Mum feared she'd die after she got trapped under her bed - for 13 HOURS

SWNS_HAND_TRAPPED_018.jpg Image by: Claire Montello

A mum has told how her she feared she'd die after she got trapped under her bed -- for 13 HOURS.

Claire Montello, 39, pulled up her hinged Ottoman style bed to grab her MP3 player from the underbed storage.

The mum-of-three was reaching inside when the piston holding up the mattress failed - and the entire bed top crashed down on her arm.

She was trapped because she didn't have the strength in her one free arm to lift the bed up - and her phone was out of reach - and she feared she'd die.

Terrified Claire screamed and shouted to no avail and even had to lean on the bed - further compressing her arm - when her legs grew too tired to stand.

She was only set free when her husband Francesco, 61, came home from his night shift and lifted the bed up.
SWNS_HAND_TRAPPED_001.jpgImage by: Claire MontelloSWNS_HAND_TRAPPED_003.jpgImage by: Claire Montello

Claire from Grangewood, Chesterfield, said her arm was "flat as a pancake" but it then swelled up dramatically, before it "burst".

She spent two weeks in hospital where she endured four operations, and is waiting to see if she'll regain the use of her left arm.

Claire said: "I just can't believe it happened.

"I thought I was going to die.

'I had to keep making myself sick to keep the moisture in my mouth as a way to survive.

"I must have vomited about 40 times.

"Because the wardrobe was right next to the bed I couldn't even sit down.

"I knew Francesco wouldn't be back until the morning so I had no choice but to sit on the bed. I couldn't stand up for that long.

"I couldn't sleep through it I was in so much agony.

"I'm surprised I didn't pass out of the pain but I was and for the whole 13 hours."

Claire was home alone at 9.30pm on 23 January and went to get her MP3 from underneath her bed to listen to music.

Her MP3 player fell down a gap in the middle of her bed - which is split in half, with two sides which can be lifted up on a hinge near the wall, to access storage beneath.

She jumped off, lifted up one side, and was reaching under the raised mattress, when the bed smashed down on her arm - trapping it from the elbow down.

With her mobile phone out of reach and unable to lift the king-size bed up by herself, Claire said she thought she'd die.

She said: "I was screaming and shouting to get some kind of response but it doesn't help that I live next door to a 92-year-old man whose deaf.

"I could hear his TV.

"All the lights were on in my house so the chances of me getting some kip were nil.

"I had BBC News on loop and it was doing my head in. I was sitting there thinking 'Oh god not the sixth time I've heard this.'

"So it was quite hard taking my mind off what was actually happening.

"I had no choice but to go to the toilet there and then."

Staying awake throughout the whole night, it was only when care worker husband Francesco, 61, returned from an overnight shift at 10.30am she was finally set free.

"As soon as I saw Francesco it was the biggest sigh of relief," she said.

"He was swearing like anything. I just remember him saying: "Oh my f***ing sh**. What the f***?

"He then lifted it up as quick as he could.

"There was just this massive dent in my arm.

"Then it started swelling up like a football and just burst. It was terrible.

"I don't even know if I'll get full control of my left arm back. It's just a waiting game at the moment."
SWNS_HAND_TRAPPED_016.jpgImage by: Claire MontelloSWNS_HAND_TRAPPED_011.jpgImage by: Claire Montello

Husband Francesco added: "I just couldn't believe it when I saw her.

"I knew something was up when I walked in and all the lights were on and the TV was on.

"When I left to go to work she didn't seem ill so I thought it was weird she would have gone to bed without turning everything off.

"Then I saw her and I was swearing like anything. I just couldn't believe it.

"I lifted up the bed and when she got her arm out it was flat.

"I've never seen an arm go that flat before."

Claire was rushed to Royal Derby hospital and was kept in for a two week stay and underwent four operations.

Doctors performed a skin graft using skin from her thigh.

She had a muscle removed and doctors told her there is a 50:50 chance she will regain movement in her left arm, she said.

Claire said: "I'm now in absolute agony.

"I've got a splint on it and I can't feel anything.

"If that wasn't in there my arm would just be a floppy mess.

"I'm having to do everything with my right arm.

"I can't wash or do basic things by myself.

"I've had to get Franco to start tying my hair up. But to be fair for a first attempt he doesn't do a bad job.

"He's been absolutely brilliant. I don't know what I'd do without him.

"He's being going back and forth from work cooking me meals and looking after me.

"I want to thank the surgeons and the staff at Royal Derby hospital too. They've been great.

"I just can't really believe this happened.

"We bought it from a warehouse a few years back for £800 and have never had any issues.

"When I was in hospital Franco took a sledgehammer to it.

"There's no way we'll be using one of them again. We'll have to find somewhere else to keep our Christmas decorations.

"I just want to warn people about buying these kinds of beds.

"They can be death traps.

"If it were a kid they'd be locked in there like a coffin."
Video by: Claire Montello


Dad baked huge Cornish pasty to celebrate son's birth...matching exact size and weight of the baby

SWNS_BABY_PASTY_01.jpg Image by: Tim Fuge

A dad baked a huge Cornish pasty to celebrate the birth of his son - matching the exact same size and weight of the baby.

Tim Fuge, 33, decided to take on the task after seeing a post online of another father using a pasty to demonstrate the measurements of his child.

It took Tim two-and-a-half hours to produce the 2.8 kilo (6.4lb) pasty after researching the method online and doing a practice run.

He said the hardest part was finding a tray big enough to cook on - discovering eventually that a grilling rack was the perfect size.

It then took him a staggering 19 hours to eat the 7,000 calorie Cornish treat - leaving him "absolutely stuffed".

The pasty - made to mark the birth of two-week-old baby Jowan - had a filling of beef skirt, swede, onion and potatoes.

Tim said: "I saw on Facebook that people are trying to make their own pasties as the bakeries and shops are shut.

"There was a picture of a bloke holding a pasty next to his baby to show how big it was. I thought: 'I can go one better'.

"I had never made a pasty before, apart from a couple of days before - but I had eaten plenty!

"I tried to work it all out. There's a Cornish Pasty Association website that gives you the ingredients.

"It came out bang up to how much the baby weighed when he was born.
SWNS_BABY_PASTY_05.jpgImage by: Tim FugeSWNS_BABY_PASTY_03.jpgImage by: Tim FugeSWNS_BABY_PASTY_02.jpgImage by: Tim Fuge

"It was then in the oven for two-and-a-half hours while we went for our daily walk.

"I didn't have any breakfast that day and started eating it at lunch. I finished it the next day. It actually tasted really, really good.

"My wife was annoyed because it was nicer than hers! But I had to get her to do the crimping.

"I think it's about 7,000 calories - I tried to work that out from the ingredients."

Tim lives in Liskeard, Cornwall, with wife Jen, 32, and other sons Aiden, four, and Rory, two.

A self-employed lead worker, he hasn't been able to work since the coronavirus lockdown was enforced - giving him the time to bake.

He added: "I wouldn't have had time to do this if I was still working.

"It's been nice to spend some more time with the kids.

"I do like cooking, but I don't normally get a chance - I walk in the door and my wife has made it."

Jowan was born on April 4. Tim baked the pasty on Thursday (16th) - the baby's original birth date. It measured half a metre (50cm) in diameter.


Adorable moment a deaf and autistic boy who has 'no friends' received more than 700 birthday cards sent by strangers

SWNS_HAPPY_BIRTHDAY_01.jpg Image by: Jon Mills

This is the adorable moment a deaf and autistic boy who has 'no friends' received more than 700 birthday cards sent by strangers across the world.

Mum Natasha James, 33, put an appeal out on Facebook to see if anyone would send Dylan a card for his ninth birthday.

He had to be taken out of school due to his condition more than a year ago and lost contact with other pupils when he spent nine months receiving treatment in London.

But Natasha, of Plymouth, Devon, said they were stunned by the mountain of cards that kept arriving through the post for him - even during the coronavirus lock-down.

The final tally was 714 and Dylan spent most of his birthday on Thursday (March 26) opening them up - with his mum filming his joyous reaction to it all.

She said: "Dylan spent a long time in London in hospital and has been out of school for over a year. He doesn't have any friends, which is horrible to say.

"I put an appeal on Facebook to see if anyone would send him a card.

"The response we had from strangers was completely overwhelming. People were contacting us saying they would like to buy him something and what sort of card would he want.

"They were absolutely brilliant. We thought we might get about 100, which would have made it very special. But the last count we had 714.

"They were still putting things through the door right up until his birthday and leaving presents on the doorstep."

Natasha said they had cards from as far away as Las Vegas and Australia. A chief petty officer in the Royal Navy, known as Bernie, also delivered a box of arts and crafts and 55 cards from all recruits at the navy barracks.
SWNS_HAPPY_BIRTHDAY_03.jpgImage by: Jon MillsSWNS_HAPPY_BIRTHDAY_06.jpgImage by: Jon MillsSWNS_HAPPY_BIRTHDAY_04.jpgImage by: Jon Mills

She added: "We have been inundated with cards and little gifts. The appeal went live on Facebook four weeks ago and things started arriving the following day. The postman had to knock on the door every day and they had to come in a special van. Some days there were 10, other days there were 50.

"On his actual birthday (Thursday) we had 103 cards.

"We were stunned. I put the appeal up and just hoped for the best and thought some would be better than nothing.

"It is such a tough time for people at the moment and they are not meant to be going out.

"We thought it would really slow down with the coronavirus but people were still making the effort by posting them during their only exercise of the day and they continued to turn up.

"We are just so grateful that we are surrounded by such lovely people who were able to make Dylan's day so special.

"His birthday was tough. He is autistic and does not understand why he can not go out. He kept asking throughout the day, can we go out now and can he have a friend come over?

"Every time he did we just went back to open more cards. It took hours to go through them all.

"It certainly gave us something to focus on and made the day a lot easier.

"People are only allowed out once a day and to think during this time they wanted to post cards for my little boy was overwhelming. It means the world they were still making the effort for Dylan.

"You can see in the video he was totally overwhelmed. His reaction was brilliant. He didn't know where to start and was so intrigued to find out where they had all come from."

Natasha said Dylan had been out of school since February last year and had lost contact with everyone since. He spent nine months in London being treated and was now living at home with his three siblings.

She added: "He does not understand the situation so it has been difficult with him. But this meant the world to us.

"We will display the cards as much as we can in the front room and will be rotating them each day.

"It made a very difficult time slightly easier and we will be forever grateful to the kindness strangers showed to my little boy."
Video by: Ellis Wylam


Icy conditions cause a water ball to instantly freeze in a mesmerising pattern

SWNS_FROZEN_WATERBALL_02.jpg Image by: Carol Bauer

This is cool footage of the icy conditions that causes a water ball to instantly freeze in a mesmerising pattern.

The footage was captured on a frosty February morning by 55-Year-Old Carol Bauer in her hometown of Graceville, Minnesota, USA.

Carol said: “In the winter I like to photograph snowflakes, frosty trees, sundogs and when it is extremely cold I experiment with hot water freezing as it comes out of hot cup and I’ve even shot it out of a squirt gun and like to see how it freezes in mid air.

“I would say though frozen bubbles are one of my favorite. I like to try to make them look unique by utilizing every day items I have such as unique glass, glass flowers petals, crystal balls that I use for some of my other photography set ups.

“This year I tried something new and set a rose that I received for valentines in a glass and encased it in a frozen bubble.
SWNS_FROZEN_WATERBALL_05.jpgImage by: Carol BauerSWNS_FROZEN_WATERBALL_01.jpgImage by: Carol Bauer

''I try different objects and then since sunrise and sunset are my favorite things to photograph I like to do it at that time of day to give it that unique glow that only sunrise and sunset can give.

''The temperature ideally should be below zero for the crystals to freeze quickly.”

“I mix up my solution with water, corn syrup, and sugar. I then set it outside for it to cool a bit before I begin.

''I place solution in desired object and take a straw and blow the bubble and let nature take its course. It not only has to be cold but it needs to be have fairly calm winds otherwise it will pop too quickly.

“I did not have a lot of opportunities to get out an do frozen bubble this winter as it was busy with a lot of family things going on and on the day I did this video it was going to be one of the last cold days to do this and the temperature, the wind speed and sunset all came together to make it work.

''I should also note you do not need an expensive camera for this. I have nice cameras but for this I used my iphone. So it is a very inexpensive way to have some fun.''
Video by: Carol Bauer


Fashion designer creates remarkable "squishy" flesh suits out of cotton and jersey fabrics - to show the concept of an "ideal" body type is "ridiculous"

SWNS_SQUISHY_SUITS_07.jpg Image by: Daisy May

Meet the bizarre 'family' created by a fashion designer using a series of grotesque 'flesh suits.'

Textile artist Daisy May Collingridge, 29, used her skills to make five striking characters - Burt, Hilary, Clive, Dave and Lippy - out of stuffed fabrics.

The characters - which she refers to as her family - have exaggerated anatomical features which give them an unsettling effect.

Drooping layers of hand-dyed fabric in pink and purple are stuffed with wadding and bean bags to exaggerate the human anatomy.

Gaping eyeholes are cut from the headpieces of the bespoke suits which each take around three months to create.
SWNS_SQUISHY_SUITS_11.jpgImage by: Daisy MaySWNS_SQUISHY_SUITS_13.jpgImage by: Daisy MaySWNS_SQUISHY_SUITS_03.jpgImage by: Daisy MaySWNS_SQUISHY_SUITS_04.jpgImage by: Daisy May

One is loosely based on her father Dave, but the others she says are 'imaginery.'

Daisy says she created them to show there is no such thing as an "ideal" body type.

Daisy, who lives in Leicester, said: "They neither promote nor demote one body type, The idea that there even is an "ideal" body is ridiculous.

"They are creations that are reflective of the human form but with fantasy elements and I really designed them to bring a bit of joy into the world.

"They, just like people, have their own individual characters and, just like people, some people will be repelled by them whilst others will adore them."

Daisy graduated from Central St Martins, University of Arts in Kings Cross, London, in 2014.

And since then has been developing her favourite form of design - free machine quilting.
SWNS_SQUISHY_SUITS_09.jpgImage by: Daisy MaySWNS_SQUISHY_SUITS_08.jpgImage by: Daisy MaySWNS_SQUISHY_SUITS_01.jpgImage by: Daisy MaySWNS_SQUISHY_SUITS_06.jpgImage by: Daisy MaySWNS_SQUISHY_SUITS_12.jpgImage by: Daisy May

The technique sees Daisy hand-quilting three layers of hand-dyed jersey fabric and cotton, filling it out with wadding, beanbag beans and even sand, to form a soft, "blobby" skin suit.

The sculptures can be displayed as static items or can be worn for a more lifelike performance.

She said: "It's just become something else now. It's become these figures. They move so well - they're stretchy, and they bounce a little.

"All the outfits are made up of separate components to make them more wearable - so often it's a stuffed vest top, or the quilted material stitched over dungarees to slip on.

"And there's gloves and a mask to cover the hands and head. It's all based on normal outfits."

Daisy added: "It's artwork, more than anything. I want to do more photoshoots with them, and I definitely want to do more exhibiting and performance work."
Video by: Gabriella Petty


This is the hilarious footage of a levitating dog on a broomstick dressed as Harry Potter

This is the hilarious footage of a levitating dog on a broomstick dressed as Harry Potter.

Filmed by Nicky Gilmour and hoisted into the air by her husband Gilly, 4 year old Springer Moose could easily be The Boy Wizard.

Nicky, a 42-year-old childminder from York said: “This video was a group effort with my husband and daughters ellenor and Gracie.

''Moose is a four year old springer - the video was inspired from tik toks the girls have been showing us.

''We decided to make some of our own and had to include our gorgeous boy Moose.

“Moose is seen rising on a broom wearing a Harry Potter cloak my husband is behind him holding him steady whilst we get his attention with his favourite possessions.. a ball....... we are only sorry we could find the Harry Potter glasses.''

Video by: Gabriella Petty


Stunning video of northern lights above shipwrecked boat captured by photographer

SWNS_SHIP_AURORA_09.jpg Image by: Brian Matthews

Trapped in an icy grave, this doomed shipwreck is framed by a stunning celestial display of the northern lights.

The ill-fated SS Ithaka was wrecked after being blown onto the coast near the town of Churchill in Canada in 1960.

British photographer Brian Matthews caught the eerie, dark outline of the wrecked freighter trapped in sea ice - with a dazzling aurora display above it.

A shroud of lights in an array of shades of green seem to dance in the heavens above the shipwreck which lies trapped in the sea ice around it.

Brian, 41, from Hartlepool was amazed by his snaps, and rated them "the best northern lights photos I've ever taken."
SWNS_SHIP_AURORA_02.jpgImage by: Brian MatthewsSWNS_SHIP_AURORA_08.jpgImage by: Brian MatthewsSWNS_SHIP_AURORA_05.jpgImage by: Brian Matthews

He and friend Alex didn't intend to capture such magnificent shots however.

Brian said: "Originally we went to photograph polar bears.

"But then we went back to Churchill and as the weather cleared up, we saw the solar activity had changed.

"I've seen the northern lights several times and they vary in strength, but on this night they were so strong, yellows and greens dancing across the sky, and as it strengthens reds and purples appeared too which I've never seen!"

The northern lights, sometimes known as an aurora, happen when electrons crash into atoms in the atmosphere and give off photons of light.
Video by: Brian Matthews


Meet the skateboarding cop who shreds at the skatepark - in full uniform

SWNS_SKATING_COP_08.jpg Image by: Craig Hanaumi

Meet the “the coolest cop ever” a skateboarding police officer who is a star at the skatepark - in full uniform.

Officer Craig Hanaumi skates in full uniform, shredding at the skatepark with with the kids of Bellevue, Washington, USA.

“I always have my skateboard in cop car,” said Hanaumi, 44, who has been working in law enforcement for 16 years.

Hanaumi has been skating since he was a little kid growing up in 1980s Hawaii, but he took a 25 year break to train to be a cop and move to Washington.

In 2015 he got a nuisance call about skaters doing tricks in the parking lot of a bank.

Before he politely escorted them off the property Hanaumi asked the kids what tricks they were doing and even tested out one of their boards.

A video of the interaction hit YouTube, gathering over 150,000 views with comments calling Hanaumi the “coolest cop ever.”

“When I was a kid the only contact I had with cops was when they were kicking us out of places for skating, which is fair enough,” he said.

“But now the kids in our community...their first contact with a cop might be to actually skate with one.

“We want people to forget the uniform, I would hope that skating helps to humanize the badge.

“When I can show up to the park and have people acknowledge that, other than the uniform, I’m just an old guy skateboarding, then I have succeeded.”

Hanaumi now hits the skate park every week, does flips off his cop car and, occasionally, he even skates around the police station.

“There aren’t too many good spots in the police station, it’s all flat ground, there are much better places in the city to skate - we have three world class skate parks in this city,” he joked.

The cool cop also imbues his law enforcement activities with ’aloha spirit' – a combination of kindness, modesty, respect, patience and perseverance.

“I try to share the aloha spirit in every interaction I have,” he said.

Adding: “I’m not that good at skating, I’m good for a 44-year-old police officer, if there was a category for that I’d be ok!

“I actually haven’t improved much at skating since I was nine-years-old, but I haven’t got worse either, so that’s good.

“I don’t think the kids are that impressed by my skill, but I think they appreciate that I am out there doing it, I’m not trying to show off."
SWNS_SKATING_COP_02.jpgImage by: Craig HanaumiSWNS_SKATING_COP_01.jpgImage by: Craig HanaumiSWNS_SKATING_COP_07.jpgImage by: Craig HanaumiSWNS_SKATING_COP_09.jpgImage by: Craig Hanaumi

Like most skaters, Hanaumi isn’t too afraid of getting hurt.

“I have had a lot of accidents and injuries, you can’t be a skateboarder without having injuries, it’s impossible,” he said.

“You have to fall down thousands of times to gain any kind of proficiency, you can’t get around that, you have to keep getting back up.

“The scars and abrasions you get from skateboarding are like badges you wear with a bit of honor.

“In 2016 I attempted to drop in on a Vert Ramp and I slammed twice, really, really hard both times, that hurt so much, my hip and my front elbow were so bruised!

“A video of it got shared on Thrasher magazine’s Instagram, that's like the bible for skaters, it was very funny.

"After that I knew I had to go back and try and get it right. I got there in the end!

“The skateboarding mindset is that you keep doing it until you get it right.”

Despite the bumps and bruises Hanaumi’s superiors are very supportive of his activities.

“I’ve had really fantastic bosses over the years. However my current supervisor Sgt Ben Jones took it to the next level.

"Not only does he support the skate outreach, he’s out there skating with me whenever he can. It’s fantastic.

“We have city-run skate camps, how cool is that?”

Hanaumi uses a board made by the acclaimed skate company Street Plant, run by skate legend Mike Vallely, who is also the lead singer of the hardcore punk band Black Flag.

“Mike Vallely actually donated ten boards which we gave away to kids in the community,” said Hanaumi.

“For someone of his stature to collaborate with someone in law enforcement was very significant.

“He has such a great ethos, he’s always said that skateboarding is for everyone who gets on a board, it doesn’t matter who you are, or how good you are.

"That's the way I see it too."
Video by: Gabriella Petty


Dad-of-two who lost arm while serving in Afghanistan becomes first military veteran in the world to receive a 3D-printed multi-grip 'bionic arm'

SWNS_BIONIC_ARM_12.jpg Image by: Simon Galloway

A British army veteran who lost an arm while serving in Afghanistan has become the first serviceman in the world to receive a 3D-printed multi-grip 'Hero Arm'.

Darren 'Daz' Fuller lost his right hand and forearm a decade ago when a friendly mortar in Helmand Province inexplicably misfired and struck him.

The 43-year-old says recovering from the trauma was "immensely difficult" but that he is experiencing a "new lease of life" after being fitted with the "incredible" bionic arm.

The prosthetic, which Bristol-based firm Open Bionics market as the 'Hero Arm', is made using a state-of-the-art 3D printer and gives amputees never before experienced dexterity.

The bionic arm works by picking up signals from muscles in the user's residual limb.

When Daz flexes his muscles, special sensors detect naturally generated electric signals and convert these into intuitive and proportional hand movements.
SWNS_BIONIC_ARM_01_QxktSrL.jpgImage by: Simon GallowaySWNS_BIONIC_ARM_02_DsMXQMd.jpgImage by: Simon Galloway

Since receiving his arm, Daz has been able to hold his daughter's hand with his right hand for the first time ever and use a knife and fork, which he hasn't been able to do for years.

He said: "I can now do so many of the little things that most people take for granted - I'm so happy.

"I can hug my daughter and play games with her in a way I have never been able to before, it's amazing.

"There are so many things I’m doing two handed compared to before, and so many things I'm still discovering.

"It's a really exciting time."

Daz, who lives in Colchester, Essex, with his wife and four-year-old daughter Sky, enlisted into the Parachute Regiment in 1994 and served for 20 years.

He completed tours in Northern Ireland, Macedonia and Iraq before his fateful final outing in Afghanistan in 2008, when his right hand and forearm were blown clean off.

The section commander was operating army weaponry to provide support for troops patrolling nearby when an explosive shell, or mortar bomb, went off and struck him.
SWNS_BIONIC_ARM_05_c6YVmI0.jpgImage by: Simon GallowaySWNS_BIONIC_ARM_06_Qai46Kv.jpgImage by: Simon GallowaySWNS_BIONIC_ARM_09_WFqSWN5.jpgImage by: Simon GallowaySWNS_BIONIC_ARM_10_kYLEKho.jpgImage by: Simon Galloway

Daz said: "I ducked as the mortar went off and then looked down to see half my arm was missing, there was blood everywhere.

"I wasn't in a huge amount of pain, I was just thinking, 'will I see my girlfriend and son ever again, will I survive?'

"It was such a surreal moment because even though you're a serviceman you think losing a limb isn't the kind of thing that will ever happen to you."

Daz thought he was "going to die" in the immediate aftermath of the incident and then, as the months wore on, he went through a period of denial over what happened.

He said: "I had a range of different emotions as time wore on but eventually I accepted the situation I found myself in and moved on.

"It wasn't easy because I was right-handed, so I had to learn how to do everything all over again with my left, which was a huge challenge."

Over the past decade Daz has tried a number of prosthetics but found none of them worked exactly how he wanted, until he got the bionic Hero Arm this year.

He said: "The functionality is absolutely amazing, I can make the smallest movements with it.

"I've tried all sorts of prosthetics over the years and the Bionic Arm is by far and away the best of the lot - it's absolutely brilliant.

"I really believe it's going to improve my life massively."

The prosthetic has given him the ability to do things with his daughter such as paint, bake and do crafts.

The former serviceman, who was medically discharged in 2014, received funding for his Hero Arm through the NHS Veterans’ Prosthetics Panel, which is a pathway for veterans who have lost a limb while serving.

The prosthetic can be purchased by civilians in the UK for around £10,000.

Daz was also supported by Blesma, a limbless veterans’ charity which he currently works for as an outreach officer.

He said: "Hopefully I'm the first veteran of many to receive a Hero Arm.

"There are many others like me who could really benefit from such an amazing prosthetic."
Video by: Ellis Wylam


A globetrotting dad who has travelled to over 100 countries has recreated 20 in is back garden for his kids

SWNS_HOME_TRAVELLER_013.jpg Image by: Matthew Newby SWNS

A globetrotting dad who has travelled to over 100 countries has recreated 20 in is back garden for his kids.

David Nash, 41, has used a variety of props to make DIY versions of some of the planet's most beautiful places.

He has recreated the Nile River and Venezuela's Angel Falls as well as scenes from France and Cuba in his garden, shed and roof.

David has used his garden to build Peru, Japan, USA, Morocco, Thailand, Panama, Venezuela, Brazil Trinidad and Barbados.

His children have also enjoyed trips to Sri Lanka, China, The Netherlands, the UK, Ireland, Bhutan, Russia, Egypt, Iceland, Australia and Italy.

The 41-year-old, from Sible Hedingham, Essex, got creative for partner Emma and their two daughters Rose, two, and Ruby, four months.
SWNS_HOME_TRAVELLER_005.jpgImage by: Matthew Newby SWNSSWNS_HOME_TRAVELLER_008.jpgImage by: Matthew Newby SWNSSWNS_HOME_TRAVELLER_010.jpgImage by: Matthew Newby SWNSSWNS_HOME_TRAVELLER_014.jpgImage by: Matthew Newby SWNS

David, assistant headteacher at Hedingham School, said: "I have tried to bring the essence of each country out while portraying it in a humorous way.

"I've recreated famous scenes from each country, just from using scraps around the house that I've collected from all the places I've been.

"I've made the Nile River and the Panama Canal from painting old cereal boxes."

He added: "We are all aware of how awful the situation is at the moment - but it has made us all slow down a bit.

"It's giving us time to make things like we used to do - from scraps and from boxes and things like that.

"The aim of this, more than anything, is to keep spirits up, and keep people smiling during a tough time."

David has travelled to 105 countries in his life, and has so far recreated 25 of them in his garden since the beginning of the lockdown.

He has created a Sri Lankan themed night, and a funny Australian scene where he fashioned himself an outfit out of Fosters boxes, and donned an Australian cork hat.

And David has also created a Caribbean beach scene, inspired by his honeymoon with wife Emma - during which the couple visited 11 Caribbean islands.

David said: "One thing you find when you travelling particular countries like India or Central America, is that you can’t rush things.

''There is a lot to take in and it takes time.

"We’ve turned into a very 'hurry-hurry' culture - if there is one silver lining in all of this is that people have realised the importance of spending time with each other."

He added that he has drawn inspiration for using household items from seeing children in some of the countries he has visited doing exactly the same thing.

David, who fashioned a rickshaw out of a large milk carton, said: "I remember in Ethiopia we saw exactly that, one of these Tuk Tuks made out of old oil cans.

"In South Africa, kids were using bricks as cars.

"The joy of doing this with my two-and-a-half year old daughter is that children tend to have that creative imagination, a willingness to believe anything can become anything."

David said that some of his favourite countries that he's visited include Bhutan, in south Asia, Japan, and Holland.
SWNS_HOME_TRAVELLER_017.jpgImage by: Matthew Newby SWNSSWNS_HOME_TRAVELLER_018.jpgImage by: Matthew Newby SWNSSWNS_HOME_TRAVELLER_001.jpgImage by: Matthew Newby SWNSSWNS_HOME_TRAVELLER_002.jpgImage by: Matthew Newby SWNS

He said: "We've done Bhutan as one of the countries in our garden.

"They measure wealth there in terms of happiness, rather than economic prosperity.

"They have famous funny signs at the side of the road, that say things like 'After drinking whiskey, driving is risky'.

"So we recreated some of those in our garden, but made them more topical to here.

"I did Holland last week, too - I put some clogs in the sink, and told my wife that the sink was clogged," David joked.

David added that he hopes bringing a taste of each country to his home can enrich his daughters’ lives during lockdown - as well as the lives of his followers on social media.
SWNS_HOME_TRAVELLER_003.jpgImage by: Matthew Newby SWNSSWNS_HOME_TRAVELLER_004.jpgImage by: Matthew Newby SWNSSWNS_HOME_TRAVELLER_006.jpgImage by: Matthew Newby SWNSSWNS_HOME_TRAVELLER_007.jpgImage by: Matthew Newby SWNS

He said: "We haven't been able to do as much travelling in the last couple of years, with two young children - especially with the younger one.

"But at least now they'll have some funny photos to look back on, and know about some of the countries their dad has been to."

He added: "I feel very lucky, I’m healthy and my family’s healthy, I’ve got a wage, whereas a lot of people out there have an uncertain future.

"Experiences you have while travelling help you to gain perspective. You miss the most basic things - and I think that's what this current situation has taught us.

"With panic buying, this is the first time in our lives we’ve thought 'are we going to have to do without these things we need'. It's woken us up slightly."