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
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."
Image by: Brian Matthews
Image by: Brian Matthews
Image 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
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."
Image by: Craig Hanaumi
Image by: Craig Hanaumi
Image by: Craig Hanaumi
Image 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'
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.
Image by: Simon Galloway
Image 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.
Image by: Simon Galloway
Image by: Simon Galloway
Image by: Simon Galloway
Image 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
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.
Image by: Matthew Newby SWNS
Image by: Matthew Newby SWNS
Image by: Matthew Newby SWNS
Image 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.
Image by: Matthew Newby SWNS
Image by: Matthew Newby SWNS
Image by: Matthew Newby SWNS
Image 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.
Image by: Matthew Newby SWNS
Image by: Matthew Newby SWNS
Image by: Matthew Newby SWNS
Image 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."
Incredible bond between a dog and a rhino captured on video
Image by: Hoedspruit Endangered Species Centre
A "remarkable and unbreakable" friendship between a dog and a RHINO has been captured on video.
The sweet pairing can be seen doing everything together - with the rhino even giving the dog a kiss.
David is an Anatolian Shepherd and Esmé is a white rhino.
Despite their differences, the two are clearly fond of each other's company.
In one video, Esmé can be seen to kiss the head of David.
In another, David playfully chases Esmé across a field.
Both are resident to Hoedspruit Endangered Species Centre (HESC), a South African wildlife facility focused on conservation of rare and vulnerable species.
Image by: Hoedspruit Endangered Species Centre
Image by: Hoedspruit Endangered Species Centre
The founder and managing director of HESC Lente Roode, 72, says the unique bond the two animals share is important to her.
"Esmé was our first rhino calf that we decided to introduce to an anatolian shepherd dog as a companion.
"It took a few days but as soon as the two were used to each other the relationship was remarkable and unbreakable.
"Esmé and David have a very special relationship and are therefore very dear to me."
David the dog is nearly two years old and was donated to HESC by a friend to Lente.
Esmé upbringing was slightly more challenging.
"Her mother was a young and inexperienced cow and couldn’t produce milk for Esmé," Lente said.
"On Esmé’s arrival she was extremely malnourished and as a result pressure sores formed on her ankles and underneath her feet."
Video by: Gabriella Petty
This pet raccoon rides in a boat, uses a litter box and is best friends with a golden retriever
Image by: Caryn Williamson
Meet Rebel - the pet raccoon who rides in a boat, uses a litter box and is best friends with a golden retriever.
“For most people, a raccoon is not a good pet,” said Rebel’s owner, Caryn Williamson, 44, who lives in Hudson, Indiana.
“They require constant supervision and they are so much more intelligent than a dog or cat.
“They can literally unlock your front door and walk right out.”
Rebel’s full name is Rebel Raccoon the Bush Brat.
“But he also answers to Booby or Booby Baby or Boobear,” said Caryn, who is the manager of an HVAC company for heating, ventilation, and air conditioning.
“Most raccoons won’t answer to their owners but he will answer me and come when I call him, it’s pretty cool!”
Caryn says she adopted Rebel, who will be a year old in April, from a breeder in Ohio via the United States Department of Agriculture.
“I got him September 9th of 2019 and I’m currently on the list for a baby raccoon, from the breeder.
“We got him from a young couple when he was just under five months old.
“Exotic pets like raccoons can’t be brought to a shelter or humane society and they can never be released into the wild.
“They are euthanized unless you can find someone willing to adopt them. We took on the challenge!”
Rebel quickly settled into Caryn’s home and became firm friends with her eight-year-old golden retriever Remington.
“Rebel and our dog Remington get along great.
“They are best friends, so much so that when Remington goes outside, Rebel paces back and forth at the door chattering until his friend is back.”
Image by: Caryn Williamson
Image by: Caryn Williamson
Image by: Caryn Williamson
As for Rebel’s day-to-day care, Caryn confirmed that raising a raccoon comes with certain complications.
“Raccoons are pack animals so being alone is not good for them,” she said.
“They need either animal or human companionship at all times.
“Rebel lives indoors at all times unless he is outside under our supervision. We live on a lake, and he goes for boat rides all summer. He is neutered, and has all recommended vaccines, and regular veterinary check ups.
“In order to maintain our exotic pet permit we are required to have vet checks and home checks by the Department of Natural Resources (DNR).
“Raccoons can’t live in cages. They get too stressed. But we do have to have a safe place to put him away and secure him for our permit.
“He has a Critter Nation enclosure that has a hammock in it that he likes to sleep in, and he goes in there when he wants to be left alone.
“He also has a feeding cage. Raccoons are messy eaters so I stay a step ahead.
“Raccoons eat what we eat, it’s a balance of meat and protein and fruits and vegetables.
“He loves eggs, and eats one every day for breakfast. He also gets a raw chicken leg once a week and eats it bone and all.”
Caryn’s lifestyle in rural Indiana allows her to keep Rebel without incident, but she doesn’t believe the species is ready to be fully domesticated.
“Maybe in a few hundred years,” she said.
“Rebel uses a litter box just like a cat and they are trainable to an extent, but raccoons are very stubborn and will only listen to commands when they want to.
“To live with a raccoon you must live on their time and their schedule. I have a very flexible schedule, so it works…but it wouldn’t work for the average person.
“Living with a raccoon is learning their moods and body language. It’s a daily struggle to entertain them.
“But the cuteness and love they exude far outweighs the trouble and mischief they cause.”
Video by: Gabriella Petty
Meet the air hostess who gets asked if she is Meghan Markle by baffled passengers up to ten times A DAY
Image by: Christine Mathis
An American air hostess who looks like Meghan Markle has been confusing passengers - and says she gets mistaken for her ten times a DAY.
Christine Mathis, 32, is an air hostess for JetBlue airline and has been getting mistaken for Meghan Markle ever since she starred in the TV show 'Suits' in 2011.
As Meghan's fame grew and her relationship with Harry appeared in the press regularly, doppelganger Christine from New Jersey was stopped more and more.
Now, the mum of one claims she gets approached up to ten times A DAY by passengers and members of the public who are convinced that she's a celebrity.
After years of being mistaken for the famous actress, Christine has signed up with an agency to find work as a lookalike.
Christine said: "I started getting mistaken for Meghan years ago when I worked in first class - passengers would stop me and say I looked like 'that girl from Suits'.
"It happened a few times so I obviously googled Meghan and it was really flattering - she's absolutely stunning, so it's definitely a compliment.
"I do see the resemblance! Meghan and I are both mixed race - my dad is African American and Italian and her mom is African American, maybe they're related somehow!
"When she started dating Harry, I was getting stopped more and more, and when they got married, it became a daily occurrence of people asking me if I was Meghan.
"I flew from LA to New York for work one day and security thought that I was her until they checked my passport which was hilarious.
"I also had a mole removed and my dermatologist was convinced that I was Meghan and just using a fake name to get the work done secretly!
"Passengers always tell me I look like her and say to me 'You're married to a Prince, why are you working as an air hostess?'"
"It happens so often but I really don't mind it, she's an amazing woman so it's really flattering to be mistaken for being her."
Image by: Christine Mathis
Image by: Christine Mathis
Image by: Christine Mathis
Image by: Christine Mathis
Although looking exactly like Meghan, Christine found her own prince long before the actress, falling in love with warehouse supervisor Pablo Smith, 37, in 2012.
The couple also became parents before Meghan and Harry, welcoming their daughter Alana in February 2018.
After years of being mistaken for the famous actress, Christine has signed up with an agency to find work as a lookalike.
She's already done a photoshoot with a Harry lookalike for the agency so she can start getting work as Meghan.
Christine said: "I've wanted to be an actress ever since I was a little girl and people are so convinced that I am actually Meghan that I thought why not see if I can get some jobs pretending to be her.
"I want to do corporate and TV work, but my absolute dream would be to play Meghan in a Lifetime movie about her.
"I only just signed up to an agency, and have already done a shoot with a Prince Harry lookalike which was a lot of fun but also weird pretending to be with another guy!
"We did the shoot at the Terranea resort and we were stopped at least 20 times. People were even taking pictures with us, it was a really fun experience.
"A lot of men do stop me to tell me I look like Meghan and use it as a kind of chat up line, which is bizarre, but I'm very happy with my boyfriend.
"Pablo does see the resemblance between Meghan and I, he does get why people think we are the same person.
"He gets teased a lot by his friends who say that he's Prince Harry, but he actually looks nothing like him - he looks more like John Legend!"
Image by: Adam Gray SWNSVideo by: Ashley Moran
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?”
