Man claims he has found his true calling as an undertaker - after being born Mr COFFIN
Image by: James Dadzitis SWNS
A man stuck in a 'dead end' job has retrained to find his true calling as an undertaker - after being born Mr COFFIN.
David Coffin, 33, said his surnma has been the butt of jokes all his life - so eventually decided to fulfil what he considered his destiny.
He admitted there was a certain inevitability about the job he'd end up doing - so described his move to "Walter C Parson Funeral Directors" no-brainer.
And Mr Coffin, of Plymouth, Devon, who said he has heard all the jokes, said he couldn't be happier.
He said: "It was a long-time joke with my family.
''My great uncle was in the funeral profession for a while - and it's always been said to me, 'Well, one day, you never know, you might be made for that job, too'.
"So here I am... and my name was certainly a tremendous ice-breaker during the interview."
David said he spotted a recruitment advert for Walter C Parson Ltd and went for his interview in July of this year. He started his new career the following month.
Image by: James Dadzitis SWNS
Image by: James Dadzitis SWNS
Image by: James Dadzitis SWNS
Image by: James Dadzitis SWNS
He added: "This role came up and at the time, I was looking and I did want a change of career.
"I was in a dead-end job where I didn't really have much to think about, and I just wanted to better myself.
"I thought it sounded like something I'd like to do - something that makes a difference for people every day - and that was the driving force behind my decision.
"I didn't want to be doing nothing, I wanted to make an impact on something. So I went for the job and, luckily, I was successful."
Needless to say, David is already thoroughly enjoying his new career and says it was the best decision he ever made.
One of his tasks involves being on call 24 hours a day and driving the limousines.
He added: "It has been a complete career-change and I'm really enjoying it. I haven't actually had a job before that I enjoy doing, and now I go home from work each day feeling like I've achieved something."
"One day we might have not much going on, and the next we could have three or four funerals to plan or attend.
"Something I've noticed since working for Walter C Parson is that every funeral is different and unique.
''People want a million different things for their loved ones. You get a great variety of requests - it's very personal and I really enjoy that aspect of the job."
Video by: James Dadzitis SWNS
FINTASTIC SIGHT - Photographer captures incredible shoal of thousands of mobula ray fish cruising through the sea off Mexico
Image by: Nadia Aly
These jaw-dropping images show a sea filled with thousands of mobula ray fish appearing like large winged birds.
Ocean photographer Nadia Aly spent four hours swimming above the huge shoal in Baja California, Mexico.
Mobula rays, which are closely related to sharks and come from the same family as some manta rays, are normally shy and difficult to film.
Nadia, 35, said: “It is very rare to get an encounter like this, with this many rays, in near perfect visibility.
“I estimate that there were over 10,000 rays
“They were also not as skittish as they normally are.”
Image by: Nadia Aly
Image by: Nadia Aly
Image by: Nadia Aly
Image by: Nadia Aly
Image by: Nadia Aly
Image by: Nadia Aly
The animals, known to local fisherman as 'flying tortillas', gather in their thousands before launching themselves out of the ocean.
They are closely related to sharks but have long, flat bodies and wing-like pectoral fins.
They use their fins like wings to reach heights of over two metres before belly-flopping back down into the sea to join the school.
Video by: Nadia Aly
ADVENTURE CAT - Meet the curious cat who hikes, bikes, paddleboards and even goes SKIING with his devoted owner.
Image by: Michelle Gagnon
Meet Bodhi - the curious cat who hikes, bikes, paddleboards and even goes SKIING with his devoted owner.
Adorable Bodhi has completed a three-day biking tour through the Canadian Rockies, been cross-country skiing and wears his own life jacket when he goes paddleboarding.
Owner Michelle Gagnon, 50, calls Bodhi her "adventure cat" and has been teaching him a host of adrenaline-packed pursuits for the last ten months.
Michelle, a retired hiking guide, of Canmore, Alberta, Canada, said: "An adventure cat is a term I made up 18 years ago when I got my old cat Bugaboo.
"An adventure cat comes along with you on adventures whether that means he's sitting in a bike basket or walking alongside you or sitting on your shoulders."
Bodhi, 14-month-old Maine Coon cat, has a robust build, weighing a staggering 16 pounds (7.3kg) - about twice the size of the average tabby.
Maine Coons are classified as the largest domesticated cat breed and are one of the oldest natural breeds in North America. They are native to the state of Maine, where it is the official state cat.
Michelle says training a cat to cope with the great outdoors can be a difficult feat as felines like to feel in control of their environment.
She said: "Cats have this real desire to keep themselves safe and they have a very high instinctual survival mode.
"They have to be in control of everything and training a cat is about getting them used to everything outside, like wide open spaces and walking on sidewalks.
"I'm putting in lots of hours in training and getting Bodhi to walk as much as possible.
"He is now way better with wide open spaces and walking on a trail and understanding that wildlife moves around him."
Michelle got Bodhi in December last year and immediately began taking the puss cross-country skiing.
She added: "I didn't know how I was going to train him in the winter time but I just decided to take him cross-country skiing.
"He walked behind me on the snow and then on the way down, he curled up on my shoulders and I skied down with him on my shoulders.
"Sitting on my shoulders is always his safe spot. He has also been hiking in the mountains, his furthest hike is almost 6km.
"The biggest thing that slows him down is wild animal smells and that's a very real
thing living where we do in Canmore.
"If it's a predator like a cougar or a coyote, it can really slow him down and even stop him."
Image by: Michelle Gagnon
Image by: Michelle Gagnon
Image by: Michelle Gagnon
Image by: Michelle Gagnon
Image by: Michelle Gagnon
Image by: Michelle Gagnon
Bodhi doesn't stop at just hiking and cross-country skiing, the adventure cat also enjoys biking and paddleboarding.
Michelle added: "He has done stand up paddleboarding. He wears a little life jacket when he's on his paddleboard.
"He has gone a couple of big bike tours and we have biked some of the most scenic roads of the Canadian Rockies.
"One was two-days long and the other was three-days long. I made him a special basket for the front of my bike. We did 100km a day."
Michelle, who named Bodhi after the Sanskrit term for enlightenment, said that she considers the beautiful cat her child.
"Bugaboo was definitely my baby and when he died last November, I felt like I had lost a child. Now Bodhi is like my next child.
"I want him to have positive experiences on all of our adventures and build his confidence. You have to make it interesting for them.
"I try not to use treats as then they just want more treats. I try to use a lot of positive encouragement."
You can follow along with Bodhi's adventures on his Instagram account @bodhi_theadventurecat.
Video by: Gabriella Petty
Britain's youngest transgender woman has accused a pornographer of transphobia after he refused to work with her - because she has a penis
Image by: Simon Galloway
A transgender woman says she is a victim of 'transphobic' discrimination after being snubbed for job as a female porn star - because she still has a PENIS
Ria Cooper, 25, who became Britain's youngest trans person when she transitioned 10 years ago, encountered the saucy snapper after deciding to embark on a career in the sex industry.
She says the anonymous individual messaged her saying he wanted to have sex on camera then sell the resulting porno to make some quick cash.
But little did he know Ria was transgender and when he found out she still has male reproductive organs he immediately retracted the offer.
In messages exchanged over WhatsApp, the photographer bluntly proclaimed he couldn't work with her because "she has a c**k".
Ria has hit out at the "transphobic behaviour" and says she's being unfairly discriminated against in her pursuit of a modelling career.
The woman from Hull, East Yorks, has reported the comments to Humberside Police, which is investigating the incident as a hate crime.
Ria says the man got in touch with her over WhatsApp after she released her new glamour modelling portfolio online.
He apparently told her the industry was like a "family" and vowed to help her make her way to the top of it.
Then the photographer told Ria he had just been informed by a friend that she is transgender, before saying "Playboy won't accept that".
Image by: Simon Galloway
Image by: Simon Galloway
After making the discovery the man cut all contact with Ria, who says her social media profiles clearly state she is a 'ladyboy'.
She thought the photographer knew what he was doing.
Ria has described the comments as "discriminatory" and "appalling", comparing the abuse to that of a racist.
She is speaking out about the abuse because she want to help other transgender people suffering abuse.
The fully qualified beauty therapist said: "When I first changed I found it really scary and very confusing.
"I had no one to lean on for support it was such a massive change.
"But, now I’m comfortable and confident in my own skin I wanted to help others."
Humberside Police has confirmed officers are currently investigating the allegation.
A spokeswoman for the force said: "We received a report of a hate incident yesterday, on Wednesday, October 16. The report has been logged and will be investigated."
Image by: David Campbell
Image by: Steve Chatterley
Ria has said she wants to get into porn to "show off" what she's got.
The 25-year-old said: "I want to go into porn and that's my decision.
"I've done some videos before and really enjoyed it so that's what I'm looking to pursue.
"People say it's degrading but I disagree, I think it's amazing.
"I'm proud of my body and what I have got and want to show it off, porn is a perfect way to do that."
Ria also provided screenshots from her conversation with the photographer and gave a full account of what happened.
She said: "I saw this guy who posts pictures of girls on Instagram so I sent him a message to try and get some exposure.
"He replied to me saying that he wanted to have sex with me and film it then sell the video for us to split the earnings.
"I didn't think it was a very professional way for a photographer to act but I am looking to pursue a career in porn so I was open to it.
"Then all of a sudden he started backtracking but I don't understand why because it's clearly written on my page that I'm a 'ladyboy'.
"I think he did know that and did want to have sex with me but just got embarrassed so backed out.
"The way he spoke to me after that was absolutely disgusting, no one should be discriminated against for their lifestyle choice."
