A woman was misdiagnosed as having mental illness - which turned out to be a brain TUMOUR the size of a tennis ball
Image by: Jon Mills
A woman was misdiagnosed as having mental illness - which turned out to be a brain TUMOUR the size of a tennis ball.
Laura Skerritt, 22, began suffering migraines, sickness and psychosis and was told her symptoms were caused by anxiety, depression - and even bi-polar disorder.
She was prescribed anti-depressants but the medication had no effect on her condition which continued to deteriorate.
By November 2018, the young swimming instructor, from Templecombe, Somerset, was struggling to walk and was having seizures.
And a scan at Yeovil District Hospital revealed devastating news for Laura and her family - she was living with a tennis ball-sized brain tumour.
Laura needed emergency surgery to prevent her potentially having a fatal stroke or seizure.
Keen horse rider Laura, who works as a swimming instructor at Wincanton Sports Centre, said: "It took over two years to get a brain tumour diagnosis so I’m keen to share my story to help raise awareness.
"It was frustrating to be told by doctors that my symptoms were caused by mental illness.
"I sensed that my health problems weren’t being caused by mental illness.
"I’m quite an emotional person and flip between happy and sad moods, but this is just part of my quirky personality," she added.
In December 2018, Laura underwent a gruelling 13-hour operation at Southmead Hospital in Bristol, which removed 80% of her low-grade tumour, a central neurocytoma - but parts of it were inoperable.
And the recovery process was not easy for her.
Laura said: "Mum and my boyfriend Harry were with me as I was wheeled into the operating room. I don’t remember anything from surgery and recovery was tough.
"I lost two stone, had to re-learn how to talk and was in constant agony because my muscles had wasted away.
"I recently suffered a major seizure and now I need a second operation followed by eight weeks of intensive radiotherapy.
"It’s going to be really hard going back into hospital but I’m hoping I make it through the treatment."
Image by: Jon Mills
Image by: Jon Mills
Image by: Jon Mills
Image by: Jon Mills
She added: "Up until my brain tumour diagnosis, I thought I was invincible.
"I never worried about my health, and my own mortality was never something that crossed my mind.
"My diagnosis changed my outlook on life. I’m not sure whether or not I want kids, for fear of them inheriting the disease or seeing me suffer with symptoms.
"My plans of moving out were put on hold. I had to give up my driving licence and, living in the middle of the Somerset countryside, with that I lost my independence," she said.
Laura is working with the charity Brain Tumour Research to raise awareness of the biggest cancer killer of children and adults under the age of 40.
Mel Tiley, community fundraising manager at Brain Tumour Research in the South West, said: "We are very grateful to Laura for opening up about her brain tumour diagnosis.
"We hope that those touched by her story will donate to Brain Tumour Research.
"Brain tumours are indiscriminate; they can affect anyone at any age.
"What’s more, less than 20 per cent of those diagnosed with a brain tumour survive beyond five years, compared with an average of 50 per cent across all cancers.
"We cannot allow this desperate situation to continue," Mel added.
Brain Tumour Research funds sustainable research at dedicated Centres of Excellence in the UK.
It also campaigns for the Government and the larger cancer charities to invest more in research into brain tumours in order to speed up new treatments for patients and, ultimately, to find a cure.
The charity is calling for an annual spend of £35m in order to improve survival rates and patient outcomes in line with other cancers such as breast cancer and leukaemia.
To donate to Brain Tumour Research go to https://www.braintumourresearch.org/donation.
Mum of a girl with "purple" birthmarks bravely admitted she hid her from strangers for SIX weeks after she was born - and even used filters in photos she posted online
Image by: Tom Maddick SWNS
The mum of a girl with "purple" birthmarks bravely admitted she hid her from strangers for SIX weeks after she was born - and even used filters in photos she posted online.
Sara Farrow, 27, was scared of people seeing her newborn daughter Lacey-Dee Barrett in public because of the port-wine stain birthmark covering 90% of her body.
It was caused by the abnormal development of her blood vessels during pregnancy and protective Sara was scared people would single out her daughter.
So for the first six weeks of her life, single mum Sara covered her daughter’s bright-coloured skin and hid her away from strangers.
And when she posted photos of Lacey-Dee on Instagram, Sara said she used filters to mask the true colour of her daughter's skin.
She only changed her ways when she became worried Lacey-Dee would look back on her baby photos when she is older and asked her mum if she was embarrassed.
But even when she finally plucked up the courage, Sara claims strangers told her daughter looks “diseased” and “contagious”.
Sara, from Lincoln, said: “Until she was six weeks old I covered her up whenever we went out in public.
“As her mum obviously I am not bothered about her appearance but I was scared about what other people would think.
“When she was first born she was very red and looked bruised. I’ve had people say lots of things when we are out.
"I was scared of what people would think of me as a mum. People have said she looks diseased and have asked what’s wrong with her face.
“One person asked ‘is she allergic to the washing powder I use’ and people think there is something really wrong with her.
“She is completely unique and it’s just how she is.
“It makes her who she is and for me now it would be strange to see her without the birthmarks.
“I think she is beautiful and love how she looks”
Lacey-Dee was born at Lincoln County Hospital in April and Sara said she realised something was different straight away.
She had darker patches on her chest and doctors thought she may have been bruised.
Within hours, the birthmark appeared in full on the surface of Lacey-Dee’s skin and Sara said initially it was “hard to come to terms with”.
Image by: Tom Maddick SWNS
Image by: Tom Maddick SWNS
Image by: Sara Farrow
Image by: Sara Farrow
Image by: Tom Maddick SWNS
Former retail worker Sara said: “It was only on her chest at first and we thought it might be bruising.
“But after a couple of hours her whole body turned purple and blue.
“It was a real shock to be honest and I was really worried because doctors weren’t sure what was wrong."
She was referred to specialists and diagnosed with port wine stains in October.
Only three in every 1,000 babies are born with the condition which occurs during pregnancy, and usually only appear on one limb or area of the body.
Sara said she covered up as much of her daughter’s skin with baby blankets, long sleeved clothing or hiding her away in her buggy.
“I just thought ‘oh god’ and it was hard for me to come to terms with," she said.
“I was most worried about her face and I’m scared for her future.
"But it got to the point where I didn't want her to look back on baby photos and see I wasn't confident enough or I was embarrassed.
"I had to get brave for her sake as much as mine. I had to come to terms with it.
“I’m worried for when she goes to school. I don’t want her to be called names or to be bullied."
It comes with no other side effects and Sara said Lacey-Dee is a “very happy” baby.
But she said when she is out and about she faces having to explain her daughter's discoloration.
Sara said: “We went to the GP and a receptionist there said she should be kept in another room away from children playing in the waiting room in case she’s contagious.
“It makes me feel bad but regardless of the birthmark, it doesn’t change who she is.
“We have seen so many dermatologists and they all said this is the most extensive case of Port Wine Stains they have seen.”
Lacey-Dee will meet with specialists next month to see if she is eligible for colour-corrective treatment.
Video by: Gabriella Petty
Lorry-mad four-year-old boy gets ultimate toy when his uncle builds huge remote controlled truck - he can actually ride in
Image by: Adam Hughes SWNS
A truck-mad four-year-old has been given the ultimate boys toy after his uncle built him a remote controlled LORRY he can ride around in.
Darren Buckler, 40, spent 12 hours over two days constructing the £600 replica of a Mercedes Actros HGV in his garage at home for nephew Hugene (corr).
The self-employed landscaper decided to build the vehicle as a Christmas present after Hugene spent five weeks in hospital with kidney disease in December.
The 24-volt battery-powered four-wheel drive lorry has a plank aluminium body and flashing safety lights and is big enough for a child to sit in and drive.
Darren says Hugene loves nothing more than travelling around his local park in the impressive toy, which has a top speed of 5mph and a battery life of over an hour.
He is now hoping to quit his job to make the models full-time after being inundated with orders when he posted a photo of the present on Facebook.
Former trucker Darren has so far made over £10,000 in less than a month selling ten lorries at £690 each and raffling five off at £15 a ticket.
The dad-of-three says there is currently a two-week waiting time on the trucks, which are 2ft wide, 4.5ft long and 4ft tall and are available in red, black, blue or white.
Image by: Adam Hughes SWNS
Image by: Adam Hughes SWNS
Image by: Adam Hughes SWNS
Image by: Adam Hughes SWNS
Image by: Adam Hughes SWNS
Darren, who lives with partner Leanne Bradford, 37, in Walsall, West Mids., said: “Trucks have always been my hobby.
“I used to be a lorry driver. I have driven them for the last 20 years.
“I saw one of these toy lorries and thought ‘I could make a more realistic one of them' so I gave it a go for Hugene, who is my brother-in-laws son.
“It was to cheer him up really as he had just come out of Birmingham Children's Hospital with kidney disease, which is going to require further operations.
“We live in the same street and there’s a green area called the snicket where he can drive it. He absolutely loves it.
"I thought it would be a one-off but then I posted some photos of it on Facebook and I was inundated with requests for them. Its like the whole country wants one.
"I might pack my full time job in and try to set up myself as a business but at the moment I’m enjoying my hobby.
"I don't make much profit from them as they cost about £600 to build but I'm hoping to reduce the cost if I can buy the materials in bulk.
"I'm also going to raffle some off for charity as well, its not really about the money for me at the moment, I'm just enjoying making them for now.
“Everyone is interested in trucks round here so I've had a few orders locally as well as family and friends.
"But there are a lot of orders on Facebook. I can make them for kids to match their dad’s truck. I can’t build them quick enough at the moment."
Video by: Gabriella Petty
Shocking pictures show 150-year-old church tower collapsed shortly before Sunday service
Image by: Tom Maddick SWNS
Shocking pictures show the scale of devastation after a 150-year-old church was reduced to rubble when it suddenly collapsed on Sunday morning (19/1).
Emergency services were called to St John the Baptist Church in High Toynton, Lincs.,
after a historic tower, built in 1872, came down without warning.
Sniffer dogs were brought in by the fire service to search the rubble for bodies - but fortunately nobody was reported injured.
The Grade II-listed church would usually have been packed with parishioners but there was not a service on Sunday.
The remains of the church have been cordoned off by police while an online fundraiser has been set up to help raise £100,000 towards the cost of the repairs.
A structural engineer was inspecting the site this morning (Mon) with the Reverend Charles Patrick.
He said: "It’s obviously a great shock to see the devastation and a great gaping hole.
"The fire service did a thorough job and brought in dogs just to ensure nobody was found."
Horncastle Police tweeted: “We have been supporting the community of High Toynton with Horncastle firefighters after the collapse of the church tower.
“No injuries to report thankfully and we will be supporting the community with regular 24 hours checks of the site.”
Police and Crime Commissioner for Lincolnshire, Marc Jones, also tweeted: “What a terrible shock for the whole community.
“Glad that everyone is safe but what a sad sight to see.”
Image by: Steve Chatterley
Image by: Steve Chatterley
Image by: Tom Maddick SWNS
Image by: Tom Maddick SWNS
There has been a parish church at the site since the 13th century and the current building was constructed using mainly greenstone in 1872 by Ewan Christian.
The architect, who also restored Southwell Minster and Carlisle Cathedral, reused 12th-century fragments and Norman stone from the previous church erected in 1779.
High Toynton is known as a "doubly thankful" village - it is one of only 14 in the UK where all the men came back from both World Wars.
Included in the church is a bank of Living Memories, which includes a resident’s diary of 1939 to 1941.
Group administrator of Horncastle churches Debbie Knight said: “The Reverend is there this morning with the structural engineer.
“There was not a service yesterday and we believe the collapse happened in the morning.”
A JustGiving page has been set up by Robert Tomkinson, a villager who got married in the church, to raise money to rebuild the church tower.
Robert said: “On Sunday, January 19, the tower of St John the Baptist church in High Toynton collapsed, taking down almost 150 years of history.
"Thankfully no one was hurt.
“The rest of the building is still standing - but the challenge of rebuilding starts now and the village will need all the help it can get!
“We don’t know how much we will need at this stage but the final figure will no doubt be very high - all money raised here will go to the High Toynton Village Fund.
“The church is the heart of village life (and the only community building left after the bus stop!). It hosts church services and music nights throughout the year.
“If you have any connection to High Toynton - we need your help.
“There is so much history behind this wonderful building.
"There has been a church on this site since the 13th century and High Toynton is one of only 14 villages in the UK to be ‘doubly thankful’ - with everyone who fought in both World Wars returning home.
“This fundraising target will be updated once the full costs of rebuilding are known - but any money you can give will help.”
A Lincolnshire Fire and Rescue spokesperson said: "Crews from Horncastle, Spilsby and Woodhall Spa went out to St John the Baptist's church following a call to Lincolnshire Fire and Rescue at 12.42pm.
"They used thermal imaging cameras to search for possible trapped people.
"Our Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) and search dog from Sleaford then attended and carried out a full search, and no people were found. Crews left about 3.30pm."
Video by: Ashley Moran
This hilarious video shows a dog pestering a giant STATUE to throw its ball - after mistaking the artwork for its owner
Image by: Lorraine Courty
This hilarious video shows a dog pestering a giant STATUE to throw its ball - after mistaking the artwork for its owner.
The cute clip shows rescue dog Ozzy wagging its tail and jumping around in anticipation of 'Big Fella' joining in with his game.
The six-year-old spaniel repeatedly barks at the 12-foot installation expecting a throw - but ends up disappointed.
The artwork is located in Silloth, Cumbria and was erected as request of a dying businessman who loved the scenic spot.
Ironically, it also depicts a pet dog - and a ball.
Owner Lorraine Courty, 60, said: "Ozzy always does that with benches. My sister taught him to do it.
"But he had never done it with the massive bench next to Big Fella before, and he hasn't done it since.
"The statue is enormous in real life. We were there a week after and he didn't even look at it. It was just one of those things.
"But that day I eventually took the ball away and he just took it back!
"Everyone has been going crazy about [the video]. Even the sculptor has seen it - he think it's fantastic."
Image by: Newsquest News and Star
Image by: Newsquest News and Star
The work of art was commissioned by businessman Peter Richardson and arranged to be positioned overlooking the sea close to where he lived in the event of his death.
Mr Richardson, who died in 2017 at the age 72, bequeathed the sculpture in his will as a gift to his hometown and the area where he would walk his own beloved dog.
Steel artist Ray Lonsdale took four months to assemble the sculpture, which was then unveiled on August 1, 2019.
The video was shot on December 22, 2019.
Video by: Gabriella Petty
Watch moment sisters four years apart open each other’s iPhone using face recognition
Image by: Hanife Berisha
Two sisters with a four-year age gap can open each other’s iPhones using face recognition - despite looking very different.
Care workers Hanife Berisha and Eva Krasniqi might be sisters but are far from identical.
Yet despite clear differences in their appearance, 30-year-old Hanife and her younger sister Eva, 26, are able to unlock each other’s phones by just glancing at the screen.
The pair, from Orpington, London, have found a glitch in Apple’s usually water-tight Face ID technology that allows users to open their iPhone just by looking at it.
Hanife said: “We both got our phones last year but only realised recently.
"Eva held me phone and it opened out of nowhere. We tried it again and it keeps on working.
"We even tried to reset the phones but it keeps happening.
"It's really shocking that someone else can open up my phone. It means she can access bank accounts and everything.
"I think it is a security risk. The face recognition is one of the main reasons I got my phone.
"We are both quite annoyed about it. The technology is supposed to be so advanced and is not supposed to let this sort of thing happen."
Image by: Hanife Berisha
Image by: Hanife Berisha
Hanife, who was born in Kosovo and then moved to England with her family, owns an iPhone 11 while Eva has an iPhone Xs Max.
Between them they pay around £160 a month on phone contracts and purchased such advanced models for mod-cons like face recognition technology.
After the pair realised Eva could open Hanife's phone, Hanife tried the same trick with Eva's phone.
And to their surprise - it worked again.
Hanife said: "We have tried to reset the phones but it still works anyway.
"I hoped it might just be a one off but it's not, it keeps on happening whenever we try it."
Hanife is now concerned that other people could access her phone if they got their hands on it.
She said: "At first we found it a bit funny but it is quite shocking.
"I wonder if someone who has black hair and brown eyes could open my phone too. We do not look alike at all."
Video by: Hanife Berisha
A mum who posted a two star review for a takeaway was sent a letter by the manager calling her ''pathetic'' - and saying he should have given her food to pigs
Image by: Jon Mills
A mum who posted a two star review for a takeaway was sent a letter by the manager calling her ''pathetic'' - and saying he should have given her food to pigs.
Aimee Casey, 27, posted a scathing write-up on a food ordering app after spending £14 on chicken and chips from Sam's Fried Chicken.
She described the food as "slimy" and claimed even her dog wouldn't eat it - to which the restaurant took great offence.
Aimee received a searing note from the manager three days after she left her review accusing her of having no morals - and banning her from eating there again.
The letter said: "Your comment on the review page is disgusting; you compared our food with dog food.
"You are a pathetic women you do not have moral value.
"If we had known you are such a low graded person we would not have served you, infect we would have donated your order to Pig farm so that Pig can enjoy the food better then you.
"Do not order from us again. We will make sure all other takeaways know of your low lifeless."
The letter is signed 'Sayd Ahmed, Manager'.
Student Aimee said: "I was shocked when I saw it; I thought it was going to be a voucher. It didn't make me feel great. It's very strongly worded.
"It was an honest review. That's what they are for - to let people know what the food is like.
"It's quite scary to think he has my address and he's sending letters like that. It wasn't nice. I've got a baby. It does make you wonder.
"I think it's a really abusive approach, and he really shouldn't be doing that. It's defamation of character.
"If the dog wouldn't eat it I wasn't going to. It was red in the middle. I won't be ordering from them again."
Aimee ordered from the takeaway, located in Weston-super-Mare, North Somerset, on January 6 and posted the two-star review that evening.
The text has since been deleted, although the rating is still online.
Image by: Tom Wren SWNS
Image by: Jon Mills
Image by: Jon Mills
She wrote: "Awful food. Tasted like it had been brought from Iceland and dunked in a fryer for an hour!
"Really unsatisfied, and they gave me extra chips to try and hide the fact the rest of the food was bad.
"The chicken was slimy, and even my dog wouldn't eat it."
The restaurant also replied online, under the name 'Sam's Fried Chicken'. Their response is still available to view.
It said: "Thank you for taking time writing the review. You should have called the shop to complain before you write a very disgusting review.
"Please don’t order from us again. Thank you."
When approached about his comments, Mr Ahmed said: "She should have phoned us and said the food was not good enough, and we could have sorted something out instead.
"Putting a review is no problem, just don't compare the food for human consumption to dog food.
"We are Muslim, we respect our food, so these insults disrespected our religion."
Aimee, who is expecting her third child, added: "I'm not sure why he's saying that. I didn't know their religion when I ordered the food."
Sam's Fried Chicken is rated four out of six stars on the app, based on 58 reviews.
This is the heart pounding footage that shows a troop of daredevils launching themselves across an 80 METER Canyon on a gigantic catapult!
Image by: Domen Rozman
This is the heart pounding footage showing a troop of daredevils launching themselves across an 80 METER canyon - on a giant zipwire.
The world-famous acrobats are seen riding the so-called 'Y Zipline' in an insane adrenaline-fuelled experience.
Dunking Devils took a different spin on the traditional zipline, a popular activity among adrenaline lovers.
The main difference between the traditional zipline and Y Zipline is the fact that the latter is instead of 1 made of 3 cables in the shape of letter Y.
Whereas the traditional zipline takes you from point A to B down a straight line, the ride down the Y Zipline ends at the junction of all three branches. The impact with the knot then generates enough force and momentum to catapult you high in the air!
DD Squad often travel to different locations to film their episodes, but this time, they found the perfect spot just 20 minutes from one of Europe’s greenest capitals - Ljubljana.
Image by: Domen Rozman
Image by: Domen Rozman
Image by: Domen Rozman
The guys from DD Squad had caught wind of epic cliffs at Lake Trboje a while ago, so they decided to check them out and see whether they were suitable for cliff diving. Luckily, the location ended up being just what they were after - the entire river canyon is lined with beautiful cliffs of up to 15 meters tall.
Matevž Pogačar, Dunking Devils acrobat and member of DD Squad, said: “The idea of turning a traditional zipline into some kind of a catapult had been in our minds for a very long time.
"I’m happy we’ve finally done it! The whole setup was quite challenging - we had absolutely no idea how the apparatus would work.
“It took us three days to set up the zipline and a lot of trial and error until everything worked just as we had imagined.
"During our 7-day zipline adventure we met some really nice locals, who encouraged us during our stunts and even lent us a helping hand with the setup.
“The whole experience was really positive, so we will definitely return to Lake Trboje!”
Video by: Domen Rozman
Pensioner left "gutted" after burglars steal navy service medals that have been in his family for three generations
Image by: TM Bristol Post
A pensioner has been left "gutted" after priceless 140-year-old navy service medals belonging to his great-great-uncle and grandfather were stolen.
Roy Bowden, 86, is descended from five generations of men who are from a navy background - and his most prized family heirlooms are service medals received by two of his relatives.
But Roy was devastated when he returned home from a week away to find that his house had been broken into and four naval service medals had been stolen.
All of his family's jewellery was also taken in last Monday's burglary when intruders ransacked his home in Nailsea, north Somerset.
Roy, who retired from the Royal Mail in 1999, said: "I'm gutted, really.
"My aunt passed down these medals to me and I really wanted to pass them on to my own children and grandchildren.
"I come from a naval background which goes back five generations. These are my grandfather and two great uncles medals that have been stolen," he added.
The burglary took place at around 6.30pm on January 20, when the thieves gained entry to Roy's home by smashing his dining room window round the back of the house.
The medals stolen were received by two of his relatives - his great great uncle Winfield, and his grandfather Henry Bowden.
They are two Victorian naval silver long service medals, one which includes "Chief Steward Winfield" engraved on the rim, and a silver china medal with "Luck now" relief bar on the ribbon which belonged to Mr Winfield.
An Egypt medal bar with "Alexandria 1881", and a George V Good Conduct and Long Service silver medal belonged to Mr Bowden.
Roy said: "The earliest medal that has been stolen dates back to the reign of George V.
"My great uncle served on the Royal Navy boats which were used to trap the U-boats during the Second World War.
"My grandfather retired from service at some point in the 1950s. He received the George V Good Conduct Medal as well as an Egypt medal bar with 'Alexandria 1881.'
"The rarest medal which has gone missing is a China War Medal which dates back to sometime during the 1880s," he added.
Roy himself is not from a military background. He started out his career as an engineer in Plymouth during the 1960s.
After 1969, Roy worked for the Royal Mail and then moved offices from Plymouth to Southampton, before moving to Bristol. He retired after 30 years service.
Image by: TM Bristol Post
Roy was away from his house for a week when the burglary took place, visiting a friend to celebrate their birthday.
He said: "I came back to my house at 3.30pm on Tuesday and found that all my family's war medals and jewellery had been stolen."
A significant amount of jewellery was also stolen from Roy's home including wedding rings, necklaces and bracelets, pearls, cufflinks and brooches.
Also stolen were an Omega watch, silver cutlery and numerous old pound and shilling notes.
Speaking of the significance of the family heirlooms, Roy said: "All the jewellery that was stolen also belonged to my family.
"It's been passed down throughout the generations.
"You just never expect something like this to ever happen to you," he added.
A witness from the scene described seeing an unknown man in the front room of the property at around 6.30pm.
Police enquiries are ongoing.
PC Emma Leadbeater said: "This is a callous offence in which an elderly man has had his home broken into and a large amount of valuable and sentimental items have been stolen from him, including his war medals.
"We are committed to tackling burglary across and Avon and Somerset.
"We will be doing all that we can to identify and apprehend the individual responsible and, where possible, return the stolen belongings."
Police are asking members of the public to keep an eye out on online selling sites for anyone selling items that match the description of the stolen belongings.
They are also appealing to anyone who works in antique shops and pawnbrokers to call the police with any relevant information.
RAF airman quit job and sold belongings to fund stunning globe-trotting adventure across Europe with his pet ferret named Bandit
Image by: Charlie Hammerton
An RAF airman quit his job and sold everything to travel the world -- with his pet ferret.
Charlie Hammerton, 25, was grieving following the deaths of his best friend, mother and adopted mum in around 19 months.
In a bid to feel more positive, he decided to travel the world with his 'best pal', rescue ferret Bandit.
He quit his job, sold his three cars and almost all his possessions, drumming up £15,000 for his dream trip, allowing him to buy a campervan.
The inseparable pair travelled for eight months, driving through 11 countries, from the Arctic Circle to southern Italy.
His hilarious holiday album is full of snaps of Bandit posing in front of iconic landmarks - from the Eiffel tower to the Colosseum.
Charlie has written a book inspired by the trip and now travels the country visiting schools to teach outdoor education.
Image by: Charlie Hammerton
Image by: Charlie Hammerton
Image by: Charlie Hammerton
Image by: Charlie Hammerton
Single Charlie, from Falmouth, Cornwall, said: “Travelling was the most amazing experience of my life and it was completely liberating.
“We followed the sun across the world and camped under the stars in amazing places.
“It was beautiful and I spent it with my best friend.
“I have less money now but I am much wealthier as a person."
Charlie rescued Bandit from an animal sanctuary in 2015 and the pair have been the best of friends ever since.
The little ferret even stayed with him at his military digs in RAF Coningsby whilst Charlie was working for the RAF.
But Charlie suffered depression and suicidal thoughts after a string of heartbreaking losses in 2017 and 2018.
His best friend passed away aged 22 in July 2016 following a following a night out with friends where his family suspect he took drugs.
His mum Jan died in March 2017, aged 53, after suffering with motor neurone disease, and his adopted mum passed away after a heart attack in February 2018.
Living in Arnold, Nottinghamshire at the time he decided to turn his back on a promising career and plough almost all of his money into a globe-trotting adventure - with Bandit.
His adventures have included road trips with Bandit to raise awareness for different charities.
The pair walked across Hadrian's Wall in aid of motor neurone disease charity, MND, and also skateboarded 40 miles across London in aid of a drug awareness charity.
“It was horrible for me but I didn’t want to get into a rut because of it all," he said.
"I did think about killing myself a couple of times. I didn’t know where to turn.
“It took a lot of courage for me to do what I did.
“At the time I was living in a nice flat, had a good job and had three cars.
“I had a lot of savings behind me and I was lucky enough to be very secure.
“But it was all just ‘stuff’ to me and didn’t really mean anything.
“I decided to get rid of the lot - and set off with Bandit.”
Image by: Charlie Hammerton
Image by: Charlie Hammerton
Image by: Charlie Hammerton
Within the space of just a couple of months Charlie quit the RAF, sold his cars and gadgets and even moved out of his flat.
He managed to drum up £15,000 - and spent £5,000 on a camper van which he would go on to call home.
Starting out in February 2018 Charlie and Bandit ventured from Edinburgh, Scotland, to Holland, Germany, Sweden, Norway, France, Spain and Italy on their European road trip.
Just a month into the trip Charlie's girlfriend, Chiara Corsa, 21, joined him and Bandit in Berlin for the rest of the adventure.
They visited some of the world’s most iconic places, including the Eiffel tower, Colosseum in Rome and the Arctic Circle.
The pair visited more than 25 towns and cities in 11 countries and Charlie documented the adventure on a Facebook page, ‘Adventures With The Bandit’.
He posted photos of Bandit at Europe’s most iconic landmarks.
“We visited some incredibly scenic places and camped next to some of the most famous places in the world”, Charlie said.
“It was incredible to do it with Bandit. He has seen me at my best and my worst and has always been with me.
“Bandit has been with me through thick and thin.”
Charlie and Bandit slept, lived and ate in their camper van before travelling back to the UK in September 2018.
In November 2018, Charlie released a book inspired by his travels.
Before Our Adventures is available to buy on Amazon and is a story all about making the most out of a bad situation.
Charlie said: “The trip was completely liberating and I really did have an amazing experience.
“I needed to just go out and do something for me.
“The book is all about how you can take anything bad and turn it into something really good.
“Everyone has the right and the ability to do that.
“It’s easy to get stuck in a rut but there’s no need to. I feel so much better for what I did.”
Charlie now works in schools across the country teaching youngsters lessons on how to build confidence, self-esteem and outdoor living skills, such as camping and bushcraft.
He said: “I went through a really rough time and developed serious depression.
“I felt suicidal and just didn’t know what to do with myself.
“A chain of bad things had happened to me and I had good reason to feel really miserable about my life.
“But I decided that was not what I wanted to be, I didn’t want this to define me.
“I sold the lot and just took off. It was the making of me.
“I channeled the negative energy and turned it into something positive."
