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Friday, December 9, 2011
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The things they say Quotes of the week
“I’m 6ft 7in, weird looking, from the West Country, I’m gangly and awkward . . . either I go into comedy or I become a psychopath. So I think I’ve channelled it wisely” – Writer and comedian Stephen Merchant, who brings his Hello Ladies . . . tour to Cambridge on Monday. “It was so awful and sentimental and gooey, I had to work terribly hard to try to infuse some minuscule bit of humour into it” – Actor Christopher Plummer, whho pllayyed Caaptain Voon Trrapp inn The Sound Of Music, which he renamed The Sound of Mucus. “I hoard them all over the house, in cupboards in the kitchen, in the bathroom – every room. There is a big chance when you open the fridge in my house there will be a pair of shoes at the bottom” – Singer Cheryl Cole, whho cllaims too haave abbout 2,,000 pairs. “The crisis should not be overemphasised. People have always responded to difficulty by dressing up in jewels” – Fashion guuru Kaarl Laagerfeld onn whhat wealthy women should wear during an economic crisis. “London has never ceased to amaze me. But Runcorn does better fish and chips” – Singer Nicola Roberts, of Girls Aloud fame, on her home town.
%STAR QUOTE% “Tell them we are busy” – Actor Kevin Spacey, playing Richard III, responds to a mobile phone ringing out from the audience during a performance in Sydney. “No one said that Auschwitz should have been kept open because it created jobs” – Tory MP Zac Goldsmith, rejecting arguments that newspapers should be free to print stories of the private lives of celebrities just to increase circulation. “I don’t find acting difficult. I find it challenging, and sometimes I am very bad at it. But I don’t find it hard” – George Clooney urging fellow actors to stop moaning about how hard their job is. “I can pick good food, but I can’t pick a good man” – Veteran actress Debbie Reynolds, who has had three unsuccessful marriages.
“I witnessed the extreme “I don’t particularly want to indifference of cyclists who just go to the Moon. There’s nothing there except bloody pushed their way ash” – Broadcaster Sir David “Time pitilessly past, some Attenborough has his limits. makes fools of peering at the man who was most of us” – losing a lot of blood from a deep Sttephen Baayley, foormer diirector cut above his nose. Even when off thhe Deesign Muuseum inn Loondon. the paramedics were there they “A scented candle from someone tried to push their way past” – you are close to is always Eunice Chiavetta, 72, of East offensively unimaginative” – Chesterton, who was appalled by Jemima Khan about the worst the attitude of some passers-by Christmas gifts. who failed to stop to help an injured man. “We have seen a significant drop in the number of re-offenders because of the scheme and feedback from victims has been very positive” – Insp Dominic Human on the ‘payback system’ to get offenders to apologise to their victims in certain cases instead of facing court. He added: “If these youngsters had been prosecuted we would have demonised them for life.”
“A lot of people in showbusiness come from posh backgrounds but they hide their roots – except for Joanna Lumley, who couldn’t get away with it even if she stood in an Asda queue in a shell suit” – Comedienne Miranda Hart.
“Nothing in life has given me as much satisfaction as bringing them up. It is thanks to them that I never gave up on civilisation altogether” – Actor Sean Penn on his children. “There’s a lot to be said for taking time out for a tickle” – Acctress Annna Frriel ennjoys faamily fun.
Compiled by Jennifer Shelton
CENTRESPREAD
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I fought the scales ME to get back rea TABLES TURNED: Karlena has lost nearly 6 stone, allowing her to return to a normal lifestyle. “It was never about bad habits, it was about eating the right portion sizes for an inactive person,” she says Picture: Keith Jones 786938
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OSING weight is a struggle at the best of times but imagine trying to steel yourself to do it when you are too exhausted to move, in constant pain and find it difficult to stay awake, let alone go for a run. For 40-year-old Karlena Dell, a teaching assistant at Bottisham Village College, this was the incredible challenge she faced. The mum-of-one from Lode suffers with ME, a debilitating illness that she developed in 2003 after a severe and combined attack of shingles, glandular fever and gallstones. “The first signs were extreme tiredness, to the point where I could not string a sentence together or remember names of objects,” Karlena recalls. “I went from writing scientific papers to not being able to have the cognitive function to read a children’s book.” When physical exhaustion and pain got too much, and just a few minutes of standing was agonising, Karlena relied on a wheelchair. “The illness coloured all aspects of my life,” she explains. “I went from being an independent professional woman to someone that had to be looked after like a child. I could not read any more, couldn’t stand loud noises or bright lights or any external stimulation. “I was used to being very much in control of my life and it now felt I had no control over even the simplest of things happening to me. If I got over-tired it would trigger migraines. Standing up would be excruciating; the pain felt like a burning sensation running up and down my legs. My skin felt like it had broken glass under it, and it hurt to wear clothes.” Her weight crept up because she was unable to do everyday things like nipping to the gym or going swimming, and her family life was affected too: “I loved being able to do things with my son, but I had to either just watch him do it, or miss it as I
Despite suffering with se confined to a wheelchair shed an astonishing 5st 1 catwalk to prove it. ELLA about taking back contro her son proud.
was fast asleep.” Karlena had a “lightbulb moment” when ordering a new wheelchair. “I had to order it in extra wide,” she sighs. “I just thought: ‘I’ve got to do something about this.’” At her heaviest, she weighed 17st 10lb (“Stepping on those scales for the first time and seeing that figure made me cry inside, my ME had destroyed al my previous efforts,”) and because her illness stopped her from exercising, the only dieting group that would consider taking her on was WeightWatchers. Having tried the points programme before and lost 3 stone, she restarted it in February 2009 and the scales soon started sliding in her favour. “It’s so easy to follow,” Karlena enthuses. “I’ve lost 5 stone 10lb with no exercise. At times it has been really tough but the weight loss was slow and consistent. I lost about ½lb every week.” No sugar-fuelled relapses? “It was never about bad habits, it was about eating the right portion sizes for an inactive person. That would have meant admitting I was ill and that was too difficult at the time. So maybe WeightWatchers has also allowed me to admit I was ill and it was OK.
-news.co.uk
CENTRESPREAD
Friday, December 9, 2011
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>> in Brief Woman hurt in multiple crash A WOMAN was injured in a five-vehicle crash on the A14 which triggered a search by the force helicopter and police dogs. A lorry and car were in collision and three other vehicles were then involved in the pile-up on the eastbound carriageway between Stowcum-Quy and Nine Mile Hill at 8.20pm on Wednesday. The force helicopter was launched and police dogs were used to check undergrowth in case any casualties had been thrown from their vehicles.
vere ME and being r, Karlena Dell from Lode 10lb and walked the A WALKER spoke to her ol of her life and making
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“For me WeightWatchers was not just about losing weight, but cutting down on the painkillers and getting my life back.” Trips to high street store White Stuff helped Karlena stay positive and focused on her diminishing waistline: “Whenever I got a bit demoralised I’d go into White Stuff and look at all the clothes to motivate myself – by the time I’d lost the weight and could get into them, the staff all knew me!” But although window shopping helped, it was the unfailing love and support of her son, Tom, 13, that really made all the difference to Karlena and her progress. “My son helped me when I was really bad with my ME. He has pushed me round in my wheelchair on days out and held on for dear life when we went round an ice rink in it! Tom never commented on my weight, and has always been fiercely protective of his mum,” Karlena glows. “He has encouraged me all the way, celebrating with me on the good weeks and given me the strength to keep going when it all seemed too hard.” He was also there to congratulate her after she was crowned one of the 10 most inspirational WeightWatchers members from the South East at the Best Ever You Awards in London – those dieting groups that knocked her back must be kicking themselves now. “The awards were fantastic,” says Karlena, who received a makeover from celebrity style consultant and MTV regular Louise Roe, and showed off her new look on a catwalk. “My son was in the audience, and came up on stage to give me a huge bunch of flowers; it was a really great moment. It was just amazing actually being on a catwalk and being able to walk down it – three or four years ago I’d have been pushed down it!” She no longer needs her wheelchair (“but it is still in the shed!”) and, inspired by her own experience with WeightWatchers, has started leading a group in Burwell. Karlena said: “WeightWatchers helped me so much and I really want to help other people, and particularly show other less able people that there is a solution to their weight problems. “I feel fantastic now. I went back to full-time work after 10 years in September and I used to be on a lot of medication for my ME, but now I’m on hardly any. I’m back to being the person I was 10 years ago.” Karlena runs a WeightWatchers group on Wednesdays at 7pm at The Gardiner Memorial Hall, High Street, Burwell.
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John is involved in beetle drive A RARE species of beetle is under the microscope at the Aspal Close Local Nature Reserve in Beck Row. The brush-thighed seed-eater is being investigated alongside the wormwood moonshiner and the set-aside downy beetles, which all inhabit the area. The study by John Walters, an expert from invertebrate charity Hymettus, aims to find ways to create and manage beetle habitats.
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Seasonal songs at choir concert A CHOIR will present a seasonal selection of classical and popular songs tomorrow. Duxford Community Choir will be at St Peter’s Church in the village at 7.30pm. Visit Duxford Post Office for tickets.
Cathedral event will aid children
SON’S LOVE: Tom has played a huge part in his mum’s weight loss –he’s pictured on the right with one of her huge pairs of trousers, now just a reminder of her years of torment
A CHRISTINGLE service is being held at Ely Cathedral on Saturday, December 17 to raise money for The Children’s Society. 786940
ME factfile I ME is short for Myalgic Encephalopathy or Myalgic Encephalomyelitis, but also goes by the name Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) I The condition can affect anyone, of any age, at any time in their life I As yet there is no known cause, and no known cure I Symptoms include:
Unexplained and extreme tiredness, muscle and joint pain, muscle twitching, problems with short-term memory, difficulty paying attention, headaches, trouble sleeping, mood swings and flu-like feelings I ME symptoms are so wide-ranging that patients are diagnosed by
eliminating all other possible illnesses I Medication for some symptoms and small lifestyle changes can make a huge difference and many sufferers naturally recover over time I For more information about ME, visit http://www. meassociation.org.uk.
The service starts at 3pm and all funds raised will go towards helping vulnerable children in the UK.
Forest of trees for Christmas A TREE festival is being held at Orwell Methodist Church to see in Christmas. Twenty-three festive trees, each with their own theme, will be on show at the Town Green Road church’s 11th Christmas tree festival, tomorrow and Sunday. Call (01763) 256816 for details.