Placeholder Content Image

Princess Di's black sheep jumper sells for 14 times over asking price

<p>Princess Diana's famous "black sheep" jumper has sold at auction for more than $1.1million.   </p> <p>The iconic red and white (and one tiny bit of black, of course!) jumper fetched precisely $1,143,000 at Sotheby's in New York - making it the most expensive piece of clothing owned by the former Princess of Wales to sell at auction, as well as the most expensive jumper to ever be sold at auction. </p> <p>There were a total of 44 bids within the final 15 minutes of a two-week online bidding process for the famous item of clothing - during which the bidding leapt from $190,000 to $1,143,000, which ultimately pushed the sale to a staggering 14 times over the initial asking price of $80,000.  </p> <p>The woollen jumper was worn by Lady Di to a polo match in Windsor in June 1981, just one month before she married the then-Prince Charles. </p> <p>Soon after Diana wore the garment, it was returned to Sally Muir and Joanna Osborne, founders of the label Warm &amp; Wonderful because of a tear at the cuff.</p> <p>It was sent back to the designers along with a note from Buckingham Palace, requesting that the jumper be either repaired or replaced.</p> <p>A new jumper was knitted for Diana, with Osborne believing the original garment had been lost after the replacement was sent to the Princess of Wales, which she wore to another polo match in 1983. </p> <p>However, Osborne later discovered the jumper, which had been preserved underneath an old cotton bedspread, while searching her attic looking for an old pattern. </p> <p>She got in touch with Sotheby's auction house which gave the garment an auction estimate of around $80,000 - $120,000.</p> <p>Speaking to <em>The Telegraph UK</em>, Osborne said, "We didn't think we had any of the original sheep jumpers, because at the time, we were so desperate to complete orders that we never owned one ourselves, so I couldn't believe I'd found the original Diana sheep jumper."</p> <p>"It took a while to sink in. And we're so lucky it's not fallen to pieces."</p> <p>Sotheby's said of the now-iconic design, "The Black Sheep sweater is one of the most iconic pieces worn by Princess Diana to ever come to market."</p> <p>"The cultural impact of this moment from the 1980s is exemplified by the head of Rowing Blazers, Jack Carlson, who in 2020, requested to partner with the original designers and license the sheep design to be reproduced for his own fashion line."</p> <p>"Since stumbling upon the sweater ... we have been reliving the fond memories of Princess Diana appearing on the front pages of every newspaper in 1981, wearing our very own sweater.  </p> <p>"While we are forever indebted to her for the impact this had on our business, our deepest appreciation lies in the knowledge that she shared a unique connection to the black sheep design. We are thrilled that this cherished sweater has now found a new home, carrying with it the enduring legacy of Princess Diana."</p> <p><em>Images: Getty</em></p>

Beauty & Style

Placeholder Content Image

Counting the wrong sheep: why trouble sleeping is about more than just individual lifestyles and habits

<p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/mary-breheny-1269716">Mary Breheny</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/te-herenga-waka-victoria-university-of-wellington-1200">Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/rosie-gibson-1051224">Rosie Gibson</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/massey-university-806">Massey University</a></em></p> <p>Sleep may seem straightforward – everyone does it, after all. But as many of us know, getting enough sleep is not necessarily a simple task, despite what you might read in the media.</p> <p>How to sleep “properly” is a favourite topic of self-help articles, with <a href="https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/health/expert-advice-good-nights-sleep-27900333">headlines</a> such as “Expert advice to get a good night’s sleep whatever your age” promising the answer to your nocturnal awakenings.</p> <p>Older people are commonly the audience of these messages. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1093/geront/gnad058">Our analysis</a> of articles published in the New Zealand media between 2018 and 2021 found sleep is presented as inevitably declining with age.</p> <p>At the same time, sleep is portrayed as a cure for everything: a good night’s sleep is depicted as a way to maintain productivity, ward off illness and dementia, and ultimately live longer.</p> <p>But most of these articles are aimed at the individual and what they can do to improve their sleep. Often missing is any reference to the external factors that can contribute to poor sleep.</p> <h2>Personal choice and sleep</h2> <p>A key message in many of the articles we examined is that sleep is a simple matter of making the right choices. So, if you’re not getting enough sleep it’s probably your own fault.</p> <p>People are lectured about poor “<a href="https://www.cci.health.wa.gov.au/%7E/media/CCI/Mental-Health-Professionals/Sleep/Sleep---Information-Sheets/Sleep-Information-Sheet---04---Sleep-Hygiene.pdf">sleep hygiene</a>” – staying up too late looking at their phone, having too many cups of coffee, or not getting enough exercise during the day.</p> <p>And it’s true, drinking too much caffeine or staring at a screen into the small hours might interfere with sleep. It’s also true that good sleep is important for good health.</p> <p>But things are a bit more complicated than this. As anyone who has struggled to maintain good sleep knows, simple tips don’t always overcome the complex situations that contribute to these struggles.</p> <h2>Awake to other factors</h2> <p>Good sleep is not just a matter of “making the right choices”. Internationally, there’s a growing body of research showing sleep is affected by much more than individual behaviour: it’s often shaped by a person’s <a href="https://www.annualreviews.org/doi/10.1146/annurev-publhealth-040119-094412">social and economic circumstances</a>.</p> <p>New Zealand research is adding to this pool of knowledge. <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S235272181600019X?via=ihub">One study</a>, based on survey results from just over 4,000 people, found insufficient sleep was more common among Māori than non-Māori, partly due to higher rates of night work.</p> <p>International <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6524484/">research</a> has also found women are more likely to experience insomnia due to their caregiving roles.</p> <p>One US study found unpaid caregivers for children or parents (or both) reported shorter sleep quantity and poorer sleep quality than paid caregivers or people without such roles. A <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/1471301220915071">survey</a> of 526 carers in New Zealand showed two-thirds reported mild or severe sleep disturbance.</p> <p>We also know lack of sleep is <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/sleep/about_sleep/chronic_disease.html">linked to serious disease</a>, including diabetes and heart disease. Sleep duration and quality have been identified as predictors of levels of haemoglobin A1c, an important marker of blood sugar control.</p> <p>And hypertension, stroke, coronary heart disease and irregular heartbeats have been found to be more common among those with disordered sleep than those without sleep abnormalities.</p> <p>Failure to acknowledge the social context of poor sleep means sleep messages in the media ignore the fundamental causes in favour of the illusion of a quick fix.</p> <h2>The commodification of sleep</h2> <p>Sleep is also increasingly characterised as a commodity, with a growing market for products – such as sleep trackers – that claim to help improve sleep quality.</p> <p>Sleep trackers promise to measure and enhance sleep performance. However, their reliability may be limited – <a href="https://mhealth.jmir.org/2021/6/e26462">one study found</a> the tested tracker did not accurately detect sleep, particularly in older adults who had greater levels of nighttime movement.</p> <p>Framing public health problems as matters of personal choice is common. Alcohol and fast-food consumption, for example, are regularly presented as <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/1745691619896252">matters of individual responsibility</a> and poor personal choices. The <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/hpja.737">role of marketing</a> and access to healthy food gets a lot less attention.</p> <p>Of course, simple tips for getting good sleep may be useful for some people. But ignoring the underlying social and economic factors that shape the possibilities for good sleep will not address the problem.</p> <p>Health promotion messages that focus on individual behaviour miss <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/1467-9566.12112">the structural barriers to better health</a>, including poverty, low levels of education, high rates of incarceration, substandard or crowded housing and racism.</p> <p>We need to move beyond messages of individual behaviour change and start talking about inequities that contribute to the problem of who gets a decent night’s sleep and who doesn’t.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/210695/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /></p> <p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/mary-breheny-1269716">Mary Breheny</a>, Associate Professor of Health Psychology, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/te-herenga-waka-victoria-university-of-wellington-1200">Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/rosie-gibson-1051224">Rosie Gibson</a>, Senior lecturer, School of Psychology, Massey University, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/massey-university-806">Massey University</a></em></p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images </em></p> <p><em>This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/counting-the-wrong-sheep-why-trouble-sleeping-is-about-more-than-just-individual-lifestyles-and-habits-210695">original article</a>.</em></p>

Caring

Placeholder Content Image

Sheep rescued from 40kg fleece

<p dir="ltr">A bushwalker enjoying a walk along a mountain top came across a sheep burdened by its heavy 40kg fleece.</p> <p dir="ltr">The sheep, named Alex, was found on Mt Alexander in Victoria unable to walk and could hardly lift his head.</p> <p dir="ltr">The walker contacted Edgar’s Mission who came and rescued the sheep who was in a “worse state of health”.</p> <p dir="ltr">"So weak was he that he could not stand. Not even when assisted to do so, and struggle we did to find a passage in through his felt-like fleece to administer life-enhancing fluids,” the rescuers wrote on Facebook. </p> <p dir="ltr">"Truth be told, too, we wondered at first blush with Alex: Could his life even be saved, and would the kindest thing have been to let him pass from this world? </p> <p dir="ltr">“And then we lifted the shroud of wool from his face and our eyes met, and in that instant, it was so strikingly clear he wanted to live.”</p> <p><iframe style="overflow: hidden; border: initial none initial;" src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?height=476&amp;href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fedgarsmission%2Fvideos%2F654275415827887%2F&amp;show_text=false&amp;width=267&amp;t=0" width="267" height="476" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></p> <p dir="ltr">Alex was taken back to the sanctuary where his fleece which was “sodden with rain, urine, twigs, bark, beetles and maggots” was removed.</p> <p dir="ltr">”A fleece so matted and dense that at first it stubbornly refused to cede to the shears,” they revealed.</p> <p dir="ltr">“But somehow it miraculously did. All 40 kg of it!”</p> <p dir="ltr">Alex will remain at the sanctuary for the rest of his hopefully long life.</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Images: Facebook</em></p>

Travel Trouble

Placeholder Content Image

Farmer's moving tribute after missing family funeral

<p>A farmer in New South Wales has honoured a late family member in a very unique way. </p> <p>Ben Jackson, from Guyra in northern NSW, was unable to attend his aunt's funeral in Queensland due to COVID-19 border closures and restrictions.</p> <p>So instead, he paid tribute to his aunt in a very special way, and captured it all on his drone camera. </p> <p>The farmer used his property to create a love heart shape out of grain, causing hundreds of sheep to get in the formation. </p> <p>He captioned the video saying, "<span>I made this for my Aunty Deb. We said goodbye yesterday."</span></p> <p><span>“I hope you had a peep down and saw this from up there.”</span></p> <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CS7nqwKhkFV/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="13"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CS7nqwKhkFV/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by Benjamin Jackson (@electricpostman)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p><span>Bridge </span>over Troubled Water can be heard in the background of the video, with Ben saying it was one of his aunt's "favourite tunes". </p> <p>The impressive tribute was played at Deb's funeral in Brisbane in place of her nephew's unfortunate absence. </p> <p>The farmer said he had been feeling “hopeless” on his farm, while being unable to travel to support members of his family.</p> <div class="caas-body"> <p>“…I wanted to show my love somehow. I know there are lots of people in worse situations, but it's still painful,” he said.</p> <p>Ben has long been creating “sheep art” on his property, and said his aunt loved to visit and hear about his latest creations.</p> <p><span>“I just hope that when I did it, Debbie took one eye off from having a yarn with her loved ones up there and looked down and saw my heart for her.”</span></p> <p><em>Image credits: Instagram @electricpostman</em></p> </div>

Family & Pets

Placeholder Content Image

Lost sheep has 20 kilos of wool shorn at first haircut in 6 years

<p>Six weeks seems a long time between haircuts, so imagine how six years must feel. Particularly if you’re a sheep.</p> <p>So spare a thought for Sheila the sheep, missing for the last six years, who was recently found on the side of the road after being lost in dense forest near Hobart.</p> <p>Shelia was on the side of the road, unable to get up due to the sheer weight of her fleece.</p> <p>Thankfully, Shelia was returned to her owner, farmer Derek Turvey, who decided she was well overdue for a shearing.</p> <p><img width="429" height="286" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/13296/sheila_429x286.jpg" alt="Sheila" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"/></p> <p>A shed full of people looked on as Mr Turvey got rid of Shelia’s coat. Her fleece reportedly weight 21.79 kilograms after being sheared, which is pretty impressive.</p> <p>It took only 10 minutes to de-wool Shelia, and we think she looks much more comfortable!</p> <p><em>Video credit: Associated Press</em></p> <p><strong>Related links:</strong></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><a href="/news/news/2016/01/girl-tries-to-scam-extra-holiday-with-letter/"><strong>Girl tries to scam extra week's holiday with fake letter</strong></a></em></span></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><a href="/news/news/2016/01/richie-benaud-tribute-at-sydney-cricket-ground/"><strong>501 Richie Benauds spotted on Sydney Cricket Ground in record breaking tribute</strong></a></em></span></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><a href="/news/news/2016/01/horses-photobombing-people/"><strong>7 hilarious photographs of horses photobombing people</strong></a></em></span></p>

News

Placeholder Content Image

The Kiwi sheep-farmer who could've been James Bond

<p>It's not been seen for nearly 45 years, but the screentest that shows a Kiwi sheep-farmer uttering the words 'Bond, British agent!' has finally re-surfaced in London.</p> <p>It's testament to just how close New Zealander Roger Green, who had a copy of the test lying forgotten in the bottom of a drawer, came to winning the part of James Bond - before eventually losing out to Sean Connery, who changed his mind about reprising the role.</p> <p>Back in 1970, British producers were searching for a new Bond after Australian George Lazenby lasted just one film as 007. Green, raised on North Island sheep farms, was enjoying a boozy OE in London, and had done just enough acting to win an audition for the part at the famous Pinewood Studios - and did well enough that veteran Bond producer Cubby Broccoli wanted to hire him.</p> <p>The long-lost tape shows Green entering leading lady Tiffany Case's bedroom to seduce her, only to be interrupted by Bond villain Peter Franks, whom Bond is impersonating, being played for the screen test by Bond stuntman Bob Simmons. The two men tussle, before Green leaves Simmons dead on the carpet, and says: 'I've tangled with him before. Bond, British agent!'. Tiffany says: 'James Bond? The famous double-o seven licenced to kill?'. 'Oh, you've heard of him?' Bond replies.</p> <p>Green is now 77, and the director of an alcohol addiction treatment centre in Otahuhu, south Auckland. The Bond audition is just one part of a remarkable life story that took him from sheep farming, to playing alongside Wilson Whineray in the Junior All Blacks to London society life, to a successful meat exporting business, and then to a career in alcohol counselling. He's now the director of an alcohol addiction treatment centre in Otahuhu, south Auckland.</p> <p>Green's acting experience before the screentest was limited to some London theatre and a part in the 1970 film Waterloo, alongside Christopher Plummer and Orson Welles. But when he met Broccoli, the producer told him he was less interested in his acting chops than his athletic prowess as a rugby player. He then met with fellow producer Harry Saltzman, who asked if he felt he could handle the role: "Being full of bravado and especially after my meeting with Broccoli, I said 'no problem'."</p> <p>He was given two weeks to rehearse before the screentest, which went so well they only shot a single take.</p> <p>"The director, Guy Hamilton, told me straight after the test, upon sitting me down on Tiffany Case's boudoir bed, that I had a great chance of getting the part," he says.</p> <p>Written by Steve Kilgallon. First appeared on <a href="http://www.stuff.co.nz" target="_blank"><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Stuff.co.nz</span></strong></a> </p> <p><strong>Related links:</strong></p> <p><a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/lifestyle/home-garden/2015/10/gardening-is-healthy-study/"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong>5 ways gardening is good for you</strong></em></span></a></p> <p><a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/entertainment/technology/2015/10/iphone-photo-tips/"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong>8 iPhone photo tips you’ll want to know about</strong></em></span></a></p> <p><a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/news/news/2015/10/woman-discovers-she-is-a-grandma/"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong>Lady’s reaction that she’s a grandma is priceless</strong></em></span></a></p>

Movies