The Queen's New Palace on Wheels

The Queen's new palace on wheels: Wood from Newton's tree. A Waterloo bullet. Metal from a Dambuster. Unveiled for the opening of parliament today, carriage that's a mobile museum of our history

• The Queen's new Diamond Jubilee State Coach is only the second new royal carriage to be built in a century
• It contains relics of key moments and incidents from more than a thousand years of British history
• Designed by Australian Jim Frecklington, 64, it is to be unveiled today when the Queen goes to Parliament

By Robert Hardman for the Daily Mail

Published: 22:24 GMT, 3 June 2014 | Updated: 06:29 GMT, 4 June 2014

With the latest in 21st-century technology — plus quite a bit from the 19th — it is unique.
And despite having travelled by Concorde, Royal Yacht, elephant and South Sea canoe, the Queen has never been carried in anything quite like the transport which will take her to today’s State Opening of Parliament.
Unveiled for the first time, the new Diamond Jubilee State Coach is only the second royal carriage to be built in a century and joins the unrivalled royal collection of coaches, phaetons, landaus, broughams and barouches.
None of the others, however, features a 360-degree ‘coachcam’ offering a monarch’s-eye view of the procession, gold-plated hydraulics, motor-racing technology and a dazzling museum.

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Palace-on-wheels: Unveiled for the first time, the new Diamond Jubilee State Coach is only the second royal carriage to be built in a century

For this palace-on-wheels is much more than the ultimate horse-drawn limousine. Open a diamond-clad door handle and, inside, we find a time capsule of 1,000 years of history.
Surmounted by a crown made from the timbers of HMS Victory, which houses the royal website’s ‘coachcam’, the new state coach contains relics of all those key moments sacred to Britain and so much of the Commonwealth.

The panelling includes slivers of Scott’s Antarctic sled, Sir Isaac Newton’s apple tree, Hut Six at  codebreaking centre Bletchley Park, one of Sir Edmund Hillary’s Everest ladders and the beams of most of our great cathedrals.
As she is drawn behind six horses, the Queen will be sitting on a piece of Scotland’s Stone of Destiny, upon which monarchs are traditionally crowned, and surrounded by a bolt from a Spitfire, a musket ball from Waterloo, a bolt and rivets from the Flying Scotsman and a button  from Gallipoli.
There’s even a fragment of the bronze cannon from which every Victoria Cross is cast, and a piece of metal from the wreckage of a 617 Squadron Dambuster.

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Chock full of history: As she is drawn behind six horses, the Queen will be sitting on a piece of Scotland's Stone of Destiny, upon which monarchs are traditionally crowned, and surrounded by a bolt from a Spitfire, a musket ball from Waterloo, a bolt and rivets from the Flying Scotsman and a button from Gallipoli

Little wonder this three-ton coach — 18ft long — has taken 50 people more than ten years to assemble.  And it is all the idea of one remarkable Australian.
Jim Frecklington, 64, worked in the Royal Mews as a young man before returning home to help organise  the Queen’s Silver Jubilee exhibition in Australia.
Having repaired carriages on the family farm in his youth, he set about building a replica of the 1902 State Landau.
This led to something even more ambitious and, in 1986, he built the Australian State Coach, a gift from the people of Australia to the Queen to mark the country’s bicentenary. It proved a very popular addition to the Royal Mews, not least because it was the first state coach with heating.
But Mr Frecklington, whose family emigrated from Britain to New South Wales in the 1850s, was not finished.
‘I wanted to make something in honour of Her Majesty’s great reign and something which represents our extraordinary history,’ he explains as he shows me his spotless creation in its new home behind the Palace.
So, he set about building something even larger than the Australian State Coach at his workshop near Sydney.

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Symbolism: A part of the Stone of Destiny which is placed in a capsule beneath the seats in the new Diamond Jubilee state coach

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Relics: Woods from various celebrated buildings and vessels have been used to inlay the doors

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History: The panelling includes a button from Gallipoli, wood from the Mayflower, a rivet from the Flying Scotsman, slivers of Scot's Antarctic sled, wood from Sir Isaac Newton's apple tree, Hut Six at codebreaking centre Bletchley Park, one of Sir Edmund Hillary's Everest ladders and the beams of most of our great cathedrals

The construction was a labour of love. All the springs, for example, were hand-forged, while the wheels were cast in aircraft-strength aluminium and made by one of Australia’s leading racing car designers.
Mr Frecklington wanted to use the finest craftsmen and women from all over the Commonwealth. So, all the leather is English, as is the gold silk brocade upholstery (from Sudbury).
The lamps are glazed with the finest lead crystal from Edinburgh. The intricate heraldic paintwork has been hand-painted by Irish-born Australian Paula Church. The door handles are from New Zealand — each is gold-plated and inlaid with 24 diamonds and 130 Australian sapphires by Kiwi master jeweller Mike Baker.
Even the bolts which fix the gold-plated hand supports to the bodywork have been finished using the same guilloche enamel as a Faberge egg. And so it goes on.
Mr Frecklington has applied the same mind-boggling attention to detail to the historical artefacts which give the Diamond Jubilee State Coach its special status.  

He began by asking the custodians of HMS Victory if he might have a piece of timber from Nelson’s flagship.
Once it was clear Mr Frecklington had the endorsement of Buckingham Palace, things started to progress. ‘I knew Victory had undergone a refit in 1922 and that they had set aside some timber, and they were kind enough to let me have some.’
The result is a crown resting on four lions modelled on those found on the gates of Buckingham Palace. The entire coach is covered with heraldic emblems, crests and motifs, all of which have been approved by the College of Arms.

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Comfy: Flip up the armrests and there are discreet, Bond-style controls for the heating and electric windows underneath

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'I wanted to make something in honour of Her Majesty': Jim Frecklington, 64, designed and built the coach. The lamps, bottom , are glazed with lead crystal from Edinburgh

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A wheel hub: Mr Frecklington built the coach in his workshop near Sydney, Australia using the work of the finest craftsmen and women from all over the Commonwealth

He then broadened his quest for other historic artefacts to include every great building and institution he could think of.
The trust which looks after Britannia donated some teak handrails from the old Royal Yacht. They now form the armrests (flip them up and there are discreet, Bond-style controls for the heating and electric windows underneath).
He secured contributions from Windsor Castle, Balmoral and even the old Royal Box at Ascot. St Paul’s and Winchester Cathedrals presented certified pieces, as did Westminster Abbey and many stately homes.
The panelling includes yew from Glamis Castle in Scotland, where the Queen Mother grew up, ash from Blenheim Palace and oak from Althorp, ancestral home of the Spencer family. Going back somewhat further is a little bit of timber from the Bronze Age Ferriby boat found in the Humber.
A strong theme throughout is sacrifice. Hence the metalwork from a Spitfire, Hurricane and Lancaster and many of our best-known battlefields. ‘I wanted something every family in the land can relate to,’ he says.

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Crowning glory: Made from wood reclaimed from HMS Victory the reproduction crown sits atop four lions modelled on those found on the gates of Buckingham Palace

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Mr Frecklington secured contributions from Windsor Castle, Balmoral and even the old Royal Box at Ascot. St Paul's and Winchester Cathedrals presented certified pieces, as did Westminster Abbey and many stately homes. The public can go to view the new carriage at the Royal Mews from tomorrow

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Resplendent: The entire coach is covered with heraldic emblems, crests and motifs, all of which have been approved by the College of Arms

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Dry run: The carriage rolls past the Palace of Westminster in a rehearsal of the State Opening of Parliament, set to take place today

There will be those who wonder why anyone should go to so much trouble — and how much it has all cost. Besides, how do you put a price on all this?
Mr Frecklington smiles and says he’s not sure. He paid for a lot of it himself, but the coach has now been formally acquired for the nation by the Royal Collection Trust following a private donation. In other words, it hasn’t cost the taxpayer a penny.
After today, though, the public will be able to view it, along with all the other coaches and carriages, during the daily opening of the Royal Mews at the back of Buckingham Palace.
Though the Queen has seen the finished product, she will not have ridden in it until today. Mr Frecklington — who is already working on his next project, a tribute to horses that went to war — has been allocated a ringside view of the royal arrival at the Palace of Westminster.
‘It will be a very special moment,’ he says. ‘She’s a wonderful example to humanity, and this has been a great team effort.’

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The Queen arrives for 2013's State Opening of Parliament in the Irish State Coach, which had been her traditional carriage for the procession from Buckingham Palace to the Houses of Parliament. This year she will use the new Diamond Jubilee State Coach

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In 2012, the State of Opening of Parliament saw the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh use the Australian State Coach for the procession. It was then the newest in the Palace's collection, having been presented to mark Australia's bicentennial in 1988.

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બક્ષી સદાબહાર - ચંદ્રકાંત બક્ષી નળ અને દમયંતીને એક પુત્ર અને પુત્રી હતાં અને એ બંનેનું નામ એક જ હતું: ઈન્દ્રસેન ! અપ્સરા પાણીમાં તરતી રહેતી હતી, અપ્સરાઓ ગાંધર્વોની પત્નીઓ હતી. એ ઈચ્છા પ્રમાણે પોતાનો આકાર બદલી શકતી હતી. અપ્સરાઓ આસમાનમાં રહેતી હતી પણ પૃથ્વી પર પણ ઊતરી આવતી હતી. અપ્સરાનો અર્થ જે આડી લાઈને સરી જાય એવી ! ઈલા પુરુરવાની માતા હતી. એકવાર વનમાં શિવ અને પાર્વતીને ગાઢ આલિંગનની સ્થિતિમાં સુદ્યુમ્ન જોઈ ગયો. શિવે ક્રોધમાં આવીને સુદ્યુમ્નને શાપ આપી દીધો અને એ ઈલા અથવા ઈડા નામની સ્ત્રી બની ગયો. આ શાપ એવો હતો કે ઈલા એક માસ સ્ત્રી રહેતી અને એક માસ પુરુષ બનતો! જે છોકરી રજસ્વલા ન થઈ હોય એ નગ્ન પણ ફરી શકતી અને એને માટેનો શબ્દ હતો: નગ્નિકા ! કૃષ્ણ કાળા જન્મ્યા હતા એનું કારણ એ હતું કે એમના જન્મ પૂર્વે દેવકીના ગર્ભાશયમાં વિષ્ણુએ એક કાળો વાળ મૂકી દીધો હતો ! અશ્ર્વમેધ એક સફેદ ઘોડો હતો. એ પાછો કરે પછી એનું બલિદાન કરવામાં આવતું હતું અને ચાર રાણીઓ એના મૃત શરીર સાથે સમાગમ કરતી. આવી પ્રણાલિકા હતી ! સમ્રાટ પ્રતિપાના સાથળ પર લાવણ્યથી ગંગા બેસી ગઈ ત્યારે રાજાએ કહ્યું કે જમણો સાથળ પુત્રીઓ અને પુત્રવધૂઓ માટે છે. ડાબો સાથળ ઉત્તેજિત થયેલી સ્ત્રીઓ માટે છે. આ સાત પ્રસંગો અથવા સત્યો મહાભારતના સમુદ્રમાંથી લીધેલા નમૂનાઓ છે. જગતભરમાં મહાભારત જેવું રસિક મહાકથાનક નથી. પાત્રાલેખન, વર્ણન, ચરિત્રચિત્રણ, કથ્ય કે ભાષા- કોઈ બાબતમાં મહાભારતની સ્પર્ધામાં કોઈ વસ્તુ ઊતરી શકે એમ નથી. દરેક શબ્દ સકારણ વપરાયો છે. અને એનો અર્થ છે. ભાગ્યે જ કોઈ વિશ્ર્વકૃતિમાં વ્યુત્પત્તિની દૃષ્ટિએ આટલી ચોકસાઈ જોવામાં આવે છે. આજે કેટલાય રૂઢ થઈ ગયેલા શબ્દો અને શબ્દપ્રયોગોના મૂળ અર્થ જોઈએ તો આશ્ર્ચર્ય થઈ જાય! કલકત્તાના પ્રોફેસર પી. લાલને અમેરિકામાં ફોર્ડ ફાઉન્ડેશન તરફથી મહાભારતનો અનુવાદ સરળ અને આધુનિક અંગ્રેજીમાં કરવાનું કામ સોંપાયું હતું. એમણે દસ વર્ષમાં ૧૧૮ જેટલી પુસ્તિકાઓ લખી છે. હજી બીજા દસ વર્ષ લાગશે બાકીનું મહાભારત સમાપ્ત કરતાં! પણ જે પુસ્તિકાઓ લખાઈ છે એ ખરેખર સરસ છે. એમાંની કેટલીક પુસ્તિકાઓને અંતે એમણે શબ્દોના અર્થ પણ સમજાવ્યા છે. મૂલત: અમેરિકન અને યુરોપિયન વાચકો માટેનાં આ પુસ્તકો છે એટલે આ શબ્દો અર્થની દૃષ્ટિએ સમજાવ્યા છે. મહાભારતમાં એક શબ્દ આવે છે- વાનર! આપણે વાનરને વાંદરો ગણીએ છીએ અને એ જ અર્થ ઘટાડવામાં આવે છે. પણ પ્રોફેસર પી. લાલ સાથે વાત કરતાં એમણે ભારપૂર્વક કહ્યું કે વાનર એટલે વાંદરો નહીં પણ વન-નર! જંગલમાં રહેનારી કોઈ આદિવાસી કે મનુષ્ય જાતિ હતી જે દક્ષિણમાં હતી અને એટલે ઉત્તરની આર્યપ્રજાએ એમને વાનર કહ્યાં ! વાનર શબ્દ એ દક્ષિણની પ્રજાનું અથવા વૃક્ષોની આસપાસ રહેનારી પ્રજાનું દ્યોતક છે. દુ:શાસનનો શબ્દાર્થ થાય જેને અંકુશમાં રાખવો અઘરો છે એવો! દુર્યોધન એટલે જેને જીતવો અઘરો છે એવો! કેશવ એટલે ખૂબસુરત વાળવાળો! દ્રોણનો વ્યુત્પતિ પ્રમાણે અર્થ થાય છે: ડોલ અથવા બાલટી! ધાતા એટલે બનાવનાર અને વિધાતા એટલે ન બનાવનાર અથવા તોડનાર! અરુણનો અર્થ છે ગુલાબી અને એને અનુરૂ પણ કહેવાય છે. અનુરૂ એટલે સાથળ વિનાનો! ગોવિંદ એટલે ગાયના રક્ષક! માંધાતા શબ્દનો અર્થ જરા વિચિત્ર છે. માંધાતા એક મહાન ઋષિ હતા. મામ-ધાતા એમ બે શબ્દો જોડવાથી એ બને છે. ઈન્દ્રે આ ઋષિને પોતાની આંગળી ધાવવા આપી હતી. એ મને ધાવશે એવો અર્થ બતાવવામાં આવ્યો છે. ભરદ્વાજ શબ્દને પણ આ રીતે તોડી શકાય છે: ભર-દ્વા-જ! એ બે પિતાના પુત્ર હતા, અને એની પાછળ એક કથા છે. ઉતથ્ય ઋષિની પત્ની મમતાના ગર્ભાશયમાં દીર્ઘતમસ હતો. બીજા ઋષિ બૃહસ્પતિનું બીજ એ ગર્ભાશયમાં પ્રવેશતું હતું ત્યારે અંદરના દીર્ઘતમસે એને બહારે ફેંકી દીધું જે બૃહસ્પતિ પુત્ર ભરદ્વાજ બન્યો. આ રીતે એ બે પિતૃઓની નિપજ ગણાય છે! મહાભારત એટલો મોટો મહાસાગર છે કે એના અર્થો સમજતાં સમજતાં એક જીવન થાકી જાય અને જેમ જેમ ઊંડા ઊતરતા જઈએ એમ એમ અનેકાર્થ મળતા રહે. માણસની ઉંમર વધતી જાય એમ એમ એના અર્થોના વ્યાપ અને પરિધ ફેલાતા જાય. દરેક અર્થમાં નવા આયામ અને પરિમાણ ઉમેરાતાં જાય. દરેક વાચક અથવા શ્રોતાને પોતાનું અર્થઘટન કરવાનું સ્વાતંત્ર્ય મળે છે, જે કોઈ પણ મહાકૃતિનું પ્રથમ લક્ષણ છે. કર્ણનો અર્થ કાન ! એ જન્મ્યો ત્યારે એનું શરીર દૈવી હતું અને એ કવચ કુંડળ સાથે જન્મ્યો હતો. કુબેર મોટા પેટવાળો એક વામન હતો, અને એને ત્રણ પગ, આઠ દાંત અને એક આંખ હતાં. સૂર્ય વિષે કહેવાય છે કે એને બે લાંબા હાથ અને ચાર ટૂંકા હાથ છે. કમર પર પટ્ટો અને ઊંચા બૂટ પહેર્યા છે. તેમ જ રથને એક પૈડું છે અને ચાર અથવા સાત ઘોડીઓ એ રથ સાથે સંલગ્ન છે. સૂર્યને ચાર પત્નીઓ છે: સંજ્ઞા, રાજ્ઞી, પ્રભા અને છાયા! વૈકુંઠ એટલે એવું સ્થાન જ્યાં કોઈ કુન્ઠા કે બંધન નથી. પતિનો અર્થ રક્ષા કરનાર જ્યારે ભતૃ અથવા ભર્તાનો અર્થ થાય છે વિભાવનાર અથવા ટેકો આપનાર! ક્ધિનરને પક્ષીનું શરીર અને ઘોડાનું માથું હતાં. એનો અર્થ થાય ‘કેવા માણસો’? પુત એટલે એવું નરક જ્યાં સંતાન વિનાનો માણસ મૃત્યુ પછી જાય છે. માટે જ પુત્રનો અર્થ થાય છે એ વ્યક્તિ જે માણસને પુત નામના નરકમાં જતાં બચાવે છે! શૂદ્ર પુરુષ અને બ્રાહ્મણ સ્ત્રીનું સંતાન એ ચાંડાલ! કિચક એટલે પોલો વાંસ, અને વેણુ એટલે નાનો વાંસ ! પુત્ર કેટલા પ્રકારના હોય? સ્વયંજાત એટલે પોતાની પત્નીનો પુત્ર ! પ્રણિત એટલે પોતાની પત્નીને મહાન પુુરુષથી થયેલો પુત્ર! પરિકૃત એટલે ભાડૂતી માણસથી થયેલો પુત્ર ! પૌનર્ભવ એટલે ફરી પરણેલી સ્ત્રીને બીજા પતિથી થયેલો પુત્ર ! કાનિન એટલે અપરિણીત સ્ત્રીનો પુત્ર કુંડ એટલે ચારિત્ર્યહીન સ્ત્રીનો પુત્ર ! આ સિવાય પણ બીજા છ જાતના પુત્રો છે. દત્ત એટલે આપેલો અને દ્ત એટલે ખરીદેલો ! કૃત્રિમ એટલે ઉપકારવશ સ્વીકારેલો ! યુગલના લગ્ન પહેલાં ગર્ભાધાન થયું હોય એ સહોદ કહેવાય! વાસનાથી થયેલો જાતરેત ગણાય છે. અંતિમ એ નિમ્નજાતિ સ્ત્રીનો પુત્ર ! આજે કદાચ તેરમા પ્રકારના પુત્રો પૃથ્વી પર ફરી રહ્યા છે...!

The Great Christmas Light Fight

Six foot Santas, Ferris wheels and 100 trees shipped from Siberia: Families go to ridiculous lengths to decorate homes as they compete for £30,000 prize

• American show being broadcast in UK sees Christmas-obsessed families 
• One display has 20,000 cars attend each year
• One house is so bright that it's used by pilots as a beacon 
• Another house has Ferris wheel, 80 ft ski lift and 180,000 lights

By Bianca London for MailOnline

Published: 14:03 GMT, 14 December 2014 | Updated: 15:37 GMT, 14 December 2014

Forget a few baubles and a wreath, for middle-America’s most fanatically festive families, Christmas decorations include 100 trees, six foot Santas and lights so bright, pilots at the local airport use them as a beacon.

The ostentatious families are the stars of a new U.S. TV show that's made it's way to the UK this month.

The Great Christmas Light Fight, which airs on truTV, follows America’s most fanatically festive families. 

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Feeling festive: A new TV show sees Christmas-obsessed families across America competing for a £30,000 prize fund

Each episode takes decking the halls to the absolute extreme, as households compete to create the most over-the-top Christmas light displays to win a £31,000 ($50,000) cash prize.

Hosted by judges Michael Moloney and Sabrina Soto, each family has just three weeks to transform their home for the holidays, working around the clock as they pit their wits against each other to create the most ridiculously elaborate illuminations.

Judged on rigorous and strict criteria that ranges from use of lights, overall design and Christmas spirit, their displays feature six foot Santas, luminous snowmen, glowing reindeer and metres and metres of coloured lights in the most astonishing display of festive cheer. 

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Competition: Each family has just three weeks to transform their home for the holidays, working around the clock as they pit their wits against each other to create the most ridiculously elaborate illuminations

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Battle: Each episode takes decking the halls to the absolute extreme, as households compete to create the most over-the-top Christmas light displays to win a £31,000 cash prize

One of the families featured, the Baughmans from Dallas, adorn their house with 100,000 lights, 100 Christmas trees and 16 Christmas-themed arches.

They take the whole process so seriously that they spend all year prepping and programming the lights, spend two months setting up and are known as local celebrities thanks to their display.

Giving them a run for their money is the Downs family from Oklahoma. The Downs family Christmas display is one of the largest musically synchronized displays in the country. 

The display has become such a spectacle that an average of 20,000 cars attend each year and on Christmas Eve last year, they had close to 5,000 cars driving by. 

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Winter wonderland: This home features a Ferris wheel, 80 ft ski lift and 180,000 lights and pilots at the local airport even use their home as a beacon during the holiday season

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Shine bright: Each house is judged on rigorous and strict criteria that ranges from use of lights, overall design and Christmas spirit

Mark and Kathy from Miama have been doing their display since 1990 when they tied the knot. The family spends a total of five hours, three days a week for three months to get their display ready in time for the holidays. 

They believe their Ferris wheel, 80 ft ski lift and 180,000 lights are what set their display apart from others. Pilots at the local airport even use their home as a beacon during the holiday season.

New Yorker Kevin Lynch, 54, has been doing his display for 16 years and it normally takes seven weeks and over 300 hours to put it up.

He has over 300,000 lights and 350 figures and has received awards from US Senator Patavan and City Councilman Tony Avella.

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Classic: This home is all about the fairy lights but for others, Christmas decorations include 100 trees and six foot Santas

Les Mize, 68, has been decorating his home in San Francisco for 43 years. What started as a mere Mickey Mouse and Disney memorabilia collection has become a full-blown obsession. 

Patty, his wife, tries to keep Les in check and the decorations under control but finds it difficult to squash Les’s Christmas spirit. The house takes 294 hours to decorate, uses 200,000 lights just on the exterior, has over 400 Mickeys in the garage display alone, has 10,000 visitors over a three week period and has become known as the Mickey Mouse Christmas House. 

The Blount family from Los Angeles, meanwhile, turn their display into a charitable affair.

Father Andrew, a CEO of a software company, likes to give back to the community and last year they displayed 120,000 lights and served tonnes of warm apple cider to faithful visitors. The Blounts even have a tree shipped in from Siberia each year. 

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Over-the-top: Some of the families get so carried away that they spend days decorating their homes and have hundreds of people visiting 

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Spectacle: Some displays have an average of 20,000 cars attending each year

Rs. 12,50,00,00,000.00 Spilled on the Road of Hong Kong

Dash for cash! Frenzy as drivers and pedestrians grab banknotes from the road after £1.25m is spilled when van carrying money crashed

By Julian Robinson for MailOnline and Afp 14:53 24 Dec 2014, updated 23:57 24 Dec 2014

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• Traffic ground to a halt in central Hong Kong after cash spilled out of van
• Equivalent of £1.25m in cash was on road sparking a frenzy among drivers
• Footage showed pedestrians dashing in from pavements to join in melee 

This was the scene when more than £1.25million in cash spilled out of an armoured van in Hong Kong - sparking a frenzy as passers-by tried to get their hands on the notes.

Traffic ground to a halt on busy Gloucester Road in central Hong Kong as taxi drivers rushed out of their cars to make a grab for the hundreds of banknotes scattered over the busy multi-lane highway. 

Television footage showed pedestrians dashing in from the pavements to join in the Christmas Eve melee.

Scroll down for video 

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This was the scene when more than £1.25million in cash spilled out of an armoured van in Hong Kong - sparking a frenzy as passers-by tried to get their hands on the notes

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This was the scene when more than £1.25million in cash spilled out of an armoured van in Hong Kong - sparking a frenzy as passers-by tried to get their hands on the notes

Police, some of them armed with armed with shotguns, helmets and bulletproof vests, rushed to the scene to secure the area.

More than HK$15.23million (£1.26million) spilled onto the road after the vehicle crashed, police said. 

It was not clear how much officers managed to retrieve and how much had been pocketed by members of the public.

'Any person who finds the relevant bank notes should return them to police as soon as possible, or they may be committing a theft,' police warned in a statement.

15 million HKD gone in minutes during Hong Kong road accident

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Television footage showed pedestrians dashing in from the pavements to join in the Christmas Eve melee

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Television footage showed pedestrians dashing in from the pavements to join in the Christmas Eve melee

Police superintendent Wan Siu-hung said the driver of the van made it all the way to his destination, a half-hour's drive away, oblivious to the fact that his back door was open and the cash boxes had fallen out.

'When it (the van) arrived at its destination they discovered that the door was open,' Wan told reporters, adding that police would use the serial numbers of the bills to conduct an investigation.

Legal experts told local media that people who kept the banknotes would be committing larceny and could face up to 10 years in jail.

Bend it like Julia

Heels over head for 2015! 'World's bendiest woman' dresses in skin-tight gold jumpsuit to show off incredible contortion skills

• Zlata has won awards and holds world records for her contortion skills
• Real name Julia,  she has been contorting since she was just four years old
• Poses in a gold bodysuit for dramatic 2015 calender
• Promises her fans 'more surprises' for them in the coming year

By Katy Winter for MailOnline

Published: 11:47 GMT, 23 December 2014 | Updated: 12:31 GMT, 23 December 2014

These incredible photos reveal how world's bendiest woman contorts herself into unbelievable shapes in her 2015 calendar.

Russian-born Zlata twists herself into the most extreme poses imaginable wearing a slinky skin-tight gold jumpsuit.

Casting shadows against the white back drop as she holds impossible positions in the dramatic shots, Zlata looks a little like an abstract modern art statue.

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Zlata has won awards and holds world records for her contortion skills

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Russian-born Zlata twists herself into the most extreme poses imaginable wearing a skin-tight gold jumpsuit

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The photos see her wrapping her legs around her head and standing on her hands to create stunning shapes

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The dramatic shoot is for the 2015 version of her annual calender 

The bendy blonde has broken many world records for her flexibility - and demonstrates her stretchy skills in her annual calendar.

The dramatic snaps see her wrapping her legs around her head and standing on her hands to create stunning shapes.

The 28-year-old - real name Julia Guenthel - has been contorting since she was just four years old.

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Casting shadows against the white back drop as she holds impossible positions in the dramatic shots Zlata looks like an abstract modern art statue

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The 5ft 8in former gymnast now lives in Germany and trains every day to keep her muscles in shape

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The 28-year-old - real name Julia Guenthel - has been contorting since she was just four years old

The 5ft 8in former gymnast now lives in Germany and trains every day to keep her muscles in shape.

Zlata said: 'I wish my fans, contortion fans and all the contortionists around the world a lovely Christmas time.

'Stay faithful to me next year and I will have many more surprises for you.'

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Zlata is seemingly totally un-phased by the unbelievable shapes she twists her body into 

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Zlata said 'I wish my fans, contortion fans and all the contortionists around the world a lovely Christmas time'

Final of Miss World 2014

Keeping the competition on its toes: More than 100 of the planet's most beautiful women take to the stage in final of Miss World 2014 - and Miss South Africa takes home the crown 

• Miss World final took place at ExCel centre in East London
• 120 international contestants took part in 64th competition
• Winner will be crowned by last year's Miss World, Megan Young of the Philippines
• Competition was founded in 1950 with just 26 entrants  

By Bianca London for MailOnline

Published: 16:01 GMT, 14 December 2014 | Updated: 17:28 GMT, 14 December 2014

Beauty queens today descended on London to be put through their paces at the Miss World final - returning to the city where it all started 63 years ago.

The coveted crown was taken home by Miss South Africa, Rolene Strauss. She was presented the glittering accolade by last year's winner, Megan Young of the Philippines.

The 22-year-old, who is studying medicine at the University of the Free State, proved that she is both beauty and brains. 

The show, which is being broadcast to millions of viewers across the globe, featured 120 international contestants each deemed to be not only the most beautiful in their home countries, but the best example of what it means to be a modern woman.

This year's crop, far from being the stereotypical dumb beauty queens, are both pretty and polished, with the majority holding a university degree, as well as juggling a vast array of interests, hobbies and charity work.

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We have a winner! Miss South Africa, Rolene Strauss, a 22-year-old medical student, took home the coveted Miss World 2014 crown today in London

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Grand finale: Beauty queens from all over the globe competed against each other at the ExCel centre in London today in a glittering Miss World 2014 final

Flying the flag for the UK was England's Carina Tyrrell. She is among the most intelligent of this year's crop, thanks to a first-class brain that has earned her First Class honours in her pre-clinical medical studies degree from Cambridge University.

The 24-year-old medical student, who will now begin clinical training, is also the president of the Cambridge University Global Health Society, which works to increase awareness of health issues around the world, as well as working with those less fortunate in the UK.

But her academic achievements are just one string to this multi-talented beauty's bow. In addition to studying for a degree and participating in Miss World, Miss Tyrrell has raised £19,800 for the international children's charity Terre des Hommes, worked at the World Health Organization for the Tropical Diseases Research department, and to top it off, regularly volunteers with homeless charities in Cambridge.

If that wasn't enough, she is also a fully trained ski instructor, won a national gymnastics award and regularly travels abroad on humanitarian trips to work with children in India, Brazil, Ghana and Rwanda.

Nevertheless, with her long dark hair and slender size eight figure, Miss Tyrrell, who also speaks fluent French, is no slouch in the looks department either.

Speaking about entering the competition, she said: 'I am delighted and proud to be representing England at Miss World. I want to make the most out of life and have enjoyed looking after children at camps and crashes, being a ski instructor for children, water skiing and dress making, designing and modelling.

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Battling it out: National finalists, including Miss Scotland Ellie McKeating (centre), perform on stage during Miss World 2014 at the ExCel Centre

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Big bash: Contestants from 126 countries are in London to compete in the 2014 Miss World competition, the 63rd time the annual event has taken place

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American girl: Miss USA, Elizabeth Safrit, hails from a small town in North Carolina and holds a degree in Political Science and Journalism and works as a lobbyist

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Beauty queens: The competitors wore their most lavish gowns as they took to the stage in the final round

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Glamorous: Miss India, Koyal Rana, takes part in the final of the Miss World 2014 contest, showcasing her dancing skills and style credentials 

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Duties: The contest's winner will spend the year in London, as well as travelling to represent the Miss World Organisation (MWO) and its causes

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Grand scenes: Hundreds of audience members showed their support by waving their respective country's flags 

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Getting into the spirit of it: Miss Slovenia, Laura Longauerova, dances her way down the catwalk at the London competition 

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Dazzling affair: Over 100 finalists donned their best gladrags and competed against one another for the coveted crown 

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Spectacle: Some contestants flew thousands of miles to compete, such as Miss Mongolia, Battsetseg Turbat, who wowed in a beaded red outfit

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High stakes: In 1951, 26 women competed for the crown, but today there's over 100, including Miss Bolivia, Andrea Forfori Aguilera 

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Skills: Miss Thailand, Maeya Nonthawan, centre, shows off her flexibility as she poses on the runway 

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Multi-talented: The women, including Miss India, Koyal Rana, foreground, are required to show off their dancing skills before the judges 

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Bonjour! Miss France Flora Coquerel waves during the grand final of the Miss World 2014 pageant and poses alongside a performer 

'Today at age 24, I am a senior student doctor at the University of Cambridge. I have been fortunate enough to help in numerous countries around the world, with a number of local and international hospitals, charities and organisations.

'Since the age of five, I have been deeply moved by the human suffering experienced by those less fortunate. My desire to become a doctor grew stronger as I was exposed to the reality of healthcare around the world.

'My aim is work in global healthcare and be on the forefront of helping people on a worldwide scale.'

Currently studying molecular biology at Cardiff University, Miss Wales - aka Alice Ford, 21 - is another beauty with brains.

Speaking about her place in the Miss World final, Miss Ford said: 'What drove me to enter Miss Wales was the way in which they empower women.

'Leading up to the Miss Wales competition, all the contestants take part in an empowerment day that encourages young women to think positively and believe in themselves.

'This day taught women about not just empowering ourselves, but to empower each too, which is what the competition is all about. The Miss Wales competition has given me more confidence in myself than I could ever have imagined.

'Being a student scientist, empowering young women is personal to me. I feel it is extremely important that we encourage more girls to join the scientific field where I feel that we are sometimes under represented.'

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Competitors: (Top-Bottom) Miss Vietnam, Loan Nguyen Thi, Miss Serbia, Milica Vuklis and Miss South Sudan, Awien Kuanyin-Agoth

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Head-to-head: Miss Cyprus Ioanna Filippou (L) and Miss Greece Eleni Kokkinou (R) parade during the grand final of the Miss World 2014

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Long-standing tradition: The Miss World contest is one of the oldest international beauty pageants and was the brainchild of Eric Morley in 1950

Then there's Miss Scotland: Ellie McKeating, 20, who was born and raised in the city of Glasgow in a large but close knit extended family.

Currently in her 2nd year studying Film & Media and Marketing and the University of Stirling, she has aspirations of a career on television. In her spare time, Ellie likes photography, film editing, and cooking, her favourite sports include skiing, swimming and yoga.

The blonde beauty says: 'Film making has always been a passion of mine since i was a little girl and as well as being behind the camera I look forward to pursuing one in front of it as a presenter.

'Alongside my Miss Scotland duties, finding time to remain active is important to me and having a healthy mind and balancing my fitness means just as much.

'Coming from a huge family I am surrounded by children on a daily basis and i absolutely love them, their imaginations are increadible and to think there are children all over the world who are suffering in pain and poverty is truly upsetting and simply unfair.

'I intended to help these children and give them all the opportunities I had as a child. In Scotland we have the highest children poverty rate in all of Europe and it's devestating to hear. I hope I will be able to help them in my position as Miss Scotland.

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Rainbow: Each of the women wore a colourful dress in the hope of standing out from the crowd

She says her most memorable encounter was in the president's suite of Murrayfield stadium, when she stood 10m away from Princess Anne of the British Royal Family. 'Although we did not meet, she smiled very fondly at me,' Ellie recalls.

Rebekah Shirley is a media student currently on a gap year - she is Miss Northern Island. 

Born and raised in Ballymoney, Northern Ireland, Rebekah aspires to an exciting career in the media. She said: 'I am very honoured to be representing my country in Miss World. I desire to have a positive impact on all the lives I connect with and never take people for granted.

'Being Miss Northern Ireland has given me the opportunity to meet people from many different walks of life.'

In her spare time Rebekah enjoys playing volleyball and netball, and spends time reading biographies and watching style tutorials online.

She is big fan of Instagram, saying: 'They say a picture tells a thousand words and I love getting a visual insight into other people's lives. It also gives me a great platform to promote myself.'

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Pale and interesting: (Top-Bottom) Miss France, Flora Coquerel, Miss Philippines, Valerie Weigmann, Miss South Africa, Rolene Strauss

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Dressed to impress: (Top-Bottom) Miss Sri Lanka, Chulakshi Ranathunga, Miss Thailand, Maeya Nonthawan, and Miss Venezuela, Debora Menicucci

Miss Canada, Annora Bourgeault, is a fourth year honours psychology student who hopes to gain her doctorate in counselling. 'My passion is spreading happiness to all of those I encounter and I am so excited to meet the incredible women competing to be Miss World.'

She said the thing that annoys her most about the world is that: 'People are so intently rushing in their own lives they don't look up and notice the beautiful people and places they are surrounded with.'

Aside from her full time studies, she likes to spend time in the countryside camping and hiking and has climbed to the peak of two mountains in the Rocky's.

Miss Australia, Courtney Thorpe, has many strings to her bow. She's currently studying Mass Communications at university whilst working part-time as a freelance writer and fashion stylist. She's already found success as a writer after having a children's book she penned published. She hopes to go on to write an entire series of educational children's books.

'I'm very lucky that since being crowned Miss Australia I have been able to continue my love of working with children by working with indigenous outback communities in remote Australia, especially focusing on education,' she said.

The 'obsessed and devoted' Manchester United fan loves outdoor pursuits in her native Brisbane such as wake boarding, football, horse riding, camping and boating,

Hailing from a small town in North Carolina, Miss USA, Elizabeth Safrit, holds a degree in Political Science and Journalism and works as a lobbyist.

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Back again: Tim Vincent and Miss World 2013 winner  Megan Young present the grand final of the Miss World 2014 pageant 

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Spectacular: Miss Finland, Krista Haapalainen, centre, performs a dramatic dance and gymnastic routine 

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Lady in red: Miss France, Flora Coquerel, parades during the grand final of the Miss World 2014 pageant in a lavish red feathered ensemble 

'My hometown is the epitome of 'Small Town USA'. It is a town where everyone knows one another. My family has lived in Kannapolis for generations.

'I've seen it evolve from a small mill town to a biotechnology hub. I am very proud to be from Kannapolis,' the brunette explains.

The politically minded beauty is hoping to return to education to gain a second degree in Mass Communication.

Multi-talented Elizabeth also is an accomplished ballet dancer and practices bikram yoga.

During her time as Miss United States Elizabeth has worked with the charity Save the Children and believes that: 'Everyone should find something to be passionate about.

'It is so important for leaders like Miss World to encourage the young generation to recognize their beliefs and to know that it is possible to make a difference.'

Miss Russia, Anastasia Kostenko, is a student of Journalism from the town of Salsk in Rostov, eastern Russia. A highly skilled dancer, Anastasia studied to be a ballet master, and has danced in the Rostov State Theatre.

She is also talented at Latin and modern dance, and she can play the piano. Whilst dancing is one of Anastasia’s main passions, she would jump at the chance of a television career, specifically in journalism or hosting her own show.

In her spare time, Anastasia likes to practice aerobics, she is a fan of classic Russian literature.

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Final hurdle: National finalists perform on stage during the Miss World 2014 at the ExCel Centre in east London

Miss Uganda, Leah Kalanguka, lives in Bugolobi Flats, a small, beautiful part of Uganda's capital Kampala.

Already a graduate with a BA in Computer Engineering, she is studying further, with the ambitions of becoming a powerful influential computer engineer in her country, with plans of developing programs which can revolutionise the agricultural industry of Uganda.

Aside from her career ambitions, Leah likes to sing and dance, and her favourite sports are volleyball and swimming.

This is one of the first times South Sudan - the world's newest country - has entered the Miss World competition and Awien carries the hopes of a fledgling nation on her shoulders.

'I hope to bring a bit of taste of South Sudan to Miss World this year', Awien Kuanyin-Agoth explains, 'my country is currently standing as the world's youngest nation. The land of the tall, dark, and smooth skinned people with a diverse culture that includes over 60 different tribes.

'South Sudanese people are bold, patriotic, hospitable, honest and hard working.'

Awien comes from a large family. Born in Khartoum, she grew up in Egpyt and the USA. She's currently in her second year studying Child Psychology, and aspires to become the most influential psychologist in her field.

Until she graduates she hopes to volunteer as much as possible to gain experience.

Volleyball and basketball are Awien’s favourite sports. She also enjoys reading and listen to hip hop music.