14 Chichester Herald Friday, February 7 2014 www.chichesterherald.co.uk
From quashed murder convictions to no kiss and tell SIXTEEN YEARS ago the child murderer Mary Bell was controversially paid £50,000 to tell her story. This week we learned that if you want the chance to earn the current equivalent in royalties you either want to have your conviction for murder overturned or else be jilted by a head of state. We heard Amanda Knox telling ITV’s Lorraine Kelly from her home in the US that she sold her story in a £2.3 million book deal. Knox and her ex-boyfriend and co-accused Raffaele Sollecito - who also has an autobiography out - have again been found guilty of murdering Knox’s British housemate, Meredith Kercher, in Perugia, six years ago, but the conviction still needs to be ratified by the Italian courts. Meanwhile half a world away in India, Valérie Trierweiler put distance and baby photo opportunities between herself and her ex, the French president. Nor did Valérie rule out writing a book. Go Valérie go! It’s payback time for the Paris Match journalist, who unwittingly took part in an Eastenders-style plot at the Élysée Palace, with the embarrassment of the split played out on the world
Allis Moss Writer and broadcaster
stage. When the film comes out, she can ask the Other Woman, actress Julie Gayet, just nominated for a Caesar for a supporting role (all puns intended) to play her. What a waste One feels despair at the news that a 19-year old Irish student has died needlessly after jumping into a river after drinking. Just so the young sports fan could put the video up on Facebook. The teenager’s brother, who nearly drowned trying to save him, said the youngster loved curling and football, and revealed that another who’d said no to the website dare, had been branded a coward by his peers. It’s a kind of bullying, says the family. It is a fatal combination of bravado and bullying, on a mass scale. What happens when your mates all
around you are whispering? How do you stop kids from doing what nearly every other kid is doing? If Facebook were quicker to react to such pages they’d just migrate somewhere else. But social media networks are too tardy and too passive on all forms of bullying and we need to bully them to sharpen their act up. Cold comfort The week has passed in a haze of microbes and manuka honey. It seems a harsh punishment for supporting a friend in his slightly off-key version of Snow White in a panto in Bognor. Had to sit next to someone sniffing and clutching a handkerchief. If there is only one person with a streaming cold in the audience, why are they always next to you? Since then I have occasionally ventured out disguised as the Michelin man in diverse layers and scarves. You can’t afford a cold these days. A box of tissues unless you get Sainsbury’s Basics - costs more than an Iceland pizza. Tesco did away with their original Value box of tissues costing some 25 pence about two colds ago. It
was a genuine loss leader as I really would go there to buy boxes in bulk ready for the next panto and would always come out with an armful of comfort purchases like DVDs and tubs of double chocolate muffins. From within the chrysalis of fleecy socks and thermals, from which I am hoping to emerge as myself again, I’ve been reading Mad About The Boy. Bridget Jones’ third volume has been largely panned by critics. I’m enjoying it! It’s perfect brain candy for sufferers of head colds who need fluffy TLC and has had me laughing (then coughing). It’s true I could do without so many references to sick and farting, the jokes about Twitter are a bit tired and the effect of Mark Darcy’s life and demise on Bridget could have been more convincing. Author Helen Fielding split up from the father of her two children. She said she was writing about life being unexpected to explain the loss of Darcy, much to fans’ chagrin. I once argued with someone, fiercely, that bereavement couldn’t really be compared to divorce. The other person was equally insistent that Contact Allis:
it could, was worse even, in some ways. Doubtless Fielding was drawing on her own experience. Games Game of Thrones Season III goes on sale at HMV in Chichester on February 17th. I’ve held off buying it from either HBO, who makes it, or Blinkbox, and was hoping to segue seamlessly into the box set from BBC 4’s gripping but bleak Scandinavian crime drama, The Bridge II. In between there’s Mad About The Boy. It’s quite a culture shock. But there again, I was highly put out when Lord Stark of Winterfell, played in the series by Sean Bean, was done away with. And finally Black elderberry syrup is the best thing I’ve just found for a cold. Delicious and full of antioxidants. You can feel it doing you good with just a spoonful. Pukka also make a lovely soothing, fruity tea of it, which tastes even better than the gorgeous box looks. Steep covered for 5 minutes then drink good and hot with an escapist DVD or book.
allis.moss@chichesterherald.co.uk
Sport Relief Mile is back in Chichester CHICHESTER is set to host its third Sainsbury’s Sport Relief Mile on Sunday 23 March and needs local people to come together and show their support by entering now. The event is one of the UK’s biggest fundraising schemes with events taking place across the country. Chichester District Council is organising a route takes you through the University of Chichester’s campus to leafy Graylingwell Park. People are encouraged to get involved and show their support by completing
the mile in any way they choose – fancy dress is optional. From small children with their families to super sprinters, the challenge is suitable for all. Participants don’t have to be sporty to take part and people can complete one, three or six miles in any way they choose. Councillor Eileen Lintill, Cabinet Member for Wellbeing and Community Services at Chichester District Council, says: “Absolutely anyone can take part from grandparents to teens and tots – it really is an event for all the family to join in and have some
fun. It is a great way to get active and raise money for Comic Relief to help transform lives here in the UK and across the world's poorest countries. There's something for everyone as you can walk, run or jog. So what are you waiting for pull your Sport Relief socks up, enter the Mile and do something amazing!” Those running the three and six mile events will set off at 9.30am and those running the mile events start at 11am and 11.30am in two bands. By being sponsored and raising money entrants will be
helping to change lives in the UK and across the world in some of the poorest countries. To take part people can enter now at www.sportrelief.com or through the council’s website at www.chichester.gov.uk and type in ‘Sport Relief 2014’. As well as the run there will also be some taster sessions show casing the new Netball and MulitSports Saturday morning clubs taking place at the University. All coaches are fully qualified and DBS checked for child safety. Please visit http://store.chi.ac.uk for more
information. Also featuring at the event will be Westgate Leisure Activities and the Councils own Wellbeing Team. The Spirit FM Roadshow will be providing the music and Fitjoy will be delivering a mass warm up! Every competitor will receive a Sport Relief medal when they cross the Global Scaffolding finish line. For more information or to sign up go to www.chichester. gov.uk/sport, or contact the Sport and Leisure Team at Chichester District Council on 01243 534857 or email sport@chichester.gov.uk.