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Last week, The Scaffold, the Sixties novelty act from Merseyside, were stars of the World Expo. Rosie Millard watched in amazement. Photographs by Jasper James There may be 19 million [...]

Stories - Inquiry Peppa Pig was born - aged four - amid little fanfare in a London pub in 1999. A decade on, she has been adopted in 180 countries [...]

It is strange that the Forever Friends characters, which now have a worldwide retail value of almost $400 million, should be so popular, according to Deborah Jones, who invented the characters. She now produces more than 800 different Forever Friends cards a year, and Forever Friends is syndicated in 40 countries. The characters seem to be popular because they appear to come from an old-fashioned world and allow adults to convey meaningful messages to each other.

The London Contemporary Art Fair, which was created in 1989, saw sales worth 2.5 million pounds sterling in 1996 and attracted 30,000 visitors. Some 5,400 works of art were sold over a five-day period, and 80 dealers were present. The event appears to be successful, but some observers question whether it can ever really be more than just another modern art sale. It is not supported by some major dealers, and is generally not worthwhile for those dealers which do not gain a key position in the main hall.

Appearance is extremely important to the men who work as night club bouncers, according to television journalist Donal McIntyre, who spent a year secretly filming the activities of bouncers. He adopted a new identity, and went to great lengths to befriend the most popular and influential bouncers. The investigation revealed that bouncers are actually responsible for a lot of the violence that takes place in night clubs, rather than preventing it.

Living in central London, England, can be an exciting experience, according to inventor Sir Clive Sinclair. He is widely admired for his contribution to electronics, having designed items including the first pocket calculator and the first populist personal computer. However, he also has a rather negative reputation because he has often been seen with women much younger than him. Some of his inventions have not been at all successful, especially the C5 electric car, but he is still extremely wealthy.

Interior design magazine Wallpaper* offers escapism, according to founder and editor Tyler Brule. The magazine, which was launched in Sep 1996, has already gained considerable respect, and has now been purchased by Time Inc. It attracted the attention of this company because it has a global attitude and addresses people who have integrated lives. The magazine currently has a circulation of 30,000, but Time Inc has not only purchased it for its circulation and profit potential.

Pregnant women often find that they are offered a lot of unwanted advice about how to cope with childbirth. In recent times, there has been particular controversy about the use of epidurals. Many women who have had a difficult time during childbirth have been very grateful to have been able to have an epidural, but there are also many women who make it a point of honour to manage without an epidural, or even any pain relief at all. It is important for pregnant women to be informed about their options for childbirth, but they seem to be being brainwashed by those who oppose pain relief.

More and more people are becoming interested in modern British art, but often do not know how to go about purchasing it. These are the people whom Will Ramsay had in mind when he opened Will's Art Warehouse in London, England. He found that customers who do not appear very wealthy are often treated with contempt in modern art galleries, so has deliberately made his Art Warehouse very informal and relaxed. He offers pieces of art at relatively low prices, and changes the display every month.

Club Med is generally associated with seaside holidays, but in fact offers a wide range of sporting holidays too. These include riding holidays at its Centre d'Equitation in Pompadour, France. It is advisable to have a little experience of horse riding, as classes are basically offered at intermediate and advanced level. The centre uses professional riding teachers who are very keen to ensure that classes are taken seriously. Participants are expected to work hard to correct their mistakes.

It is sometimes very difficult to have a parent who is famous, according to jazz musician Marty Grosz, son of satirist George Grosz. He felt that he had to come out of his father's shadow in order to develop, and this is why he turned to jazz music. He was encouraged to develop his musical talent by his father, whose own talent began to wane when he left Berlin, Germany, for the US. Marty Grosz has grown up a true internationalist, having very flexible views about national boundaries.

Oriental clothes are coming into fashion in the UK, a trend initiated by Diana, Princess of Wales, and Jemima Khan, wife of Imran. Ritu, a London Indian boutique, managed by Kiki Siddiqui, supplies classic Indian clothes with some western styling, designed by Ritu Kumar, of Ritu's Boutique, which has a dozen branches in India. Half the customers are Asian, and the rest European. Egg, whose proprietor is Maureen Doherty, is a London store which sells Korean, Iraqui and Japanese clothes.

Cumbria County Council is linking with Northern Arts and the National Lottery to invest 620,000 pounds sterling in Sheepfolds, a project designed to revive sheep shelters in Cumbria. This is using the talents of sculptor Andy Goldsworthy, who is repairing disused sheepfolds or building completely new ones. He is placing an abstract piece of sculpture in each fold, and is using local materials in all cases.

Men's magazine Penthouse has had to change considerably since it was launched in 1965. It almost collapsed completely in the 1980s, when it was considered to be insulting to women, whose views were becoming increasingly prevalent. It also had to face competition from magazines offering more explicit pictures of women and from those with more interesting lifestyle features. It has managed to survive by becoming less intellectual and more aggressive.

Women who are planning their wedding tend to become so involved in the preparations that they fail to realise that they are taking seriously advertising for products and services which they would not normally consider. They fall victim to many different fantasies, which are fuelled by stores offering a wide range of wedding clothes and related items. They often choose many 'extras,' some of which are of doubtful taste.

International No Diet Day, to be held on May 06, 1995, is designed as a day on which to celebrate health, creativity and beauty. It reflects a growing trend against the many different types of diets which have started to dominate people's lives. Its organisers believe that people should be allowed to feel good about their bodies and that women should be helped to break away from the constant cycle of dieting.

A research project being undertaken on Buck Island, situated off the coast of St Croix, the largest of the three US Virgin Islands, is looking at the hawksbill turtle. The female turtles swim more than 3,000 miles to lay their eggs on the island's beach during the season Mar-Oct, and are urgently in need of protection if they are to be saved from extinction. The US has already declared the hawksbill an endangered species, and now only 20 females a year return to the island.

Marianne Martindale runs the Wildfire Club, an organisation for 'ladies passionately interested in discipline', and has recently published a book entitled 'The Female Disciplinary Manual.' Her group of Artisans lead an anti-modernist lifestyle, rejecting all developments which took place after the 1950s. Some observers have expressed concern about the group's views, which have been linked with neo-Nazi organisations and sado-masochistic sex.

The three Nicell brothers, who have set up the Duds'n Suds launderettes in Derry, Belfast and Southsea, believe that they have started a revolution in the launderette industry. Their approach is to make their launderettes bright and attractive places for customers, moving well away from the image of launderettes as dirty, uncomfortable and boring. They offer facilities such as comfortable chairs, refreshments and television, and prices have remained very competitive.

Fire stations across the UK are having to deal with ever increasing numbers of emergency calls, but the fire service is being forced to manage on a completely inadequate budget. A recent report has stated that many of the deaths and injuries caused by fire could be avoided if the fire brigade's regulations were overhauled and more funding were made available. Many firefighters are now having to take on cooking and cleaning duties, and fire stations are often in a very poor condition.

Photographer Spencer Tunick specialises in photographing ordinary people naked in urban settings. He recently undertook a project in Berkeley Street, London, for which he used 25 volunteers. He received many offers of help, although some volunteers were nervous when it actually came to lying naked in the street. He believes that nude pictures can be extremely interesting if they have realistic backgrounds.

Young people today are keen to become independent, and some have even set up their own businesses at an early age. They are keen to gain qualifications, but sometimes prefer to work and earn money instead, regarding experience as more important than qualifications. They tend to be amibitious, but are still prepared to settle down to a quiet family life later on.

Retirement complexes designed in the 1980s had a rather poor image, but the latest retirement 'villages,' such as Elmbridge in Surrey, are of a much higher quality, attracting wealthy retired people. Elmbridge has facilities for residents including a restaurant, a croquet lawn, allotments and a library, and residents pay an annual service fee of 1,500-1,950 pounds sterling for building maintenance, cleaning and 24-hour nursing care.

Pat Hinton has been married 10 times, and has served three prison sentences for bigamy. She believes that she has acted in this way as a result of her grandparents' loving relationship, which gave her an idealic view of marriage, and because of considerable confusion over the identity of her real mother. After the death of her grandmother, whom she regarded as her mother, she began an endless search for security and companionship.

Real estate partners Vaughn Thomas and Steve Forrester from Stoke-on-Trent, UK, have been running a 'Girls' Day Out' in London for their wives, colleagues and friends for the last 12 years. Each participant pays 1,000 pounds sterling in advance for the hire of a stretch limousine, night-time entertainment and accommodation, and also receives a special credit card with a credit limit of 2,000 pounds sterling. The credit card purchases must be paid off after Christmas, and any purchase above this limit must be made on the participant's own credit card. The women involved find it very enjoyable to do their Christmas shopping in this way, and do not feel guilty about being materialistic.

An Aga cooker, which runs on gas, oil or solid fuel, remains hot all the time, and can also be used to heat all the water needed in a household. The heat cannot be adjusted, and this can make it confusing to use for people who are not accustomed to it. However, Agas are now enjoying a revival, and it is possible to join a course to learn how to cook properly on them. Mary Berry, who has become famous for her Aga cookery books, believes that Agas can produce much better results than more modern cookers.

The Lifespan community has been operating in the Pennines for the last two decades. It now has 12 residents in two rows of old railway cottages, and they hope to soon be producing their own food. However, living conditions are currently primitive, and most residents have to survive on income support. Some of the community's property is in a very poor state of repair, and it has been difficult to attract new members because the community has no clear religious, ethical or financial base.

Many tourists are still attracted to Loch Ness in the hope of seeing the famous 'monster' which is claimed to live in the depths of the loch, the largest singe expanse of fresh water in Europe. There has been considerable demand for diving trips in the loch, and most tourists are happy just to be involved in the hunt, not really expecting to see a monster. Local people have mixed views about whether there really is a monster there, but prefer to believe that there is, in order to keep attracting tourists.

The Laserase center in Bradford, England removes tattoos using laser surgery to shatter the surround of the tattoo and make the ink disperse. Tattoos may engender social disapproval, and plastic surgery was previously used for their removal. This could leave scars, so laser treatment is an advance. There is now a Laserase center in 17 cities throughout the United Kingdom, and the centers have a sympathetic approach to people with tattoos who often face disapproval due to their scars being seen as self-inflicted.

UK tourists travel to Amsterdam, Netherlands, on Can-A-Bus, a coach service managed by Wicked Travel, set up in 1993. The servoce is geared to taking people to places where they can use drugs such as cannabis, cocaine, and ecstasy. Amsterdam bars welcome English tourists for the money they spend, and note that the English do not worry about appearing ridiculous, and tend to become excited and faint. The bar owners are concerned that the UK could legalise cannabis, but believe that England is too old fashioned for this to be a serious danger.

The British Sandwich Association's Sandwich Bar of the Year title is to be awarded shortly, and finalists include: Hand to Mouth, Liverpool; Pret A Manger, Croydon; Philpotts, Birmingham; and Chatwins, Crewe. The UK sandwich market is currently worth an annual 1.5 billion pounds sterling, making up 27% of the fast food sector. Variety, depth of filling and hygiene are three of a sandwich's most important facets.

The zebra crossing in Abbey Road, London NW8, was made famous when it was used by the Beatles on the cover of 'Abbey Road', the last album they recorded. It has now become a tourist attraction, with many Beatles fans visiting it and being photographed walking over it. The London Beatles Fan Club brings visitors to the zebra crossing on its 'Beatles London' walks, and many fans regard it as particularly important because it signifies the last album recorded by the Beatles.

Training of Rottweilers when young is important, to prevent them from becoming aggressive or dangerous. Molly Boyce, dog obedience trainer, believes no Rottweilers are evil. However there can be trouble, if they have not been discplined or have had many owners. Owners of Rottweilers should attend obedience classes, after the puppy had had its injections, and until it reaches its first birthday.

Traffic wardens in Brighton, Sussex, England, issue more parking tickets than anywhere else in the UK and many illegally-parked cars are towed away to the Brighton and Hove Car Pound. Drivers are charged 105 pounds sterling to retrieve their vehicles. Arcade Motors staff at the car pound are used to verbal abuse and protected from physical violence by bullet-proof glass and electronically-locked doors.

First Act Opera Company first performed at the Pizza Express in Maidstone, UK but with bookings all over the south east of England it is proving tremendously successful. Accompanied only by piano, the company sings between courses, the repertoire being the popular opera classics. Customers find that the bulkiness of full opera is not present and they like this. Founder John Nuding was formerly a furniture salesman and loss adjuster, and the company consists of a core of four performers who love the closeness of and interaction with the audience.

Convertible cars are considered chic, even if they are versions of cars otherwise sneered at, such as a Skoda or a three-wheeled Robin Reliant. The convertible version of the Skoda Rapid is known as a 'skip.' Drivers who drive with the roof off appreciate the view and the air. Ordinary cars can have the roof removed. Convertible owners appreciate the attention they command, and ignore the weather to enjoy the feeling.

James Perkins, 24, organises dance parties and raves as director of Timeless Events. He also runs Fantazia Management Crew, Fantazia party video and Fantazia leisurewear. In 1990 he organised the Cheltenham Summer Festival, England, but it lost 27,000 pounds sterling. In 1992 he held an all-night legal rave for 25,000 at Castle Donington, Leicestershire, England. Timeless Events' turnover was 4.2 million pounds sterling in 1992. James was educated at Gloucester College of Art and Technology.

Torremolinos is an event held monthly at Cinecitta, London W1 with the atmosphere of a Club 18-30 holiday in Malaga. It has deck chairs, plastic palm trees, seagull sound effects and hammocks. It resembles bars and discos frequented by young British tourists on package holidays in Spain. People wear swimwear, shorts and holiday clothes. The clients think the British go mad on holiday because they are not used to the sun and because they work harder than other Europeans.

Every fortnight the Roger Smith Hotel in the middle of Manhattan, New York holds a midday meeting where people are admitted free of charge to a talk on art, and receive a packed lunch. These 'Brown Bag Lunches', as they are called, were started in early 1992 by art dealer Molly Barnes with the intention of restoring impassioned and informed debate on the arts. The hotel gives discounts to artists and they will accept paintings as payment for accommodation as well as cash.

When Action Man toys were first on the market it was thought strange for boys to play with, although it portrayed a tough, masculine character. Some fathers banned them completely. They were movable in 1966 whereas Barbie and Sindy were rigid. Action Man toys represented soldiers, sailors, frogmen and astronauts. The 1993 version has three good guys and one bad guy, Cobra Commander, as boys need direction in their play. The face is slightly softer but his character is still military.

The Waverley Writers meet weekly in Godalming, Surrey, England to compose poetry. The group, which grew out of an adult education class, has been going for seven years. The National Poetry Foundation has accepted some of their poems. They inform each other of competitions, publications and events concerned with poetry. They read out poems they have written during the week and compose spontaneously from a given title. Group critique is important.

Jamie Redfern is employed as a car valet to park cars for the patrons of the River Cafe, Hammersmith, London, which is popular with media people and left-wing politicians. Although Jamie wears a uniform, some drivers fear their car may be stolen. Most clients appreciate the service as a civilised custom. Local residents are no longer disturbed by car revving and reversing. Car valets need to be able to handle large expensive cars, prevent any absconders and to placate ladies in distress.

The Borough of Hammersmith & Fulham runs a visual library of contemporary art with a picture loan scheme. A twice-yearly exhibition offers two pictures per person for six months for 10 pounds sterling. An annual budget of 8,500 pounds sterling permits a broad, balanced collection of reasonable calibre, including figurative work and water colours from Tuscany. Most pictures can be bought after one year.