Mercedes F1 engines drive £110m investment in UK

The UK is basking in balmy weather for this time of year but some hopeful punters are still dreaming of a white Christmas with a spike in bets placed on snow to fall today. Bookmakers have reported a surge in customers having a flutter on a flurry of snow in 13 of the UK s biggest cities. Aberdeen has the shortest odds at 2-1 for snowfall while Birmingham and Manchester are both on 6-1 with London trailing on 8-1. The warm weather brought out brave swimmers who took part in festive dips in the North Sea at Tynemouth as well as in the Serpentine Lido Hyde Park. A Met Office spokesman confirmed it was unseasonably warm - but could not rule out snow. This swimmer made the most of the balmy 12C weather today and took part in the Christmas day swim at Porthcrawl south Wales. Bookies have taken a flurry of bets on it being a white Christmas despite the mild conditions White Christmas: Twin sisters Caroline and Stephanie Adams 28 dressed up as angels as they took the plunge for the annual Christmas dip in South Wales Wearing little more than a Father Christmas jacket this swimmer braved the cold for the festive dip in south Wales One Christmas reveller was dressed as Father Christmas as she frolicked in the sea in Brighton. She was there for the annual festive swim in the Channel The UK is enjoying unseasonably warm weather this Christmas - but that has not stopped hopeful punters placing bets on a white Christmas. This sunrise was pictured this morning in Tynemouth Bookmakers have reported a surge in customers having a flutter on a flurry of snow in 13 of the UK s biggest cities. Pictured: The sun rising over St Mary s Lighthouse in Tynemouth on Christmas morning The warm weather enticed out hundreds of brave swimmers to take part in the annual Christmas swim at the Serpentine Lido in Hyde Park These were some of the swimmers who braved the North Sea s icy waters on Christmas morning as they took part in the annual dip at King Edward s Bay in Tynemouth These hardy swimmers gathered at the crack of dawn at King Edward s Bay in Tynemouth to take part in the annual Christmas Day Dip Swimmers basked in the 12C heat as they took a dip in the icy waters at the Serpentine Lido Hyde Park. Despite the warm weather the Met Office could not rule out a white Christmas Optimistic punters have rushed to back a white Christmas - despite the warm weather. Temperatures of 12C lured the swimmers to the Serpentine Lido in Hyde Park this morning This swimmer stopped to catch a breath at the annual Christmas swim at the Serpentine Lido in London s Hyde Park Bookmakers have recorded a spike in betting on a white Christmas. Britain is currently experiencing unseasonably warm weather. These swimmers made the most of it at the annual dip at the Serpentine Lido in Hyde Park RELATED ARTICLES Previous 1 Next Theresa May looks full of Christmas cheer as she arrives at... Meghan and Kate stroll side-by-side to church as thrilled... Euston station throws open its doors to give hundreds of... Share this article Share They said: For most places it will be fairly mild. Across England and Wales it should stay around 12C. That s quite mild as the average for this time of year is 7 or 8C. Throughout the day a cold front will move inwards bringing heavy rain to Northern Ireland and northern England. How do the Met Office decide what is a White Christmas? The definition that the Met Office uses to define a white Christmas is for one snowflake to be observed falling in the 24 hours of 25 December somewhere in the UK.Traditionally they used to use a single location in the country to define a white Christmas which was the Met Office building in London. However with the increase in betting on where will see a white Christmas the number of locations have increased and can now include sites such as Buckingham Palace Belfast (Aldergrove Airport) Aberdeen (Pittodrie - Aberdeen FC) Edinburgh (Castle) Coronation Street in Manchester and the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff.They also analyse the data from their observing stations around the UK to provide a complete picture of where snow has fallen or was lying on Christmas Day.Source: Met Office It will also be fairly windy with gusts of 70mph for the most exposed areas such as Cumbria. Then as the night comes in temperatures will drop quite quickly as that band of heavy rain passes through. It could be a white Christmas for hills and higher grounds. The Met Office said parts of north Wales will probably see some snow and the north of England and Scotland may also enjoy a white Christmas.Boxing Day is expected to have a bright dry start but a weather system will push through southern England bringing with it heavy rain.Temperatures will plunge in the evening and the rain could turn to sleet or snow across the country.The Met Office spokesman added: It s difficult to predict for Boxing Day it s on the verge of sleet and snow. It probably won t stick because there will be a lot of rain around. The rest of the week is expected to be dry and bright. Coral spokesman Harry Aitkenhead said: It may be punters betting with their hearts rather than their heads but over the last few months we have taken a record number of bets on this year being a white Christmas. We will be paying out long into Boxing Day if snow does fall. The definition that the Met Office uses to define a white Christmas is for one snowflake to be observed falling in the 24 hours of 25 December somewhere in the UK.Traditionally they used to use a single location in the country to define a white Christmas which was the Met Office building in London. However with the increase in betting on where will see a white Christmas the number of locations have increased and can now include sites such as Buckingham Palace Belfast (Aldergrove Airport) Aberdeen (Pittodrie - Aberdeen FC) Edinburgh (Castle) Coronation Street in Manchester and the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff.They also analyse the data from their observing stations around the UK to provide a complete picture of where snow has fallen or was lying on Christmas Day. In at the deep end: Swimmers dived into the water at Serpentine Lido in Hyde Park this morning A spokesman for bookmakers Coral said the surge of bets on a white Christmas could be punters acting with their hearts rather than their minds. Temperatures at Hyde Park for the annual Christmas swim reached a balmy 12C Ready set... The festive swimmers prepared to dive into the Serpentine this morning as the country bathed in unseasonably warm weather Confirming it was unseasonably warm the Met Office said it still could not rule out snow falling in some parts of the UK. Swimmers gathered at Tynemouth beach (pictured) this morning for the annual Christmas dip The definition that the Met Office uses to define a white Christmas is for one snowflake to be observed falling in the 24 hours of 25 December somewhere in the UK. Pictured: Swimmers at the Serpentine Lido in Hyde Park this morning Wearing Santa swimming shorts and a Santa hat this brave swimmer made the most of the balmy weather to take part in the annual Christmas swim at the Serpentine Lido in Hyde Park London Swimmers Malcom Fidler 60 and Mallory Smith 65 spent their Christmas morning wading through the waves at King Edward s Bay in Tynemouth Many people spent the morning opening presents around the Christmas tree - but these brave swimmers took a dip in the North Sea at Tynemouth One swimmer gave the thumbs up to the camera as he climbed out of the Serpentine Lido in London s Hyde Park Festive swimmers prepared to take the plunge at King Edward s Bay in Tynemouth this morning Hands up if you re having fun: Kerri Elston Doherty (centre) and Estelle Zauner Maughan (centre left) looked to be enjoying themselves in Tynemouth this morning more videos 1 2 3 Watch video Centre stage: Little girl brings down house at Xmas concert Watch video Suicidal man falls from building during rescue attempt in Lima Watch video Adorable NZ penguin hops across road to greet man Watch video Shocking moment antisemitic driver calls Hitler a great man Watch video Time-lapse shows the many sleep positions of man woman and dog Watch video Heartwarming moment school kids give classmate Nintendo 3DS Watch video Half-naked brawlers exchanged punches in Walsall town centre Watch video Rupert Murdoch and Jerry Hall play Scrabble on Christmas Eve Watch video GRAPHIC CONTENT: Pet dog is attacked by an alligator Watch video Charlie Wright explains why he refuses to leave his home Watch video Young couple suffer severe injuries after rope jump goes wrong Watch video Touching moment parents get engaged again after divorce The Queen went out of her way to welcome Meghan Markle to the Royal Family in her Christmas message as she said she looked forward to welcoming new members into the family in the New Year.A framed photograph of the bride-to-be with her beau Prince Harry was displayed with other family pictures as the monarch spoke and the couple also featured in video footage aired at the end of the festive broadcast. She will also have been talking about the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge s new child which is due to be born in April 2018.The Queen did not however mention the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge by name. A framed photograph of the bride-to-be with her beau Prince Harry was displayed with other family pictures as the monarch spoke The Queen will pay tribute to the Royal Family during her 60th Christmas speech as she poses next to photos of her and Prince Philip her great-grandchildren Charlotte and George Prince Harry and Meghan Markle and Prince Charles and CamillaThe monarch gave the speech in the 1844 room alongside portraits of her and Prince Philip and her great-grandchildren Prince George and Princess Charlotte.Also visible on another table were the official engagement portrait of Prince Harry and his fiancée Meghan Markle as well as Prince Charles and his wife Camilla the Duchess of Cornwall taken earlier this year by Mario Testino.The Queen and her husband featured in a black and white image from their 1947 wedding and in a colour photo released to mark their 70th wedding anniversary celebrated in November.Taken by photographer Chris Jackson the portrait of Prince George was issued by Kensington Palace on July 22nd to mark the youngster s fourth birthday.The photo of Charlotte was taken by her mother the Duchess of Cambridge to mark her second birthday on May 2nd. RELATED ARTICLES Previous 1 Next BREAKING NEWS: At least four people are killed and 15 hurt... I was so crazy in love with this woman : Salim Mehajer s... I want peace for the country : Trump shares his Christmas... Theresa May looks full of Christmas cheer as she arrives at... Share this article Share 6.5k shares Pictured left to right: The Queen and Prince Philip on their wedding day in 1947; the royal couple on their 70th wedding anniversary this year; Princess Charlotte s official second birthday portrait; Prince George s official fourth birthday portrait The Queen and Prince Philip feature in a black and white image from their 1947 wedding Photographs of the Queen s great-grandchildren Prince George (left) and Princess Charlotte (right) will also be on displayThe portrait of Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall was taken earlier this year as a 70th birthday present from Camilla to Charles. Prince Harry and Ms Markle were photographed outside Kensington Palace to mark their engagement announcement in late November. Ms Markle 36 who is spending Christmas at Sandringham with Harry and other senior royals is likely to have watched the Queen s message with members of the monarchy.Her appearance in the Queen s end of year address to the nation is another sign of how quickly she has been accepted into Britain s most prominent family. Earlier today Meghan stunned the crowds as she attended a Christmas church service with the Royal Family. The photograph of the prince and his fiancee and their video footage were from the day of their engagement announcement in NovemberThe actress stepped out in an eye-catching brown beret and wrapped up warm against the chilly winter temperatures in a beige 986 Sentaler coat which she tied up at the front. Meghan clutched on to her Royal beau Prince Harry 33 and proudly displayed the engagement ring that he himself designed before their engagement in November. As well as her beret and beige combination Meghan wore a pair of Stuart Weitzman over-the-knee boots and carried a 1 550 leather handbag by Chloe.She is also wearing a pair of Birks snowflakes earrings - which she donned at the Queen s Christmas lunch. This year it is understood that Prince Harry and his fiancee will stay with Prince William and the Duchess of Cambridge Kate at Anmer Hall their home in the Sandringham grounds rather than in the main house.Markle will have to adjust to the royal family s idiosyncratic ways and customs ingrained in centuries of tradition. Earlier today Meghan stunned the crowds as she attended a Christmas church service in Sandringham with the Royal Family The Queen s speech in full Sixty years ago today a young woman spoke about the speed of technological change as she presented the first television broadcast of its kind. She described the moment as a landmark.Six decades on the presenter has evolved somewhat as has the technology she described. Back then who could have imagined that people would one day be watching this on laptops and mobile phones as some of you are today. But I m also struck by something that hasn t changed. That whatever the technology many of you will be watching this at home.We think of our homes as places of warmth familiarity and love; of shared stories and memories which is perhaps why at this time of year so many return to where they grew up. There is a timeless simplicity to the pull of home. For many the idea of home reaches beyond a physical building to a home town or city. This Christmas I think of London and Manchester whose powerful identities shone through over the past twelve months in the face of appalling attacks. In Manchester those targeted included children who had gone to see their favourite singer. A few days after the bombing I had the privilege of meeting some of the young survivors and their parents. I describe that hospital visit as a privilege because the patients I met were an example to us all showing extraordinary bravery and resilience. Indeed many of those who survived the attack came together just days later for a benefit concert. It was a powerful reclaiming of the ground and of the city those young people call home.We expect our homes to be a place of safety sanctuary even which makes it all the more shocking when the comfort they provide is shattered. A few weeks ago The Prince of Wales visited the Caribbean in the aftermath of hurricanes that destroyed entire communities. And here in London who can forget the sheer awfulness of the Grenfell Tower fire? Our thoughts and prayers are with all those who died and those who lost so much; and we are indebted to members of the emergency services who risked their own lives this past year saving others. Many of them of course will not be at home today because they are working to protect us.Reflecting on these events makes me grateful for the blessings of home and family and in particular for 70 years of marriage. I don t know that anyone had invented the term platinum for a 70th wedding anniversary when I was born. You weren t expected to be around that long. Even Prince Philip has decided it s time to slow down a little having as he economically put it done his bit . But I know his support and unique sense of humour will remain as strong as ever as we enjoy spending time this Christmas with our family and look forward to welcoming new members into it next year. In 2018 I will open my home to a different type of family: the leaders of the fifty-two nations of the Commonwealth as they gather in the UK for a summit. The Commonwealth has an inspiring way of bringing people together be it through the Commonwealth Games which begin in a few months time on Australia s Gold Coast or through bodies like the Commonwealth Youth Orchestra & Choir: a reminder of how truly vibrant this international family is. Today we celebrate Christmas which itself is sometimes described as a festival of the home. Families travel long distances to be together. Volunteers and charities as well as many churches arrange meals for the homeless and those who would otherwise be alone on Christmas Day. We remember the birth of Jesus Christ whose only sanctuary was a stable in Bethlehem. He knew rejection hardship and persecution; and yet it is Jesus Christ s generous love and example which has inspired me through good times and bad.Whatever your own experiences this year; wherever and however you are watching I wish you a peaceful and very happy Christmas. European officials have warned that Britain s new blue passports could spell travel delays and extra paperwork rather than the enhanced freedom promised by the government. Theresa May sought to end a difficult political year on a high note on Friday by confirming the return of navy travel documents after Brexit. She said that abandoning the EU-style burgundy design introduced in 1988 was an expression of independence and sovereignty that reflected citizenship of a proud great nation . But as the announcement divided domestic opinion along increasingly entrenched cultural battle lines sources in Brussels pointed out that holders of any colour of British passport could see diminished travel rights after Brexit unless there were further negotiating concessions. One senior official said that depending on how negotiations go on all free movement issues after Brexit there was a significant risk that British passport holders would lose the right to use a fast-track citizens lane when travelling on the continent and may also be obliged to use a new visa waiver scheme. The EU travel information and authorisation system (Etias) is modeled on the US Esta scheme and could require British travellers to Europe to register in advance and make a small administrative payment. Although a chance remains for Britain to retain fast-track privileges if there is further shift in the prime minister s red lines on immigration British experts said this looked unlikely. At the moment it looks absolutely certain that we won t be able to go through the European citizens lane because the legal code in the Schengen borders code says it is only for citizens or people with free movement rights said Steve Peers a professor of law at Essex University. Brussels sources pointed out that the tendering process for printing the new passports was likely to take place under existing EU procurement rules something that the current British contractor De La Rue recently warned could mean they were produced abroad. Despite this the announcement was loudly cheered by Brexit supporters on Friday after a string of recent concessions from the government. The Home Office minister Brandon Lewis told the Sun that one of the most iconic things about being British is having a British passport . You can t be a nation unless you have this symbol added a jubilant Nigel Farage. Facebook Twitter Pinterest The old blue British passport and the burgundy European Union design introduced in 1988. Composite: PR Under a system first agreed by Margaret Thatcher s government in 1981 Britain is not legally obliged to use the same burgundy design as most other members but agreed to do so in a joint resolution of member states in the European council. The agreement to harmonise certain design features followed a backlash over more ambitious plans for a community-wide passport but it also included rules to put the words European Community in front of the name of the member state. Council members including Britain s then ambassador to the EU Michael Butler signed a resolution aiming to strengthen the feeling among nationals of the member states that they belong to the same community but left an opt-out clause that is still used today by some members such as Croatia which also has a blue passport. May said Britain was choosing to return to its iconic blue design even though the shade proposed would be significantly lighter than the near-black navy used in previous larger UK passports. The majority of changes since this period have been mandated by other international aviation and security agreements outside the EU and will continue to dictate the size and content of UK travel documents. Experts stressed that the balance between national sovereignty and harmonising travel rules was more complex than changing the appearance of a passport. The reality is that the new passports will symbolise having fewer free movement rights said Peers. We will also still have to go through the slow lane even if we have non-expired burgundy passports. It may not be vastly more difficult but it will be somewhat more difficult. It does seem odd to make a big patriotic noise about something that makes it harder for you to travel. Fabian Zuleeg chief executive of the European Policy Centre agreed that it would depend on the final EU/UK settlement as to whether it would be harder for British passport holders to travel in Europe in future. If UK citizens were treated as nationals of the European Economic Area the EU plus Norway Iceland and Liechtenstein then there would be no problem. Otherwise they could face longer queues though he stressed nothing was definite. In Britain opposition politicians rejected the prime minister s claim that changing the colour was a victory for sovereignty. What utter nonsense this belittles our country and your office said the Labour MP Chuka Umunna. We ve always been a great nation proud to be British and of our standing in the world. The former Labour leader Ed Miliband added: It is an expression of how mendacious absurd and parochial we look to the world. David Lammy the MP for Tottenham said Brexit was turning us into a laughing stock . We re swapping the right to live and work in 27 countries for new passports he said. But don t worry when we re all stood in the airport for four hours we can stand in the queue and look at just how blue they are. Academic experts on Brexit urged remain supporters not to underestimate the power of symbolism for leave supporters. It s a sign of the times that the mirror image of it appealing to a certain segment of the British population is that it will be a total turn-off to the other said Anand Menon at King s College London. It s a reflection of how divided our society is: some people just cannot compute and other people are celebrating. The former British diplomat Sir Simon Wall suggested it was a measure carefully targeted at a demographic group most in need of buoying up after recent concessions. It s aimed at the Brexit generation. Anyone under the age of 50 will hardly remember any other passport than we have now he said. It seems from her recent performance that Theresa May has belatedly grasped the fact that we need to make some pretty dramatic compromises and she needs a bit of smoke as well this is part of that. European officials distanced themselves from the original decision to adopt burgundy passports stressing it was voluntarily agreed to by member state governments. This has nothing to do with the European commission nothing at all said the spokesman Mark English. Claude Moraes the British Labour MEP who chairs the European parliament s civil liberties justice and home affairs committee warned that the new passports could become a symbol of what British nationals stand to lose from Brexit. What is being lost with the burgundy passport are the freedoms to move in the EU27 and other related freedoms he said. There is every risk now that with the UK passport you will be subject to greater queus greater checks and more inconvenience. The MEP who is one of the lead negotiators for the parliament on Etias said he was deeply sceptical that the EU27 would offer the UK a special deal. He said the UK would be on the other side of policies aimed at strengthening the EU s external border including Etias and a stronger border and coastguard agency. That is something people will have to get used to and the new passport will symbolise that. The United Kingdom s post-Brexit trade deal with the EU will be along the same lines as the ones signed between the union and countries like South Korea Japan and Canada the European Commission s chief negotiator has said. Michel Barnier said Theresa May s red lines to take Britain out of the customs union and single market and to reject the jurisdiction of European courts meant a close relationship similar to the ones the EU has with other non-EU European countries was off the table. The statement is an explicit knock-back for Downing Street which said only the day before that it wanted a bespoke deal with the EU that was significantly more ambitious deal than the EU s agreement with Canada . Read more EU says Brexit transition will end no later than 31 December 2020 Logically for the economic side of our partnership we ll be working on the basis of a free-trade agreement along the same lines of what we negotiated and signed with Canada South Korea and Japan Mr Barnier told reporters in Brussels on Wednesday. There are of course differences between these different models because each of these trade models is of course tailor-made and specific to these countries when we sign these agreements. But it s the same approach and logic underpinning these agreements. That ll be the situation with the United Kingdom in light of what they said their position is themselves. Crucially Mr Barnier said no other EU free-trade agreement had yet covered financial services suggesting the City of London could be left out in the cold. Financial services were potentially to be a part of the TTIP (Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership) agreement with the United States but talks on this agreement have now collapsed. A slide drawn up by the chief negotiator and widely circulated in Brussels shows that the UK could not have a Norwegian or Icelandic-style deal because of the PM refusing jurisdiction of the European Court of Justice (ECJ) free movement regulatory alignment and making a financial contribution to the EU budget. Read more The DUP will not have to name the source of a 425 000 Brexit donation UK Government s Nissan letter is too sensitive says business ministry EU unlikely to back UK over Falklands after Brexit says ex-diplomat Chief EU negotiator says the City will have no place in Brexit deal A Swiss-style deal is also off the table because of the UK s rejection of free movement regulatory alignment and financial payments. Britain would also be unable to have a relationship with the EU similar to the one enjoyed by Ukraine which would require some regulatory alignment and recognition of the ECJ. The model followed by Turkey is also ruled out because of the UK s desire to sign trade agreements with other countries leaving a looser deal such as the one with non-European countries like South Korea as the only option. Also speaking at the same press conference Mr Barnier confirmed that the commission wanted any Brexit transition deal to end on 31 December 2020 just under two years. This recommendation which is broadly in line with the request made by Theresa May in her Florence speech coincides with the end of the EU s multi-annual financial framework effectively its budget period. Theresa May has ruled out single market and customs union membership putting a close economic relationship off the table (PA) The transition period is useful and it will enable the public administration in Britain to prepare themselves for the kind of challenges that they will have to face at their borders which are also our borders and to prepare for the new relationship he told reporters in Brussels. It should be of a short and specific duration: at Florence Theresa May in her speech referred to a maximum of two years. Our position the European Commission s position is that this would run logically to 31 December 2020 because that s also the duration of the current multi-annual financial framework. Brexit: the deciders 8 show all Brexit: the deciders 1/8 European Union s chief Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier speaks to the media as he arrives at the Council of the European Union ahead of an EU Council meeting on April 29 2017 in Brussels Belgium. The 27 members of the European Union will meet in Brussels for a special European Council meeting to discuss the continuing Brexit negotiation Getty 2/8 French President Emmanuel Macron (R) at the Elysee Palace in Paris Getty 3/8 German Chancellor Angela Merkel Reuters 4/8 Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker EPA 5/8 The European Parliament s chief Brexit negotiator Guy Verhofstadt gestures as he addresses a press conference with the European Parliament president after Britain initiated the process to leave the EU Getty 6/8 Britain s Prime Minister Theresa May stands on the flight deck and speaks to crew members of the 65 000-tonne British aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth after it arrived at Portsmouth Naval base its new home port on August 16 2017 in Portsmouth England. The HMS Queen Elizabeth is the lead ship in the new Queen Elizabeth class of supercarriers. Weighing in at 65 000 tonnes she is the largest war ship deployed by the British Royal Navy. She is planned to be in service by 2020 and with a second ship HMS Prince of Wales to follow Getty Images 7/8 Brexit Secretary David Davis in central London Getty 8/8 Britain s Chancellor of the Exchequer Philip Hammond leaves 11 Downing Street in central London PA But he warned that if negotiations collapsed there would still be no transition period arguing that an orderly withdrawal and transition go hand-in-hand . The UK and EU are expected to move onto talks about the Brexit transition period swiftly in the new year but talks about of the framework for the future trade relationship have been put back until March to give both sides more time to prepare. More about: Brexit Japan EU South Korea Canada Trade Michel Barnier Reuse content This stunning set of Second World War portraits show some of the earliest incarnations of a technique that would inject the photography industry with colour and rule supreme for nearly three-quarters of a century.The photographs were taken by John Cyril Redhead who headed up Kodak s Photo Finishing department in Harrow north-west London using the then-revolutionary Kodachrome.They highlight both famous faces and unsung heroes of the wartime in stunning detail far beyond the limitations typical technology of its time that produced inferior black-and-white results.From ordinary nurses and volunteers all the way to the royalty of Princess Margaret Redhead was fascinated in creating portraits of a wide range of people using his privileged access to the company s hi-tech equipment.Kodachrome is regarded as the first modern colour photographic process by using a subtractive process of red-orange and blue-greens to add in colours as the photo was being taken all of its predecessors for colour pictures used additives to transform black-and-white images.Images such as these are so rare because Kodachrome was imported into Britain from the USA and was in very short supply during World War Two.Kodachrome remained the most popular material for photography for 75 years following its invention in the mid-1930s but was gradually discontinued after the turn of the century as digital photography came to the fore. Popular singer and actress Pat Kirkwood (1921-2007) photographed in a glamorous pose lying on a sofa with a bearskin. She appeared in films with George Formby and Arthur Askey in the 1930s and 1940s. Although her ambitions for a Hollywood film career faltered after World War Two she continued to work in theatre and television until the 1990s. She was the first woman to have her own television show on the BBC and once continued to perform at the London Palladium in the midst of an air raid A Kodachrome colour photograph of a Miss B Hall probably a Kodak employee who would have been one of Redhead s employees while he was head of the company s Photo Finishing department in Harrow north-west London. Lieutenant Doyle of the United States Army taken by JCA Redhead (1886-1954) during World War Two. A veteran soldier wears the scarlet dress uniform of an officer in The Queen s Royal West Surrey Regiment the senior line regiment of the British Army. The medals on his chest show that he is a veteran of World War One. He also proudly wears the Distinguished Service Order medal. Civil Defence volunteer Miss Carter who wears the uniform of a Civil Defence ambulance driver and poses next to a Civil Defence flag. Volunteers often women were trained in civil defence duties including fire-fighting first aid and ambulance driving. This Kodachrome image shows a woman named Mrs Bateman. She is wears the uniform of the United States Navy. A young woman dressed as a Pearly Queen taken by JCA Redhead (1886-1954) during World War Two. Pearly Kings and Queens are a London tradition dating back to the 1870s. It grew out of the flashy costumes worn by street-sellers also known as costermongers. Kings and Queens dress in costumes decorated with pearl buttons. A young bride taken by JCA Redhead (1886-1954) during World War Two. A woman named Miss Kamp dressed in British Naval uniform taken by JCA Redhead (1886-1954) during World War Two. Although not allowed to fight during World War Two many women volunteered for support roles in the Armed Forces working as nurses or in staff administration Margaret Bourke-White (1904-1971) a pioneering female photographer and photojournalist wearing United States Army Airforce uniform. Bourke-White was the first female war correspondent and the first to be allowed to work in combat zones during World War Two. She survived the sinking of a ship flew on American bombing raids and was one of the first photographers to enter and document the Nazi death camps. American film producer Ben Goetz (1891-1979). Goetz was a Metro Goldwyn Mayer film producer and executive and was in charge of MGM s British studios during the 1940s. Before finding success in production he had also directed two films The Inevitable and In The Hands Of The Law as well as acting in a number of shorts during the First World War. George Hill(1887-1952). The wine cellar clerk is photographed in the wine cellar of the Reform Club on Pall Mall London a gentleman s club dating back to the 1830s. The club was used as the headquarters of the Liberal Party in the 19th Century but is now simply used as a social venue with no association to any political organisations A Kodachrome colour photograph of Brigadier General Swinton taken while he was in active service during World War Two. Brigadier General Swinton is wearing British army battle dress. His shoulder patch shows he is a Scots Guard An American war correspondent named Mr Porter an American war correspondent. Although not soldiers American war correspondents were required to wear army uniform. The Allies recognised the importance of war correspondents to the war effort. By late 1944 the public relations headquarters in Paris had enough staff and facilities to deal with the output of nearly 1 000 war correspondents. In addtion it could handle 35 000 photographs and 100 000 feet of film footage each week Major-General Lejeune of the US Marine Corps. A veteran of the Spanish-American War he was promoted to the rank of Major-General towards the end of the First World War having commanded the US Army 2nd Division during the victorious action at the battle of St Mihiel. By the time this photograph was taken he was an elderly man and died midway through the Second World War in 1942. Colonel Seibert of the American Army taken by JCA Redhead (1886-1954) during World War Two. Colonel Nordlie aide-de-camp to King Haakon VII (1872-1957) of Norway. Colonel Nordlie is photographed wearing Norwegian army uniform. King Haakon fled Norway when the Germans invaded in 1940 setting up a government in exile in London. An uncle of British monarch George VI he returned to cheering crowds in Norway in July 1945 and continued to reign until his death 12 years after the war s completion A nurse Mrs Cooke. Nurses worked closer to the front lines than they ever had before. Within the chain of evacuation established by the Army Medical Department during the war nurses served under fire in field hospitals and evacuation hospitals on hospital trains and hospital ships and as flight nurses on medical transport planes. The skill and dedication of these nurses contributed to the extremely low post-injury mortality rate among American military forces in every theatre of the war. Mrs Claude Elliott dressed in the uniform of a Women s Voluntary Service (WVS) nurse. While many members of the WVS mucked in on pretty much all tasks the idea of an organisation without a hierarchy would not have worked and so while there were no ranks there were titles. Women were recruited for specific tasks whether that was to drive ambulances to be a member of a knitting work party or collect National Savings. Inevitably those women who signed up for one thing often ended up being co-opted for other work especially if they showed aptitude. Princess Margaret (1930-2002) the Queen s younger sister aged about 12. Unlike other members of the royal family Margaret was not expected to undertake any public or official duties during the war. She developed her skills at singing and playing the piano. Viscount Halisham had written to Winston Churchill encouraging the young princesses be evacuated to Canada but the Queen Mother famously replied: The children won t go without me. I won t leave without the King. And the King will never leave. Sir Mordant Snagge in his judges wig and robes taken by JCA Redhead (1886-1954) during World War Two. Eager shoppers splashed out a record 1bn on Christmas Day in an online shopping splurge as retailers braced for a further spending flurry on Boxing Day.Shoppers across the country hit the high street for Christmas Eve s Super Saturday in a frenzy of panic buying but that did not stop another major outlay today as sales smashed the billion pound barrier for the first time.And the chance of snagging a huge bargain on Boxing Day is expected to see 1million spent a minute amid 88 per cent discounts.A record 895million is expected to be spent online - up 11 per cent on last year - as sales started yesterday or today online according to a Centre for Retail Research study for VoucherCodes based on interviews with 80 major UK retailers and 1 000 shoppers. Frustrated shoppers took to social media to show their anger at the store Some shoppers tweeted screenshots similar to those that are used by tickets venders at rock concerts showing the waiting timeHowever some websites are struggling with the numbers of bargain shoppers with shoppers complaining about Boots website crashing.Frustrated shoppers took to social media to air their grievances with the pharmaceutical chain.One tweeted: I ve waited over 40 minutes to get on your website. Another said: Mother in law has just waited 45 minutes to get onto boots website for it only to say we re really busy now come back later . Disgusting! Waited all that time and can t get on! Others tweeted screenshots of their computers showing the waiting time to get on the site. Speaking to the MailOnline a Boots spokesman said they had experienced unprecedented demand to the site .They added: Due to a technical issue with the sale we are intermittently closing the site for short periods of time while we resolve this. We re sorry for any inconvenience this is causing our customers and our stores will be open tomorrow with the same great deals. Some tweeted GIFs and memes from popular TV shows to show their frustration at the pharmacy Shoppers tweeted their frustration at the lack of stock and long waiting times on the Boots website The chance of snagging a huge bargain on Boxing Day is expected to see 1million spent a minute amid 88 per cent discounts Signs for Boxing Day sales were already going up across the country on Christmas Eve. Pictured: Shoppers search for a bargain outside a Next Store in central London Boxing Day is due even bigger bargains as sales start early online today and from 6am Tuesday in stores Online sales started with AO.com at 12noon Christmas Eve with Next joining from 3pm John Lewis and M&S from 5pm and Debenhams also due to start. Argos online sale was starting at 6am on Christmas Day Seventeen million shoppers splashed out on Super Saturday on Saturday - capping Britain s 7billion busiest ever week before Christmas as price cuts hit 88 per cent. Pictured: Boxing Day sale signs in One New Chance in central London on Christmas Eve Last minute shoppers flock to London s West End yesterday in search of 11th-hour gifts for friends and family Customer queues in some shops in the West End which stayed open until late last night Left: Crowds mill around Oxford Circus underground station as night descended on the capital. Right: Hundreds of customers created queue of over 50 yards in each direction on Regent Street as they wait for Hamley s Toy Store to open yesterday Shoppers fuelled by caffeine grab last minute bargains in Central London last night Crowds grow in London s west end on Christmas Eve as last minute shoppers hunt for gifts Seventeen million shoppers splashed out on Super Saturday yesterday - capping Britain s 7billion busiest ever week before Christmas as price cuts hit 88 per centIt works out at 932 000-a-minute over the 16 hours most are awake on Christmas Day.Store spending today is set to pass 105million as 1.5million shoppers spend at a record number of convenience stores and garages also opening up.Christmas Day online spending peaked at 10am as cash gifts and vouchers were opened and another spike is expected at 6pm before big evening TV shows experts say.Consumer electronics will be popular purchases while Amazon expects movies and music downloads to be big sellers. RELATED ARTICLES Previous 1 2 Next Tis the season to be JOLLY grateful for Prince Albert!... Theresa May uses festive Christmas message to praise Armed... Sealed with a kiss: How Kate Maltby continued to send Damian... Jeremy Corbyn supporter calls for female MP to be HANGED... Share this article Share Professor Joshua Bamfield director of the Centre for Retail Research said: It looks like the first ever 1billion Christmas Day. The day is getting stronger every year for online spending. Shoppers want the bargains retailers make available when post-Christmas sales start early online. Post-Christmas sales started online on Christmas Eve.Online sales started with AO.com at 12noon Christmas Eve with Next joining from 3pm John Lewis and M&S from 5pm and Debenhams also due to start. Argos online sale was starting at 6am on Christmas Day.Seventeen million shoppers splashed out on Super Saturday on Saturday - capping Britain s 7billion busiest ever week before Christmas as price cuts hit 88 per cent.And Boxing Day is due even bigger bargains as sales start early online today and from 6am Tuesday in stores. Last minute Christmas shoppers throng the city centre in Leeds West Yorkshire Last minute Christmas shoppers throng the city centre in Leeds West Yorkshire Shoppers get some last minute presents for Christmas in Bristol on Christmas Eve Shoppers get some last minute presents for Christmas in Bristol on SundaySaturday had even more shoppers than are due on Boxing Day with one in three adults shopping yesterday as 1.7billion was spent. Fourteen million jammed high streets and shopping centres to spend 1.45billion with 3.4m shopping online spending an additional 220million.Bluewater Kent was expected to have seen 110 000 shoppers yesterday with 100 000 at Lakeside Essex. Best Christmas bargains Bourjois Une Skin Matt Foundation was cut 88 per cent from 12.49 to 1.49 by FragranceDirect.co.uk.A women s Reebok CrossFit Tank Top was cut 84 per cent from to 2.99 by mandmdirect.comBig chains including Next and Oasis have cut up to 70 per cent off prices with Top Shop River Island and Argos at up to 50 per cent off and some Currys deals at close to half-price. St David s Cardiff was due 250 000 shoppers with 220 000 at Birmingham s Bullring 180 000 at Manchester s Trafford Centre and 90 000 at Bristol s Cabot Circus.Scottish malls were anticipated to appraoched 100 000 at the Braehead Centre near Glasgow 80 000 at Glasgow s Silverburn and 70 000 at Aberdeen s Union Square.The splurge capped a record 7billion spree for the last shopping week before December 25 the spending data showed with around 5.5billion spent in stores this week and another 1.5billion online.The mega spree was due to a late rush after shopper totals were down 10 per cent on last year over the first three weeks of December. Professor Joshua Bamfield director of the Centre for Retail Research said: This may well be the busiest ever week before Christmas in terms of shopper numbers and the biggest spending week before Christmas ever. Saturday has the highest ever number of shoppers before Christmas forecast as it falls right before Christmas Eve. There is a trend of spending late. And prices are falling so shoppers can expect bargains. Mintel director of retail research Richard Perks added: More and more shoppers are leaving it until the last minute. Travel disruption Many of Britain s mainline train routes were partially shut as Network Rail carries out its biggest ever Christmas investment programme.Great Western Railway urged passengers to complete journeys by Saturday at the latest as London Paddington were closed between Christmas Eve and December 27.The West Coast main line will be halted between Preston and Lancaster from Christmas Eve to December 27 with buses replacing trains.Passengers travelling between London and Glasgow during this time are advised to go via Edinburgh adding around an hour to journeys. Coach operator National Express is running its largest ever Christmas schedule to meet increased demand from key locations such as Bournemouth Cardiff Leeds Edinburgh Portsmouth Bristol Glasgow and Manchester.Members of the Rail Maritime and Transport union (RMT) and Transport Salaried Staffs Association (TSSA) were due to stage a series of walkouts on Virgin Trains West Coast starting on Friday but they were called off after a deal to end a row over pay. A busy High Street in Canterbury Kent as shoppers purchase last minute presents on Christmas Eve A busy High Street in Canterbury Kent as shoppers purchase last minute presents on Christmas Eve Shoppers get some last minute presents for Christmas in Bristol on Christmas Eve People may have been leaving their shopping to the last minute but traffic was unexpectedly light on the M5 south near Birmingham as people appear to have made their journeys for the festive holidays Very light Christmas Eve traffic on the M5 south near Birmingham West Midlands New Delhi: Ministry of Human Resources and Development (MHRD) has invited application from eligible candidates for 2018 Commonwealth Scholarship in the United Kingdom. The scholarship is for students in Master s and doctoral degree programme. The study will commence in September/ October 2018. There is a provision for maximum 65 nominations for the scholarship out of which 26 have to be for PhD. Candidates wishing to apply for the scholarship can do so in the online mode. The last date to apply for the scholarship on the MHRD website is February 7 2018 and the last date to apply for the scholarship on the Commonwealth Scholarship Commission s Electronic Application System (EAS) is February 22 2018. It is compulsory for candidates to apply at both the portals before the last date in order to be eligible for the scholarship. The Master s course will be of one year duration and doctoral programme will be up to three/four year duration. Scholarship would be offered under following development themes and all candidates must apply under one of the themes:Science and technology for developmentStrengthening health systems and capacityPromoting global prosperityStrengthening global peace security and governanceStrengthening resilience and response to crisesAccess inclusion and opportunityEligibilityThe candidate must not be older than 40 years as on February 7 2018.Candidates applying for the Master s course should have completed or expected to complete the Bachelor degree by October 2018. The candidate must have 60% or above marks in Social Science subjects and 65% or above marks in Science subjects.Candidates applying for the Doctoral degree should have completed or expected to complete the Master degree/qualifying examination by October 2018. The candidate must have 60% or above marks in Social Science subjects and 65% or above marks in Science subjects.While MHRD does not want students to take IELTS tests as a further condition of the award the university may ask student to provide evidence of a particular level of English language proficiency. The students who are applying for Master s programme will have to submit a plan of studying and those who are applying for the Doctoral degree will have to submit a research proposal. Click here for more Education News