S-MASHING story in the Daily Mirror - mashed potato coated the A64 from |York to Scarborough in North Yorkshire, bringing traffic to a standstill after a lorry spilled its cargo.
The road was closed for hours and an onlooker told the paper: “It was like a sea of white. It was a big disturbance for the area. I am not sure whether it was mashed before or after the spillage.”
How's your knowledge of poetry?
You may not have heard of the 1,400 line poem 'The Brus' but it chronicles a very important moment in Scottish history.
And now the BBC reports that one of the oldest surviving copies of the poem, which describes the 1314 Battle of Bannockburn, has been restored in time for the battle's 700th anniversary this week.
'The Brus' was written by the Archdeacon of Aberdeen in about 1375, and covers Robert the Bruce's Scottish wars of independence.
No copies of it written in the Archdeacon's own hand have survived but two editions, transcribed about 100 years later, are held at St John's College, Cambridge University and the National Library of Scotland in Edinburgh.
A team at the university has restored their 15th century copy of the poem and Kathryn McKee, special collections librarian commented: “It's likely the anniversary will result in a fresh wave of interest in Bannockburn and we wanted the book to be available in a fit state.”
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Football fans depressed at England's dismal showing in the World Cup have been urged to have sex to help them get over it.
A Daily Star story says that the Government-funded Men’s Health Forum urged supporters:“Try at least one of these tips to beat depression: take some exercise, sing, have sex, do something you enjoy, do something different.”
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Now don't shout at me - I'm only the messenger - but it seems that men are better at parking than women.
The Daily Star reports that the Driving and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) has revealed the top 10 reasons people fail tests on one error.
For women, reverse parking was fourth, with 4.8% failing but parking did not even feature in the top 10 for men.
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Here's a strange statistic – research by experts on child fitness revealed that those born in October and November can perform up to 15 per cent better in tests of strength, speed or stamina than their classmates born just a few months later.
The Daily Telegraph reports on a new study led by Dr Gavin Sandercock, a clinical physiologist at the Centre for Sports and Exercise Science at Essex University.
The study says “There is a clear physical advantage for those born in the autumn and this may explain some of the bias in sports selection attributed to the relative age effect, particularly when the British school-year September cut-off is used.”
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Yes, I know it's the middle of the summer, but the Daily Mail is carrying a story outlining the list of this year's top Christmas toys!
Hamley's toy shop reckons a doll named Cayla - who can answer questions using Google software – will be one of the most sought-after gifts.
Apparently the £75 toy can list everything from her likes and dislikes to general knowledge and sports results - but 'bad words' are blocked by SafeSearch.
Another one to look out for is the £50 Kiddizoom Smart Watch which comes with a colour touch screen and motion sensor, can take photos and edit them, record videos and play three built-in games.
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How dare they! The Daily Express tells us that people living in the Yorkshire town of Otley, which is to host the opening of the Tour de France, were up in arms after the world’s tallest maypole was felled.
A maypole has stood on the site for more than 400 years. But when it was found to be rotting at its base during a risk assessment ahead of the Yorkshire Grand Depart on July 5, rather than repair or replace it, the maypole was cut down.
Local councillor Ryk Downes said: “What would have been a tourist attraction, helping put Otley on the map and in the minds of tourists from around the world at the Grand Depart is nothing more than a shaved stump.”
A council spokesman said: “The risks of not doing so far outweighed the alternative.”
Reference lists:
The Express (www.express.co.uk)
Daily Mail (www.dailymail.co.uk)
Daily Mirror (www.mirror.co.uk)
Daily Star (www.daily star.co.uk)
Daily Telegraph (www.telegraph co.uk)
BBC (www.bbc.co.uk)