D-Day veteran with note revealing end of WWII vows to keep it in family
By Douglas Whitbread
A D-Day hero who found out the Second World War in Europe was going to end 48 hours before the rest of the world has vowed to keep the historic letter in his family.
Bernard Morgan was working as an RAF codebreaker in 1945 when he deciphered a secret telex that read: “The German war is now over… The surrender is effective some time tomorrow”.
And the ex-serviceman, who celebrates his 100th birthday tomorrow (Wednesday), has vowed that the important telex will pass to his family when he dies.
Ahead of his birthday, the great-grandad read out the note - dressed in the uniform he wore on D-day - to remind others of the liberties they had won in the victory.
But the Royal British Legion Ambassador (RBL) refuses to give museums the original, instead insisting it will stay in his family when he dies.
Bernard, who was the youngest RAF sergeant to land in Normandy in June 1944, said: “I am always keen for the younger generation to know exactly what went on during the War and to appreciate the sacrifice that our lads made so that we can enjoy the freedoms we have today.
“The Imperial War Museum in London and in Manchester both wanted the original copy - they weren’t interested in a photocopy - but I’m keeping it for my family."
Bernard, of Crewe, Cheshire, landed on Gold Beach at 6.30 pm on D-Day, 6 June 1944, aged 20, after he had joined the RAF on his birthday two years earlier.
He was stationed in Schneverdingen, Germany, when he got the message on around May 6, 1945, declaring that the war in Europe was ending via his Typex machine.
The note stated: "The German War is now over. At Rheims last night the instrument of surrender was signed which in effect is a surrender of all personnel of the German forces - all equipment and shipping and all machinery in Germany.
"Nothing will be destroyed anywhere. The surrender is effective some time tomorrow. This news will not be communicated to anyone outside the service nor to members of the press."
Following the news, Bernard had a big party with his close comrades - lighting a huge bonfire and celebrating into the night while being careful not to give the game away.
He kept both the note and his role in the war hidden for 50 years due to secrecy documents he had signed, which finally elapsed in 1994.
He said of receiving the note: “It was a surprise. We couldn’t tell anybody until we got the final message to say the war in Germany was now over.
“We had to decode it - it was in code. It was great when we got that. I was in a little place called Schneverdingen, Germany, near Hamburg.
“It was nice to see that no more soldiers, sailors or airmen were giving their lives… and also to thank the civilians who gave their lives for the same reason.
“My parents thought the war was like the First World War, ankle-deep in mud, and they never asked what I did in the Air Force.
"Being their only child, they were so glad to see me come home.”
Bernard said despite his glee at the end of the conflict, sharing the note with others also made him reflect on those who had died during the fighting.
He added: “On occasions like this, I always think about the three wireless operators that I lost in Normandy. They were the lads bringing me the messages.
“One of them was 19 and two of them were 20, and whenever I go to Normandy, I always go to their graves."
After the War, Bernard worked on the railways and at Crewe Alexandra where he was a turnstile operator for 57 years.
The widower, who was married for 51 years before his wife's death, is planning to return to Normandy with the RBL to mark the 80th anniversary of D-day in June.
His daughter Sheila said: “We are incredibly proud of Dad, and it is wonderful that so many people want to share his special day.
"He will always be a war hero but he is a brilliant dad, grandad and great-grandad, too.”
Nancy Kay, Branch Chair for the RBL in Crewe, added: “Our D-Day veterans are a dwindling band of brothers, so it is incredibly important that we take every opportunity we can to celebrate the achievements and the bravery of those people who helped to liberate Europe 80 years ago.”
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Tourists in Peru caught Alpaca heading home from work in a TAXI!
By Leo Black
This is the bizarre moment tourists in Peru caught an Alpaca commuting home from work in a taxi.
Panchita the alpaca goes to and from the Cuzco's Mariott Hotel in a taxi every day to greet guests and take pictures with them.
Frank Sheldon, 50, was in Cuzco for his 50th birthday when he met Panchita and its owner Kelly.
After a day at work, Kelly stands outside the hotel with Panchita and waves down cabs.
Frank, a tourist from Torrance, California, USA, said: "They live on a farm 30 minutes from downtown.
"She just waves down the driver from the street so the driver does know what he is signing up for.
"I kept asking Kelly how she got to work and she told me a taxi.
"I thought: 'I must be wrong and it's just a lost-in-translation moment or maybe she meant like a pickup truck that is a taxi.'"
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People – from around the world – queue for THREE HOURS to buy humble cheese and bean jacket potato
By Ed Chatterton
A jacket potato seller has been dubbed the new 'Binley Mega Chippy' after becoming a global TikTok sensation attracting visitors from across the world.
Ben Newman - aka Spudman - has seen customers queuing for up to three hours to get their hands on his famous spuds in the quaint market town of Tamworth, Staffs.
People have been flocking from as far as the USA, Australia, New Zealand and Malaysia to his humble jacket potato van after his videos took the internet by storm.
The 39-year-old now sells up to 1,500 jackets a day priced between £4 to £5 each after racking up 2.6 million followers and 41.6 million likes on TikTok.
Dad-of-nine Ben says he has no idea how he became an unlikely tourist attraction for young people after originally joining TikTok to keep an eye on his children.
Since then, his simple videos of him sharing culinary tips and daily life as a jacket potato vendor on his trailer have exploded in popularity.
Ben has even earned his own personal fanbase in Hawaii and admits he is still baffled by his newfound fame and becoming a millennial craze.
Ben, of Burton-upon-Trent, Staffs., said: "I still can't quite get my head around what's happening. It's just been crazy and absolutely mind-blowing.
"I have no social media training or experience. When my son, who is now 16, put TikTok in front of me I just thought 'I need to keep an eye on you on this'.
"But I soon realised it wasn't just for dancing girls, so I uploaded a few videos of me making a potato using just a Go-Pro and a decent camera.
"When they began hitting a few thousand views each I thought I could use this to promote the business. But I never expected what happened next.
"It was October and we had around 400,000 followers, which I was chuffed with to be honest, then all of a sudden it started to explode.
"For no real reason that I'm aware of, some videos were getting millions of views. One has had almost 100 million views.
"We worked out if you sat down to watch that video 100 million times, you'd be watching it for 60 years.
"All of a sudden people from across the world were turning up - from South Africa, New Zealand, Australia and USA.
"The most surreal moment was this couple from Malaysia, who hadn't come to the UK for a holiday - they came just solely to see me.
"They caught a flight to Gatwick and then hired a car to drive to little old Tamworth solely for a jacket potato.
"The amount of people I've been able to connect with and meet from all over the world is just crazy and incredibly humbling.
"Every single customer has been awesome. Its not just millennials, we have middle-aged families here too.
"We've become a tourist attraction. Our best seller is probably the classic cheese and beans."
Ben says he can't even walk through his home town anymore without being stopped in the street due to his new local celebrity status.
His fame has spawned Spud Man merchandise sold online in the form of keyrings, tote bags, aprons and clothing,
He added: "It has opened up some incredible opportunities for me. I honestly can't walk through town anymore without being stopped.
"I never sought celebrity status, I just wanted my little jacket potato van to do well. I won't tour or open my own shop - I love my trailer too much.
"I just try to be authentic and honest and I think that's what people like. I don't really know, you'd need to ask them."
Ben has been at the same location for more than 20 years after setting up his own business called Newman's Catering at the age of 18.
He became Spudman around two years ago and believes his late father, who was a jacket potato merchant, would be proud of his recent success.
In the wake of the pandemic he started using his @spudarmy account to promote his business but said he "never believed" this would be the outcome.
Ben, who lives with partner Sarah Simpson,37, AKA Spudwife, said: "It's all been beyond my wildest dreams.
"I just try and have fun with the videos. People seem to enjoy the livestreams but I enjoy filming people's responses when I give them a free spud.
"I've seen the Binley Mega Chippy comparison but I like to feel we've worked a little harder than that.
"They were a meme and it happened by chance. We know it will drop off but we want to keep going for as long as we can and to put Tamworth firmly back on the map.
"If we do well, so does the town. Its all about promoting local businesses and also every jacket potato seller out there.
"There is one in your own town, go and support them.
"My grandad was a farmer and my dad was a jacket potato merchant, I think they would be proud."
Ben sports a trademark pink mohawk, which he got to raise money for kidney research, after suffering his own health battles.
He suffered three failed kidney transplants - in 2014, 2016 and 2019 - and will be on dialysis for the rest of his life.
Last weekend he raised over £11,000 for Kidney Research UK by giving away 2,200 free jacket potatoes to people in the town.
He said: "There's not a lot of dialysis patients who are as active as me and I want to try and show a positive side of it and help support the charity where I can.
"I'm trying to put out a positive message to them and that they can be normal whilst having kidney failure."
Customer April Hall, 38, a support worker, travelled an hour from Telford, Shrops., to try a Spudman jacket potato with cheese and tuna yesterday (Tue).
She said: "Some of the guys I support have been going on about him for weeks after watching all of his stuff online.
"I'm not really into social media that much so it all seemed a bit bizarre to me but I promised them we would go and see him.
"We came early to avoid the queues and he is such a nice man. The jacket potato was lovely too.
"It's amazing to see normal, down to earth people making it in life so credit to him. He has done really well to get this following and we were happy to support him."
Another customer, McDonald's manager Lewis Rochelle, 18, of Cannock Staffs., said: "I just wanted to see what the fuss was about.
"I paid £5 for a jacket with cheese and beans and it was really good, so it was well worth the trip.
"I saw his videos before Christmas when he had about a hundred thousand followers - but its just exploded.
"Every one in two videos is about him at the moment. It's mad. I've not had to travel far but it was great to meet him and get a photo with him."
Regular Lee Vickers, 29, of Tamworth, added: "Spud man has put Tamworth well and truly on the map - it's unreal what he's doing for himself.
"He deserves all the success in the world. He always puts the graft in, he's a top guy and above all he sells top-quality hearty spuds."
Spudman Menu:
Cheese and Beans | £4.00
Chili Con Carne & Cheese | £4.00
Cheese, Beans & Coleslaw | £5.00
Cheese, Beans & Bacon | £5.00
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Pampered pooch rocks $20k designer wardrobe – and struts down runways all over the globe
By Katie Storrie
Meet the pampered dog who has a wardrobe of custom-made designer clothes worth $20k - and struts down runways all over the globe.
Tika, a 12-year-old Italian Greyhound, loves to get dressed up in stylish outfits and attend glamorous events - such as Paris, New York and Milan fashion week - with her owner Thomas Sharpio, 32.
Tika is spoilt and has a wardrobe of 400 items - as well as being treated to a raw and fresh diet.
Thomas and his partner, Louis, 36 also have a one-year old Italian greyhound called Kala who they also dress up- and they both share a king sized bed with the couple.
Thomas, a full time content creator, from Montreal, Canada, said: “All of her clothes are custom made.
“They can range anywhere from £60 to £100 pounds per item.
“Most dress are worth between £100 to £300.
“I like that she is a bit of a trend setter."
Thomas and Louis, a project manager, have always dressed Tika up in clothes - as the climate in Montreal is often very cold.
Thomas said: “Breeds like Greyhounds are like humans, she had a wardrobe before we even started sharing photo’s online.
“We live in Canada and it is always cold and rainy.
“You have to be prepared."
Thomas began posting Tika's outfits online in 2016 and she has now worked with big fashion brands such as Boss, Dior, Channel, Fendi and Vogue.
She has also had the opportunity to walk down the catwalk at fashion weeks across the world.
Thomas has all Tika's outfits custom made - and has taken inspiration from the likes of Lady Gaga, Celine Dion and Cher.
He said: "I get most of my inspiration from current runways, but also from people like Lady Gaga, Celine Dion and Cher - you know the icons."
Day to day Tika wears more practical clothing and layers up in a onesie, overcoat, boots, hat and snood.
Thomas said: “When picking an outfit it can vary. If it is day to day we aim for comfort.
"For her she is wearing a onesie, she is very used to it."
Younger pooch Kala is also ready to follow in Tika's footsteps when she retires.
Thomas said: “When Tika is ready to retire, after all she is 12, Kala will take over.
“She is really not slowing down though and we won't ever force her."
Tika and Kala have a strict diet to ensure they stay fit, healthy and camera ready.
Their diet consist of food full of proteins and high fibres.
Thomas said: "We always feed them freeze dry raw food.
“The girls love it and they are in great shape.
“We give them supplements and we give them fresh veggies and fruit."
Tika and Kala can sleep for up to 21 hours a day and have 12 dog beds throughout the house - but curl up in the couple's bed at night.
Thomas said: "They sleep in a kings size bed with me and my husband.
“They are always looking for heat, they love to be near you.
Thomas and Louis also have two children together - Harrison, two and Eleanor, one - and says the pair love the dogs and where they wear matching outfits.
Thomas believes Tika is a "trend setter" and "icon".
He said: “Other dogs are now dressing up - I think Tika started this thing.
“When you go into a store there are more options for dogs, than there were five to six years ago.”
With other 400 items of clothing it is estimated they are worth more than $20k.
Thomas however gets the majority of this for free, due to the sponsorships he has.
Thomas spends an average of 60 dollars a week on food.
"I spend about $500 dollar's every two months."
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Lucky hyena barely escapes being eaten by hippo!
By Safia Azizi
A lucky hyena narrowly escaped being eaten by an angry hippo - that it mistook for being dead.
Safari guide Carlos Ismail was leading a tour in Ngorongoro Crater, Tanzania, when he spotted an opportunistic scavenger wading through some water.
Tense footage shows the hyena creeping up on the behind of a seemingly immobile hippo half submerged under the algae.
Suddenly the hyena turned tail and just in time as the hippo swung its huge body around and chased it from the water almost catching it in its powerful jaws.
Carlos said: “This hyena was very lucky. It was on its own and I think it thought that the hippo was dead and would be an easy meal.
“It just managed to escape in time before it was caught in the hippo’s huge jaws. It barely managed to make it to dry land.
“I have been a guide now for nine years and have never seen anything like this before. Although I have seen the same hippo chase after a lioness.
“They are not scared of anything!”
The footage was filmed on November 1 last year.
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"My little girl had spinal surgery while in the womb - now she can walk and run"
By Elizabeth Hunter
A little girl whose parents were told she would never walk is now running around - after £9k spinal surgery - while still in the womb.
Georgia Axford and Tyler Kelly, then just 19 and 21, were told their unborn baby had spina bifida after the 20-week scan.
The condition causes weakness or paralysis in the lower limbs - and the parents were told it was likely their child wouldn't walk.
The couple decided to travel to Germany for treatment, which saw the unborn baby operated on in the womb - at a cost of £9,000.
Piper-Kohl Kelly was then born health in July 2018 - and named after surgeon Dr Thomas Kohl.
Now five, she can walk and run - and has even taken part in her school's sports day.
Mum Georgia, now 24, said: "Seeing her run on the tracks was amazing.
“I never thought she’d be able to do something like that.
“Sometimes it doesn’t feel real. I think back to what we were told, and they were really negative about Piper’s diagnosis.
“We were prepared to give Piper whatever support she needed.
“I can’t believe it – we’re so lucky to see Piper achieve what she does.”
Spina bifida can leave sufferers dependent on supports or crutches, and in severe cases, they can be wheelchair-bound.
Doctors were confident that this would be the case for Piper-Kohl, who goes by Piper.
Georgia, from Yate, South Glos., said: "I had Piper at thirty weeks.
“She was in intensive car for 52 days, and then we came home and began living our life like normal.
“Doctors always said there could be a possibility of Piper needing a shunt, so that was a waiting game to see if she was showing signs.
“At about six months, she did have one fitted. She’s had that for the last four years and we’ve never had any problems with it.
“When she was around two, her physio gave her a walking frame – she doesn’t use it anymore, but we have it in case she needs the support.
“She used it for about a year while she was starting to walk, but now she walks completely independently.
“She does get really tired and can’t go for really long distances, but she does so well, especially considering what we were told."
The family also keep in touch with Dr. Thomas Kohl, the surgeon who performed the miracle surgery – and the namesake for Piper-Kohl.
The pair even share a birthday, with the family providing regular updates when Piper has a milestone.
Georgia said: “I think our experience was a lot easier because of Piper’s surgeon, Thomas Kohl,”
“We still speak to him! Piper’s name is double-barrelled, after him – Piper-Kohl.
“She was actually born on his birthday, which is a really funny coincidence.
“We send him updates a couple of times a year. On their birthday, they always FaceTime or send a message.
“Whenever Piper does something which we didn’t think she was going to be able to do, I send him a quick update.
“He’s always been so lovely to us.”
While the family’s journey hasn’t been easy by any means, Georgia and Tyler are filled with pride over their daughter’s progress – and are hoping to continue to witness her do anything she puts her mind to.
“It hasn’t been all rainbows and sunshine,” said Georgia.
“Piper went through a major surgery at six months old and it’s been hard over the years with all her physio and doctors.
“It’s a miracle that she’s been through it and is who she is today. She’s been through a lot in her life.
“She loves colouring and anything to do with arts and crafts. She loves school, and she has a really good group of friends.
“She’s so clever, and she’s such a kind and caring little girl.
“She beats the odds all the time – and whatever she does, I’ll be so proud of her.”
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"I'm a female bare-knuckle fighter - I train by punching concrete slabs"
By Ellie McDonald
Meet the female bare-knuckle fighter who trains by punching concrete paving slabs - and laughs at misogynist men who say she has "puny arms".
Danni Ashfield, 32, recently signed a pro contract - and thinks she could be the first female fighter with autism in Britain.
The personal trainer, from Flintshire, took up bare-knuckle fighting after her autism prevented her from being able to wear boxing gloves.
Not being able to see her hands gave her anxiety - so the gloves were off.
Danni, a 5ft 5ins bantamweight who fights under the name 'Danni Lee', now competes in sanctioned events.
She wants more women to take up bare-knuckle fighting - which originated in 17th-century England - and hopes to inspire her son Alfie, 13, who also has autism.
Danni said: “I just hope that I can build more awareness for this sport and the charity.
"I became an ambassador with the National Autistic Society mainly for my son. I do get a bit worried what might happen when he grows up and what the world will be like then.
“So when they approached me to get involved, I was 100 per cent on board.”
Danni started participating in fighting sports aged eight.
She achieved a black belt in karate and earned 24 trophies over the years.
However, when she first tried boxing, Danni said due to her autism and not being able to see her hands while wearing boxing gloves, she couldn't enjoy it.
But she said: “As soon as I took the gloves off – it was a completely different story. That’s when I first heard about bare knuckle boxing.”
Danni started bare-knuckle fighting six months ago and quickly became a rising star.
She was signed on as a professional fighter with the first Bare Knuckle Boxing Company recently.
Danni trains for between four and six hours per day, either running, doing metabolic exercise or strength and conditioning of her hands, with two sessions in the morning and two in the evening.
She said: “For conditioning my hands, I punch sandbags or the concrete slab in my garden.
"I don’t aim to break them, but it is just purely to build enough strength up in my hands. Eventually you get a bit immune to the pain but it can be a painful process.
“You just start out slow with it. I can feel the pain more in winter.”
She also works closely co- owner of Bare Knuckle Boxing, Jim Freeman, and trains at Unit One MMA in Shotton and Tokon Karate Academy in Chester.
Jim said: "I think Danni has a great future ahead of her.
"She is always going to be seen as a pioneer of the sport, she gets to out her name out there and create a lasting legacy.
“She is going to get a lot of adulation and respect for what she is doing, and rightly so because the people are the toughest of the tough.”
Danni said bare-knuckle fighting is a male-dominated sport and that she has faced criticism for taking part.
She said: “I would say the sport is quite male-dominated at the moment - and I am trying to make some noise about it.
“It’s like how football started out - there weren’t many women playing.
“I think the main issue is that the sport has not had enough time to evolve.
"The company I am signed on with is the only one in the whole world. They try to go into different countries and organise fights there.
“But I think it’s the bare knuckle element that puts some women off, it might seem a bit brutal.
“A couple of people have told me that women shouldn’t be fighting. Some people think it’s really cool, other people think it’s scary. People have mixed reactions to it.
“I have had a guy on Facebook that I ‘shouldn’t be punching with my puny arms’ and was offering to fight me.
“But the community itself so friendly and welcoming.”
Jim added: “We have about a dozen women signed up as fighters now. They can fight to a great standard and quality and are extremely talented.”
Danni also said the sport was accommodating like no other sport she has been involved in.
She said: “I often don’t tell people that I am autistic in case they treated me differently.
“Some people don’t have a full understanding of what autism can involve.
“But my coach took me to where I would be fighting and showed me everywhere I would walk through, what would happen, the music, the speakers, the people who were going to be there.
“I could prep and process before my match and that was really, really good of him to do.
“I’ve never been involved in a sport as accommodating as this one."
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