Left bereft by their loss: Family's tribute to Amy Winehouse as fans create a shrine outside her flat

By JESSICA SATHERLEY

Grieving family: The Winehouse family said today 'Our family has been left bereft by the loss of Amy, a wonderful daughter, sister, niece'

A day after their beloved daughter, sister and niece was found dead in her flat, Amy Winehouse’s grieving family have spoken out about their loss.

The Winehouse family said today: ‘Our family has been left bereft by the loss of Amy, a wonderful daughter, sister, niece.

‘She leaves a gaping hole in our lives. We are coming together to remember her and we would appreciate some privacy and space at this terrible time.’

As the singer’s family cope with their grief, fans were paying tribute to the star by creating a shrine outside her North London flat in Camden.

From writing on footpaths saying ‘We love Amy’, to massive bunches of flowers lining the area outside her home, the tributes kept pouring in.


Camden tribute: Amy Winehouse's picture has been posted on a street sign for Camden Square near her London flat


Some friends and fans left bottles of alcohol, cigarettes and wine glasses at the scene, while others left photographs and portraits of Amy, who died at 27, next to candles in her memory.

A picture of the beehived soul-jazz singer was also stuck to an address sign in Camden Square near her home, in which she was found dead yesterday afternoon.

Many notes were also left, one reading 'Too fragile, too beautiful, too big a talent for this world', and another which said: 'To an exquisite singer with a beautiful voice'.


Fans' notes: Amy's grieving fans not only left her notes on paper but also wrote on the footpath to say they love her


Hundreds of mourners have visited the area of her flat and local pub to remember the star and fans also gathered at her favourite haunt The Hawley Arms in Camden last night after hearing the news.

Comedian and former drug addict Russell Brand today paid a lengthy written tribute to Amy Winehouse, saying addiction should be treated as a potentially fatal disease.

Brand met her on the Camden pub scene a number of years ago, and said at first he thought she was ‘just some twit in a pink satin jacket shuffling round bars’.

He said when he spoke to her she was ‘sweet and peculiar but most of all vulnerable’.
By chance Brand saw her perform with Paul Weller at the Roundhouse in Camden, north London, and had an epiphany.


Tributes: Friends and fans of the singer lay down bunches of flowers, notes and candles by a tree outside her flat



Never forgotten: Within the flowers and candles, a picture of Winehouse was left, saying RIP Never Forget


In the piece posted on his website he wrote: ‘Entering the space I saw Amy on stage with Weller and his band; and then the awe.

‘The awe that envelops when witnessing a genius. From her oddly dainty presence that voice, a voice that seemed not to come from her but from somewhere beyond even Billie and Ella, from the font of all greatness.

‘That twerp, all eyeliner and lager dithering up Chalk Farm Road under a back-combed barnet, the lips that I'd only seen clenching a fishwife fag and dribbling curses now a portal for this holy sound.’

Brand has given frank accounts of his battle to overcome drug addiction, and said loved ones will always fear getting a phone call with the worst news possible.


Amy's gifts: On top of the flowers and photographs, fans also left alcohol bottles and cigarettes for the party-loving singer


Today's news: A copy of a Sunday Tabloid was laid down


A day of mourning: Flowers were hung through a fence in Camden Square alongside bottles of alcohol and wine glasses


At the time he met Winehouse, he himself had not yet got clean, and he said: ‘Winehouse and I shared an affliction, the disease of addiction.’

In the piece Brand accused the media of being more interested in ‘tragedy than talent’, and therefore said they focused more on her personal battles than her musical career.

He went on: ‘Addiction is a serious disease; it will end with jail, mental institutions or death.

‘Now Amy Winehouse is dead, like many others whose unnecessary deaths have been retrospectively romanticised, at 27 years old.

‘Whether this tragedy was preventable or not is now irrelevant. It is not preventable today.’


Her favourite haunt: Her name was written on a Diverted Traffic sign outside her local pub The Hawley Arms in Camden


‘We have lost a beautiful and talented woman to this disease. Not all addicts have Amy's incredible talent.

‘Or Kurt's (Cobain) or Jimi's (Hendrix) or Janis's (Joplin), some people just get the affliction. All we can do is adapt the way we view this condition, not as a crime or a romantic affectation but as a disease that will kill.’

Amy's management Metropolis Music also released a statement today saying: 'We are trying to come to terms with the death of a dear friend and colleague, the most amazing artist and talent.

'We will always remember Amy as a vibrant, funny, caring young woman who made everyone around her feel welcome. We have lost a very special person, part of our family.'


Mourning fans: A grieving fan wearing an Amy Winehouse printed T-shirt sheds a tear outside her home in front of cameras


Leaving notes: Youngsters gather around the area of flowers to leave their personalised messages to the late singer


While the owner of her favourite pub The Hawley Arms said: ‘She was a special person with a good soul and this should not have happened. We will sorely miss her.’

Speaking on Friday night just hours before her death, Tony Bennett who had recently had a recording session with Amy, praised her talent.

While being interviewed on Radio 4’s Front Row programme, he said: ‘Amy was beautiful, she was something that I respect an awful lot, she was quite nervous. I met Sinatra and he was nervous too.

‘What I like about her is that she’s truly a good jazz singer, she’s not making believe it, she’s singing completely original and inventive. And I don’t know another young artist that does that.’


Tragic loss: Amy's on/off boyfriend Reg Traviss seen outside her house yesterday after her body was found and heartbroken friend of Amy's Aisleyne Horgan-Wallace also outside her home


Close knit family: Amy with her father Mitch as they awaited the news of her Grammy Award in London in 200


The 27-year-old star, who had fought a long and well-publicised battle with drink and drug addiction, was pronounced dead after police were called to her £2.5 million three-storey home in North London.

Scotland Yard have said a post-mortem examination won’t take place before tomorrow and they cannot yet confirm the exact cause of death until the results are received.
But it has been claimed that she was seen buying drugs from a dealer in Camden just after 10:30pm on Friday night.

A source told The People that she was seen buying substances, believed to be cocaine, heroin, ecstasy and ketamine leading up to the hours before her death.


nconsolable: Amy Winehouse, who died yesterday, was said to be distraught about her split from film director Reg Traviss



Camden home: Amy's flat in North London, where her body was found yesterday afternoon by police

source: dailymail

Diana's diamonds: William gives Kate his mother's favourite earrings

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER

Favourite: Kate wore the remodelled earrings on tour in Canada and Diana was regularly spotted wearing the jewellery

Prince William has given a pair of his mother's earrings to new wife Kate.

The Duchess of Cambridge wore the diamond and sapphire gems during the couple's official visit to Canada and America.

Kate, 29, had Diana's heavy studs remodelled into drop earrings and wore them for the first time when she watched Andy Murray from the Royal Box at Wimbledon last month.

The earrings were thought to be among Diana's most precious jewels and she was spotted wearing them at dozens of events during the 1980s and 1990s.


Comparisons: From the Duchess' wedding day commentators were already comparing the couple to Princess Diana and Prince Charles


A courtier told the Sunday Mirror: 'Now they're married William wanted her to have some of his mother's favourite pieces.'

It is not the first time the Duchess' style has been compared with the late Princess Diana's.


Kate wore a similar outfit to that of Princess Diana when she visited Canada by donning a maple leaf hat.


Both sported red hats with white dresses during their official visits but Princess Diana made a slightly bolder statement by wearing a matching red scarf.

Crowds across the globe were eager to make comparisons as Diana and Charles made a similar tour in 1983.


The People's Princess: Diana devoted her time to charity work..


Princess Diana was the main attraction with thousands of people waved flags and shouted the slogan 'We Want Di'.

And Prince William's new wife was also a real crowd pleaser and her wardrobe had been one of the main topics of discussion.

The couple are currently deciding on a permanent London base, and are tipped to take Apartment 1a in Kensington Palace, a lavish 19-room suite that was once the home of the late Princess Margaret.



And Kate was seen to be equally interested in speaking to people on the official Canada tour, doing impromptu walkabouts


It was reported the couple also considered Apartments 8 and 9, the former marital home of Charles and Diana where William grew up, but Kate is said to have been uncomfortable with the idea.

'They have been to look around Margaret's apartment and like it very much,' said a source.

source: dailymail

Pippa at 13: The 'tough' sports star with a winning smile

By JO MACFARLANE

Gifted: Pippa Middleton was the star of the school's netball team

Fresh-faced and long-limbed,a young Pippa Middleton smiles proudly for the camera in the green kit of her school netball team.

The 13-year-old, already a star on the sports field, according to her former teachers at St Andrew's School in Berkshire – is shown sitting alongside her team-mates as they giggle and pose for the photograph.

Another previously unseen shot reveals the Duchess of Cambridge's sister in her smart school uniform, relaxing with friends in her housemaster's flat.


Sociable: Pippa, centre, and friends in their housemaster's flat


With her shoulder-length hair already tied in what looks like an early version of Kate's wedding demi-chignon, she looks like any other carefree schoolgirl .

The pictures were taken by Kevin Allford, who was housemaster to Pippa and Kate at the £13,000-a-year preparatory school in the Nineties.

Mr Allford, who now lives in Carmarthen, said: 'Pippa was like her sister and did everything at 100mph. They both loved sport, but Pippa was particularly talented.


SPORTY: Pippa, far right, with the school netball team


'She always smiled and was forever winning medals and trophies. The reason everyone thinks she's got a wonderful figure is because of the amount of time she's spent playing sport in her lifetime. With Pippa, it was hours and hours a day.'

Pippa, now 27, is two years younger than Kate, who had already left the school when these photo-graphs were taken.

The sisters were sent to the all-girls school as day pupils when they were eight. They stayed at St Andrew's until they were 13, ¬boarding for their final two years.



Runner: At 27, Pippa is still sporty and ran a triathlon last month


The girls were both known for their bright personalities and sporting talent but they did differ, according to Mr Allford.

'Pippa was tough, not like Catherine. She never seemed anything other than bright and ¬bubbly. If she fell down, she picked herself up and just got on with it.

'She knew exactly who she was and was a delight. There were never arguments with the other girls, never a piece of lost kit or grumbling.'

source: dailymail

A death foretold: The rapid rise and tragic fall of Amy Winehouse, the deeply flawed soul prodigy

By PAUL BENTLEY


In just 27 years, Amy Winehouse has managed to leave behind her a soul legacy, with a band of modern British female soul singers - Adele, Duffy, Jessie J - celebrating success across the world borne almost entirely in her wake.

Sadly, however, the immeasurably gifted singer is unlikely to be remembered for her talents, which were so often starved; drowned by drink and tranquillised by drug abuse.

Amy Winehouse's death was one foretold by gruesome pictures of bloody plimsolls and near death experiences from drugs publicly retold by her lovers. It almost seems unsurprising that, in death, Winehouse joins many of her heroes - Kurt Cobain, Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin and Jim Morrison - all of whom died aged just 27.


Innocent: Winehouse before the career, the drugs, the drink and the scandal. Aged just two (left) and eight


Her parents split when she was nine years old and she and older brother Alex moved to live with their mother in Southgate, North London - just minutes away from The Priory, the rehab clinic favoured by celebrities, which she would revisit just months before her death.

'She was always very self-willed,' her father Mitch told Rolling Stone in 2007. 'Not badly behaved but...different.'


Keeping things simple: A fresh-faced Amy performs wearing just a white T-shirt and jeans back in 2004 and at the Q Awards the same year


The balance between her precocious musical talents and a seeming inclination to self-destruct were clear from a young age. At just 12, Winehouse enrolled at the Sylvia Young Theatre School but was expelled not long after for getting her nose pierced.

She had previously - aged 10 -formed a rap group, Sweet 'n' Sour - Winehouse was Sour - that she later described as 'the little white Jewish Salt 'n' Pepa.'

She joined the Brit School and by 16 her otherworldly soul voice - deep, full and knowing but light and fresh and fragile at the same time - had won her a contract with Simon Fuller's management company, which led to her being signed by Island Records.


A tattoo appears: Winehous still looking fresh faced in 2005, and sporting her new tattoo the next year


In 2003, she would release her first album - to much critical acclaim - while also meeting the man with whom she would share possibly the most destructive celebrity relationship of the decade.

The jazz-influenced debut, titled 'Frank', was critically praised for its gems - the anthemic Stronger Than Me, about a weak, feminine boyfriend and F**k Me Pumps, in which she ridiculed tired female gold-diggers, and earned Winehouse an Ivor Novello songwriting award, two Brit nominations and a spot on the shortlist for the Mercury Music Prize.

But Winehouse soon expressed dissatisfaction with the disc, saying she was 'only 80 per cent behind' the album.



Losing weight: The singer has acquired more tattos at the 2007 Brit Awards, left, and looks gaunt at the MTV music video awards in Losa Angeles in the same year


That same year, she met Blake Fielder-Civil at a bar and swiftly had his name tattooed above her heart.

The relationship was on-off and infamously tempestuous, involving drug and drink binges. In one picture from 2007, she was seen with bruises on her face and blood seeping from her pink ballet shoes.

She grips Blake, as he displays a face full of scratches after a particularly viscious late night bust-up.


The voice: Amy Winehouse's talent was such that it has opened doors for many other young female soul singers who have earned huge success since her breakthrough. She is pictured performing in 2008


By 2006, after three years with Blake, rapid weight loss, an ever-expanding beehive hairdo and documented drug and drink problems, Winehouse released Back to Black, her breakthrough album, which made her a huge star across the world.

Working with producers Mark Ronson and Salaam Remi and soul-funk group the Dap-Kings, Winehouse fused soul, jazz, doo-wop and, above all, a love of the girl-groups of the early 1960s with lyrical tales of romantic obsession and emotional excess.

Back to Black was released in the United States in March 2007 and went on to win five Grammy awards, including song and record of the year for Rehab.






'I did [go to rehab], for just 15 minutes,' she told The Sun at the time. 'I went in and said, "Hello" and explained that I drink because I'm in love and have f****d up the relationship. Then I walked out.'

Winehouse's rise was helped by her distinctive look - black beehive of hair, thickly lined cat eyes, girly tattoos - and her tart tongue.

She was famously blunt in her assessment of her peers, once describing Dido's sound as 'background music - the background to death' and saying of pop princess Kylie Minogue, 'she's not an artist ... she's a pony.'

The songs on Black to Black detailed her relationship with Blake with a similar frankness.


Big night: Amy climbs into a car at the end of an evening out drinking at Balans in Soho


Wrecked: Amy is bruised, smudged and has blood on her feet, while Blake's face has been scratched



Happier times: Amy is seen here looking healthier with her father Mitch


Triumphs: Amy Winehouse hugs her mother Janis Winehouse after accepting a Grammy Award in London on February 10, 2008


Winehouse stood by 'my Blake' throughout his trial, often blowing kisses at him from the court's public gallery and wearing a heart-shaped pin labelled 'Blake' in her hair at concerts. But British newspapers reported extramarital affairs while Fielder-Civil was behind bars. They divorced in 2009.

After the split, Fielder-Civil described how he thought Winehouse had died in his arms following a three-day drugs binge.

Amy went into a seizure at a party at her home in Camden, North London, and had stopped breathing.

Blake told The Sun: 'She started having a fit on the bed. She slid down on to the floor before I could stop her. She started quivering again and it suddenly grew into what seemed like a full-blown epileptic fit.

'I was panicking. I didn't know know how to help her. I was out of it on drugs as well - and was sobbing and crying out, "Amy!"'


Trial: Amy is photographed as she is led to court for an appearance


'At first nothing happened. So I did it again. I was feeling for her pulse because I thought her heart might have stopped.

'Then she spluttered - and I saw her chest rise. I was still sobbing and panicking but I just felt this huge relief that she was alive.'

In June 2008 and again in April 2010, Winehouse was taken to hospital and treated for injuries after fainting and falling at home.

Her father said she had developed the lung disease emphysema from smoking cigarettes and crack, although her spokeswoman later said Winehouse only had 'early signs of what could lead to emphysema.'


Stern: Winehouse was accused of attacking a theatre manager in Milton Keynes

She left the hospital to perform at Nelson Mandela's 90th birthday concert in Hyde Park in June 2008, and at the Glastonbury festival the next day, where she received a rousing reception but scuffled with a member of the crowd.

She also, in 2010, pleaded guilty to assaulting a theatre manager who asked her to leave a family Christmas show because she'd had too much to drink.

She was given a fine and a warning to stay out of trouble by a judge who praised her for trying to clean up her act.

In a bid to save her ailing health and desperate addiction problems, Winehouse most recently booked herself into rehab in May.

A month previously she had pulled out of her European tour after she was jeered while appearing drunk on stage at her comeback gig in Serbia.

She left the stage frequently, with her band having to improvise in her absence, and was said to have mumbled through parts of her songs.

After the disastrous gigs, the stint at The Priory in May was hoped to have been a means finally to refocus the young singer.

Winehouse, however, checked herself out after just one week.

Amy Winehouse dead at 27 - is she another member of the 'Stupid Club'?


Memorable: The singer is unlikely to be forgotten for a long time - for her music as much as for her troubles


Tragic: Amy Winehouse at the peak of her powers, wowing crowds with her incredible voice and haunting lyrics


Amy Winehouse - Love Is a Losing Game (Live Mercury Prize)


Winehouse Booed Off Stage in Serbia


Amy Winehouse and Pete Doherty on drugs



source: dailymail

The super yacht that comes with its own VOLCANO: Multi-million pound boat which is a paradise island

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER

Luxury: This yacht will soon be cruising the oceans with its very own floating tropical islands

This is the next super-yacht set to hit the world's oceans - which comes complete with its own functioning volcano and floating tropical islands.

The vessel - dubbed the 'Tropical island Paradise' - has been designed by British boat builders Yacht Island Design, from Derby, Derbys - some 90 miles from the sea.

The extravagant 295ft ship boasts a towering volcano with a cascading waterfall which feeds the swimming pool.


Spectacular: There is also a huge helicopter landing pad for those quick trips to shore


And playboys will feel right at home with the ships helicopter landing pad and huge bar set behind a series of beach cabanas.

Studio director Rob McPherson at the Derbyshire firm, who have also created the Streets of Monaco super-yacht, said: 'The exterior was designed to give the impression of waves breaking around a volcanic island, whilst maintaining the look of a contemporary yacht design.

'It comes with its own private beach cove and a waterfall cascading down from a volcano.

'This design centres around a secluded island paradise, with elements inspired by the islands of the Caribbean, Indian Ocean and Polynesia. It is set to be a big hit when it comes onto the market.'

The lavish yacht can accommodate up to 10 guests - and can travel along at a top speed of 15 knots.

The main deck is a secluded beach 'cove' of cabanas surrounding a massive ocean view swimming pool.


View from the top: The lavish liner can accommodate up to 10 guests and has a landing pad and huge bar set behind beach cabanas


And should the millionaire future owners get tired of taking a dip in the pool, they can sail out into the sea on their very own floating island complete with deck chairs and palm trees.

McPherson added: 'We had two reasons for designing such a boat. The first being that it's good fun, and secondly the current market is pretty saturated with designs that look fairly similar.

'Our mission is to work on incredibly fun designs and carve a niche for ourselves within the market, a place where other designers fear to tread.'

Inside the huge, towering volcano is a cinema, library, games room, gym, spa and VIP suites - including an owners pad spread over two decks.

The boat - which has yet to hit the market and hasn't had a price set - is causing waves in the boat building world with its unique design.

source: dailymail

Seems like only yesterday, dear: The Queen and Duchess of Cambridge relive glorious royal wedding day with private viewing of THAT dress

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER

Admiration: The Queen talks with the Duchess of Cambridge as they view the wedding dress the Duchess wore during her April marriage to Prince William

The Queen today enjoyed a private viewing of the Duchess of Cambridge’s stunning wedding gown with Kate ahead of a public showing of the dress at Buckingham Palace.

More than half a million people are expected to view the dress as part of the Palace’s annual summer exhibition this year, but her Majesty was give her own tour by the Duchess.

The pair chatted as they admired the £250,000 Alexander McQueen dress which had the world enthralled when Kate married Prince William in April.


Viewing: The Duchess of Cambridge arrives at Buckingham Palace with Her Majesty, The Queen, to see the wedding dress and cake before both go on public display


Amid the pomp and splendour of a truly unforgettable day, The Dress was undoubtedly the star of the show.

But the ghost-like appearance of the headless mannequin used to exhibit the gown prompted her to describe it as 'horrible' during a private tour with Kate of a new Buckingham Palace exhibition.

The Queen and the Duchess were given a sneak preview of the exhibition, which opens to the public tomorrow.


One is spooked: The Queen was heard to describe the headless mannequin as 'horrible'


The monarch led the way and, with her hands clasped behind her back, strode into the Ballroom and stopped about 10 feet from the dress with Kate standing beside her.

As the pair chatted, the pitch of the Queen's voice raised and she said 'horrible' and then 'horrid'.

It appeared the mannequin's lack of a head may have perturbed the Queen, who added: 'It's made to look very creepy.'

Kate countered with her own view and said it had a '3D effect'.


Exhibition: The monarch, her hands clasped behind her back, led the way as she and Kate toured the displays in Buckingham Palace


And just like the most gracious stars, the Duchess of Cambridge’s stunning wedding gown is returning for an encore.

Those of us who admired it from the comfort of our sofas at home, can now see the Alexander McQueen dress right up close – if we can get our hands on what is rapidly becoming the hottest ticket in town.

The dress is to take pride of place at Buckingham Palace’s annual summer exhibition this year, ensuring we can bask in the afterglow of Kate and William’s wedding day just that little bit longer.


Style queen: The Duchess of Cambridge exuded elegance and poise as she walked around Buckingham Palace today


Fit for a Duchess: Kate Middleton's stunning wedding gown is going on display at the weekend, alongside other items from the big day

source: dailymail

Why have you woken me up? Sleepy slender loris ignores attentions of vet during health check

Snooze time: The eight month old loris sleeps in the hands of a vet after her first health check

When you are just eight months old sometimes just the simple things in life like popping to the doctors can be exhausting.

This baby slender loris certainly found it all too much - falling asleep in the vets hands as she underwent her first ever health check.

And unlike most animals who are terrified of the vet this baby primate looked more than relaxed as she allowed the experts to examine her.


Morning! The baby loris clings to the vets hands as she wakes up after her health check


The loris and another baby just eight-months-old were at London Zoo's veterinary surgery to have their sex determined and to each have a micro-chip installed.

They are yet to be named and are the latest arrivals at the zoo in Regent's Park.

Slender Loris is the common name for the strepsirrhine primates who are nocturnal and originate from India, Sri Lanka, and southeast Asia.


Waiting game: The sharp-eyed loris waits patiently for her health check - but looks slightly anxious


London Zoo supports conservation of lorises in Sri Lanka, where populations are thought to be under threat from deforestation, agrictulture and development.

They are also hunted for their meat and body parts which are used for traditional folk medicine.

The adorable lorises are known for their slow and precise movements and have huge Bambi-like eyes, which give it excellent night vision and allow it to hunt for insects during the night.

They are also distinctive for their extremely thin, slender limbs.


Wakey wakey! The baby loris looks exhausted as the vet props her up with his hands during the examination



Bright eyes: Slender loris is the common name for the strepsirrhine primates who are nocturnal and originate from India, Sri Lanka, and southeast Asia

source: dailymail