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December 2006

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December 31, 2006 -- Yahoo News

McCartney Roses featured in Rose Bowl Parade Monday

Red Carpet of Roses Float to Showcase a Record 50 Varieties of Roses, Including Celebrity Roses in the 118th Rose Parade in Pasadena, CA on January 1, 2007

More than 600 design experts and volunteers from Phoenix Decorating, the largest Rose Parade float builder, have been decorating the Bayer Advanced Red Carpet of Roses float with natural materials, as well as live roses named after such celebrities as PAUL McCARTNEY....

Celebrity roses are integrated throughout the deck area so that they line The Red Carpet of Roses.

The Rose Parade begins at 11:00 a.m. EST, 8:00 a.m. PST

She has told her lawyers she wants the properties - in London, Sussex, Los Angeles and New York.

And her list also details her plans for a jetset life with their three-year-old daughter Beatrice - and includes cars, clothes, holidays, bodyguards, a private jet and helicopter rides.

Heather, 38, also wants an annual allowance - because she claims the high-profile marriage and split wrecked her career.

And she is demanding a oneoff lump sum - believed to be £50million ($98 million) - as "back payment" because she says she was unable to get work while they were together.

But sources believe she is using the wish list as a bargaining tool and is likely to settle for much less.

A source close to Macca said Heather was "living in dream land. Paul will be mildly irritated or even amused rather than seriously worried or upset."

Last week the Sunday Mirror revealed that Macca had vowed not to pay Heather "a single penny" and that any settlement would be solely for Beatrice.

He says he owes Heather nothing because he made nothing during the marriage. In fact, he claims that the huge cost of his world tours meant he actually made a loss while they were together.

He also claims that he is only worth £300 million ($588 milliion) - not the £1billion ($1.9 billion) that has been widely reported. A source told the Sunday Mirror: "Heather was reeling from Paul's counter-claims. She's drawn up a list of exactly what she will need to carry on in the lifestyle she's used to."

Heather's demands could total up to £200 million ($392 million). If Heather got what she wanted it would be the biggest ever divorce pay-out in British legal history - after just four years of marriage.

Macca, 64, is known to have built up a substantial property portfolio over the years and as part of her shopping list, Heather wants him to hand over the £4 million ($7.8 million) home they used to share in St John's Wood, North West London.

Heather was humiliatingly barred from the mansion when she arrived with her daughter Beatrice in August and found all the locks changed.

She also wants Macca's £6 ($11 million) million home in Beverly Hills, Los Angeles, as well as his apartment in Manhattan, New York, worth around £5 million ($9.8 million).

And she wants a property on his 950-acre Peasmarsh estate in Sussex, where she loved to stay in a £1.5 million ($2.9 million) log cabin. Macca has been ordered to pull it down by planners but is appealing against their decision.

Heather says she already owns her lavish seafront home in Brighton, close to where her sister Fiona lives because Macca bought it for her as a present.

Macca's lawyers will try to prove he doesn't owe Heather anything because he did not amass any of his vast fortune during their marriage.

But she thinks he should pay her for the time they were together because she says he ruined her chances of earning her own money.

Heather claims that she has been left with no savings because she was unable to get work while they were a couple. A source said:

Throughout the marriage Heather told her friends and people she worked with that nothing good has come out of marrying Paul.

"She says before she met him she used to earn lots of money, but being with him destroyed her earning potential.

"She kept going on about how all the television companies wanted her before she met Paul but, because of him, no one would give her any work unless she could bring him as well.

"The truth is, she didn't earn a lot before. Her television work was minimal and as a 'reporter' she earned no more than £1,000 ($1,963) per show.

"She earned a bit more for the American work she did, but she never would have got that had she not been married to Paul.

"She also said that money used to pour in for her charities, but because of all the negative publicity, donations went right down and she had to fund all the work herself - resulting in her losing money." The source added:

The truth is that Paul gave her all the money she needed for her charity work.

"Now Paul will try playing her at her own game and show that he lost money too while he was with her."

Another source close to Macca said last night: "Heather is living in dream land. She hardly earned millions before they got together. If anything, her profile and therefore earning potential escalated after she met Paul.

"Paul has spent years building up his property portfolio and he's not going to be giving up any homes he owns without a fight.

"But he'll never let Beatrice go without. That has and never will be an issue."

After their split in May, Heather and Macca insisted they would remain friends and blamed the media for their break-up. But now they can't stand each other.

In Heather's divorce petition, she claimed she was physically and verbally abused by Macca.

His lawyers dismissed the claims which left her furious and even more determined to push on.

WHAT SHE WANTS

Four homes... £4m mansion in St John's Wood, London' £6m home in Beverly Hills' £5m apartment and offices in New York' a property on Macca's estate in Sussex where he has £1.5m log cabin

Maintenance staff, housekeepers and gardeners for all the homes

A nanny until Beatrice is 18

Two helicopter rides per week

Access to a private plane

Round-the-clock Bodyguards for her and Beatrice

Cars for each home (to be replaced every two years)

Annual holidays for her and Beatrice

Replacement electrical and computer goods every two years

A clothing allowance for her and Beatrice

Private schooling for Beatrice

Child maintenance

Entertainment allowance

Grocery and fuel allowance

Private healthcare for her and Beatrice

Annual allowance

£50 million lump sum

by Piers Morgan

Whinger of the Year

HEATHER MILLS McCARTNEY: I never thought I'd see anyone steal Cherie Blair's crown as Most Absurd Martyr In Britain, but Lady McCartney has steamrollered her way in. As the man who introduced Heather to Sir Paul McCartney, I feel guilty about how things turned out. But I also feel stupid for having wasted so much time defending my one-legged friend.

The sad truth about Heather Mills (let's drop the Lady McCartney bit now, shall we?) is that she is self-obsessed on a scale that even Robbie Williams might find disconcerting. Every day another story emerges of her terrible 'ordeal'. Trust me, Heather love, a lot of people are considerably worse off than a woman divorcing one of the richest stars in the world.

But, like Tony Blair, Heather does have one way out that might just swing all this public hostility. She could prove her repeated claim that she's not a gold-digger by declaring she will not take one penny of Sir Paul's money. What a blow that would be to her critics, and what a tonic to feminism. I don't think I'll bet on it just yet, though.

The relationship had clearly been stormy for months. But the first bolt of lightning struck at the beginning of May, when newspapers reported that Heather had left home. Paul immediately spoke out: "It has been suggested that she married me for the money and there is not an ounce of truth in this," he insisted. The idea of a £50 million ($98 million) "quickie divorce" was soon written off: Heather was gunning for £200 million ($392 million) of Paul's money.

A cynic might say that what followed was a battle of the spin doctors. She was photographed looking distressed and wan in locations all over the country. He was snapped looking tired and crumpled getting off aeroplanes. She signed up Princess Diana's divorce lawyer, Anthony Julius. He signed up Prince Charles's divorce lawyer, Fiona "Steel Magnolia" Shackleton. His side bought the tapes that she wanted to use in her court case. Her side allegedly leaked documents from his. She said he sent her a legal note about cleaning fluid. He said she threw a bottle of ketchup at him.

"My advice to her would be simple," the king of PR, Max Clifford, told The Independent on Sunday in August. "Take a sensible amount and get out as soon as possible." Neither party shows any signs of taking his advice.

Charlotte told viewers: "Sir Paul McCartney always regretted the time he went down on one knee," she then grinned before adding, "or Heather as she sometimes likes to be called".

Heather, who lost her leg in a motorbike accident, has branded Charlotte "sad and pathetic" as the row hots up.

And a clearly upset Heather confided in pals: "Why does no one ever say anything good about me?"

I wanted to quickly write about our experience at Paul's show on Friday, October 14 in Detroit. Besides being a great concert, what a memorable evening it turned out to be for Melissa and myself! I had been trying to come up with a creative way to propose to my girlfriend and I decided that doing it at the Paul McCartney concert would be a neat way to pop the question. Never in my wildest dreams did I think that Paul would be there to actually help with it!

I had spent the last few weeks calling and emailing people trying to get word to Paul that I was planning on doing it, but I never heard back from anyone. I decided that making a sign or two would be the best bet, especially since we would be in row 4. I made several signs, one for myself to hold and a few extra to pass out. Special thanks to Pam and her friend - I can't think what your name is off the top of my head - for taking one, and for the guy who asked if I had an extra one to pass up front.) When the show started I held up my sign while Melissa thought it was the "We love you Paul" sign she made, not knowing it was my "Marry Me" sign.

Several songs had passed and nothing had happened when someone walked by and asked if I had an extra sign they could pass up to the front row. I said yes and gave him one. I don't know how long the sign was there, but right after Paul performed "Eleanor Rigby" he was talking about reading signs and trying to remember chords, lyrics, etc. He bent down like he was reading a sign, then his eyes lit up and a big smile came across his face. He said, "I have to read this one! 'Can Ben in row 4 ask Melissa to marry him?' I don't know, Ben, can you?" Paul said.

I started jumping up waving my hands so Paul could find me. I pulled out the ring out of my pocket and I heard Melissa gasp. Paul told me "to get down on one knee, just like this (he demonstrated)" then he told me to, "Come on, get to it!" So I got down on one knee and proposed. I heard Paul say into the microphone, "She said yes!" and the entire Palace of Auburn Hills went up in cheers and yells. Wix referred to Paul as "Reverend Paul," and then Paul said "This has never happened at a concert before. This is a first for me, and it better be a last for you, Ben!"

Through the rest of the show Rusty, who was standing in front of us, would look down and smile and wink at us. Paul kept constant eye contact with us for the rest of the show, smiling and waving and winking at us. The happiness in his face was showing. At one point he had a long "ooooooooo" and shaking his head and I was singing along doing the same. He saw me and started to laugh. Afterwards he waved his finger at me in a "I saw that!" way but then gave me the thumbs up. During "Hey Jude" when it came to the "na na na na" section Paul did the "just this side, just this side, just the men, just the women" thing, and then he said, "Now just Ben and Melissa!" and there we were on the big screen! I know that not one person heard us, but we tried out best! At the very end of the show, when the band was taking its final bows, right before they left the stage, they came to the edge of the stage where we were and gave us thumbs up and waves, then bowed for us! Both Melissa and I am touched at the kindness shown to us there.

On Saturday we went back and Melissa made a "Thanks Paul! Love Ben and Melissa" sign to hold when the limo came through. When Paul arrived, he saw it and waved and gave us the thumbs up. We were interviewed by Paul's video guy, and Bill Bernstein and several others took our picture. During the show, Paul mentioned the engagement again and everyone said they could tell he was really proud to be part of that.

I just wanted to say thank you to everyone who was there and has sent their well-wishes and prayers to Melissa and me. We really appreciate it and we're happy to have been able to share a special moment with so many people, including Paul himself! God Bless all of you!

-- Ben Okuly

Reid says they held the private gathering at the funeral home from 10 p.m. to 3 a.m. Reid says he was so exhausted from all of the preparations that he sat back and watched.

Larry Fridie, who was Brown's personal assistant, also confirmed that Jackson had come into town on Friday.

The Sun told yesterday how Sir Paul took masterpieces including Picassos and Renoirs from a lodge used by estranged wife Heather, amid security fears.

Now fuming Lady Mucca has told pals she thinks Stella, 35, put ex-Beatle Paul up to it.

A pal of Heather's said: "Heather thinks it's fairly obvious what's happened. Paul's spent Christmas with Stella, who is utterly worried about every penny her dad has.

"She is constantly going on at him over money and valuables, and it seems she's put him up to go back and take the paintings."

Heather, 38, has told pals the paintings were "bought between" her and Paul, 64.

Her friends claim the couple's separation agreement gives her sole access to the lodge on Macca's Peasmarsh estate in Sussex.

Sources close to Stella say the fashion designer has recently urged her dad to clear out as many of his possessions from his homes as possible - purely to keep them out of Mucca's reach.

A family friend said: "Money is not the issue here. Stella cannot bear the thought of Heather being anywhere near anything of value or just sentimental value to her late mother Linda."

The friend added: "Stella was so furious by the unfounded claims that her dad hit her mum, she is now hitting back."

Sir Paul refused to comment.

The Christmas truce between the McCartneys lasted longer than anyone could have hoped for -right up until Thursday, in fact.

Until then, it really hadn't been all that bad. Macca's children had made the effort to come to Peasmarsh to join him for the traditional nut roast on Christmas Day.

Stella, her husband Alasdhair Willis and their two young children arrived at the East Sussex estate on Christmas Eve, followed by her older sister, Mary, with her two sons, and their younger brother, James.

Sir Paul had done his best to shrug off the despair that hangs over him in these troubled times. He even managed to raise a smile when his three-year old daughter, Beatrice, opened her presents under the tree.

But then Heather turned up and all hell broke loose. After spending Christmas at her beachfront home in Hove, East Sussex, with her sister Fiona and friends, Heather arrived at Peasmarsh and headed to the lakeside log cabin which she moved into after the split from McCartney.

The plan was to hold a New Year party at the cabin with friends. Instead, she found herself with a starring role in the latest episode of the battle of the Maccas - the case of the missing artworks.

Heather was apparently stunned to discover that £10 million-worth ($19 million) of priceless paintings - including Renoirs and Picassos - had been removed from the property without her knowledge. (According to reports, McCartney later explained that he had moved them because he was concerned about security.) Photographs of her and Beatrice had also vanished.

Furthermore, when Heather walked in, she set off the burglar alarm - and quickly realised the alarm codes had been changed. The police, alerted by the alarm's emergency call-out centre, were soon on the scene and Heather was on the phone to her lawyers.

The tranquillity of Christmas at Peasmarsh had been shattered.

But what is Heather's motivation in choosing the log cabin for her New Year jolly? Could it be she wants to antagonise the rest of the McCartney clan up at the main house? One can only hope the two warring factions don't bump into each other over the next few days.

It's hard to know which of the family loathes Heather the most. Sir Paul? Well, we all know his feelings. Stella? Pure hatred. But what about 37-yearold Mary? During the summer there was another drama at the log cabin, an astonishing altercation -unreported until now - between her and Heather.

It seems that Mary, who is a well regarded photographer, turned up at the cabin to have words with Heather. The conversation soon descended into angry shouts, culminating in a physical struggle between the pair.

'It was a proper girl fight - hair pulling, the lot,' says the source. 'It was a real punch-up. Paul had to break them up. Heather became hysterical and started screaming that she needed police protection. It's not clear what exactly caused the fight, but there was talk that it was something to do with the log cabin.

'If it had been Stella and Heather, it wouldn't have been such a surprise. But Mary is a very quiet, placid person and this is the last thing you would expect from her. It just shows to what degree this family has been torn apart.'

The family are now eager to find a replacement for Heather in McCartney's affections. Stella, certainly, appears to have taken the time-honoured view that the cure for a broken heart is another woman.

A few weeks ago, the 35-year-old fashion designer introduced her father to a friend of hers, hoping, possibly, that a spot of light romance might cheer her father up. A cynic might say that Stella is also motivated, in part, by a desire to goad 38-year-old Heather.

The woman is said to be a similar age to Heather and, like her, strong and independent. So far, then, so bad.

McCartney, 64, told friends he liked the woman in question - her identity is known only to the immediate family - and that they got on very well, but he is holding back because he is so scarred from his marriage to Heather.

He has never been without a woman in his life. He needs a woman - but is terrified of involvement.

'He met this lady and liked her a lot, but he is totally paranoid about getting close to another woman,' says a source. 'So it is hard to say whether anything is going to develop.'

The truth is, Sir Paul just isn't ready for a new relationship: he is profoundly lonely and depressed, utterly worn down by the tumultuous events of the past seven months since his separation from Heather Mills.

'What is the point of all my money and success now?' he asks his close friends.

'Paul is incredibly lonely right now,' says one friend. 'He says he is only able to keep going because of Beatrice and his music. They are the things that are holding him together.'

Three-year-old Beatrice is the centre of his world. Over the past few weeks, McCartney, closeted away at his rambling estate, riven by self-pity, has been putting his feelings down on paper, composing an open-ended letter to Bea, explaining the breakdown of the marriage from his point of view. Some of his words have been put into lyrics and set to music.

'He is writing this down now so that, if she chooses to, she can read it when she is older. He wants her to understand what has happened from his point of view.

'Paul never imagined he would have a child who would grow up in an environment like this, at the centre of a vicious divorce with an utterly divided mother and father. It has wrenched him in two.

'He fears that Heather is saying inappropriate things to Bea about him, and loading her with thoughts against her father. He has some evidence of this.

'He feels that because it was he who left Heather, and not the other way round, she can really load the situation against him in Bea's mind and make him the reason it has all gone wrong. He is desperate that Bea understands what has been behind it.

'So it is very important to Paul that he gives Bea his side of the story; that she understands how it all went wrong and that he didn't want her to suffer.'

So if the marriage breakdown is not his fault, it must be Heather's, then? Of course not. If Heather decided to write her version of the split down for her daughter, it might end up rather confused. Sir Paul found his wife controlling and bossy; Heather found Sir Paul controlling and bossy.

She also says he is mean with his £800 million ($1.5 billion) fortune. Indeed, Heather appears to have fallen on hard times in the run-up to her multi-million-pound divorce settlement, and last month put the Grade II listed barn in East Sussex she bought in May on the market for £625,000 ($1.2 million).

It had been suggested that Heather might move into the property, just a 15-minute drive from Peasmarsh, after the divorce, making it easier for Bea to divide her time between her mother and father. Friends say, however, that she is selling up because she needs the money to pay her legal fees.

'Heather has to find a way to pay her legal bills, so the house has to go,' says a source. 'When they were together, Heather had access to a joint account, but she no longer has that available.'

It has been reported that Heather's legal fees to date amount to £250,000, ($490,000) and that the final bill could be as much as £1million ($1.9 million). So it was with this in mind that Heather took the unusual step earlier this month of representing herself in the High Court in applications to keep Sir Paul out of her beachfront house at Hove, East Sussex, and to gain access to his properties.

In doing so, she saved herself a lot of money. A barrister can charge as much as £15,000 ($29,000) a day for certain hearings. Heather has, however, retained the services of her London law firm, Mishcon de Reya.

The 64,000-dollar question is this: how much of Sir Paul's £800 million fortune will Heather get? A report earlier this month said a deal had been reached; that Heather would receive the colossal sum of £120 million ($235 million), but that it would remain a 'secret' and it would appear to the rest of the world that she would receive around £10 million ($19 million), most of which she would give to charity.

Her friends say this is 'utter rubbish'. 'Heather had around £10 million in mind when she started divorce proceedings,' says a friend. All these huge figures are way off the mark. Now that lawyers are involved, I don't know exactly how much it will eventually be - but it will be nothing like as much as has been said.'

The friend added that Heather has been keen to get the divorce over and done with as quickly as possible and has been frustrated by what appears to be Sir Paul's determination to string it out.

'Their marriage was all about control, and the divorce is all about control,' says the friend. 'When she was with him, everything had to be done his way. If he wanted to change plans at the 11th hour, everyone had to go along with it.

'Now he is controlling the divorce. It has to be done at his pace.'

The animosity between the pair is as bad as it has ever been. As well as their divorce wrangles, friends say Heather is furious at her estranged husband's 'meanness' with regard to her favourite charity, Adopt-A-Minefield.

The former Beatle and his wife were due to host a benefit concert for the charity in Beverly Hills in October, but after they split McCartney pulled out and it was cancelled. The concert normally raises up to £1million ($1.9 million) - crucial funding for the charity.

McCartney pledged to make amends with a donation, but according to a friend of Heather's, he wrote a cheque for just £250,000 ($490,750) - leaving the charity with a huge shortfall.

'Heather is desperately disappointed. Adopt-A-Minefield is very close to her heart and the charity has come to depend on the money raised from these galas. McCartney had to be, how shall I put it, reminded to hand over the money.

'This was always an issue with Paul and Heather during their marriage. He has all this money and Heather would say to him he should give more to charity. She couldn't figure out why he wouldn't. It seemed mean to her.'

It is one fight after another. Sir Paul is still trying to come to terms with allegations -which have always been fiercely denied by his wife - that Heather worked as a prostitute in her 20s. During the summer, pornographic photographs of her were dredged up.

Then legal documents were mysteriously leaked alleging that Sir Paul had been violent towards Heather during the marriage, at one time pushing her over a coffee table, another time into a bath.

On top of all that, details of audio tapes emerged, on which were alleged recordings of conversations his late wife Linda had held with a friend. On the tapes, she is said to speak emotionally of her husband's 'controlling' ways, leaving her 'deeply unhappy and depressed' and feeling 'trapped'.

McCartney reportedly paid £200,000 ($392, 600) for the tapes to ensure they never aired in public. No wonder he's depressed. Who wouldn't be?

And it ain't over yet.

Beatles to make debut on stamps

The Beatles are set to feature on postage stamps for the first time, the Royal Mail said on Thursday.

Some 37 years after the world's most famous pop group broke up, the Royal Mail will release a set of six stamps on January 9 depicting iconic Beatles' album covers.

The stamps "celebrate the Beatles' extraordinary cultural contribution to Britain," the Royal Mail said.

The featured album covers range from "With the Beatles" and "Help!", through the groundbreaking 1966 album "Revolver", "Sergeant Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band", "Abbey Road" -- with its famous photograph of the band walking across the street -- and "Let it Be", released in 1970 after the group disbanded.

The stamps are all irregularly shaped -- formed around a crooked stack of albums.

The Fab Four from Liverpool conquered the world in the 1960s, becoming the most successful pop group in history.

Cherry recently revealed he'd love to audition the estranged wife of Sir Paul McCartney for a spot in the ABC series, saying, "If Heather Mills can act I'd be interested. It would be fascinating."

But regular Longoria was livid when asked if Mills would appear in the next season, saying, "Oh God no. Not at all. That's crazy, it would be completely crazy.

"If she did have a part I would be offended."

It was 27 years ago today (December 29, 1979) that Paul McCartney & Wings gave their final live performance. McCartney, who had formed the band in 1971, had seen the group go through several incarnations, with three guitarists and four drummers coming and going in only seven years. The main nucleus of the band -- McCartney, wife Linda McCartney, and Denny Laine -- were the group's only constant members. The final 1979 line-up featured guitarist Lawrence Juber and drummer Steve Holley.

Their final show, which was the closing spot on the three-night Concerts For The People Of Kampuchea UNICEF benefits at London's Hammersmith Odeon, featured Wings' normal two hour set, before being joined by the Who's Pete Townshend and Kenny Jones, Led Zeppelin's Robert Plant, John Bonham, and John Paul Jones, along with Ronnie Lane, and assorted members of the Pretenders and the Attractions for a three-song "Rockestra" performance.

The mini-set, which featured all the musicians in gold lame tails and top hats, included nearly 40 musicians tearing through Little Richard's "Lucille," the Beatles' "Let It Be," and two run-throughs of McCartney's "Rockestra Theme," which was released earlier that year on Wings' Back To The Egg album, featuring many of the same musicians.

The Kampuchea benefit, which McCartney organized, came on the heels of Wings' recent UK tour, which was to be the first leg of a world tour that was due to hit Japan in January. McCartney's subsequent pot bust upon landing in Tokyo on January 16th and eventual ten-day incarceration forced McCartney to not only cancel the Japan dates, but strangely scrap the entire tour, losing millions of dollars. McCartney didn't appear live again in front of a paying audience until July 13th, 1985 when he closed London's legendary Live Aid concert.

The "Rockestra Theme" went on to win the Grammy for that year's Best Rock Instrumental Performance. A portion of the Wings favorite "Old Siam Sir" from the Kampuchea show was featured in McCartney's 2001 solo documentary, Wingspan.

Wings re-grouped twice in 1980 -- in July and again in October -- to work on new McCartney material for his Tug Of War album. McCartney then reunited with Beatles producer George Martin, who reportedly told him that he only wanted to produce a solo McCartney effort.

After John Lennon's murder on December 8th, 1980, McCartney decided to put any live appearances on hold indefinitely. In March 1981, selections from Wings' final show were included on the live Concerts For The People Of Kampuchea album. Wings was quietly disbanded a month later, in April 1981.

Launch asked Wings co-founder Denny Laine how he feels about Wings' chances of ever being nominated for the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame: ["Yeah, but Wings was just too many different lineups to be a real band, I always thought. It was really me, Paul and Linda -- in a sense -- plus musicians for a lot of the time. I never really felt like, you know, I was a member of a band, to be honest. Never really felt that."

IF YOU THINK WINGS DESERVES TO BE INDUCTED INTO THE ROCK 'N' ROLL HALL OF FAME PLEASE SIGN THIS PETITION

Heather Mills was furious last night after estranged husband Paul McCartney removed priceless paintings from her home.

Lady Mucca spoke to cops after discovering the £10million ($19 million) masterpieces had been taken from her country retreat yesterday.

The former model, 38, only found out they were missing after setting off a burglar alarm.

She had arrived at the lodge house on Sir Paul's sprawling estate in Peasmarsh, Sussex, with family and pals preparing to celebrate New Year.

Heather was stunned when she realised the alarm codes had been changed.

Cops were alerted by the alarm's emergency call-out centre and arrived in minutes.

Fuming Heather immediately called her lawyers to brief them about the incident.

Pals claim Sir Paul, 64, does not have the right of access to the lodge under their separation agreement.

He only told Heather he had taken the paintings last night - by sending her a text message.

Macca said he was taking the artworks because he was concerned about security at the lodge.

A friend said Heather was shocked to discover the paintings and photos of Beatrice - her daughter with Macca - were missing.

She added: "Heather is staggered. Several pictures, including Renoirs and Picassos which have been hanging on the walls for months, have been taken.

"Photos of her and Beatrice have also vanished.

"Heather can't believe things have got this bad.

"She's not fussed about the pictures. She is more concerned about the family photos that have been taken.

"The police spoke to Sir Paul's security guards, who confirmed he had removed them."

Macca's spokesman said last night: "No comment."

Horse and McCartney

Sir Paul McCartney is a very wealthy man - with a really odd secret obsession.

Like old-fashioned TV rag and bone men Steptoe And Son, Sir Macca likes nothing better than rifling through heaps of rubbish for battered, historical trinkets.

At least it sheds light on his Lady Mucca lapse.

The legend confessed: "I'm the kind of guy who doesn't like to see things in skips. I go past a skip and I'll say, 'I could use that. That's a cupboard, that's a nice bit of wood.'

"I'll see a rubbish heap and see an odd bit of a bicycle or something and think, 'Picasso's Bull's Head.'

"I'll think, 'Interesting shape that,' because he used the bike seat, didn't he. Only last night I saw some stuff in a skip and had to be pulled away."

My computer whizzes have depicted how Macca might look touring the streets on a rag and bone man's horse-drawn cart, just like Steptoe And Son did in their heyday.

And if Macca was still with Heather Mills he'd even have an old nag to pull the cart.

Warming to his subject, Sir Macca recalled he once experienced his curious urge to hoard rubbish during a trip to New York's Long Island - as he motored past a rusty wheel.

He said: "It was right in the middle of the road and everyone was driving around it so I thought, 'I'll 'ave that.' I'm a bit of a beachcomber.

"I won't be looking for things but things will jump out at me."

Sir Macca has unearthed so many odds and sods he could even give perma-tanned bargain hunter David Dickinson a run for his money.

On one occasion, the former Beatle even discovered a sailboat. But on the downside, he also unearthed a used pillow case.

And guess what - he kept it.

He added: "I found a white pillow case with a zip. It had paint stains on it from a house painter. I also found a nice yellow beaker.

"I found a real sponge in the Caribbean too. I stepped on it to see if it was still spongy and it was. So I rinsed it out and it went in the pillow case and I use that for washing the sailboat."

Sir Macca said he stores some of his scrap at home - tucked away with a few thousand copies of his Frog Chorus song, I'd imagine.

But I doubt any of it will feature in golddigging Heather's divorce settlement . . .

Reality TV puts disabled women in beauty show

The programme's makers in Britain say they want the Miss Ability contest to 'celebrate people who have overcome disabilities'

It is a beauty contest complete with a swimsuit round. But all the contestants in the latest reality format to sweep ratings-hungry broadcasters have a disability.

Contestants must display a "handicap visible to the eye" in Miss Ability, a Dutch show that became the surprise hit of 2006 in the Netherlands.

Twelve women, including amputees and wheelchair-bound contestants, parade in nightgowns and bathing suits.

They star in short films demonstrating how they have overcome severe disabilities before submitting to a viewer vote.

The Netherlands was the breeding ground for Big Brother. Now the rights to remake Miss Ability have been snapped up in Britain, France, Germany and the US.

Absolutely Independent, the Dutch producers, insist that the show does not patronise disabled people. But the prospectus does not suggest sensitivity. It reads: "Ever whistled at a woman in a wheelchair? Checked out the boobs of a blind babe? If the answer's 'no', this barrier-breaking show will put an end to that."

DLT Entertainment, the company behind My Family, the hit BBC One comedy, is making the show in Britain. The producers are promising that contestants will be empowered. Heather Mills, the estranged wife of Sir Paul McCartney, is being approached to be the presenter.

British broadcasters will bid for the show in the new year. But there are fears that the trend for extreme reality shows could produce tasteless television. A recent Disney format invited patients needing brain or spinal tumour treatment and other life-threatening diseases to become guinea-pigs for pioneering surgery.

Worried Sir Paul McCartney has beefed up his security team following death threats to estranged wife Heather.

Macca, 64, has taken on two former bouncers as extra guards for him and daughter Beatrice, three.

He also wanted them to protect his little girl when she's out with mum.

But Heather has refused, says a source, because she fears that Sir Paul's security team may end up spying on her.

Forget the mud-slinging gold-digger and the drunken former Mad Max man - trashy white pop princess Britney Spears has been judged the year's worst-behaved celebrity by New Zealand star-gazers.

Britney may even have got off lightly. The Herald-DigiPoll survey of 1000 people was taken just before worldwide tut-tutting over her Commando performance in late November (her knickerless exit from a car outside an LA nightclub).

Heather Mills McCartney came in closely behind in third place for worst-behaved gossip page fodder, attracting 17 per cent of the seal of disapproval.

All year the British tabloids have reported nasty details of "Lady Mucca's" accusations against her estranged husband Paul McCartney, commonly referred to in good-guy terms as "Macca."

The divorce settlement legalities have taken side stage, as public allegations of violence and drunkeness are made against the aging Beatle.

Macca's daughter Stella has waged in, calling Heather a "bitch" and threatening to kill her.

Seems loads of cash just can't buy a clean divorce settlement.

Sir Paul attracted 4 per cent of the bad celeb pie for his own divorce mud-slinging.

Heather Mills was "frozen out" of the McCartney family Christmas.

Ex-Beatle Sir Paul organised a get-together at his country estate similar to those he enjoyed with late wife Linda.

His entire family, including Beatrice, the three-year-old daughter he had with Heather, were welcomed at the veggie sit-down lunch. But Mucca was BANNED from the bash.

Sir Paul, 64, arrived at his 200-acre estate in Peasmarsh, East Sussex, on Friday and Beatrice came along shortly after with her nanny.

It was Sir Paul's wish she should be surrounded by her presents on Christmas morning together with the rest of his family.

On Christmas Eve, Sir Paul's son James and daughters Stella and Mary turned up with their partners and children. Even Sir Paul's step-daughter, also called Heather, was there as was Sir Paul's brother Mike and his family.

A security guard on the front-gate said: "It looks as if everyone except Heather has been invited.

"But it is hardly surprising she has been frozen out."

Heather, 38, who has been angling for a divorce payment of up to £100 million ($197 million), was seen earlier in the week in the nearby town of Rye.

Sir Paul has a house there and it is believed, as part of the Christmas negotiations, he agreed to hand back the child after Boxing Day.

An aide said: "Sir Paul had reunions at Peasmarsh when Linda was here but Heather stopped those. The staff are overjoyed, it is like the good old days."

In Linda's memory, everyone ate veggie nut roast.

Best Wishes - The PM.com team

Sir Paul McCartney has told Heather Mills he will not pay her a single penny in their divorce settlement. The former Beatle says she does not deserve anything because he made NO money during their four-year marriage.

The proposal was finally made to Heather's team at top lawyers Mischon De Reya by Macca's legal advisers, led by Fiona Shackleton.

They argue that he does not owe Heather anything at all because:

His huge wealth was all accumulated BEFORE he met her.

He actually made a loss during their marriage because of the huge cost of his lavish world tours.

He doesn't have the £800 million ($1.5 billion) fortune that's been reported - it's only £300 million ($589 million).

Friends say the shock move has left Heather reeling and angry. Leading family lawyer Caitlin Jenkins said last night: "This is Sir Paul playing really hard-ball. It's a high-risk strategy."

Multi-millionaire Macca, 64, says despite being married for almost four years, Heather isn't due any of his fortune. He claims that in one of the years he made a £2 million ($3.9 million) loss.

Following their marriage in 2002 Macca played his two-year Back In The World tour. It included a famous performance in Moscow's Red Square in front of Russian President Vladimir Putin and a triumphant headlining slot at the Glastonbury Festival in 2004.

Last year, he went on a 37-date tour of the US, with carmaker Lexus paying £1million ($1.9 million) to sponsor it. Heather believes he has made £50 million ($98 million) from his tours during their marriage. But the response from his legal team is: "Prove it".

Sir Paul - the most successful musician and composer in pop history according to the Guinness Book of Records - insists the cost of the tours was so high they were not profitable.

He also claims he is far less wealthy than people believed. Recent estimates of his wealth have ranged from between £750 million ($1.5 billion) to £1billion ($1.9 billion). But in the legal battle, Sir Paul, 64, says he is worth just £300 million ($589 million).

Solicitor Caitlin Jenkins said it was probably a bid to persuade Heather not to go to court and accept a lower cash offer. She added: "It's a good tactic for Sir Paul - but also quite a high-risk strategy. Only about 10 per cent of contested divorce cases end up going down this route.

"Sir Paul is trying to persuade Heather's team to advise her to come to an agreement - by suggesting she could end up with nothing if the divorce goes to court. In essence, Sir Paul is showing her how bad it could be for her."

She said it's not unusual for only earnings during a marriage to be considered, but warned Macca a judge may not have the same view of the total earnings that should be shared.

She said: "The judge may assess what Sir Paul owes during the marriage very differently to Sir Paul's advisers."

Friends of Heather says she feels so hurt and wronged by what has happened to her during her marriage, and the coverage since, that she wants her day in court to put the record straight no matter what.

A source said: "She is livid he is being painted as the nice guy when she feels he is treating her very badly. She has had death threats, the police have been involved, but Paul refuses to provide her with security.

"She has no money but his line is: 'If you want security you should take out an overdraft to pay for it.

"Her lawyers think his strategy is to drag it out for so long she'll accept anything in the end. But she'd accept less to go to court such is her determination to get her side out there.

"She feels so much rubbish has been written about her she wants everyone to know the truth as she sees it.

"She will conduct her own proceedings, cross-examining her husband. She has a sharp mind and feels, rightly or wrongly, hugely unfairly treated in this whole affair."

Meanwhile Ms Jenkins warned that the law on short marriages is unclear after the case of millionaire's wife Melissa Miller in May. She received £5 million ($9.8 million) from her marriage of under three years to Alan Miller, whose fortune was estimated at £17million.

Ms Jenkins added: "Until recently, in short marriages the settlement would see the person walk away with maintenance and enough to get their new life started. But the Miller case and that very high settlement figure has thrown the law into a state of flux - and there were not even children involved in that marriage."

This latest move shows just how acrimonious the divorce has become. When they split in May, Heather and Sir Paul - who have a three-yearold daughter Beatrice - insisted they would remain close friends. At the time, they even blamed the media for their break-up. But now Sir Paul can't bear her. Pals say Heather has been infuriated by his lawyers' attitude to her.

In her divorce petition, Heather claimed she was physically and verbally abused by Macca, which he vehemently denies.

A pal said: "The lawyers were dismissive of Heather's claims. It's left her furious and more determined than ever to press on."

A legal source said: "McCartney vs McCartney is without doubt one of the most bitter divorces in showbusiness history. This is a couple who basically despise each other. It's a dreadful situation for everyone involved, and most importantly Bea."

As relations deteriorated, former model Heather made a bid two days ago to return to the High Court. Police also warned her last week of a security threat against her. She wanted Paul to pay for her security, claiming she has no income and no way of paying it. But Heather says Paul is insisting she should pay for it by increasing her overdraft facility with her bank.

The case was due to be heard at the High Court on Friday morning. But, at short notice, the hearing was postponed until February.

A friend of Heather revealed: "She believes Paul pushed for the delay to make her pay for the security. She feels he's cut her off completely and wants nothing more to do with her. She feels he's a complete control freak and this is all about showing her he calls the shots."

She has had to put up for sale the £550,000 barn ($1 million) she bought five months ago, close to Macca's estate in Peasmarsh, Sussex, to pay her legal bills.

Heather is also planning to represent herself in court because, partly to reduce the costs.

Sir Paul's friends say he made Heather a £30 million ($59 million) offer when they split for a "quick and painless divorce" and say that she has brought this divorce battle on herself.

Heather and her lawyers insist no such offer was ever made to her following their split.

SIR PAUL'S SCHEDULE

LIFE has been a hectic round of touring, recording and promotion since Macca wed Heather in 2002...

2002 to 2004: World tour.

2002 and 2005: Performs in pre-game ceremonies at US Super Bowl.

May 2003: Plays concert in Red Square and performs private version of Let it Be for Russian President Vladimir Putin.

June 2004: Headlines Glastonbury Festival for the first time.

July 2005: Performs at Live 8 concert in Hyde Park.

September 2005: Releases album Chaos and Creation in the Backyard.

November 2005: Releases single Jenny Wren.

December 2005 - Nominated for three Grammy Awards.

May 2006: He and second wife Heather announce split.

June 2006: Celebrates 64th birthday

The former Beatle is planning to make a stage show inspired by his working-class childhood in Liverpool.

"It is based on Paul's classical work The Liverpool -Oratorio," explained Kate Robbins, Sir Paul's cousin, who is working on the adaptation. "Paul will approve every note as musical director."

For the 64-year-old it has been the year when divorce proceedings began between him and his second wife, Heather Mills, and when, in a legal submission, the model-turned-campaigner accused him of drunken and abusive behaviour towards her.

"The project has been delayed by divorce worries," admitted Miss Robbins.

Sir Paul composed The Liverpool Oratorio, his first classical work, with Carl Davis in 1991 to commemorate the city's 150th anniversary.

The story loosely follows the path of the musician's life, with the main character, Shanty, who was born in 1942 in Liverpool, marrying his sweetheart, Mary Dee, after the death of his father. McCartney was deeply affected by the death of his mother, Mary, in October 1956, when he was 14.

Shanty and Mary Dee are forced to deal with the rigours of balancing a happy marriage and their careers, in the same way as Sir Paul and his first wife Linda -- reportedly, the couple spent a total of less than a week apart during their 29-year union, despite their demanding commitments.

During a quarrel, Mary Dee reveals that she is pregnant and, after surviving a near-fatal accident, gives birth to their son. Linda was four months pregnant with McCartney's first child, Mary, when they married at Marylebone Register Office in 1969.

This was not the first time McCartney's childhood had been the inspiration for his music: his 1967 song Penny Lane was named after a road in Liverpool in which both he and John Lennon were said to have played as children.

McCartney's upbringing was far from affluent. At his wedding to Heather Mills in 2002, he referred to its poverty. "Back then, I'd have had a wedding just to get the rice," he said. "My trousers were so thin, if I sat down on a penny I could find out which way up it was ­ heads or tails."

Although theatres in the West End of London are expected to compete to stage the new musical, Sir Paul may decide to open it in his home town during Liverpool's year as the European Capital of Culture in 2008. The Liverpool Oratorio was first performed at the city's Anglican cathedral and starred the classical singers Dame Kiri Te Kanawa, Jerry Hadley, Sally Burgess and Willard White.

Despite receiving a mixed reception from music critics, the recording proved to be a commercial success and topped classical charts around the world.

Sir Paul completed another classical piece earlier in the year, this time not inspired by childhood but by his marriage to Linda, who died of breast cancer in 1998. Ecce Cor Meum -- Latin for "behold my heart" -- received its première last month at the Royal Albert Hall in London.

His last pop album, Chaos and Creation in the Backyard, appeared to be inspired by his second wife ­ and their very public split. The songs seem to include thinly veiled references to his marital difficulties, most notably the bitter track Riding to Vanity Fair.

Miss Robbins's involvement in the pending musical, which she is working on with the writer Steve Brown, has been given extra poignancy by the fact that, like her cousin, she is undergoing a difficult period in her private life.

The 47-year-old actress, perhaps best known for her work as an impressionist on the satirical television programme Spitting Image, separated in February from the composer Keith Atack, her husband of 19 years, by whom she has three children.

Sir Paul has long enjoyed a close relationship with Miss Robbins, who inspired him to burst into song for the first time since his separation from Mills. After Miss Robbins won a best supporting actress award at the Monaco Film Festival this month for her role in the film Fated, the musician sang his congratulations in a message recorded on video. "I watched you grow up since you were a little sproggling," he said. "Now, not only are you talented, you have real heart."

Miss Robbins said: "Paul is a real family man. He bought me my first piano and helped me get my first record deal.

"We are known as the Liverpool showbiz mafia. In our home growing up, even the sewing machine was a Singer."

The I'm A Celeb winner and Iceland ad star was nominated by 42 per cent of women after admitting taking drugs while pregnant.

Kate Moss was runner-up for her alleged cocaine abuse while Heather Mills was third for her alleged dirty tricks campaign against estranged hubby Sir Paul McCartney.

PM's wife Cherie made the Top 10 for complaining about press coverage of son Leo, six, on a moneymaking lecture tour of Australia.

And the Queen was criticised for letting her children grow up with nannies.

Gwyneth Paltrow was top mum for taking time off from acting to look after her children. Jess Luth, of pollsters astrobingo. co.uk, said: "We can all learn from celebrities' mistakes."

TOP TEN: 1 Kerry Katona, 2 Kate Moss, 3 Heather Mills, 4 Britney Spears, 5 Madonna, 5 Sharon Osbourne, 7 Cherie Blair, 8 Victoria Beckham, 8 Marge Simpson, 10 The Queen.

What's in a name?

There are a number of conflicting origins of the surname McCartney, but most come from Ireland, or from Scotland via Ireland.

A medieval line can be traced back to a branch of the family of McCarthy Mor, who were Kings of Cork. Donal Cartnach served under Robert the Bruce in Scotland and was granted land in Argyllshire, where many of the Scottish branches of the family have historically resided.

It is a patronymic surname, as the Mc (or Mac) prefix means "son of''. Sir James Paul McCartney MBE (to give him his full title) is one of the most famous contemporary English musicians, thanks to his time with the Beatles and Wings, a solo career and his current work composing classic pieces, not forgetting the amount of time and money he has devoted to charitable causes over the decades. It is estimated that he has sold more than 100 million singles. But it must sadden his legion of fans around the world that it is marital misfortune rather than music that is currently putting him in newspaper headlines, because of his split from his wife of four years, Heather Mills McCartney.

He recently released a new classical work, Ecce Cor Meum, which he says was inspired by his first wife, Linda, who died of breast cancer in 1998.

Who is he related to?

James Paul McCartney was born at Walton Hospital, Liverpool, in 1942. His mother, Mary Patricia Mohin, worked there as a nurse in the maternity ward, so clearly knew the place well when she returned to give birth. Her father, Owen Mohin, was born in Tullynamalrow in County Monaghan, Ireland, and married Mary Theresa Danher in Toxteth, Liverpool, in 1905. He was a coal merchant living and working in Glasgow at the time of his marriage, but he eventually settled with his family in Fazakerley. There was also Irish blood on Owen's wife's side; Mary Danher was the daughter of a gas fitter called John Danher, who was born in Ireland in 1842 and went to live in England as a boy; he had no fewer than 14 children with his wife Jane, of whom Mary was the seventh.

The McCartney family can be traced back many generations in Liverpool. Paul's father, James McCartney, was a lathe turner in an aircraft factory, assisting the war effort at the time of Paul's birth. James's father, Joseph, was a tobacco cutter - a common occupation in Liverpool at the dawn of the 20th century, given the city's importance as a major port for the importation of tobacco from America. James was born in 1902 into a crowded house in Fishguard Street, Everton, where Joseph and his wife Mary lived with their two young children, John and Edith, and Mary's widowed mother, Jane Clegg.

The McCartneys were a versatile bunch; Joseph's father James was a plumber, while his father - also James - worked as an upholsterer. Clearly they were able to find work when and where necessary, adapting to new challenges in order to survive.

There is a sad history within the Clegg lineage. Paul Clegg, born in 1817, had six children with his wife Margaret. He ran a successful business as a fishmonger, enabling him to employ assistants and servants. But in 1856 his wife died giving birth, and he was left to bring up his family on his own (with his brother, Thomas, helping him to run the business). Seven years after the death of his first wife, Paul remarried, this time to Jane Clague, 20 years his junior. They raised two children of their own - Gilbert and Florence - before Paul also died, leaving Jane a widow in her early 40s.

Background: Brit police confirmed Mills has been the object of serious threats and provided her with a panic phone. Mills is unable to afford bodyguards since McCartney froze the couple's joint bank account, according to a Sneed source familiar with the proceedings.

Four of the top five search terms on Google.com were online social networks. Bebo, a San Francisco-based company, topped the list, with MySpace in second place, video-sharing site Metacafe No. 4, and music-sharing site Radioblog fifth. The World Cup was the third most popular site.

In making its rankings, Google considers the increase in the number of queries a search term receives during the year, as opposed to considering only the number of searches.

Actress Nicole Kidman's marriage to singer Keith Urban was the most popular wedding of the year, beating ex-husband Tom Cruise tying the knot with actress Katie Holmes, who were No. 2. Ex-Beatle Paul McCartney calling it quits with second wife Heather Mills McCartney was the top divorce, and the death of TV producer Aaron Spelling, creator of the '90s hit Beverly Hills, 90210, attracted the most searches in the obituary category.

They've warned of a 'non-specific' threat to her safety and assured her an immediate response team will be available. What she'd prefer is private security provided by her daughter Bea's father, Sir Paul McCartney.

Given his wealth, Macca's reticence seems churlish. Not to mention foolhardy.

One of the more illuminating facts to emerge from the Princess Diana inquiry was that when her HRH status was removed, so was her protection - she had no official minders watching over her in Paris.

Heather has done a pretty good job of persuading the world she's a victim, I'd hate to be Sir Paul if she really were to become one.

NB: One of the high spots of last week's Paul McCartney documentary on ITV1 was Macca seated at a piano singing that achingly beautiful lament for a lost love, For No One.

"And in her eyes you see nothing, no sign of love behind the tears cried for no one. A love that should have lasted years."

I wonder if Heather will demand a right of reply.

But she made no mention of her acrimonious divorce proceedings with Sir Paul.

She stuck to the script of her speech as she spoke about the suffering of livestock in Britain, particularly pigs.

She said: "Pigs are intelligent, playful animals and nothing can excuse the way they are treated on Britain's farms.

"I'm 100 per cent behind Viva! and their campaign to end the cruelty.

"The thought of mother pigs who have just given birth being crammed into metal crates appalls me.

"How can we call ourselves a nation of animal lovers when we allow this to happen?"

Mrs Mills McCartney said she wanted to spend more time representing and campaigning for Viva! and working to end cruelty to farmed animals.

She revealed she would be supporting the Viva! New Year campaign to end the use of metal-barred farrowing crates in which most mother pigs are held to give birth.

She said: "Livestock is at the heart of the world's big environmental catastrophes but almost no one is prepared to stand up and say so.

"Viva! does and that's why I am putting my full support behind it."

Also addressing the 100 plus audience were top barrister Michael Mansfield and television presenter Wendy Turner-Webster.

Paul McCartney chatting on his mobile and waving to fans in London's Soho Square...

So when he was introduced to a certain Jason Donovan at George Michael's Wembley gig on Sunday, he quite clearly had no idea who the I'm A Celeb contestant was.

Macca politely refused to have his picture taken with the ex-Neighbours star. And later, when Jase shook his hand, the former Beatle whispered to an aide: "Who was that guy again?"

It's all a bit embarrassing for Jason who is trying to kick-start his pop career on the back of his appearance in the Aussie jungle in I'm A Celeb. Obviously this country's greatest living songwriter hasn't heard Jason's contributions - such as Too Many Broken Hearts or Any Dream Will Do.

An onlooker said: "Jason had asked Macca's aides if he could have a picture taken with him but they said No. He did get to shake Macca's hand because they were all sitting near each other, but Paul didn't have a clue who he was."

It was good to watch Macca relax and let his hair down at his pal George's gig.

He was surrounded by record bosses and security guards but didn't let them dampen the mood.

Dressed in a beige suit and black polo neck, he wiggled his hips and clapped along to Wham! hits such as Freedom.

George's former Wham! partner Andrew Ridgeley had been due to join him on stage but he bottled it at the last minute - overwhelmed with nerves.

A source said: "George had pleaded with Andrew to join him on stage to play a couple of Wham! songs.

"But Andrew was so sick with nerves at the thought of appearing on stage after all these years that he backed out.

"He didn't even use the tickets that George had left for him."

Meanwhile George, who was battling a cold, decided to do a rare performance of Last Christmas as a special treat for his fans - even though privately he claims to loathe the song.

Other celebs at the gig included Martin Kemp and wife Shirley - once a Wham! backing singer - DJs Neil fox and Chris Evans.

Admittedly the threats that Heather Mills aren't quite as frightening as Yoko's - nobody has been boasting about injecting poison into her body while she sleeps, for instance - but the police are treating Heather Mills' threats as non-specific and not especially imminent. But - hey - who knew that monoped former naked models that divorce Beatles in bitter and high-profile ways were so disliked. As well as helping to install security equipment in the home of Heather Mills after the threats, police have also spoke to Paul McCartney about the matter, who is thought to have replied "It weren't me copper, you can't prove anything copper" before throwing a smoke bomb to the ground and mysteriously vanishing into the ether.

It's fair to say that Heather Mills could use a few friends right now. Aside from the small band of followers who see badly-permed models covering their breasts with cream and licking men's whips in German sex guides as aspirational, not many people have really been siding with Heather Mills since she split up with Paul McCartney. Even though Heather Mills has said time and time again that she isn't a gold-digger and that Paul McCartney used to beat her up with a variety of glassware, the public has kept siding against her ahead of her increasingly bitter divorce.

And not just the public, either; celebrities are also backing Paul McCartney. Like, um, Rod Stewart, who wants Paul McCartney to fight Heather Mills. Then again, Rod Stewart is the only man alive who has fantasised about sex with Prince Charles's wife, so perhaps we shouldn't take his judgement as gospel.

And as well as everyone in the public and a croaky-voiced old man with girl's hair, it seems like shadowy underworld gangsters aren't the biggest fans of Heather Mills - according to The Mirror they've been bombarding Heather with threats, and not just rubbish Stella McCartney-style "I'll kill the bitch" threats either:

Her spokesman said last night: "She is frightened, but she's more worried about Bea than anything else. She has been told who these characters are and the worrying thing is that they have a violent past. The problem is she can't really do anything to protect herself apart from keep a watchful eye." Police gave Heather, who lives in Hove, East Sussex, a panic phone which connects straight to their HQ, and offered other security tips. They warned her about the danger of the shadowy figures behind the threats, but insisted an attack was "not imminent". Officers also spoke to Macca. A Sussex Police spokesman said: "On Thursday, 14 December, information was received from police in the Merseyside area which indicated a non-specific threat towards Heather Mills-McCartney. "Police can confirm she was spoken to by officers and was fully informed of the information, including details of the names of individuals involved. Police are satisfied there is no imminent risk to her."

Strange to think what a bunch shadowy gangsters would want with a woman who's expected to get around $235 million in a divorce settlement, isn't it? Anyway, we can't help feeling that Yoko Ono and Heather Mills are locked in a dangerous game of Beatle wife one-upmanship. First Yoko Ono gets her driver arrested for being a stalky blackmail sex pest pervert nutter - or something - and now Heather Mills has responded by getting police to kit out her home with a bunch of high-tech batcave anti-gangster alarms. How will Yoko Ono come back from this? It's too early to say, but we'd imagine that it will at some point include a moustachioed man in a top hat splicing her to some train tracks.

Heather Mills has been given a panic alarm by police after gangsters threatened to attack her.

Sources say underworld figures targeted the 38-year-old in revenge for claims she made about estranged husband Sir Paul McCartney, 64, during their bitter divorce battle.

Heather is now terrified she or their daughter Beatrice will be harmed.

Her spokesman said last night: "She is frightened, but she's more worried about Bea than anything else. She has been told who these characters are and the worrying thing is that they have a violent past.

"The problem is she can't really do anything to protect herself apart from keep a watchful eye."

Police gave Heather, who lives in Hove, East Sussex, a panic phone which connects straight to their HQ, and offered other security tips.

They warned her about the danger of the shadowy figures behind the threats, but insisted an attack was "not imminent". Officers also spoke to Macca.

A Sussex Police spokesman said: "On Thursday, 14 December, information was received from police in the Merseyside area which indicated a non-specific threat towards Heather Mills-McCartney.

"Police can confirm she was spoken to by officers and was fully informed of the information, including details of the names of individuals involved.

"Police are satisfied there is no imminent risk to her.

"Local officers have been briefed regarding the circumstances and provision has been made for an immediate police response should this be necessary."

Heather has been deluged by hate messages on her website since she accused Macca in divorce papers of physically abusing her during their four-year marriage.

She also claimed she received several death threats due to the custody battle for Beatrice, three.

Heather, who split from Macca in May, has said she feels vulnerable because she does not have enough money to pay for any private security.

She has also enlisted the help of her personal trainer Ben Amigoni to protect her.

Her spokesman refused to discuss reports Sir Paul has won the fight to spend Christmas with Beatrice.

He added: "I don't know whether that's true or not, but Heather's view is that it's nobody else's business."

Heather put on a brave face over the gangland threats when she took her pet terrier Oliver to a vet in Brighton. The dog appeared to have damaged his right hind leg which was swathed in bandages.

They say people look like their dogs and, in the case of Heather Mills and her pet, they might just be right.

Not only were the pair colour co-ordinated but Oliver, like his owner, has a damaged leg.

One witness said he 'looked like he was in a lot of pain' ­ something his owner claims to have been suffering too over her divorce from ex-Beatle Sir Paul McCartney -- as the pair made their way to the PDSA vets in Brighton.

by Howie Edelson

PAUL McCARTNEY REGRETS NOT FINISHING THIRD BEATLES REUNION SONG

Paul McCartney recently shed some light on one of the unfinished mid-'90s Beatles reunion tracks that was left unreleased.

McCartney spoke to Britain's Q magazine about the unreleased John Lennon song, titled "Now And Then," explaining that, "There was one more that we didn't do (for The Beatles Anthology), which was a pity. It didn't have a very good title, it needed a bit of reworking, but it had a beautiful verse and it had John singing it. But George (Harrison) didn't wanna do it. The best thing about it all was to work with John again. Hearing him in the headphones, it was like he was in the next room -- 'F***, I'm singing harmony with John.' It's like an impossible dream."

We asked Harrison's widow Olivia Harrison how she feels about any unfinished Beatles Anthology reunion songs being released: ["Well, I don't know that much about it. But I know that if they thought something wasn't good enough then that's probably the reason no one's heard it. You know, if they never got around to it -- sometimes that's it, time runs out."

The then-surviving Beatles, McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr, dubbed "The Threetles" by the British press, spent four sessions between February 1994 and March 1995 attempting to flesh out "Now And Then" along with the eventually released reunion songs "Free As A Bird," and "Real Love." The songs were recorded at McCartney's home studio, The Mill, in Sussex, England with producer and ELO co-founder Jeff Lynne.

The trio eventually abandoned the track, due in large part to a persistent buzz found on the demo tape that couldn't be erased. Lennon's demo for "Now And Then" -- also known as "I Don't Want To Lose You" -- has been available on the underground circuit for years.

In May 1995, the group allegedly started work an all-new McCartney-Harrison collaboration called "All For Love," which also remains unreleased.

In October 2005, Lennon's widow Yoko Ono talked about a further "electronic" Beatles reunion using the unfinished Lennon track. She explained to The Washington Post that, "I sent those songs to them when the situation was quite different. Now that George is gone, I don't know if the same would apply."

The Beatles' reunion single "Free As A Bird" peaked at Number Six in 1995, with the group's second reunion single "Real Love" topping out at Number 11 in 1996.

Sir Paul McCartney has won a battle to spend Christmas Day with his daughter Beatrice - leaving estranged wife Heather Mills furious.

Heather, 38, was desperate to spend next Monday with their three-year-old daughter. But the warring pair's custody arrangements mean Sir Paul, 64, will have Bea on that day.

A source said: "Heather is absolutely livid. She thinks Bea should be with her on Christmas Day - but it's just chance that it hasn't worked out that way."

The temporary custody arrangements - agreed after they split in May - sees Paul care for Beatrice from Friday to Tuesday. Heather sees her from Tuesday afternoon until Friday afternoon. With Christmas falling on a Monday, Bea will be with the ex-Beatle at his estate in Peasmarsh, East Sussex.

The source said: "Paul feels wretched and has been trying to appease Heather."

He's agreed for her to collect Bea hours earlier than normal on Boxing Day morning. She's likely to go to Heather's house in Hove, 60 miles away.

The source added: "Even after everything that's gone on, Paul can't fully turn against Heather.

He's always said she's a good mother and wants Bea to have as normal an upbringing as possible despite the split."

Detectives have warned Heather Mills they fear she may be attacked by criminals from the Liverpool underworld who are angry about her split from Sir Paul McCartney.

Police officers visited the former Beatle's estranged wife on Thursday to tell her they had intelligence of a serious threat to her safety.

They gave her a panic alarm and also spoke to Sir Paul to discuss the convicted criminals said to be planning an attack.

But Sir Paul has refused to provide bodyguards for Ms Mills. He withdrew them in June when the divorce became acrimonious but until October had provided security when she was with their three-year-old daughter Beatrice.

Ms Mills is angry at her husband, according to friends, and is panic-stricken at the thought of Beatrice being harmed.

The 38-year-old former model was given the shocking news by Detective Inspector Steve Paice, Detective Constable Glen Jones and a WPC at her home in Hove, East Sussex.

They discussed the threat with her, which comes from several criminals in the Merseyside area who have no previous history of violence.

The detectives gave her a personal panic phone of the sort usually given to domestic violence victims.

She can contact Sussex Police headquarters directly and, if she calls, officers will be with her in minutes.

Friends of Ms Mills believe some of the threats came from people who have deluged her with abuse on the internet.

Hundreds of hate emails have been sent to her website, labelling her 'the most loathed woman in Britain' and 'a gold-digging disgrace'.

She is said to be taking the threats seriously because of previous attacks on former members of The Beatles and their friends and family.

John Lennon was shot dead outside his apartment in New York in 1980 by MCD. George Harrison was stabbed by an intruder at his home in Henley-on-Thames in 1999. His attacker, Michael Abram, said he was possessed by the guitarist and was on a 'mission from God' to kill him.

Ms Mills says she has no money to pay for security because her husband froze their joint account. Sir Paul, 64, did provide bodyguards during her time with Beatrice but their relationship deteriorated in October when Ms Mills accused her husband in leaked divorce court papers of attacking her.

She said he stabbed her with a broken wine glass, pushed her over a coffee table and shoved her into a bath while she was pregnant.

A source said: "Heather is desperately worried about the threats and wants to have security, more for Beatrice's sake than her own. But she hasn't got any money to pay for it because Paul froze their joint bank account.

"She told him about the threat and she says he told her, "I don't see why I should. When I go out with Bono and Gwyneth Paltrow, they don't have security."

"She thinks this is part of his meanness and she is appalled that even the police involvement hasn't stirred him."

Ms Mills spoke of her worries in a BBC interview last month. She said: "We've had a few death threats, which is pretty scary, especially considering we have no security."

Her personal trainer, Ben Amigoni, has been acting as her bodyguard. Ms Mills has denied being romantically involved with him, despite his fiancee Jo Bradford's claims to The Mail on Sunday that she had lured him away.

Chief Superintendent Kevin Moore, the divisional commander for Brighton and Hove, said: "We received information from police sources in Liverpool.

"She has been visited by officers and we have spoken to her estranged husband.

"From that we have established the nature of the risk and we have made certain tentative precautions in terms of a response."

He said the risk was not imminent but Ms Mills had been informed so she could make security arrangements.

Being a crusader for decency and honor, I feel it is my obligation to point out something to Heather Mills McCartney: You're not a Beatle, you gold digger, and what makes you think you are owed money for the soundtrack of my generation?

I never thought I'd say this, but Yoko Ono is no longer the greediest person on the planet. Where's a dunk tank when you need one?

It seems that Sir Paul (we're on a first name basis) didn't demand a pre-nup before the marriage and now Mills (we're not on a first name basis) is looking to ka-ching her personal cash register at the expense of Sgt. Pepper and Eleanor Rigby.

I know I get more than a little nuts when I talk about the Beatles because their music is sacred music to me. Their songs are an atlas of my life; I know exactly where I was along the way when "She Loves You" came out and two years later when I played side two of "Rubber Soul" every night before hitting dreamland.

"In My Life" remains my favorite song of all time and I get all goose bumply whenever I hear Sir Paul recall "Yesterday." The Beatles are not an acquired taste; they were the most popular and, in my opinion, the best rock 'n roll band ever.

Back to Mills, who told the tabloids that, no, she is not having an affair with her personal trainer and, no, she never plans to marry again, boo hoo.

And those stories about her past as a high-class hooker, well, that's just rubbish!

Yes, she has done some fine work toward ridding the world of land mines, and for that I'll give her credit. However, that has nothing to do with giving her the key to the McCartney safe.

I can see her lawyers wringing their hands and drooling at the prospect of taking a hearty portion of that pie, which, undoubtedly, would be an "Apple" pie. I can hear the rumbling after shocks of John Lennon and George Harrison rolling over in their graves.

Mills, just to spit in your face, I'm going to this Beatlemania thing they have planned at the Oshkosh Civic Center on Dec. 30 and let the euphony of those wonderful songs drown out the cacophony of your legal squealing.

Mills, you cannot put a claim on someone else's creativity and call it justice. That's the same as stealing, which is unjust. There are others who contributed to their success and probably deserve a little something.

Maybe even Ringo.

The broadcaster beat musicians Sir Paul McCartney and Morrissey.

The three were whittled down from an initial list of 10 personalities, which included Stephen Fry, Kate Moss, David Bowie and Sir Michael Caine.

Sir David is best known for presenting wildlife programmes such as Life on Earth and The Blue Planet.

As well as a long career in front of the camera, Sir David was also controller of BBC Two during the introduction of colour television to the UK.

On learning of his win, he said he was "flattered and amazed" to have secured the public vote.

He was championed for The Culture Show icon award by fellow wildlife broadcaster Bill Oddie.

"David has affected the lives of people and wildlife for many years. With his amazing amount of knowledge, his achievement is to recommend life, wildlife and human life to the people of this earth," said Oddie.

The Queen of Pop and husband Guy Ritchie rent Ashcombe in Wilts to shooting parties for £10,000 a day.

But fashion designer Stella, 35, hit the roof when she heard Madge, 48, and Guy, 38, had released 3,000 imported baby pheasants for hunters to kill.

She challenged Madonna who vowed NOT to allow shooting next year. A source said: "Ashcombe's become a hunting factory and the Ritchies like playing rich landlords.

"Stella wasn't pleased when she heard about them releasing pheasants and spoke to Madonna." Stella, ex-Beatle Sir Paul's daughter, recently scolded Madge for wearing a £35,000 ($686,676) fur coat.

The source added: "She's the reason Madonna is stopping shooting next year."

McCartney says that apart from the intricate remixing done by the duo, the tapes finally sound pretty close to how they did back in the 1960s at Abbey Road studios: "I always say that one of the great things about technology is that when we recorded them, there wasn't like a hiss in the room, there wasn't a hum in the room. That was the equipment we recorded onto, (which) was technically substandard to what we've got today. So in actual fact by cleaning it up, you're getting more (of) what was actually what was in the room. You're getting the guitar sound without a hiss, or without a hum. So that's great."

Among the Beatles classics that were remixed and restructured for LOVE are "Drive My Car," "The Word," "Here Comes The Sun," "Octopus's Garden," "Because," "Within You, Without You," "Strawberry Fields Forever," "Something," "While My Guitar Gently Weeps," "Lady Madonna," "All You Need Is Love," "Good Night," "Tomorrow Never Knows," "Get Back," and many more.

The Beatles LOVE stage production is now running in Las Vegas at The Mirage.

As lead singer of the Pretenders, Chrissie Hynde certainly knows how to use her vocal cords to good effect. So I'm surprised to hear that Hynde - who was a good friend of animal lover Linda McCartney - is opposing the EU's proposed dog and cat fur ban, which she describes as "misleading".

In a letter to EU secretary general Catherine Day, Hynde writes: "This legislation will grease the wheels of the fur industry so it can kill millions of other animals for their pelts while assuring consumers that none of them is like their family pets." She adds: "It is crucial that people look beyond its title and read what this legislation actually says."

Sir Paul McCartney has been given an early Christmas present by British TV producer Paul Duddridge - a copy of his book Ever Dated A Psycho?

McCartney is preparing for his first Christmas without estranged wife Heather Mills.

Duddridge's book is collection of true-life stories from men and women who have been in relationships with mentally unstable people.
Duddridge says, "My publishers posted it. I hope Macca enjoys it.

"But I can't imagine what possible use he would have for the book, or why anyone thinks he would find it helpful or particularly relevant."

Tom Doyle interviews Paul McCartney for Q's 20th Anniversary Special (November 2006 issue)

Q + A: Paul McCartney Beatle

Q: How are you?

PAUL: I'm well. I'm enjoying my music.

Q: Where are you right now?

PAUL: A photo studio in Kentish Town, London.

Q: You were the first Q cover star. What does Q mean to you?

PAUL: Oh, y'know... cool magazine. It's strange looking at the first copy now. It looks so old-fashioned. But it looked very smart and modern and groovy then.

Q: What's the best thing you've ever seen in Q?

PAUL: There was a nice thing in the original issue on Dylan, who's pretty elusive. Here he was just chatting.

Q: What were you doing 20 years ago?

PAUL: You know what, I'm terrible on what I was doing when. Beatles fans can tell you exactly what was going on in the '60s and I go, "Oh yeah, that's right." I don't actually know what year The Beatles started. I couldn't tell you, man. Sgt. Pepper was '67, I know that much.

Q: 1986 was Press To Play...

PAUL: That's right. Q gave it a good review. I thought, "Aw, bless 'em." Cos I don't think it's that good an album.

Q: What's been your high point of the last 20 years?

PAUL: Live 8 was pretty cool. Concert For New York for 9/11, pretty cool. The Mexico City gig [in November 2002] was unbelievable. The warmth coming off these 30,000 Mexicans was overpowering. [Mock breathlessness] I couldn't sing for the emotion of it.

Q: And the low point?

PAUL: Linda dying. Undoubtedly.

Q: What was the first album you bought on CD?

PAUL: Wow. I don't know, man. We made our first recordings to two- track stereo and we used to take home a shellac acetate. Then came tape cassettes. Then we went through CDs and MiniDiscs and DATs. To me it's just a series of new ways to hear your music.

Q: And the first track you downloaded?

PAUL: I haven't ever downloaded a track. Never. I've got an iPod nano. But the earphones remind me of work.

Q: Which track of the last 20 years do you wish you'd written?

PAUL: I like Fields of Gold. One of my favorite Sting songs.

Q: With George Harrison gone, you must be glad that you did Free As A Bird and Real Love for the three-volume Beatles Anthology in 1995 and 1996.

PAUL: Yeah, that was nice to do. There was one more that we didn't do, which was a pity. It didn't have a very good title, it needed a bit of reworking, but it had a beautiful verse and it had John singing it. But George didn't wanna do it. The best thing about it all was to work with John again. Hearing him in the headphones, it was like he was in the next room -- "F*k, I'm singing harmony with John." It's like an impossible dream.

Q: What's the single biggest thing that's changed in your life in the last 20 years?

PAUL: Having children.

Q: You had them before, obviously...

PAUL: [Laughs] Yeah, I did. I've had one since. Bringing up children. There you go.

Q: If you could talk to yourself 20 years ago, what advice would you give?

PAUL: [Comedy Scouse accent] Caaaalllmmm dowwwn.

Q: Your favourite drug of the last 20 years?

PAUL: Cocoa

Q: You can't say that!

PAUL: I can. It's a double entendre.

Q: Do you miss a joint?

PAUL: Um. [Laughs] No. I've done all that. And I know what it does but... it's a bit befuddling. It's more important at my stage of the game to be unfuddled.

Q: Now that Michael Jackson is on his uppers, any chance of buying back his share of The Beatles' catalogue?[Jackson bought publishing rights to almost all Beatles songs in 1985]

PAUL: In about 10 years, a lot of it returns to me, just legally. So anyone who now buys it is only gonna end up with half of it. Some of the important rights are about to return, which I didn't realise.

Q: Would it feel good to have it back for your old age?

PAUL: Oh, yeah. You know what doesn't feel very good? Going on tour and paying to sing all my songs. Every time I sing Hey Jude, I gotta pay someone.

Q: Where will you be in 20 minutes?

PAUL: In the car, going home. Get some sounds on. If it's thick traffic, it'll be Gorillaz.

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