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The trauma of losing a dog who has been a family pet for many years is described. A family's capacity to recover from the heartbreak caused by the death of a pet toy poodle poisoned by carbon monoxide fumes from a dirty boiler flue is highlighted. The two dogs bought by the family after they had recovered from the death of their first dog lived for 17 years before having to be put down. However the daughter of the family was so traumatised by the mercy killings that she has not had a dog since.

Richard Madeley and Judy Finnigan, presenters of Granada Television's two-hour daytime show 'This Morning,' are not only tough journalists but a happily married couple who exude an extraordinary chemistry on screen. David Liddiment, who developed the idea for what became 'This Morning' when he was Head of Entertainment at Granada, feels that the success of the show stems from Richard and Judy being the perfect hosts for a perfect show. He explains that 'This Morning' inhabits its audience's world and their experience, with Richard and Judy's own life mirroring the lives of many of their viewers.

A television critic explains that the increasing levels of violence on British television are a major factor in her decision not to renew her contract after 10 years of reviewing television for a variety of UK newspapers. Screen violence is the only area in which there has been a significant change for the worse in the last 10 years. The bulk of mainstream popular drama no longer deals with major issues such as love and mortality, violence having made audiences unwilling to accept anything other than simplistic plots.

A trip to a health farm in Nov. 1994, was necessary for Carlton Television Chief Exec. Andy Allan to recognise the validity of complaints about the predictability and unadventurousness of British daytime television. Daytime television schedules have largely failed to take account of the changing nature of work, leisure and retirement. There is still an assumption that daytime audiences consist largely of bored, ignorant housewives who will watch absolutely anything. Allan has been particularly critical of Granada's 'This Morning,' but the programme attracts more than 2 million viewers.

Journalist Jaci Stephen strongly disputes Mary Ann Sieghart's contention that women in senior positions have humanized journalism, her own experience having taught her that the majority of executive female journalists are spiteful, unscrupulous, manipulative and frequently grossly unprofessional. Stephen has great admiration for some women executives, but her list of people she has vowed never to work for again includes just one man compared to an ever increasing number of women. However women journalists working in television are unusually friendly and supportive towards each other.

The old guard of holiday-makers at Europe's largest singly-owned caravan park, Trecco Bay in Porthcawl, south Wales, is angered by the management's efforts to change the culture and perception of what was traditionally the most popular holiday venue for Welsh miners. Trecco Bay's 2,500 caravans are completely full with 10,000 holiday-makers at high season, but what was once a cheap break is becoming increasingly expensive. People who have been going to Trecco Bay all their lives see general manager Kevin Lucock's efforts to change its image as a scheme to price the Welsh working classes out of the market.

Marketing and export director of lingerie company Intrigue Douglas Leech believes that there is a demand among professional women for exclusive, well-designed lingerie. Intrigue, a subsidiary company of metal recycling and engineering group Texas, sells its products through house parties and mail order. Although Intrigue's products are aimed at women who would not visit an Ann Summers sex shop or go to an Ann Summers party, there appears to be little difference between its sexual toys and those sold by other companies. Intrigue also sells overtly sexual outfits which would appeal more to men than to women.

Spending Boxing Day alone in London can be a very lonely experience. Friends are often spending the day with their families or on holiday, and restaurants and pubs offer little in the way of entertainment. However, it is possible to put Boxing Day to good use, making it a time to reflect on the past year and indulge in a little self-analysis.