walker
The French tips are a great way to update your old nails, or to give your manicure a break, but you don’t have to be totally dedicated to this style to enjoy the trend. If you’re looking to be a bit more edgy this season – or just like to stand out, why not try some contrasting polka dot nails?
‘Polka dots are a great way to jazz up a classic style, and we love how they look on this black background,’ says Emma.
Nails © London Nail House, image courtesy of Emma Walker
And when it comes to the colour, you can’t beat red this season.
‘Red really is the colour for this spring/summer – there are so many different red shades to choose from and all colours go great with it too. Plus, the deep red of this look really compliments the bold design. This is a really trendy design that isn’t out of place yet is still very stylish – we think it looks especially great on a longer nail,’ adds Emma.
Nails © London Nail House, image courtesy of Emma Walker
Nails are only the beginning though; here are some other ways to keep your legs fabulously summery.
With longer days and warmer weather, you can get away with wearing your favourite shades a little more often, and you’ll definitely want to stock up on new, brighter nail polishes.
‘These vibrant colours really pop on darker skin, and there are just so many options this season,’ says Emma. ‘Neons are popular and can


It offers panoramic views of Sydney's CBD and designer facilities. But no one was willing to buy the luxurious Sydney apartment where Simon Gittany threw his fiancée fifteen floors to her death when it went to auction on Tuesday. There was only one registered bidder for the two-bedroom property at 1503/157 Liverpool Street in Sydney, which was expected to sell for at least $2 million, despite estate agency Morton & Morton receiving plenty of interest, according to News Corp. Gittany was found guilty of murdering Lisa Cecilia Harnum at the site and was sentenced to 26 years in prison in November 2013 in one of the most high-profile court cases in recent history. On July 30 2011, he threw the former ballerina to her death from the 15th storey apartment. Her fiancé, 40-year-old Gittany, claimed it was suicide and that he had tried to save her life. Scroll down for video . The Sydney apartment where Lisa Harnum was thrown from the balcony to her death failed to sell at auction . Lisa Harnum (left) was thrown to her death of the 15th floor of her fiance Simon Gittany's (far right) Liverpool Street apartment . CCTV footage in the lift captured the distressing moment Gittany dragged his fiancée out of the lift by her neck. The horrific images show him pulling Ms Harnum back into the apartment with his hand clamped over her mouth to muffle her screams . Mere seconds after dragging Ms Harnum out of the lift, she was thrown over the side of the building. Gittany took a minute to put on a shirt and then took the lift downstairs. CCTV footage captured these moments as he threw his hands in the air and ran them through his hair . Ms Harnum plunged to her death on the corner of Liverpool and Elizabeth streets in Sydney's city, out the front of the complex 'The Hyde' Just over a year after Gittany was sentenced, the apartment he had been renting with his victim was placed on the market,Fairfax reports. The balcony was used as one of the unit's key selling points. 'The private covered balcony offers a superb entertaining area from which to enjoy the peaceful and unique outlook,' the advert reads. The crime was not mentioned in the advertisement on the Morton & Morton website. However, the property's contract stated: 'The vendor discloses a criminal homicide occurred from the balcony of the property in July 2011 when a previous tenant occupied the property.' Real estate agent Tolga Ozer reportedly mentioned Ms Harnum's death with one of the prospective buyers during an inspection on Saturday, according to SMH. 'I have to inform you of an incident that occurred in this apartment... a girl fell or was thrown and hit the floor,' Tolga Ozer said according to Fairfax. An image of the balcony which was tendered as evidence during the three week trial into Ms Harnum's death . The property where those chilling crime took place was expected to fetch more than $2 million when it went to auction on Tuesday, with the balcony used as one of the unit's key selling points . On July 30 2011 the former ballerina was thrown to her death from the 15th storey apartment. Her fiance, 40-year-old Gittany, claimed it was suicide and that he had tried to save her life . The property was given a glowing description, promising the ultimate luxurious lifestyle. 'Prestige at The Hyde - watch the world go by in style,' reads the advert . The property was given a glowing description, promising the ultimate luxurious lifestyle. 'Prestige at The Hyde - watch the world go by in style,' reads the advert. The two bedroom apartment in the heart of the city is lauded for its 'stunning outlook above the tree-tops of Hyde Park, St Marys Cathedral and beyond to dazzling Sydney harbour.' Apartment 1503 is described as being 'highly coveted'. It towers over Hyde Park, on the corner of bustling Elizabeth and Liverpool streets in Sydney's city. The unit was last sold for $1.6 million in June 2010. Gittany rented the property until he was taken into custody. Images of the property's interior and the exterior have frequently been displayed by the media and in evidence tendered in court during the three week trial. Gittany tried to claim that Ms Harnum committed suicide and he had been unable to save her in her final moments. The judge rejected this . Mr Gittany claimed that when he pulled his fiancée back into the apartment she sat on the couch and he started to make tea in the kitchen (far right) to calm her down. He claimed Lisa then leapt up and ran to the balcony . Mr Gittany claimed that after the lift, he went to the kitchen to make tea for Lisa. He maintains that she jumped up and ran to the balcony. He claimed she jumped to her death before he could save her. The court rejected him claims . Former tenant, 40 year old Gittany, will spend at least 18 years in prison for Ms Harnum's death, making him eligible for parole in 2033. It was ruled that Gittany became 'apoplectic with rage' when his fiancée tried to leave him. She had a one-way ticket booked to return to her family in Canada and escape their controlling relationship. Gittany found Miss Harnum had packed her bags and made enraged threats, according to Judge Lucy McCallum. 'I have no hesitation accepting evidence of…rage,' said Judge McCallum. Mere seconds before Ms Harnum toppled to her death she ran to the lift, trying to flee. CCTV footage in the lift captured the distressing moment Gittany dragged his fiancee out of the lift by her neck. The horrific images show him pulling Ms Harnum back into the apartment with his hand clamped over her mouth to muffle her screams. Residents in the building told the court that they heard Ms Harnum banging on a neighbour's door, shouting: 'Please help me, help me, God help me.' The agent pointed out the luxury apartments 'well-appointed and stylish main bathroom, as well as internal laundry, ample storage and reverse cycle air con' Morton & Morton point out that resident's have a 25 metre infinity pool, gymnasium, spa and sauna . The court accepted the prosecution's version of events, in which Gittany rendered Ms Harnum unconscious in the apartment after dragging her in from the lift. He then threw her off the balcony to her death . The court accepted the prosecution's version of events, in which Gittany rendered Ms Harnum unconscious in the apartment after dragging her in from the lift. He then threw her off the balcony to her death. Gittany, pleaded not guilty to murdering Miss Harnum, claiming he was trying to save her from suicide. He had told the court he had tried to grab her when she climbed onto the balcony but had failed to stop her falling. The judge did not believe Gittany's account of how Miss Harnum fell to her death, ruling that she 'found him unconvincing'. She said Ms Harnum could not have behaved in the way Gittany said she had - clambering onto the balcony - without leaving fingerprints. She said it was likely that Miss Harnum was rendered unconscious before she plunged to her death. The real estate agent wrote: 'Defined by its prized location and uninterrupted panoramic views, this luxury residence at The Hyde offers a fantastic opportunity to invest in the elite Hyde Park precinct'

The inner city Sydney apartment where Lisa Harnum plunged to her death in July 2011 failed to sell at auction . Simon Gittany was found guilty of murder after throwing his fiancée over the edge of the balcony at his unit\ . The property was expected to fetch more than $2 million at auction on Tuesday night and recieved plenty of interest . The website did not point out that the crime took place in the unit but offered the balcony as a key selling point . However, the contract did point out: 'The vendor discloses a criminal homicide occurred from the balcony of the property in July 2011 when a previous tenant occupied the property'

 serious bidder, a potential buyer who eventually walked away after becoming worried by a flood of complaints about Gittany's violent behaviour in the weeks leading up to the auction.
Gittany, 35, who is charged with the murder of the 33-year-old teacher at his Macquarie Street apartment, has been on the run for two months. On Tuesday he faced his first court appearance, charged with the murder of Lisa Harnum, and later that day his flat, on level 18 of the 47-level landmark Wentworth Building, was on the market with a reserve of $1.8 million. Gittany's family has been unsuccessful in its attempt to get the apartment leased so the reserve was not reached at the scheduled afternoon auction.
The flat has two bedrooms and four bathrooms, with views through floor-to-ceiling glass windows that stretch across the city and its harbour and a terrace for al fresco dining and entertaining guests. But it lacks a crucial feature, a balcony that could be used as a makeshift catwalk to throw a woman more than 16 storeys to her death, and it is understood buyers will be discouraged by the apartment's history.
On July 16, the day after Gittany was charged with murder, the flat went on the market at $2.1 million. The online advert had said the flat "boasts a wonderful sense of space and light" and was "only moments away from the CBD". But the auction house, Harcourts, withdrew the listing in the aftermath of Harnum's death, a spokeswoman for the agency confirmed on Tuesday.
"We don't auction anything that involves something as serious as that so we wouldn't have auctioned it had there been nothing there at the outset," she said. "We would have said to the vendor straight away that we wouldn't do it."
The online auction was cancelled after more than 30 comments were left in the past fortnight criticising Gittany's past, or lack of it. The most recent post was in the last day of the advertisement's four-day listing, on August 2, and complained: "Are all your clients really that naive that they don't google you? You have just listed his apartment. If he was found not guilty he would still be living in it, so what's the problem?"
The woman accused of buying the apartment through a pseudonym


Legal battle: Dentist Anca Macavei, who tried to treat a patient in McDonald's, outside the High Court today, where she is fighting the General Dental Council's decision that she should be struck off . A London dentist who was struck off after trying to work on a woman’s teeth in a McDonald’s restaurant is fighting the decision. Anca Claudia Macavei attempted to fit a bridge in the mouth of an unnamed patient after setting up a temporary surgery in the fast-food chain's Cannon Street restaurant in 2012. And when the woman refused to be treated, Miss Macavei insisted that it was necessary and tried to do the work in a hallway of a nearby dental practice. Miss Macavei, who is registered in Tulcea, Romania, has been suspended since last July when the General Dental Council (GDC) ruled she should be struck off. At the time, the GDC said her fitness to practice was ‘impaired’ by misconduct. Miss Macavei is now fighting a last-ditch battle to overturn that decision at the High Court. Miss Macvei had previously practised in Tavistock, Devon, but was living in London and advertising for Romanian patients online when she met Patient 1. She had an informal arrangement to use the Cannon Street Practice surgery on an ‘ad-hoc basis’ for seeing patients. But her relationship with the practice manager deteriorated and she was stuck with only limited access to the premises. On February 18, 2012, she met with Patient 1 in a McDonald’s close to the surgery. Last July, the GDC professional conduct committee found, on the balance of probabilities, that she had tried to work on the woman’s teeth in the restaurant. ‘Patient 1 was clear and specific in her evidence on this issue,’ it said in its decision. ‘She stated that you tried to put bridges in her mouth whilst in the McDonald’s and, when she refused, you insisted that it was necessary, to see if they would fit. ‘You confirmed in evidence that your access rights to the Cannon Street Practice had already been withdrawn by the time you met with Patient 1 at McDonald’s. ‘In the circumstances, the committee found that it was more likely than not that you did attempt a fitting of the bridges in that unsuitable environment, considering that you had nowhere else to go at that time. ‘The committee was satisfied on the balance of probabilities that you also attempted to provide dental treatment to Patient 1 in the hallway outside the Cannon Street Practice. ‘Both you and Patient 1 recalled that when you left McDonald’s, the entrance to the practice was open, as renovation work was being carried out. ‘Patient 1 told the committee that you both entered the hallway of the practice, where you tried again to fit the bridges. ‘She said that you told her that you had no access to your surgery because you had lost the key. ‘The committee found that it was more likely than not that this did happen following your failed attempt to fit the bridges in a more public setting where the patient was understandably uncomfortable.’ She was also found responsible for a ‘catalogue’ of other failings in her work with the patient and another. Miss Macavei, who is registered in Tulcea, Romania, but lives in London, was visibly emotional as she addressed the judge at the High Court today. She claims that the GDC’s decision to erase her name from the register was ‘disproportionate’. Suspension or conditions on her practice would have sufficed. Temporary practice: Miss Macavei tried to fit a bridge in Patient 1 in this McDonald's restaurant in Cannon Street, London. When the woman refused to be treated, she tried to do the work in a nearby hallway . James Townsend, for the GDC, is contesting Miss Macavei’s application. He said: ‘Given Ms Macavei’s catalogue of failings, lack of insight and failure to engage over more than two years with an attempt to help her, then to engage in a half-hearted way, the GDC submits that it cannot possibly be said that the decision of the professional conduct committee was wrong.’ The GDC made its decision to strike Miss Macavei off last July and she has been suspended since then pending her appeal to the High Court. Mrs Justice Patterson reserved judgment and will decide Miss Macavei’s future at a later date.

Anca Claudia Macavei attempted to fit bridge in Cannon Street restaurant . When the patient refused she tried to carry out the work in nearby hallway . General Dental Council ruled Miss Macavei should be struck off last July . But she has been appealing decision and case is now at the High Court .

has been accused of trying to treat patients in McDonalds on her mobile, while under the influence of drugs and booze. Anca Macavei, 28, tried to work on 27 patients at the fast food chain's Wimbledon branch while she was under the influence of cannabis and valium, a tribunal ruled earlier this year. Now the General Dental Council is threatening to put her name on the dentist blacklist in front of her entire profession. On Tuesday, the High Court heard a number of disturbing claims against Macavei, including one that she left a patient's mouth gaping open without treatment as a "form of punishment." Macavei was the only dentist on duty when the incident occurred at the branch on December 20, 2007 and – although there were no patients in the waiting room – the patient could not be seen without opening the dentist's office, the hearing heard. At the tribunal, it was claimed that Macavei kept a bottle of vodka in the fridge in her treatment room, and was seen to "dabber" her lip with "dirty" alcohol swabs and a cotton bud as the tribunal was watching. A dental nurse also complained to the General Dental Council that her boss ordered her to remove a patient's gum from her tooth so that Macavei could inspect the root – although the patient was in "extreme pain" as a result of the treatment. Another witness said she had "no faith" in Macavei after she was treated by her while "high". Macavei, of Clapham, denied the accusations throughout the hearing. But in a ruling at the General Dental Council's tribunal in London on Tuesday, chairman Stephen Hurd said there was sufficient evidence to support a charge against her. He added: "The claimant has not established that, in so far as she is entitled to the right to practise, she is a fit and proper person to do so." On Wednesday, the council gave Macavei 25 days to appeal against the decision. Speaking outside the court, her lawyer, Simon Davis, accused the tribunal of "witch-hunting" and insisted that his client's actions did not rise to criminal proportions. He said: "The case is just as much about the witch-hunting as it is the dentistry. If it had gone to the Crown Court, it would have been thrown out. "She's just a human being, a