The Daily: April 29
Duke and Duchess of Cambridge surprise baby fans with breakfast
This morning, awaiting fans of the royal baby received a special thank you from the Duke and Duchess themselves-coffee and pastries. The 'superfans', adorned with union jack flags and rosettes, were delighted with the royal surprise given the recent chilly weather. The boxes of pastries delivered by royal attendants were tied up with suspicious pink ribbons, with many reading them as hint of a baby girl. For many of the fans this is not the first time they have camped out for royal events, yet today's thoughtful gesture was a first, with veteran camper John Loughrey commenting "they've got good hearts – they care".
Nearly 60% of us have an emotional attachment to our favourite mug
Recent studies show that almost 60% of us feel an emotional attachment to our favourite mug, and that we can be very territorial about it too. The study, conducted by Heinz in connection with their cup soup, revealed curious habits that in fact many of us are familiar with. Researchers found that on average we keep our cherished crockery for five years, unable to pass on its comforting and homely qualities. The study also showed that one in six of us would "sulk" if we found someone had used our mug, whilst 38 per cent would consider hiding it to avoid such upset in the future.
Mask lifted on real life Mr Darcy
Historian Dr Susan Law has claimed to have discovered the real life inspiration behind Jane Austen's fictional character Mr Darcy. Dr Susan Law has now built a "convincing argument" as to who the character's inspiration really was and revealed her candidate to be the first Earl of Morley. In her new book, Dr Law writes that Austen was a close friend of the Earl's wife Francis and spent a lot of time at their family home in Devon. The Earl was said to be an "intense" person and Dr Law has drawn many "obvious" parallels between him and the fictional character. Although Dr Law has admitted she is not "100% sure" the Earl of Morley really is the famed Mr Darcy, she has produced a remarkable body of five years work which puts forward perhaps the most convincing candidate to date.
So what are the most difficult words in the English language?
A message thread on online forum Reddit has revealed the top 10 English words we find most difficult to say. Over a period of two weeks, users (native and non-native speakers) added to the conversation words that they still struggled to say. Rural, anemone and colonel all made it to the top 10, with users sharing their own horror stories when encountered with the baffling letter combinations produced by these. Choir was at number two, with many users confessing they found it helpful to compare it to "enquire without the en". The top spot went unsurprisingly to Worcestershire, with many commenting that they rarely heard it pronounced the same way from person to person.
11 million mums go without good sleep and exercise at the expense of their loved ones
It has been discovered that nearly 60% of mums miss out on a decent night's sleep and regular exercise whilst prioritising their children's needs. The survey by Silentnight also found that many mums put career and life goals on hold, with many revealing they'd paused plans to travel the world, learn a new language or do something for charity. The results and Olympic athlete Jo Pavey went on to emphasise the importance of a good night's sleep in maintaining a hectic daily schedule with ease. The four-time Olympian revealed that her secret was to incorporate "fitness, sleep and a good healthy routine" into her day to day life.
This morning, awaiting fans of the royal baby received a special thank you from the Duke and Duchess themselves-coffee and pastries. The 'superfans', adorned with union jack flags and rosettes, were delighted with the royal surprise given the recent chilly weather. The boxes of pastries delivered by royal attendants were tied up with suspicious pink ribbons, with many reading them as hint of a baby girl. For many of the fans this is not the first time they have camped out for royal events, yet today's thoughtful gesture was a first, with veteran camper John Loughrey commenting "they've got good hearts – they care".
Nearly 60% of us have an emotional attachment to our favourite mug
Recent studies show that almost 60% of us feel an emotional attachment to our favourite mug, and that we can be very territorial about it too. The study, conducted by Heinz in connection with their cup soup, revealed curious habits that in fact many of us are familiar with. Researchers found that on average we keep our cherished crockery for five years, unable to pass on its comforting and homely qualities. The study also showed that one in six of us would "sulk" if we found someone had used our mug, whilst 38 per cent would consider hiding it to avoid such upset in the future.
Mask lifted on real life Mr Darcy
Historian Dr Susan Law has claimed to have discovered the real life inspiration behind Jane Austen's fictional character Mr Darcy. Dr Susan Law has now built a "convincing argument" as to who the character's inspiration really was and revealed her candidate to be the first Earl of Morley. In her new book, Dr Law writes that Austen was a close friend of the Earl's wife Francis and spent a lot of time at their family home in Devon. The Earl was said to be an "intense" person and Dr Law has drawn many "obvious" parallels between him and the fictional character. Although Dr Law has admitted she is not "100% sure" the Earl of Morley really is the famed Mr Darcy, she has produced a remarkable body of five years work which puts forward perhaps the most convincing candidate to date.
So what are the most difficult words in the English language?
A message thread on online forum Reddit has revealed the top 10 English words we find most difficult to say. Over a period of two weeks, users (native and non-native speakers) added to the conversation words that they still struggled to say. Rural, anemone and colonel all made it to the top 10, with users sharing their own horror stories when encountered with the baffling letter combinations produced by these. Choir was at number two, with many users confessing they found it helpful to compare it to "enquire without the en". The top spot went unsurprisingly to Worcestershire, with many commenting that they rarely heard it pronounced the same way from person to person.
11 million mums go without good sleep and exercise at the expense of their loved ones
It has been discovered that nearly 60% of mums miss out on a decent night's sleep and regular exercise whilst prioritising their children's needs. The survey by Silentnight also found that many mums put career and life goals on hold, with many revealing they'd paused plans to travel the world, learn a new language or do something for charity. The results and Olympic athlete Jo Pavey went on to emphasise the importance of a good night's sleep in maintaining a hectic daily schedule with ease. The four-time Olympian revealed that her secret was to incorporate "fitness, sleep and a good healthy routine" into her day to day life.