Documentary makers say they have ‘clearest’ photo of big cat in UK

Jan 25, 2024

There could be big cats prowling the British countryside

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Filmmakers of a documentary claiming there are wildcats roaming the British countryside say they have found the ‘clearest’ photo of a big cat.

Dragonfly Films, makers of the documentary Panthera Britannia Declassified, show the photo in their film of a huge black cat with big green eyes, resembling a panther, resting in the long grass in the Smallthorne area of Staffordshire.

The photo was discovered among the files of a zoology organisation, unearthed by its assistant director.

Accompanying the picture was a note dated March 17th, with no indication of which year or any details of who captured the image, or details of the sender.

Described as the ‘Beast of Smallthorne’, the hand-written note says the photo was taken near the lake at Ford Green Nature Nature Reserve at 12.36pm. The letter can be seen in the documentary.

The image of the big cat is featured in the documentary and experts say it is ‘probably the best photo of a British big cat that exists’.

Tim Whittard, producer of Panthera Britannia Declassified, said: “The story is a sad one really – these majestic big cats could be legally owned without a licence in the UK until 1976 and were very popular, being seen as fashionable status symbols at the time.

”When the laws surrounding exotic animal ownership changed a lot of people released their big cats into the countryside.’ So essentially, the animals people are seeing today are the offspring of abandoned pets for the most part.”

He said that while the evidence points towards big cats existing in the British countryside, this would pose a ‘serious zoological issue’.

”This astonishing lost photograph and amazing new scientific discovery form only a fraction of the collective evidence on display in the film,” he added.

“The research process for this show was intensive and exhaustive, and took us thousands of hours in various archives, libraries, museums, and laboratories, as well as in the field and meeting hundreds of eyewitnesses.

”The result is a mind-blowing voyage of discovery for viewers, which really takes this forward as a serious zoological issue.”

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It won’t happen again for another 14 years

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As stargazers get ready for a rare celestial event this week, astronomers have given the exact time fans can look up at the sky to witness a super blue moon.

The lunar event, which won’t happen again for another 14 years, will peak on Wednesday but will be visible all week.

The last super blue moon happened in 2009 and won’t come around again until 2037.

The term super blue moon refers to a combination of two lunar events: a supermoon and a blue moon.

A supermoon happens when the moon is at its nearest point to the earth in its orbit, making for a larger and brighter appearance in the night sky.

A blue moon is a term used to describe a second full moon that appears in a calendar month – it doesn’t refer to the colour.

Experts say the best time to see it is at 7.52pm on Wednesday, August 30th. For the best view, it is advisable to be away from light pollution and to watch as the moon is rising.

Patchy clouds are forecast with some clear spells but stargazers will be in with a good chance to see the rare lunar event.

To make it an even rarer and spectacular sight to witness, the planet Saturn will be just above the moon so keep your eyes peeled for it.

Astronomy expert David Moore told the BBC: “So, for a super blue moon to have a bright planet close to it is extremely rare, probably once in a lifetime or rarer.”

Every year we have 12 full moons with each having their own individual name including a Wolf Moon, Pink Moon, Harvest Moon, Worm Moon and a Snow Moon.

Do Mancunians make good neighbours?

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Manchester came top of the table in a survey which ranked the most judgemental cities in the UK.

According to new survey data, 66% of residents in Manchester have admitted to judging their neighbours based on their activities – the highest rate of any UK city.

The findings make Mancunians some of the most judgemental people in the UK, when it comes to their neighbours.

The team at Make My Blinds have surveyed 2,000 Brits to reveal what people really think of their neighbours based on factors such as how nosey they are, if they listen in to neighbours’ conversations, if they judge their neighbours’ activities, and whether they have caught their neighbours spying.

Living in the city or surrounding suburbs in close proximity to each other, it’s no surprise we come across the people we live near to, from time to time.

We can only hope we get lucky and end up living next to good neighbours – though there’s always going to be the odd one that is a little annoying at times.

Manchester 66%

Nottingham 63.8%

Birmingham 62.8%

London 62.3%

Leeds Bristol 61.5%

Southampton 60.2%

Sheffield 60%

Newcastle 59.2%

Belfast 57.1%

Norwich 55.8%

Liverpool 55.1%

Cardiff 52.7%

Glasgow 51.8%

Edinburgh 43.5%

Let’s see what further findings from the survey say about Mancunians… “Manchester is a Northern city which prides itself on being friendly, with the locals happy to engage in conversation, even if it is just to say ‘hello’.

“It’s unclear whether their friendliness has been misinterpreted as nosiness, nonetheless, 61.6% of Mancunians think their neighbours are nosy.”

The survey also revealed that 40.9% of people in Manchester have caught their neighbours spying on them, or being overly curious, while 64.2% admitted to observing their neighbours’ activities.

When it comes to the spy capital though, Sheffield comes top of the 15 cities in the UK, having the snoopiest residents with 71.7% of people observing their neighbours’ activities.

Despite the fact that almost three-quarters of people in Sheffield admit to watching their neighbours’ activities, it’s a city that is considered friendly and vibrant with a large student population.

The city that loves to Eavesdrop on their neighbours’ conversations the most is London with 40.5% of its residents who took the survey admitting to doing so.

Following the Big Smoke in close second is Manchester, with 39.6% of residents admitting to listening in on their neighbours’ conversations – maybe we are nosy and judgemental neighbours afterall!

When Snow Fairy arrives, you know the holidays are just around the corner…

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Fans can rejoice now Lush has announced it’s bringing back its very pink, sweet and sugary Snow Fairy collection next month.

Everyone’s favourite overpowering sweet and fruity scented natural bath store is bringing back its seasonal popular collection, Snow Fairy.

The cosmetics giant’s iconic bubblegum candy floss scent was invented by its Global Retail Director, Claire Constantine – daughter of Co-founders Mark and Mo Constantine – 18 years ago.

Claire says on the Lush website: “When I was around 11, mum and dad brought me home a shower gel with no scent.

“I found it in the bathroom and told them that I loved the colour but it needed to smell of candy fluff and my favourite perfume.

“That product became called ‘Snow Fairy’ and is now our best selling Christmas product year after year. I still love it to this day!”

The scrumptious Snow Fairy will be landing on shelves on September 21st as Lush unveils its Christmas range for 2023. Prices for the collection will range from £3.75 – £20.

Lush says about the collection on its website: “For sparkle like there’s snow tomorrow, lather up in candy-sweet suds that shimmer with magic that comes but once a year.

“Lush festive favourite, Snow Fairy, is a cult fragrance making a comeback for its 17th year. The delicious bubblegum-scented range will feature returning classics as well as new innovations, for a sugary sweet Christmas.”

For those who can’t wait to smell good enough to eat again, Lush is treating fans to an early release of the Snow fairy shower gel today (August 24th), before the whole collection comes out next month – which will include luxury items such as fizzing bath bombs, lotions, candles and the works.

Lush said: “The sweet candy floss scent of the seasonal exclusive will launch on Thursday, August 24th in Lush shops globally and online, a few weeks before the festive collections.”

To celebrate its seasonal return, a number of stores will be hosting Snow Fairy after-hours lock-in events on September 21st, to give customers an exclusive chance to shop the cult favourite and find out more about each product with in-depth talks from bath and body experts.

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