New Aston Martin residential tower looks like Bond villain's lair
By Dean Murray
Hello Mr Bond, I've been expecting you.
An incredible new Aston Martin residential tower looks like a villain's lair from a 007 movie.
The 66-storey tower is the tallest all-residential building south of New York.
Aston Martin Residences Miami is the first ultra-luxury real estate project from Bond's favourite car brand.
Situated on the coveted Miami waterfront, the project has garnered excitement amongst ultra-luxury home buyers, with 99% of the 391 condominiums sold ahead of completion.
The development boasts seven penthouses - all of which enjoy private pools and spacious terraces – complimented by a range of expansive one to five-bedroom residences and duplexes.
The jewel in the crown is the $59m “Unique Triplex Penthouse” – a magnificent three-floor condominium, spanning a total 27,191 square feet of living space, situated at the pinnacle of the property.
There is a private butler service on-call 24/7 to "take the stress out of home management" by offering luxury travel support and a host of other services to homeowners. Residents are also able to enjoy direct access to an exclusive superyacht marina.
Marek Reichman, Executive Vice President and Chief Creative Officer of Aston Martin said: “Melding a captivating design aesthetic with one of the city’s most idyllic locations, on one of the last parcels of the Miami waterfront, the ultra-luxury Aston Martin Residence adds further distinction to the already expressive Miami skyline. We think this project firmly sets the mark for luxury residential design around the world."
Savvy friends fly to Italy for just eight hours for a pizza
By Amy Reast
Savvy best friends flew to Pisa for a pizza and got back in time for work the next day - for less than the cost of a trip to London.
Morgan Bold, 27, spotted budget flights to and from Pisa, Italy, and decided to try an 'extreme day trip' so they would only need to use a single day of annual leave.
She and best friend Jess Wooder, 26, booked day return flights and jetted off at 6am from Manchester airport on April 24.
They had a full day of shopping, sightseeing and enjoying Italian cuisine and say it was less than the cost of a trip to the capital.
Morgan, from Maghull, Liverpool, said the whole day set her back just £170 - including flights, airport parking, food and activities.
The social media manager said: "We went to another country and it was probably cheaper than us going from Liverpool to London.
"Trains to London Euston there and back are around £100 and that's without the expensive food and drinks.
"It's so easy to do as well - you don't need to check a bag, you just go straight through security and you're on the plane.
"I only took one day off work - I was back the next day!"
The women drove from Liverpool and parked at Manchester airport, where they flew from.
Morgan and Jess, a customer service manager from Melling, Liverpool, arrived in Pisa at 9am and used Google Maps to find their way to Pisa's centre.
They sat in the sunshine by the Leaning Tower of Pisa to take some fun touristy photos before doing a free tour of the cathedral nearby.
They enjoyed a pizza and Aperol Spritz in the afternoon before wandering around the local markets and shops.
They flew home at 6pm and were in bed by 11pm - ready to be back at work the next day.
Morgan said: "The food was the best bit, being able to have a pizza while looking at the Leaning Tower of Pisa.
"The food prices were so reasonable even right by the tower.
"It was a surreal experience knowing you were going back the same night.
"We loved it so much we're going to do a day trip to Christmas markets in December - we're thinking Krakow or Prague.
"I just love exploring."
Flights: £101 each
Airport parking: £28.50 each
Food and drink: £41 each
"I own an ice cream van for pooches"
By Poppy Huggett and Isobel Williams
A mum who quit her air hostess job to work with dogs has launched her latest venture - an ice cream van exclusively for pooches.
Emmie Stevens, 36, opened Poochies Pupsicles on March 31 - and says business is booming.
Based in south London, she is making the van available for hire - and is planning to hit the road this summer.
Emmie, a mum-of-one, left her cabin crew role 15 years ago to work as a groomer after realising dogs were her "niche in life".
She first hit upon the idea of the ice cream van four years ago after visiting a tradeshow, and has now made it a reality.
The menu includes stacks of options including a Doggy Mr Whippy which comes with a gravy bone and doggy sprinkles, and Pupsicle bites which is six different flavoured ice bites.
Emmie, from New Addington, near Croydon said: “This is a very unique business, there isn't anything out there currently like me.”
The inspiration for a dog-friendly business began when Emmie adopted her pet Doodles from a puppy farm.
The mum-of-one explained that she went through a “troubled childhood”, such as being bullied at school and found it hard to socialise with humans.
Emmie said: “I gave Doodles a chance – he was in a complete state when I got him. But when I took him on, he changed my life.”
After rescuing Doodles, she and the pooch headed to dog events across London, and before she knew it, she ended her career as an airhostess and took a new role on as a dog groomer which she has now been doing for 15 years.
She added: “I realised this was my niche in life – I wasn’t a people person.
“I then realised dogs are for me – they’re very loyal, loving, and deserve to be spoiled.
“I offered one-to-one service for the dogs at my clients houses and was so busy, but I then got a mobile dog grooming van.”
Emmie’s business was so successful she opened a cage free dog grooming shop, and eight years later, she now has a three-year-old boy, eight dogs, and a brand-new ice cream van for dogs.
She said: “I saw normal ice cream vans stocking dog ice creams – it wasn’t just me being over the top with my dogs - dogs are like people’s family now.
“I am very over-the-top with my dogs; I dress them up, they have their own bedroom, shoes, buggies, and dresses – some dresses have cost me £60 per piece.
“So, I wasn’t sure if I was just wanting to spoil my dogs, but even a normal person will want to spend a little money to give their doggy an ice cream”.
After researching ingredients, figuring out what would appeal to humans, and what would taste great for dogs, Emmie decided it was time to buy an ice cream van, and make her dream a reality.
Emmie says she plans on taking Poochies Pupsicles to the surrounding areas, such as West Wickham and Bromley, and will cover special days further afield, such as in Dartford and Lakeside.
The van will also be up for hire in case of any grand openings or pup parties where ice cream might be needed.
Emmie added: “In the summer I’ll be going around the roads, selling to my current clients and new ones.
“We will be pulling up by the side of doggy parks, and then deep into the summer we'll be doing dog events like Paws in the Park and the Detling Show Ground.
“This is a very unique business, there isn't anything out there currently like me.”
Driver spots 'lucky' white moose in Canada
By Samuel Wightwick
A 'lucky' driver spotted a rare white moose in Canada.
Video filmed in Alberta shows the animal walking down a grass bank and crossing the road.
A brown moose follows shortly after - and both then walk into the woods together.
The driver said on X, formerly Twitter, that spotting the moose was a "spiritual moment".
There have been several sightings of white moose in Canada, mainly in the state of Ontario.
In some Canadian indigenous cultures, the white moose is considered to be sacred and a sign of luck.
First ever UK museum exhibition of Mr Doodle is coming to Bath
By Lauren Beavis
A museum has announced the fist UK exhibition of internationally renowned artist and internet sensation Mr Doodle.
The selection of Mr Doodle’s personal sketchbooks, going back to his teenage years, will provide the starting point for a show that will fill the gallery and spread across the walls, floor and ceiling of the Holburne Museum, in Bath.
Sam Cox, aka Mr Doodle, said: “My intention has always been to create a universal doodle language that can relate to and attract people from all over the world.”
Primarily characterised by black ink on a white background, Mr Doodle’s graphic style conjures up a world of quirky creatures and anthropomorphic forms - using ink pens and spray paint to intricately weave together what he describes as “graffiti spaghetti”.
Mr Doodle began to garner recognition in the art world in 2015 and has since seen a meteoric rise in interest in his work.
He stands at the forefront of a new art wave, taking the online art community by storm with a mass social media following - his works provoke discourse on what we consider fine art today.
Sam's work builds on the narrative of 'DoodleLand' - telling the story of Mr Doodle’s life and his doodle family, including his evil twin Mas (aka Dr Scribble) and the Anti-Doodle Squad who intervene in his attempts to achieve his ultimate mission to doodle over the entire planet.
Part of this mission includes doodle interventions that will appear throughout the museum’s permanent collection, temporarily replacing a number of paintings and decorative objects with doodled canvases and 3-D sculptures inspired by their surroundings.
These new works will open a dialogue between the museum’s historic collection and Mr Doodle’s distinctive drawing style, enabling visitors to see these artworks in an entirely new context.
Doodles will also pop up throughout the rest of the building, in unexpected places including in the lift and along the café windows.
The exhibition also spills into the wider city - as Mr Doodle has created new site-specific work to occupy some of the main thoroughfares, including Milsom Street and Union Street, phone boxs, bench seating and banners overhead.
Dr Chris Stephens, Director, Holburne Museum said: “At the Holburne we are working hard to present a wide and diverse range of artistic practice and I am delighted to be the first museum in the country to present the extraordinary world of Mr Doodle.”
For more information visit: https://www.holburne.org/
