Zog 50p created by Royal Mint to mark 15th anniversary
Zog tells the story of an accident-prone dragon in school who learns to roar, fly and breathe fire.There were two books released in 2010 and 2012, with the first winning the Galaxy National Book Award.The coin will feature the orange Zog flying and joins The Royal Mint's childhood characters collection.This follows previous character coins including The Snowman and Paddington Bear.The Royal Mint said these had become "treasured items" in collections.Donaldson said she "never imagined he would fly so far into people's imaginations".She added: "Seeing our determined dragon on a 50p piece would definitely earn him a golden star from Madam Dragon."
Scheffler said it was an "incredible honour" to see his drawing "transformed onto a coin".Rebecca Morgan of The Royal Mint said it "continues our tradition of honouring beloved children's literature".The Zog 50p coin can be purchased on The Royal Mint website, starting at £15 with coloured versions available with a starting price of £25.
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The Sun
an hour ago
- The Sun
Embezzlement arrest, couple's real names & a house in France… How bestseller The Salt Path may be more fiction than fact
THE question everyone asks about a movie 'based on a true story' is how much is fact and how much is fiction? It is what I wanted to know when I interviewed The Salt Path author Raynor Winn in April about her best-selling memoir, which had been turned into a film starring Gillian Anderson. 5 5 Sipping tea from a fine porcelain cup, the softly spoken mother-of-two told me: 'The book's my interpretation of that time.' Well, that is one way of putting it. This week it was alleged that crucial parts of Raynor's prize-winning book were more fiction than fact. In her account, Raynor, 62, and her husband Moth were made homeless in 2013 after an investment went horribly wrong. During the same week, Moth, 64, was diagnosed with rare and fatal neurological condition, corticobasal degeneration (CBD), which affects movement, speech and memory. With nowhere else to go, the couple trek for 630 miles along Britain's South West Coast Path. Life expectancy But according to a lengthy investigation by The Observer newspaper, the reason Raynor lost her house in the Welsh countryside was that she embezzled £64,000 from an employer. The report also found evidence that the Winns, whose real names are Sally and Tim Walker, owned a house in France at the time they were supposedly homeless. Perhaps, just as disturbing, was the suggestion from nine neurologists and researchers that they were sceptical someone could have survived for so many years with CBD, which has a life expectancy of around six to eight years. It was certainly the most niggling doubt I had about the Winns' story when I sat down with Raynor, who likes to be called Ray, at a historic hotel in London three months ago. When Moth was diagnosed in 2013 it was suspected he'd already had CBD for six years. Today, he is not only still alive, he lacks acute symptoms and is going on walks. Raynor told me: 'There are many, many theories that swirl around, and there's very little fact, because these illnesses that come under the umbrella of CBD. 'They don't receive much funding because they're so rare, and so we understand very little about them.' It was a convincing answer and there is no proof that Moth does not have this fatal condition. Patients do defy predictions, with doctors unsure how the late Stephen Hawking was able to live with motor neurone disease for 55 years. There is strong evidence, though, that when Raynor was Sally Walker she got into trouble with the law. Two decades ago she worked part-time as a bookkeeper for an estate agency in Pwllheli, North Wales. Raynor's claims it was all just a business deal that went wrong really upset me. When really she had embezzled the money from my husband. It made me feel sick Ros Hemmings A local police officer told how Sally was arrested and questioned after the company's owner Martin Hemmings reported that £64,000 had gone missing from the accounts. One of Sally's unnamed relatives offered to pay off the sum in return for Martin not to pursue a criminal case against her. This was agreed to, and the bookkeeper went free. But Sally had put up the family home in Wales as security for the loan from the relative and this debt was then passed on to other people. They wanted the money back and when the Walkers could not pay up, a judge ruled they had to give up the property. In the book, Raynor blames it on Moth's childhood friend 'Cooper'. Martin Hemmings died in 2012, but his widow Ros said: 'Her claims that it was all just a business deal that went wrong really upset me. 'When really she had embezzled the money from my husband. It made me feel sick.' There is also evidence that the couple put their home up as a prize even though the judge had said it should be repossessed if they could not sell it. It was offered 'free of mortgage or any other legal or registered charge' in a draw available to anyone who bought a book called How Not to Dal dy Dir [Stand Firm], written by the author Izzy Wyn-Thomas. In the end the house was taken from the Walkers and it is unclear if anyone entered the prize draw. The couple were never charged with any offences, so details of these events lay hidden until now. 5 Raynor has not spoken publicly about the claims, but in a statement said: 'The Observer article is highly misleading. 'We are taking legal advice and won't be making any further comment at this time. 'The Salt Path lays bare the physical and spiritual journey Moth and I shared, an experience that transformed us completely and altered the course of our lives. This is the true story of our journey.' They gave no clarification as to exactly what was 'misleading'. After losing their home, the couple remerged as Raynor and Moth Winn in 2018 when The Salt Path was published. Her vivid account of their trials and tribulations in Somerset, Devon, Cornwall and Dorset is full of convincing details. If there is anything that I hope people take from this film, I would really love it if people walked out of the cinema and saw someone in a doorway they would see them slightly differently, maybe just as an individual, not a difficult statistic Raynor And when I spoke to the polite author, her recollection of events were replayed with authority. It was impossible not to feel sympathy when Raynor told me how a woman called her a tramp when she scrabbled around for change in the gutter. No one has suggested that the pair did not live in a tent or go on the 630-mile walk. But it did seem remarkable that this middle-class couple, hailing from the West Midlands, did not have friends who could put them up for a few weeks while they got back on their feet after their home was repossessed. Down and out The Observer found documents that appear to show the Winns bought an old house in the south-west of France in 2007, and still owned it during the years they were 'homeless'. That flies in the face of the passionate feelings Raynor expressed to me about being a rough sleeper. She said: 'If there is anything that I hope people take from this film, I would really love it if people walked out of the cinema and saw someone in a doorway they would see them slightly differently, maybe just as an individual, not a difficult statistic.' Raynor, who has written about homelessness for The Big Issue magazine, gave a performance that Gillian Anderson would have been proud of. When she said it, I felt no doubt that this was a woman who had truly been down and out. But I was certainly not the only person who seems to have been taken in by her warm words. Prior to this week's revelations, the X Files and Sex Education actress Gillian, who met Raynor before filming started, said: 'When I read the book, I could not get it out of my system for weeks. It changed my perspective on homeless individuals, on people living rough, on the fact that any one of us at any time can become homeless and destitute.' The film's producers put out a statement on Monday denying knowledge of Raynor's past. 5 A spokeswoman for Number 9 Films and Shadowplay Features said they 'undertook all necessary due diligence before acquiring the book'. Why would they not believe a story that had won the Royal Society of Literature Christopher Bland prize in 2019 and was shortlisted for the Costa Biography Award? The critically acclaimed film, with Jason Isaacs playing Moth, made more than £7.5million at the box office when it was released in the UK in May. But plans to show it in the US and other countries have now been thrown into doubt. Raynor is due to release her fourth book, titled On Winter Hill, later this year. Fans may not be so keen to read this account of her walk from coast to coast in the north of England with all the doubts about her reliability. Despite the controversy, the website of her publisher, Penguin, still describes The Salt Path as 'unflinchingly honest'. Half of that phrase still carries weight. The Raynor Winn I met was certainly unflinching.
Daily Mail
5 hours ago
- Daily Mail
The sell-out Oasis x Adidas tracksuit just came back in stock in time for the reunion tour - here's where to get yours quick
Daily Mail journalists select and curate the products that feature on our site. If you make a purchase via links on this page we will earn commission - learn more Noel and Liam Gallagher have joined forces with Adidas for an 'Original Forever' campaign. The brothers sent fans across the world wild as they reunited onstage for the first time in 15 years In Cardiff on July 4 for their Live '25 world tour. The siblings famously feuded for years, with Oasis splitting in 2009 following a backstage row at the Rock en Seine festival, when Noel left the band. Now, inspired by styles that Oasis wore in the Nineties, they've come together once again for an exclusive Adidas collection which features everything from the iconic three-stripe T-shirts to matching tracksuits and jackets. Upon release the collection sold out almost immediately. Luckily, we've spotted a few of the in-demand tracksuits are finally back in stock. But they won't last long. We've listed the items still available below. And if you want to lean into the Britpop revival but don't want to risk missing out, here's where to find high street versions too - all in time for the reunion tour. Adidas x Oasis collection Adidas' track tops were iconic in the Nineties and this Oasis collaboration is inspired by the archive. Retailing at £85 and available on the official Adidas website, it comes in pale blue, burgundy, black and navy colourways. The zip-up style features three stripes down the arms, a high neck, elasticated cuffs and the Adidas and Oasis logos. To complete the full tracksuit, you'll need the joggers which retail for £75. The straight let cut trousers feature three stripes down the leg, zip pockets and an elasticated waistband. The Adidas logo and Oasis logo make them a great piece of memorabilia for their 2025 tour. TOUR 3-STRIPES T-Shirt £45 Shop TOUR BUCKET HAT £40 Shop The best high street alternatives But if you want a similar look for a much cheaper price, don't worry, we've got you sorted. Cernucci is selling a velvet inspired jacket for £29.99. Lindex is selling a jacket of the same colour for just £14.99. Funnel Neck Taping Zip Through Velour Track Jacket - Burgundy £29.99 Shop Sporty jacket £14.99 Shop Why not have a look at Boohoo's side stripe joggers which retail for just £12. RESERVED are also selling joggers with a similar style at £12.99. Plus Tricot Side Stripe Jogger £12 Shop Sweatpants with side stripes £12.99 Shop
Daily Mail
13 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Wynne Evans confirms exciting new business venture after his BBC show was axed and fears he's 'split' from new fiancée Liz Brookes
Wynne Evans has confirmed a brand new business venture after his BBC show was axed and since he sparked fears he's split from his new fiancée Liz Brookes. The Welsh opera singer, 53, known for his TV fame, took to Instagram on Monday to share the news that he has joined up with a restaurant in his hometown. The Welsh House Carmarthen shared a video of Wynne to their Instagram confirming that the former Strictly Come Dancing star is joining as a partner in the business. In the clip, Wynne confirmed the venue would be renamed The Welsh House by Wynne and will see him cook 'MasterChef' style dishes. After his BBC Wales radio show was cut, Wynne also confirmed he will be hosting a brand new programme from the restaurant and bar. Proudly showing off his hometown, he revealed: 'One thing that is changing is The Welsh House, it's going to become The Welsh House by Wynne! 'I promise you it will have MasterChef dishes on the menu, it's going to have a warm welcome and I want you to come and see me, OK? 'It's going to be the home of the radio show as well, so get in touch with us, make your bookings and I'll see you soon - I better get cooking!' In a caption, The Welsh House added: 'We're thrilled to welcome Wynne Evans, iconic Welsh opera singer, presenter, and legend as a new partner in our Carmarthen family! 'A proud local and passionate champion of Welsh food, drink, and culture, Wynne brings unmatched energy and love for the town to help us create something truly special. Big things are coming… The Welsh House by Wynne.' The Sun claimed Wynne is opening the restaurant to 'capitalise' on his 2023 Celebrity MasterChef win and to 'distract' himself amid reports of his separation from Liz. 'He's opening a restaurant focusing on Welsh food to distract from the Liz separation,' a source told the publication. 'He paid the Welsh House to take over their existing space.' 'He is trying to capitalise on his MasterChef win apparently,' they added. It is not Wynne's latest side hustle as he also recently started work as an Airbnb host, leasing out a property in Llansteffan - eight miles away from his hometown. MailOnline has contacted Wynne's representatives for comment. In recent days, Wynne sparked fears of a split from his new fiancée Liz after deleting his engagement post from Instagram and unfollowing her. MailOnline also revealed Liz no longer follows Wynne, who only proposed to the events company boss last month. He got down on one knee during a romantic trip to Morocco and documented the gesture on Instagram, posting snaps of him proposing and a close-up of Liz's ring. He wrote: 'Big news… I got engaged! 'This weekend in Morocco, somewhere between the couscous, the camels, and me limping around the souks like a man with no spatial awareness, I proposed to Liz — and she said yes! (No take-backs, I've checked.) 'She's clever, she's kind, she's got excellent taste in men. 'Absolutely no idea how I pulled that off, but here we are! Feeling very lucky, very happy, and just a tiny bit smug.' However, the picture has now mysteriously disappeared from his account, as have any mentions of his fiancée. Wynne was previously married to wife seven years, Tanwen - the mother of his two kids - but they split in 2016. Wynne and Liz then met in 2024 shortly before his stint on the BBC1 dancing show, and Liz was often sat in the audience during the live shows. Liz owns an events company and it's believed the pair met at a corporate function her firm organised, where Wynne was booked as the entertainment. Wynne also paid tribute to Liz for helping him through a tough time in his work life, after he was axed by the BBC following a controversial comment made during the Strictly Come Dancing live tour in January. After his BBC Wales show was cut, Wynne announced that he would be launching a new radio show - which he has now confirmed he will record from The Welsh House. In May, he wrote on Instagram: 'The Wynne Evans Show is coming back, live every day from 9am - 12pm on a new app, on Alexa and Google (we don't have to say 'smart speaker' anymore!) and at Wynne's BBC Wales show was axed after using vile sexual innuendo during the Strictly Live Tour and was also caught up in a 'wandering hand' incident with dance partner Katya Jones 'This is our next adventure. And I need you more than ever. We will have great music, my question of the day, the mystery voice, your soundtrack stories and so much more, because we have each other again.' Wynne's show was axed after it emerged he used sexual innuendo during the Strictly Live Tour and was also caught up in a 'wandering hand' incident with dance partner Katya Jones, who seemed to remove his arm from her lower waist on the show. After the BBC launched an investigation into his conduct, bosses decided not to renew his radio contract for his show. Then, it was revealed that his travelogue series with Joanna Page was cancelled after just one series. The programme originally aired in February and March of this year and was placed on ice when Wynne was dropped from the Strictly tour before returning to screens. An insider told The Sun: 'Once the first series was slapped on ice, there was always a huge question mark hanging over the prospect of a second outing. 'Only now has the BBC publicly confirmed it won't be returning. 'It means that Wynne has no TV show or radio show with the Beeb, and effectively marks the end of their relationship.' The six-episode series saw Wynne and Gavin And Stacey star Joanna, 48, set sail on watery adventures across Wales' picturesque coastline. A spokesperson for the BBC said: 'There are no plans for a second series.' The Mail on Sunday recently revealed the BBC received seven complaints from women over Wynne Evans' conduct towards them. The revelations came days after Wynne protested on ITV's This Morning that there had been no allegations made against him. He told hosts Cat Deeley and Ben Shephard: 'There has never been any complaints about me. Ever!' BBC Wales staff raised the seven separate grievances between July 2023 and August 2024, including a period after Wynne was approached to appear on last year's Strictly Come Dancing. Four of the complaints were made before he joined Strictly, raising questions over why the dance show's producers signed him up. Three more were made after he had been chosen for the show. A report into his behaviour was prepared in January for a disciplinary hearing which he said he could not attend, citing mental health issues.
