
Joke book created in memory of son of author Michael Rosen
Titled 'Big Eddie's Joke Book,' the publication honours Eddie Rosen, who passed away at the age of 18 in 1999. The book was compiled by Eddie's friends and former teammates from the Gunners Hockey Club in London, alongside their families.
Eddie was the son of renowned children's author and poet, Michael Rosen. The initiative serves as both a celebration of Eddie's life and his enduring love of laughter, while also contributing to vital meningitis research.
It is packed with jokes, limericks and stories, contributed by people whose lives were touched by Eddie's personality.
Eddie was part of a youth hockey programme run by Arsenal in the Community.
Freddie Hudson, Eddie's former coach who is now head of Arsenal in the Community, said: 'A joke book is a fitting way to remember Eddie. Humour was at the heart of the Gunners Hockey set-up and Eddie was a master.
'Knowing that people may find themselves smiling or chuckling over the jokes is a lovely way of keeping his memory alive.'
Charlotte Ulett, senior events and community manager from the Meningitis Research Foundation, said: 'Meningitis can strike anyone, anywhere, at any time. Our vision is a world free from the fear of meningitis.
'What makes this joke book special is that it's a touching tribute, giving everyone a glimpse of Eddie's character and the fun he brought to those around him.
'Turning laughter into life-saving awareness is also a powerful way of keeping his legacy alive. Each smile and joke shared from the pages of this book is a fitting way of honouring Eddie's memory while raising vital awareness.'

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


The Independent
27 minutes ago
- The Independent
New data shines light on ‘staggering' NHS waiting list
An analysis by MBI Health reveals that three million patients in England have not yet received an appointment after being referred by their GP to specialist care. This figure accounts for nearly half of the 6.23 million patients currently on NHS waiting lists, leading the Patients Association to dub it an 'invisible waiting list'. Delays in initial assessments are contributing to late diagnoses, worsening patient symptoms, and increased strain on emergency services, and the Patients Association describes the problem as 'staggering'. Approximately 70 per cent of referral-to-treatment pathways involve patients who have not been seen, with one million of these three million having waited over 18 weeks. While the Department of Health and Social Care noted progress in reducing overall waiting lists, it did not comment on the specific issue of the three million unseen patients.


Telegraph
27 minutes ago
- Telegraph
Paying people to eat healthily and to exercise doesn't work
Paying people to eat healthily and to exercise does not work, a government study has found. A five-month trial in 2023 recruited people in Wolverhampton to download the Better Health app and engage in healthy behaviours in exchange for financial rewards. Participants got points for taking part in challenges such as 'Let's get moving', 'Step it up', 'Snack attack' and 'Say no to fried food'. Rewards for engaging included gym passes, supermarket coupons, high street gift vouchers and cinema tickets. But government analysis of the study revealed that financially incentivising people with various exercise and diet-related goals was ineffective. People did not exercise more, did not lose more weight and did not eat healthier, the analysis by the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities found. It also did not improve calorie intake, sleep, mental health and motivation to change physical activity and diet. More than 28,000 people in the West Midlands signed up for the scheme and more than 7,000 of those completed the five-month trial. Data show that more than half a million pounds was given out to participants in rewards, equating to around £71 per person, on average. The study found exercise increased by around one minute a day and people walked just 42 more steps. These were not statistically significant. There was a small increase in fruit and vegetable intake of around two portions extra a week, but no improvement in the amount of saturated fats and sugars consumed. The study found that people who were paid more money in the trial, around £130 per person, did see more benefits than those in lower-paid arms of the trial. Women, poorer people, white people and those over 41 also saw marginally more benefits than others. Critics have said the trial was a poor use of taxpayers' cash and called for a smarter approach to public health going forward. Officials are understood to be reviewing the results and using both the positive and negative findings to make judgements on any future trials or policies. Dr Chris Snowdon, head of lifestyle economics at the Institute of Economic Affairs, told The Telegraph: 'It would seem that you can't get people to live healthier lives even if you pay them. 'The impact of this multimillion-pound experiment on people's food choices and physical activity has been extremely trivial. 'It is good that the Government is testing ideas like this with rigorous research, but the results are in and this initiative is clearly not cost effective.' Shimeon Lee, policy analyst at the TaxPayers' Alliance, said: 'This has been an absurd use of money, and it's crystal clear that this pilot should never have been embarked on in the first place. 'Every government seems to be obsessed with trying to shrink waistlines and not concerned enough about wasting taxpayer cash. 'Ministers should get the Government out of the work of social engineering and focus on delivering front-line services as effectively and efficiently as possible.' The Government is shifting to a prevention first approach to health and in particular in tackling the obesity epidemic which is said to be costing the NHS more than £6 billion a year. Wes Streeting, the Health Secretary, announced a £280 million investment from Lilly, the world's largest pharmaceutical company, in October and this included the first real-world trial of weight-loss jabs on worklessness, productivity and reliance on the NHS.


Daily Mail
an hour ago
- Daily Mail
Pictured: Inside the British spa loved by Kate Moss and Brad Pitt and how it's changed since opening 100 years ago
Having been diagnosed with a seemingly incurable heart condition as a child in 1890, Stanley Leif sought a solution in the practice of osteopathy and diet. Self-cured by the age of 16, he went on to study naturopathy and opened Champneys in Tring, in 1925, after acquiring the estate from the Rothschild family. It was a pioneering health farm and the first of its kind in the UK, focusing on holistic health and naturopathy. Later, another three Champneys venues opened up - Henlow Grange, Bedfordshire, in 1981, Springs Health Farm, Leicestershire, in 1990, and Forest Mere, Hampshire, in 1995. And the health resort has welcomed many famous faces over the last 100 years - including Naomi Campbell, Princess Diana, Kate Moss and Brad Pitt. In fact, in the 1940s, during the Second Word War, Prime Minister Winston Churchill's wife Clementine Churchill sought refuge at Champneys. Lief sold Champneys – which takes its name from former estate owner Ralph de Champneys – in the 1950s, with the brand changing hands several times before it was acquired by Stephen Purdew and his late mother Dorothy in 2002. They guided the brand to even greater heights, making significant refurbishments to the resorts, and adding two hotels - Eastwell Manor, Kent, and Mottram Hall, Cheshire - plus two city spas in St Albans, Hertfordshire, and Enfield, London. And now, as the spa brand celebrates its big 100, the Daily Mail takes a look at just how much it's changed in the last century through fascinating photos... The Finnish sauna culture began to make waves after the Second World War, as Finnish expats set them up around the country. By the 1950s, Champneys had one in Tring and still has them in all their resorts to this day Forest Mere has had a tennis court available for guests to use since it opened in 1995 (left) and it's been updated for Padel in more recent years (right) Champneys has always been about 'healthy, delicious and beautiful food'. In the left picture, is a dinner by the pool in Tring, in the 80s, and on the right is a more modern meal available to eat