The Eurovision song contest has seen some acts go on to global success; other acts were already famous and took to the Eurovision stage – with mixed success! How many of these performers do you recognise?
Benidorm is a British sitcom written and created by Derren Litten and produced by Tiger Aspect for ITV that aired for ten series from 1 February 2007 until 2 May 2018.
In that time, it has seen some famous faces check into the Solana hotel as both themselves and as guest characters. How many of these cameos do you remember?
Photos : ITV/ Tiger Media
#1 Joan Collins
Joan Collins has played the Solana owner Crystal Hennessy-Vass since season6. A recurring regular since 2014, it will probably Joan switching off the lights at the Solana should the show ever come to an end!
#2 Uri Geller
Magician Uri Geller made a short cameo in Series 9 to give some positive thinking advice to Solana worker Billy.
#3 The Krankies
Ian and Janette Tough (aka ‘The Krankies’) played swingers Pepe and Agnes LeCruz in the season finale of season 6.
#4 Sheridan Smith
Sheridan Smith played guest character Brandy. She was a love interest for Martin Weedon (Nicholas Burns) after he split from his wife Kate (Abigail Cruttenden). Brandy was portrayed as a caring person but was revealed as a con woman in her later episodes by stealing from Martin and the rest of the hotel guests.
#5 Tony Hadley
Ex Spandau Ballet front man Tony Hadley made the opening episode of series 10 in 2018 even more star studded as he belted out ‘True’ to an assembled wedding party of cameos. Later, he sang ‘Gold’ from a boat to the guests assembled on the beach.
#6 The Chuckle Brothers
2018 cameos did not just included Tony Hadley. The final season also had a cameo by the Chuckle Brothers as a magician and an assistant in drag.
#7 Cilla Black
Cilla Black made a cheeky cameo in the opening episode of Benidorm in 2011. The former Blind Date host makes a surprise appearance at Madge’s villa, where she ends up offering Middlesbrough Swingers Association’s most famous members Donald (Kenny Ireland) and Jacqueline (Janine Duvitski) the chance to share a sauna.
#8 Una Stubbs
Una Stubbs made a surprising appearance in Series 3 as Martin’s Mum Diane Armstrong. Past revelations included much more than her dancing skills!
#9 George Shelley
Former Union J member George Shelley played Giles, a university friend of Rob Dawson in series 9.
#10 Madness
Madness ended series 9 by giving a performance to remember in the Neptune’s Bar!
Eurovision may have been put on hold this year, but that does not us stop us from celebrating the 64 previous contests! The most famous musical contest on Earth has an army of fans who can regale you with thousands of facts about the show’s many past colourful performances and amazing venues. Here are our top ten Eurovision facts.
#1 Eurovision is the #1 biggest Music Show in the World
The Eurovision Song Contest (French: Concours Eurovision de la chanson), often simply called Eurovision, is the longest-running annual international TV song competition. It is watched across five continents by hundreds of millions of viewers and is the largest music competition in the world. It has helped start the careers of the likes of Abba and Celine Dion and has a large following of dedicated fans.
#2 At the first Eurovision, each country sang two songs
Netherlands Eurovision announcer Tim Douwsma
In 1956, every participating country could enter with two songs. The Netherlands were the first country to sing a song on Eurovision with “De vogels van Holland” (the birds of the Netherlands).
#3 All Eurovision songs have to be 3 minutes or less
All Eurovision songs must not be longer than three minutes. Which makes sense given the number of contestants..
#4 The UK has hosted the Eurovision four times without winning
The previous year’s winner hosts Eurovision but it’s so expensive that nations have pleaded poverty to get out of it. The countries who have opted out include the Netherlands, France, Monaco, and Luxembourg and the job went to the UK four times
#5 Five barefoot winners
There have been five barefoot winners in Eurovision history: Sandie Shaw (1967), Sertab Erener (2003), Dima Bilan (2008), Loreen (2012) and Emmelie De Forest (2013)
#6 Only 6 allowed on Stage!
Groups of more than three were not allowed into Eurovision until 1971. Even now, no more than six people are allowed on stage (including backup singers and dancers). In recent years backup singers have been allowed to be “invisible” (i.e. sing backstage, out of camera shot).
#7 Ireland has won Eurovision seven times
Ireland holds the record of most victories in Eurovision Song Contest: Seven victories! The six of these victories was in the 80s and 90s: 1970, 1980, 1987, 1992, 1993, 1994 and 1996
#7 The UK has hosted 8 times
The contest has been held in the UK no less than eight times, despite them only winning five times. The venues were London (1960,1963,1968,1977), Edinburgh (1972), Brighton (1974), Harrogate (1982) and Birmingham (1998).
#9 Nine in ten Danes watched Eurovision in 2001
95 percent of the Danish viewing public saw the 2001 contest on TV – the highest percentage in Europe
#10 Ten famous participants
Blue, Lulu, Julio Iglesias, Engelbert Humperdinck, Sandy Shaw, Cliff Richard, Bonnie Tyler, Olivia Newton John, Michael Ball and Celine Dion have all graced the Eurovision stage!
If you have a pocket full of change, you might want to empty it out, as you could be in for some very good news! That’s according to the money experts at ChangeChecker, who have revealed a fascinating Scarcity Index, detailing the 37 £2 coins experts believe could be worth a mint one day – because of their low circulation numbers. The stories behind the coin designs are fascinating too – the stories behind each of the to rarest £2 coins are detailed below.
#1 Commonwealth Games – Northern Ireland
The rarest of them all: The 2002 Commonwealth games Northern Ireland £2 coin is thought to be the most sought after in circulation. It is followed by Wales, England and Scotland, and is already worth up to £72 on eBay.
#2 Commonwealth Games – England
Commonwealth Games England: In total, 2.5 million Commonwealth Games coins were issued, but the mintages for each of the four designs range from 485,500 to 771,500. While they’re all classed as ‘rare’ some aren’t worth quite as much just yet (around £8) – although experts say this will jump in the future.
#3 Commonwealth Games – Scotland
Commonwealth Games Scotland: . At first glance, you might struggle to spot the difference between the four Commonwealth coins. They all feature the same running athlete trailing a banner behind. But each has a different cameo, representing each of the four constituent parts of the United Kingdom.
#4 Olympic Centenary
Olympic Centenary £2 coin: The modern Olympic Games started in Athens in 1896 and have since become the greatest sporting event in the world. The games of 1908 were originally scheduled to be held in Rome, but due to the eruption of Mount Vesuvius, they were re-located to London, hence this iconic coin.
#5 King James Bible
King James Bible £2 coin: First published in 1611, the King James Bible is an English translation of the Christian Bible for the Church of England. It is widely regarded as one of the most important books ever published in the English language for its influence on the nature of protestant worship as well as English culture. The reverse design of this £2 coin features the first words from the book of John – ‘In the beginning was the Word’.
#6 Commonwealth Games – Wales
Commonwealth Games Wales: In total, 2.5 million Commonwealth Games coins were issued, but the mintages for each of the four designs range from 485,500 to 771,500. While they’re all classed as ‘rare’ some aren’t worth quite as much just yet (around £8) – although experts say this will jump in the future.
#7 Mary Rose
Mary Rose: The Mary Rose was a ship built and completed at Portsmouth Harbour in 1511 for Henry VIII and named after his favourite sister, Mary Tudor. It was the pride and joy of England’s Royal Navy but in 1545 it tragically sank with the loss of all 35 men. The reverse design of this commemorative £2 coin features a depiction of the ship by John Bergdahl.
#8 2015 First World War (Navy)
First World War Centenary (Navy): This is the Royal Mint’s latest edition in its commemoration marking the centenary of the First World War. The United Kingdom £2 coin honours the Royal Navy. This official coin captures the strength of a force whose contribution to victory in the First World War deserves to be remembered.
#9 London 2012 Handover
London 2012 Handover: At the end of each Olympic Games, the next host city of the Games is celebrated with a flag handover ceremony. On 12 August at the London 2012 Closing Ceremony, the mayor of Rio de Janeiro was handed the Olympic flag by the president of the International Olympic Committee, Jacques Rogge. This £2 coin is synonymous with that exact moment.
#10 Olympic Handover
Olympic Handover £2 coin: The end of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games marked the first major event for the London 2012, with the official handover of the Games to the next host city. The Olympic Flag was handed over from the Mayor of Beijing to the Mayor of London, followed by a short performance inviting the world to London for the 2012 Games.
In 2018 Coca-Cola unveiled an alcoholic drink for the first time in its 125-year history with three fizzy and alcoholic versions of their Coca-Cola drinks in Japan.
The drinks giant launched a fizzy lemon flavoured alcopop in Japan on May 28th 2018 and aimed marketing at the growing market of young drinkers in their 20s. The three drinks range from three per cent to eight per cent alcohol.
The three new ‘Lemon-Do’ drinks are available in the southern Kyushu region of Japan. A 350 ml can will cost customers 150 yen, which is around £1.
The recipes are a closely guarded secret but the drinks are modelled on the country’s popular Chu-Hi drinks which are a mix of local spirit and fruit flavours.
#1 Coca Cola Orange
Coca-Cola Orange was a variation of Coca-Cola available for a limited time in the UK and Gibraltar. It had a limited launch in various countries including Brazil in 2017 but only continues to be sold in Latvia and Russia.
In Germany and Sweden Orange Coca-Cola is known as Mezzo Mix Orange.
#2 Coca Cola Feisty Cherry
Launched in 2018 to mixed reviews, style magazine GQ even branding it ‘Diet Coke Psychotically Violent Cherry’.
#3 Mexican Coke
In the USA, Mexican Coke (Spanish: Coca Cola de México) or, informally, “MexiCoke“, refers to Coca-Cola produced in and imported from Mexico.
Although intended for consumption in Mexico, Mexican Coca-Cola has become very popular in the United States because of a flavour that Coca-Cola fans call more “natural tasting”. While many believe the primary difference in flavour between Mexican Coca-Cola and the American Coca-Cola formula is that Mexican Coke is sweetened using cane sugar as opposed to high-fructose corn syrup, a scientific analysis of Mexican Coke found no sucrose (standard sugar), but instead found fructose and glucose levels similar to other soft drinks sweetened with high-fructose corn syrup.Most of the Mexican Coke exported to the United States is made with cane sugar, while some Mexican bottlers may use high-fructose corn syrup for drinks intended for sale in Mexico. Therefore, while most of the Coca-Cola labelled “Mexican” in the United States is made with cane sugar, this is not true of all Coca-Cola sold in Mexico.
In a taste test conducted by a Westchester (New York) magazine, tasters noted that the Mexican Coke had “a more complex flavour with an ineffable spicy and herbal note”, and that it contained something “that darkly hinted at root beer or old-fashioned sarsaparilla candies”.
#4 Coca Cola BlāK
Coca-Cola BlāK was a coffee-flavoured soft drink introduced by Coca-Cola in 2006 and discontinued in 2008. The mid-calorie drink was introduced first in France and subsequently in other markets, including Czech Republic, Slovakia, Lithuania and Slovenia.
Coca-Cola BlāK launched in the United States on April 3, 2006. Coca-Cola BlāK launched in Canada on August 29, 2006.
The French and Canadian versions of Coca-Cola BlāK were sweetened with sugar. The U.S. version of Coca-Cola BlāK replaced sugar with high fructose corn syrup, aspartame, and acesulfame potassium.
The American and Canadian versions had a plastic resealable cap on a glass bottle that resembled the classic Coke bottle, where the French/Czech version was a bottle shape formed in aluminium.
#5 Coca Cola Twisted Mango
Diet Coke Exotic Mango was introduced into the UK market March 2018 and into the US market January 2018.
The new flavours and the new can shape in the US were intended to re-invigorate the brand at a time of intense competition from other drinks manufacturers.
#6 Ginger Coke
Ginger Coke was introduced to the Australian and New Zealand markets in 2016 to mixed opinions. Whilst Northern Europeans and American audiences might associate ginger with Christmas, it was actually introduced for the Summer season down under.
#7 Coca-Cola Citra
The bottle design is yellow and green stripes, and a pair of citrus fruits resembling a lemon and a lime.
A Coca-Cola Light with Citra variety exists in Mexico and Japan.
The Citra variety was introduced into New Zealand in 2005 but discontinued in 2007.
#8 Raspberry Coke
Coca Cola Raspberry was the third flavour to be added to original Coke in New Zealand. It was introduced on a trial basis in 2005 but discontinued the same year.
In February 2018 Coca Cola hoped to return to its artisanal routes, with the introduction of a raspberry sourced from raspberries grown in California. “Specialty sodas are particularly appealing to people who enjoy discovering crafted flavours and who have a desire to try curated food and beverage experiences,” said Lillian Norton, senior brand manager, Coca-Cola Innovation. “We see an opportunity to make more of a full portfolio play in this space with these new locally inspired flavours.”
#9 Green tea-flavoured Coca Cola
Green tea-flavoured Coca-Cola hit Japanese stores June 8th 2009. It contains tea antioxidants called catechins, leaves a slight green tea aftertaste and is mainly targeted at health-conscious women in their 20s and 30s.
#10 Coca Cola Ginger Lime
Unfortunately, not available in Scotland!
Coca Cola is a trademark of the Coca Cola Company. Images sourced from Freesource online and from https://www.coca-colacompany.com/ . Videos linked from YouTube.
Scots Gaelic has a rich and colourful vocabulary. Many words have an anglicised form in local usage or have been transposed into Scots. Examples include ‘Gillie’ meaning somebody in charge of fishing or a hunting servant (from gille meaning a boy or servant) or capercaillie (from the Gaelic capall-coille meaning ‘horse of the woods’). These and other words such as ceilidh or Glen are common in the Highlands and Lowlands but do not have much usage outwith Scotland.
#1. Bog (From bog meaning soft and boglach meaning swamp)
The beautiful landscape in the photo is actually in Estonia of the Kemeri National Park, but it goes to show how far this word has travelled.
#2 Clan (From the compound form of clan meaning children or family)
The American hip hop group the Wu-tang Clan
The Scottish clan is a kinship group of shared identity amongst members with strong family ties or bonds to that family. Indeed, it is a common misconception that every person who bears a clan’s name is a lineal descendant of the chiefs. Many clansmen took the chief’s surname to show solidarity or to obtain protection. Others were tenants, who supplied labour to the clan leaders.
In modern English, your clan has come to mean your wider family or group of like-minded individuals.
#3 Galore (From gu leor meaning ‘enough’)
The meaning of this word has also moved with the times. In olden Scotland ‘gu leor’ meant plenty or enough to satisfy everyone. One can imagine the tenant farmers of Aberdeenshire describing their turnip harvest as ‘gu leor’ and smiling because it would get them through the winter.
Nowadays, in the age of abundance, galore tends to mean enough and more.
#4 Gob (From gob meaning ‘beak’ or ‘bill’)
The same tenants who had turnips gu leor might also have kept ducks or geese. Telling them to shut their gobs just as English travellers were passing, might have led to transference into English.
These days, gob is mostly a slang word in modern English, and usually used in relation to telling someone to shut their mouth!
#5 Pet (From peata meaning ‘tame animal’)
The etymology of the word is somewhat disputed but the word pet has been attested since the 1500s in the sense of ‘indulged child’ and since the 1530s in the sense of ‘companion’. Given its use seems to have originated in Scotland, the most popular theory is that the word originated from the Gaelic for tame animal or lap dog.
It is now used across Global English and is heard in millions of homes across the world as the word ‘pet has been taken up by numerous languages via English.
#6 Pillion (From pillean meaning ‘pack-saddle’ or ‘little rug’)
The Gaelic for little rug or pack saddle is pillean, and those having to share a horse would have sat on it behind the saddle of the main rider.
In modern English, it has come to mean the second seat on a motorbike for the person ‘riding in the pillion’.
#7 Slogan (From sluagh-ghairm meaning ‘battle cry’)
As the soldiers charged down the hillside into battle, they would have shouted out the sluagh-ghairm associated with their clan. The intent was to rattle their fighting foes and also to hep distinguish sides during a battle. ‘Buaidh no Bàs!’ (Victory or death) was the war cry of the Macneils, for the Grants it was ‘Craig Elachaidh’ (The Rock of Alarm).
These days, the word ‘slogan’ has come to mean a rallying cry for political parties or corporates. Worldwide, the word is used in many languages from le slogan in French to слоган in Russian.
#8 Smashing (From ‘s math sin meaning ‘that is good’)
Whilst US etymologists have put forward an alternate US source of the word ‘smashing as being derived from ‘smash hit’, British usage would pre-date this, and the most likely source is the Gaelic phrase ‘s math sin’ meaning that is good.
#9 Trousers (From triubhas meaning ‘close-fitting shorts’)
It is ironic that Scotland is known the world-over for wearing the kilt, and yet it has given the world the word ‘trousers’. In Scots, Trews (Gaelic truis) are a traditional form of tartan trousers.
#10 Whisky (From uisge-beatha meaning ‘water of life’)
Anyone who has been in a bar or an airport duty free will have seen bottles of whisky, and if they are bottles from Scotland, they might even see Gaelic names such as Glen Gairoch, Dallas Dhu or Tè Bheag staring back at them.
The Romans originally called distilled alcohol aqua vitae (‘water of life’) and Gaelic used a similar word formation for creating whisky.
Early forms of the word in English included uskebeaghe (1581), usquebaugh (1610), usquebath (1621), and usquebae (1715) . The ‘bae’ element was subsequently dropped, and the drink became known as ‘whisky’.
In 2017, Britain saw its first polar bear cub in 25 years. Born in the week leading up to Christmas, a fluffy polar bear cub recently became the newest resident at the RZSS Highland Wildlife Park in Scotland’s Cairngorms national park.
Polar bears are giant creatures and popular with both young and old. Whilst we think we know them well, here are some surprising facts about them that you may not know.
#1 The Polar bear goes by many names
Ursus maritimus, Thalarctos, sea bear, ice bear, isbjorn, white bear, beliy medved, lord of the Arctic, old man in the fur cloak, and white sea deer are some of the names used to describe a polar bear.
The Norse poets from medieval Scandinavia said polar bears had the strength of 12 men and the wit of 11. They referred to them with the following names White Sea Deer; The Seal’s Dread; The Rider of Icebergs; The Whale’s Bane; The Sailor of the Floe.
The Sami and Lapp refuse to call them “polar bear” in order to avoid offending them. Instead, they call them God’s Dog or The Old Man in the Fur Cloak.Nanuk is used by the the Inuit, meaning Animal Worthy of Great Respect. Pihoqahiak is also used by the Inuit; it means The Ever-Wandering One.
Gyp or Orqoi – Grandfather or Stepfather – are used by the Ket of Siberia as a sign of respect.
#2 They like to roam
Polar bears respond to seasonal changes and the distribution of seals and sea ice. In food-rich areas, they have smaller home ranges and their habitat often overlaps with other bears.
Scientists believe that most polar bears limit travel to home ranges of a few hundred miles. However, they know of one satellite-tracked female that trekked 4,796 kilometers (2,980) miles—from Alaska’s Prudhoe Bay to Greenland to Canada’s Ellesmere Island and back to Greenland.
#3 They can eat 100 pounds of blubber in a single sitting
Blubber is key to a polar bear surviving the harsh Arctic winters. Ringed seals are the most accessible meal, especially to younger bears and females. Male polar bears also hunt larger bearded seals.
When an adult bear is in good shape, polar bears often eat only the blubber in order to build up the fat reserves they need to sustain themselves between meals. They leave the carcass for scavengers such as arctic foxes, ravens, and other bears.
#4 They are top of the food chain
Scientists concedes that, while a killer whale might have an opportunity to attack a bear stranded on a remnant of ice or while swimming in open water, it’s extremely unlikely. To date, there are no reported or documented cases of such predation or attempts.
However, as Arctic sea ice continues to recede, reports of orcas using waters in the Far North are growing, suggesting a range expansion is in progress for some regions like Hudson Bay.
#5 The Polar bear is a patient hunter
In Autumn, a seal cuts ten to fifteen breathing holes (known as aglus by Canadian Inuit) in the ice, using the sharp claws on its fore flippers.
Seals keep their breathing holes open all winter long, even in ice up to two meters (six feet) thick. They surface about every five to fifteen minutes at one of the holes or use air pockets trapped under the ice when available.
Polar bears attack by waiting for seals to breathe at the openings. They locate them with their powerful sense of smell and wait for the seals to emerge. Polar bears have to be smart and patient because the wait can be long—sometimes hours, or even days.
#6 The Polar bear is not actually white
The polar bear’s fur isn’t actually white—it just looks that way. Each hair shaft is pigment-free and transparent with a hollow core that scatters and reflects visible light, much like what happens with ice and snow.
Polar bears look whitest when they are clean and in high-angle sunlight, especially just after the molt period, which usually begins in spring and is complete by late summer. Before molting, accumulated oils in their fur from the seals they eat can make them look yellow.
#7 One town on Canada has a polar bear sin bin
Hundreds of polar bears gather near Churchill, Manitoba, every autumn to wait for the sea ice to form on Hudson Bay.
The province of Manitoba goes to great lengths to protect the bears that support the town’s thriving ecotourism industry.
In 1982, Manitoba Conservation built a holding facility to house problem bears that came too close to town during the fall migration. Manitoba Conservation has developed a highly successful Polar Bear Alert Program.
The program has reduced—but not eliminated—negative human-to-polar-bear encounters.
#8 At birth, polar bear cubs are the size of guinea pigs
Female polar bears give birth to their cubs in snow dens (in November or December), where the family is protected from the harsh Arctic environment. At birth, the cubs are only around 30cm long and weigh around half a kilogram – that’s about the same as a guinea pig!
#9 The Polar bear can swim constantly for days at a time
As well as reaching speeds of up to 6mph in the water, polar bears can swim for long distances and steadily for many hours to get from one piece of ice to another. Their large paws are specially adapted for swimming, which they’ll use to paddle through the water while holding their hind legs flat like a rudder.
#10 The Grizzly-Polar bear hybrid exists
As recently as 2006 genetic testing confirmed the existence of polar bear-grizzly bear hybrids, also known as ‘grolar bears’ or ‘pizzly bears’. The hybrid physically resembles an intermediate between the two species, but as wild hybrids are usually birthed from polar bear mothers they are raised and behave like polar bears. The ability for polar bears and grizzly bears to interbreed is unsurprising when you consider that polar bears evolved from brown bears as recently as 150,000 years ago!
Donald Trump has made dozens of cameos in film and TV shows, as well as starring in his own reality shows. He has also featured in a surprising array of adverts and it was even reported when he ran for presidency that he appeared in a non-sexual element of a soft-core pornographic film in 1999 called ‘Playboy Video Centerfold 2000’.
But there is one film with which most people associate Donald Trump. And it is not ‘Video Centrefold’.
Chances are this Easter period you will have seen ‘Home Alone’ at some point. And chances are someone in your family will have pointed at the TV screen and said ‘Isn’t that…?’ at the point of the scene where Kevin tries to navigate the hotel.
There are currently 13 films in which Donald Trump has either starred or made a cameo appearance. How many of these do you recognise?
#1 Zoolander (2001)
Zoolander and Zoolander 2 were films renowned for their cameos. Donald made a memorable but brief appearance, confirming he too is a Zoolander fan.
#2 Wall Street : Money Never Sleeps (2010)
This scene didn’t make the final cut, but his acting skills seem to have improved since entry #5 !
#3 Two Weeks Notice (2002)
The flamboyant lapel might have been the star of this cameo!
#4 Celebrity (1998)
Despite some big names such as Kenneth Branagh, Leonardo DiCaprio, and Winona Ryder, and a cameo from Donald Trump, this Woody Allen comedy did not attain commercial success.
#5 Ghosts Can’t Do It (1989)
This film won four Golden Raspberries and was nominated in a further four categories. And featured Donald Trump.
#6 The Little Rascals (1994)
‘Waldo, you are the best son money could buy’.
#7 Small Potatoes : who killed the USFL? (2009)
‘Back in the day, Donald put his total trust in me…’
#8 The Associate (1996)
Donald Trump has appeared in two Whoopi Goldberg films. In “The Associate,” from 1996, he is seen waiting in a restaurant where Whoopi breezes by to get seated first.
#9 Eddie
Donald Trump now has so many cameos and TV roles, he now even has his own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Even in a light-hearted show like the Simpsons, characters occasionally pass on or their voice artist does. Over the twenty plus years the show has been running most of the characters have remained, but ten well-known recurring characters have also passed on. Can you name them all?
#1 Edna Krabappel
The teacher with the amazing laugh! Outside school Edna was portrayed as a typical mid-life single adult, heavy smoker, gambler and occasional solitary drinker trying to find the right man. She had numerous affairs with many Springfieldians, her reoccurring choice always being Principal Skinner, usually out of pity rather than affection. Finally, from Season 23 she found love with Ned Flanders and married him.
Marcia Wallace had provided the voice for Edna but died on October 25, 2013, due to pneumonia. In ‘The Man Who Grew Too Much’, a brief scene at the end of the episode showed Ned mourning her loss, how she passed away is overlooked. In the episode ‘Holidays of Future Passed’, Ned mentions that Edna was accidentally killed by Homer; however, future episodes are non-canon.
#2 Maude Flanders
Maude Flanders was the wife of Ned Flanders, and the mother of Rod and Todd. Maude was a devout Christian and was often judgemental of her fellow Springfield residents.
In “Alone Again, Natura-Diddily”, Maude died after being knocked off a grandstand by several t-shirt cannons at the Springfield Speedway. The shirts had been meant to hit Homer, who wanted one of them. However, before the shirts could hit him, Homer noticed a bobby pin on the ground, and bent over to pick it up. This caused Maude, who was returning to her seat behind Homer, to be struck instead, and fall off the grandstand to her death.
The real reason her character was killed off was due to a pay dispute between the actress (Maggie Roswell) who voiced her character and the show’s producers.
#3 Rabbi Hyman Krustofsky
Hyman was a respected Rabbi in Springfield’s Lower East Side; his father and grandfather also having been rabbis. He was married to a woman named Rachel, and the marriage produced one son, Herscel Krustofsky (better known as Krusty the Clown). Hyman died during the first episode of Season 26, “Clown in the Dumps.”
His last words were ”As for you, son, if you want to know my honest opinion of you, you’ve always been…eh..”.
#4 Mona Simpson
Homer’s hippie Mom.
Seemingly always on the run, she is always a well-meaning criminal trying to further some cause or another.
Mona returns to Springfield one last time, visiting Homer. Homer has grown sick of his mother’s constant leaving and returning and refuses to reconcile with her in order to keep himself from feeling hurt. Later, feeling guilty, he attempts to apologize to his mother, only to find out she had passed away sitting in front of the fireplace.
#5 Fat Tony
Marion Anthony “Fat Tony” D’Amico was Springfield’s mob boss. In ‘Donnie Fatso’, Fat Tony collapsed and died in Homer’s arms. His death was most likely caused by a heart attack or cardiac arrest. He was replaced by his cousin Fit Tony.
#6 Bleeding Gums Murphy
Bleeding Gums Murphy is loosely based on Sonny Rollins, a great saxophone player who took a break from his life as a recording and performing jazz artist to practice his musical craft on a bridge.
He makes his final appearance in “Round Springfield”. When Bart ends up in the hospital after eating a jagged metal Krusty-Os, Lisa finds Bleeding Gums in a hospital bed in a nearby ward. They play Carole King’s “Jazzman” together, entertaining the hospital. He explains about his life, family and work to her as well as giving her advice for her upcoming school performance, lending her his saxophone. When Lisa returns she is devastated when she finds out that Bleeding Gums has died from circumstances that are never revealed, possibly cardiac arrest.
#7 Frank Grimes
Frank Grimes is a c-worker of Homer at the Springfield Nuclear Power Plant and his self-declared enemy. He was the polar opposite of Homer – a hard worker, who had to earn everything the hard way. He was also irritable, grumpy, and easily annoyed.
In an effort to prove that Homer was a truly undeserving buffoon, Grimes tricked him into entering a nuclear power plant model-building contest intended for kids. When Homer won the contest with his own entry (a copy of the current power plant, with added fins to lower wind resistance and a racing stripe) and received thunderous applause from the audience, Grimes finally snapped, declaring everyone in the plant to be insane. Clearly having lost his mind, Grimes ran through the plant, psychotically impersonating Homer in a mocking fashion, and ultimately spotted some high-voltage power cables, saying, “What’s this? ‘Extremely high voltage.’ Well, I don’t need safety gloves, ’cause I’m Homer Simp–” He touched the cables before he could finish his sentence and was fatally electrocuted.
#8 Clancy Bouvier
Clancy was the husband of Jacqueline Bouvier, the father of Patty, Selma, and Marge Bouvier, father-in-law of Homer Simpson and the maternal grandfather of Ling Bouvier and Maggie, Lisa, and Bart.
We know that Clancy is deceased, since Homer said he had bought Marge a “white-noise machine” to help her deal with her father’s death. It was later revealed by Jacqueline that he died of lung cancer
#9 Alice Glick
Alice Glick was an elderly woman who resided in the same neighbourhood as the Simpsons. Bart sometimes does work for her in exchange for pocket money.
Mrs. Glick is killed in “Replaceable You” by a rogue robot seal. She is later seen in Heaven.
#10 Snowball I, II, & III
The original Snowball got hit by a Chrysler, and Lisa got a new cat and named her Snowball II. Her name is slightly ironic because she is black unlike the original Snowball or an actual snowball that is white.
Lisa adopted Snowball III from an animal shelter shortly after the death of Snowball II. At the shelter, she passed over a skunk, a Siamese cat, a cat she assessed as “too needy,” and a cat with an eye infection before finally deciding upon Snowball III.
After bringing him home, Lisa went into the kitchen to prepare cat food to serve Snowball III his first meal in his new home. She went into the living room to check on him, only to find him drowned in the aquarium dead, apparently having tried (and failed) to catch a goldfish. Snowball III was a brown male cat and had light green eyes.
Mirror, mirror on the wall, which is the cutest puppy, of them all? Here is our list – which breed of dog do you think has the cutest puppies?
#1 Basset Hound
Who could resist that cute sad face. This puppy makes it to number 1 on our list because it has it all :sad eyes, adorable big ears and a look that says pick me up and cuddle me!
#2 English bulldog
Their wrinkly skin, cute tubby bodies and helpless look makes everyone’s hearts melt.
#3 Akita
Their cute faces, and abundance of lovely fur bumps the Akita puppy up to number three on our list.
#4 Pomeranian
As a puppy, this breed looks like a fluffy little teddy bear. Their soft coat, round eyes and adorable faces make it impossible to not want to pick them up and cuddle them.
#5 Labrador
It is no surprise that the Labrador is a friend of advertising agencies. His roly-poly body and cute face could sell us anything.
#6 Pug
Pugs are little bundles of joy and fun! Their bug-eyes, scrunched-up face and curly tail melts any heart.
#7 Chihuahua
Impossible to spell but very probably that you will fall in love with these diminutive pups. Their cute sad faces and small size make this breed a favourite the world over.
#8 Viszla
Look at those big blue eyes! Viszlas are a regal handsome breed and their pups are the picture of cuteness.
#9 Golden Retriever
Another favourite with advertisers and it is no surprise why – these puppies are irresistible!
#10 Dachshund
Like the Basset Hound, this puppy’s sad droopy face and velvet ears help rank it highly in the cute stakes.
Joan Collins has played the Solana owner Crystal Hennessy-Vass since season6. A recurring regular since 2014, it will probably Joan switching off the lights at the Solana should the show ever come to an end!
Magician Uri Geller made a short cameo in Series 9 to give some positive thinking advice to Solana worker Billy.
Ian and Janette Tough (aka ‘The Krankies’) played swingers Pepe and Agnes LeCruz in the season finale of season 6.
Ex Spandau Ballet front man Tony Hadley made the opening episode of series 10 in 2018 even more star studded as he belted out ‘True’ to an assembled wedding party of cameos. Later, he sang ‘Gold’ from a boat to the guests assembled on the beach.
2018 cameos did not just included Tony Hadley. The final season also had a cameo by the Chuckle Brothers as a magician and an assistant in drag.
Cilla Black made a cheeky cameo in the opening episode of Benidorm in 2011. The former Blind Date host makes a surprise appearance at Madge’s villa, where she ends up offering Middlesbrough Swingers Association’s most famous members Donald (Kenny Ireland) and Jacqueline (Janine Duvitski) the chance to share a sauna.
Una Stubbs made a surprising appearance in Series 3 as Martin’s Mum Diane Armstrong. Past revelations included much more than her dancing skills!
Madness ended series 9 by giving a performance to remember in the Neptune’s Bar! 
Sheridan Smith played guest character Brandy. She was a love interest for Martin Weedon (Nicholas Burns) after he split from his wife Kate (Abigail Cruttenden). Brandy was portrayed as a caring person but was revealed as a con woman in her later episodes by stealing from Martin and the rest of the hotel guests.
Former Union J member George Shelley played Giles, a university friend of Rob Dawson in series 9.
The Eurovision Song Contest (French: Concours Eurovision de la chanson), often simply called Eurovision, is the longest-running annual international TV song competition. It is watched across five continents by hundreds of millions of viewers and is the largest music competition in the world. It has helped start the careers of the likes of Abba and Celine Dion and has a large following of dedicated fans.
All Eurovision songs must not be longer than three minutes. Which makes sense given the number of contestants..
The previous year’s winner hosts Eurovision but it’s so expensive that nations have pleaded poverty to get out of it. The countries who have opted out include the Netherlands, France, Monaco, and Luxembourg and the job went to the UK four times
There have been five barefoot winners in Eurovision history: Sandie Shaw (1967), Sertab Erener (2003), Dima Bilan (2008), Loreen (2012) and Emmelie De Forest (2013)
Groups of more than three were not allowed into Eurovision until 1971. Even now, no more than six people are allowed on stage (including backup singers and dancers). In recent years backup singers have been allowed to be “invisible” (i.e. sing backstage, out of camera shot).
Ireland holds the record of most victories in Eurovision Song Contest: Seven victories! The six of these victories was in the 80s and 90s: 1970, 1980, 1987, 1992, 1993, 1994 and 1996
The contest has been held in the UK no less than eight times, despite them only winning five times. The venues were London (1960,1963,1968,1977), Edinburgh (1972), Brighton (1974), Harrogate (1982) and Birmingham (1998).
95 percent of the Danish viewing public saw the 2001 contest on TV – the highest percentage in Europe
Blue, Lulu, Julio Iglesias, Engelbert Humperdinck, Sandy Shaw, Cliff Richard, Bonnie Tyler, Olivia Newton John, Michael Ball and Celine Dion have all graced the Eurovision stage! 
The rarest of them all: The 2002 Commonwealth games Northern Ireland £2 coin is thought to be the most sought after in circulation. It is followed by Wales, England and Scotland, and is already worth up to £72 on eBay. 
Commonwealth Games England: In total, 2.5 million Commonwealth Games coins were issued, but the mintages for each of the four designs range from 485,500 to 771,500. While they’re all classed as ‘rare’ some aren’t worth quite as much just yet (around £8) – although experts say this will jump in the future.
Commonwealth Games Scotland: . At first glance, you might struggle to spot the difference between the four Commonwealth coins. They all feature the same running athlete trailing a banner behind. But each has a different cameo, representing each of the four constituent parts of the United Kingdom.
Olympic Centenary £2 coin: The modern Olympic Games started in Athens in 1896 and have since become the greatest sporting event in the world. The games of 1908 were originally scheduled to be held in Rome, but due to the eruption of Mount Vesuvius, they were re-located to London, hence this iconic coin.
King James Bible £2 coin: First published in 1611, the King James Bible is an English translation of the Christian Bible for the Church of England. It is widely regarded as one of the most important books ever published in the English language for its influence on the nature of protestant worship as well as English culture. The reverse design of this £2 coin features the first words from the book of John – ‘In the beginning was the Word’.
Commonwealth Games Wales: In total, 2.5 million Commonwealth Games coins were issued, but the mintages for each of the four designs range from 485,500 to 771,500. While they’re all classed as ‘rare’ some aren’t worth quite as much just yet (around £8) – although experts say this will jump in the future.
Mary Rose: The Mary Rose was a ship built and completed at Portsmouth Harbour in 1511 for Henry VIII and named after his favourite sister, Mary Tudor. It was the pride and joy of England’s Royal Navy but in 1545 it tragically sank with the loss of all 35 men. The reverse design of this commemorative £2 coin features a depiction of the ship by John Bergdahl.
First World War Centenary (Navy): This is the Royal Mint’s latest edition in its commemoration marking the centenary of the First World War. The United Kingdom £2 coin honours the Royal Navy. This official coin captures the strength of a force whose contribution to victory in the First World War deserves to be remembered.
London 2012 Handover: At the end of each Olympic Games, the next host city of the Games is celebrated with a flag handover ceremony. On 12 August at the London 2012 Closing Ceremony, the mayor of Rio de Janeiro was handed the Olympic flag by the president of the International Olympic Committee, Jacques Rogge. This £2 coin is synonymous with that exact moment.
Olympic Handover £2 coin: The end of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games marked the first major event for the London 2012, with the official handover of the Games to the next host city. The Olympic Flag was handed over from the Mayor of Beijing to the Mayor of London, followed by a short performance inviting the world to London for the 2012 Games.
Coca-Cola Orange was a variation of Coca-Cola available for a limited time in the UK and Gibraltar. It had a limited launch in various countries including Brazil in 2017 but only continues to be sold in Latvia and Russia.
In Germany and Sweden Orange Coca-Cola is known as Mezzo Mix Orange.
In the USA, Mexican Coke (Spanish: Coca Cola de México) or, informally, “MexiCoke“, refers to Coca-Cola produced in and imported from Mexico.
Although intended for consumption in Mexico, Mexican Coca-Cola has become very popular in the United States because of a flavour that Coca-Cola fans call more “natural tasting”. While many believe the primary difference in flavour between Mexican Coca-Cola and the American Coca-Cola formula is that Mexican Coke is sweetened using cane sugar as opposed to high-fructose corn syrup, a scientific analysis of Mexican Coke found no sucrose (standard sugar), but instead found fructose and glucose levels similar to other soft drinks sweetened with high-fructose corn syrup. Most of the Mexican Coke exported to the United States is made with cane sugar, while some Mexican bottlers may use high-fructose corn syrup for drinks intended for sale in Mexico. Therefore, while most of the Coca-Cola labelled “Mexican” in the United States is made with cane sugar, this is not true of all Coca-Cola sold in Mexico.
In a taste test conducted by a Westchester (New York) magazine, tasters noted that the Mexican Coke had “a more complex flavour with an ineffable spicy and herbal note”, and that it contained something “that darkly hinted at root beer or old-fashioned sarsaparilla candies”.
Coca-Cola BlāK was a coffee-flavoured soft drink introduced by Coca-Cola in 2006 and discontinued in 2008. The mid-calorie drink was introduced first in France and subsequently in other markets, including Czech Republic, Slovakia, Lithuania and Slovenia.
Coca-Cola BlāK launched in the United States on April 3, 2006. Coca-Cola BlāK launched in Canada on August 29, 2006.
The French and Canadian versions of Coca-Cola BlāK were sweetened with sugar. The U.S. version of Coca-Cola BlāK replaced sugar with high fructose corn syrup, aspartame, and acesulfame potassium.
The American and Canadian versions had a plastic resealable cap on a glass bottle that resembled the classic Coke bottle, where the French/Czech version was a bottle shape formed in aluminium.
Ginger Coke was introduced to the Australian and New Zealand markets in 2016 to mixed opinions. Whilst Northern Europeans and American audiences might associate ginger with Christmas, it was actually introduced for the Summer season down under.
Coca Cola Raspberry was the third flavour to be added to original Coke in New Zealand. It was introduced on a trial basis in 2005 but discontinued the same year.
In February 2018 Coca Cola hoped to return to its artisanal routes, with the introduction of a raspberry sourced from raspberries grown in California. “Specialty sodas are particularly appealing to people who enjoy discovering crafted flavours and who have a desire to try curated food and beverage experiences,” said Lillian Norton, senior brand manager, Coca-Cola Innovation. “We see an opportunity to make more of a full portfolio play in this space with these new locally inspired flavours.”
Green tea-flavoured Coca-Cola hit Japanese stores June 8th 2009. It contains tea antioxidants called catechins, leaves a slight green tea aftertaste and is mainly targeted at health-conscious women in their 20s and 30s.
Unfortunately, not available in Scotland!
Coca Cola is a trademark of the Coca Cola Company. Images sourced from Freesource online and from https://www.coca-colacompany.com/ . Videos linked from YouTube. 
Diet Coke Exotic Mango was introduced into the UK market March 2018 and into the US market January 2018.
The bottle design is yellow and green stripes, and a pair of citrus fruits resembling a lemon and a lime.
The beautiful landscape in the photo is actually in Estonia of the Kemeri National Park, but it goes to show how far this word has travelled.
The meaning of this word has also moved with the times. In olden Scotland ‘gu leor’ meant plenty or enough to satisfy everyone. One can imagine the tenant farmers of Aberdeenshire describing their turnip harvest as ‘gu leor’ and smiling because it would get them through the winter.
Nowadays, in the age of abundance, galore tends to mean enough and more.
The same tenants who had turnips gu leor might also have kept ducks or geese. Telling them to shut their gobs just as English travellers were passing, might have led to transference into English.
These days, gob is mostly a slang word in modern English, and usually used in relation to telling someone to shut their mouth!
The etymology of the word is somewhat disputed but the word pet has been attested since the 1500s in the sense of ‘indulged child’ and since the 1530s in the sense of ‘companion’. Given its use seems to have originated in Scotland, the most popular theory is that the word originated from the Gaelic for tame animal or lap dog.
It is now used across Global English and is heard in millions of homes across the world as the word ‘pet has been taken up by numerous languages via English.
The Gaelic for little rug or pack saddle is pillean, and those having to share a horse would have sat on it behind the saddle of the main rider.
In modern English, it has come to mean the second seat on a motorbike for the person ‘riding in the pillion’.
As the soldiers charged down the hillside into battle, they would have shouted out the sluagh-ghairm associated with their clan. The intent was to rattle their fighting foes and also to hep distinguish sides during a battle. ‘Buaidh no Bàs!’ (Victory or death) was the war cry of the Macneils, for the Grants it was ‘Craig Elachaidh’ (The Rock of Alarm).
These days, the word ‘slogan’ has come to mean a rallying cry for political parties or corporates. Worldwide, the word is used in many languages from le slogan in French to слоган in Russian.
Whilst US etymologists have put forward an alternate US source of the word ‘smashing as being derived from ‘smash hit’, British usage would pre-date this, and the most likely source is the Gaelic phrase ‘s math sin’ meaning that is good.
It is ironic that Scotland is known the world-over for wearing the kilt, and yet it has given the world the word ‘trousers’. In Scots, Trews (Gaelic truis) are a traditional form of tartan trousers.
Anyone who has been in a bar or an airport duty free will have seen bottles of whisky, and if they are bottles from Scotland, they might even see Gaelic names such as Glen Gairoch, Dallas Dhu or Tè Bheag staring back at them.
The Romans originally called distilled alcohol aqua vitae (‘water of life’) and Gaelic used a similar word formation for creating whisky.
Early forms of the word in English included uskebeaghe (1581), usquebaugh (1610), usquebath (1621), and usquebae (1715) . The ‘bae’ element was subsequently dropped, and the drink became known as ‘whisky’. 
Ursus maritimus, Thalarctos, sea bear, ice bear, isbjorn, white bear, beliy medved, lord of the Arctic, old man in the fur cloak, and white sea deer are some of the names used to describe a polar bear.
The Norse poets from medieval Scandinavia said polar bears had the strength of 12 men and the wit of 11. They referred to them with the following names White Sea Deer; The Seal’s Dread; The Rider of Icebergs; The Whale’s Bane; The Sailor of the Floe.
The Sami and Lapp refuse to call them “polar bear” in order to avoid offending them. Instead, they call them God’s Dog or The Old Man in the Fur Cloak.
Nanuk is used by the the Inuit, meaning Animal Worthy of Great Respect. Pihoqahiak is also used by the Inuit; it means The Ever-Wandering One.
Gyp or Orqoi – Grandfather or Stepfather – are used by the Ket of Siberia as a sign of respect.
Polar bears respond to seasonal changes and the distribution of seals and sea ice. In food-rich areas, they have smaller home ranges and their habitat often overlaps with other bears.
Scientists believe that most polar bears limit travel to home ranges of a few hundred miles. However, they know of one satellite-tracked female that trekked 4,796 kilometers (2,980) miles—from Alaska’s Prudhoe Bay to Greenland to Canada’s Ellesmere Island and back to Greenland.
Blubber is key to a polar bear surviving the harsh Arctic winters. Ringed seals are the most accessible meal, especially to younger bears and females. Male polar bears also hunt larger bearded seals.
When an adult bear is in good shape, polar bears often eat only the blubber in order to build up the fat reserves they need to sustain themselves between meals. They leave the carcass for scavengers such as arctic foxes, ravens, and other bears.
Scientists concedes that, while a killer whale might have an opportunity
to attack a bear stranded on a remnant of ice or while swimming in open water, it’s extremely unlikely. To date, there are no reported or documented cases of such predation or attempts.
However, as Arctic sea ice continues to recede, reports of orcas using waters in the Far North are growing, suggesting a range expansion
is in progress for some regions like Hudson Bay.
In Autumn, a seal cuts ten to fifteen breathing holes (known as aglus by Canadian Inuit) in the ice, using the sharp claws on its fore flippers.
Seals keep their breathing holes open all winter long, even in ice up to two meters (six feet) thick. They surface about every five to fifteen minutes at one of the holes or use air pockets trapped under the ice when available.
Polar bears attack by waiting for seals to breathe at the openings. They locate them with their powerful sense of smell and wait for the seals to emerge. Polar bears have to be smart and patient because the wait can be long—sometimes hours, or even days.
The polar bear’s fur isn’t actually white—it just looks that way. Each hair shaft is pigment-free and transparent with a hollow core that scatters and reflects visible light, much like what happens with ice and snow.
Polar bears look whitest when they are clean and in high-angle sunlight, especially just after the molt period, which usually begins in spring and is complete by late summer. Before molting, accumulated oils in their fur from the seals they eat can make them look yellow.
Female polar bears give birth to their cubs in snow dens (in November or December), where the family is protected from the harsh Arctic environment. At birth, the cubs are only around 30cm long and weigh around half a kilogram – that’s about the same as a guinea pig!
As well as reaching speeds of up to 6mph in the water, polar bears can swim for long distances and steadily for many hours to get from one piece of ice to another. Their large paws are specially adapted for swimming, which they’ll use to paddle through the water while holding their hind legs flat like a rudder.
As recently as 2006 genetic testing confirmed the existence of polar bear-grizzly bear hybrids, also known as ‘grolar bears’ or ‘pizzly bears’. The hybrid physically resembles an intermediate between the two species, but as wild hybrids are usually birthed from polar bear mothers they are raised and behave like polar bears. The ability for polar bears and grizzly bears to interbreed is unsurprising when you consider that polar bears evolved from brown bears as recently as 150,000 years ago! 
Hundreds of polar bears gather near Churchill, Manitoba, every autumn to wait for the sea ice to form on Hudson Bay.
Maude Flanders was the wife of Ned Flanders, and the mother of Rod and Todd. Maude was a devout Christian and was often judgemental of her fellow Springfield residents.
In “Alone Again, Natura-Diddily”, Maude died after being knocked off a grandstand by several t-shirt cannons at the Springfield Speedway. The shirts had been meant to hit Homer, who wanted one of them. However, before the shirts could hit him, Homer noticed a bobby pin on the ground, and bent over to pick it up. This caused Maude, who was returning to her seat behind Homer, to be struck instead, and fall off the grandstand to her death.
The real reason her character was killed off was due to a pay dispute between the actress (Maggie Roswell) who voiced her character and the show’s producers.
Homer’s hippie Mom.
Seemingly always on the run, she is always a well-meaning criminal trying to further some cause or another.
Mona returns to Springfield one last time, visiting Homer. Homer has grown sick of his mother’s constant leaving and returning and refuses to reconcile with her in order to keep himself from feeling hurt. Later, feeling guilty, he attempts to apologize to his mother, only to find out she had passed away sitting in front of the fireplace.
Marion Anthony “Fat Tony” D’Amico was Springfield’s mob boss. In ‘Donnie Fatso’, Fat Tony collapsed and died in Homer’s arms. His death was most likely caused by a heart attack or cardiac arrest. He was replaced by his cousin Fit Tony.
Bleeding Gums Murphy is loosely based on Sonny Rollins, a great saxophone player who took a break from his life as a recording and performing jazz artist to practice his musical craft on a bridge.
He makes his final appearance in “Round Springfield”. When Bart ends up in the hospital after eating a jagged metal Krusty-Os, Lisa finds Bleeding Gums in a hospital bed in a nearby ward. They play Carole King’s “Jazzman” together, entertaining the hospital. He explains about his life, family and work to her as well as giving her advice for her upcoming school performance, lending her his saxophone. When Lisa returns she is devastated when she finds out that Bleeding Gums has died from circumstances that are never revealed, possibly cardiac arrest.
Frank Grimes is a c-worker of Homer at the Springfield Nuclear Power Plant and his self-declared enemy. He was the polar opposite of Homer – a hard worker, who had to earn everything the hard way. He was also irritable, grumpy, and easily annoyed.
In an effort to prove that Homer was a truly undeserving buffoon, Grimes tricked him into entering a nuclear power plant model-building contest intended for kids. When Homer won the contest with his own entry (a copy of the current power plant, with added fins to lower wind resistance and a racing stripe) and received thunderous applause from the audience, Grimes finally snapped, declaring everyone in the plant to be insane. Clearly having lost his mind, Grimes ran through the plant, psychotically impersonating Homer in a mocking fashion, and ultimately spotted some high-voltage power cables, saying, “What’s this? ‘Extremely high voltage.’ Well, I don’t need safety gloves, ’cause I’m Homer Simp–” He touched the cables before he could finish his sentence and was fatally electrocuted.
Clancy was the husband of Jacqueline Bouvier, the father of Patty, Selma, and Marge Bouvier, father-in-law of Homer Simpson and the maternal grandfather of Ling Bouvier and Maggie, Lisa, and Bart.
We know that Clancy is deceased, since Homer said he had bought Marge a “white-noise machine” to help her deal with her father’s death. It was later revealed by Jacqueline that he died of lung cancer
Alice Glick was an elderly woman who resided in the same neighbourhood as the Simpsons. Bart sometimes does work for her in exchange for pocket money.
Mrs. Glick is killed in “Replaceable You” by a rogue robot seal. She is later seen in Heaven.
The original Snowball got hit by a Chrysler, and Lisa got a new cat and named her Snowball II. Her name is slightly ironic because she is black unlike the original Snowball or an actual snowball that is white.
Lisa adopted Snowball III from an animal shelter shortly after the death of Snowball II. At the shelter, she passed over a skunk, a Siamese cat, a cat she assessed as “too needy,” and a cat with an eye infection before finally deciding upon Snowball III.
After bringing him home, 
Lisa went into the kitchen to prepare cat food to serve Snowball III his first meal in his new home. She went into the living room to check on him, only to find him drowned in the aquarium dead, apparently having tried (and failed) to catch a goldfish. Snowball III was a brown male cat and had light green eyes.
Who could resist that cute sad face. This puppy makes it to number 1 on our list because it has it all :sad eyes, adorable big ears and a look that says pick me up and cuddle me!
Their wrinkly skin, cute tubby bodies and helpless look makes everyone’s hearts melt.
Their cute faces, and abundance of lovely fur bumps the Akita puppy up to number three on our list.
As a puppy, this breed looks like a fluffy little teddy bear. Their soft coat, round eyes and adorable faces make it impossible to not want to pick them up and cuddle them.
It is no surprise that the Labrador is a friend of advertising agencies. His roly-poly body and cute face could sell us anything.
Pugs are little bundles of joy and fun! Their bug-eyes, scrunched-up face and curly tail melts any heart.
Impossible to spell but very probably that you will fall in love with these diminutive pups. Their cute sad faces and small size make this breed a favourite the world over.
Look at those big blue eyes! Viszlas are a regal handsome breed and their pups are the picture of cuteness.
Another favourite with advertisers and it is no surprise why – these puppies are irresistible!
Like the Basset Hound, this puppy’s sad droopy face and velvet ears help rank it highly in the cute stakes.