Speedo Mick is off again!

ON Saturday, 18 January 2020, Speedo Mick set off again from Birches Brow Boutique Guest Rooms, in Aughton, Ormskirk, with Liverpool in sight. Again, a very cold morning, but 55 year old, Everton FC fan, Michael Cullen, aka Speedo Mick, was up for the challenge. Last week we reported that he had suffered an injury, but that, contrary to media speculation, he had not given up his 1,000 mile charity walk! This time, he was met by members of the public, with representatives of Everton in the Community, Formby Pool's Stormers, a local Cycling Club, plus others, including members of the public who had seen him on the news and wanted to lend support. In good spirit, Speedo Mick thanked all the people who had supported him as he recovered from a calf injury, from which he has still not fully recovered. Medical advice however has been sought, and he has been given the green light to could continue his amazing fundraising event. The last week he found out that he had broken his original fundraising target, but so popular was his page, it crashed! He is however, still collecting and his Go Fund Raising Page is active again, if you want to donate. He is raising funds for the UK charity:- "Leave The Light On."

For official updates visit please follow Speedo Mick on Twitter. If you want to know more about the charity please visit:- LeaveTheLightOn.Org.UK.

This is footage of him setting off again and some more photos. Please remember to honk him and show your support if you see him on his travels… Also, to donate, please go to his Go Fund Me Page…

Research from Vue Southport reveals cinema has cognitive, emotional and physiological benefits

A trip to the cinema in Southport can be good for the mind and help us step away from the mounting pressure of being online all the time. That's according to new research released from Vue and University College London, revealing that a few hours in front of the big screen can benefit our brain function, social connections, productivity and creativity.  Through an academic experiment conducted by UCL's Faculty of Experimental Psychology, a group of volunteers were tested with biometric sensors to see what happens to our minds and bodies during a 2 hour film screening.

The findings showed a noticeable increase in participants' heart rates during the film, with viewers in the healthy heart zone for 45 minutes; equivalent to a light form of cardio. Fascinatingly, as viewers watched the film their heart rates became more closely aligned, often beating in unison. Skin conductance tests also showed that certain events in the film triggered an increase in emotional arousal levels. Secondary research suggests that 3 unique elements of the cinema experience drove the findings; the focused activity, the shared social focus and the cultural element. Further analysis by UCL demonstrates these elements have proven long term benefits on our overall brain function, memory, focus and productivity.

Dr Joseph Devlin, Professor of Cognitive Neuroscience at UCL commented:- "Cultural experiences like going to the cinema provide opportunities for our brain to devote our undivided attention for sustained periods of time. At the cinema specifically, there is nothing else to do except immerse yourself.  On top of this, our ability to sustain focus and attention plays a critical role in building our mental resilience, because problem solving typically requires a concentrated effort to overcome obstacles. In other words, our ability to work through problems without distraction makes us better able to solve problems and makes us more productive. In a world where it is increasingly difficult to step away from our devices, this level of sustained focus is good for us."

Activities with a shared social focus on the other hand have been proven to boost our creativity, team performance and bonding with others, and has also been proven to reduce feelings of loneliness and depression.

Tanya Goodin, Founder of Time to Log Off and author of 'Off' commented:- "1 of the symptoms of our smartphone fixated culture is that we're increasingly retreating into solitary experiences on our devices. It can hardly be surprising then that loneliness is on the rise for all age groups. 1 of the antidotes to this is a shared big screen experience, which has the power to bond us in a way that solitary screening never will. On top of this, through smartphone culture we've become more connected than ever and multi tasking on many devices; or media multitasking; has become the norm. While we often think this is productive, all the evidence shows this actually slows our brain's performance down and lowers our IQ! For years, psychologists have known the positive effects of being completely immersed in an absorbing experience, or a 'flow' state. It's restful and rejuvenating for our over-stimulated brains and it's an experience exactly like getting lost in a film on the big screen."

The findings come as Vue launches 'Get Lost,' a manifesto film. The film:- 'Get Lost' shows us just how valuable it is to get lost in a great story. It's precious and necessary escapism that enriches our everyday lives. Stories are meant to be seen in a certain way so you can fully immerse yourself surrounded by screen, sound and watching in the ultimate seat. Vue offers the best luxury leather recliner seating, high definition SONY 4K screen and Dolby Atmos multi dimensional sound because everyone deserves to experience the magic of big screen entertainment at affordable prices.

Tim Richards, CEO of Vue International, commented:- "Between juggling multiple devices and living in a world where we're almost never offline, switching off has never been more important. Not only is the cinema 1 of the last places where you can truly get lost, but the research shows that it's actually good for you!  That's why we invest heavily in having the ultimate seat, screen and sound experience and are constantly striving to provide cinema goers with the best possible big screen experience."

'Get Lost' launched on 10 January 2020..