Local newspapers in both resorts took the decision not to carry the new advert.
“Skeggy” or as it’s affectionately known “The Costa del Skeg”, also claims to be “England’s cultural coast” where “great art and coast come together”.
Blackpool attracts about 13 million visitors each year, with plans in place for a £220m transformation of the resort's centre, while more than eight million people flock to Brighton annually.
In comparison Skegness only welcomes around four million visitors each year, generating £450m for the local economy.
Last year it was described in the Lonely Planet guide as "good family fun if you immerse yourself in the whole tacky spectacle".
But James Gilbert, ELDC’s communications team leader, who commissioned the idea, said the campaign said that view was 30 years out of date
“We want to challenge people’s perceptions and showcase the amazing art, culture, dance, theatre and music that is staged in the town,” he added.
“These adverts are highlighting alternative views, we hope to entice people into having a look at what Skegness has to offer.
“Obviously, Brighton and Blackpool attract more visitors than Skegness and we are not seeking to insult anyone who lives there or visits there.
"We are not trying to upset anyone, it's a bit of friendly rivalry," he said.
Skegness is hoping to get publicity for an "amazing summer of events", which includes So Festival and the Olympic Torch Relay on 27 June.
But Claire Smith, from the guesthouse and hoteliers association Stay Blackpool, said it was a "dirty tricks" campaign.
She said: "Skegness is a lovely little place and this campaign isn't drawing me in, in fact it's making me think about Blackpool and Brighton.
"It is difficult times. Blackpool has an abundance of stuff going on all summer as well, as I am sure Brighton has, but I don't think this campaign is the way to attract visitors," she said.
Both Skegness and Blackpool are featured in a TV advertising campaign to encourage Britons to take their holidays at home in 2012.
Skegness once relied on The Jolly Fisherman with the slogan “So bracing” to promote the town in reference to the chilly north-easterly winds that whipped the beach off the North Sea.
A spokesman for Brighton and Hove City Council said: “Good luck to them. It’s slightly hard to tell what they’re getting at, however.
“As Brighton is widely known as a successful, buzzing, cultural place, with England’s biggest arts festival, claiming to be dissimilar is a strange strategy.
“But if Skegness wants to remind thousands of people that Brighton is here, that’s fine.”
Former Brighton city council leader Mary Mears said: “There’s a big difference between the two.
“Those people that visit Skegness maybe would not want to go again whereas we get lots of repeat customers in Brighton and Hove.”
Robin Morley, of Brighton-based Magnetic Events, is directing So Festival later this month.
He said: “I do have cross loyalties as Brighton is my home but have worked with East Lindsey council for three years.
“I think the advert shows Brighton and Hove has two sides to it, like any town or city.”
Source: www.telegraph.co.uk
Does everyone need a prenup these days? - msnbc.com
NEW YORK — For centuries, men and women didn't marry for love -- they married for money. The union of a man and woman was strictly a business arrangement to create financial security and combine fortunes as well as empires.
Today's couples, at least in the United States, have more freedom in selecting a spouse. But they also have a way out of the partnership: divorce.
That is why more of them are waltzing down the aisle with a prenuptial agreement in hand. Sheila Riesel, a matrimonial attorney at Blank Rome LLP in New York, talks about the trends in prenups.
Q. Are you seeing more prenups?
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A. A prenup is private contract among two individuals. We don't know how many prenups are in existence. Without question, though, prenups are becoming a commonplace occurrence before couples with some financial means, even young ones, tie the knot.
Q. Why are younger couples flocking to prenups? Is it family pressure?
A. The reality is that 50 percent of the time, these marriages end in divorce. People need some downside protection. They may come to a marriage with substantial dollars, be it something that they've earned (a la Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg) or something they've inherited or been given by their families.
Q. Does everyone with money need a prenup?
A. The conventional wisdom is that a prenup is an important thing for the "monied" future spouse if a marriage dissolves; otherwise, their assets will be divided in an equitable distribution or as community property, depending on which state they live in. But prenups give the spouse who doesn't have money a way to peek at their partner's assets -- and negotiate. It's a way of getting to assets you might not otherwise know about.
The negotiation of a prenup is very much dictated by who wants to get married more. To put it as bluntly as possible, often there's a dynamic in a couple that one person is more in love, more committed to getting married. In that context, the other person, monied or not, has the leverage.
Q. Describe a typical prenup.
A. The basic structure is: "Everything in my name is mine, and everything in your name is yours. You will receive X dollars for every year we are married." Sometimes that's also tied to the number of children produced in a marriage.
Q. What's typically covered in the agreement?
A. Existing wealth and business interests are the top priority. A person may have intellectual property rights that need to be protected, too. Or they may be an author and create characters. I know of a prenup where a wine collection was an issue -- it was a very nice wine collection.
In states like New York, the definition of assets is very broad, so prenups will cover advanced degrees that are earned during the marriage. If you are still in school, you have a legitimate concern that the business, law or medical degree you get is a valuable marital asset, and your future earnings could factor into a divorce settlement.
You'll find a confidentiality provision in a prenup when a person is of public interest or has substantial wealth. Both parties agree to keep the existence of the agreement, terms, as well as the information one gathers as a result of the marriage, confidential.
Q. How about unusual provisions in a prenup?
A. I've seen situations where one person has all the money, and the other may be younger and more beautiful. It's been a while, but I've seen prenups tied to weight of one of the spouses -- so long there was not a weight gain, they'd get a certain amount. That's incredibly appalling.
Q. How far before a wedding should you hammer out the details of a prenup?
A. The earlier, the better. Six months before the wedding is ideal, but, on average, most people sign their prenups a month before the wedding. Of course, some people wait until the last minute. I've seen prenups signed on the day of the wedding. That's not smart. You don't want to tarnish the excitement of a wedding day, or leave yourself open to claims of duress.
When a prenup is negotiated, there may be a very clear mission in terms of what needs to be accomplished financially, but it has to be done in a way that doesn't damage the fabric of this nascent relationship.
Q. Do you get a lot of tears in your office?
A. Not usually, and when I do, it speaks to an imbalance in the relationship, where one person is too vulnerable. I do get a lot of anger and disappointment. People who do prenups best see this as something to get done as a business deal.
Copyright 2012 Thomson Reuters. Click for restrictions.
Source: www.msnbc.msn.com
The calm before the 'once in 50 years' storm: Forecasters predict major flooding as huge low sweeps in from the Atlantic - Daily Mail
- Temperatures up to 10C below normal and sunshine down 60 per cent in worst June since records began
- Emergency services issue a 'major flood' alert in the South-West and Wales as Atlantic front sweeps in
- After a dry spell yesterday and today, downpours and gusts are set to return with a vengeance tonight
- Environment Agency issues two warnings where flooding was expected and 12 where possible today
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Britain is at risk of being lashed by a once in 50 years storm, forecasters warned today.
The Weather Channel said rivers would be overwhelmed and warned of a 'major flooding event' as Nasa released this satellite picture of a huge low sweeping in from the Atlantic.
Forecasters at the Met Office have already predicted 60mph hurricane-force winds will bring three months of rain over the next three days, making June the wettest since records began.
Flying high... while they can: Paragliders take advantage of break in the miserable weather over Beachy Head and Eastbourne in East Sussex today
Making the most of it: The paragliders may have to back up they chutes soon, though, as more downpours are sweeping their way across the UK today
Emergency services issued a flood alert in the South-West and Wales last night with eight inches of rain expected as a massive front of terrible weather sweeps in from the Atlantic.
Forecasters said England and Wales’ appalling June weather is officially the worst since records began more than 100 years ago. The countries are on course for the wettest ever June, temperatures are up to 10C below normal and sunshine is down 60 per cent.
After a dry period of respite for many parts of Britain yesterday and today, the wet weather will return this evening and get worse going into tomorrow as a slow-moving area of low pressure brings thundery showers and strong winds.
It's coming: NASA's Terra satellite took this stunning image of today's 70mph Atlantic storm at 12.45pm as it span towards the South-West
Weather Channel forecaster Leon Brown said: 'There’s a 50 per cent possibility of extreme downpours seeing over 80mm of rain in 12 hours in south and east Wales, which is a once-in-50 years event.
'The greatest intensity of rain will be early Thursday night and again on Friday daytime. Overall, up to 110mm is expected in Wales in just over 48 hours to midnight Saturday.
With yet more rain and stormy weather forecast, Freya Kirkpatrick , 4, takes a last chance to play in the sunshine with her dog, Monty, in a giant field of ox eye daisies on the edge of Blithfield Reservoir near Rugeley, Staffordshire
'This rainfall will be widespread across river catchment areas and could completely overwhelm rivers downstream. There is a high risk of flooding, with situation made even worse by ground being saturated from previous rain this week.'
MeteoGroup forecaster Julian Mayes said: 'We cannot find a period of June weather worse than this month since records began. For a 12-day period, it’s as bad as it can be.
'There’s no parallel with this month’s combination of very high rainfall, very low sunshine and very low daytime temperatures.
'The outlook is unsettled and although we don’t yet know for sure if it will be the wettest June, it’s well on the way.'
Cornwall Fire and Rescue Service said its 650 firefighters and 100 support staff were ready to take flood action.
A spokesperson said: 'Ourselves, the police and county council are monitoring the weather forecast and will take appropriate action when needed. We have vast experience dealing with flooding, in particular floods which devastated Cornwall in November 2010.'
Calm before the storm: The sky above the Queens tennis club on day three of the AEGON Championships in London hint at what is to come later today
Enjoy it while it lasts: For much of today, however, the sun has been trying to come out, but the reprieve will only be temporary, forecasters warn
When 80mm of rain fell in 24 hours in west Wales last Friday, 150 people were rescued and 850 relocated as 5ft floods swept through caravan parks and villages.
Government forecasters predicted 15-20mm of rain today, plus 70-100mm over higher ground in 48 hours from midnight, with 30-50mm on lower ground.
The Weather Channel forecast more than 100mm on higher ground and warned of a 'major flooding event.' Rivers running off higher ground will fill rapidly.
The Met Office forecast wind gusts to hit a gale-force of 55mph-60mph on coasts in the South-West tomorrow.
Other parts of the UK will escape the worst of the conditions, with up to an inch of rain across tomorrow and Saturday, with 35-40mph gusts, the Met Office said.
Who says the weather's bad? Two girls from Oregon in the U.S. enjoy ice creams on one of the bridges that straddle the village of Bourton-on-the-Water, Gloucestershire
Sunshine after the rain: A young lady takes advantage of the weather in a deckchair in St James's Park, London, today before the downpours sweep in
Gusts on the horizon: The flags in Parliament Square, London, have been blowing more vigorously today, indicating that the expected high winds of up to 60mph could soon be upon us
Temperatures have been miserable for many. Forest Row, E Sussex, only reached 10.7C on Tuesday, almost 10C below normal for June.
Sunshine is down 60 per cent so far this month, with England and Wales averaging just 30 hours’ sunshine. June normally sees 178 hours’ sunshine.
Although there have been heavy showers in parts of the South West, Wales and the North West, parts of the country which were on flood alert after days of heavy rain were given breathing space yesterday with clear skies in the South East and London.
The break in the weather came as three of the UK’s biggest water companies announced they would lift hosepipe bans, imposed to deal with drought, following weeks of heavy rain.
Thames Water, Anglian Water and Southern Water were to remove the restrictions in place since early April from today.
Seven water companies across southern and eastern England brought in hosepipe bans after two unusually dry winters left some groundwater supplies and rivers as low as in the drought year of 1976.
The Environment Agency had urged people in Devon, Cornwall, west Somerset, North Wales and parts of the Midlands to remain prepared for the possibility of floods as the Met Office issued a weather warning for heavy rain.
At one point yesterday the EA had five flood warnings in place for rivers where flooding was expected, and 21 less serious flood alerts.
There were also 17 flood alerts, mainly in East Anglia and the South East.
Underwater: The ford near Charvil, Berkshire, which flooded to a depth of 6ft after heavy rain hit parts of the UK. Temperatures are up to 10C below normal and sunshine is down 60 per cent
AT A GLANCE: WHAT'S IN STORE FOR REST OF THE WEEK
TONIGHT: Much of the UK will see heavy rain spreading north with some torrential downpours expected.
Wales and south-west England will have clear spells developing during the early hours, but with heavy and thundery showers too.
The far north of Scotland will remain dry overnight with clear spells, but turning cloudy towards morning.
TOMORROW: There will be a band of heavy rain across northern
England, southern Scotland and Northern Ireland at first, which will move
north into much of northern Scotland through the day. The rest of England and Wales will have sunny spells and heavy and frequent showers and thunderstorms.
SATURDAY: A rather cloudy day with the best of any sunshine in the south-east. There will be widespread heavy showers or longer spells of rain across much of the UK with the risk of
thunder, particularly across northern England, Wales and south-west
England. Windy across southern England with gusts reaching up to 50mph.
SUNDAY: There will be variable cloud and scattered showers, but the
showers will be lighter and less frequent than the showers on Saturday.
Today, that had been downgraded to two warnings where flooding was expected and 12 where it was possible over the next 12 hours.
Sussex Police, West Sussex Fire and Rescue Service and council officers said they evacuated people from flooded homes in the village of Elmer, near Bognor Regis, after reports of flooding of up to 6ft in some homes.
Inflatable boats were used to reach 250 vulnerable homes, knocking on doors and searching properties to make sure people were safe and received the help they needed, a Sussex Police spokeswoman said.
MeteoGroup said that the highest rainfall had been at Culdrose in Cornwall, where 16mm fell, with 13mm in Nantwich, Cheshire.
Forecaster Tom Tobler said the bad weather at the end of the week could bring strong winds but not as strong as those experienced last week.
An Environment Agency spokesperson said: 'We’re asking people in Devon, Cornwall, West Somerset, north Wales and parts of the Midlands to remain vigilant and prepared for flooding.
'We urge caravan and camping site operators across the South-West to be ready to take action should flooding occur.
'Heavy rain has left many areas more vulnerable to flooding. We advise the public stay away from swollen rivers and not to drive through floodwater.
'We’re speaking to councils and emergency services and sharing severe weather alerts.'
The Met Office said: 'The UK has seen exceptionally wet weather and there’s more rain to come.
'A spell of wet and windy weather with persistent heavy rain will affect parts of the South-West and Wales from late Thursday through Friday and Saturday.
'It looks like Friday and Saturday will see 10-20mm of rain quite widely, with an additional 20-30mm across the South-West and Wales and 60-80mm over higher ground the South-West and south Wales.
'The public advised to take extra care and should be aware of the risk of localised flooding.'
Weather Channel forecaster Leon Brown said: 'We are very likely to see a repeat of the major flooding events that happened in Wales and Sussex in the last week.
'Higher hills are forecast to see over 100mm, with local flash flooding is likely anywhere in Wales and across much of England on Saturday with 20-30mm of rain possible in a few hours.
'There’s a risk of trees being blown down on Friday, and Channel ferry crossings will be very rough.'
Source: www.dailymail.co.uk
TOWIE'S Gemma Collins strips down to swimsuit to tell Arg: You ain't ever gonna get this candy - The Sun
The 31-year-old whipped off her bright pink sarong and showed off her curves in a black one-piece as she declared she was "f***ing sexy" and pal James "Arg" Argent could "kiss my a**".
Gemma was seen approaching Arg as he mucked around in the pool after the champagne spray party on last night's TOWIE special The Only Way Is Marbs.
The cast of the hit ITV2 show headed to Marbella, Spain, earlier this month to film the one-off episode.
As Gemma stood in front of the boys, Joey Essex asked: “So are you two getting together or what?”
In the last episode of series five Gemma was seen declaring she "loved" Arg, 24, and giving him a kiss.
But the former car saleswoman has obviously had a change of heart since then.
She blasted: “Well I just want to say something to you (Arg), you’ve been going around discussing what happened between us, let me tell you something now, you don’t ever disrespect a girl again.
“Take a look at this, because you ain't ever gonna get this candy.”
Gemma then undid her sarong, to unveil her swimsuit underneath.
Arg was left looking stunned and confused, before announcing: “I don’t get it Gemma, I don’t understand.”
She then told the chubby crooner: “I don’t like the way you turn around and say, oh she’s got a pretty face but she’s got a bad metabolism."
Before adding: "I am f***ing sexy James. I am sexy and I know it.”
The furious blonde continued: “I don’t even want to go out with you Arg, you disrespect girls. You cheated on Lydia how many times?
“You think I’m pretty, but I’m too fat to go out with you James.
“I might not be a size 10, but I’ve got a good heart."
She then held up a little finger before smacking her bum as she announced: “So take that and kiss that.”
Gemma then flounced off, wiggling her bum from side to side, before shouting back at Arg: “Kiss my a**” as their castmates struggled to contain their giggles.
Source: www.thesun.co.uk
Essex Fire Crews Hold Off Setting Strike Dates and Offer 'Martini' Talks to Councillors to Break Deadlock in Dispute-Any Time, Any Place, Anywhere - Market Wire
ESSEX, ENGLAND--(Marketwire - June 14, 2012) - Essex fire crews have held off from immediately setting strike dates and asked senior councillors to attend 'talks about talks' in a bid to break the deadlock in their dispute. The chair and vice-chair of the fire authority have been given an open invitation to meet with union representatives and national fire service conciliators to explore avenues for resolving the dispute.
Essex Fire Brigades Union says it is placing no restrictions on what can be raised by the councillors nor on who else they chose to bring to exploratory talks. The move follows a statement yesterday from Tony Hedley, the Chair of the fire authority who said talks and were the way forward.
The union has offered 'Martini' talks - anytime, anyplace, anywhere.
Yesterday the FBU announced fire crews had voted TWO to ONE in favour of strike action in a dispute over frontline cuts and changes forced through without proper negotiation or agreement. Current plans for cuts would see the loss of one in five frontline crews in Essex since 2008, with the public already waiting longer for fire crews to turn up to fires in the home.
Mick Rogers FBU brigade secretary said: "The General Secretary has not given immediate notice of strike action so we can explore whether there might be a way forward through conciliation. No one in the fire service wants to take strike action and we are trying to avoid taking action if possible.
"We have written to the Tony Hedley and the vice-chair of the fire authority asking them to attend exploratory talks anytime, anyplace, anywhere. We are placing no restrictions on those talks, nor are we placing any preconditions or limitations on who they can bring with them or what issues are raised.
"We have asked national fire service conciliators - representatives from both employers and unions - to attend to assist in breaking the deadlock and exploring a way forward. These will be open talks with an open agenda to explore a way forward which could, potentially, avoid strike action.
"We're in no doubt that Tony Hedley is genuine in what he has said this week about his desire for talks to resolve the dispute. At this stage we need to set some of the rhetoric aside, and explore what avenues there may be to reach a resolution.
"The fire authority is well aware there are tight legal timescales regarding strike action following a ballot and there is only a small window of opportunity. As a result we have asked them for a response by 2pm on Wednesday 20 June to allow them a reasonable time to consider our proposal."
Source: www.marketwire.com
Self-employed men hide income in alimony cases: Court - Newstrack India
New Delhi, June 14 (IANS) A Delhi court has expressed concern over self-employed men involved in matrimonial discord cases not revealing their real income ahead of the fixation of maintenance for their estranged wives.
Metropolitan Magistrate Priya Mahendra in a recent order directed Dalbir, a farmer from Hamidpur in north Delhi, to pay a monthly maintenance of Rs.10,000 to his estranged wife and two minor daughters.
The court ruled that the real income of self-employed men involved in such cases never came to the surface.
"Unfortunately, in India, parties do not truthfully reveal their income. For self- employed persons or persons employed in the unorganised sector, truthful income never surfaces," said the court.
The court's remarks came after hearing that Dalbir's monthly earning was between Rs.6,000-7,000. He told the court that he was a farmer and earned Rs.75,000 a year.
The court said that it was unbelievable that a man having so many properties in Delhi had an income of Rs.6,000-7,000 per month.
"It is important to note that even the minimum wage for an unskilled person in Delhi is Rs.6,000 per month," said the court.
The court also considered the submission made by Dalbir's estranged wife that he owned many properties and earned around Rs.8-10 lakh a year.
"The respondent is the owner of a number of lands and it is not possible for him to maintain such properties without having good income. The income of the respondent in the present case can be reasonably assessed as Rs.30,000-40,000 per month," said the court.
The court directed Dalbir to pay Rs.5,000 a month to his wife and Rs.5,000 a month to his minor school-going daughters.
The court was hearing a petition filed by Dalbir's estranged wife for maintenance. She told the court that they got married Feb 18, 1999. Later Dalbir's family started torturing her for not bringing enough dowry.
After the birth of two daughters, Dalbir and his family abused her for not giving birth to a boy.
The woman told the court that she was turned out of her husband's house Jan 27, 2009, along with her two daughters and denied any maintenance.
Source: www.newstrackindia.com
Bringing Essex back! Maria Fowler is right on trend in a bright red peplum dress but can't resist keeping it short and backless - Daily Mail
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She may have quit The Only Way Is Essex last year, but Maria Fowler will never forget her roots.
The 25-year-old blonde enjoyed a night out in London's Mayfair last night and although she tried her best to dress demure, her Essex style still managed to make an appearance.
Fowler showed off her slender figure in a bright red peplum dress that featured a fitted skirt and a high neck.
Almost demure: Maria Fowler arrives in Mayfair last night wearing a short and backless peplum dress
However, the former glamour model and Page 3 girl made up for this by ensuring the colourful garment was backless and also very short so that she could show off her tanned legs.
Fowler teamed the dress with a pair of nude suede heels and carried a large tanned handbag and a black jacket over her left arm.
The former TOWIE star must have been feeling a spot of dj vu as it was the only the night before that she had been out on the town in Mayfair once again.
Showing off: The blonde highlighted her slender figure in the colourful garment which she teamed with fake eyelashes
Yet again, Fowler dressed to impress for the evening in a rainbow bandage dress by Forever Unique.
And she ensured plenty of skin was on show so she could 'road test' hew new own brand of fake tan.
She headed to celebrity hotspot Funky Buddha with her friend, Capital FM DJ Greg Burns.
Colourful lady: Fowler was also out in Mayfair the night before wearing a rainbow bandage dress
Just friends: The former glamour model partied with Capital Radio DJ Greg Burns on Wednesday night
Source: www.dailymail.co.uk
Britain to have "Once in 50 years storm"? Like the one Wales had last week, and nothing near as severe as the one Scotland had last year? Also, if the "Met Office have already predicted 60mph hurricane-force winds" they might wish to consult their wee cut-out-and-keep Beaufort Scales. 60mph would be storm force, you've got to get above 73mph for hurricane. But the Met Office didn't really say that did it? They're bad, but they're not that bad. Honestly DM, I know you buy your US stories from the National Enquirer, but at least make an effort with the UK weather. It's a national obsession, don't you know?
- Bob Agge, Coatbridge, 14/6/2012 23:54
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