A 61-year-old who claimed a sex change from female to male 16 years ago was her ''greatest mistake" has begun transitioning back to a woman
Image by: Jon Mills
A 61-year-old who claimed a sex change from female to male 16 years ago was her ''greatest mistake" has begun transitioning back to a woman.
Debbie Karemer struggling with her sexual identity for years and asked for gender reassignment aged 44 - becoming Lee Harries.
Shockingly, she claims she began private testosterone treatment a DAY later and had her breasts removed after three months - starting an 11-year journey to become a 'man'.
But after years of counselling she finally discovered she wasn't transgender - but was instead suffering with horrific complex PTSD, after years of sexual abuse.
It was too late for Debbie, and now she feels like a woman trapped in "an approximation of a male body".
She's now back to identifying as Debbie - dressing in women's clothing - and is on the NHS waiting list for an operation to reverse the re-assignment.
Six weeks ago she started taking oestrogen and is now being seen by specialists at an NHS gender identity clinic but claimed they are not too sure how to help.
Debbie stopped taking testosterone in February this year and has had to wait nine months for it to completely leave her system.
She said she should never have been allowed to transition and is seeking support from The Detransition Advocacy Network on the next steps.
She's speaking out on the "taboo" subject of surgery regret - gender reassignment reversal - to encourage others to seek talking therapy before surgery.
Debbie, from Hemel Hempstead, said: "I look in the mirror through the eyes of that terrified 15-year-old girl and see this funny little man staring back at me.
"I'm a woman, I'm still Debbie.
"But now I've got no hair. I've got a beard and I've had all my body mutilated.
"I wish I could turn back the clock and just have the foresight of what the nightmare the next 15 years would be.
“I’m a woman I’m not meant to be a bloke. I’m trapped.
“It’s a complete mess - where do you even start? I just regret the decision.
“There is this myth that when an individual ‘changes gender’ they go into hospital one gender and come out ‘all done’.
“That isn’t the case, there are years of surgeries and hormones for the rest of your life.
"I know things are a lot better than they were when I had my surgeries, but there is a big lack of talking therapies.
"I should have been helped.
“I’m sure a lot of transgender men feel the same too but I’m the only one honest and brave one to come out and say it."
Debbie said she was sexually abused by her estranged father - no deceased - when she was a teenager.
She struggled with her sexual identity for years, even developing objectum sexuality - sexual attraction to objects like a white Fender Stratocaster and a fishing rod.
“Looking back it was just a way of coping with the trauma," she said.
Debbie then married her one and only long-term friend Alan in December 1997.
The self loathing became so extreme she almost cut off her breasts with a pair of kitchen scissors.
Image by: Lee Harries
Image by: Jon Mills
Image by: Lee Harries
She first heard of transgender and gender reassignment surgery in 2002 while watching an episode of chat show programme Kilroy in his living room.
“The programme was introduced as a ‘special’ where transgender men and women were on," she said.
“At the time it was a state of mind no body really spoke about.
“I remember seeing them on the TV and thinking ‘that’s me!’
“I suppose they seemed confident in themselves and seemed accepted.
“That’s all I wanted.
“I had spent years feeling I couldn’t live in my own body and hating every single moment.
"Suddenly I saw the answer on Kilroy. It felt like the only answer. It felt like the only way forward."
Later that week Debbie researched transitioning online and discovered a local F2M support group in Camden, London.
There she was given the number of a leading private psychiatrist specialising in gender identity disorder.
Later that week she booked an appointment with a private psychiatrist and was given a two-week course of testosterone to start the very next day, she said.
Just three months later Debbie - who went by the name Lee - underwent a private double bi-lateral mastectomy.
Having lived off benefits since living his factory job, Alan paid for the initial consultation and double bilateral mastectomy costing £3,500.
In November 2004 Debbie had her uterus, ovaries and fallopian tubes removed, and a Metoidioplasty - the beginning of surgery to create a penis.
In 2005 she had prosthetic testicles created and in 2008 she had her vagina removed, and a few months later surgeons created a penis using fat and skin from his arm.
In May 2010 excess breast tissue was removed and in April 2013, more surgery was performed on her testicles.
All but the first op - the mastectomy - was performed by private hospitals paid by the NHS, she said.
She said she had some counselling sessions before one of the ops - but that the funding had already been agreed and it was a 'box ticking exercise'.
"At the time it felt like the right thing to do and I was really glad it was happening," she said.
“I remember when I started waking up in the morning and seeing stubble on my face, thinking ‘this is the start of a new life’ and I’m no longer this traumatised girl.
“I wanted to start this life as a new man so I enlisted myself on a computer course."
Image by: Lee Harries
Image by: Lee Harries
Image by: Lee Harries
With hindsight, the first step towards his realisation was when she approached the police in 2012, to report the abuse at the hands of her father.
Prompted by the Jimmy Saville scandal, she gave statements but her father died from emphysema in 2013, before she could be charged, Lee said.
Lee had sought the help of a private counsellor in 2009.
She thought her feelings about her body might stem from transitioning "too late" but after four years, in 2013 - after her final op - she realised her "mistake".
"She started to mention the words 'childhood trauma' and it fell into place," she said.
"It became apparent that transitioning was a big mistake.
"The session where I realised this was so bad that I had a complete break down and panic attack because I realised it was a huge mistake.
"It should never have happened. It was a big wake up call.
"I was traumatised by what had happened in my life and it was misdiagnosed as being transgender.
"I was vulnerable, I just though that if I wasn't a girl my life would be different, I would be different, I would be accepted and that would be it.
"I thought that becoming a man would make me worthy and I would become a different person.
"Looking back now I realise that it was simply a feeling that if I didn't have a vagina, I couldn't be raped.
“But I’m not a man, I am an approximation of a man.
“I feel completely ‘mutilated'.
"I completely missed out on being a woman. I denied my body the chance to go through the menopause.
“I wish I could wake up as Debbie and realise that the last 15 years were just as bad a nightmare."
Debbie primarily blames her father for what has happened to her - but then the private psychiatrist who started off her journey.
"What should have happened differently? Having a different upbringing," she said.
"But I think that the psychiatrist should have picked up on the fact that I was abused.
"I should have had help somewhere along the line."
"I can't fathom the huge increase in gender reassignment surgery.
"There is a huge lack of talking therapies, and that's a problem.
"I know a couple of trans men from when I was going through it and I know they were doing it for the same reasons as me.
“Trans-men and women come out of hospital saying everything is great - but that’s not always the case.
“If they are doing it for the right reasons then that’s fair.
“But nobody is honest when it goes wrong.
“On the inside I’m just not me.
“I’m a different creature on the outside.
“Inside I am still that young girl calling out but I miss looking in the mirror and seeing my feminine self.
“The thing I dream and long to do is to go out for a meal.
“But most of all I just miss the old Debbie.”
Video by: Gabriella Petty
A vulnerable man prescribed an 'emotional support companion dog' by his doctor has been taken to court - to face eviction from his home for having a 'pet'
Image by: James Dadzitis SWNS
A vulnerable man has been hauled to court and faces eviction over his medically prescribed 'emotional support companion dog' - despite doctors demanding he be allowed to keep it.
Christopher Palmer, 63, has suffered years of depression, anxiety and mental health problems - leaving him socially isolated with suicidal tendencies.
But things changed when Christopher's doctor prescribed him an emotional support and mental wellness animal companion - a beagle called Tammy in December 2018.
Despite Christopher's pet being prescribed by a doctor, when Plymouth Community Homes found out, they ordered the dog had to be rehomed.
And if he refuses, Christopher will have to move out of his home of eight years.
The landlord said Christopher is in breach of his tenancy agreement which states he is not permitted to keep a dog as he lives in a high rise flat, according to their pet policy.
The housing association took him to Plymouth County Court this week (26th) in a bid to evict him over an alleged a breach of a tenancy injunction.
But a judge gave the man and his dog a stay of execution - saying they could carry on living together until another hearing in January.
There is a section in Plymouth Community Homes Pets Policy that explains pets are allowed if they are medically prescribed.
PCH said they would rehome them - but Christopher's GP says moving him would make his condition worse.
Christopher has been fighting to save his dog since February - leaving him feeling house bound, struggling to communicate with others and not eating properly.
Speaking after the hearing Christopher, of Plymouth, Devon said: "Without Tammy I would not be able to get out of the house.
''I need to have her 24 hours a day. I suffer panic attacks and anxiety so I need to have her with me.
"PCH should not be able to treat people with mental health the way they do.
''They should treat people with a bit of respect. I cannot move to a new place as I have friends in the building who support me.
''If they moved me somewhere else I would not know anybody. My neighbours all agree that this is disgusting. Tammy has not been any trouble at all.
''There have not been any complaints. I just don't understand it. They allow deaf dogs, so why not her?
"I have got a bit of encouragement from the judge. I had stopped eating as I was so anxious - but hopefully I can start again. She seemed to care."
Christopher cared for a pet rabbit since 2013 who helped provide him comfort, but when his rabbit died late last year, his mental health deteriorated without a companion.
Dr Michaela Stoffregen prescribed the Tammy - and she also wrote letters to Plymouth Community Homes in defence of Christopher keeping Tammy.
In multiple letters Dr Stroffregen writes: "The dog is very important for [Christopher's] mental health and reduces his anxiety and loneliness.
"I think it would be quite cruel to take the dog away from him and equally he wouldn't be able to cope well with finding a new place.
"He has severe mental health issues and his dog keeps him stable.
"I strongly advise that everything possible has to be done to let Christopher keep his little dog, as it is a lifeline for him.
"A move would be disastrous to his mental health in my opinion. He has already expressed suicidal thought about this situation.
"I am extremely concerned about his mental state and taking away his dog will likely worsen his suicidal thoughts and might well tip him over the edge."
Image by: James Dadzitis SWNS
Image by: James Dadzitis SWNS
Image by: James Dadzitis SWNS
There is a section in Plymouth Community Homes Pets Policy that explains pets are allowed if they are medically prescribed.
It states: "By definition, Assistance Dogs are not pets and are therefore excluded from the main provisions of this policy.
"By Assistance Dogs, we mean dogs that have been trained specifically to assist people with a disability, such as sight or hearing loss, restricted mobility, autism or post traumatic stress disorder.
"For all other disability needs, where pet-ownership has been identified as a therapeutic
aid, we will consider requests for ‘reasonable adjustments’ to be made as part of an overall needs assessment."
At the court hearing solicitor Vincent Davis, representing Plymouth Community Homes, said the tenant was "in breach of his tenancy for keeping a dog in the property."
He added: "This is also in breach of the landlord's pet policy."
He said the tenant should be required to remove the dog "within seven days of servicing the injunction order."
He said the agreement was clear that he should not keep any dog or cat in the property on a temporary of permanent basis.
He added: "The defendant acquired the dog contrary to terms of his tenancy agreement and to the pet's policy.
"This is to not keep any animal in a sheltered flat with the exception of a small case of birds or fish.
"It is common ground that the defendant does have a dog. This has been going on for some time, since February. He has been offered the choice between re-homing the dog, or moving to an alternative premises that has its own garden.
"Most tenants would jump to move from a multi-storey block to their own garden but Mr Palmer has not engaged with that.
"Various efforts have been made but he has not engaged with the process. This is a long standing policy that was adopted in 2011/2012. The reasons why you cannot keep pets in a high rise flat is the nuisance it causes to other neighbours.
"We recognise the benefits to having a pet but to have one in such close proximity to others causes problems with urine and faeces in communal areas."
He also highlighted the problem it could cause during any evacuation procedure.
He added: "There is good reason why it is written into the tenancy agreement."
But Judge Vanessa Priddis said: ''"If Mr Palmer was blind and had a guide dog would we say the same?"
"He is disabled and ten minutes to deal with and make a decision on this is not fair. There are technical and legal issues to consider.
"I have to consider his mental state and if he understands that. This has been on-going since February and I need time to take proper advice.
''We don't want to rush it. I am not going to sacrifice dealing with the case fairly for speed."
She then addressed Mr Palmer and told him: "I know this has been very distressing for you.''
One of his neighbours, who accompanied him to court, said: "The housing association may think they are legally right, but they are morally extremely wrong.
''I am a neighbour and there has never been any problem with the dog. She is very well behaved and there have never been any issues.
"No one has complained so why are they doing this to him?"
The case will resume on 9 January 2020 for a full hour hearing to look at aspects around the equalities act and how they correlate with Christopher's case.
Teenage girl who grew up with bowlegs is going back to school for the first time in a decade after charity offered corrective surgery
Image by: Matthew Newby SWNS
These incredible before and after photos show the transformation of a teenager who had surgery on her extremely bowed legs.
Valerie, 14 - who the charity refuse to fully name - developed bowed legs at the age of four and had such low self confidence, she begged to be pulled out of school.
She joined her uncle's tailoring shop as an apprentice and worked hard, despite her extremely bent legs which arched out, making it difficult for her to walk.
The talented seamstress was sewing when a customer told her a hospital boat operated by charity Mercy Ships has docked near her home in Cotonou, Benin, in West Africa.
Valerie boarded the charity's ship Africa Mercy and was one of 76 children and teenagers to receive free surgery during the boat's 10-month stint.
Her bow-leggedness was corrected with surgery and physical therapy and now she can walk and run and is planning to return to school.
Valerie said: "I was desperate to learn how to read. A friend onboard gave me a few alphabet pages for me to trace - and the next day I told her I needed more to read!
"I was very happy. I told myself - 'I no longer want to be a seamstress! I want to go back to school!'
"Not long after then, my legs were strong enough for me to go home. School will be great. People will say - 'is this the same girl? Her legs are straight'!"
Bow-leggedness is a deformity marked by outward bowing at the knee, which gives the limb the appearance of an archer's bow.
Image by: Matthew Newby SWNS
Image by: Matthew Newby SWNS
Image by: Matthew Newby SWNS
The chief cause is rickets, but it can also be caused by skeletal problems, infections, and tumours.
Valerie did not wish to disclose the cause of her condition.
During Valerie's knee operation, surgeons removed a wedge of bone from the outside of both her knees, causing her legs to bend inward.
After general anesthetic was administered, a five-inch incision was made down the front and outside of her knees.
Guide wires were drilled into the top of the shin bones from the outside of the knees, before an oscillating saw was run along those wires, removing most of the bone wedge.
The tops of Valerie's shin bones were then lowered on the outside and attached with surgical screws, before her tissue was stitched back together.
One of five daughters, Valerie was in post-surgery rehab for about four months, during which she learned to read.
Mercy Ships operates the largest non-governmental hospital ship in the world, providing humanitarian aid for terminally-ill patients.
It has operated in more than 57 developing nations and 18 developed nations around the world, with a current focus on African countries.
'TIL DEATH DO US BARK - A pair of pooches were taken on a special walk - down the aisle for their own WEDDING
Image by: Len Copland
An adorable pair of pooches were taken on a special walk - down the aisle for their own WEDDING.
Black retriever Fiji and golden retriever Dotty tied the knot in front of around 50 guests
in a marquee outside a pub.
The bash at the Prince of Wales pub, Stoke-sub-Hamdon, Somerset, had all the trappings of a human ceremony.
It included a specially-made dog-friendly cake, a dress and a guitarist to play the couple in.
The dogs walked down the aisle to 'All You Need is Love' by The Beatles and left to 'It Must Be Love' by Madness.
Pippa Hamilton, 60, who officiated the ceremony, said the doggy duo were "slightly all over the place".
Image by: Len Copland
Image by: Len Copland
Image by: Len Copland
Image by: Len Copland
She said: "My job is a celebrant and this idea of a dog wedding came up. I was hesitant to start with - in no way did I want to want to devalue what I do for couples.
"It was an unusual thing. I had never done anything like it before!
"But it highlights the need for love in everybody's lives. When you have love in your life your tail wags!
"The dogs were slightly all over the place, but the bride looked lovely. It was a wonderful thing to do. Apparently they are inseparable."
Pippa often officiates 'handfasting' ceremonies, a rural custom where you bind the newlywed's hands together with a ribbon to show unity.
She added: "I couldn't do that with the dogs yesterday, so I tied their leads together."
The event was organised by Amanda Reed, from Saville Row Hounds, a bespoke dog clothing shop.
Amanda, 59, said: "They retrievers won a competition. We chose them because they were so beautiful.
"The dogs have been friends for a long time and the owners thought it was ideal.
"I made a wedding coat for the female with flowers around her neck. The groom had a bow tie on.
"It was all done in a beautiful gazebo with chairs [for the guests] - someone played the guitar too."
SLEEPING ON THE JOB - A pair of nurses were sacked after they were caught sleeping while working on a ward for suicidal patients at a mental health trust
Image by: Matthew Newby SWNS
A pair of nurses were caught sleeping while working on a ward for suicidal patients at a mental health trust.
Christopher Smith, 32, discovered the two women sleeping on the job just hours after he had nearly taken his own life.
Mourning the loss of his grandmother and a stillborn child, he was talked down from a bridge by passers-by and police, and taken to the crisis wing at Priority House in Maidstone - which cares for people at the highest risk of suicide.
Mr Smith, who has been diagnosed with personality disorder, said: “When you’re in that moment of crisis and you can’t remember why you’re there, you just need to speak to someone.
“I’d been brought in the night before and woke up around 4am. I still really needed to talk to someone as I couldn’t stop thinking about hurting myself.
"I tapped on a door but got no answer, so I tried again. Then I peeked around a window and saw them sleeping. I thought no way, I couldn't believe it.
"I felt even more frustrated that these two ladies were actually being paid to sleep, there's people crying out for these jobs who could be helping others who are in a crisis."
The nursing office where the pair were sleeping, on October 13, during their overnight shift, is reportedly not covered by CCTV cameras.
Staff at Priority House get a one-hour break and have a separate break room where they can relax. Some may want to sleep here during their eleven hour overnight shift.
Image by: Matthew Newby SWNS
Image by: Matthew Newby SWNS
Image by: Matthew Newby SWNS
Mr Smith made an official complaint to the Kent and Medway NHS and Social Care Partnership Trust (KPMT), which is responsible for Priority House.
It has since distanced itself from both workers, saying it will not work with them again.
A KPMT spokesman said: "We are grateful to the person who quite rightly raised this concern with us.
"As soon as it was brought to our attention, we carried out an investigation and found those concerned were employed through an agency and NHS Professionals and were not permanent staff of KMPT.
"This type of behaviour is not what we expect from anyone providing care to our patients and they will not work with us again.
“Both employing organisations have been asked to carry out their own investigations."
NHS Professionals, an organisation that provides temporary staff to NHS trusts, released the following response: "NHS Professionals is carrying out an immediate investigation into this issue.
"We are working with KMPT to understand the circumstances of the incident. The worker has been excluded from working any further shifts through NHS Professionals.”
British holidaymaker tracks down eight-year-old stray mongrel she found roaming the streets on holiday in Greece - and brings him home
Image by: Matthew Newby SWNS
A woman has tracked down an eight-year-old stray mongrel she found roaming the streets on holiday in Greece - and brought him home.
Levi Danyeil, 22, visited Zante earlier this year and befriended a stray pooch named Punter.
When her holiday came to an end, Levi was devastated to leave Punter behind and return to her home in Plymouth, Devon.
But she said she couldn't forget about him and contacted search groups on the island in a bid to reunite.
The pooch was eventually found and has now been brought back to the UK with Levi travelling to London this week to greet him after he arrived on a ferry.
Levi said: "I was in Greece for seven nights and on the very first night I met him.
"Then I saw him the night after that, and then the next until I grew really attached.
"I started to ask the locals about him to find out if he was owned, but lots of them said he was new to the village and they hadn't seen him before, so then I found out he was a stray.
"I tried to track him down before we left, roaming the streets with a lead and dog treats, but unfortunately I was unsuccessful and had to leave the country without finding him."
Levi was determined to track Punter down so she got in touch with two Zante-based animal charities, Zante Strays and Healing Paws.
She begged them to help her, and soon they got to work and started looking for Punter.
Levi continued: "I'd been in England for about 24 hours when a lovely lady who was there on holiday messaged me a photo of the dog asking if it was the one I was looking for.
"Straight away I contacted the charities who sent a volunteer down to the beach to get the dog. Then they started the process of bringing him home."
Image by: Matthew Newby SWNS
Image by: Matthew Newby SWNS
Image by: Matthew Newby SWNS
After choosing a name for her new furry friend, Levi waited patiently while Punter was put into boarding in Zante, paying fees to get him vaccinated and a passport.
And yesterday Punter finally arrived in the UK after a couple travelled to bring him home on the ferry.
Levi added: "I travelled to London to be re-united with him yesterday, and I just cried. All the way home he had his nose on my hand."
"He's settling in now, he's been going mad roaming around the house and it's so nice to finally have him here.
"I already have Oscar, a Jack Russell and Bella, a Bull Mastiff cross, so he's even gained a new brother and sister.
"He's so desperate for love and affection, and such a lovely dog after all he has been through.
"Before he was dodging cars not knowing when he'd next be fed, even having to eat horse faeces to survive, yet he was so loving and happy from the moment I saw him.
Levi's determination to bring Punter home has gained him a whole army of fans on social media.
"Lots of people have been so touched by him and the story, and I've gotten so many messages of support which is just lovely," she added.
"One lady even commented saying that he doesn't have a clue how famous he is, and it's so true, it's so nice to see how many people care about animals too."
Levi also urges anyone who is thinking of adopting a stray not to give up.
She said: "If I hadn't of pushed to find Punter and been so determined, then he probably wouldn't be with me now so to anyone thinking of doing something similar, be patient and don't give up.
"To think about the awful life he must have had, to now know that he's got a bed, he's got food he's got everything that a dog should have, I can't wait to shower him with love!"
Family run hardware store creates tear-jerking Christmas advert to rival big budget John Lewis' for under £100
Image by: Thomas Jones
A family-run hardware shop is giving John Lewis and M&S a run for their money after creating their own tear-jerking Christmas advert - for less than £100.
Hafod Hardware in Rhayader, Powys, Wales, has launched its own emotive commercial with many claiming it is already the best festive advert of 2019.
The independent store's DIY efforts have been met with rave reviews online and the video has notched up over 100,000 views in just a day.
The adorable two minute advert, which took just one day to film, features cute two-year-old Arthur Jones stealing the show.
Arthur's proud dad Tom Jones, whose family owns the shop, and film-maker friend Josh Holdaway incredibly filmed and edited the video for less than £100.
The heart-melting clip has already won over the hearts of customers in the small town and has also grabbed a nationwide audience since being uploaded online.
The video begins with little Arthur getting out of bed before donning his apron and carrying out a day's 'work' at the family-run hardware store.
Sweeping the floors, polishing the counter and replacing stocks on the shelves are all part of his duties as the busy boy is also on hand to deal with customers - all with a friendly smile and big thumbs up.
The commercial - which features four generations of Tom's family - has a special twist at the end when Arthur shutting up shop before carrying home a Christmas tree.
It features a cover of Alphaville's 1984 hit 'Forever Young', performed by American singer-songwriter Andrea von Kampen.
It is the third year in a row that Hafod Hardware, which opened in 1895 and is one of the oldest businesses in the town, have released a Christmas advert.
The previous commercials have been viewed hundreds of thousands of times to huge acclaim and Tom is again hoping to once again put a smile on people's faces.
Image by: Thomas Jones
Image by: Thomas Jones
Image by: Thomas Jones
Image by: Thomas Jones
Tom, 30, said: “The aim is to make it the best Christmas advert of the year. The comments we've had so far have been amazing.
“Making this video with my son has been an experience I will cherish for a lifetime. They say never work with animals or children but he was a joy.
“He's such a bright boy and I would be lying if I said it was difficult to get him to perform on screen.
“He often comes to visit me in the shop, so weren't really asking him to do anything he hadn't done before.
“Whenever I watch the advert, it makes me well up with pride.
“Forever Young was the song I really wanted. I asked Andrea if she could do a cover and she was happy to do it.
“She recorded it in a studio and paid $100 for a sound engineer. I said we'd pay - so that's all the advert has cost us. She's got an incredible voice, it's perfect for the advert.
“All three adverts touch upon the significance of family at Christmas and so it was extremely important to me that Arthur had a role in each one.
“Showing the transition of him as a young baby in the first advert, through to the young man he is today, really does capture the essence of what we have been trying to create.
“We are told every year that Christmas is for kids, but there's nothing stopping us all from being big kids at Christmas.
“All the time, people are coming into the shop and asking us about our Christmas adverts. Even strangers pop in to say they've seen them.
“People are always asking whether we were doing another one this year. It's hard to say no, we feel obliged to do it.
“The locals love them. It's nice to think we can put a lot of smiles on people's faces in the community. It's always nice to do something for the town.
"People always compare our videos to the likes of John Lewis and we try to get the same message across as the mutli-million pound adverts do.
“But there is an underlying message. We are just a small independent shop in Mid Wales trying to compete with the big boys like John Lewis and M&S.
“We've shown that it can be done on a very small budget.”
Jo Lowe wrote on the firm's Facebook page: "Absolutely fabulous, well done another great Christmas advertisement who needs John Lewis when you got Hafod."
Angela F added: "Beautiful, made me cry. Well done for making such a lovely advert."
Sophie Walters wrote: "Best Christmas advert of 2019, hands down. Absolutely beautiful."
Video by: Thomas Jones
Mischievous puppy sparks fire warning after turning on a microwave
Image by: Josh Hill
A pet owner today described how his mischievous puppy Bear sparked a fire scare after accidentally turning on a microwave cooker while he was out.
Josh Hill, 25, only discovered his pups antics when he checked a camera feed on his phone during work.
To his horror he saw his kitchen full of smoke and he rushed home to see if his six-month-old husky mastiff puppy was okay.
He arrived home to find a guilty-looking Bear and a room full of smoke pouring in from the kitchen.
To his astonishment, he realised cheeky Bear had managed to switch on a microwave which was on a kitchen worktop.
A packet of bread rolls which were left in the microwave began to burn causing plumes of thick smoke to billow out of the appliance.
Josh, who works in logistics, said: "He must have just jumped up and it has a knob on the microwave which he must have just brushed past and set off.
"I couldn't believe it.
"I bought a cheap camera on Amazon because Bear has the run of the whole of downstairs and I just like to keep an eye on him. We usually take him with us wherever we go but he was left for a few hours yesterday.
"I thought I'll check the camera before I leave and I saw some smoke in the corner so I rushed home and called the fire brigade.
"I walked in and saw smoke coming out of the kitchen. As soon as I came in Bear ran over to me with his ears down and head down.
"I grabbed him and put him in the garden, shut the back door, opened the windows and waited outside the front for the fire brigade."
Image by: Josh Hill
Image by: Josh Hill
With Bear safely away from the smoke, Josh waited for the fire brigade and thought about how he'd tell them about his peculiar scenario.
Josh from Essex said: "I didn't care about the house I just wanted to get him out of there. It wasn't as serious as it first looked, I was just happy that Bear was okay.
"I had put some bread buns in the microwave just to put them off the surface away from Bear and just forgot about them. I usually switch everything off but obviously we don't live in a perfect world.
"I normally take Bear to work with me or I'll take him to my mum's or doggy day car but yesterday was only a short day."
On arrival the fire brigade ventilated the house opening all the windows and using a huge fan to clear out the smoke.
Thankfully Bear was not harmed in the incident and he was back to his usual self in no time.
Josh added: "I can't really explain him. He's got a lovely temperament, every Gsingle person who sees him loves him because he is so chilled out.
"He loves sleeping- we have to get him out for a walk because he's always so chill!"
Millionaire's son reveals he has been sleeping rough for over 20 years - since he was 15
Image by: TM Cornwall Live
A millionaire's son has revealed that he has been sleeping rough for over 20 years - since he was 15.
Privately-educated Ryan Staffiere, 37, has spent most of his life living in car parks and public spaces despite his privileged upbringing and being given all the opportunity in the world.
He dabbled with drugs at the age of 11 and his life went downhill from there, to the point where his affluent parents had no choice but to kick him out at 15-years-old.
Since then, Ryan has been living rough in Truro, Cornwall, and is now facing another Christmas on the streets.
He said: "My parents were millionaires. My family owned holiday cottages and I went to a private school. I’m a good boy gone wrong.
“I was kicked out when I was 15. I’m not thick, I just love the party scene. Now I’ve been on the streets, on and off, for about 21 years."
Ryan is a familiar face at a local homeless charity's resource centre, and is a favourite with the staff at St Petrocs Society.
They describe him as polite, kind, well spoken and clearly highly educated, taking the time to say thank you to every kind gesture.
But he admits that he’s no angel, with 93 convictions on his record and earlier this year he hit the headlines after demanding that police gave him a taxi ride home.
He says it’s been all down to drink and drugs.
Ryan added: “I was mixing with people that were using. It became a serious problem in my 20s, more than the drink was.
“I had a few girlfriends and lived with them but I was still on the drink and drugs. They were toxic relationships.
“I was a heroin addict when I was 20. When I was 25 the crack cocaine came down here. I got into it and then it’s just been a downward spiral ever since.”
Ryan often sleeps in a car park in Truro, in an effort to stay away from the weather.
He added: “I used to stay in car parks but I wouldn’t sleep. I just used to walk around at night; I was too scared to go to sleep.”
“You just get used to it. It’s no different to being a sparrow. They live outside every day. They don’t moan about not having central heating. Someone gives him a pasty and he’s chuffed.
“The worst thing is getting wet. You have to know where to go when it’s raining to keep yourself dry."
Image by: TM Cornwall Live
For most of us, the festive period is a time to celebrate and Ryan is no exception. I love it,” he says. “People are so kind.”
But the kindness from others has got him into trouble.
“Last Christmas I got banned from my mum’s house,” he says. “Someone had given me a bottle of tequila, a bottle of vodka and a bottle of brandy.
"I drank them all that day. My mum wouldn't let me in. I still see them. They don’t like my lifestyle but they have me round for a cup of tea and cook me a meal."
This year, Ryan has reached something of a turning point and next month he is due to start rehab. He hopes it will be third time lucky.
He added: “I will be in rehab and spending Christmas with the homeless. That’s what I want to do,” he says.
Ryan is currently living in a B&B and has enrolled on various courses, which have helped boost his confidence and given him a sense of purpose.
“Two years ago I was happy injecting heroin and smoking crack. I couldn’t get a f**k that I was on the streets, I couldn’t see a future for me,” he says.
“The course have given me something to do and opened my eyes. There’s more to life than just existing.
“I’m not sat on the streets begging, trying to get a tenner for crack.
“I go shopping every week. That’s something I haven't done before. I buy myself new clothes.”
“I’ve got courses lined up. I want to be an advocate for homeless people. I could take them to doctors appointments and things like that.
"I would volunteer at first but that’s what I want to do as a job.”
There’s one thing that motivates Ryan more than anything else, he has a 10-year-old little girl who he is not in contact with.
Her mother, Ryan's ex-partner, died from an overdose and his daughter currently lives with family members outside of Cornwall.
Thinking of their future, Ryan added: “I want to get a little flat and get a dog and learn to drive. I want to get a job.
“When she grows up she can say my dad didn’t do well when he was younger but he’s tried his best.”
This is the moment firefighters demanded crowds retreat after explosions could be heard during a fierce blaze
Image by: Danny Akhtar
This is the moment firefighters demanded crowds retreat after explosions could be heard during a fierce blaze.
Footage shows passersby watching as firemen tackled flames emerging from the roof of a two-storey building in Halifax, West Yorkshire, today (4).
Clips taken by eyewitness Danny Akhtar, 20, show the blaze and explosions can be heard, prompting firefighters to tell the crowd to leave.
West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service said there were no reported injuries.
Fire crews from Halifax, Illingworth, Rastrick and Odsall as well as an aerial platform unit from Huddersfield Fire Station were sent to the blaze.
The fire was filmed at around 1.30pm.
Video by: Danny Akhtar
