News Round Up
by Patrick O'Connor
SEEING the funny side...
Leave your car in the wrong spot in a supermarket car park usually leads to a hefty fine but not in the case of a Peugeot 107 driver at Asda in Nuneaton, Warwickshire.
According to The Sun, the driver, named only as Jim, squeezed his car in a trolley bay after finding the car park full.
Customers gathered around in amazement as he parked and astonished Asda staff waived a £75 penalty as they found the stunt so funny.
Jim is quoted as saying: “I was only there to buy beer. There was loads of traffic so I thought I’d park in the bay as it was empty.
“I have to admit it was a struggle to get out of the car. And when I got back there was a huge crowd — even the manager of Asda was there.
“She said there’d usually be a £75 fine, but it was so funny they’d let it go. They wanted to frame it in their office.”
I feel a lot better now on hearing the news in the Daily Telegraph that a Freedom of Information request has revealed that in the event of apocalypse brought about an army of the undead, civil servants would 'co-ordinate the military's efforts to return England to its pre-attack glory.'
The paper reports that the Ministry of Defence would not lead efforts to plan for such a zombie attack or deal with the aftermath because that role rests with the Cabinet Office, which co-ordinates emergency planning for the Government.
The information emerged in a response to an inquiry from a member of the public.
Not a lot of people know this...
But a report in the BBC news website reveals that scientists at universities in Northampton and Nottingham have discovered for the first time the yeast that gives blue cheese its distinctive smell.
A study has been examining the role of various micro-organisms in the production of the East Midlands' famous blue cheeses, like Stilton.
Scientists used a team of trained sensory experts to work out which particular strain of yeast was responsible for the smell.
They hope their work could lead to better quality and consistency and fewer defects in the manufacturing process.
Gizza job was a catchphrase from the 1980s BBC TV drama Boys From The Blackstuff about how the way economics affect ordinary people but it is a saying that probably won't cut much ice in the city of Hull.
The Daily Star reports that a survey carried out for jobs ads website Adzuna claims that it's harder to get a job in Hull than anywhere else in the UK.
Over 55 applicants have applied for each post advertised in the city in 2012 – compared with just one for every job in Aberdeen.
A big aah for Terfel, an eight year old blind dog which can enjoy walks again – thanks to a guide cat.
The Sun story reveals that Terfel kept bumping into things and spent most of his time stuck in his basket after being diagnosed with cataracts.
Owner Judy Godfrey-Brown let a stray cat Pwditat into her home. She walked up to Terfel and led him out of his basket and into the garden and has been helping him find his way around ever since.
Judy of Holyhead, North Wales, said: “I’ve never seen anything like it — most cats and dogs hate each other. But Pwditat immediately seemed to know that Terfel is blind. She uses her paws to help guide him. They are glued to each other and even sleep together now.”
Here's a strange tale from the Daily Mirror - 17 year old Shannon Magee, who has a rare condition, gorges on sweets and sings songs without knowing it while sleeping nearly 12 days at a time.
Shannon suffers from Kleine-Levin Syndrome and has episodes once a month when she will sleepwalk naked, hallucinate, nod off for 22 hours a day and become grumpy while awake.
Shannon, from Bolton, said: “It’s like being awake in a coma. My memory goes blank and I don’t know what I’m doing.”
KLS is a neurological disease that can start after sickness. It affects just 45 people in the UK and can vanish suddenly.
How could they?
Among bizarre names for babies, according to research, were two newly-borns called Nemo after the cartoon character.
Other strange names, says The Sun, included Sailor, Buzz-Bee, Zed and Blade. Girls’ names included Tinkerbell, Buttercup and Bliss.