Adorable pictures show a cat dubbed “catopotamus” after a shave left her resembling a hippo
Image by: Simon Galloway
A stray cat which was dubbed “catopotamus” by the RSPCA after a close shave left her resembling a HIPPO is looking for a new home.
Animal charity staff had to shave off Holly's fur due to painful knots which developed after she lived on the streets without an owner.
Comical photos show the startled puss with most of her body shaved down to the skin leaving her "looking like a hippopotamus".
Staff at RSPCA East Norfolk are now trying to find her a home and describe her as a gentle-natured, friendly cat who would be happiest in a quiet environment.
Image by: Simon Galloway
Her coat, once fully grown back, will need to be brushed each week to prevent it getting matted again.
She has undergone a dental and a spay check she is now ready to find a home - after spending over a month recovering at the charity's Great Yarmouth branch.
Anyone who thinks they could provide a loving home for Holly is asked to call the RSPCA's rehoming line on 07867 972870 or visit the branch.
All of the RSPCA's cats, dogs and rabbits are neutered, vaccinated, microchipped and on a flea and worm programme.
Woman who was often mistaken for being pregnant due to her growing stomach terrified to discover she had a 14lb ovarian cyst
Image by: Katie Holmes
A young woman who was plagued with questions about being pregnant because of her rapidly-growing stomach was horrified to find she had a 14lb ovarian cyst.
Katie Holmes, 22, was baffled when she started to experience countless pregnancy symptoms - her periods stopped and she was being sick in the mornings.
Her hair even started to fall out, she could barely eat, and her tummy grew into a big bump that was hard to touch.
Countless pregnancy tests and doctors visits confirmed that she wasn't pregnant - but Katie's round stomach left people offering her seats on public transport and asking about her due date.
Antibiotics prescribed by doctors for urine infections did nothing to help and Katie was shocked when her stomach suddenly 'dropped' one evening at home.
Doctors finally found Katie had a cancerous ovarian cyst weighing 14lb - the same weight as twins.
Terrified Katie, from Waltham Cross, Hertfordshire, had it removed - along with one of her ovaries.
Amazingly, she went on to fall pregnant six months later and now has a baby girl, Ava.
Katie said: "For months, I had no idea what was wrong with me. It was so frustrating not having an answer and really quite scary.
"I was in lots of pain, I couldn't pee properly and my periods had stopped.
"I'd get full after eating half a meal and my stomach was growing in size even though I wasn't gaining weight anywhere else.
"It got to the point where people were asking me my due date and offering me seats on public transport - it was mortifying.
"Doctors didn't have a clue and I was just trying to get on with life until one day my stomach just 'dropped' suddenly.
"Googling lead me to a blog that a girl had written about having an ovarian cyst, and when I suggested that to the doctor, they finally scanned me and found I was right.
"The cyst was absolutely massive. It was this huge 14lb mass so it was like I'd been carrying around the weight of twins!"
Katie from Waltham Cross, Hertfordshire was just 19 years old when she started to feel unwell whilst working a night shift at a petrol station in September 2016.
She made it through her shift but started vomiting when she returned home and kept being sick for the next few days.
Her doctor thought she could have gastroenteritis and she was sent home with tablets but when they made no difference, she kept returning to the doctors every week for two months.
All the while her stomach started to grow.
Katie said: "I still felt awful and I couldn't understand what was wrong with me.
"I went to the doctor every week throughout September and October, and they just kept sending me away with different tablets, thinking it was a stomach bug or bladder infection.
"After about three weeks, the sickness stopped but then I was plagued with headaches.
"I could only eat half a meal and then I'd feel so bloated with this horrible pain in my side.
"I got in the shower one day and felt so faint that I had to get out and lay on my bed until my head stopped spinning."
Image by: Katie Holmes
Image by: Katie Holmes
Image by: Katie Holmes
Image by: Katie Holmes
Image by: Katie Holmes
Bizarrely, many of Katie's symptoms appeared to indicate she was pregnant, despite pregnancy tests saying she wasn't.
She was vomiting in the mornings, her periods stopped, she struggled to urinate normally, and her stomach was growing rounder and more solid.
Katie's growing stomach looked so much like a baby bump members of the public often mistook her for being pregnant, despite only being a size 12.
Katie said: "I'd catch people looking at my stomach and smiling at me before asking me when I was due, which was so embarrassing.
"I'd get on the train and people would immediately stand up to offer me their seat because they thought I was pregnant.
"I was in constant pain anyway so I often accepted their seat and saved myself the awkward job of explaining there was no baby in my stomach.
"It was really confusing.
"I was barely eating because I'd get full so quickly so I wasn't gaining weight anywhere else yet my stomach continued to grow."
Katie's stomach continued to grow throughout November 2016 and her hair started to fall out in clumps - but doctors had no answer for her pain.
She was at home in December 2016 when she suddenly felt an excruciating pain in her stomach as she laid in bed.
Katie managed to get out of the bed to look in the mirror and was horrified to see that her stomach had 'dropped'.
Katie said: "I remember this agonising pain ripping through my stomach. It was the worst pain I'd ever felt.
"I looked down at my stomach as I lay in bed and felt it looked different somehow, so I dragged myself out of bed and to the mirror.
"My stomach had been solid and round for months, but looking at it that night, it was like the whole bump had dropped to a resemble a soft fat tummy hanging down.
"It was really bizarre - I'd gone from looking pregnant to looking really overweight in an evening, and it was just so confusing."
Katie googled what had happened to her and found women talking about having her symptoms and it turning out to be caused by ovarian cysts.
She took her findings to her GP and was finally sent for an ultrasound which revealed Katie was carrying a massive 14lb ovarian cyst.
Katie said: "My cyst was so big that it was covering my ovaries on the ultrasound scan, which was really scary.
"They managed to scan me at the top of my stomach and saw that my cyst had actually pushed some of my vital organs up into my ribs.
"The nurse told me that the cyst weighed 14lbs, so it was like I'd been carrying around twins - no wonder I was in pain.
"It was a relief to finally have an answer for my pain but also terrifying because there was a chance that I could have cancer.
"The doctors warned me that if my ovaries were twisted from the cyst, then they'd have to remove them so I was facing the possibility of not being able to have children as well."
Katie was booked in for a laparotomy on January 17 2017 where doctors removed the 14lb ovarian cyst as well as one of her ovaries.
Tests revealed that the cyst contained cancerous tissue, but doctors successfully removed the entire mass before the cancer could spread, leaving Katie cancer free.
Katie's health returned to normal, her periods came back a month after surgery and her stomach became flat again.
Single Katie incredibly found out she was pregnant in July 2017, and gave birth to baby Ava in April 2018.
Katie said: "The day after my surgery I was devastated to hear that they'd had to remove an ovary - I thought I might never have children.
"I hadn't been convinced I'd ever want kids before I went through all this, but there was something horrible about having that choice removed from me.
"I was focusing on getting my life back on track afterwards when I actually found out I was pregnant just six months after the surgery - for real this time!
"I was over the moon.
"I've never been happier, she's just amazing and I'm so glad my cancerous cyst didn't stop me from becoming a mum after all."
Disturbing footage shows a carer slapping, pushing and dragging a vulnerable man in his own home
Image by: Simon Galloway
This is the disturbing moment a carer was caught on hidden camera slapping, pushing and dragging a vulnerable man in his own home.
Footage released by police shows Pearline Baugh, 62, carrying out a catalogue of abuse on Peter Evans, 20, who has autism, epilepsy and is unable to speak.
Baugh was jailed for four months after admitting a charge of ill-treating an individual last month.
The mum-of-four was employed as a night carer after Peter began struggling to sleep and his mum Louise Evans, 41 needed extra help.
Peter was described as “prone to fits several times a day”, and in need of “a great deal of care”, while his 11-year-old brother also has autism and epilepsy as well as ADHD.
Image by: Simon Galloway
Baugh was trusted with taking care of Peter downstairs while single mum Louise slept upstairs at the family's home in Bartley Green Birmingham.
In early 2019, Louise became suspicious Baugh was sleeping on the job and using her mobile phone too much so installed a camera in Peter’s bedroom.
But when Louise checked back over the footage, she saw the brutal treatment the carer had been subjecting Peter to.
Other recordings were said to show Baugh, of Sheldon, Birmingham pushing Peter on to his bed and bending his body in half.
Birmingham Crown Court heard when Louis confronted Naugh, she denied the accusations and was told to leave the house.
Louise handed over the video footage to officers who carried out an investigation, before Baugh was arrested and charged.
Video by: Simon Galloway
Meet the baby who was so tiny when he arrived almost three months early - he was dwarfed by his TEDDY BEAR
Image by: Danielle Forrester
Meet the baby who was so tiny when he arrived almost three months early - he was dwarfed by his TEDDY BEAR.
Little Logan Teague weighed just 1lbs 8oz when he was born 11 weeks early on 30th September 2019.
His mum, Danielle Forrester, 24, and dad, Ben Teague, 24, a van driver, nestled a teddy bear beside him to comfort him whilst he was in an incubator in the neonatal intensive care unit at Northampton General Hospital.
The soft toy was bigger than the tiny tot, but after nine weeks in hospital, Logan battled to full health and was allowed home to Northampton, East Midlands.
Now four months old and weighing 6lbs 10oz, Logan still has the bear - affectionately named 'Ted' - which has become a firm favourite.
Mum Danielle, who works in recruitment, said: "When Logan was born we put a little teddy bear in his incubator to comfort him while he was in hospital.
"The teddy was pretty small, but Logan was so weeny, it swamped him.
"It made us realise just how tiny and fragile he was.
"He's come such a long way and is now in proportion with his little bear. It's become one of his favourite toys - he loves snuggling up with it.
"We are so proud of how far he's come."
Danielle discovered she was expecting when she was 13 weeks gone in June 2019.
She said: "I found out quite late that I was pregnant.
"I hadn't really noticed any symptoms - like morning sickness or back ache.
"But when my clothes stopped fitting me, I suddenly thought: 'I haven't had my period for a while.'
"I did three pregnancy tests which came back inconclusive.
"But when I took the next three they were all positive.
"I rang the doctors and made an appointment which confirmed I was having a baby - by which point I was already 13 weeks along."
Image by: Danielle Forrester
Image by: Danielle Forrester
Image by: Danielle Forrester
Although the couple hadn't planned to start a family so soon, they were thrilled at the prospect of becoming parents.
Danielle said: "It was a bit of a shock at first. I was on the pill and we hadn't planned it.
"We had always wanted to have a baby, but thought it would be a bit later on in our lives.
"Once we got our head around the news, it was a lovely surprise."
Danielle said she had a 'textbook pregnancy' at first and felt she was 'coasting through it'.
She said: "I only had morning sickness a couple of times.
"I felt really like it was an easy, textbook pregnancy at the beginning.
"I was sailing through.
"We found out we were having a little boy at our 20-week scan and we were both thrilled. It's just what we wanted."
Danielle's pregnancy was classed as high-risk as she had a kidney removed five years previously after the organ failed and was causing health problems for her.
She said: "As I only had one kidney, they wanted to make sure my body could cope with the pregnancy.
"I had appointments with a consultant every month to check on the baby and everything seemed fine."
At 28 weeks, in September 2019, Danielle suffered a bleed.
She said: "It was terrifying.
"We rushed straight to Northampton General Hospital.
"They didn't know what had caused it at first - they did ultrasounds to check on the baby and I was hooked up to a monitoring system.
"I was kept in hospital for a few days while doctors tried to get to the bottom of it.
"I was warned it was unlikely I'd be able to go home before I had the baby - so I thought I might be in there for a while.
"A scan showed the baby was breech and medics eventually found the bleeding had been caused by a slight tear in my placenta.
"A couple of days later, I had another big bleed and when they hooked me up to the monitor they found the baby's heart kept dipping and slowing down.
"They could see the placenta was tearing even more and told me the next day I'd need to undergo an emergency c-section.
"On the day Logan was born, when transferring from the wheelchair to the operating table, I had another big bleed which the doctors said was my placenta detaching fully.
"It meant there was a limited amount of time to get Logan out safely so it was all a bit frantic.
"I had to have an epidural injected into my spine to numb me from my boobs down, but it only numbed the right side of my body.
"The doctors became very worried and explained that they could give me the injection again to see if it numbs the left side otherwise I would have to be put to sleep which could be dangerous.
"Luckily the second lot of the epidural worked and I was completely numb.
"Logan let out a big scream when they took him out of my stomach which made both Ben and I cry - mainly tears of relief."
Image by: Danielle Forrester
Image by: Danielle Forrester
Image by: Danielle Forrester
Little Logan was born on 30th September 2019 at 2.07pm weighing 1lbs 8oz - but his weight dropped to just 1lbs 6oz a couple of days after he was born.
Danielle said: "Ben was in the operating theatre with me and as soon as Logan arrived we were able to have a quick glance.
"He was popped in a sandwich bag to keep warm and was put on oxygen straight away.
"Medics brought him over so we could say 'hello' to our son, before he was whisked up to the NICU ward.
"It was so hard not being able to touch or hold him."
The new parents were able to properly meet their little boy a few hours after the birth.
Danielle said: "It was crazy when we first saw him.
"He was so tiny - you could hold him in the palm of your hand.
"We were allowed a quick cuddle then.
"My mum, Donna, 45, had bought Logan a teddy bear before he was born - whilst I was in hospital.
"I remember thinking it was so diddy.
"When Logan arrived, we decided to put it in his incubator with him to comfort him. We wanted him to have something.
"But Logan was so small the teddy swamped him."
Logan was in hospital for nine weeks, before he was strong enough to leave.
Danielle said: "We were really lucky.
"Because I'd been in hospital for a week before Logan was born, I was given steroids and magnesium to help strengthen his lungs as they weren't fully developed.
"He came off oxygen a week after he was born.
"We only had one hiccup with his breathing which was when his iron levels dropped really low and he had to go back on oxygen for a few days.
"He also had to have two blood transfusions.
"The first one was when he was two weeks old - but he wasn't strong enough for it until he had the oxygen.
"The second was when he was six weeks old.
"They were to top up his blood - because his iron was so low - to try and get him a bit stronger as, at first, he wasn't breathing for himself or feeding as much."
Danielle added: "The doctors originally said Logan would be in hospital until his due date - 16th December 2019 - or maybe even a bit longer.
"But he came home ahead of time - at the beginning of December.
"He is now four months old and weighs 6lbs 10oz.
"When I look at the teddy bear now I can't believe Logan was ever smaller than it. It's one of his favourite toys.
"We are so proud of him and how far he has come."
A dog lover says she owes her life to her two German shepherds - after they detected her breast CANCER
Image by: Dave Evitts SWNS
A dog lover says she owes her life to her two German shepherds - after they detected her breast CANCER.
Linda Munkley, 65, was left baffled when five-year-old dog Bea began frequently leaping up at her and headbutting or pawing at her chest.
She thought her dog was just being a nuisance - but as the odd behaviour went on, Linda began checking her breasts, at first finding nothing unusual.
But after about six weeks, Linda began to feel a tingling sensation spreading from her chest and under her arms.
A mammogram in October 2018 revealed that Linda, from Bargoed, in the South Wales Valleys, did in fact have a fast-growing, aggressive form of breast cancer.
But after six months of chemotherapy and a month of radiotherapy, as well as an operation to remove the lump, doctors told Linda her cancer was completely gone - and that her dogs had saved her life.
Mum-of-one Linda, who owns four German Shepherds, said: "The doctor was amazed. She told me to go home and give my dogs a hug, because they had saved my life.
"She said it was one of the most successful set of chemotherapy results they had ever seen.
"The cancer was aggressive, but my dogs had alerted me to it so early, before there was even a lump there, that the chemotherapy managed to kill off the cancerous cells completely."
Linda said Bea first started acting up at the end of August 2018.
She said: "She kept jumping up at me, headbutting my chest.
"To be honest, I was getting quite annoyed with it, because she was hurting me. I kept pushing her down.
"But after about six to eight weeks of this behaviour, I kept feeling my breasts.
"I went for a mammogram in October, and then I went on holiday.
"But while I was away, I knew something was wrong. I could feel there was a lump, and that it was spreading under my arms.
"Then, when I came back from holiday I had a letter waiting for me, telling me to go and see a surgeon two days after I got back.
"That's when I knew something was wrong - because it seemed far too quick," she said.
Linda went to see her surgeon, who told her that she had the human epidermal growth factor 2 (HER2) gene, which causes the cells to grow too fast and leads to the development of breast cancer.
Image by: Dave Evitts SWNS
Image by: Dave Evitts SWNS
Image by: Linda Munkley
In November, she began a six-month course of chemotherapy - and noticed that Bea's daughter Enya, three, began to exhibit the same odd behaviour as her mum.
"As my chemotherapy started, Enya started coming to me every morning and smelling my chest, really deeply," said Linda.
"Three months into the chemo, Enya stopped doing this.
"When I was later told that the chemotherapy had successfully killed off all the cancer, I wondered whether this was the point that the chemotherapy was successful at killing off the cancerous cells," she said.
After finishing her chemotherapy, Linda then waited six weeks before having the operation to remove her lump.
She then waited a further six weeks before beginning a course of radiotherapy, every day for a month.
After she had finished her treatment, doctors told Linda that the cancerous cells in her lymph nodes were either non-malignant, or some were pre-malignant - effectively, her cancer had been killed off.
Linda is currently undergoing a form of chemotherapy every three weeks to prevent the cancer from returning - but she hopes to be discharged and given the all-clear soon.
She said: "Words can't describe how grateful I am to Bea and Enya. They saved my life.
"In the beginning, it never even dawned on me what they were doing. I just thought they were being nuiscances.
"I have two male dogs, but they never detected anything was wrong - it was just my two girls."
Linda added: "We've always spoilt them and given them lots of attention.
"We've always bred dogs for show, so they're very used to lots of people around and lots of attention. They're so friendly.
"It just goes to show how incredible dogs really are," Linda added.
It is well known that pets, particularly dogs, have heightened senses hundreds of times better than those of humans.
This makes them ideal to be trained as assistance and medical detection pets so they can alert owners with health conditions of any serious impending medical event.
Research is also currently being undertaken to see if dogs can detect diseases, such as cancer, through smell.
A wheelchair-using student claims her uni has failed to accommodate her disability - and she is forced to sit in the stairwell of lecture halls
Image by: Jack Rivlin
A wheelchair-using student claims her uni has failed to accommodate her disability - and she is forced to sit in the stairwell of lecture halls.
Sarah-Marie Da Silva says she has repeatedly been forced to sit in corners, close to the lecturer, by entrances or without a desk to make notes.
The 21-year-old veterinary student at Hull University said it is "humiliating" and has said her time at university is being blighted by the lack of provision.
Last week, Sarah-Marie, a fresher, was waiting to get into a lecture theatre but, when she pushed in, ended up in the corner of the stairwell because she had no way of getting down the stairs and to a desk.
Speaking to student news site The Tab, she said: "I turned and saw the stairs, panicked and stopped. Then I realised I was in people’s way.
"I adjusted and moved myself against the wall, so people could get past.
"During the next ten minutes people were arriving, looking at me and sometimes asking what was going on. I told them I can’t get down and to just go past me."
Sarah-Marie, who plays wheelchair basketball, said the lecturer was helpful and offered to let her use one of the seats.
But she said: "My wheelchair is made for me, other seats cause me to spasm and cause me an incredible amount of pain."
She was also offered a piggyback by a fellow student but declined.
Image by: Jack Rivlin
She said: "It’s humiliating in a public place, but her intentions were very kind."
Eventually, Sarah-Marie told her lecturer to begin as "there wasn’t an alternative and we were all there to learn, I didn’t want to take up anymore of people’s time."
This is not the first issue Sarah-Marie has had since she started her course in September.
She said the difficulties make her feel like an "other" and added: "I’ve raised it countless times and the only thing they will do is do a room change.
"My first lecture was in September, I pushed in and there was nowhere for me
“It was a lecture theatre where you go in on the floor level.
"Everyone walked up the stairs to take their seats and I was left with nowhere to go – no desk, no seats next to me for other students and I’m right next to the lecturer. I was made to feel like an ‘other’.
“A lot of the time there are no desks for me.
"If there are, they’re moveable desks, but the wheels are always locked and I can’t bend down that far to unlock them, so everyone in the theatre looks on at me while I struggle to get a desk."
Sarah-Marie said she’s raised the issue "countless times" and, while individual lecturers and the university’s disability team have been helpful, no progress has been made beyond offering room changes.
She said: "I’m back in a lecture theatre with the moveable desks that I can’t move, where no one can sit with me or next to me and I’m on the floor with the lecturer."
The University of Hull told The Tab they’re carrying out a "full investigation" into what’s happened after Da Silva raised her concerns on Twitter.
Dr Anji Gardner, Director of Student Services, University of Hull told The Tab: "We are very sorry that this has happened, clearly it is not acceptable. We take these matters very seriously and we are looking into what has happened.
"We are committed to working with our students to put in place any additional support or adjustments where needed. Unfortunately, it is clear this hasn’t happened in this case.
"We will immediately look into this and ensure that we take necessary steps to make sure this does not happen again."
Suspected Banksy artwork has appeared in his home city of Bristol
Image by: Paul Gillis
A new piece of Valentine's Day-inspired street art apparently created by Banksy has appeared in his home city of Bristol.
Residents in the Barton Hill area of the city woke up to the artwork on the side of a house this morning (Thurs).
It seems to show a young girl firing a slingshot of flowers - possibly in relation to February 14th.
The mysterious artist has yet to claim ownership - although the piece bears all of his hallmarks.
The Bristol Somali Community Association posted photos of the artwork on Twitter.
They said: "Today in Barton Hill, we woke up with this remarkable mural art painted on one of the houses of the area.
"We hope it’s Banksy’s work. Come and have a look yourself. Whoever painted, it’s worth admiring their creativity."
The Bristol-based graffitist is known to create his masterpieces under the cover of darkness - leaving the scene before anyone can spot him in action.
Image by: Paul Gillis
Image by: Paul Gillis
The new Banksy appeared on the house owner's BIRTHDAY, family say.
The daughter of the landlord who owns the home has said she is "gobsmacked".
Kelly Woodruff, 37, helps with the management of the property on the junction of Marsh Road and Avonvale Road.
She said: "I'm literally gobsmacked. I'm so excited. It's given everyone a bit of a buzz.
"I haven't even spoken to my dad about it yet. I saw it on Facebook and immediately texted it to him. It's his birthday.
"I don't know what our plans are - but we're definitely keeping [the artwork].
"I was trying to get my dad to sell some property. It's a family-run business. I would say sell [the house] straight away!
"It's just incredibly exciting. I'm a born and bred Bristol girl. I follow Banksy all the time."
Image by: Paul Gillis
Image by: Paul Gillis
Image by: Ashley Moran
The owner of the house has described his delight at finding out that the potential Banksy artwork had appeared on his property - and on his birthday.
Edwin Simons, 67, said: "I'm shocked, absolutely shocked. How do we protect it? That's all there is in my mind. I don't want it vandalised.
"We want to protect it. I will never take it down - if I can protect it. I don't know what I'm going to do. We need someone with some knowledge about it.
"I've always been fascinated by Banksy. I think he's brilliant, absolutely brilliant - and he's more brilliant now!
"We never thought this would happen to us.
"I think it needs to be covered in anti-vandal paint. But I don't know how you would protect the flowers. We need to get some advice."
Landlord Edwin, from Longwell Green, Bristol, has owned the property - currently valued at around £235,000 - for 15 years.
It is divided into three flats, with the Valentine's Day-inspired artwork on the exterior of the building's left side.
He said: "The price [of the house] doesn't come into it for me - it's just brightened my day.
"It looks like it's a Banksy. We might have to put a frame over it; I don't know how we will protect it otherwise.
"It's a good birthday present. It's brought me out of the dumps.
"If there's anyone who can help us - the door's open!"
Daughter Kelly Woodruff, 37, said: "It's just incredible. It's so exciting that it's happened on Dad's birthday - it's a real present.
"It's not bad being 67 and getting a Banksy!
"We'd cry if someone vandalised it - we love it.
"We've got another property in Easton - Banksy come and do some others for us!"
When asked if he was Banksy, Edwin added: "No, I wish I was - I wouldn't owe the money I owe!"
Video by: Gabriella Petty
Impressive moment waiter carrying four meals manages to not drop a single plate after falling over
Image by: Jamie Shoebridge
This is the impressive moment a waiter fell to the floor carrying four meals - but didn't drop a single plate.
Jamie Shoebridge, 24, has been waiting tables for three years but may consider a career at a circus after this incredible juggling act.
CCTV cameras captured him crashing to the floor after slipping on peppercorn sauce - taking down a big decorative plant in the restaurant with him.
But bizarrely he somehow managed to keep hold of the plate he was holding in his left hand - and continue to balance three other meals on a tray he was also carrying on his right.
Restaurant supervisor Jamie, from Nottingham, said he jumped back up and delivered the meals as planned with his guests none-the-wiser.
The only casualty of the three roast beef dinners and bangers and mash dish was one sausage and a few peas.
Image by: Jamie Shoebridge
He said: “One minute I was walking along with the plates and the next minute I was on the floor.
“I lost my footing and fell down face first.
“There was some peppercorn sauce on the floor and I slipped on it. It’s all a blur and I’m not sure how it happened.
“It was just an instinct to lift my arms up and try to save the plates. I just got back up and carried on as normal.
“I have no idea how none of the plates got smashed. I’m impressed with myself.
“The only thing that fell off the plate was one sausage and a few peas.”
Jamie’s little accident happened on Sunday afternoon (9) during the lunchtime rush.
He said after falling over and realising three of the meals were still intact, he carried on
Jamie added: “It didn’t hurt but I was very confused as to how it happened.
“We all had a laugh about it in the office.
“It has become a bit of a running joke at work now.”
Video by: Gabriella Petty
DELIVERY SUITE DISASTER - Young mum left in agony as her epidural 'stopped working' during her emergency c-section
Image by: Jodie Marsden
A mum has told how she was in utter agony after her epidural wore off midway through her c-section - and she could feel EVERYTHING.
Jodie Marsden, 27, had no idea of the nightmare that lay ahead when she arrived at hospital to be induced - but it left her vowing to never get pregnant again.
After two days of very slow labour, Jodie's unborn baby's heart started to dip with every contraction and doctors rushed her into theatre for an emergency c-section.
They gave her an epidural - an anaesthetic around the spinal cord - and while it worked at first, Jodie said she began to feel pain.
By the time she realised what was going on, she was in so much pain she could barely whisper - despite being able to feel the clamp, suction, "jiggling" and shoving inside her.
Thankfully baby Arthur was healthy but the whole experience - which happened on Friday the 13th - has put Jodie off having any more kids.
Jodie from Wakefield said: ""I could feel them juggling about inside my stomach - one person was shoving down on the top of my stomach whilst another was pulling the baby out.
"It was agony. I could feel the clamp inside me and the suction going around and I was really struggling to breathe."
"The whole experience was absolutely terrifying and I am totally traumatised from the birth.
"We said ourselves that he would wait until Friday the 13th to make an appearance, and then we noticed it was a full moon, but it never crossed our mind what would happen.
"I could feel them actually pulling my stomach apart as they were ripping the muscles and I was in extreme pain.
"It felt like I was screaming in pain, but my partner said it was only coming out as a whisper, but luckily they could see I was uncomfortable.
"I'm never having another baby ever again, that's for sure."
Dog groomer Jodie was in no rush to start a family after tying the knot with husband Matt, 34, in September 2018.
She fell pregnant unexpectedly but weeks later, but sadly miscarried at just seven weeks.
The miscarriage changed Jodie's thoughts on motherhood, and after celebrating their first Christmas as a married couple, the pair found out Josie was pregnant again.
Jodie said: "We didn't actually plan on having children so soon after the wedding, as I'm a very career driven person and wanted to focus on my dog grooming business.
"I've never really been a maternal person, it was never something I had in a plan and I could never see myself with children, but the miscarriage changed my way of thinking.
"After the miscarriage, I was convinced that there was something wrong with me.
"We had no plans to try again, we just went with the flow and said if it happens, then it happens, and if it doesn't, then it wasn't supposed to be.
"I found out I was pregnant again just after Christmas, and although I was happy, it was a tough set of emotions to deal with as I was convinced it was all going to happen again."
She developed pregnancy hypertension in the last six weeks of her pregnancy so was induced on her due date, 11 September 2019, at Pinderfields Hospital, Wakefield.
Image by: Jodie Marsden
Image by: Jodie Marsden
Image by: Jodie Marsden
Image by: Jodie Marsden
Doctors administered an epidural, but two days later, she had only dilated 6cm and was given a hormone drip as well to encourage her baby to arrive.
As the contractions started, doctors grew concerned when Jodie's unborn child's blood pressure dropped dangerously and prepped the young mum for an emergency c-section.
Once in theatre, doctors upped the dose of Jodie's epidural, but despite checks to ensure she was numb, all hell broke loose when she could suddenly feel everything.
Jodie said: "They did multiple checks to make sure I was numb, with an ice cold spray on several areas of my stomach, followed by jabbing me with a needle, and all was fine, I was numb.
"For the incision, I just felt slight pressure, but then I felt them actually pulling my stomach apart as they were ripping the muscles and I was in so much pain.
"The anaesthetist was asking me if it was pain or pressure, and I was saying pain, but Matt said it was just like a whisper coming out of me.
"They could see I was uncomfortable, so they gave me more medication to try and get the pain under control but I was still in pain."
Jodie's pain relief from the epidural had stopped working in the middle of her c-section, and the first time mum was able to feel the entire procedure.
Her blood pressure rose dangerously and after her baby Arthur was born, doctors were forced to put her under general anaesthetic, fearing she might suffer a stroke or heart attack.
The young mum lost 2.5 pints of blood and stayed in theatre for another hour and a half before being monitored in recovery for 16 hours.
Jodie said: "When they finally pulled Arthur out, all I remember was hearing this little scream which suddenly stopped.
"I can't remember seeing him, and I turned to Matt and repeatedly asked him 'Where is my baby?'
"Then it was like an out of body experience, I could hear things but it was like I was just watching from above.
"I could hear them saying they needed to get the bleeding under control, and then the anaesthetist said 'We're going to have to send you to sleep'.
"They escorted Matt out and then took Arthur to see him and my mum, but I had to stay in theatre for another hour and a half without holding my baby.
"Before the c-section, the anaesthetist told me that general anaesthetic is literally the last resort because it's best for mums to have skin to skin contact straight away, but nothing was working for me so they had to do it."
Jodie finally got to hold her baby boy Arthur the next day, and thankfully the young mum is now doing well and is back home with her family.
Traumatised by the experience, Jodie has decided not to have any more children and is focusing on raising her only son.
Jodie said: "It definitely wasn't what we expected - it's not like you see on One Born Every Minute where they're laid all calm and comfortable.
"It was like living in a nightmare, and I'm definitely not having any more children.
"I love Arthur and am enjoying being a mum, but there's no way I'm going through that all ever again."
Clinical background information released by Pinderfields Hospital states that when a woman has an epidural for labour, it can be topped up for a c-section, which means a stronger solution of analgesia would be administered to the patient.
During a c-section under local anaesthetic, the hospital advises women that they will feel some pressure during the surgery, and if a woman complains of pain, the surgery is stopped and analgesia is given.
Anaesthetists can not administer a spinal block during a c-section but they can top up the epidural and if an epidural is not effective then a woman will be given analgesia (such as morphine or diamorphine) through an intravenous drip.
The hospital states that if a woman is still not comfortable at this point they will be given a general anaesthetic, however the priority is to get the baby delivered if the uterus is open and cord exposed.
Where mothers have raised blood pressure, it is normal that they would be monitored closely for 12 or more hours following surgery.
GREATEST SHOWMAN - This is the moment superstar Hugh Jackman went 'full Wolverine' for one of his biggest fans during a show
Image by: Taylor Van Engen
This is the moment Hugh Jackman delighted a front row fan during a concert by grabbing his phone and recording an epic Wolverine tribute.
Taylor Van Engen, 29, was standing in front of the stage during Hugh Jackman's singing and dancing tour and screamed in delight as the showman did a Wolverine pose.
His reaction caught the attention of the X-Men actor who walked over and went "full Wolverine" - growling and shouting into Taylor's phone.
Taylor can be seen jumping up and down uncontrollably before Jackman hugs him and says: "You've waited one-and-a-half hours for that moment!
"For that moment! I love you brother!"
Image by: Taylor Van Engen
Image by: Taylor Van Engen
Image by: Taylor Van Engen
Image by: Taylor Van Engen
Image by: Taylor Van Engen
Postman Taylor said: "I lost sleep because I was too excited. For a week, I watched the videos we took and videos from other people's perspectives over and over again.
"During the intermission, I told my wife that I knew the Wolverine pose was coming - and I was gonna be ready for it.
"Hugh was going to do his tap routine, finish with the drums, then kick it out of the way.
"I was going to walk up to the security guard in front of us, stop there so they knew I wasn't going to be trouble - and Hugh did the rest.
"After the show, a few people shared their videos and pictures with us, and several others congratulated me.
"Even more would point me out and go - 'that's him, that's the guy!'
"I still like the fact that someone even referred to me as Wolverine to get my attention."
Taylor, from Rock Valley, Iowa, has taken his wife Sarah, a social worker, to see Jackman's show 'The Man. The Music. The Show.' twice this year.
He's has been a massive Hugh Jackman fan since he was 10, and has gone to the cinema to watch every X-Men film made.
His close encounter with the actor came when he went to see the show at the Sprint Center in Kansas City, Missouri, on October 13.
He said he wanted to get close enough to give Hugh a 'high five'.
As the lights went down, Hugh posed as mutant Wolverine from his X-Men movies - leading to cheers from the crowd.
Taylor went wild, shouting at the top of his lungs to attract Jackman's attention.
Taylor said: "One security guard came up to me and said that Hugh didn't do all of that for every show.
"He said it was special and really awesome. I totally agree."
Video by: Gabriella Petty
