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TV seriesbrings the

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08 Universe Plus: Family and Faith/Education

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ON SALE NOWThis comprehensive A4 directory gives details of allCatholic Schools throughoutEngland & Wales. 80 pages ofinformation, split by diocese.The schools are listed alphabetically,showing the name of the Headteacher,address, telephone number and (whereavailable) email address.

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EDUCATION APPOINTMENTS

TV seriesbrings the

Bible to life

SITTING between Kim and Aggieand listening to them talk abouttheir series How Clean Is Your

House? is not unlike watching a tennismatch at high speed.

Back and forth and back and forth, youcan only attempt to keep up with whatthey’re saying, as the cleaning stars have ahabit of finishing each other’s sentences.

“It’s so gross and I also think people athome go, ‘Well I might be dirty but I’m notthat bad’,” says Aggie on why the show’sbeen such a success. “Well, they’re allvoyeurs, aren’t they,” adds Kim, lookingexactly like she does on the show, albeitthe tight blonde bun’s been replaced witha tight ponytail.

“There’s a lot to takeaway from it...”continues Aggie.

“Then there’s the flirtation, the science,the happy ending,” adds Kim. “All ageswatch it, from little ones to...”

“Oh yeah, kids are mad for it particular-ly little boys, it’s just weird, from the ageof three, they’re transfixed, it’s amazing,”says Aggie. And on they go.

Now back for its sixth series, How CleanIs Your House? first stamped its mark on TVin 2003 when Kim Woodburn, 67, and Aggie Mackenzie, 54, quickly establishedthemselves as the nation’s favourite cleaning duo.

Their unique approach to rehabilitating

some of the grubbiest householders inBritain won them a legion of fans andthey’ve even succeeded where many havefailed, by cracking America.

“We had our photo all along SunsetStrip,” says Kim. “We got out of the cardidn’t we, to take pictures?” “I know, itwas so embarrassing,” Aggie says, laughingand putting her head in her hands.

Aggie’s Scottish lilt may be recognisable,but today, dressed in a floral summerdress, she looks far more glamorous thanwhen she’s sporting the frumpy white coatand glasses in the show.

Back to track down filth offenders withtheir arsenal of half lemons, bottles ofvinegar and jars of bicarbonate of soda, theladies have also got in store a few newsurprises this series, such as their ‘Road-side Surgery’.

“We go to a local shopping centre andset up shop and people bring bits and bobsfor us to clean,” explains Aggie.

They also graphically reveal the terrifying truth about the filth that lurksin our homes.

“We show what happens to a mattress over ten years, by throwingliquids on it and solids, so people reallyunderstand that they don’t clean it orchange it, this is what’s going to hap-pen. We do the same thing with a car,a giant toothbrush, a sofa, highchair...”

“The crowd found it very interest-ing, didn’t they?” says Kim in hushedtones that make anything she sayssound like she’s imparting some juicygossip. “I think it was a nice thing todo, it got through to people.”

“It is shocking,” says Aggie, “but itshows people that, even if you can’t see

it, it doesn’t mean it’s not there.”The two are used to being

recognised. Ask if they mind being approached though, and you’re metwith two different reactions. “I loveit,” says Kim, just as Aggie rather lessenthusiastically, says, “I don’t mind”.

“Because it’s such a feel-good programme, I see people smiling whenthey see me – it’s so nice actually to beemitting that positive energy,” adds Aggie. “Are you kidding? It’s lovely,”agrees Kim. “It’s smashing.”In this new series, Kim and Aggie giveprivate tuition in home hygiene to agroup of students, debug a bachelorpad that is bursting with creepy-crawlies and seek the blessing of a

Hindu priest as they prepare to purgea house that hasn’t been cleaned inmore than 20 years.

Asked if there were any particularhorrors that stood out this series, Kimsays, “Lots!” before throwing her headback with a dramatic laugh.

There is something voyeuristicabout the programme that appeals toviewers and it always begs the question as to how people allow themselves to get into such a state.Kim and Aggie are none the wiser. “Och, who knows, it’s so complex, socomplex...” says Aggie.

“We don’t know, lovey,” continuesKim. “You know what? They’re nicepeople. I don’t understand how they

The nation’s favourite grime-bustingduo, Kim Woodburn and AggieMackenzie, don their marigolds onceagain in a new series of How Clean IsYour House, which started on August13, Channel 4. They talk to Susan Griffin about theirnew series, the joys of half lemons andbi-carb of soda and the filthiest housesthey’ve tackled yet.

can live like that but they wouldn’tharm anyone, honestly. We see thehouse before we meet the owner andyou build yourself up and say, ‘Oh thisis awful, wait ‘til I see them’ and thenthey walk in and you think ‘Ahh’.They’ve got themselves into a bit of amess and with a bit of luck we’ll getthem out.”

Kim is the real deal. With 52 years ofhard graft and cleaning experience behind her, when she auditioned forthe show, she was earning just £1,000a month licking homes into shape.Aggie, meanwhile, had started her career working for MI6 (and is nowbound by the Official Secrets Act forlife) but was a household journalistwhen she was asked to screen test forHow Clean Is Your House?“We were very different, like chalk andcheese but when that camera rolls weknow exactly how to interact with oneanother,” says Aggie.

Why cleanliness isnext to Godliness

The UK’sQueens ofclean: Kim andAggie get to workon cleaning theUK’s filthiesthouses in theirnew series ofHow Clean isYour House?

17-24 19/8/09 12:07 Page 1

CMYK

04 Universe Plus: Family and Faith

FAITH ON FILM

Universe Plus: Family and Faith 05

OVER the past fewdecades, the values ofour society have shift-ed and changed, one

result is that today’s childrenstruggle to find appropriate,positive role models.

But this generation of children stillneeds to experience heroic deeds,selfless acts and positive behaviourand in the past much of this hascome through our shared culture,often from our Judeo-Christianorigins.

This need prompted David andAlison Dorricott to work with agroup of highly creative and veryexperienced film and TV professionals, to produce Friends andHeroes, an animated TV series. “Wewanted to provide children with genuinely admirable heroic rolemodels by showing them storiesfrom the Bible in a modern and relevant way – through TV,” saidDavid Dorricott. “By setting Biblestories in living contexts among thepeople who kept them alive children

not only see and hear the stories butalso understand their meaning andhow they can apply them in theirown lives.”

Based in a fascinating and turbulent period of history – the firstcentury AD – Friends and Heroes isan animated adventure series whichweaves both Old and New Testament stories into the pro-grammes. It entertains, educates and

informs the viewers, introducingsome of them to Bible heroes forthe first time.

Friends and Heroes is the tale oftwo young people, Macky and Por-tia, whose idealism and friendshipleads them across the ancient world.They travel from the fabled Egyptianport of Alexandria to the besiegedcity of Jerusalem and finally to thevery heart of the Empire: Rome.

As they fight for justice and theirvery survival against the might of theRoman Empire they become friendsand then, in turn, heroes.

The fictional adventure stories aretold in 2D animation and the Biblestories are all shown in superb computer-generated 3D animationwhich means that children can easilytell the difference between the two.

The show’s heroes appeal strongly to today’s children; they areattractive, inspirational, very realcharacters.

They are funny and brave anddon’t always get things right! Theyface similar issues and dilemmas tothose faced by many youngsters today. Their experiences and thestories they tell help foster respectfor, and kindness to, others as wellas encouraging tolerance.

The creators of the series recognised that to fulfil their aim ofintroducing a new generation of children to the important stories ofthe Bible, their material had to beacceptable to the ‘mainstream’

IN REVIEW: FILMS

G-ForceCertificate PG

WHO you gonna call? G-Force!No, those ghosts hunters

haven’t returned from the 1980s,the world is now turning to a newbreed (literally) of crime fightersto thwart the plans of sinistermoguls and villains and variousne’er do wells. That’s right, theguinea pigs are here to save us.

In this exciting 3-D fantasy family adventure, which combineslive action and animation, a teamof three crack guinea pigs aidedby a mole, work to foil the plans ofa sinister industrialist (played bycompulsory Brit bad guy BillNighy) bent on world domination.

Obviously, these aren’t just run-of-the-mill guinea pigs: they haveall been trained and equipped asgovernment agents by an innovative scientist (Zach Galifianakis). Each has specialskills, ranging from explosives tokarate, which they bring to bearwhile undertaking their deadlymission.

With voices supplied by Hollywood A-listers Sam Rockwell,Tracy Morgan and Penelope Cruz,with Nicholas Cage as the mole,this exuberant, at times spectacular, rodent romp is purefamily fun. The crime-fightingteam is aided by an enthusiasticbut inept pet-store guinea pig(voiced by Jon Favreau), and act asan improvised family, sustained byco-operation, self-sacrifice and for-giveness.

These are positive lessons for allbut the most impressionable viewers, who might be frightenedby repeated scenes of peril –though with happy endings allround, there’s nothing to getunduly concerned about.

FAVOURITE HYMNSby Derrick Hanson

The twelve volumes in this series cover some of the many thousands of hymnswritten during the last 450 years. Their meaning and general background isexplained, accompanied by biographical details of the authors and/or composers, relevant photographs and, where appropriate, the historical setting. Each book has its own complimentary CD of the hymn music included.

Favourite Hymns: More Favourite HymnsHymns for Christmas: The Hymns of Charles Wesley

Hymns for Special Occasions: Hymns of Our TimeHymns of the Great Composers: Poetry in Hymns

Hymns and Prayers: Scripture in HymnsHymns of the Victorian Era: Hymns of the Twentieth Century

For an illustrated leaflet, please contact Grasshopper Publishing Ltd., Box 95, Liverpool L37 7WX

or Tel: 01704-874040, or you can find more information on the website atwww.grasshopperpublishing.ltd.uk

John H. Newman(1801-90) academic, highlyinfluential in his time;in later life appointed Cardinal

Isaac Watts(1674-1748)still widely sung today - ‘the father ofEnglish Hymnody’

Fred Pratt Green (1903-2000)prolific hymn-writerand poet, and a manof our time

Charles Wesley (1707-88)the author of over6,500 hymns; co-founder ofMethodism

0845

9842

8

Finding positive role models for children canbe a difficult task in modern society – withmany of those they look up to showingthemselves to be leading less than ideal lives.Husband and wife team David and AlisonDorricott have changed this, however, withthe creation of an exciting series of cartoonscalled Friends and Heroes. Set in first centuryAD and starring history’s greatest hero, Jesus,it’s a historical epic that has won plauditsround the globe. EEmmmmaa CCllaannccyy reports.

broadcasters, not just those broadcastingChristian material.

By working with an experienced BBC TVproducer in the early days, they hoped thatthe BBC would chose to show the programmes when finished. Eventually, fiveyears after the project started, the BBC didshow Friends and Heroes Series One recognising that it was appropriate for all children, whatever their faith!

Although Friends and Heroes was intendedas entertainment, aiming to involve childrento the extent that they come back for more,it is so well researched and educational thatthe BBC showed it in their Schools TV programming. This allowed the show toreach children who otherwise wouldn’t hearBible stories anywhere else. This, in turn, ledto the creation of Key Stage 2 (7-11 yearolds) school lessons and pupil worksheetsbased on the programmes. The lessons areeasy to use and all the information is provid-ed, allowing even non-specialist teachers todeliver exciting and interactive RE lessons.

Hundreds of schools, including manyCatholic schools, now use them as part oftheir RE teaching and the feedback is that

boys in particular, many of whom are oftennot highly engaged in RE, really get involvedin Friends and Heroes.

Many churches now use the related Biblelessons in their children’s ministry oftenthrough mid-week clubs and sessions. Eachlesson is based on the Bible stories andthemes of the Friends and Heroes episodes.

A further aim of David and Alison’s was tocreate a programme which would be seen bychildren all over the world and that’s whyFriends and Heroes is currently being dubbedinto ten strategic languages: Arabic; Chinese;French; German; Hindi; Korean; Portuguese;Russian and Spanish. Series One is beingshown regularly in the USA and Canada andit also broadcasts in the Middle East, Korea,Guatemala, Taiwan and Italy!

Feedback on the impact the programmehas had around the world is flowing in fromchildren, their parents and educators, and theprogramme makers have picked up many international awards, too.

One grandparent said: “I love it, and wantto give it to my grandchildren. It is hard tofind Christian programmes on TV. Thank youvery much – keep more coming.”

All 39 episodes are now available on DVDbut the team is still creating additional material.

“Our latest release is the Bright Sparks PartyPack, which gives churches and othersenough material to run a very exciting partywhich is ideal for October 31 as a more Godly alternative to Halloween, but can beused on other occasions, too,” said Alison.

“Starting with the showing of Friends andHeroes Episode 3, there are plenty of activities, games, quizzes and other dynamic,fun ideas in the pack. We even suggest thekind of food you might serve!”

You can learn more about Friends and Heroes from www.friendsandheroes.com.Children will also love www.friendsandheroes.tv, which is their own special websitewith games, puzzles, colouring sheets andmuch more.

Meet the heroesthe whole familycan applaud

Our heroes:CartooncreatorsAlisonand DavidDorricottwithsome ofthe starsfrom theirseries

Our star: Superb 3D graphic render Jesusalive in the series

3D: Friends and Heroes isa clever mixture of traditonal 2D animationfor the scenes involvingMacky and Portia, and 3Dscenes from the Bible (left and above)

20-21 19/8/09 12:09 Page 1

CMYK

04 Universe Plus: Family and Faith

FAITH ON FILM

Universe Plus: Family and Faith 05

OVER the past fewdecades, the values ofour society have shift-ed and changed, one

result is that today’s childrenstruggle to find appropriate,positive role models.

But this generation of children stillneeds to experience heroic deeds,selfless acts and positive behaviourand in the past much of this hascome through our shared culture,often from our Judeo-Christianorigins.

This need prompted David andAlison Dorricott to work with agroup of highly creative and veryexperienced film and TV professionals, to produce Friends andHeroes, an animated TV series. “Wewanted to provide children with genuinely admirable heroic rolemodels by showing them storiesfrom the Bible in a modern and relevant way – through TV,” saidDavid Dorricott. “By setting Biblestories in living contexts among thepeople who kept them alive children

not only see and hear the stories butalso understand their meaning andhow they can apply them in theirown lives.”

Based in a fascinating and turbulent period of history – the firstcentury AD – Friends and Heroes isan animated adventure series whichweaves both Old and New Testament stories into the pro-grammes. It entertains, educates and

informs the viewers, introducingsome of them to Bible heroes forthe first time.

Friends and Heroes is the tale oftwo young people, Macky and Por-tia, whose idealism and friendshipleads them across the ancient world.They travel from the fabled Egyptianport of Alexandria to the besiegedcity of Jerusalem and finally to thevery heart of the Empire: Rome.

As they fight for justice and theirvery survival against the might of theRoman Empire they become friendsand then, in turn, heroes.

The fictional adventure stories aretold in 2D animation and the Biblestories are all shown in superb computer-generated 3D animationwhich means that children can easilytell the difference between the two.

The show’s heroes appeal strongly to today’s children; they areattractive, inspirational, very realcharacters.

They are funny and brave anddon’t always get things right! Theyface similar issues and dilemmas tothose faced by many youngsters today. Their experiences and thestories they tell help foster respectfor, and kindness to, others as wellas encouraging tolerance.

The creators of the series recognised that to fulfil their aim ofintroducing a new generation of children to the important stories ofthe Bible, their material had to beacceptable to the ‘mainstream’

IN REVIEW: FILMS

G-ForceCertificate PG

WHO you gonna call? G-Force!No, those ghosts hunters

haven’t returned from the 1980s,the world is now turning to a newbreed (literally) of crime fightersto thwart the plans of sinistermoguls and villains and variousne’er do wells. That’s right, theguinea pigs are here to save us.

In this exciting 3-D fantasy family adventure, which combineslive action and animation, a teamof three crack guinea pigs aidedby a mole, work to foil the plans ofa sinister industrialist (played bycompulsory Brit bad guy BillNighy) bent on world domination.

Obviously, these aren’t just run-of-the-mill guinea pigs: they haveall been trained and equipped asgovernment agents by an innovative scientist (Zach Galifianakis). Each has specialskills, ranging from explosives tokarate, which they bring to bearwhile undertaking their deadlymission.

With voices supplied by Hollywood A-listers Sam Rockwell,Tracy Morgan and Penelope Cruz,with Nicholas Cage as the mole,this exuberant, at times spectacular, rodent romp is purefamily fun. The crime-fightingteam is aided by an enthusiasticbut inept pet-store guinea pig(voiced by Jon Favreau), and act asan improvised family, sustained byco-operation, self-sacrifice and for-giveness.

These are positive lessons for allbut the most impressionable viewers, who might be frightenedby repeated scenes of peril –though with happy endings allround, there’s nothing to getunduly concerned about.

FAVOURITE HYMNSby Derrick Hanson

The twelve volumes in this series cover some of the many thousands of hymnswritten during the last 450 years. Their meaning and general background isexplained, accompanied by biographical details of the authors and/or composers, relevant photographs and, where appropriate, the historical setting. Each book has its own complimentary CD of the hymn music included.

Favourite Hymns: More Favourite HymnsHymns for Christmas: The Hymns of Charles Wesley

Hymns for Special Occasions: Hymns of Our TimeHymns of the Great Composers: Poetry in Hymns

Hymns and Prayers: Scripture in HymnsHymns of the Victorian Era: Hymns of the Twentieth Century

For an illustrated leaflet, please contact Grasshopper Publishing Ltd., Box 95, Liverpool L37 7WX

or Tel: 01704-874040, or you can find more information on the website atwww.grasshopperpublishing.ltd.uk

John H. Newman(1801-90) academic, highlyinfluential in his time;in later life appointed Cardinal

Isaac Watts(1674-1748)still widely sung today - ‘the father ofEnglish Hymnody’

Fred Pratt Green (1903-2000)prolific hymn-writerand poet, and a manof our time

Charles Wesley (1707-88)the author of over6,500 hymns; co-founder ofMethodism

0845

9842

8

Finding positive role models for children canbe a difficult task in modern society – withmany of those they look up to showingthemselves to be leading less than ideal lives.Husband and wife team David and AlisonDorricott have changed this, however, withthe creation of an exciting series of cartoonscalled Friends and Heroes. Set in first centuryAD and starring history’s greatest hero, Jesus,it’s a historical epic that has won plauditsround the globe. EEmmmmaa CCllaannccyy reports.

broadcasters, not just those broadcastingChristian material.

By working with an experienced BBC TVproducer in the early days, they hoped thatthe BBC would chose to show the programmes when finished. Eventually, fiveyears after the project started, the BBC didshow Friends and Heroes Series One recognising that it was appropriate for all children, whatever their faith!

Although Friends and Heroes was intendedas entertainment, aiming to involve childrento the extent that they come back for more,it is so well researched and educational thatthe BBC showed it in their Schools TV programming. This allowed the show toreach children who otherwise wouldn’t hearBible stories anywhere else. This, in turn, ledto the creation of Key Stage 2 (7-11 yearolds) school lessons and pupil worksheetsbased on the programmes. The lessons areeasy to use and all the information is provid-ed, allowing even non-specialist teachers todeliver exciting and interactive RE lessons.

Hundreds of schools, including manyCatholic schools, now use them as part oftheir RE teaching and the feedback is that

boys in particular, many of whom are oftennot highly engaged in RE, really get involvedin Friends and Heroes.

Many churches now use the related Biblelessons in their children’s ministry oftenthrough mid-week clubs and sessions. Eachlesson is based on the Bible stories andthemes of the Friends and Heroes episodes.

A further aim of David and Alison’s was tocreate a programme which would be seen bychildren all over the world and that’s whyFriends and Heroes is currently being dubbedinto ten strategic languages: Arabic; Chinese;French; German; Hindi; Korean; Portuguese;Russian and Spanish. Series One is beingshown regularly in the USA and Canada andit also broadcasts in the Middle East, Korea,Guatemala, Taiwan and Italy!

Feedback on the impact the programmehas had around the world is flowing in fromchildren, their parents and educators, and theprogramme makers have picked up many international awards, too.

One grandparent said: “I love it, and wantto give it to my grandchildren. It is hard tofind Christian programmes on TV. Thank youvery much – keep more coming.”

All 39 episodes are now available on DVDbut the team is still creating additional material.

“Our latest release is the Bright Sparks PartyPack, which gives churches and othersenough material to run a very exciting partywhich is ideal for October 31 as a more Godly alternative to Halloween, but can beused on other occasions, too,” said Alison.

“Starting with the showing of Friends andHeroes Episode 3, there are plenty of activities, games, quizzes and other dynamic,fun ideas in the pack. We even suggest thekind of food you might serve!”

You can learn more about Friends and Heroes from www.friendsandheroes.com.Children will also love www.friendsandheroes.tv, which is their own special websitewith games, puzzles, colouring sheets andmuch more.

Meet the heroesthe whole familycan applaud

Our heroes:CartooncreatorsAlisonand DavidDorricottwithsome ofthe starsfrom theirseries

Our star: Superb 3D graphic render Jesusalive in the series

3D: Friends and Heroes isa clever mixture of traditonal 2D animationfor the scenes involvingMacky and Portia, and 3Dscenes from the Bible (left and above)

20-21 19/8/09 12:09 Page 1