Penthouse Missile Launcher

Mixed reactions from residents as appartment block nearest to the Olympic Stadium gets its own missile launcher...

Claire Squires- One in a Million

A week after her tragic death at the London Marathon, 30 year old hairdresser Claire Squires has raised  £1 million for the Samaritans, the charity her mum works for as a volunteer....

Sweary Mary Poppins

The wet weather continues...

Penny Farthing Post

Well done to the man from Cornwall who's set up his own postal service on a Penny Farthing in response to the Post office's price hike on stamps. Bude-based Graham Eccles delivers letters for a saddle-sore enducing 25p! Here's to Max Pedal Power. Respect!


Wacky Space Races- Catch The Asteroid!

Titanic Filmmaker James Cameron  bankrolls  an asteroid-catching scheme to survey and eventually extract precious metals from space rocks orbiting Earth....

Kinder Scout Mass Trespass

 The Kinder Mass Trespass of 1932
Today is the 80th anniversary of the mass trespass of Kinder Scout in the Derbyshire Peak District. Like most of the moorlands, although previously common land , Kinder was  private property reserved for  shooting classes only. On 24 April 1932, around 400 hikers gathered at Hayfield to listen to speakers and then proceed up to Kinder Scout. After protests from the Hayfield Parish Council, the hikers regrouped at Bowden Bridge Quarry where they were addressed by Benny Rothman whose inspiring speech set the crowd on the way.


The trespass proceeded via William Clough to  Kinder Scout, where there were violent scuffles with gamekeepers with one of the keepers injuring his ankle. The ramblers were able to reach their destination and meet with another group from Edale. On the return, five ramblers were arrested, with another detained earlier who had actually gone to the help of the fallen keeper. The 5 which included Benny Rothman were eventually sent for trial at Derby and handed out custodial sentences of up to 6 months.
A commemorative plaque now marks the start of the trespass at Bowden Bridge quarry near Hayfield. It was unveiled in April 1982 by an aged Benny Rothman during a rally to mark the 50th anniversary. He died 3 months before the 70th anniversary but not before realising what a huge impact the tresspass had on public access to vast swathes of wild land for forthcoming generations secured in a large part by the opening up of of National Parks and the passing of the Countryside and Rights of Way Act in 2000. At a gathering for the 70 anniversary, the late Duke of Devonshire made a dignified speech where he stated ' The trespass was a great shaming on my family and the sentences handed out were harsh. But out of great evil can come great good. The trespass was the first event in the movement of access to the countryside and the creation of our National Park'. However many of our woodland and costal areas are still without public access so the fight for freedom to roam continues.


With thanks to:http://www.derbyshireuk.net/kinder_trespass.html

Shakespeare's 448th Maori Birthday Haka

How Now Sir! Troilus & Cressida in Maori kicks off the Shakespeare Fest down at the Globe. Just as the Bard himself imagined it- 37  plays in 37 different languages, including sign.

Bahrain F1

Bernie Ecclestone's F1 Bullshitmobile

Protester shot dead at  Bahrain  F1

Olympic Torch Relay

Olympic Torch Relay Rehearsal took place today. The torch has 8,000 holes in it representing the 8000 people taking part...

Bouncy Castle Blow up Stonehenge

Inspired Turner Prize-winning life-size Bouncy Stonehenge installed in Glasgow. Love it!

Formula 1 in Bahrain

Protests in Bahrain as F1, beloved of Bahraini Royal family, hits the streets. "All is calm" says Bernie Ecclestone...

Glory Bee

Good news bee fans! The rare black honeybee has returned to parts of the South from its native North, says the Bee Improvement & Bee Breeders' Association.

What's the Fracking Issue?

The Govt has ruled fracking for shale gas can continue in Britain, despite it causing two earthquakes and having a poor safety record thus far 

Eurodisney Skint

Taking the Mickey. Paris Eurodisney celebrates 20th birthday 1.9 million Euros in debt

Noth Korean Rocket

Bang goes Kim Jong-un's credibility

Extradition

Court rules Abu Hamza, comedy baddie cleric, complete with eye patch and hook, can be sent to the US for trial. ...but he can appeal.

King Size Bed

In praise of the restorative effects of sleep. The Great Bed of Ware, made in c1590, returned to its Hertfordshire home from the V & A. Once slept in by 26 butchers and their wives for a bet, it started life in a Southwark Tudor pub and gets a mention in Twelvth Night; "..as many lies as will lie in thy sheet of paper, although the sheet were big enough for the Bed of Ware.."

Titanic Cheese

Merchandising opportunity of Titanic proportions.....

You couldn't make it up...helicopter rescue of stricken passenger on Titanic commemorative cruise

Titanoraks

Commemorative (and lucrative) Titanic cruiser sails to sink-site

Kippers!

I'm not alone in  being a Kipper Fan. Sales of the smokey fish up 79%. No doubt that's the same for slippers too. And (chicken) dippers.

Marshall Amps- Turn it up to Number 11, Man

RIP Inventor of Rock amps Jim Marshall. Motley Crue's Nikki Sixx said, " Jim, you were responsible for some of the greatest audio moments in music's history...and 50% of its hearing loss too". Spinal Tap's Nigel Tufnell said "Turn it up to Number 11, Man.."

Aadvarks beat the Pandas to it

Baby  aardvark was born in   Belgium zoo... What a strange, ugly and beautiful sight!  Native to Africa, the "earth pig", is a burrowing, nocturnal termite-eater. Nuru= 'light' in Swahili. Posting this odd little video onto Facebook:http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/video/2012/jan/20/aardvark-baby-antwerpen-zoo-video

Elgin Marbles Scrap

Stephen Fry puts in his Two Ha'penceworth, making case for the marbles to return to Greece in this Olympic year

"Two Bald Men Fighting Over a Comb"; Jorge Luis Borges, 1982

Argentine poet, essayist, and short-story writer, Jorge Luis Borges (1899- 1986) was born in Buenos Aires. He protested against political repression and the "disappeared". In 1982 he condemned the Falkland Islands War as "Two bald men fighting over a comb".....30th anniversary of the invasion today.

Richard Branson's Giant Lava Lamp Lampoon

Screw the business plan. Recruiting now for Richard Branson's Virgin Voyage to the Centre of the Earth

Non Slip Bananas

Now in stock at Sainsbury's. Offer ends 12 noon.