A British teenager has become the UK's youngest qualified commercial pilot - after his mum sold the family home to help fund his dreams
Image by: Seth Van Beek
An 18-year old has become the UK's youngest qualified commercial pilot - after his mum sold the family home to help fund his dreams.
Seth Van Beek got his licence to fly passenger airliners after he completed 18 months training and clocked up 150 hours in the air before he passed with flying colours.
He set his sights on being a pilot since the age of eight, and selfless single mum Frances, 42, sold their three-bed home to fund his dream.
Seth, from Preston, London, is now the UK's youngest licensed commercial aviator, a record previously held by Luke Elsworth, who passed aged 19.
He had to move to Greece for the intensive £85,000 flight school course and is now looking for a job - and hopes to one day fly for British Airways.
Seth said: "Flying has always been my dream. There was nothing else that I had ever wanted to do, and there is nothing I would contemplate doing.
"You don't have a single epiphany where you realise that you want to be something or do something, it comes from experience.
"My mum was an avid traveller when she was younger, and when I was a boy she'd take us on holidays to see the world.
"I loved everything about flying - even the fact that a 300-tonne tube of metal can basically be shot up into the air and fly for up to 12 hours.
"As I grew up, my love became a passion, and I'm so grateful that the experience of training didn't discourage me, like training can.
"If anything, I knew there and then this would be what I did for my whole life. To be honest, I took very naturally to flying - there's no feeling like it.
"When you are flying manually, you are in charge. It's a big responsibility, but it's exhilarating, and that means flying's an honour.
"And I’ve always felt safer flying in a plane, or flying one, than travelling on a bus or driving a car - though I do have a driver's licence!
"People have to chase their dreams, and I’ve been so lucky, being able to make my dream my career because of my mum.
"None of this would have been possible without her - I love her to pieces!"
Seth left school in Zimbabwe after his GCSEs and attended Egnatia Aviation Training College after passing gruelling entrance exams in January 2018, aged 16.
In April 2018, having turned 17 on March 4, he then began 18 months' training at the prestigious Mediterranean flight academy.
Though he could have trained in the UK, Seth said he chose to learn in Greece so he could break the world record - and "because the weather was better".
Image by: Seth Van Beek
Image by: Seth Van Beek
Image by: Jon Mills
Image by: Seth Van Beek
One of 14 students, Seth sat 14 exams, alternating between learning theory and practical flying at Kavala International Airport every three months.
He took to the skies up five times-a-week during his practical stints, initially for just 60 minutes, but eventually flying for five hours over Greece.
Seth also completed three theory-based courses - the ATP Integration Course, Jet Orientation, and Multi Crew Cooperation
His total theory study time totalled 828 hours, often revising late into the night.
Seth's average exam score was 90.6% and he graduated in September at the top of his class, getting his licence from the European Aviation Safety Agency a month later.
He said: "Everything just made sense to me. I became known around the school for being a hard worker and people asking for advice.
"They were asking me - 'how would I prepare for this or that?'.
"But I would study extra outside of class, just to make sure that I had perfected my knowledge - I had top marks in sight.
"During exam season, I'd finish class at 9pm, and then work until around 4 or 5am the next day, right through."
Seth said he was inspired by his mother Frances, who had "always supported my dreams and told me that I could make it if I worked hard".
Frances, who also has a 14-year-old daughter, sold their home in Milton Keynes and downsized to a flat, to free up £85,000 for Seth's course, plus accommodation fees.
He added: "She made huge sacrifices for me, and I couldn't let her down. I had to achieve, and to succeed.
"I wanted to be top of my class, so that I could show her that it was worth everything.
"The hours of study, the stress - and her decision to sell the house so that she could set money aside to one day finance my training. And she's well and truly proud!"
Finance manager Frances, originally from Zimbabwe, said: "When I start to think about everything, I get so overwhelmed.
"I didn’t have a proper education, so I have always pushed Seth to make sure that he accomplishes what he really wants.
"For years I have told him that as long as he has faith and believes in himself, he will be able to achieve anything he sets his mind to.
"To think he's the youngest licensed commercial pilot in the UK - it blows me away."
Egnatia Aviation Training College said that of 1,500 former students to graduate with the Greek school since 2006, Seth was the youngest.
And the Civil Aviation Authority said the youngest qualified pilots from 2018 were two 21-year-old males - three years Seth's senior.
A letter of recommendation from instructor Captain Dionysios Kouris described Seth's manual flight skills as "smooth and effective".
The director of training at Egnatia Aviation Training College, said: "Exemplary student would be the characterization that best describes Seth Van Beek.
"His pre-entry assessment results led us to believe that Seth not only had great potentials but allowed us to have high expectations from him, too.
"And he certainly proved us right!
"Seth demonstrated all the qualities of character a successful airline pilot should possess: discipline, punctuality, commitment, will to evolve constantly, kindness, team spirit combined with leadership skills.
"These aspects of character combined with the advanced professional airline training he received by our Academy created a cadet who graduated among the top of his class and without delays.
"Graduates like Seth are certain to have a prosperous career ahead and make us proud of having been Egnatia Aviation students in the past."
Video by: Seth Van Beek
An 11-year-old schoolboy needed emergency surgery when he broke both his legs after jumping over a puddle into a road – only to be hit by an oncoming car
Image by: John Kent
A schoolboy needed emergency surgery when he broke both his legs after jumping over a puddle into a road – only to be hit by an oncoming car.
Max Kent was airlifted to hospital and rushed into theatre after breaking both his thigh bones in the horror accident as he got off a school bus just metres from his house.
The 11-year-old talented footballer and street dancer was getting off the bus with his sister Francesca, 14, when he noticed a pool of water in the road.
He leapt over the puddle to cross the road as the bus pulled away, but jumped into the path of an oncoming car that he did not see, causing the double bone break.
Max was whisked to hospital by helicopter, where surgeons carried out an emergency operation to insert metal plates in one leg and a pin in the other.
Despite the accident taking place near York, medics decided he needed specialist surgery that could only be carried out at Leeds General Infirmary's trauma centre.
He spent ten days in hospital before being allowed home in a wheelchair to continue his recovery.
A police investigation found that nobody was to blame for the accident as neither Max nor the car driver could see each other due to the bus.
Max's dad John Kent, 54, relived the horror of the phone call he received from his wife Karen telling him of the incident, which happened on October 24.
Mr Kent, of York, North Yorks., said: "Francesca called my wife who went to out to see Max on the floor.
“My wife called me at work and said I needed to get home immediately. I didn't know what I was going to see when I got there.
"All sorts go through your mind as a parent when you hear your son has been hit by a car.
“By the time I got there, the doctor was already on the scene and had called the Yorkshire Air Ambulance because of the severity of the injuries.
Image by: John Kent
Image by: John Kent
Image by: John Kent
“The paramedics treating Max covered him up with blankets. I could just see his legs.
“York was the nearest hospital, but Leeds was the best place for him to go.
“His life wasn't in danger, but in terms of what they were able to do, the air ambulance was critical to getting him the right care in the right place quickly.
“What we don't know is what could have happened if the air ambulance didn't take him to Leeds.
“We didn't know if there were any internal injuries or how badly broken his legs were.
“Both his thighs were broken and they needed to operate quickly. A plate was inserted in the left leg to restructure the bone and a pin down the other."
Keen footballer Max has been unable to play the sport he loves as he recovers from his injuries and has also been unable to take the family dog Pawthos for a walk near their house.
But he managed to take part in the family's traditional ice skating trip on Boxing Day and is hopeful that he can take the stage in an upcoming pantomime his dad has organised as part of his association with amateur dramatic club the Deadpan Players.
Half of the proceeds will be given to the Yorkshire Air Ambulance, which relies on charitable donations to fulfill more than 1,800 missions every year with two state-of-the-art Airbus H145 helicopters.
John added: "It has had a huge impact on his life. He's a very active and mobile young lad usually.
“Football is his great love, but he can't do that for a while as he is stuck in a wheelchair.
"He is unable to take our dog Pawthos for a walk across the fields where we live as the fields are linked and surrounded by muddy farm tracks which are unpassable in the wheelchair.
"His recovery is going steady.
“We managed to go ice skating on Boxing Day as a family and the Winter Wonderland were extremely accommodating allowing Max to enjoy the session in his chair.
“We are hoping he will be up and about by spring or summer time."
Suspected Banksy artwork has appeared in his home city of Bristol
Image by: Paul Gillis
A new piece of Valentine's Day-inspired street art apparently created by Banksy has appeared in his home city of Bristol.
Residents in the Barton Hill area of the city woke up to the artwork on the side of a house this morning (Thurs).
It seems to show a young girl firing a slingshot of flowers - possibly in relation to February 14th.
The mysterious artist has yet to claim ownership - although the piece bears all of his hallmarks.
The Bristol Somali Community Association posted photos of the artwork on Twitter.
They said: "Today in Barton Hill, we woke up with this remarkable mural art painted on one of the houses of the area.
"We hope it’s Banksy’s work. Come and have a look yourself. Whoever painted, it’s worth admiring their creativity."
The Bristol-based graffitist is known to create his masterpieces under the cover of darkness - leaving the scene before anyone can spot him in action.
Image by: Paul Gillis
Image by: Paul Gillis
The new Banksy appeared on the house owner's BIRTHDAY, family say.
The daughter of the landlord who owns the home has said she is "gobsmacked".
Kelly Woodruff, 37, helps with the management of the property on the junction of Marsh Road and Avonvale Road.
She said: "I'm literally gobsmacked. I'm so excited. It's given everyone a bit of a buzz.
"I haven't even spoken to my dad about it yet. I saw it on Facebook and immediately texted it to him. It's his birthday.
"I don't know what our plans are - but we're definitely keeping [the artwork].
"I was trying to get my dad to sell some property. It's a family-run business. I would say sell [the house] straight away!
"It's just incredibly exciting. I'm a born and bred Bristol girl. I follow Banksy all the time."
Image by: Paul Gillis
Image by: Paul Gillis
Image by: Ashley Moran
The owner of the house has described his delight at finding out that the potential Banksy artwork had appeared on his property - and on his birthday.
Edwin Simons, 67, said: "I'm shocked, absolutely shocked. How do we protect it? That's all there is in my mind. I don't want it vandalised.
"We want to protect it. I will never take it down - if I can protect it. I don't know what I'm going to do. We need someone with some knowledge about it.
"I've always been fascinated by Banksy. I think he's brilliant, absolutely brilliant - and he's more brilliant now!
"We never thought this would happen to us.
"I think it needs to be covered in anti-vandal paint. But I don't know how you would protect the flowers. We need to get some advice."
Landlord Edwin, from Longwell Green, Bristol, has owned the property - currently valued at around £235,000 - for 15 years.
It is divided into three flats, with the Valentine's Day-inspired artwork on the exterior of the building's left side.
He said: "The price [of the house] doesn't come into it for me - it's just brightened my day.
"It looks like it's a Banksy. We might have to put a frame over it; I don't know how we will protect it otherwise.
"It's a good birthday present. It's brought me out of the dumps.
"If there's anyone who can help us - the door's open!"
Daughter Kelly Woodruff, 37, said: "It's just incredible. It's so exciting that it's happened on Dad's birthday - it's a real present.
"It's not bad being 67 and getting a Banksy!
"We'd cry if someone vandalised it - we love it.
"We've got another property in Easton - Banksy come and do some others for us!"
When asked if he was Banksy, Edwin added: "No, I wish I was - I wouldn't owe the money I owe!"
Video by: Gabriella Petty
A golden retriever born with deformed legs has new lease of life after getting custom-built wheelchair
Image by: Chad DuBose
A golden retriever born with deformed front legs has a new lease of life - thanks to a specially-designed wheelchair.
Pigpen the pup needed both legs amputated at eight months-old and could only move by pushing his body along the ground - earning him the nickname 'Street Sweeper'.
But now the 14-month-old has a custom-made set of wheels to replace his front legs - allowing him to scoot around and play with other dogs.
Owner Chad DuBose, 34, reckons that Pigpen's treatment has $20,000 so far.
He said: “It was worth it though - he’s so happy. If I could bottle that kind of happiness and sell it then I’d be a billionaire.”
Pigpen was one of 11 puppies born in Savannah, Georgia, USA, on November 14, 2018.
Four days later Chad, a charter captain, noticed something was wrong.
"We initially thought he was just going to be the runt of the litter, but as he continued to grow there was a noticeable developmental difference between him and his siblings," he said.
“He couldn’t use his front legs, he just used to slide along the ground like a street sweeper.
“He’d get super dirty all the time but he didn’t care, he was having a great time.
“My fiancée named him Pigpen after the keyboardist from the Grateful Dead [American rock band].
"But the name gathered new meaning, because he was so dirty all the time.
"He's a very messy eater too."
Chad consulted with a veterinarian who advised that both of Pigpen’s front legs needed to be amputated, in two separate operations.
“A lot of thoughts crossed my mind,” recalled Chad, who lives with Pigpen and his fiancée Gloria Mulvaney, a 34-year-old nurse and their two other dogs.
“We were worried about what his quality of life would be like after the amputations.
“But after talking to the vet, we decided that if Pigpen could fight the fight then we could too.
"As long as he is comfortable and not in pain we said we would do everything we can to keep him alive.”
Image by: Chad DuBose
Image by: Chad DuBose
Image by: Chad DuBose
Image by: Chad DuBose
In July 2019 Pigpen had both his front legs removed and by December 2019 he was having physical therapy at the Fetch Canine Rehab facility in Savannah.
“He recovered more quickly than anyone expected him to,” said Chad.
“He seemed a lot happier. His front legs were weighing him down and becoming very deformed.”
Pigpen has also received his first professionally-made wheelchair, to give him independence and mobility.
“We experimented with several prototypes while he was a puppy but we had to wait until he was fully developed to get the final model,” said Chad.
Pigpen can now play freely with his friend, a white golden retriever named Hank, who lives in the neighborhood.
"They have a great time rolling around together," said Chad
Chad estimates that the total cost of Pigpen’s treatments has amounted to over $20,000.
“We held a fundraiser and the vet was so kind, he gave us the operations for half price,” he said.
“But we’ve paid about $10,000 out of our own pocket, so you’re looking at a $10,000 dog right there.
“It was worth it though, he’s so happy. If I could bottle that kind of happiness and sell it then I’d be a billionaire.”
A public fundraiser on GoFundMe.com has been set up to help fund Pigpen's ongoing medical care:
https://uk.gofundme.com/f/learning-to-walkthe-adventures-of-pigpen
Video by: Chad DuBose
Funny video shows driver blasting "Pump It Up" song - as he drives past man pumping up his car tyres
Image by: Ellis Dimelow
This hilarious video shows the moment a driver blasted the song "Pump It Up" through his radio - as he drove past a man who was inflating up his car tyres.
Ellis Dimelow was a passenger in his friend Dom Zach's car when the pair drove past a man at the side of the road pumping air into his car tyres.
Cheeky Ellis, 27, quickly took advantage of the moment, and started playing 2004 dance hit, Pump It Up, through Dom's car radio, winding down the window as they drove past.
The man can be seen glancing up and laughing when he heard the song playing, and started pumping his car tyres in time to the beat.
And as Ellis and Dom laugh at the situation, the other driver can be seen crossing his arms and shaking his head in mock annoyance at the pair at Harrogate, N Yorks.
Ellis, who works at a housing company in Harrogate, said: "We just put the song on as we were driving up to him.
"He was loving it. All three of us had a good laugh about it," Ellis joked.
Video by: Ellis Dimelow
Firefighter needed open heart surgery after getting POPCORN stuck in his teeth which led to life-threatening infection
Image by: Adam Martin
A firefighter needed open heart surgery when he got a potentially-fatal blood infection -
after getting POPCORN stuck in his teeth.
Adam Martin, 41, was “on death’s door” after the deadly infection attacked his heart and left him fighting for life.
He contracted an infection called endocarditis after he struggled to dislodge the piece of popcorn stuck between his teeth.
Endocarditis occurs when germs from another part of your body, such as the mouth, spread through the bloodstream and damage areas of the heart.
Doctors quizzed him about a possible cause and the only thing Adam can think might have caused the infection is his constant wiggling and poking at the food lodged in his teeth.
Adam said he stuck everything from a pen lid, tooth pick, a piece of wire and even a metal nail in his mouth in a desperate attempt to remove the popcorn.
The constant playing around with his mouth caused toothache after he damaged his gum, but instead of going to the dentist, he did nothing.
A week later Adam developed night sweats, fatigue, headaches and eventually a heart murmur, which are all signs of the infection.
Father-of-three Adam, from Coverack, Cornwall, said: “The doctors told me if I hadn’t gone to the GP when I did then I could have been dead in three days.
“Most people die when they are at 350 on an infection scale and I was at 340. The infection had eaten my heart valves completely.
“If I had gone to the dentist in the first place then none of this would have happened. At one point it was quite touch and go. It was the worst experience of my life.
“I wasn’t far off death’s door and I am extremely lucky. The popcorn stuck in my teeth is the only possible cause I can think of. I am never eating popcorn again that’s for sure.”
Adam’s life-threatening ordeal started when he shared a bag of popcorn while watching a film with his wife, Helen, 38, at the end of September.
The popcorn stuck in a tooth in the back left of his mouth, drove him crazy for three days and no matter how hard he tried, could not dislodge it.
Adam admits he playing around with his gum with random things he found lying around to dislodge it.
A week later Adam developed what appeared to be a cold, which then turned into what was assumed to be flu, and on October 7 he went to his GP.
Image by: Adam Martin
Image by: Adam Martin
Image by: Adam Martin
Image by: Adam Martin
Image by: Adam Martin
The doctors diagnosed a mild heart murmur and sent him for blood tests and x-rays, which came back showing nothing more significant than slightly raised inflammation markers.
Adam was sent home with medication to recover under his own steam, but a few days later, he was still experiencing flu-like symptoms.
He also developed a blood blister on his toe - which was later diagnosed as a Janeway lesion, an external indication of infective endocarditis.
Endocarditis is an infection of the endocardium, which is the inner lining of the heart chambers and heart valves.
It can lead to bacteria spreading through the bloodstream and damaging areas in the heart. If it's not treated quickly, endocarditis can damage or destroy heart valves.
Worried about his worsening current condition, Adam went to the Royal Cornwall Hospital on October 18.
He said: “I had a feeling there was something seriously wrong. I was sleeping an awful lot and I felt terrible.
“I had aches and pains in my legs and I just did not feel right at all. I was admitted to hospital the same day for tests. By this point I was very worried.
“I felt quite ill and I knew I was not right at all.”
The muscle ache in his leg turned out to be an infected clot, wedged in his femoral artery which required a five hour operation to clear.
Adam was being treated with medication to fight the infection but chest scans revealed his heart had been severely damaged - and would need an urgent operation.
He was transferred to Derriford Hospital on October 21 and had seven hour open heart surgery to replace his aortic valve and repair his mitral valve, damaged by the infection.
Adam said: “My heart was not properly working anymore. It was essentially wrecked. The infection had eaten the valves away.
“I should have just gone to the dentist in the first place. I don’t want anyone to go through what I have done.
“It all happened so quickly and it did get sketchy. I won’t be going near popcorn again, that’s for sure.
“It’s crazy to think all this happened because of that. It was something so trivial."
Adam made a quick recovery following surgery and returned home to his wife, Helen, and three children Megan, 15, Holly, 14 and George, seven, at the end of October.
Teaching assistant Helen said: “Any sign of toothache, bleeding gums, abscess - get it checked out!
“It is also well worth noting the date in case you get ‘flu like symptoms’. If Adam’s infection was caught earlier it could have been treated with antibiotics.
“Your gums are a bacterial highway to your heart.”
A wheelchair-using student claims her uni has failed to accommodate her disability - and she is forced to sit in the stairwell of lecture halls
Image by: Jack Rivlin
A wheelchair-using student claims her uni has failed to accommodate her disability - and she is forced to sit in the stairwell of lecture halls.
Sarah-Marie Da Silva says she has repeatedly been forced to sit in corners, close to the lecturer, by entrances or without a desk to make notes.
The 21-year-old veterinary student at Hull University said it is "humiliating" and has said her time at university is being blighted by the lack of provision.
Last week, Sarah-Marie, a fresher, was waiting to get into a lecture theatre but, when she pushed in, ended up in the corner of the stairwell because she had no way of getting down the stairs and to a desk.
Speaking to student news site The Tab, she said: "I turned and saw the stairs, panicked and stopped. Then I realised I was in people’s way.
"I adjusted and moved myself against the wall, so people could get past.
"During the next ten minutes people were arriving, looking at me and sometimes asking what was going on. I told them I can’t get down and to just go past me."
Sarah-Marie, who plays wheelchair basketball, said the lecturer was helpful and offered to let her use one of the seats.
But she said: "My wheelchair is made for me, other seats cause me to spasm and cause me an incredible amount of pain."
She was also offered a piggyback by a fellow student but declined.
Image by: Jack Rivlin
She said: "It’s humiliating in a public place, but her intentions were very kind."
Eventually, Sarah-Marie told her lecturer to begin as "there wasn’t an alternative and we were all there to learn, I didn’t want to take up anymore of people’s time."
This is not the first issue Sarah-Marie has had since she started her course in September.
She said the difficulties make her feel like an "other" and added: "I’ve raised it countless times and the only thing they will do is do a room change.
"My first lecture was in September, I pushed in and there was nowhere for me
“It was a lecture theatre where you go in on the floor level.
"Everyone walked up the stairs to take their seats and I was left with nowhere to go – no desk, no seats next to me for other students and I’m right next to the lecturer. I was made to feel like an ‘other’.
“A lot of the time there are no desks for me.
"If there are, they’re moveable desks, but the wheels are always locked and I can’t bend down that far to unlock them, so everyone in the theatre looks on at me while I struggle to get a desk."
Sarah-Marie said she’s raised the issue "countless times" and, while individual lecturers and the university’s disability team have been helpful, no progress has been made beyond offering room changes.
She said: "I’m back in a lecture theatre with the moveable desks that I can’t move, where no one can sit with me or next to me and I’m on the floor with the lecturer."
The University of Hull told The Tab they’re carrying out a "full investigation" into what’s happened after Da Silva raised her concerns on Twitter.
Dr Anji Gardner, Director of Student Services, University of Hull told The Tab: "We are very sorry that this has happened, clearly it is not acceptable. We take these matters very seriously and we are looking into what has happened.
"We are committed to working with our students to put in place any additional support or adjustments where needed. Unfortunately, it is clear this hasn’t happened in this case.
"We will immediately look into this and ensure that we take necessary steps to make sure this does not happen again."
RAF airman quit job and sold belongings to fund stunning globe-trotting adventure across Europe with his pet ferret named Bandit
Image by: Charlie Hammerton
An RAF airman quit his job and sold everything to travel the world -- with his pet ferret.
Charlie Hammerton, 25, was grieving following the deaths of his best friend, mother and adopted mum in around 19 months.
In a bid to feel more positive, he decided to travel the world with his 'best pal', rescue ferret Bandit.
He quit his job, sold his three cars and almost all his possessions, drumming up £15,000 for his dream trip, allowing him to buy a campervan.
The inseparable pair travelled for eight months, driving through 11 countries, from the Arctic Circle to southern Italy.
His hilarious holiday album is full of snaps of Bandit posing in front of iconic landmarks - from the Eiffel tower to the Colosseum.
Charlie has written a book inspired by the trip and now travels the country visiting schools to teach outdoor education.
Image by: Charlie Hammerton
Image by: Charlie Hammerton
Image by: Charlie Hammerton
Image by: Charlie Hammerton
Single Charlie, from Falmouth, Cornwall, said: “Travelling was the most amazing experience of my life and it was completely liberating.
“We followed the sun across the world and camped under the stars in amazing places.
“It was beautiful and I spent it with my best friend.
“I have less money now but I am much wealthier as a person."
Charlie rescued Bandit from an animal sanctuary in 2015 and the pair have been the best of friends ever since.
The little ferret even stayed with him at his military digs in RAF Coningsby whilst Charlie was working for the RAF.
But Charlie suffered depression and suicidal thoughts after a string of heartbreaking losses in 2017 and 2018.
His best friend passed away aged 22 in July 2016 following a following a night out with friends where his family suspect he took drugs.
His mum Jan died in March 2017, aged 53, after suffering with motor neurone disease, and his adopted mum passed away after a heart attack in February 2018.
Living in Arnold, Nottinghamshire at the time he decided to turn his back on a promising career and plough almost all of his money into a globe-trotting adventure - with Bandit.
His adventures have included road trips with Bandit to raise awareness for different charities.
The pair walked across Hadrian's Wall in aid of motor neurone disease charity, MND, and also skateboarded 40 miles across London in aid of a drug awareness charity.
“It was horrible for me but I didn’t want to get into a rut because of it all," he said.
"I did think about killing myself a couple of times. I didn’t know where to turn.
“It took a lot of courage for me to do what I did.
“At the time I was living in a nice flat, had a good job and had three cars.
“I had a lot of savings behind me and I was lucky enough to be very secure.
“But it was all just ‘stuff’ to me and didn’t really mean anything.
“I decided to get rid of the lot - and set off with Bandit.”
Image by: Charlie Hammerton
Image by: Charlie Hammerton
Image by: Charlie Hammerton
Within the space of just a couple of months Charlie quit the RAF, sold his cars and gadgets and even moved out of his flat.
He managed to drum up £15,000 - and spent £5,000 on a camper van which he would go on to call home.
Starting out in February 2018 Charlie and Bandit ventured from Edinburgh, Scotland, to Holland, Germany, Sweden, Norway, France, Spain and Italy on their European road trip.
Just a month into the trip Charlie's girlfriend, Chiara Corsa, 21, joined him and Bandit in Berlin for the rest of the adventure.
They visited some of the world’s most iconic places, including the Eiffel tower, Colosseum in Rome and the Arctic Circle.
The pair visited more than 25 towns and cities in 11 countries and Charlie documented the adventure on a Facebook page, ‘Adventures With The Bandit’.
He posted photos of Bandit at Europe’s most iconic landmarks.
“We visited some incredibly scenic places and camped next to some of the most famous places in the world”, Charlie said.
“It was incredible to do it with Bandit. He has seen me at my best and my worst and has always been with me.
“Bandit has been with me through thick and thin.”
Charlie and Bandit slept, lived and ate in their camper van before travelling back to the UK in September 2018.
In November 2018, Charlie released a book inspired by his travels.
Before Our Adventures is available to buy on Amazon and is a story all about making the most out of a bad situation.
Charlie said: “The trip was completely liberating and I really did have an amazing experience.
“I needed to just go out and do something for me.
“The book is all about how you can take anything bad and turn it into something really good.
“Everyone has the right and the ability to do that.
“It’s easy to get stuck in a rut but there’s no need to. I feel so much better for what I did.”
Charlie now works in schools across the country teaching youngsters lessons on how to build confidence, self-esteem and outdoor living skills, such as camping and bushcraft.
He said: “I went through a really rough time and developed serious depression.
“I felt suicidal and just didn’t know what to do with myself.
“A chain of bad things had happened to me and I had good reason to feel really miserable about my life.
“But I decided that was not what I wanted to be, I didn’t want this to define me.
“I sold the lot and just took off. It was the making of me.
“I channeled the negative energy and turned it into something positive."
Witness the mesmerising moment that a troop of BASE jumpers’ leap from a cliff face in a formation that resembles a multi coloured WATERFALL
Image by: Chris McDougal
This is the mesmerising moment a troop of BASE jumpers leapt from a cliff in a mass formation - that resembles a human WATERFALL.
Captured on film by Professional BASE jumper Chris ‘Douggs’ McDougall the video shows the colourful 26 daredevils perched on the edge of a cliff in Kjerag, Norway.
They jump from the cliff in sequence plunge towards the ground in a waterfall formation that is an absolute visual delight.
Chris, 47 from Switzerland who organized the record BASE jump said: ''We were training with our school for 10 days before the jump and when the weather was perfect, we executed the record jump perfectly. This is the most people off this object ever.”
“I feel like I did a great job organising the jump and that my students and instructors did a perfect job executing the jump.”
Image by: Chris McDougal
Image by: Chris McDougalVideo by: Chris McDougal
Registrar at one of UK’s first mixed sex civil partnership ceremonies described the moment as 'simple but historic'
Image by: Tony Kershaw SWNS
A heterosexual couple who won a Supreme Court battle to have a civil partnership rather than a wedding celebrated their legal union today.
Rebecca Steinfeld and Charles Keidan, who campaigned for mixed sex civil partnerships, were among first to register at Kensington and Chelsea Register Office in west London.
The couple walked into the Register Office this morning with their two daughters Eden, four, and two-year-old Ariel.
Charles and Rebecca’s parents and their two children attended the partnership as well as the couple’s witnesses and long term friends Melanie Pilbrow and Oma Sallnger.
The couple had a basic civil partnership costing just £46 with around a dozen guests present.
Speaking after the partnership ceremony, Rebecca said: “It feels fantastic on a personal and a political level.
“We are feminists and we see each other as civil partners.
“We did not want to have to get married, become Mr and Mrs, husband and wife.”
The couple stood on the steps of the Register Office where they told of their love for one another and their success in ending the unrivalled position of marriage.
Rebecca said: “We’ve just signed the Register here at Kensington and Chelsea Register Office, and have formed a civil partnership with each other...finally.
“Today, as one decade ends and another dawns, we have become civil partners in law.
“Our personal wish to form a civil partnership was rooted in our desire to formalise our relationship in a more modern way, focused on equality and mutual respect.
“So today is a unique, special and personal moment for us - a moment when we have been able to affirm our love and commitment to one another in the company of our beautiful children, Eden and Ariel, and close friends, and have that love and commitment given legal recognition in the way that best reflects who we are, what we love and the life we value.”
She added: “Thousands of other people across the country will be forming civil partnerships of their own in the coming decade.
“What began as a personal issue has become so much more than that. There is now a space for new, more modern possibilities for people to express their love and commitment to one another.
“The urgent need to reform cohabitation law so that social policy keeps up with the reality of family life in modern Britain has been brought into greater focus.
“And by ending the unrivalled position of marriage we have helped to create the space for deeper discussions about giving legal recognition to other types of personal and caring relationships, such as those between friends, siblings and co-parents.
“There’s no social script to civil partnerships and you can do whatever feels right for you. Some couples will want to celebrate with an elaborate ceremony and big party. But the beauty is that you can form them at minimal cost, without fanfare.
“Charlie, I hope that you and I, and Eden and Ariel, enjoy many years of civilly partnered life together! I love you.”
Her partner Charlie said the couple’s mental health and ability to be civil to one another was tested through their long journey which they finally succeeded in “against all odds.”
He said: “Becca and I have shared much joy, and supported each other through the strains of life, and loss.
“We have gained so much through the years of trying to become civil partners – new friends, skills - even notoriety - but also confidence and belief in our own agency and capability.
“Against all odds, we succeeded in a legal battle against the government and then they did what we asked for all along. Not many people can say that.
“But we both know that with everything gained, some things risked being lost, or at least un-spoken. Through this long journey and hard fought battle, our mental health has suffered, our ability to be civil to each other has been tested, and, crucially, we missed out on that important moment to state clearly what we mean to each other - not just what we’ve become in the eyes of others.
“So we are grateful to, and wish to thank, everyone who has supported us on this journey so that we could finally do that in private a few moments ago.”
Ben Rich, the couple’s campaign strategist, described Rebecca and Charlie as the couple who changed that.
He said their basic civil partnership registration cost just £46 and has the same legal protection as marriage.
He said: “We are aware of at least 80 and this is the couple who changed that.
“We are aware of at least 80 mixed sex civil partnerships going on today and this is the couple who changed that.
“We think the first that took place today was in Carmarthenshire Wales where the register office did it at midnight.
“We think there will be at least 1,000 today and the government estimate 84,000 in the first year.
“We have been running this campaign for tha beat part of five years.
“I have been married for 25 years and recognise people will continue to choose marriage but it comes with a lot of expectations.
“This is an opportunity for them to create their own tradition and they want to show this is a very easy thing you can do.
“If you want to spend the equivalent of a house on a marriage, that is one option but you can also do it for £46 and this is giving you the same legal protection as marriage.
“This is new and we can make this whatever we want it to be and I love that.”
Image by: Tony Kershaw SWNS
The couple, from Shepherd’s Bush in west London, have two daughters Eden, four, and Ariel, two, whose surname Keidstein is a merger of each of their parents’ last names.
But when Rebecca and Charlie gave notice of their civil partnership, they were told their children would be considered illigitimate and that they would have to reregister their births.
Rebecca, a campaigner and researcher, said: “We were told when we gave notice of our partnership that we would need to reregister the births of our children on the basis any children born before our civil partnership would be considered illegitimate.
“We will not be doing that. We think that is an archaic law.
“We are not sure if we will actively campaign against it but we will not be reregistering the births.”
Rebecca and Charlie, who are both Jewish, met at a lecture about Gaza.
The couple battled through five years and three court cases before finally becaming civil partners today.
Rebecca said: “We would say that we felt very strongly about becoming civil partners because we already saw each other as civil partners in life.
“We wanted to have that legal and financial protection, formalising a relationship of equals.
“We did not feel we could do that by getting married. We felt there would be a lot of social expectation and pressure from a gender point of view and we did not want to have that.
“Sadly it took five years and three court cases but we are here today.”
Charlie said: “The opportunity came to change the law by coming here and trying to form a civil partnership.
“But we were turned away because we were not the same sex and that led to our legal battle and the rest is history.”
The couple said they felt privileged to be able to fight for their beliefs but that it came at a price and took its toll of Charles’ mental health.
Charlie, a magazine editor, said: “It is inevitable. Since we started this we have had two children, we have mixed home multiple times, we are both trying to hold down jobs in charities. Doing these things together obviously comes with huge pressures.
“After we won in court unanimously, after the law changed, it started to feel very very tired in ways I just could not explain. I think I was just burnt out physically and mentally.
“I spoke to the doctor and to my employer and took five weeks off work really just to recover from everything we had been through. It has not just been tough for me, it has been tough for Rebecca as well.
“But it has been good that we have had a chance since the law changed in April to have that period of calm and reflect.
“I don’t regret it but it has been tough, it has come at a cost and at a price.”
Rebecca added: “We lost the high court, we lost at the court of appeal and it was difficult to keep going.
“But we knew we had a lot of people supporting us and it meant a lot to them too so we kept going.
“We has people across the country saying they wanted to be able to form a civil partnership.
“Then we had the Supreme Court’s unanimous five-nil verdict, we felt very vindicated.
“We are very privileged to have been able to take this case up with legal aid. The journey in many ways has been very positive in terms of the people we have met and the insightfulness we have had campaigning.”
When asked what is next in their campaigning, the couple told of further necessary reforms that are close to their hearts.
Charlie said: “There are issues around cohabitation reform and for people who are cohabitants.
“There are 3.5 million cohabitant couples in this country without protection.
“Also, I have been very conscious of the role models we try to be as parents. I have noticed there are no male carers at the children’s nursery - not one.
“We have kept our own names and our children’s names have been fused. We have tried to set a tone in that way. They are family related issues we can address.
“We met at a lecture about Gaza, we are both Jewish, and we feel there are serious issues that need to be addressed about that.”
The couple plan to celebrate their civil partnership with a small group of family and friends at a local pub before Charlie returns to work on Friday.
He added: “I hope Rebecca and I, Eden and Ariel enjoy many years of civil partnership life together.”
Image by: Tony Kershaw SWNS
The registrar of one of the UK’s first mixed sex civil partnerships, who married the country’s first same sex couple, described today's moment as 'simple but historic'.
Rebecca Steinfeld, 38, and Charles Keidan, 43, signed the register of their civil partnership at Kensington and Chelsea register office today after five years of legal battles and three court cases.
Steven Lord said it was a real honour to be a part of people’s special day “especially when they have had to fight for the legal right.“
The registrar of 12 years was also the registrar of the UK’s first same sex marriage at Camden’s register office at a midnight wedding in March 2014.
He said: “It was a very simple signing of the register with the couple chosing one of our smallest rooms, but it was a very historic moment.
“It is a real honour to be doing the first same sex marriage and then one of the first mixed sex couple partnerships.
“And it is a real honour to be a part of people’s special day, especially when they have had to fight for the legal right.
“I was the registrar of one of the first same saved marriages in March 2014, I was a registrar at Camden at the time where I did one at midnight.
“And today, Charles and Rebecca signed the register on the first morning of the new legislation so that is a great pleasure.”
Video by: Ashley Moran
