It’s officially been 101 days of lockdown here in the UK.
Whilst that does sort of sound like a far-fetched sequel to the classic 1996 Disney film 101 Dalmatians, it does also make it hit home just how long it’s been since life as we once knew was tipped on its head in the wake of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
4th July is set to bring about the relaxing of lockdown restrictions to a level that will resume some form of normality, but for a lot of us, there will still be a human-shaped void left to fill.
There might just be a solution for this though.
If you’ve been stripped of human contact for far too long and don’t fancy letting that continue any longer, how about an IKEA DJUNGELSKOG bear instead?
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Yes, we know that’s not quite the same as human contact, but it seems to doing the trick for a whole host of people on Twitter after a tweet by Lily – @stargazeridiot – went viral yesterday. Her comical tweet, accompanied by pictures of the DJUNGELSKOG bear, simply read:
It’s pretty self explanatory and who’s to say she’s not on to something here? We won’t judge.
The tweet has gone on to amass well over 73K retweets, 300K likes and hundreds of comments in less than 24 hours since posting, so she likely is on to something.
Many other Twitter users also replied with pictures of their DJUNGELSKOG bears too.
The IKEA DJUNGELSKOG bear is 100cm-wide and according to the description on the IKEA website, is a “big brown bear [that] always greets you with open arms”. It’s “cuddly like no other and with a lovely giant stomach where you can feel safe resting – in other words, a real softy.”
The DJUNGELSKOG bear is actually part of the wider DJUNGELSKOG collection, which has the important purpose of highlighting wild animals that are endangered due to human activities. According to IKEA, “through the textiles and soft toys in the DJUNGELSKOG collection, we can get to know [these endangered animals] up close.”
“In reality, many of them are threatened by human advancement, but it is possible to change.”
“We have chosen to use materials like sustainably grown cotton, lyocell and polyester made from recycled plastic as our tribute to all beautiful animals threatened by extinction”.
If you’re on board with this whole DJUNGELSKOG bear human replacement thing, then you’ll be pleased to know you can get your hands on one for just £25 from IKEA stores and online here.
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Classic FM will be back playing calming music for anxious pets this Bonfire Night
Emily Sergeant
Classic FM will be back playing calming music for anxious pets during this year’s fireworks season.
Bonfire Night may be loved by us humans for the spectacular firework displays and all the festive-themed activities that come along with it… but sadly, the November holiday isn’t quite so fun for our four-legged friends.
Loud bangs, flashing lights, and unpleasant strong smell of spent explosives are just some of the reasons why fireworks are frightening to pets.
Not only that, but with multiple bangs occurring from numerous displays across this time of year, pets are rarely able to pinpoint when and where the booming explosions are coming from, therefore creating even more anxiety around this time of year.
Classic FM will play calming music for anxious pets during this year’s fireworks / Credit: DESIGNECOLOGIST (via Unsplash)
Which is why, for the ninth year running now, Classic FM is once again teaming up with the RSPCA for two Pet Classics programmes packed with ‘the most soothing and comforting classical music’.
The music has been handpicked to help calm and settle any anxious pets.
A survey by the RSPCA revealed that almost two-thirds (63%) of animal owners reported their pet was distressed during fireworks season, and that playing relaxing music was the most common way (36%) to help calm or prepare their animal.
Presenters Dan Walker, Aled Jones, and Dawn O’Porter will each host a night of the specially created programme to help keep the nation’s pets calm through the whizzes and bangs.
Dan will present the first programme on Bonfire Night itself (Thursday 5 November), and then as celebrations continue throughout the weekend, Aled will be on hand to bring some peace to Friday 6 November, and Dawn picks up the baton on Saturday 7 November.
All three Pet Classics programmes will be broadcast from 5pm to 10pm, and you can listen on Classic FM or Global Player available across the UK.
Featured Image – The Manc Group
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What is the UK’s national dish? New survey reveals Brits’ pick in landslide victory
Emily Sergeant
If you’ve ever thought to Google the question ‘what is Britain’s national dish?’, then you probably came away thinking it’s chicken tikka masala.
But is that actually the truth? A new survey has disproved the claim, massively.
There’s no denying that chicken tikka masala – an Indian curry that’s actually widely thought to have been created in Britain – is a popular dish that’s loved by many, but despite what many headlines have claimed over the years, a new YouGov survey has revealed it’s not what Brits consider to be the country’s ‘national dish’.
YouGov conducted two online surveys earlier this month, made up of 2,079 and 2,104 adults aged 18+ living in Great Britain.
And, in their own words, Brits chose fish and chips as the country’s national dish, making it the ‘resounding’ winner with 49% of the vote.
What is the UK’s national dish? A new survey has revealed Brits’ pick in a landslide victory / Credit: The Manc Group
With nearly half of the overall vote, this puts fish and chips far ahead of the roast dinner in second place, which only 24% of people picked – including the 6% who made sure to specify a beef roast.
In fact, only 3% of Brits actually name chicken tikka masala as the UK’s national dish, although 52% in the survey did confess that they eat some form of curry at least once a month, so it is still a popular pick regardless.
Fish and chips is by far the most common answer across all generations too, according to the survey (45-50%), with the biggest difference between age groups being that 18-24 year olds are less likely to have nominated roast dinner and more likely to have chosen chicken tikka masala instead.
What do Brits say is the UK’s national dish?
Fish and chips – 49%
Roast dinner – 24%
Chicken tikka masala – 3%
Curry (non-specific) – 2%
Full English breakfast – 2%
Bangers and mash – 1%
Cottage or shepherd’s pie – 1%
Other – 3%
Don’t know – 15%
The survey also showed that, of the three top contenders for the UK’s national dish, roast dinners are the most frequently eaten, as 52% of people said they eat them on a monthly basis – including 16% who do so every week.
Aside from the frequently mentioned dishes, some survey respondents also gave shoutouts to the full English breakfast (2%), bangers and mash (1%), and cottage or shepherd’s pie (1%).
Emily Sergeant -
1st July 2020 
