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BOOK REVIEW:- "Round Ireland with a Fridge"
NEWLY released
in paper back by Ebury Press, at £7.99, the Sunday Times Bestseller.
Tony Hawks’ book is an entertaining account of this
songwriter/author’s unlikely adventure, born of a drunken bet, that
he could not hitchhike round the circumference of Ireland with a
fridge within one calendar month. This enterprise seems insane,
unprofitable and doomed to failure. It is not even motivated by an
urge to fund raise for a charity. Hawks is, however, helped by
fortuitous publicity from the Irish media. Throughout his travels,
which provide a random sample of Irish life and countryside, he and
his fridge meet numerous willing helpers, from drivers to providers
of hospitality and accommodation. As events escalate, his fridge
assumes a personality of its own, a name, Saiorse (Freedom) and has
its own share of adventures including solo surf boarding! Raconteur
Tony Hawks hums along, taking his readers through each absurd
episode with ease. For fanciers of the bizarre, this is well worth a
try.
LENDERS URGED TO INTRODUCE REGULAR REVIEW FOR INTEREST ONLY
BORROWERS
INTEREST ONLY
mortgages could present a ticking time bomb for many – but financial
data comparison site Moneynet.co.uk suggests it is possible to
defuse it if lenders introduce a regular review – at least every
three years - with borrowers who lack any repayment provision.
Non repayment mortgages now make up around a quarter of all new
mortgages, and with lenders continuing to do whatever it takes to
reel in growing numbers of customers, it’s clear that many borrowers
willing to take on more debt could be heading towards financial
meltdown.
“Borrowers’
attraction to interest only mortgages isn’t hard to work out – a
repayment mortgage of £150,000 at 6% over 25 years will cost around
£978 a month. On interest only, however, they won’t have to dig so
deep as monthly cost falls to just £750, leaving enough to afford
the extras that everybody wants,” says Moneynet.co.uk chief
executive Richard Brown.
Funding for new cars, expensive holidays and the latest gadgets has
to come from somewhere and worrying about repaying a mortgage due in
25 years is simply not on the radar for many spenders.
“Although interest only mortgages play a vital part in the
mortgage industry, often providing the only means for first time
buyers to hold the key to their own front door, misusing this type
of loan is counter-productive.
In
the longer term, it is crucial that borrowers ensure they clear
their mortgage debt prior to retirement to avert financial disaster
in old age,” said Richard Brown.
Brown believes that having a regular dialogue with lenders could
save many borrowers from severe financial difficulty in the future
and even repossession.
“Lenders should review their interest only clients’ situation
at least every three years to work out if they are at risk and, if
so, look for a more secure strategy.” remarked Richard
Brown.
Over the years, circumstances change so a regular review – not just
a once-yearly glance at a mortgage statement - could be extremely
beneficial to borrowers who may be able to afford a repayment
mortgage at a later date.
“A sharp prod from their lender could be the wake-up call
needed for those who are simply using interest only mortgages as a
cheap form of income supplement and will hopefully open their eyes
to the fact that relying on the prospect of an inheritance or the
continuing rise in house prices might not be the best answer to
paying off a mortgage in 25 years,” added Richard Brown. |
The
Beatles Story to Unveil Russian Sculpture...
THE ‘special’
relationship between the Beatles and Russia is celebrated in a new
sculpture to be unveiled at the Beatles Story this August. The
work is by renowned Russian artist Nikolay Rogatnev and is subtitled
“The Music of The Beatles Unites The Earth”. Rogatnev is
hoping the sculpture will be exhibited across the world in important
Beatles-related locations such as Hamburg, New York and of course
Liverpool.
The Beatles were hugely popular in Russia during Soviet times, when
fans braved official disapproval from the Communist Party to collect
records of Western rock groups. Sir Paul McCartney played his first
gig in Russia in 2003 and said at the time, “We were chuffed
in the 60s when we heard The Beatles were big in Russia.
We thought.
‘Wow! The power of music! We’ve even got behind the iron curtain.’”
Russian journalist, Valentin Bayoukansky, who originally came up
with the concept for the sculpture explains, “There were four
Beatles and we want to place a sculpture in four different counties
to show how the people of the world were united by their wonderful
music. Liverpool was number one on our list as it is the Beatles
hometown.”
Sian MacLeod, Deputy Head of Mission of the British Embassy Moscow,
commented:- “The British Embassy Moscow is delighted to
support sculptor Nikolai Rogatnev's initiative to create a monument
to the Beatles for their home town of Liverpool.
Everywhere I travel
in Russia I meet Beatles fans.
So it is fitting that links between
our countries - and between generations - should be embodied by this
sculpture created by a Russia artist and displayed in the UK.
For
nearly fifty years the Beatles have symbolized Britain in the eyes
of many Russians.
In the same way, I hope that Nikolai Rogatnev's
sculpture will serve as a symbol of friendship between British and
Russian people in the Twenty First Century.”
Jerry Goldman, Managing Director of the Beatles Story said:-
“It’s wonderful that we can welcome our Russian friends to
Liverpool.
The importance of the Beatles to so many Russian music
fans can never be understated.
In the last few years we have seen
the number of Russian visitors rise with the introduction of our
Russian audio guide.”
The Beatles Story’s audio guide includes a contribution from Artemy
Troitsky, one of Russia’s best know cultural journalists, who sums
up the impact of the Beatles:- “Only some years later they
have suddenly become aware of the fact that the Beatles have started
a whole huge movement in the Soviet Union.
A movement which involved
not thousands, or even hundreds of thousands, but millions of young
people...”
The new work will be unveiled at 11.00am on 21 August 2007.
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