Articles by Jo Foster

Former first lady of the Philippines Imelda Marcos was renowned for her extravagant lifestyle - and nothing represented this more than her collection of around 3,000 pairs of shoes. While most women can only dream of having a wardrobe full of shoes, she amassed the collection between 1965 and 1986 – meaning that on average, she bought 142 pairs of shoes every year. According to research, ...

A Spanish galleon described as the "Holy Grail of shipwrecks" has been found at the bottom of the Caribbean Sea, more than 300 years after it sank, carrying treasure valued at $17 billion dollars - the most valuable cargo on the planet. The San José sank in battle off the coast of Colombia in 1708, taking its haul of emeralds, gold and silver to the ocean bed, where it remained undisturbed f...

Television personality Paul O'Grady has taken his legendary love of animals one step further by spearheading a new range of healthy and affordable dog food. The former chat show host has teamed up with veterinary surgeons to produce a selection of high-nutrition, low-price dog food for Burgess. Since presenting For the Love of Dogs since 2012, helping Battersea Dogs' Home to find new homes f...

Famous for their unique brand of seaside postcard humour, the saucy British comedy franchise of Carry On films rumbled on for 34 years. Between 1958 and 1992, 31 films were released, the majority by the Rank Organisation. The scripts were filled with innuendo and double entendres as the all-star cast, including series stalwarts Sid James and Barbara Windsor, found themselves in every possibl...

The television drama series, The Littlest Hobo, tells the tale of a highly-intelligent dog who wanders from town to town, helping people in need. Despite many attempts to adopt him, he prefers to be free and wanders off at the end of every episode, looking for more people to help. Directed by Charles Rondeau and set in Los Angeles, the heart-warming tale started out as an American film in 19...

A critically endangered species of frog in the Caribbean is thriving on a breeding programme in the UK. The mountain chicken frog fell under threat after its population declined by up to 90% in its native Montserrat and Dominica. Its population was low in 2004, when an estimated 8,000 frogs remained across the two islands. Then, a fatal fungal disease, amphibian chytridiomycosis, was rampant...

When the sun is shining and the summer holidays begin, it's an ideal time to visit the UK's most idyllic picnic spots. Surveys have shown that 85% of people intend to enjoy at least one picnic this summer - with 36% of us saying we're prepared to drive for an hour to find the perfect location. Read on to find out more about the UK's top picnic spots and what they have to offer... Roundhay...

Released in 1992, the American film Beethoven is about a family who become dog owners in a most unusual way. However, it isn't your usual Hollywood "cute puppy" plot - although the dog in the title undeniably falls into this category! The story also carries a serious message about dogs being stolen for profit by unscrupulous people. The film was a massive commercial hit. Released by Universa...

Plastic can have a detrimental effect on the environment if it isn't disposed of properly. Researchers say the amount of plastic made in the first ten years of the 21st century is higher than the total amount produced in the whole of the 20th century. This is why it's so important to control the management of plastic waste. Many problems are occurring within the environment that involve plas...

Imagine having a filing system that's so disorganised that a historic artefact worth a life-changing sum of money is almost discarded like rubbish! If you were an independent trader who made a living out of buying and selling various items, this would be just about the worst storage and cataloguing system you could ever devise. Sound familiar? If so, you were probably one of the 24.3 million...