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The "And in other news..." thread

341o2

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Parrots have learned swear words

Five parrots at a wildlife park have been removed from public display after they started swearing at visitors.
The African grey parrots were adopted by the Lincolnshire Wildlife Park in Friskney in August and placed in quarantine together.
However, after being moved into the main outdoor aviaries the birds started ruffling a few feathers with their somewhat choice language.
They have now been moved into different colonies away from delicate ears.

Jess Newton said it was very entertaining working with the birds when they first arrived.
However, she said it was hoped they would "kick the habit" when they were put outside.
Sadly, this did not quite go to plan, park chief executive Steve Nichols said.
The parrots "swear to trigger reaction or a response" so if people look shocked or laugh, it just encourages them to do it more, he said.
"With the five, one would swear and another would laugh and that would carry on," he said.


https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-lincolnshire-54340425
 
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Peter Mugridge

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From an online survey last week...


1602542245630.png

For those who can't see the image, it's a screenshot of an online survey about dog food which includes a question as to whether or not the product being suitable for birds is an important factor...
 

brad465

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Someone is so fed up with this year they've launched a petition to stop the clocks going back to avoid adding another hour to this year:


A fed-up Brit launched a petition to stop the clocks going back this month as ‘no-one wants another hour of 2020’.

British Summer Time ends at 2am on Sunday, giving people in the UK an extra hour in bed.

But one person is calling for this to be delayed until January 1 2021.

‘2020 has been a long, hard year for everybody. Lets not delay getting rid of it’, they wrote on a parliament petition.
 

Calthrop

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Re "years which one wants rid of": I recall a moment from the edition of the 1960s TV satire programme That Was The Week That Was, screened on New Years Eve 1962, giving its overview of the year then ending -- a year with a fairly high nastiness-content. Among other doings: Bernard Levin spoke a valedictory address to the year -- essentially pouring out vituperation on it in highly calm, cultured tones. His final words were -- delivered thus, almost sweetly in manner: "1962, I don't like you. Go away."
 

High Dyke

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Meanwhile, we've all complained about food or drink at sometime. This person went one better.
Cambridge police cell detainee donates scratchcard win for 'better coffee' in cells

A person who spent the night in police cells after being arrested has donated their scratchcard winnings in the hope the force will buy some decent coffee.

A "thank you" card and £9 were mailed anonymously to Cambridge Police Station by the former "guest" on Thursday.

The detainee was critical of the quality of both the food and coffee during their stay and suggested officers serve better quality drinks.
Source: BBC News
 

LOL The Irony

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Lufthansa has parked 6 747S at an airport they're too heavy to take off from.
According to Aviation24, six grounded aircraft are stuck in the Netherlands. These six aircraft are all Lufthansa Boeing 747-400 planes. Lufthansa flew these aircraft out to the airport for storage earlier this year. However, it seems that the aircraft are legally unable to leave the airport.

Dutch language publication Tubantia reports that the airport had hoped to dismantle the aircraft. However, Lufthansa has decided against this. Now, the aircraft must depart from the facility. However, they are unable to do so. A spokesperson for the Dutch aviation authority, ILT, told the publication that the airport doesn’t have the correct safety certificate to allow such large aircraft departures.
 
Last edited:

XAM2175

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Lufthansa has parked 6 747's at an airport they're too heavy to take off from.
This has a thread in the Other Transport forum:

Also you don't need to use an apostrophe to indicate a plural - "747s" is fine.
 

High Dyke

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Three men had to be rescued by firefighters after getting stuck in a tumble dryer.
Essex County Fire and Rescue Service were called to a derelict laundry in Bower Hill, Epping, on Friday after the men, thought to be in their late teens, crawled into an industrial-sized dryer.
Two were in the dryer when the third's "ankles became trapped in the door" as he crawled in, the service said.
The men were left in the care of the ambulance service.
Source: here.
 

GusB

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Leeks mistaken for machete spark Aberdeen police probe


Police called out to investigate reports a masked man was armed with a machete discovered he was carrying a bag of leeks.

The alarm was raised by a member of the public on Thursday evening who thought a man in Aberdeen's Provost Watt Drive was carrying a weapon.

Officers attended and CCTV showed a man in a shop buying the mask and leeks.

Police Scotland said it had been established no crime took place and no further action was needed.

A spokeswoman confirmed: "A witness reported a man wearing a mask and carrying an item shaped like a machete.

"Officers conducted enquiries in the area and CCTV from a nearby premises showed a man in a shop buying a mask and leeks, which were put in a bag and are what the witness reported to police as being a potential weapon."

Dearie me!
 

GusB

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Fantastic. Especially as masked men are clearly an unusual sight these days... :lol:
That was my first thought, that and it being hallowe'en, of course! The pubs are all shut - they must be twiddling their thumbs :)
 

LOL The Irony

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The head of the army got lost by them on a training exercise.
The head of the army was "missing in action" after being dropped in the wrong field, it has been revealed.

General Sir Mark Carleton-Smith, a former SAS commander, was dropped in the wrong field during a visit to Salisbury Plain training area on Tuesday night.

According to The Sun, he had been brought in on a Wildcat helicopter to boost troops' morale during a military exercise.

He had jumped out of the chopper but realised he was lost when he realised there was nobody on the ground to meet him.

The helicopter flew away and left him behind.

An anonymous general told the newspaper: "These things happen more than you might realise".

They added that the general would have been able to see "the funny side".

He was eventually found by a greeting party.

The army said the general "was never lost" but, instead, was "not where they were expecting him".
 

Cowley

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52290

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Is the country two ravens away from falling?

I once went on a tour of the Tower of London and the guide said that the ravens had their wings clipped so they couldn't fly away. So it looks like the missing bird just hopped off somewhere.
 

Farang

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A Challenge

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Members of a Historical Reenactment Society from Dorset were been blocked from Facebook for a second time in December, as part of Facebook cracking down on Far-right extremism:
The Facebook accounts of historical re-enactors have been disabled for a second time - weeks after a battle with Facebook over apparently being mistaken for US right-wing militia.

Five members of Dorset's Wimborne Militia had their accounts blocked in December, leaving them unable to post photos and content.

Member Chris Brown said they were "miffed" after being barred again.

Facebook said they had been restored after being "restricted in error".

In August, the social media platform began taking down or restricting accounts backing right-wing conspiracies and US militia groups.
 

Cowley

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brad465

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There's always one story like this when it snows (it feels like there is anyway):


1613060090822.png

A man has been charged with dangerous driving after being stopped in Dundee with snow covering almost his entire front and rear windscreens.

Police said it was "about the most extreme example of lack of preparation" that they had ever seen.

Officers said the man had been driving with "practically zero-visibility" when stopped.

The incident took place in the Dunsinane Industrial Estate on Thursday.
 

PG

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There's always one story like this when it snows (it feels like there is anyway):
The incident took place in the Dunsinane Industrial Estate on Thursday.
I suspect that since the majority of the snowfall occurred on Monday & Tuesday followed by sub zero temperatures on the following two days, he'd abandoned the car (given the location -presumably at work) only to find that come Thursday the snow was frozen on and impossible to simply scrape or brush off.

Doesn't in any way excuse his actions though <(
EDIT: must have had a hard time even gaining entry to the car!
 

swt_passenger

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When selling your house, have a quick tidy round first:

Cannabis plants worth £20,000 have been discovered by an off-duty police officer viewing a house for sale.
The officer was being shown around the house in Dedham in Essex when he came across 40 plants in the garage.
"When trying to sell your house and your estate agent is bringing an off-duty police officer for a viewing, it's probably best you remove your cannabis grow," Essex Police said...”
 

GusB

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When selling your house, have a quick tidy round first:

Cannabis plants worth £20,000 have been discovered by an off-duty police officer viewing a house for sale.
The officer was being shown around the house in Dedham in Essex when he came across 40 plants in the garage.
"When trying to sell your house and your estate agent is bringing an off-duty police officer for a viewing, it's probably best you remove your cannabis grow," Essex Police said...”
I assume the copper had applied for a joint mortgage :)
 

Mag_seven

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When selling your house, have a quick tidy round first:

Cannabis plants worth £20,000 have been discovered by an off-duty police officer viewing a house for sale.
The officer was being shown around the house in Dedham in Essex when he came across 40 plants in the garage.
"When trying to sell your house and your estate agent is bringing an off-duty police officer for a viewing, it's probably best you remove your cannabis grow," Essex Police said...”

Looks like the person selling the house has made a right hash of it and the sale has all gone to pot.
 

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