"We surprised our family and friends at our engagement party by getting married"
By Ben Barry
A couple surprised family and friends by inviting them to their engagement party - and tying the knot there and then.
Julia Polley 29, and her partner, Kevin, 32, invited 120 of their nearest and dearest to 12twelve events in Whitby, Ontario, Canada, for a party to celebrate on April 27.
But while making a speech - thanking them for attending - Julia joked it would be easier to wed there and then.
She told guests "if you give me 20 minutes to change my dress, we could make it work" - before dashing off to get into her gown.
The couple exchanged vows and say there wasn't a dry eye in the house.
Julia, a digital marketer, from Toronto, Canada, said: "We have always been different in the way we do things in general.
"When we got engaged we knew we didn't want to do something that was traditional.
"I love going to my friends' weddings but I knew I wouldn't be the bride to enjoy that environment.
"We wanted to do something special but we always wanted to prioritise what was important to us - using that money for a fun experience and to put towards the rest of our lives."
Juliavmet Kevin, a sprinkler fitter, when they were both working at McDonald's in 2010 and they hit it off but didn't start dating until 2014.
They got engaged in May 2023 whilst they were holidaying in Rome, Italy.
Julie said: "When I first met Kevin, I thought he was so funny.
"We both love travelling and we both love music.
"We have been travelling together and we enjoy doing fun things - we are up for anything.
"Kevin popped the question in Rome - we woke up early as we heard the Trevi Fountain was stacked with tourists.
"It was about 6am and there was nobody there.
"We were standing there and enjoying it - I was setting up my phone to take pics of us and that is when he asked the question.
"When we got home everyone was asking us when the big day would be."
Julia and Kevin knew they wanted to have an engagement party and joked about surprising their family with the wedding.
Julie said: "I thought it would be amazing and I quietly pitched the idea to Kevin and he said it sounded fun.
"The only thing we made sure was that we told our parents beforehand to make sure they were not offended with the decision.
"They were so excited for us - they thought it was insane and were incredibly supportive.
"Overall they were excited for us.
"I am the youngest child so my wedding was huge news for them and them not being able to tell anyone was hard."
Julia said their big day was "incredible" and one to remember.
She said: "We told everyone to arrive at 6pm and we put a note in the invitation to say be on time.
"We said there was an open bar and everyone needed to take advantage of it.
"We mingled and gave a welcome speech where we made the announcement.
"It was hysterical, everyone was screaming and cheering - I felt like a celebrity giving a speech."
After they made the announcement, Julia went to change into her dress and the place was transformed for the ceremony.
Julie said: "It was an incredible day - I hoped it would be so much fun and it was way more fun than I could have imaged.
"All of our loved ones had so much fun.
"We have such a supportive circle of family and friends - we are blessed."
Astronauts preparing to explore Moon - by pushing buggy around Arizona
By Dean Murray
Astronauts are preparing to explore the Moon - by pushing a buggy around the Arizona desert.
NASA are conducting a week-long field test in the lunar-like landscape of San Francisco Volcanic Field near Flagstaff to practice moonwalk scenarios.
The space agency say the exercise expands on previous field tests the team has performed and is the highest fidelity Artemis moonwalk mission simulation to date.
Astronauts Kate Rubins and Andre Douglas are serving as crewmembers and wearing mockup spacesuit systems as they traverse through the desert, completing a variety of technology demonstrations, hardware checkouts and Artemis science-related operations.
NASA uses field tests to simulate missions to prepare for deep space destinations. The Arizona desert has been a training ground for lunar exploration since the Apollo era because of the many similarities to the lunar terrain, including craters, faults and volcanic features.
During the test, two integrated teams work together as they practice end-to-end lunar operations. The field team consists of astronauts, NASA engineers, and field experts in the Arizona desert conducting the simulated moonwalks, while a team of flight controllers and scientists at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston monitor and guide their activities.
“Field tests play a critical role in helping us test all of the systems, hardware, and technology we’ll need to conduct successful lunar operations during Artemis missions,” said Barbara Janoiko, director for the field test at Johnson. “Our engineering and science teams have worked together seamlessly to ensure we are prepared every step of the way for when astronauts step foot on the Moon again.”
The test consists of four simulated moonwalks that follow operations planned for the Artemis III mission and beyond, as well as six advanced technology runs.
During the advanced runs, teams will demonstrate technology that may be used for future Artemis missions, such as display and navigation data stream capabilities in the form of a heads-up display using augmented reality or lighting beacons that could help guide crew back to the lander.
Ahead of the field test, the science team at Johnson that was competitively selected and tasked with developing the science objectives for the field test, followed a planning process designed for Artemis missions. Their preparation included generating geologic maps, a list of science questions, and prioritised moonwalk locations for both the primary and back-up “landing sites” for the test.
“During Artemis III, the astronauts will be our science operators on the lunar surface with an entire science team supporting them from here on Earth,” said Cherie Achilles, science officer for the test at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. “This simulation gives us an opportunity to practice conducting geology from afar in real time.”
The test will evaluate gaps and challenges associated with lunar South Pole operations, including data collection and communications between the flight control team and science team in Houston for rapid decision-making protocols.
At the conclusion of each simulated moonwalk, the science team, flight control team, crewmembers, and field experts come together to discuss and record lessons learned. NASA will take these lessons and apply them to operations for NASA’s Artemis missions, commercial vendor development, and other technology development.
This field test is the fifth in the series conducted by the Joint Extravehicular Activity and Human Surface Mobility Test Team led out of Johnson.
Through Artemis, NASA will land the first woman, the first person of color, and its first international partner astronaut on the Moon, paving the way for long-term lunar exploration and serving as a steppingstone for astronaut missions to Mars.
Dancing with the Stars professionals are having a baby
By Jake Meeus-Jones
A pair of professional dancers from Dancing with the Stars are having a baby together.
Stephen Vincent, 34, and Kylee Vincent, 29, are expecting a new arrival in October - which they say is the "first ever Dancing with the Stars baby".
The couple met 11 years ago touring with the Burn The Floor dance show, tied the knot in 2017, and joined the show's Ireland cast in 2019.
With the gender still unknown, they have yet to decide on a name but are both keen on Archie if it is a boy.
Kylee finished as runner-up on series six of the show in 2023 when she was partnered with Irish singer and actor Damien McGinty.
Manchester-born Stephen also finished in 2nd place on series five in 2022, when he was paired up with Irish paralympic swimmer, Ellen Keane.
Kylee, originally from South Africa, but now living in Strangford Lough, Northern Ireland, said: "We're both really, really excited about the baby.
"Touring and working in the industry we are in meant we put it aside for a while.
"But it felt like the right time now.
"We don't know the gender yet, we get to find out at the beginning of June.
"Because we've moved to Northern Ireland, we're going to go back to South Africa at the beginning of June to have a big gender reveal party.
"We have thought of a few names but Stephen and I can't seem to agree on the same names just yet.
"We both like Archie, but if it's a girl, we haven't settled there yet!
"Growing up in the dance industry, you're always away from home for a long time anyway.
"Stephen and I had always decided to settle in South Africa but after the last season of Dancing with the Stars in Ireland, we fell in love with it and there's so much opportunity in the industry there.
"It's all happened so quickly and we've moved within a year.
"Doing the series every year gave us six months in one place and we started really enjoying that feeling of not moving to a different hotel every day.
"We wanted to start growing roots, not in 50 different countries, but in one!"
Kylee and Stephen - who have also both toured with Strictly Come Dancing professional, Giovanni Pernice - hosted a mini photoshoot to announce their big news.
Stephen is hoping to feature on another series of Dancing with the Stars.
Kylee, who would love to be a judge, said: "If the series does come back, Stephen would definitely love to be a part of it.
"Rehearsals usually start in November so I'm not sure how possible it will be for me, but if I can I would love to be a part of it."
Looking back on her four series on the show, Kylee said it was "so nice" to be able to share it with Stephen.
She said: "I've had quite a diverse set of partners on the show.
"With touring sometimes Stephen and I are partnered together, sometimes not.
"But moving into the TV work together has been so nice as we get to come home together and talk through what happened on each day.
"Because the experience takes so much of your time and energy, we still get to see enough of each other which is great."
New dad meets two-month-old son for the first time at airport
By Freddie Noble
This is the sweet moment a new dad met his baby son for the first time two months after he was born.
Ellie Gorley, 24, met now-hubby Oguzcan Aktaş, 25, when they were working together at a hotel in Turkey.
But via complications meant he couldn't join her back in the UK for the birth of this son.
Finally his visa was granted and an adorable video shows him meeting Ruben at the airport after he touched down in the UK.
Ellie, a caterer, from Maryport, Cumbria, said: "It was the best feeling in the world. Me and Oguzcan hasn't seen each other since January either."
Oguzcan said: "After I received the visa, I was filled with excitement because there was nothing stopping me from going to my newborn son and my wife.
"When I first saw them at the airport I felt like I had returned to my home, which I had been away from for years, and it was a great feeling."
Ellie met Oguzcan while working as a caterer in Turkey in 2022 in the same hotel.
Ellie said it was love at first sight as Oguzcan took her out on plenty of dates including an ice cream date by the beach.
Ellie said: "I liked that he wasn't the same as the other boys that worked in the hotel
he was the quiet and shy one."
After becoming official in May 2022, Ellie found out she was pregnant in August 2023.
Ellie said: "It was amazing - I cried for days."
They married in January 2024 in Marmaris, Turkey, surrounded by their friends and family.
Ellie said: "It wasn't a big wedding, we just wanted close family there. We wanted no fuss."
Ellie had to leave her new husband and fly back to the UK for the rest of her pregnancy.
The pregnancy was straight forward and Ruben was born on March 19, 2024, at West Cumberland Hospital, Cumbria weighing 6lbs 7oz.
Oguzcan wasn't able to be at the birth as his visa application had not been accepted.
Oguzcan said: "Not being able to be there when Ellie gave birth and not being able to do anything was one of the moments I felt most helpless in my life.
"Even though the surgery only lasted half an hour, it felt like it had lasted hours, but after the surgery, her sister Amy video called me, which reassured me a bit."
The first time he met his daughter was over Facetime.
Oguzcan's visa was finally accepted on April 17 and he arrived in the UK two days later (19).
Ellie said the introduction at the airport was the "best feeling in the world".
Ellie said: "I couldn't believe it was happening to be honest, It was a bit surreal.
Oguzcan added: "Now, life has become better with the happiness and morale of living with my wife and child. It's my 2nd week in England and everything continues to get better."
Eric Clapton's 'Wonderful Tonight' cigarette-burned guitar up for auction
By Dean Murray
The guitar Eric Clapton used to write 'Wonderful Tonight' is up for auction - complete with cigarette burns.
The 1974 000-28 Martin acoustic is estimated to fetch £300,000 - 400,000 in the Bonhams Knightsbridge sale.
The auction house say the instrument was Slowhand’s primary guitar during the seventies, quoting the musician as saying "that guitar went everywhere with me".
Bonhams says: "He used it extensively for writing, recording, and live performances until parting ways with it for a charitable auction in 1999 in aid of his Crossroads Centre.
"Reflecting on how much this guitar meant to him personally, Clapton said, “During the auction, the guys were all around me, and I felt myself starting to cry.”"
Two signature Clapton’s elements stand out on this guitar: a sticker on its side, which reads "She's in Love with a Rodeo Man" to honour one of Clapton's favourite songwriters, Don Williams.
The second Clapton touch resulted from wedging his cigarettes under the strings, leaving trademark burns on the headstock.
Claire Tole-Moir, Head of Bonhams Popular Culture department, commented: “This guitar is a one-of-a-kind collectible of immense cultural significance. Written in 1976 by Clapton while waiting for his then-girlfriend (and future wife) Pattie Boyd to get ready for a night out, the song ‘Wonderful Tonight’ is an ageless anthem.
"With intergenerational appeal, the song’s popularity has grown since its release four decades ago, with more than 450 million streams on Spotify, 490 million views across YouTube, and billions of plays on terrestrial radio."
The song debuted on Clapton's second most popular album, Slowhand, which itself has been streamed 1.3 billion times as of April 2024.
Bonhams add the guitar has remained in the current owner’s possession since 1999.
The instrument will be offered as part of the Rock, Pop & Film sale on 12 June at Bonhams Knightsbridge, London.
Pair of tiny fox kits hand-reared by keepers at safari park
By Lauren Beavis
A pair of tiny fox kits are being hand-reared by keepers at a safari park.
Weighing in total just 46 grams, the adorable pair of fennec foxes at Longleat Safari Park, Wiltshire, have not been named yet named and their gender is unknown.
Samantha Peeke, their keeper, is sharing the sleepless nights with colleagues Gemma Short and Catriona Moy as the babies initially need feeding every two hours, day and night.
They are planning to introduce them to rice as the first step to weaning.
Samantha said: “We are now feeding them every three hours with a longer break overnight.
“We are sharing the care so they don’t get attached to one of us as the aim is to reintroduce them to their mum and dad; eventually we hope they will also become part of the international breeding programme."
The fennec fox is the smallest member of the fox family.
They reach a maximum length of under 40cm and weigh less than two kilograms.
According to National Geographic, Fennec foxes dwell in the sandy Sahara and elsewhere in North Africa.
Their nocturnal habits help them deal with the searing heat of the desert environment, and some physical adaptations help as well.
Their distinctive ears radiate body heat and help keep the animals cool.
It is the second litter for Zuri and dad Enzi.
Their first kits died within 24 hours as although Zuri produced the vital colostrum needed, there appeared not to be enough milk for the babies.
Catriona, Team Manager of Animal Adventure and Lakes at Longleat, said: “After she lost the first three, we spent time preparing for the possibility of a further litter. We wanted to ensure that knowing she may not produce enough milk that we had everything in place in case it was required to help Zuri care for the young.
"Hand rearing is always a last resort.
“When cameras in the den showed Zuri had given birth to three kits, we watched closely so not to disturb her.
"Zuri showed good mothering behaviours; however, it then became clear she was struggling with all three. This combined with previous history led us to make the difficult decision to remove two to give mum the best chance to successfully raise a kit.
"Unfortunately, despite Zuri’s best effort, sadly the kit that remained with her passed away.”
In the summer the plan is to reintroduce them to mum and dad as their birth is important for the European breeding programme as with the new pairing of Zuri and Enzi, the blood line is not represented elsewhere in the UK.
Night sky aurora light show might not be over just yet
By Dean Murray
The night sky light show might not be over just yet.
Sunspot AR3664, responsible for the jaw-dropping Northern Lights over the UK on the weekend, has had a final blast.
The active region generated another massive solar flare on Monday (13 May), releasing intense bursts of energy and radiation into space.
Scientific website Space Today reported: "This time a long duration M6.6 flare, resulting in a full and rapid halo CME (Coronal Mass Ejection). Most of the CME is directed SW, with a component directed toward Earth. Impact is expected on May 15."
CMEs are explosions of plasma and magnetic fields from the sun’s corona. They cause geomagnetic storms when they are directed at Earth.
An M6.6 solar flare is classified as a moderately strong solar flare, able to cause radio blackouts at the higher frequencies used by commercial airliners and ham radio operators. They can also cause minor disruptions to satellite operations and navigation systems.
Space blog EarthSky says the Sun's fresh output won't have such a dramatic effect on Earth as the weekend's activity, but "at least G3 (moderate) geomagnetic storming is in the forecast", which has potential to produce significant auroral displays under the right conditions.
The Sun's activity was observed by NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) spacecraft. Its mission is to study the Sun’s dynamics to "increase understanding of the nature and sources of solar variability".
SDO documents the outer atmosphere of the Sun - called the corona - as well as hot flare plasma.
Tiny peregrine chicks weighed in ice cream tubs
By Adam Dutton
These sweet and fluffy peregrine falcon chicks are so tiny they are weighed in empty ICE CREAM tubs.
The four chicks, two male and two female, have been officially ringed by the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO).
They also had their wingspans measured before being added to the national database for future identification.
The chicks, which hatched in a nest on Worcester Cathedral, are so small staff put them in ice cream tubs on the scales.
The chicks are expected to fledge later this month or in early June, and fans can track their progress on the Cathedral’s 24-hour livestream.
Chris Dobbs, Biodiversity Advisor for the Cathedral, said: “The ringing process is an important part of protecting these birds.
“Although peregrines are still quite rare, they are recovering well in the UK, largely due to the new habitats they take up in cities, of which Worcester is a great example.”
The chicks are the latest offspring of mating peregrines Peter and Peggy who built a nest in the Cathedral Tower in 2022.
Each colour ring has a unique letter code so the individual birds can be identified when seen in the future.
A chick born at the Cathedral in 2022 was recently spotted in Bolton, Lancs., while one named Mr Lazy was seen flying around Alexandra Palace in north London.
Chris added: “It’s wonderful news that two of our peregrine chicks have been sighted recently and are thriving and hopefully introducing another generation of these magnificent birds in the not too distant future.
“Hopefully the 2024 chicks will all fledge successfully and, with their newly fitted rings, can be identified in the future continuing Peter and Peggy’s legacy in the peregrine world.”
Peregrines often nest in Cathedral towers because they are similar to their natural habitat nesting sites, which include quarry faces, sea cliffs, and mountainsides.
Family live off-grid in the desert after buying land from Facebook Marketplace
By Emma Dunn
A family swapped city life to live off-grid in the desert by buying five acres of land from Facebook Marketplace for $7,500.
Zani Sunshine, 43, grew up dreaming of living on a large plot of land.
Her and her husband Yaseen, 43, a carpenter, didn’t want to be stuck in their home in Atlanta, Georgia when the pandemic hit.
They made the quick decision to trade in their car for a truck to tow their trailer and travelled with Zani’s son, 11, until they found the perfect location.
They bought 10 acres of land near Albuquerque, New Mexico for $10,000 four months later – and bought a further five acres on their land line on Facebook Marketplace for $7,500.
Now the family are in the process of building their own home and have their own solar panels for electricity and a septic system.
They want to build and underground geothermal greenhouse to grow their own food and so they can be self-sufficient.
Zani, a content creator and author, said: “It’s a freeing lifestyle.
“I have so much more of a sense of security to know you have so much more control over things.
“People think I’m living in fear.
“It’s not a fear. There’s a possibility and I want to be prepared.
“I feel empowered.”
Zani had a busy life in Atlanta – working as a health nurse – but had been prepping for the last ten years.
She said: “If something did happen I wanted to be self-sustaining.
“We had water, medical supplies and bug out bags to leave the city quickly.
“The fact we’re so dependent on the systems.
“So many people are not prepared – then there is chaos and violence.”
She took the plunge to move off-grid in March 2020.
Zani, who is also a consultant, said: “When the pandemic hit we didn’t want to be in the house.
“We traded in our car for a truck to pull our trailer.”
The family travelled 1,300 miles until they found their dream location.
They set up their 26ft travel trailer on the land and bought a 40ft destination trailer for $15,000 on Facebook Marketplace to live in while they build their home.
Yaseen built a mud room next to their trailer for their muddy boots, wood stove and extra storage.
They had septic system installed for their waste.
The family currently have a chicken coop and meat rabbits but are hoping to get some mules and sheep.
They live in the high desert – 75,000 ft above sea level – meaning their days and nights can vary in temperature of 20 degrees.
Zani says the temperatures rarely get above 32 degrees Celsius.
Zani said: “The growing season is really short.
“We’re trying to build an underground geothermal greenhouse but it will cost $50,000.
“That’s our next goal.”
Currently Zani bulk orders dry food on Amazon – and has six months to a year of prepped food.
They get their fresh food from a small town 30 minutes away or from a bigger supermarket an hour and a half away.
The family’s land is well elevated so they are less likely to experience flooding – as it becomes more common due to climate change.
She said: “We don’t have tornadoes, or hurricanes.
“There is less of a possibility of it.”
Zani’s goal isn’t to be 100 per cent self sufficient but she wants to be able to live with what she has if something happens.
Her recent book Offgrid Planning Workbook is available on Amazon.
Is this the real-life Bambi and Thumper?
By Samuel Wightwick
This cute clip shows a young deer and rabbit playing together - like a real-life Bambi and Thumper.
The pair, who resemble the characters from the famous Disney film, greet each other by bumping noses.
The deer then hits its hooves against the floor to get the rabbits attention before licking its head with affection.
The video was shot in Coos Bay, Oregon.
People reacted to the footage on TikTok, where it has received more than 12,000 likes.
One commenter said: "Bambi and Thumper!"
Bambi, a deer, and Thumper, a rabbit, are best friends in the 1942 Disney film.
