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DEPENDING on whether you have a Benny Hill sense of humour or not you'll either love this grand piano loo seat or loathe it. Just one of a range of musically inspired home accessories from Instrumental Furniture which are bound to get your dinner guests talking about you. If you'd rather have a traditional bathroom but still fancy a musical look then opt for a more sedate violin chopping board or a saxophone wine rack.
Grand Piano Loo Seat (pounds 120), violin chopping board (pounds 29), saxophone wine rack (145) by mail order from Instrumental Furniture (tel: 0171 328 0058).
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THE INTERNATIONAL Festival of Fantastic Films is a film buff's idea of movie heaven - three days of non stop viewing (they only stop between 4am and 9am) of classic fantasy movies from the old to the very new with guest appearances by famous directors and actors thrown in. The festival focuses on the surreal aspect of film from musicals to cartoons with a healthy dose of horror thrown in. Watch a re-run of the original Frankenstein or see a sneaky preview of the yet to be released You're Dead starring John Hurt and Rhys Ifans. The squeamish had better take a friend as you'll need a hand to hold.
10th International Festival of Fantastic Films, 3 to 5 September, Britannia Hotel, Portland Street, Manchester. Tickets pounds 20-50 (tel: 0161 707 3747).
Eat this
A HUNDRED per cent sugar-free chocolate that you actually want to eat is about as likely as finding a Saturday TV show you really want to watch. Well, thanks to Chocobel you can now indulge in tasty sweets which won't ruin your diet. Its range of goodies includes Belgian truffles, bars, sandwich spread and a drink, which are a blissful 100% sugar-free - but as they're sweetened with Malitol, a natural sweetner, they taste just like the real thing. (We know. We ran exhaustive tests.) Sadly, life isn't perfect and although these chocolates contain less fat than normal Belgian and English chocolate you're still tasting at least 35% fat. But what the hell - at least they won't rot your teeth.
For information and mail order (tel: 01233 733 399).
Wear this
THANKS TO instant cleavage bras, making a big impression upfront is no problem for women. Now designer Neil Barrett of Gucci and Prada fame has designed a line which gives men their own pectoral enhancements. Barrett's first menswear collection under his own label uses classic garments and clever styling to improve the body shape - this means he pads out the chest giving you an instant superhero look and tailors jackets to give a slimmer waist. So if your body is more Rodney than Arnie just pray for a cold spell, whip on your pullover and show off a perfectly toned new Tarzan physique.
From pounds 89.95 for knitwear to pounds 600 for jackets exclusively at Harrods (tel: 0171 730 1234).
Use this
SHIATSU, AROMATHERAPY and yoga are all very well but if you are really into alternative therapy they're only the tip of the iceberg. True New Agers are discovering what they're aura feels like; toning with empowering shamanic crystals (pictured) and discovering the world of angels and extra terrestrials. All this spiritual enlightenment will be yours to try at the Mind Body Spirit Festival. And when you've finished harmonizing your chakras there are plenty of material goods to spend your cash on too.
Mind Body Spirit International Festival, 2 to 5 September, Alexandra Palace, pounds 6 (tel: 0171 938 3788).
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