Dame Maggie Smith may have played the Dowager Countess in Downton Abbey for six series but she has yet to find time to actually watch it.
However, the actress, 81, plans to watch the period drama now it has finished for good.
Maggie Smith (Joel Ryan/AP)She told CBS News: They gave me the boxed set. And Im going to do all sorts of things now, cause Im free!
The story of her on-screen aristocratic family wrapped up with the Christmas special, which except for the Queens speech topped the Christmas Day ratings.
But although it was a period drama, Dame Maggie has revealed she got away without wearing corsets.
Downtons Dowager Countess is loved for her cutting one-liners ((NBC/Universal/ITV)In actual fact, I have to say that I did cheat a bit, Smith admitted. Because I promised that if I sat up, bolt upright, I made it look as though I were wearing corsets.
And on the secrecy surrounding how the series would end, she joked: Nobody was allowed to see the script. You had to read it and then eat it, just in case. Do not leave it anywhere!
But despite plans to relax with a box set, Dame Maggie has kept busy starring as Miss Shepherd in The Lady In The Van, a movie based on the real-life story of a woman won spent the last 15 years of her life living in a van in playwright Alan Bennetts driveway.
Dame Maggie Smith stars in The Lady In The Van (Sony Pictures)Dame Maggie said: I cannot begin to imagine how it must have been in reality, of what Alan had to cope with.
She added: You pass all the time people just on cardboard on the street she had a van. But you see these people just in doorways and its just, I mean, what do they do all day?
Another round of thunderstorms was moving across Central and Southeast Texas on Saturday as crews search the Austin area for two people missing from flash floods.
Teams from the National Weather Service were to examine three areas Saturday where tornadoes were thought to have wreaked havoc on Friday.
Two people were known to have died one in Austin and one near San Antonio when they were swept away by rapidly rising flood waters. However, a man and a woman were still unaccounted in separate incidents in the Austin area on Friday.
The storms and suspected tornadoes have socked an already-sodden swath of Texas that was still drying out from the remnants of Hurricane Patricia, forcing evacuations of flood-prone areas and slowing or shutting down traffic on long stretches of Interstate 35.
More than 16 inches of rain soaked one neighborhood and Austin Bergstrom International Airport suspended all flights after a half-foot of water flooded the air traffic control tower. A lazy creek cutting through Texas wine country swelled into a rushing torrent, sending eight members of a vacationing church group scrambling to a second floor before they were rescued by the National Guard.
Powerful winds tossed a trailer from an RV park onto the roof of a three-story Holiday Inn. Abandoned cars, many submerged in water, littered back roads that weary drivers risked after heavy downpours flooded Interstate 35 between San Antonio and Austin, closing one of the busiest stretch of roadways in the U.S.
Last weekend, storms from Patricias Category 5 aftermath dumped nearly a foot of rain in parts of the same region. Although not deadly, that drenching left the ground saturated and unable to sop up the latest deluge.
Forecasters say an upper-level disturbance from Mexico carried the storms into Texas as a strong El Nino is expected to make for a wet winter in the U.S.
Most eyes were on Wimberley, a popular getaway spot in the Texas Hill Country where the church group found themselves stranded. Similar conditions in May soaking storms on the heels of others caused devastating flooding on the Blanco River that swept homes from foundations and killed families who were carried downstream.
The Blanco River this time swelled to about 26 feet in Wimberley, nearly twice the flood stage. Residents were evacuated from the area and a community center was opened as a shelter.
Farther south in Floresville, a suspected tornado caused only minor injuries, said Sgt. Jason Reyes of the Texas Department of Public Safety. Ruth Veliz, whose parents own a taco shop in town, said one of her employees yelled Tornado! and tried to keep the winds from blowing inside before a customer pulled her to safety.
The door was flying open with her as she was trying to close it, Veliz said.
Wind gusts of up to 70 mph were reported in some places. The flooded portion of Interstate 35 was reopened later Friday, but not before southbound drivers turned against traffic and tried driving north along the shoulder. Winds peeled off roofs elsewhere and collapsed a historic 19th-century building in the small town of DHanis, one of three cities where suspected tornadoes touched down.
If it would have happened at 10 a.m. instead of 4 a.m., might have been a different story, Medina County Sheriff Randy Brown said.
Official Jamison Crowder Career Highlights | Duke Football DURHAM, N.C. Redshirt senior safety Jeremy Cash was named the recipient of the Carmen Falcone Most Valuable Player Award at Duke Universitys annual football banquet held on Sunday evening at the Washington Duke Inn & Golf Club in Durham, N.C.
Cash, the 2015 ACC Defensive Player of the Year and first team All-America choice by several outlets, has amassed 101 tackles, 18.0 tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks, eight quarterback pressures, four pass breakups, three caused fumbles and one fumble recovery on the season. A finalist for both the Bronco Nagurski Award (National Defensive Player of the Year) and Jim Thorpe Award (top defensive back in the nation), the Miami, Fla., native has now reached the 100-tackle plateau in three consecutive seasons and is Dukes career leader in caused fumbles with nine.
Other honorees included Breon Borders (K.D. Kennedy Iron Devil Award), Kelby Brown (Ace Parker Award), Zavier Carmichael (Mike Suglia Award), Jamie Cockey (Micah Harris Trinity Teammate Award), DeVon Edwards (Willis Aldridge Award), Keyston Fuller (Sonny Falcone Iron Duke Award), Johnathan Lloyd (Sonny Falcone Iron Duke Award), Ross Martin (Bill Keziah Award), Max McCaffrey (Clarkston Hines Award), Will Monday (Bill Keziah Award), Dwayne Norman (Vincent Rey Award), Shaquille Powell (Bob Pascal Award), Cody Robinson (Frances Cutcliffe Spirit of Perseverance Award), Matt Skura (Dan Tiger Hill Award & Steve Brooks Captain Award), Tanner Stone (Sonny Falcone Iron Duke Award) and A.J. Wolf (Mike McGee Award).
Borders, a junior cornerback from Statesville, N.C., earned the K.D. Kennedy Iron Devil Award for playing the most snaps of any Blue Devil during the regular season. Borders has totaled 53 tackles and a team-high three interceptions on the year.
Brown, a native of Matthews, N.C., who missed his sixth and final year of eligibility after suffering a knee injury prior to the season, was honored with the Ace Parker Award, which is presented annually to an individual who displays unparalleled commitment to the team and overcomes adversity to contribute. Parker, one of 12 former Duke players and coaches to be enshrined into the College Football Hall of Fame, was a two-time All-America pick in 1935 and 1936. Following his successful NFL career, he was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1972. Brown has served as student assistant coach this season and was named to the AFCA Good Works Team for his dedicated community service work.
Carmichael, a sophomore linebacker from Eight Mile, Ala., received the Mike Suglia Award, which is presented annually to the second-year member of the Duke football program who best exemplifies the qualities of the late Mike Suglia. Suglia was an offensive lineman at Duke in 1976-77 who died suddenly during the spring of his sophomore year. He was an excellent student, an outstanding football player, and, most importantly, a young man of the highest integrity.
Cockey, a senior defensive back from Montclair, N.J., was the recipient of the Micah Harris Trinity Teammate Award, which is presented annually to the member of the Duke football program who displays the highest teammate qualities such as inspiration, unselfishness and commitment to the team. Micah Harris was tragically killed in an automobile accident in June of 2004, just prior to his senior year at Duke.
Edwards, a redshirt junior safety from Covington, Ga., received the Willis Aldridge Award as the teams top defensive back. An All-ACC pick for the second straight season, Edwards has compiled 93 tackles and one interception on the year.
The Sonny Falcone Iron Duke Award is presented annually to one offensive player, one defensive player and one player in the developmental program for their year-round commitment to strength training and conditioning. These players best exemplify the strength staffs expectations with their daily effort, commitment, pride, toughness and discipline. This year, the honorees were Fuller, a freshman wide receiver from Griffin, Ga., Lloyd, a redshirt freshman defensive back from Graham, N.C., and Stone, a redshirt junior offensive guard from Dallas, Texas.
Martin and Monday a pair of four-time All-ACC selections shared the Bill Keziah Award as the teams most outstanding special teams performers. A senior kicker from Solon, Ohio, Martin leads Duke in scoring with 106 points by making a school single-season record 23 field goals along with all 37 of his PAT attempts. Monday, a redshirt senior punter from Flowery Branch, Ga., has punted 60 times for 2,616 yards and a 43.6 yards per boot average and a league-best 19 kicks of 50-plus yards.
Norman, a senior linebacker from Jacksonville, Fla., was named the recipient of the Vincent Rey Award as the squads most outstanding linebacker. A second team All-ACC pick by the leagues head coaches, Norman leads the Blue Devils in tackles with 104 while adding 8.5 tackles for loss and two caused fumbles.
Powell, a senior running back from Las Vegas, Nev., received the Bob Pascal Award as Dukes top offensive back. Through 12 games this year, he has rushed 122 times for 534 yards and three touchdowns while catching 32 passes for 195 yards and two additional scores.
Robinson, a redshirt senior offensive guard from McMinnville, Tenn., earned the Frances Cutcliffe Spirit of Perseverance Award, which is presented annually to the player who best displays the toughness and perseverance to overcome challenges and continue to strive for victory. Due to injury, Robinson has seen action in just one contest this fall.
Skura, a redshirt senior center from Columbus, Ohio, received the Dan Tiger Hill Award as Dukes top offensive lineman as well as the Steve Brooks Captain Award. A second team All-America pick by USA Today, Skura has anchored the Blue Devil offensive line which ranks second in the ACC in sacks allowed per passing attempt.
Wolf, a redshirt junior defensive tackle from Greenwich, Conn., garnered the Mike McGee Award as the teams most outstanding defensive lineman. Wolf has produced 49 tackles, 4.0 tackles for loss and three QB pressures on the year.
Duke will play Indiana in the New Era Pinstripe Bowl on Saturday, December 26 at Yankee Stadium in New York, N.Y. Kickoff is set for the 3:30 p.m., and the game will be televised live by ABC.
When bowl pairings become set in stone today, Marshall will play in the St. Petersburg Bowl, as widely expected.
But the Thundering Herd will not face a team from the upper tier of the American Athletic Conference, as widely projected. The opposition likely will come from that leagues gooey middle.
Marshall, meet the Connecticut Huskies.
Several sources and reports have the Thundering Herd (9-3) revisiting Tropicana Field to take on the 6-6 Huskies. Kickoff is at 11 a.m. on Dec. 26.
An MU source responded, Have not been officially told that. Conference USA and several other leagues were to announce their teams bowl pairings this afternoon.
But bowl news about the AAC schools has been leaking out for several days, well before Houston (12-1) won the league title Saturday and became a shoo-in for the Group of 5s access bowl spot.
Several other teams with better overall records than UConn are going elsewhere. South Florida (8-4) is heading to the Miami Beach Bowl to take on C-USA champion Western Kentucky. Navy (9-2) accepted a bid to the Military Bowl earlier in the week, and Cincinnati (7-5) is going to the Hawaii Bowl. The Bearcats tied the Huskies for third place in the AAC East at 4-4.
Memphis (9-3) appears headed to the Birmingham Bowl to play Auburn, which is just 6-6. Temple (10-3) may be playing in the Boca Raton Bowl against Mid-American Conference runner-up Toledo.
So that sends UConn to Tropicana Field, where the Herd defeated Florida International 20-10 in the 2011 bowl game. On first reaction, some Herd fans are unsatisfied both with the opponent and with the game being the morning after Christmas. The 2011 St. Pete game was played on Dec. 20.
But the Huskies have had their highlights, most notably being the only team to beat Houston. At East Hartford, UConn held the then-13th-ranked Cougars to 318 total yards and Noel Thomas caught two touchdown passes. One was a 45-yarder on a trick play that put the Huskies up 20-10 in the fourth quarter.
Coached by second-year coach Bob Diaco, UConn will play in its first bowl since losing the 2011 Fiesta Bowl (2010 season) to Oklahoma 48-20. The Huskies captured the Big Easts place in the Bowl Championship Series, but went 15-33 in their next four seasons.
The Huskies, who transitioned to Division I-A/FBS in 2000, have been in five bowl games, and are 3-2.
Winning LOTTERY Ball Appears Before Its Drawn - Powerball EuroMillions
Do you have the winning Powerball numbers for December 23? Check your ticket and see if you are the winner of Wednesday night"s $227 million jackpot. "Tis the season to be extra jolly if you match all six numbers and become the lottery"s newest mega-millionaire.
Scroll down for tonight"s winning Powerball numbers andsome information about the lottery"s cash option vs. 30-year annuity payment options for jackpot winners.
It"s been almost two months since the Powerball jackpot was given away. If there is no winner tonight, the jackpot will increase to approximately $250 million for the next drawing on December 26.
The winning Powerball numbers for December 23 are:16-38-55-63-67 PB 25 PowerPlay X4
If you end up beating the 1 in 259 million odds and win the $227 million jackpot tonight, it"s important to sign your ticket and put it in a safe place before you start celebrating.
When you present the winning ticket at your state"s lottery headquarters (hopefully with an attorney by your side), you will be given two optionsto receive your windfall a lump-sum payment or an annuity.
Lump-Sum Payment: A one-time payment will be based on the cash value of the jackpot $141 million. According to USA Mega, the lump-sum payment would be about $105,750,000 after 25 percent in federal taxes are deducted. Check here to see if your state taxes lottery winnings. If so, that percentage will be deducted from your payment as well.
30-Year Annuity: Jackpot winners who choose this option will get 30 annual payments of approximately $5,675,000 each after federal taxes. The annuity is based on the entire $227 million jackpot.
Business Insider has some helpful tips on how to choose between a one-time cash payout and annuity. However, if you are tonight"s jackpot winner, contact a financial adviser to get the proper advice that applies to your situation.
Watch the Powerball drawings live every Wednesday and Saturday night at 11 p.m. ET on one of these TV stations or by downloading the handy (and free) LotteryHub app for your iPhone or Android device.
Sixty-percent contained as of Saturday evening, the Solimar Fire burned 1,250 acres at its height mid-afternoon Saturday.
Motorists Detoured to Highways 150 and 33; Aerial Battle Against Solimar BlazeEscalates
Originally published 10:07 a.m., December 26, 2015Updated 3:44 p.m., December 26, 2015
[Update, 3:43p.m.]
Downed power lines on private property caused the Solimar Fire, Ventura County Fire public information officer Mike Lindbery told The Santa Barbara Independent. As the Ventura County Star reported, high winds knocked down the power lines, which were located north of Solimar Beach. Authorities plan to open the Pacific Coast Highway, as well as lift the evacuations for the Solimar Beach community and Faria Beach area, at around 5:00 p.m. Saturday, saidLindbery.
RayFord
[Update, 2:00p.m.]
Highway 101 is open in both directions, according to Santa Barbara County Office of Emergency Management. Approximately 600 firefighters are still on the roughly 1,200-acre fire, according to Ventura County officials, and the public is advised to be aware of equipment working in thearea.
[Update, 11:51a.m.]
Northbound drivers planning to take Highway 101 through the Solimar area are advised to take the I-5 or highways 150 or 166 instead. Highway 101 remains closed between Carpinteria and Ventura due to a brush fire that began around midnight. The southbound lanes are estimated to open at 12:30 p.m. today, according toCaltrans.
RayFord
Hillsides midday Saturday after the fire made a pass throughSolimar.
According to the Ventura County Emergency Information website, an emergency shelter has been established at the Red Cross in Carpinteria, 941 Walnut Avenue for evacuees from Solimar Beach and campgrounds, and also Faria Beachresidents.
[Update, 11:23a.m.]
According to Ventura County Fire public information officer Mike Lindbery, the only available fixed-wing fire aircraft in southern California is dropping fire retardant on the blaze. Due to the rocky and slide-prone terrain in the canyon where the Solimar Fire is burning, its difficult getting a good handline established now, Lindbery said. Its difficult to get a nice clean fire break. Trains started traveling slowly through the area again around 10 a.m. Saturdaymorning.
Personnel are hoping to get some lanes open this afternoon on Highway 101 northbound and southbound between Carpinteria and Ventura, but Lindbery asks those drivers detoured to Highways 150 and 33 to please be patient while traveling through those very treacherousroads.
[OriginalStory]
Because of a 1,200-acre fire that broke out late Christmas night 10 miles north of Ventura, authorities have blocked off Highway 101 between Carpinteria and Ventura for the time being. Motorists are being diverted to Highway 150 and Highway 33. As of this writing, holiday traffic has remained relatively light and aside from a few 18-wheelers forced to lumber up Highway 150 the impact on the smaller winding roads has not beengreat.
RayFord
SolimarFire
In addition, rail traffic along the coastal route has been interrupted until Ventura County firefighting officials determine its safe. Getting the freeway re-opened is one of our highest priorities, said Ventura County Fire public information officer Mike Lindbery. It remains uncertain when exactly that might be, but containment crews are aiming for late Saturday morning. In the meantime, crews are attacking vegetation along both sides of the 101 to eliminate firefuel.
For the time being, the fire appears boxed in between Highway 101, Highway 150, and Highway 33 with no place to go, reported longtime Independent fire correspondent Ray Ford, who is on the scene. But, he added, theres plenty of material within that box which he estimated to be three air-miles wide and 10 air-miles long to keep the 600 firefighters dispatched to the scenebusy.
RayFord
SolimarFire
At this point, the fire is sitting in box canyons on the mountainside of Highway 101, where handcrews and aircrews will focus their attack. The good news is that winds have died down considerably from the violent gusts hammering the hillsides with such force the night before that an extreme wind advisory was declared. Smoke from the fire is heading straight up into the air; to the extent its moving laterally, its out to sea. But that could change later today when windier conditions are expected. The concern is that it could head south further into Ventura and northern Los Angeles counties.
Early this morning, residents of the Solimar community about 30 homes were evacuated, as were visitors camping at the Emma Wood State Beach. Two helicopters dropped water on the fire through most of last night, but they were played out by the morning. Four copters have gone up since, and four fixed-wing aircrafts are reportedly on their way to drop fire retardant on the flames. To date, no homes have beenburned.
Three strike teams from Santa Barbara County Fire Department have been dispatched to the Solimar blaze, as well as one water tender, five engines, and one helicopter. Engines from the Carpinteria and Montecito departments have been dispatched as well. None, so far, have been sent from the City of Santa Barbara, nor have any beenrequested.
I Was Surprised Arsenal Let Us Control The Game says Saints Fan | Southampton 4 Arsenal 0
After losing to out-of-form Southampton, will Arsenal again fall short of the winning the Premier League?
Arsenal must strengthen their squad in January or risk history repeating itself by missing out on the Premier League title, according to the Sunday Supplement panel.
Arsene Wenger"s side were thrashed 4-0 at Southampton on Boxing Day, a result that cost the club the chance to move to the top of the table following Leicester"s defeat at Liverpool.
However, despite the setback at St Mary"s, Arsenal"s manager is too "stubborn" to make any significant purchases in January, according toThe Sun"s Football Editor Charlie Wyett.
"It must be so frustrating for Arsenal"s fans," Wyett said. "I saw Southampton the previous week against Tottenham and they were poor, without a win in five and it just appeared to be an away win all day long.
"It is just such a bad result for them and it once again illustrates that Arsenal need to sign players in the January transfer window, but it will not happen because Wenger is remarkably stubborn and that is why they have not won the title in over a decade.
"There have been occasions when they should have won it, but they have not strengthened. Two years ago, they needed a quality player and they signed Kim Kallstrom, who arrived injured after messing around on the beach in Dubai.
"And history is repeating itself and I just do not think that things are going to change."
It is not all doom and gloom though as far as Arsenal"s supporters are concerned, with the Gunners still possessing the quality to win this season"s title, according to Wyett.
"You look at this current Arsenal squad and it is arguably stronger than the Chelsea squad that won last season"s title," Wyett said. "But is it nasty enough?
"Surely you want one or two characters, with John Terry being the obvious example at Chelsea last season as someone who just gets them together and gives them a kick up the backside.
"I am not sure Arsenal have got that. They clearly have got the quality to still win the title, there is absolutely no doubt about that, but it is whether they have got that resilience, which we have seen a few times they have not always had?
"But then equally, they do have the ability to just blow teams out of the water, like they did against Olympiakos."
