FROM MRS Patmore to Lady Sybil, these barking mad illustrations show the WOOF-er side of some of our most loved Downton characters. The art works entitled 'Houndton Tabby', were designed by illustrator and artist Kim Parkhurst, 39, after she combined her love of drawing and Downton Abbey. 'I've been painting portraits of animals in historical costume for some time,” explains New Yorker Kim. “I've taken some familiar and beloved characters whose demeanour, personality, and appearance seemed to translate to certain breeds of dog or cat. 'I got to thinking about Mr Bates' character and storyline, and Brendan Coyle's facial structure, and how he could look hard but also had the warmest, kindest eyes.
Playing, splashing and generally messing around, these polar bears show they certainly have a soft spot for the water, and not just each other .
A woman has revealed how she almost died after she developed sepsis from a cold .
Pint- size Maci Winters only has one wish this Christmas - to be as tall as the other boys and girls on the school playground .
HUDDLING under a leaf, a pair of adorable Javan scops owls take shelter from the rain .
A baby who was given just a three per cent chance of survival at birth has beaten the odds to come home - even though docs told his parents to abort him 12 times .
A Canadian woman who is obsessed with all things mythical has had her ears cut and shaped to look like an ELF .
A baby sperm whale assumed the role of a friendly giant when faced with two awestruck divers .
STANDING on its hind legs, a nosey polar bear presses its paws against the window of a truck and takes a peek at the tourist inside .
An artist has transformed traditional Thanksgiving dinners into mini-masterpieces .
BEHIND the doors of this building, with its stacks of mattresses and discarded remains of wheelchairs, lies another victim of austerity cuts .
A mum-of-one was left looking like a ‘monster’ after suffering a horrific allergic reaction to hair dye while pregnant .
A hero dog has saved the life of her asthmatic owner after waking her up during a severe asthma attack .