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Are you a bookworm, scotch-lover or just looking for the magic of nostalgia?

Whatever the case, you won’t want to miss the chance to own a one-of-a-kind “William Shakespeare” bottle of whisky, illustrated (and signed) by world-famous illustrator Quentin Blake.

If you’re one of the few who don’t recognise his name, you’ll certainly recognise the artist’s classic style. Quentin’s distinctive illustrations go hand in hand with Roald Dahl’s books, such as The BFG, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and The Twits, and more recently on David Walliams’ first children’s novels.

Now he has turned his hand to an ultra rare bottle of whisky (the contents inside are over half a century old), which has been on show at Sotheby’s on New Bond Street since September 19 and is set to be sold at The Distillers One of One’s charity auction on October 10.

It’s also part of a wider Macbeth collection by design studio Livingstone and whisky makers Elixir Distillers.

Speaking to Metro, Alexis Livingstone Burgess who founded Livingstone said he had always dreamt of releasing a collection of old and rare scotch from many different distilleries.

‘I could never really think of a way of doing it until I thought of the history of the scotch business which often involved families competing and trying to kill each other,’ said Alexis.

‘I thought this is just like Macbeth. That would be the perfect structure for a project like this.’

With creative help from whisky writer Dave Broom and — of course — Quentin Blake, Livingstone and Elixr Distillers created a series of 42 limited edition Scotch whiskies featuring characters from the Scottish play.

With each character ‘cast’ as a bottle of whisky, royals are matched with high-value, rare whiskies, while the six ghosts in the play are partnered with those from so-called ‘ghost’ distilleries that have since shut down.

Any literature lovers will know that, at its core, the play is an exploration of good and evil, and Dave had the idea to cast ‘good’ characters as pure, bourbon whiskies, while ‘evil’ characters are represented by dark, smoked spirit.

The Shakespeare bottle was a little more complicated, admits Alexis.

‘It was a difficult start, as there’s little biographical information about Shakespeare as a person. We decided to make it simple, and think about the two universal things people can agree on — that [Shakespeare’s work is] very very good and very old.’

As such, they chose a whisky that has been aged and retained it’s vibrancy — the Mortlach Single Malt Scotch Whisky that has matured for 63 years.

Alexis then approached Quentin to bring the vision of the whole collection to life.

‘I worked for him as a designer for about 20 years,’ he said. ‘I knew him quite well, but I’d never asked him for anything before.’

‘I don’t think he could think of a way of drawing 42 men in kilts. So I said what about drawing them as birds.’

Known for his anthropomorphic drawings, Quentin enjoys illustrating birds because the way that they stand on two legs makes for a human-like nature. Therefore, Alexis’ suggestion was welcomed, with the pair agreeing that only the Bard should be illustrated as a person.

Whoever gets their hands on the bottle after bidding will also get Quentin’s original Shakespeare drawing, which has been replicated just once for the label.

‘Quentin very rarely sells public drawings,’ said Alexis. ‘For any drawings of his published in a book, he keeps the original in an archive of over 250,00 illustrations.’

The first ever Children’s Laureate, Quentin has been hailed the world’s greatest living illustrator — and may be seen to some as an unlikely choice to illustrate a strictly over-18 product. Alexis recalled even having to ‘convince’ the Scotch Malt Whisky Society that he wasn’t ‘selling whisky to children’ — which he managed to do successfully.

‘Quentin’s illustrated Shakespeare, and Dickens. A lot of the Roald Dahl books he illustrated were quite grim,’ said Alexis. ‘Quentin has the ability to inhabit those emotions without making it just gory and horrific.’

Alexis also acknowledged how Quentin’s work is recognised by all generations, saying ‘it’s hard to think of other illustrators who have had that impact.’

Since their first charity auction in 2021, The Distillers One of One have raised £4.3 million, primarily donated to the Youth Action Fund.

Their fundraising has supported disadvantaged young people in Scotland to make a positive contribution to their communities and reach their potential.

Known as the largest global charity auction of rare Scottish whisky, the company will be donating 100% of the hammer price of each item to good causes.

The Distiller’s One of One’s third charity auction is set to take place at Hopetoun House in Scotland, the home of Shakespeare’s tragic play.

All’s well that ends well – if you want to get your hands on this individual item, the bid estimate sits between £20,000 and £26,000.

The auction will take place on 10 October at Hopetoun House near Edinburgh. The London preview in Sotheby’s New Bond Street galleries is on public view until 30 September.

As well as having a coffee, getting your brows done and browsing all the latest trends, Primark shoppers will now be able to do even more when visiting a store.

That’s because the retailer is launching a brand new service in its Manchester Market Street shop, one that’s been hailed as a ‘luxury’.

Customers in Manchester will now be able to book a same-day appointment to have their clothes repaired or altered in store, in partnership with The Seam, a company that offers care and repair for clothing, footwear and bags.

Bookings for the service will be available online via Eventbrite (although walk-ins are allowed) and when you arrive for your appointment, you’ll meet with staff, discuss your item and leave it for them to work on.

Depending on the work needed on the garment, this could take 20 to 30 minutes, or you can arrange to collect it later in the day if longer is needed.

Prices for repairs and alterations start from £3 and range to £10 for simple services, with Primark subsidising the cost to make the service more affordable.

But there is a catch.

The partnership with The Seam is only currently available in the Manchester store and only for a limited time, as part of a trial to see how customers react.

Shoppers will be able to access the repair service on the lower ground floor of the store every Friday, from now until December 19.

Primark product longevity lead, Vicki Swain, said: ‘We want to make simple clothing repairs and alterations easier to access and more affordable for our customers and we’re excited to see what this partnership with The Seam will bring to local shoppers in Manchester.

‘Simple repairs are a great way to make clothes longer lasting and we know there’s growing demand for it.

‘We are looking forward to the response in our Manchester Market Street store and seeing its potential as an important fixture on the high street.’

Layla Sargent, the founder of The Seam, told TheIndustry.Fashion: ‘By subsidising repairs, Primark is making it possible for everyday shoppers to access what has too often been seen as a luxury.’

This comes after Primark recently made a ‘life-changing’ overhaul to its range.

Ahead September, the retailer announced it would be removing traditional neck labels from children’s T-shirts, sweatshirts, hoodies, pyjamas, and nightwear, printing them on the fabric instead.

The change represents more than half of Primark’s junior line, but it has also committed to further increasing this percentage over the coming months in an effort to create ‘clothes that feel right’.

And that’s not all; as part of a move towards more inclusive design, it will also offer seamless and flat seam socks — addressing a particular source of discomfort for people with sensory issues.

The retailer also recently launched its first homeware-only store in the UK and rolled out click and collect for shoppers in all shops.

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From boots to bags, snakeskin is one of this season’s biggest fashion trends. 

The exotic print was seen at plenty of AW25’s runways including Miu Miu, Tod’s and Khaite, but the celebs got involved, too.

Both Rihanna and Dua Lipa were recently spotted sporting a pair of snakeskin shoes and it’s safe to say, we’re now obsessed. 

So when we spotted a pair of super cool snakeskin trainers at H&M, we couldn’t believe the striking resemblance to a high-end pair from Dries Van Noten. 

H&M Trainers in Beige/Snakeskin Pattern

H&M’s Trainers in Beige/Snakeskin Pattern are sleek low-top trainers with beige laces and an on-trend snakeskin pattern. Comfortable to wear and an instant way to upgrade any plain outfit, they’re guaranteed to be the hottest shoes of the season.

SHOP £32.99

Costing just £32.99, these snakeskin trainers are a whopping £372.01 cheaper than the luxury alternatives but look pretty much identical.

The low-profile design, fold-down heel tab detail and beige laces makes these shoes look far more expensive than they are, and their flexible sole means they’re really comfortable to walk around in for hours. 

The bold animal print might seem tricky to style, but according to fashion insiders all animal print can be seen as a neutral. So, pair them with tailored trousers and a blazer for a work-appropriate outfit or straight leg jeans and a cardigan for a more casual weekend vibe. .

According to the reviews on the H&M website, these trainers do run a little smaller and narrower than most shoes so it might be worth heading in-store to try them on or consider sizing up when you purchase. 

Whether you’re looking to dip your toe into the snakeskin trend or you’re just after a pair of cool everyday trainers, H&M’s snakeskin pair ticks all the fashion boxes and at £32.99, we’re predicting that they won’t stay on shelves for long.

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Grabbing my younger sister’s lifeless hand, a lump caught in my throat. 

‘I’m so sorry,’ the doctor whispered. ‘But she’s not going to make it.’ 

It was May 2022 and, less than 24 hours earlier, Zoe – a second-year politics student at Anglia Ruskin University in Cambridge – had gone clubbing with some friends in the city centre. 

The night, as I understand it, had been pretty standard, filled with dancing and drinking. But then Zoe had collapsed in the toilets. 

She was found unconscious in a cubicle by nightclub security, who called the emergency services. The paramedics got her to the hospital, then the police blue-lit my mum and dad from their home in Ipswich to be by her side in the early hours of the morning. 

Zoe had gone into cardiac arrest after suffering a massive asthma attack. And she would never recover. 

Zoe was four years younger than me and we couldn’t have been more different. While I was calm and quiet, she was emotional, exuberant and felt everyone’s hurt as if it was her own – she couldn’t stand unfairness or suffering, even as a child. 

And yet, we had an incredible bond.  

I always used to say we were ‘sisters who are also best friends’, which I thought was cute but she thought was cringey because she was younger and infinitely cooler than me.  

We loved time together, going to the cinema, going out for lunch, wandering around art galleries but also just being at home. I loved her company; she made me a funnier, happier, more carefree version of myself.  

I suppose part of the reason we were so close was because of her asthma. I’d never had it myself, but seeing my sister fight for each breath, hearing her wheeze every time she picked up a virus or a cold made me extra protective.  

At times it could be scary, especially when, as a teenager, she was hospitalised twice as a result of serious asthma attacks. I was so scared that there was a possibility she would die. I didn’t think I would cope without her in my life.  

That’s why it had been a relief to see that, in the last few years of her life, her asthma had not only stabilised, but had practically disappeared. Or so we’d thought.  

When Mum called me to explain what had happened, her voice was shaking. She could barely get the words out, each one tripping over the next, but I just about made out what she said. 

‘Not responsive,’ she’d mumbled. ‘Didn’t have her inhaler.’   

I dropped everything and raced to Zoe’s side but it was too late.  

My feisty, fervent sister, who had dreams of going to Edinburgh to study investigative journalism and of being prime minister one day, would never regain consciousness. She was gone. 

Following her wishes to be an organ donor, we said goodbye to her the next day – it was the hardest thing I’ve had to do and a shadow of disbelief and the deepest sorrow shrouded us all. 

She was only 20. How could this be happening?  

Those next few weeks were a blur but I do remember that her funeral was the perfect send off, albeit too soon. 

We played songs from her favourite band, Fleetwood Mac, and everyone wore bright colours too. Those flamboyant shades of purples, pinks and reds were Zoe to a tee: loud, proud, and exuberant. 

In the weeks and months that followed, my misery and fury flared: Why hadn’t Zoe looked after her asthma? How could she have been so careless when she knew she was vulnerable? 

I knew it was partly the grief talking, but as a nurse, I just couldn’t understand it.  

Eventually though, that anger soon softened into empathy and I told myself that, if her asthma hadn’t been bothering her, I could see why it had fallen from her mind.  

Still, I couldn’t help wondering if her death could have been preventable.   

It’s now been three and a half years since we lost Zoe and a lot has changed – I now have a beautiful daughter, Nadia, and she reminds me so much of Zoe. Just like her aunt, my girl never stops talking. 

The one thing that hasn’t changed though is our lack of answers. We’ll never know what triggered her fatal attack, or whether she’d have survived if she’d had her inhaler with her that night. 

However, as a family, we’re determined not to let another young person lose their life like Zoe. It’s why we’re working with the charity Asthma + Lung UK to raise awareness of the importance of proper asthma care. 

According to the charity, the chances of a young person having an asthma attack triples between the end of summer and autumn with students at greater risk due to the increased exposure to triggers like viruses, vapour, smoke, and alcohol. 

That’s why it’s so important for students, especially first year Freshers, to take extra care. Tell your housemates, make sure you have an asthma action plan and get your inhalers checked. 

Zoe’s friends didn’t even realise she had asthma and might not have known what to do even if her condition hadn’t deteriorated as quickly as it did. It’s important to be open about asthma and to know what to do if you have a friend or flatmate with a diagnosis.  

I’d also urge anyone leaving home for the first time to register with a local GP. That way, if you have a medical issue, you can get seen quickly.  

Being prepared doesn’t cost much – and it might just save someone’s life.  

Do you have a story you’d like to share? Get in touch by emailing James.Besanvalle@metro.co.uk. 

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On the morning of April 1, 2008, Chase Skylar DeMayo didn’t show up for work at Langley Air Force Base, where he was posted as a survival evasion resistance and escape instructor.

His supervisor used a key to access his dorm room and found him unconscious, so the then 19-year-old was rushed to hospital for x-rays and blood tests.

Doctors couldn’t find anything wrong, but it was there, he died for several minutes, after watching his heart monitor flatline, and got a glimpse of what happens when you die.

Lying on his hospital bed, Chase’s vision suddenly blurred and everything went hazy.

‘The last thing I heard was alarms going off,’ Chase, 38, explains. ‘A calming voice told me that it would be OK, and I felt no fear at all – only peace.’

An air embolism had entered his IV drip at the hospital, causing his cardiac arrest.

‘The pain that came up my arm felt like something five, ten times too large in that vein, it was so painful you could almost feel every centimetre of it travelling up,’ he told Coming Home, a YouTube channel that covers near-death experiences.

Once his heart stopped, he recalls floating in mid-air as he was greeted by a familiar face and voice; Jesus. It makes sense, since growing up in Orlando, Florida, he was adopted by his grandparents and experienced a religious upbringing.

‘I watched my body from above as I spun upward like a tornado, surrounded by lights, angels, laughter and music like bells,’ the married dad-of-one says.

‘I ended up in a vibrant garden with colours brighter than anything here on Earth. There, I saw Jesus.’

He explains he didn’t look how Jesus was typically depicted, instead wearing a warm smile with curly brown hair and green eyes.

‘He was playing with a child who was my younger, happier self,’ Chase adds. ‘We connected without words. He told me to go back and spread love, laughter, light and joy.

‘And reminded me of my true purpose on Earth beyond everyday struggles. No matter my past, I had light to chase and share.’

He had had a few difficult months prior to this, having suffered an injury in both knees, which left him in the process of being medically retired from the military, and which meant he lost his sense of purpose.

But, as he died, Jesus was there, in heaven telling him his time hadn’t yet come.

‘I was always a happy kid but I think I’d forgotten that by the time I was 19, I was taking life so seriously and I was so worried about my career and the military, I’d forgotten about being that happy little kid, so it was a beautiful reminder of how I should be,’ he added on Coming Home.

Chase still can’t comprehend that he remembers everything from his near death experience. ‘I was fully aware, and the initial pain I felt turned into calm,’ he says.

‘There was an element of surprise, though no fear about dying. It was peaceful and beautiful, like cool ice leaving my chest.

‘I didn’t want to leave the garden at first, but I understood my purpose wasn’t done.’

When he woke up, he was in a different hospital in Hampton, Virginia, and he was unhooked from medical machines. Miraculously, his heart functioned as if nothing had happened.

‘I was discharged quickly, with tests showing no damage,’ Chase says.

But, in July, 2008, he was medically retired from the army and had to find a new career. He’s just completed his doctorate in holistic counselling, with the aim of guiding people toward their life’s purpose.

‘It’s changed everything for me,’ he explains. ‘I chase forgotten joys.

‘And I live with a reminder each day to live with purpose, chasing light even in dark times. I feel grateful and transformed.’

He didn’t tell his story for years, with fears of being ‘labelled’ a certain way, but he now believes his near-death experience was a ‘gift that reshaped [his] path’.

‘I’m no longer fearful of death and embrace how fragile life is instead,’ Chase explains.

‘I still communicate with Jesus, angels and find peace in the unknown.’

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I want you to forget everything you think you know about Cava.

I’m going to let you in on an industry secret, while many shoppers breeze straight past the Cava and opt for Prosecco, the former is actually the go-to for so many wine experts.

It’s even sometimes known as ‘the wine industry’s best kept sparkling secret’.

That’s because Cava is actually the world’s most difficult-to-produce sparkling wine and it also delivers the best value for money of any fizz.

The drink is currently going through a bit of a rebrand to highlight just how great it really is. Here’s everything you need to know about it…

Where and how is Cava made?

Around 95% of Cava production is concentrated around the Comtats de Barcelona, in the northeastern Penedès region of Catalonia in Spain. The municipality is called Sant Sadurní d’Anoia (san-sad-ur-ni-dannoy-a), aka ‘The Capital of Cava’, where they’ve been producing wine since 1872.

It can also legally be made in other regions around Spain, including Rioja and Valencia.

It’s not the same as Prosecco, which is made in is from northern Italy, in a tank and then sold immediately, hence it goes flat quickly.

Cava is made in the same way as Champagne, where they make a base wine by fermenting and blending three indigenous grapes from the region, each with unique flavours; Parellada (citrus and white flowers), Xare-lo (pear and melon) and Macabeo (lemon and almonds).

The base wine is bottled, with the addition of sugar and yeast, to kick start a second fermentation. This creates CO2 as a bi-product, introduced into the wine in the form of bubbles. The wine is then left to mature on the dead yeast (for added flavour and texture) for a minimum of nine months, a sugar solution is added (or not) before sealing it with a cork and a wire cage (the muselet).

Why does Cava deserve more respect?

Because, in response to Cava being seen as a cheap and cheerful party fuel, D.O. Cava regulatory board (D.O. means designation of origin) have massively tightened up their rules on producing it. All stages of the winemaking process are hyper-carefully monitored, from production through to labelling.

And now, in a move unprecedented by other wine producing areas, top-end Cavas have achieved an 100% organic status, where no pesticide, herbicide or fungicides are used, making it an altogether cleaner and more sustainable wine style.

These elite bottles are called Cava de Paraje Calificado, and are the pinnacle of Spanish sparkling winemaking.

They are single-vineyard (only produced from grapes grown in one vineyard), sourced only from exceptional vineyards and aged for a minimum of 36 months. They have all the patience, pedigree and craftsmanship you would expect from a prestige champagne, not to mention the complexity, all for half the price.

A notch down, and you have Cavas de Guarda Superior, which includes Reserva (minimum of 18 months ageing) and Gran Reserve (minimum of 30 months ageing). This quality level was introduced in 2022, and grapes must be hand-harvested and only vineyards established a minimum of 10 years ago can produce them.

So, it’s easy to see that Cava has the most demanding regulations for any sparkling wine on Earth. Which just goes to show, Cava isn’t trying to be Champagne, it’s not trying to be Prosecco, it’s trying to be the best version of Cava.

With that in mind, here are some bottles you should try, including bargains, sustainable sips and rich fizz:

Baron Amarillo Cava Brut, £5.75, Aldi

Even at the basic end of the spectrum, Cava is exceptional value for money. A lovely, lean and dry fizz with enticing notes of lemon thyme and fennel seed. Aldi’s is the perfect gateway Cava if you’re not familiar with the style.

Vilarnau Organic Brut Reserva, £9.80 (save £3), Ocado

I can’t not mention the eye-catching, Miró-inspired bottle, representing vibey Barcelona. This organic Cava (they’ve been fully organic since 2015) is produced by Vilarnau, one of the Wineries for Climate Protection. Heck, even the winemaker rides around her vineyards on a pushbike. The wine itself is bright, clean and dry with lemon sherbet notes and a well-seasoned, oyster shell salinity.

Vilarnau Rosé Delicat Reserva, £10 (save £3), Ocado

This glowy, rosé Cava is made by a particular method, called saignée, literally meaning ‘bleeding’. This involves draining, or bleeding off, the juice from a tank of pressed red grapes, ready to ferment into a rosé. The result is a far more intensely-flavoured wine, in this case, with cherries, wild strawberries and raspberries with a balancing almond skin finish.

Mas Macià Brut Nature Reserva, £14.99, Drinkwell.com

Dosage is the sugar solution that’s added to sparkling wine before the cork is pushed into the bottle. This decides whether the wine will be dry or sweet, with most of us favouring a Brut style (6 – 12g of sugar per litre). This sparkling has no dosage added, making it deliciously bone dry, super lean with flavours of pear, fennel, herb salt and a green apple finish.

Ars Collecta Codorniu Blanc de Blancs Reserva 2021, £16 (save £2), Ocado

Codorniu is the oldest Cava house in existence, and also one of the most famous. This sits a few notches above their widely-available bottles; a fully-organic, Reserva-level Cava with the addition of Chardonnay. The latter grape gives the wine a noticeable creaminess, with rich and complex flavours of russet golden apples and pears, fennel, sea mist and lemon salt.

Pere Ventura Tresor Gran Reserva 2021, £21, The Great Wine Co

One of my favourites, this is a Gran Reserva Cava with a minimum ageing of 36 months. Bear in mind that an equivalent champagne or English sparkling would be around the £40 mark, minimum, so there’s lashings of value for money here. It’s bright and saline with  green apple, oyster shell and anise-flavoured bubbles, which are noticeably refined and ‘champagne-like’ through its extended ageing.

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