Ottilie Mitchell
Live reporter

A lot more than three French hens. But even as we wrap-up today's coverage of 100 heartwarming stories, rest assured that we'll be back again tomorrow with plenty more to keep your spirits high.

From a couple reunited after 50 years apart to a University Challenge sparking a craze for jungle music, good news really can be found in the most unlikely places.

Sometimes it’s 100 miles away, like when a missing ring is returned home. Or it can reach across time, like the 121-year-old postcard that reunited long-lost family members.

Join us tomorrow, same place, same time, for more uplifting stories.

It's been a year since Fiona made headlines as Britain's loneliest sheep.

Back in October 2023, a kayaker snapped a photo of her stuck at the base of a steep cliff in Cromarty Firth, northern Scotland, two years after she was last seen.

This led to a rescue mission in early November, and Fiona was moved to a farm park in southern Scotland.

She's now been at her new home, Dalscone Farm in Dumfries, for nearly a year.

Farmer Ben Best has been helping her settle in and get used to being around other animals again. He told the BBC in October that while Fiona is calm with people and seems to enjoy life on the farm, she's still adjusting to other animals.

"She doesn't socialise very well with other sheep," Best explained. "I think it is just from being down by herself and isolated for over two years at the bottom of that cliff - she has kind of forgotten how to be a sheep."

Joe Tidy
Cyber correspondent

Back in April, I was on a flight in the US and witnessed a classic technology mishap involving a 101-year-old woman who keeps getting mistaken for a baby because of an error with an airline's booking system.

American Airlines' systems apparently cannot compute that Patricia, who did not want to share her surname, was born in 1922, rather than 2022.

Patricia and the flight attendants had a good laugh about it, and myself and fellow passengers were in awe of Patricia’s handling of the situation – and the fact she was still flying at her age.

“It was funny that they thought I was only a little child and I’m an old lady!” she said.

But the centenarian says she would like the glitch to be fixed as it has caused her some problems in the past. On one occasion, airport staff did not have transport ready for her inside the terminal as they were expecting a baby who could be carried.

I got back in touch with Patricia’s family this week, and her daughter told me her mum has just flown back down south to stay with her for the winter, undeterred by the airline mishaps.

Your Voice, Your BBC News

Image source, Bev Breen

During World War Two, two brothers joined the Royal Navy. Only Ken returned; his brother Sid died in action.

Ken passed away in 2000, and for his daughter, Bev Breen, that was all her family knew about Uncle Sid. Speaking to Your Voice, Your BBC, she said: “We didn’t know anything. We knew his name and we know he had been lost.”

It was only on a trip to the British Normandy Memorial in May that the family learned more.

Out of the 160 pillars, Bev chose to read just one, but that was enough. As she explained, “There was Sid, there was his name. It was the most amazing, sad, magical moment.

“My husband lifted me up so I could touch his name.”

The family not only found his name, but also discovered when he died: 11 August 1944. Bev hopes to learn more and is planning to visit the National Archives.

“He had been lost all that time. We can tell his story,” she said.

Felice Southwell
Newsletter journalist

Image source, John Lewis

One of the most popular stories we’ve featured in The Upbeat newsletter was Noor Nanji and Emmanuella Alausa’s report on the Christmas TV adverts battling for our hearts this festive season.

While most ads have a whimsical, fun tone this year - like the singing oven gloves at Morrisons and the return of Kevin the Carrot at Aldi - John Lewis went for the "real tear-jerker" approach this year.

It features a journey through one woman's memories of Christmas and family, as she tries to find the perfect present for her sister.

It reminded me of how these Christmas ads bring many of us together, as we form inside jokes among family or wait to see if the music featured will rocket up the charts in time for Christmas Day.

Stories like this are quintessential for The Upbeat, where we're always searching for that feeling of togetherness - you can sign up to receive that newsletter every Monday.

Image source, Celia Robbins

Back in June, The Happy Pod podcast discovered how a random act of kindness solved a lady's biggest regret.

When her daughter asked about regrets, Celia Robbins posted a message on X about a puffin jumper she wished she'd bought. Celia, now living in Berlin, spotted the jumper during a trip to Iceland.

After Celia's social media post, a man she didn't know sent her the exact same jumper for free.

Dave, who lived hundreds of miles away from Celia, had bought the jumper for his wife. However, he regretted it as she hadn't worn it for years.

"It felt like this perfect serendipitous moment where the universe tells you I care about you and other people care about you," Celia told the podcast.

"It makes me want to be kind to people I don't know. We have the ability to affect positive change."

Neha Gohil
Live reporter

We're well over halfway through our live page, running every day this week to bring you 100 heartwarming stories.

From the pictures of rescued seal pups enjoying their first swim in deep water to the man searching for the mystery stranger who saved his life, we hope this page is making you smile and reminding you that lots of good things are happening in the world.

Today, we've still got more uplifting stories to share that are sure to warm your hearts, including - my personal favourite - the happy ending for Britain's "loneliest" sheep.

Stay tuned...

Rozina Sini
BBC News

Since June this year, Jamie Miller, 37, has been searching for the good Samaritan who saved his life.

Miller, from York, suffered a cardiac arrest while on a stag do in Newcastle. If it wasn't for the quick thinking of a stranger, he said he might not be alive today.

“It was 21 June. We had a bit to drink but it wasn’t wild,” he recalled. “I suffered a very sudden heart attack and cardiac arrest.”

Miller woke up several hours later in the Freeman Hospital “a little confused”.

"I have pieced together what happened in the moments after based on conversations with emergency services and my friends," he said. "Had it not been for this stranger and their quick response, I probably wouldn’t be here to tell this story.”

Miller said his recovery is “going well”. However, he is still searching for the person who saved his life.

“I owe them a pint or two,” he said.

Image source, Jamie Miller

The story you've just read about Leny and Peter is from Your Voice, Your BBC News.

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Your Voice, Your BBC News
By Emily Doughty

It was love at first sight for Leny and Peter when they met in Maastricht, Netherlands during Peter’s military service in 1967.

At just 22 and 23, their romance ended when Peter had to return to the UK, and they lost touch.

But speaking to Your Voice, Your BBC News, Leny, now 79, and Peter, 80, share how their love never faded.

“It was always there. It was history that we could never get rid of,” Peter says.

This enduring love drove Leny to search for Peter, and they finally reconnected online during lockdown, “emailing and phoning each other each day,” according to Leny.

In 2022, they reunited in person and now split their time between the UK and Leny’s native Netherlands.

As Leny puts it: “We don’t want to think about living apart. It’s a waste of time at our age.”

Describing their love story, she says: “It was first love and now last love.”

Image source, Hana Laurie

Back in June 2021, Georgia Laurie, 30, from Sandhurst in Berkshire, punched a crocodile in the face when it started dragging her twin sister, Melissa, underwater in a Mexican lagoon.

Earlier this month, Georgia was awarded the King's Gallantry Medal, which recognises exemplary acts of bravery.

Speaking to 5 Live Breakfast in May, she said: “I've had to keep it a secret for quite a few months, which has been difficult because I just want to talk to everyone about it. I feel really proud.”

Georgia also shared that she had given her twin a personal "badge of honour" - a crocodile-shaped brooch, which she pinned to Melissa's velvet jacket for the ceremony.

Melissa added: “I think it really is part of the tapestry of our life now, and just telling it makes us really proud, because that's our survival story for life, not to take it granted.”

Image source, PA Media

Helen Burchell
BBC News

Image source, SOUTH ESSEX WILDLIFE HOSPITAL

Four rescued seals were unable to hide their joy after they were introduced to deep water for the first time.

The grey seal pups, rescued from different parts of the East coast, are being cared for at South Essex Wildlife Hospital, near Grays.

Until they are healthy and fit enough, they are confined to a shallow pool.

The charity's founder, Sue Schwar, said: "They spent hours racing about and playing before settling down, leaving all of us with a huge smile."

Image source, SOUTH ESSEX WILDLIFE HOSPITAL

Kamilah McInnis
The Upbeat

Hello!

I’m Kamilah McInnis, one of the lead writers for The Upbeat, the BBC’s weekly newsletter highlighting uplifting stories and remarkable people from around the world.

Every Monday morning, we drop into your inbox with stories to help start your week on a high.

Recently, we featured the missing hiker who was found alive after five weeks lost in British Columbia’s freezing wilderness, the AI “granny” giving scammers a taste of their own medicine, the twins who clean London’s less-loved public spaces for free, and a couple whose lives changed after saving a starving otter.If you're enjoying the heartwarming stories on this live page, why not join us?

Sign up for our newsletter, The Upbeat, and get uplifting news delivered to you every week.

An artist from the Scottish Borders has been keeping a daily art journal for nearly two years.

Pete Carthy started documenting nature as a New Year's resolution in January 2023 as "something positive to do every day".

He credits it with giving him greater connection to nature because he is "constantly" looking for the picture to recreate.

The art journalist, who lives in West Linton, usually takes a photograph on his phone before sitting down to paint the scene later that day.

Pete has been taking several classes, including a botanical illustration course, and has grown an online community who support his work.

He said: "One day is not like the next day, whether it's the cloud, the light, seasons.

"It's always different, it's never the same."

Andy Trigg
BBC News

Image source, Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust

They say if you love something, let it go. And if it’s yours, it will come back to you.

That was the case for an NHS consultant who lost a diamond ring.

Radhika Ramasamy, who works at West Suffolk Hospital, told us in February that she had put the ring in her pocket before giving a patient anaesthetic.

But she’d forgotten to put it back on, and her scrubs were sent away to be cleaned at the Royal Free Hospital (RFH) in London.

Suraj Shah, a registrar based at the RFH, discovered the ring in his newly laundered scrubs five days later.

Ramasamy said she was "so happy" when it was found almost 100 miles (161km) away at another hospital. The ring was a present from her husband – one she thought she’d never see again.

And for Shah, it was nice to be part of a "little miracle", he said.

Jon Wright
BBC Radio Suffolk

Image source, Jon Wright/BBC

Winston's Wheels, a charity that provides wheelchairs for dogs, is working hard to distribute as many wheels as possible before the Christmas holiday.

The charity was started by Rachel Wettner in Suffolk after her Staffordshire terrier, Winston, lost the use of his back legs in 2017 due to a tumour on his spine.

But Rachel was determined to give him a fighting chance, and a kind stranger gave them a specialist wheelchair, which allowed Winston to be mobile for another three years.

Now, the charity strives to carry on Winston's legacy. Rachel says seeing the "beautiful dogs adapting and proving that disability does not hold you back" is rewarding.

"I have seen so many dogs that are supported by slings and their families struggle to assist them. Then you put them in a wheelchair and they just go off doing what dogs do.

"The families have smiles on their faces and a lot cry with happiness."

Image source, Jon Wright/BBC

Rachel Flynn
Live reporter

Fifty heartwarming stories have graced our page so far.

From a grieving son nurturing a hungry otter back to health in Shetland, to global superstar Zayn singing Urdu with a Karachi boyband, there really is joy to be found in every corner.

We've seen classic tales of long-lost families reuniting, as well as some more unusual stories, like the viral man who turned 350 giant Yorkshire puddings into a Halloween costume.

And there's plenty more corkers to come - including a couple who found their happy ending fifty years later, and why Britain's "loneliest" sheep is lonely no more.

Do return to this page whenever you need a bit of warmth!

Image source, BBC/Rachel Flynn

Neha Gohil
Live reporter

Image source, Leicester Tigers

Earlier this year, my colleague Helen McCarthy spoke with Megan Kirby about a rugby team in Leicester for young people with Down’s syndrome.

Run by the Leicester Tigers Foundation charity, the team coach welcomes youngsters of all ages and abilities. It aims to address the lack of opportunities for children with Down’s syndrome in the area.

Recently, I got back in touch with Kirby to see how the team is doing as the year comes to a close. She tells the BBC there has been a “big increase in attendees,” with 50 families now signed up.

Speaking about the impact on the youngsters, Kirby says they have grown in confidence and are playing full games.

“They've all come out of their shell massively," she says. "Older children will want to coach the younger children, they’ll want to help them out and let them score the tries.”

“It’s one family club, everyone's part of the same family,” she adds.

Amol Rajan
University Challenge host

In idle moments of January this year, I wondered what had led Nathan Filer, a best-selling writer based at Bath Spa University, to post on Twitter/X about University Challenge.

He had posted about a question on jungle, the dance music emanating from the sound system culture of the 90s, put to the University of Aberdeen’s team in a bonus round.

In any case, when Emily Osborne, Aberdeen's immensely clever and impressive captain, answered "drum 'n' bass", my response prompted Filer to post: "Please, please will someone sample @amolrajan saying: 'I can't accept Drum & Bass. We need Jungle, I'm afraid.'"

All hell broke loose. And what a lovely hell it was.

Over the next three days, my answer went viral across multiple social media platforms; acquire a cult following in the jungle scene; inspire dozens of remixes from top producers around the world, and reawakened my younger, raving self, long suppressed by parenthood and work.

It reminded me of the original vision of social media, which was more social and less media. It can generate communities and pullulate with kindness and creativity rather than conspiracy and contempt.

Filer has updated his profile to say: "Unexpected player in a junglist revival."

Me too, boss.

Check out some of the best remixes here

Image source, COUNTY DURHAM AND DARLINGTON FIRE AND RESCUE SERVICE

Beatrix Adamson-Archbold, a three-year-old from Burnopfield in County Durham, spent 14 months in hospital after being diagnosed with dilated cardiomyopathy, a heart condition, until she received a heart transplant last June.

After her recovery, Beatrix had a dream day with Durham's firefighting crews, riding on fire engines, squirting hoses, and even going up on the aerial ladder platform. Her dad, Terry, told me in September that it was a "really special day" for her.

Now, three months later, I've got an update from Terry. He says Beatrix is doing “very well” and urges people to keep talking about organ donation.

“Every breath that she takes, everything she goes on to do in her life, is owed to the moment that a very brave family were asked to consent to organ donation and said yes,” says Terry Archbold. “The ripples outward from that moment are played out in every moment of Beatrix’s life.”