Police community support officers are captured playing HOPSCOTCH
Image by: Lis Bailey-Bowler
A pair of police community support officers have been captured on camera playing a game of HOPSCOTCH in the street while on duty.
Comical footage captured the uniformed officers hopping and skipping along the pavement after the markings were painted on the floor by a five-year-old boy.
Derbyshire Police shared the clip after the pair were unwittingly caught on CCTV while on patrol in Matlock, Derbys., on Tuesday (14/4).
The force wrote on Twitter: "Officers in #Matlock have been #CaughtOnCamera... using a hopscotch that a 5-year-old had painted on the floor outside his house.
"Thank you to mum for sharing this footage with us, and to the PCSOs for hopscotching like no-one was watching!"
The force's Police Contact Centre had earlier tweeted: "Matlock SNT hop, skip and jumping whilst on patrol yesterday!
"Ted Bailey-Bowler (5) with a little help from Mum used his chalks to make some fun for anyone going past and we love it!
"In these difficult times it is important to share things that make others smile! #thankyou."
Many social media users praised the pair for brightening their day but others were more critical of their actions.
Stephen Carruthers wrote: "Essential travel? No. They clearly left their homes to play on a hopscotch! NOT essential travel."
Jamie Burgess added: "Should be out catching crooks instead of hopping about the streets. What is this nonsense?"
A web user called Right Hand Of Doom added: "P**s poor social distancing chaps ! Lead from the front be the example."
Dan Oldfield said: "Surprised that the parents haven’t been fined for it as it’s proof they havent been staying in there home"
However, Zoe Parnell put: "Lovely x keep up your amazing good spirits officers x keep safe x"
Fran Jones added: "Ignore any haters, this is heartwarming to see. Police are human too. In these strange times, we all need a lift."
Image by: Lis Bailey-Bowler
Image by: Lis Bailey-Bowler
Ted's mum Lis Bailey-Bowler, 38, said passers-by regularly have a go on the hopscotch but was shocked to see the officers giving it a try.
Mum-of-two Lis, a primary school teacher, added: “It think it's great. It has made a lot of people smile and that’s what we need at this time.
“It was filmed on our security camera, which we have because we are on quite a busy road.
“My son Ted had wanted to make a hop-scotch and went out with his dad on Easter Monday with the chalks he had got for his birthday a couple of days before.
“I first realised they might have had a go because of a post on the Matlock Community Support Facebook page. They’d posted a picture of officers standing by the hopscotch.
“I recognised it was outside my house and asked them online if they’d had a go. They said: ‘Yes, we did.’
“Then I had a look on the camera to show Ted and found it after scrolling through for ages.
“It took 20-40 minutes until I saw people in high visibility jackets going by.
“I called Ted in from the garden and showed it to him. He thought it was really great and funny and liked it when they stumbled at the end.
“Some of our friends have also tripped up there. It’s regular hopscotch from one to ten with four random triangles and circles at the end.
“Ted thinks no one can do it better than him.
The officers said when we can see people again they would like to come to meet Ted properly.
“I think it’s lovely especially because Ted had his birthday party in lockdown and couldn’t see his friends.
“Having a video call with them wasn’t the same, so anything to cheer him up is welcome.
“This has kept me busy for the past few days with the video going viral. It’s been really weird.
“I’m glad people are enjoying it.”
Video by: Gabriella Petty
A bored university student spent her time in quarantine on the phone to all her exes - to ask them 'What Went Wrong? in their relationship
Image by: Jack Rivlin
A bored university student spent her time in quarantine on the phone to all her exes - to ask them 'What Went Wrong? in their relationship.
Rebecca Lockwood followed advice she’d seen on Twitter - treat isolation as an opportunity for self growth.
She'd spotted a Kitty O’Meara quote making the rounds on Twitter: “And the people stayed home. And read books, and listened and rested, and exercised, and made art, and played games, and learned new ways of being, and were still.”
So the English and creative writing undergrad thought who better to help her grow than her exes.
Rebecca, 19, shared her experiences with student news site The Tab.
She said: “The people who have experienced the worst of me are definitely the most qualified to tell me what went wrong and how to improve.
“It’s worth a try to see how I can be the best me I can be.
“Plus, I really didn’t have anything better to do - I was just so bored.
“Waiting for them to reply was terrifying, but actually everyone was really nice - there’s no hard feelings there.
“It gave me a bit of a reality check - it’s so easy to just block someone out of your life.”
Call number one was with Jay, an ex-boyfriend of multiple months dating back to last year.
Jay had lived opposite Rebecca in her first-year accommodation and the pair were two of few resident smokers.
She’d broken up with him in bed.
When she called him last week, he admitted he had no idea who he was talking to because the number wasn’t saved.
Jay said: “I think initially everything was really great because we were both available, living super close and the thrill of it all was the sorta uni vibe you would want.
“After thinking it through for a while, I guessed you probably thought that yes I’m nice and I look after you, but that you aren’t getting the most out of someone you should be fully committed to.
“I don’t believe you made any wrong conscious choices, and neither did I.”
Call two was with Tim - the pair had dated for a couple of months about three years ago.
The pair had started out as friends with few common interests - the extent being photography and Tyler the Creator.
Rebecca claims he was impossible to break up with - even when she lied that she was confused about her sexuality, he offered to work it out together.
Image by: Jack Rivlin
Tim said: “There isn’t really that much, but I feel like you broke up with me really out of the blue - especially after you brought me some gifts the day before.
“Then blocked me and wouldn’t speak to me about it.”
But Tim ended up apologising to Rebecca as after she had ended things, he turned up at her house with a photobook of hand-annotated memories and flowers.
“I do wanna say, and I feel this is a good time to say it, that I’m sorry for after it happened and I came to your house, still feel like a dick about it years later.”
His one piece of advice: “It’s the cutting people off really - like for the longest time I assumed you just got bored of me.”
Call number three was a little more heartless.
Ed and Rebecca had met in school - he was also Rebecca's first kiss, outside Greggs.
Rebecca claims the pair are still friends now, the pair often discussing Ed’s relationship with his boyfriend.
Ed opened with: “Oh for fuck sake - are you taking the piss?
“How long was our relationship? Three days?!
“Not much happened and after a while you got your scary friend to dump me.
“In terms of improvement, maybe you could have the bollocks to dump me yourself.”
Ed enjoyed the task, offering me three points of improvement:
“One, confidence.
“Two, you could have been a bit more passionate, a bit more affectionate.
“And three, you just could have shown a lot more enthusiasm for the general experience of it all.”
Rebecca admits it had been hard to hear her character attacked, but she had asked for it.
Her advice for others considering picking up the phone to their exes:
“They’re probably as bored as you, and might want to spend some time giving you feedback for this crucial period of self-learning.
“And in a seemingly never-ending quarantine, what else do you have to do?”
Widower transitions to female after the death of his wife - and is now set to marry son's school teacher
Image by: Katie Papilio
A widower transitioned to become a woman after the death of his wife - and is now set to wed his son's female school teacher.
Joel Stottlemire, 49, found the courage to be the person 'he always knew he was' after his wife of five years, Minxi Liu, 41, died of metastatic breast cancer.
Before her death, Minxi supported his decision and helped her then-husband Joel make the transition to become Katie Papilio.
The couple had one child together, Lucas, aged five, who now knows his 'dad' as Katie - and can't remember her ever being a man.
But amidst the transition and grief, Katie never expected to find love again.
Whilst dropping Lucas at school, she was called over by her son's teacher, Beth Davis, 55, and the pair bonded through sharing stories about grief whilst organising playdates for their kids.
Beth had also been grieving after losing her husband Rhon Davis, 58, to a heart attack - just six months before Katie's wife died.
Within a few months, Katie and Beth became more than just friends as romance blossomed.
They went official with their relationship in August, 2019 - much to Lucas' delight - and got engaged in October 2019.
Katie, an author, from Topeka, Kansas, USA, said: "I wasn't looking for anything, but Beth showed up right when I needed her.
"Losing my wife was so hard - and navigating single parenthood was tricky too - let alone on top of transitioning to become a woman.
"Lucas was amazing throughout - and he was all I needed. I never expected to find love and companionship again.
"When I dropped Lucas at school and picked him up, I'd chat to Beth and we realised how much we had in common.
"Having Beth as a friend and someone to confide in was amazing and I was even more blessed when it progressed into something more.
"Now I can't wait to make her my wife."
Beth, a preschool teacher, said: "Right from when I met Katie, I liked her.
"I used to think she was too cool for me. I'd never dated a woman before and was curious about how I felt for her.
"I desperately wanted to be friends with her, and through organising playdates for our kids, I got there - and further!"
Katie and her first wife, Minxi Liu, married in 2012, when Katie was still a man - and had a son together, Lucas, now five, in May 2014.
The family lived happily together until the shock diagnosis of Minxi's cancer in March 2015.
When Katie confided in Minxi about her wanting to transition, she received the full support of her spouse, despite some initial confusion.
Despite chemotherapy and radiation, Minxi's condition deteriorated, and she passed away in December 2017.
Katie said: "All of a sudden I was a single parent. I was overwhelmed with grief and fear, but thinking about my transition took my mind off things.
"Minxi had known about my feelings regarding my gender. Of course, it was difficult for her to get used to, but when she realised how happy it made me, she let me get on with it.
"I was consumed by the transition, constantly attending appointments, therapy sessions, and being a parent for Lucas, that I didn't have time to think about things properly.
"Minxi's death showed me that life is too short to pretend.
"I loved her so much, and thank her every day for allowing me to consider actually doing what I had always wanted to - to begin my transition and become the person I always knew I was."
Image by: Katie Papilio
Image by: Katie Papilio
Image by: Katie Papilio
Katie began her transition in June 2016 - undergoing hormone therapy and surgery and completed it in January 2019.
Katie - who does not have contact with the rest of her family - has never told her son Lucas about her previously being male. He has always known her as Katie and can't ever remember her being a man.
In September 2018, when Katie only had a further six months to wait until her gender confirmation surgery, she enrolled Lucas in preschool.
"The first thing I saw when I walked into the school was this amazing flash of bright blue hair," Katie said.
"I thought: 'That looks like my kind of person,' and went over to speak to her.
"She introduced herself as Beth and when I figured out that she was Lucas' new teacher, the thought of seeing her a lot was nice.
"She seemed like the kind of person I would be friends with.
"Her blue hair and tattoos really appealed to me, and I wanted to get to know her, so over the next week we organised a time to take our kids to the park together on a playdate."
Beth was married to her husband Rhon Davis for 31 years until he passed away at 58 years old from a heart attack.
The couple had four children together - Breanne 29, Lauren, 27, Avery, 25, and Aiyana, nine.
Consumed by grief, the mum-of-four threw herself into parenting and teaching.
When Beth met Katie, the topic of loss didn't take long to come up.
Beth said: "We found out pretty quickly that we were both going through the same thing.
"Our spouses died within six months of one another, and to have somebody else around to relate to was a breath of fresh air.
"I thought Katie was too cool for school.
"Never in a million years would I have thought she would be interested in hanging out with me as a friend, let alone become my girlfriend."
During trips to the park and bowling alley, the friends talked about their feelings and discussed Katie's transition at length.
Katie said: "Beth was always there for me, through what was one of the most confusing points of my life.
"We chatted on the sidelines a lot, whilst we watched the kids play, but never got much chance to talk in private.
"I think we both knew something was going on, but neither of us spoke about it."
One night in July 2019, the pair finally managed to have some alone time.
During an evening in, with the kids being looked after by a childminder, the couple decided to watch a documentary entitled 'Out here in Kansas' about being gay in Kansas, Christianity and the troubles that come with homosexuality and religion - which was created by Beth's cousin Adam Knapp, 49.
This led to a serious conversation about Katie's experiences, and brought the two women closer together.
Katie said: "I think neither of us knew where we stood after that night. All I knew was that things were on a different vibe now.
"And then the next morning, Beth texted me something that blew my mind."
Beth's message read: 'Good morning beautiful.'
"She asked me if I could come over, so I went over during my lunch break," Katie said.
When Katie knocked on the front door, she was greeted by a very nervous looking Beth.
Beth said: "I was so incredibly anxious, but I knew I just had to do it.
"I took her face in my hands and kissed her. That's where it all began."
As it was Beth's first same-sex relationship there was lots of questioning, but the couple worked through it and made their relationship official on August 1st 2019.
They went on their first date a month later, taking a trip to Lawrence, Kansas, where they ate at a Greek restaurant and strolled hand-in-hand.
With their relationship official and the future looking bright, the couple knew that the time had come when they would have to reveal it to their children.
Katie said: "Telling Lucas was easy. I got myself all nervous, but as he was just five years old, he just accepted it.
"I just explained that Beth and I were really good friends, and now we were going to be a bit more than that - he was completely fine with it!"
Due to her children being older, telling them about her relationship with Katie was something Beth was afraid of.
"When I told Breanne, I had got myself all nervous and worked up," Beth explained.
"But she just said: 'Yeah, we already know that mum!' it was a huge relief!"
Since the couple becoming partners, they have bought a new house in Topeka together, where they will live with Aiyana and Lucas.
In October 2019, Katie needed to buy a new car, due to her brakes not working. Whilst looking for a new car, the couple realised that they may as well buy one together.
Katie said: "I don't know why, but this just confirmed things for me. Buying a car together is a big, long-term commitment. And the fact that we were both so happy to do that just proved it to us.
"When we were driving home, I looked at Beth and told her I didn't want to be her girlfriend anymore."
Beth said: "Hearing that was incredible. I told her I didn't want to be her girlfriend either.
"I wanted to be her wife."
The couple bought matching engagement rings and have set the date for their wedding in June 2020.
"I never thought I could feel this comfortable in my life and in myself," Katie said.
"When Minxi passed away, I thought that was the end of everything for me.
"I have found myself, but I have also found love."
London's latest kebab restaurant has opened - on board a double decker bus
Image by: Steve Chatterley
London's latest kebab restaurant has opened - on a double decker bus.
Tucking into a doner on board a London bus normally brings groans from fellow passengers, but it's positively encouraged at Last Stop Kebab in Edmonton, north London.
The bus themed Turkish restaurant can seat 40 customers at a time, and the on board experience includes the original TfL moquette designs on the seats.
There were only 20 days between when ambitious owner Firat Amara first thought of the idea to renovate a former Tansport for London double-decker bus and when he bought it on December 20.
From there it was hard work to transform it into a place fit for dining and it took two months to get everything ready.
Firat and two colleagues had to remove some seats, remove the engine and the back tyres to allow space for tables, chairs, a kitchen and the all-important doner kebab machine.
The gas, electricity and water needed to run the business comes from the supermarket Fnext door that Firat part-owns.
The 41-year-old was very coy about the bus he bought in London and did not want to reveal how much he had paid for it.
“That’s a secret,” he chuckled.
“It cost me a lot of money but I don’t want to say how much I spent on it.
“I thought, everything is running on social media.
“If I get a double decker bus then people will share it on Instagram, be interested to come and will use it as an advert.”
He was not wrong, so far videos of the creative concept have been liked more than 450,000 times on social media and people are travelling from all over London to experience the service themselves.
Firat said: “That’s what we wanted and that’s what we want and deserve.
“All day we’ve been busy and haven’t been stopped, I hope that carries on.
“We are so happy because we did something and people are giving good appreciation.”
Image by: Steve Chatterley
Image by: Steve Chatterley
Image by: Steve Chatterley
Image by: Steve Chatterley
Image by: Steve Chatterley
Image by: Steve Chatterley
Image by: Steve Chatterley
Since opening, Last Stop Kebab has been very busy with the upstairs packed, the downstairs full and queues of people outside of the door.
There is only space for three members of staff in the tiny, yet packed kitchen of the operation.
Customers should not worry about entertainment as there is Turkish music blasting through the bus’s original tannoy system as they tuck-in.
However, despite all its perks, like on all London buses, there is no toilet on-board.
There were a lot of people in the Edmonton area asking for hot food, both residents and visitors and employees of North Middlesex hospital because the nearest restaurant is a 20-minute walk away.
Firat was determined to think outside of the box and use his 25 years’ kebab experience to start something revolutionary.
He said: “I was always going to do it because at the end of the day what you put in is what you get back.
“You get the fruits from the tree, now it’s the sweet time and we are enjoying the customers.
“I love risk because when you do business, it’s a risky job, if you put in risk you get the money.
“So far, it’s working very well, I’m so happy and they make me so excited each time.”
The kebab bus serves a combination of kebabs, fresh salads and delicious wraps to customers every day from 11am to 3am.
One friend of Firat told him to scrap his entire plan before it even started and has been surprised at how successful it has been.
Firat added: “It wasn’t a surprise to me I knew it woyld happen.
“I asked my customers everyone said to go ahead with it, and they asked me every day when is it going to be open?”
The entrepreneur is already thinking about buying more buses and expanding to central London and Stratford in east London to tap in to different markets.
Video by: Gabriella Petty
WHO WALKS TO BE A MILLIONAIRE? - WW2 veteran walking 100 lengths of back garden before 100th birthday has raised over £1million for NHS in just one week
Image by: Simon Galloway
A World War Two veteran who is walking 100 lengths of his back garden before his 100th birthday has raised over a MILLION pounds for the NHS in just one WEEK.
Tom Moore, 99, says the NHS have been "marvellous" in helping him recover from both a hip replacement, and skin cancer on his head, over the last couple of years.
As a way of saying thank you, the former civil engineer has been doing daily laps of his 25-metre long garden, with the aim of walking 100 lengths - or 2,500 metres - by his 100th birthday on April 30.
Tom, who began his walks last Monday (April 6), initially set a fundraising target of £1,000 for NHS Charities Together, only expecting support from his village of Marston Moretaine, Beds.
But after hitting headlines last week, Tom quickly smashed through his target - and has now raised over £1.3million for frontline health workers.
He told the BBC: "I thank the British public from the bottom of my heart.
"Who would have thought that when I set a target of £1,000 a week ago, it could have reached £800,000?"
Tom added: "It's difficult to imagine all these kind people who have donated so far. It's just amazing."
Tom's daughter, Hannah Ingram-Moore, who set up the fundraising page for him, has had to raise his target three times - from £1,000 to £100,000, then to £250,000 and £500,000.
She took to Twitter to say: "We are overwhelmed by the response. It's extraordinary. We remain proud and humbled by the generosity of the British public."
Tom was born and raised in Keighley, Yorkshire, where he went to grammar school and later went on to complete an apprenticeship as a Civil Engineer.
He was then enlisted in 145 Regiment Royal Armoured Corps at the beginning of the war, and in 1940 was selected for Officer Training.
After completion, Captain Tom Moore went on to be posted in the 9 DWR in India and served and fought on the Arakan and Burma.
After all overseas duties were said and done, Tom returned to the UK to become an Instructor at The Armoured Fighting Vehicle School in Bovington, Dorset.
To support Tom's walk, visit: https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/tomswalkforthenhs.
Image by: Simon Galloway
Tom, whose total now stands at over £1.5million as of Tuesday lunchtime, took to Twitter this morning to write: "Wow, over one million pounds for our beloved NHS!
"I may be walking in my garden to raise money, but this is the British public’s contribution. You are all wonderful - and make Great Britain - GREAT.
"Thanks to everyone - we stand united even during the most testing of times."
And his daughter, Hannah, added: "£1.5 million - we are speechless, celebrating the news.
"Thank you - and a huge thank you to our NHS at this terribly sad time in the country. We are behind you every step."
Video by: Hannah Ingram-Moore
Hero Tom Moore was left speechless at the end of yesterday (Tues) as his fundraising total tipped over the £2million mark.
Having started the day on £850,000, he managed to raise more than £1.3 million in just seven hours.
With his fundraising total standing at £2.2 million by 4pm on Tuesday, Tom posted on Twitter: "2 MILLION POUNDS!
"When I started this journey last Monday, my target was £1,000 for our incredible NHS.
"Since this morning, we have raised another £1.3 million pounds.
"No words left... just thank you."
And in a subsequent Tweet, he added: "Over 100,000 of you have donated to the NHS - I salute you all.
"Thanks for joining me on this mission for our heroes at this very challenging and saddening time in the world. We stand united."
To support Tom's fundraising efforts, visit: https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/tomswalkforthenhs
Video by: Gabriella Petty
A couple who had their wedding cancelled because of Coronavirus donated their wedding food to NHS staff
Image by: Matthew Newby SWNS
A couple who had their nuptials cancelled because of coronavirus have donated their wedding food to NHS staff.
Fiona and Adam Gordon fed over 400 staff at two hospitals over two days with the roast beef and hog roast which was supposed to feed their guests on Saturday (21 March).
The catering company they were using for their big day, Galloping Gourmet, is run by a man who has close links with veterans' charity Hull4Heroes.
And when they were dealt the mortifying news their wedding could not go ahead they got a call asking if they would donate their food.
Amazingly Fiona - nee Bromyard - and partner HGV driver Adam, 30, decided to go along with their wedding anyway - in a quiet church service with just them and two witnesses.
The 31-year-old, from Hull, East Yorks., said they had been planning their wedding for just over a year.
They were having a church wedding with a big reception planned for after.
She said: "We were catering for 120 day guests, and as the venue pulled out at the last minute the catering firm had bought it all in.
"We were having a roast beef dinner, canapes and a hog roast in the evening.
"That would have been a lot to go to waste.
"When Tony Norris from the catering company called us up to ask to donate we didn't give it a second thought."
Image by: Matthew Newby SWNS
Image by: Matthew Newby SWNS
The pair had paid £250 for their own beef but the £2,500 they've paid to Galloping Gournet still remains in credit - as the charity have footed the bill for the big feed.
The company are hanging on to their money so they can cater the wedding party at a later date.
Galloping Gourmet owner and Hull4Heroes volunteer and Royal Navy veteran Tony Norrie packed up his horsebox trailer and served food to NHS staff to say thank you for all their hard work during the pandemic.
Charity founder Paul Matson said they felt "choked up" as they served hog roast sandwiches to hungry NHS staff outside Hull Royal Infirmary and Castle Hill Hospital in Hull, East Yorks., at the weekend.
He said: "Everyone was delighted, even the head of the hospital came out and thanked us, so we made everyone happy and that's exactly what we wanted to do.
"As we started and we saw the queue forming I think we were all a bit choked up. It was a really nice way for us to do something.
"A few even put tears in our eyes just saying, 'Look, this is absolutely wonderful, thank you so much'.
Fiona said: "The reaction we have had for doing this is absolutely amazing, but of course the real heroes here are the charity workers.
"We're just happy to help bring a bit of light in the middle of all this. It is times such as these when you realise what's important.
"The fact that we managed to help in some way because of this is a silver lining.
"The main thing for me and Adam is that we got married and we are together.
"We really wanted to get married on the 21st March as I lost my mum six years ago and that is her birthday.
"Our wedding was very low key, but we got dressed for the occasion and had my brother and mother-in-law as witnesses.
"We then went home, changed out of our clothes and had some champagne and cake."
A blind man has successfully prosecuted a fifth Uber driver for refusing to give a ride to his guide dog.
Image by: Colin Perreira
A blind man has successfully prosecuted a fifth cab driver for refusing to give a ride to his guide dog.
Colin Perreira filmed his latest rejection on his smartphone as he ordered the Uber to pick him up at Watford Junction station last summer.
Driver Mohammed Hafiz Raja would not allow the highly trained guide dog into his car and drove off - after the partially-sighted 24-year-old warned he was breaking the law.
In the video, Colin walked up to the blue BMW with his six-year-old guide dog named Sid, who helps him to cross roads and climb steps on trips out.
As soon as the driver saw Colin, he said: “I’m going to pass you to another driver. I ain't going to take your dog.”
When Colin questioned the driver, he said: “It’s my car mate.”
Responding, Colin said: “It might be your car, but you sign up to a specific agreement with Uber. The law states you are not allowed to refuse a guide dog.”
The driver insisted he has "the power to" refuse to take him and then drives off, leaving Colin and Sid standing on the pavement on June 27 last year without a ride to his father’s house in Kings Langley, Herts.
Raja, of Watford, Herts, was convicted at Westminster Magistrates' Court on February 13 .
He was ordered to pay more than £1700 in costs and banned from offering rides on Uber.
This is the fifth time Colin has taken this type of case to court, and he has won every time.
Commenting on the latest ordeal, he said: “What angered me most this time is the driver was so blatant in his refusal. Sometimes, drivers give medical or religious reasons.
"But this was the most blatant refusal I'd ever had. He didn't have a reason. I told him I'd report him and he said he didn't want a dog in his car.”
Colin explained that many Muslim drivers have refused to give a ride to his guide dog.
Image by: Colin Perreira
Image by: Colin Perreira
He said: “Most Uber drivers I come across are muslim drivers. Many Muslims seem to think dogs are unclean. It’s against their religion.
"They don’t seem to understand that UK law, under the Equality Act 2010 doesn’t protect them from refusing rides on religious grounds.”
He added: “Other drivers have said they are allergic to dogs, but they must have a valid medical exemption certificate. One driver said he was going to pull over to show me his certificate, and then just drove off.”
Colin said the four previous prosecutions also involved Uber drivers, but has defended his continued use of the app, after he said he social media users had criticised him.
He said: “It’s convenient, cashless and cheap. It makes my life much easier because I don’t have to mess around with coins. Ubers are always around the corner.
"It normally takes about five minutes, compared to 30 minutes for a taxi. Why should I have to stop using the app, because of the way I am treated?”
Colin, of Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire, said it is important to prosecute to defend disabled people.
He said: “I feel like I am standing up for the disabled people and guide dog owners. I want to show that we won't tolerate this behaviour and that we will stand up to it.
“My message to drivers who refuse to take my guide dog is that I will not tolerate it. I will prosecute. I am not in the business of getting people to lose their jobs, I’m doing it to raise awareness. I have to stand up for members of the blind community.”
Colin, who said he has been refused more than 20 rides, said he is now used to being rejected, but is concerned about the emotional impact it can have on others.
He said: “I don’t take being refused a ride personally, although it does really anger me and confuse me that people don’t seem to understand what a guide dog is.
"I take action because it can have a long-lasting impact if it happens to others. It could stop them from leaving the house.”
Colin added he was grateful for the action taken by Uber and Transport for London but said the ride-hailing company could be more "proactive" to prevent incidents like this instead of reacting to them when they happen.
A spokesman for Uber said: "It is totally unacceptable for drivers to refuse to take a guide dog and we investigate every report.
"Any driver who is found to have refused to take a service animal will permanently lose access to the app."
Video by: Gabriella Petty
WATCH: Rhino bursts with excitement when he spots his favourite keeper!
This adorable video shows the moment a critically endangered rhino in a closed zoo got excited to see his keeper - and started running back and forth like a puppy.
The sweet video showed Crockett the black rhino's ears twitch as he spotted zookeeper Kylee approaching - before he started gleefully bounding up and down around his enclosure.
The six-year-old southern black rhino was filmed launching his front feet off the ground, just like an excited puppy, as he followed Kylee, who was skipping along the other side of the fence in tandem.
The footage was filmed at Fort Worth Zoo in Texas, USA, on Sunday afternoon (April 5).
A spokesperson for the zoo said: "Crockett appeared to get excited as Kylee approached his exhibit on Sunday afternoon.
"As he raced around his habitat, we affectionately said he got the "zoomies."
"Although the Zoo has been closed to the public since March 14, keepers and staff have been there every day feeding and caring for the animals.
"Crockett is the youngest of three critically endangered southern black rhinos here at the Zoo. He is playful and excels during training sessions with keepers."
Fort Worth Zoo focuses largely on rhinoceros conservation, specifically the critically endangered southern black rhino.
Conservation achievements have been made in Africa in the form of increased anti-poaching efforts, population monitoring, introduction efforts, and translocations.
The zoo is part of a cooperative breeding program in order to maintain a healthy, genetically diverse population of this species to provide a hedge against extinction.
In 2018, two new bulls made their home in the Zoo's African Savanna: Crockett and Travis - a nod to the Texas Alamo heroes.
Video by: Gabriella Petty
A couple converted a van into a home to avoid crippling rent and are now traveling across continents in the vehicle - accompanied by their beloved dogs
Image by: Crystal Drinkwalter
A couple who converted a van into a home to avoid crippling rent are now travelling across continents with their two dogs - and the coronavirus pandemic will not change their itinerary.
Crystal Drinkwalter, 25, and Jazmyn Canning, 26, decided to spend £15K ($18,400 USD) buying the 92-square-feet 2006 Mercedes Sprinter and turning it into a cosy home instead of renting an apartment.
The couple, who are currently in San Cristobal, Mexico, believe that the rapid spread of the coronavirus will not impact their travels.
Crystal said: "If we were in a big city, we'd be more worried but we are in the middle of nowhere.
"I feel like we are in the safest position.
"We spent the last few days hiding out in the jungle and only seeing four other people so we're not too freaked out.
"We've seen more sheep than people in the last few days.
"It's not going to stop us."
The millennials renovated the van themselves despite not having any plumbing or electrical experience and relied on YouTube videos to show them how to finish the job.
The mobile home includes a kitchen with running water, a pantry and solar panels on the roof - but no toilet.
The couple, from Barrie in Ontario, Canada, both quit their jobs as waitresses and have spent the last year traveling through North America in their mobile home.
Image by: Crystal Drinkwalter
Image by: Crystal Drinkwalter
Image by: Crystal Drinkwalter
They are now in San Cristobal, Mexico, and plan to continue exploring Central America and South America with their hounds Bella, seven, and Izzy, five.
Jazmyn said: “We didn’t want the van to just be a travel mobile, we wanted it to be our own home mobile.”
Crystal added: “The cost of living definitely deterred us from getting an apartment.
“Rent for a one bedroom apartment in the Toronto area starts at $880 [1200 CAD] and then you are paying bills on top of that.
“How can you do the things you want to do when all your money is going into the roof above your head?
“We wanted to make life our job, rather than make our job our life.”
The pair took five months finding the perfect van and a further eight months to turn it into their home.
“We found a 2006 Mercedes Sprinter with no rust,” said Crystal.
“It took us eight months to outfit the van and it was a lot of trial and error.
“We had no prior plumbing, electrical work or carpentry skills.
“YouTube was our biggest educator.
“We were working full time while we were building.
“The van cost $10,200 [14,000 CAD] and the build cost $8,200 [11,000 CAD].”
The greatest challenge was equipping the van to be a “four season vehicle” so that it could survive the bitter Canadian winter.
“We needed a four season van with a heater as it is freezing about eight months of the year in Canada,” said Crystal.
The tiny home includes a kitchen, a reading nook and a pantry - but no toilet.
“At the front of the van we have a bench that pulls out into a small bed and we call it our reading nook,” said Jazmyn.
“We put our kitchen at the right side of the van.
“It has 127 liters of running water.
“We have a cooktop, a sink and a fridge which can hold 72 beer cans.
“We also have a floor-to-ceiling pantry and that’s where we store all our dried goods, pots and pans, dog food and coffee.
“In the back half of the van we have a bed that we can fold away.
“Our electricity comes from two AGM batteries that are fueled by our solar panels on our roof.
“We don’t have a bathroom.
“We didn’t really want to clean a toilet in such a small place.
“There are so many amenities out there and everyone is kind enough to let us use the bathroom.
“We let the dogs out all the time so when they go to the bathroom, we go to the bathroom.
“We use a shovel and we leave no trace.
“But we do have an outdoors shower.”
Image by: Crystal Drinkwalter
Image by: Crystal Drinkwalter
Image by: Crystal Drinkwalter
Image by: Crystal Drinkwalter
Image by: Crystal Drinkwalter
The van was finished in January 2019 and in February the couple set off on their travels.
They journeyed to the west coast of Canada before entering the United States.
“We went to Washington, Oregon, Utah, California and Arizona,” said Crystal.
“We then came into Mexico, taking the ferry from Baja, a state in Northern Mexico, to mainland Mexico.
“We are almost at the border of Guatemala now.
“We are going to do all of Central America and we will ship the van from Panama to Colombia.
“From Colombia, we will go to Ecuador, Peru, Chile and maybe Brazil.”
In the last year, the couple have only paid for camping once.
“We sleep for free every night,” said Jazmyn.
“We feel a sense of security in the van.”
“The dogs help us out,” added Crystal.
“They are the perfect alarm system when we are sleeping.
“They let us know if anyone is outside the van.”
The couple said that the desire to take their beloved Australian shepherds with them on their travels motivated them to convert the van.
Jazmyn said: “We really enjoyed traveling together but we always had to leave the dogs behind.
“We decided that if we built up the van, we could travel with the dogs and then they could be our adventure buddies.
“They are the sweetest, most intelligent dogs.
“They are honestly our babies.
“They keep us going - and calm and happy.”
As an LGBTQ couple traveling alone together, Jazmyn and Crystal said they have to take extra precautions.
The couple, who call themselves ‘Van Wives’ on social media, even considered changing their license plate which showed the moniker.
“Our license plate says ‘Van Wives’ and we were thinking about changing it.
“But we are just going to be who we are and we get so much more positivity than negativity from that license plate.
“When we were at the American border, the border security officer said: ‘It’s a shame that you two are gay.'
“But we have moved on from it.
“As an LGBTQ couple, we have to do our research.
“We haven’t had any issue at all in Mexico.
“They have a lot of Pride flags all over the streets.”
The adventurous pair have experienced many breakdowns on their travels but they have learnt to fix most mechanical problems themselves.
“Our vehicle is 13-years-old now, so there are issues that come up,” Jazmyn said.
“It just needs some TLC every now and again.
“You need to get new tires, do your breaks, check the ball joints.
“It has never been anything that is very detrimental to our travels.”
Crystal said: “We have learnt so much - we can figure it out by ourselves.
“We’ve done an oil change and we’ve changed the filters.
“We have learnt from all those breakdowns.”
The couple added that traveling in a van allows them to feel a part of the countries they visit.
“It’s just about getting to call those beautiful places home,” said Jazmyn.
“We open the back doors and feel totally present.
“We enjoy that we have each other, food on the table and a beautiful view.”
The pair share their travel adventures on their Instagram account and YouTube channel under the handle @vanwives.
Image by: Crystal DrinkwalterVideo by: Gabriella Petty
Meet Loki - an overly affectionate raven who likes to CUDDLE
Image by: Elliot Manarin
A filmmaker has become best friends with a raven - and says the bird often comes inside for a cuddle.
The seven-year-old called Loki has grown up in captivity and now has a bond so strong with its owner that it regularly seeks him out for an embrace.
Elliot Manarin was offered Loki by a breeder after its owner passed away - and initially discovered a spiky personality.
But years of hard work, love and attention has seen the pair become best friends - with the animal even comforting the 33-year-old when his mum died.
Elliot, from Essex, says that ravens are misunderstood creatures and are not too dissimilar to humans.
The duo now exchange gifts and share jokes - growing so close that Elliot no longer sees Loki as a bird.
He said: "Loki's owner had passed away and was left to fend for himself for a few weeks before relatives of his owner eventually discovered him.
"He was returned to the breeder who offered him to us. He had no name and was apparently a well mannered and tame bird.
"This was far from the case. Loki was hyper-aggressive and riddled with chronic anxiety.
"He was scared of humans and acted on fight or flight. His mental health, as well as his physical condition, was very poor, his feathers were matte and he was missing his tail.
"It's taken years to establish a bond with Loki.
"I'm not a corvid expert, but over time I have become an expert on Loki.
"Through trial and error, I had to learn what was triggering his aggressiveness and work with him to build trust and make him feel safe and secure.
"In the early days, it was exceptionally tough and we nearly had to have him rehomed, but we all persevered and now we have a loving bird who is happy, healthy and enjoying life to the fullest.
"He is a truly unique individual bursting with so much character. We often exchange gifts and he loves to play with his puzzle toys.
"He has a taste for trickery and can often be found tormenting some of the staff, undoing their shoelaces and trying to trip them up.
Image by: Elliot Manarin
Image by: Elliot Manarin
Image by: Elliot Manarin
Image by: Elliot Manarin
"If given the chance will steal anything he can get his beak on, money, food padlocks anything.
"If we don't provide him with the adequate currency he will disappear and hide whatever item he has stolen until we provide suitable payment.
"Each item he steals has a value unique to him for example, a cleaning sponge is worth about 3 grapes, a padlock, a chocolate biscuit!
"If we don't provide him with what he wants the item stays hidden, sometimes for months!"
Elliot said he has now grown to view Loki as more than a bird, adding that ravens are much more like humans that we would think.
He said: "Loki is very much like a human, ravens have complex emotions coupled with their exceptional intelligence to problem solve, stimulation and companionship remain a top priority.
"We need to devise new games and tasks for him to work out whilst keeping his mental health in check, not allowing that to overcome him.
"But like most of us, he just wants companionship, he enjoys spending time with us and being in our company.
"People are also fascinated with his vocalisations of which he has many, these all symbolise various emotions from jealousy, fear, anticipation and joy.
"He's been known to laugh and chuckle at the precise moment someone tells a joke, slips over or otherwise endures something humorous.
"If he sees me trying to locate an item he's stolen and having difficulties, the sound of an evil chuckle can be heard coming from his aviary as he watches me bumble around in bewilderment!
Elliott said he has shared numerous moments with Loki - including one that particularly sticks out.
He said: "When my mum passed away two years ago, he knew I was sad. It wasn't emotional mirroring like dogs, this was something much more sentient.
"He walked over to me and locked eyes. He hopped onto my lap and rolled upside down onto his back, legs in the air.
"He rocked side to side whilst cooing the most dainty, affectionate sounds. I'd never heard him make these vocalisations and to this day he's never done it since.
"There is so much going on in their minds we don't really give them credit for. I've learnt so much from him and stopped looking at him as a bird a long time ago."
Loki was rehomed at Coda Falconry in Waltham Abbey, Essex.
Video by: Elliot Manarin
