Man befriends rescue squirrel – who now ‘helps’ him at work
A man has befriended a squirrel – who now visits him every day and “helps” in his jewelry shop.
Todd Alan, 61, started his business in 1986 and set up his first store in 1990.
In September last year, a neighbor found an injured squirrel in the road and brought it to Todd.
After bottle-feeding him every three hours for three weeks, Todd eventually nursed him back to health and named him Charlie.
Since then, Charlie has been a regular in the workshop – “helping” Todd work on all his projects.
Todd, of Sarasota in Florida, USA, said: “Charlie lived with us for a little while and commuted into work with me every day.
“He was interested in whatever I was holding or working on including pens, jewelry tools, pieces of jewelry and he was especially interested in my hands.
“We set up a tree, swings and other squirrel-appropriate fun items like coconut shells in the workshop for him.
“He enjoyed jumping around, exploring and playing in the workshop.”
In December last year, Todd decided it was time for Charlie to return to the wild.
He said: “We raised him to save him and not as a pet.
“We wanted to get him accustomed to the wild and took him outside daily.”
Initially, Charlie was gone for two days but he eventually returned.
Now he lives in the wild but visits Todd daily, usually early in the morning and around sunset.
The reaction on social media and in store has completely taken Todd by surprise, with people loving the squirrel who “works” in the jewelry store.
Todd said: “We have many Charlie fans.
“Customers who visit the store often ask about him and one fan even sent him nuts and a squirrel bed!
“The reaction has been overwhelmingly positive and surprising.”
Woman spends £384k transforming abandoned "one euro" house into dream home
By Emma Dunn and Hannah Van De Peer
An American woman turned an abandoned "one euro" house into a £384k dream home - with a spa, outdoor kitchen and wine cellar.
Meredith Tabbone, 45, decided to bid on a one euro house on a "whim" after her friend sent her an article on the scheme.
Bids started at just a euro - but she threw in a random offer of £4,400 - for a 1600s disused building in Sambuca di Sicilia in Sicily, Italy.
The building had no electricity or running water, and the roof was thick with asbestos.
Meredith bought the home next door for £27,000 and knocked through to create a four bedroom, five bathroom property.
She spent £384k and five years creating her dream vacation house fit with an outdoor kitchen, spa and an outdoor party room.
Meredith, a financial adviser, from Chicago, Illinois, US, said: “The house was in very bad condition - but in many ways, it was everything I expected it to be and more.
"It had so much charm.
“It had such interesting architectural detail - you could really see the history coming through the walls. But it was a fixer-upper, to say the least.
"It was worth it. It turned out well.
"It's modern but in keeping. It's a vacation home."
Meredith began researching how to get an Italian citizenship in 2016 and discovered her dad Michael's great-grandfather, Fillippo Tabbone, came from Sambuca di Sicilia - a small village in Sicily.
After reading an article on people bidding on one euro houses in Italy, Meredith threw in a bid in January 2019 and found out she has been successful in May of that year.
She started work on it a month later - spending £661 to remove the roof in an environmentally-safe way.
In August 2020, she bought the home next door via a private sale to knock through and create a 3,000 square foot property.
Meredith said: “When we first saw the house - it was 750 square feet, it had no electricity, running water or windows - and it was thick with asbestos.
“At first, the plan was just to turn it into a small getaway house.
“While we originally just wanted it as a tiny getaway - we’ve turned it into a dream home."
Meredith has bought two guest houses in the same village for £28k in total which will need minor repairs.
She also bought a disused building for £58k, which she's turning into an art gallery and apartment for artists to stay in.
Meredith is currently gathering the plans and workforce to start renovating the gallery later this year.
After five years of hard work, Meredith's holiday home was finally completed in April 2024 - and she now spends four months a year out in Italy.
She said: "It was very slow and tedious.
"The sunsets are spectacular."
Meredith recommends people consider buying a one euro home but said it's not for the faint hearted.
She said: "I went all in.
"If you can gather the strength it is worth it."
Mum told she would never walk again is competing to be the world's strongest woman
by Jake Meeus-Jones
A mum told she would never walk again after a freak rugby accident is competing to be crowned the world's strongest woman.
Nikki Ellerington, 45, says her sporting dreams were in tatters when she suffered a bad ankle break while playing rugby - with doctors telling her she'd likely never walk again.
After six to eight months of rehabilitation, Nikki defied the odds to take her first steps since her accident and even went on to be able to run 10km within three years.
Determined Nikki wasn't prepared to give up and soon began taking up cross-fit and training to get fit.
In October 2023, she was selected to compete in the over 40s category in the World Finals of the Official Strongman Games in Charleston, West Virginia, US, through an online qualifier.
The mum-of-four spent three days lifting huge weighted stones, sandbags, backpacks and 70kg metal blocks - and finished 21st out of 28 in her category.
Nikki has also gone on to compete at the Official Strongman Games in England and will soon be heading off to compete in Finland.
Nikki, a personal trainer, from Hull, East Yorkshire, said: "I'd been to Strongman expos over the years so it had always been an interest but I thought I wouldn't be able to do it.
"I wanted to start training with stones, logs and cars for example.
"It was quite daunting at first but your perspective changes when injuries happen and you just don't care.
"It was great out there in America.
"I wasn't out there long so I didn't see much of it, but sitting with my idols from a young age was amazing.
"You're sat sharing jokes and having a laugh with them, it was crazy.
"Doing the walkout with the national flags was really emotional too.
"I was the first out on stage so that was quite daunting. I came 21st overall. I was expecting to come last so I wasn't disappointed at all. I was really happy."
Nikki - who is mum to Callum, 21, Lena, 19, Darcy, 16 and Neil, 13 - says if she hadn't done well or enjoyed her first-ever competition, she might not have continued.
She said: "The gym I did the first competition at now sponsors me.
"But I've always said that if it had been a horrible experience I probably wouldn't have done it again.
"It was quite hard for me to accept the changes to my body and that I was going to get bigger when I started lifting weights.
"My upper body has really changed."
An avid Strongman fan, having attended Strongman expos across the country, Nikki decided she wanted to give it a go in February 2023.
After some intense training, she entered her first competition - coming fourth.
Soon she was winning competitions, but at the same time, another problem with her other ankle arose in April 2023.
Doctors told Nikki she had sprained her ankle and she continued to train, but in August it was revealed that she had in fact broken it.
Thankfully, when she contacted the organisers of the Official Strongman Games, she was told she could still compete.
She said: "I was worried that that was going to be another setback until I was signed off from the clinic about two weeks before I flew to America.
"It was around six to eight weeks between the time it started hurting and the actual diagnosis.
"It then healed itself. I've been so lucky.
"I found out at the last minute I had my place. I asked them to take into account I'd been injured and they told me I'd qualified anyway, which was great."
With little to support her trip, Nikki turned to fundraising to raise around £1,800 to allow her to live out her dream.
She said: "I had no money to get there so we did fundraising events at work, the gym, with family and friends and everyone was so supportive.
"I had to fuel up properly.
"I brought in a nutritionist and she helps me with my food, my mental health and she's kept me grounded - she's a genius. I've also got a coach for the training side of things.
"The first challenge was an overhead medley - which was an axle press, a dumbbell press and a yoke press which is like a big frame and lastly a block press that weighed 70kg.
"The next was a frame carry with the frames shipped over from Australia.
"No one had seen or used them before. I struggled with that, a lot of us did.
"The final day was a deadlift with a weighted backpack and carrying a sandbag whilst pulling a sled."
Nikki has since gone on to compete in England’s Strongest Woman competition, finishing in 8th place and has qualified for Official Strongman Games Europe.
She said: "Only the top 10 per category qualify for Europe and it's hard work to qualify."
Dad turns Henry vacuum into mini-motorbike
By Sally Murrer and Douglas Whitbread
An eccentric dad has revealed how he turned a Henry vacuum cleaner into a mini ride-on motorbike.
Systems engineer Allan Gallop, 35, worked with a team of enthusiasts to fit the broken appliance with a two-stroke 50cc engine, handlebars and new wheels.
And the retrofitted machine can now achieve a top speed of 28mph – with hilarious footage showing a rider taking it for a spin along a stretch of tarmac.
But the inventor joked that the converted appliance – dubbed ‘Henry Hoofer’ – still handles like a household cleaner around the corners.
Allan, a dad-of-three, said: “Almost all the parts are recycled junk, with the exception being the braking system and tyres.
“The top speed is currently unknown as no one has been brave enough to find out yet.
“In theory, it should be around 28mph – but unfortunately he still handles corners as poorly as he did as a hoover.”
Allan, from Milton Keynes, Bucks., said he had struck upon the bizarre idea with members of a local charity group, called Men in Sheds MK.
The members, many of whom are retired, fabricate individual and collective projects, using wood, metal and electronics at a workshop.
And Allan said they had been speculating about what to bring to a national gathering of inventors when they struck upon the idea of converting the hoovers.
He said: “I’m not sure who came up with motorised Henry Hoovers but it was an instant win of an idea. My brain immediately leapt to ‘put an engine in it’.
“One of our members managed to secure around six broken Henry hoovers and when they arrived I realised that not only would a 50cc pocket bike engine fit but it could be rideable.
“The work began in earnest by stripping down the Henry to just the outer shell and cutting away most of the bottom and internal support structure to take measurements.
“I knew it would be a tight fit but on paper, it all worked out, so I began creating a frame from steel angle to mount the engine, steering and drivetrain.”
Allan said the hardest part of the design process was trying to fit the axle to the back of the hoover, which could support a set wheels.
He said: “The biggest struggle with the build was the rear axle – it’s 10mm diameter as that was the only size I could find pillow blocks in that also fitted the frame
“I was very fortunate that the shed had recently received a large lathe and milling machine as a donation and a fellow member was a retired machine shop teacher.
“Between us, we managed to design and fabricate custom flanges and hubs to hold bolt the wheels, sprocket and brakes to with a high level of precision.”
Allan said the machine cost very little to produce as most of the parts had been collected from junk and other recycled materials.
But he said if each component was purchased new, the motorised cleaners would cost around £400 to make.
The prototype was finally completed early this year, and after Allan posted videos of the hoover on TikTok, it received half a million views.
He added: “Well, it’s funny, isn’t it? I expected people to say ‘Look at this nutter riding a Henry Hoover
“But before I knew it the video had hit a million views! Suddenly I find people talking about it.
“I’m ecstatic at the popularity Henry has gathered because it brings some joy into the world, and that’s what is really important.”
House covered in swarm of bugs
By Lottie Von Henning
This video shows a house covered top to bottom – in a swarm of bugs.
Footage shows Mormon crickets – also known as katydids – all over the property in Spring Creek, Nevada.
It’s thought that drought conditions encourage outbreaks of swarms.
Nevada is currently in its dry season, which lasts from May to September.
Clips show thousands of the bugs climbing the exterior of the home – although none managed to get in, reports say.
Craig Chamberlain posted the video on TikTok.
One commenter said: “Noooo I would leave!”
Another added: “Burn it down” – referring to the building itself.
This video was filmed on May 18, 2024.
"I went on a budget holiday to the Maldives - spending less than £500"
by Ben Barry and Samual Wightwick
A traveller has shared how she holidayed in the Maldives on a budget - spending less than £500 for a six-day trip.
Kara Wilbur, 23, and her friend, Natasha Whitley, 28, bagged a £950 return flight from London Heathrow on April 1 for their jaunt to Thususdhoo and Dhiffushi in the Maldives.
The island nation is known for its sandy beaches and turquoise water and stays at the famous water hut resorts can cost up to £1,300 per night.
But instead of staying in the resort islands, Kara decided to book a hotel in the local islands - Thususdhoo and Dhiffushi - and was able to nab a room overlooking the ocean for £25-a-night.
Kara said she spend around £50-a-day food, activities and travel - she caught a ferry for £1.70, spent £7 on meals out and enjoyed the beaches for free.
She said that a disadvantage of the island is that it doesn't allow drinking and most places are closed by 8:30pm but said it means you wake up feeling fresh every day you're there.
Kara, a travel content creator, from Denbighshire, Wales, said: "It was an insane adventure, as soon as we left we wanted to go back.
"When we arrived we were so surprised, it is one thing being told it is a cheap place to travel and then experiencing it yourself.
"When we realised that we could actually do this for £500 it was a nice experience.
"I will definitely be going back."
Kara and her friend, Natasha, set off on their travels on April 1 and spent six days in the Maldives before heading to Sri Lanka - where they both are now.
They split their time between the islands of Thulusdhoo and Dhiffushi staying in two beautiful beach front rooms at the Beach House by Sii Hotels and the Batutu Surf View Hotel.
Natasha, a pharmacist and content creator, from Bournemouth, Dorset, said: "Rooms on Thulusdhoo and Dhiffushi islands were around £30-a-night for a room per person.
"Ferries and transport were also cheap so it was much more affordable than it looked."
The pair also took full advantage of the island - going swimming with sharks for £88 each and taking a trip to a deserted island for £28 each, which both included jet ski rides.
They also paid a modest £12 each to take a trip to a floating bar, which is common in the local islands as they don't serve alcohol on land.
Kara said: "Thulusdhoo is really well know for its surfing and we made the most out of the beaches.
"It is illegal to drink on the islands themselves but legal to drink on the water so we took a boat out to have a drink and watch the sunset."
Food was also very affordable with a meal costing an average of £7-a-day per person with breakfast included with their rooms.
The most expensive part of their trip were the flights - from London to Male and then Male to Colombo - came up to £905.
Kara said: "The food there was unreal, on average we would spend £6-a-head on food which is really good.
"The advantage of the Maldives is that you can walk straight out of your hotel and you will be on the beach.
"The views were insane and the locals on the islands are lovely."
Breakdown of costs -
Flights - £950
Transport - £32 (four ferries and one speedboat)
Food - £95 (average £7 per meal)
Swimming with sharks - £88
Deserted island trip - £28
Floating bar - £12
Miscellaneous - £28 (ATM fees, souvenirs, airport storage)
Accommodation - £133
Total (without flights) = £416 per person over six days so around £70 per day
Kara post travel content to her TikTok page: @okay.kara.travels
Elephant rummages around tourists jeep – looking for snacks
By Amy Reast
A greedy elephant terrified a group of tourists on safari when it began rummaging around in their Jeep for a snack.
Ilona Johansson Jänkänpää, 22, was on a safari ride in Yala National Park, Sri Lanka, with boyfriend Jacob Tillberg, 24, and some friends.
The elephant ran at the vehicle and a video shows passengers lifting their legs as it rummages around while the driver warns them “it’s ok, don’t worry” and “don’t move”.
The elephant eventually left after finding nobody was carrying any snacks – but the tourists were left terrified, on March 13.
Ilona, from Gällivare, Sweden, said: “Near the end of the route, we saw this elephant.
“There were other Jeeps around but we got closer than the others.
“We were the only ones that got close, and now I know why!
“He started to run up to us, looking for food in the Jeep, and we panicked.
“It was just looking for food, but I was scared because it looked so aggressive.
“When the elephant realized we didn’t have any food, it went past us and we drove off.
“It only lasted a couple of minutes but it felt like a long time because we didn’t know how it would react.
“The trip was worth it in the end but it’s definitely an experience I’ll remember my whole life.
“It was terrifying in the moment but now we can look back and laugh!”
Jersey worn by baseball legend Babe Ruth could sell for over $30m
By Dean Murray
A jersey worn by baseball legend Babe Ruth could sell for over $30m.
The New York Yankees top could become the most expensive sports collectible ever, beating a $12.6m 1952 Mickey Mantle Topps card.
Babe Ruth, one of the most famous and iconic figures in American sports history, wore the photo-matched garment to Game 3 of the 1932 World Series in Chicago.
Bearing Ruth’s No. 3 on the back, the jersey will be offered by Dallas-based Heritage Auctions at a sale event ending 25 August.
Chris Ivy, Director of Sports Auctions at Heritage, says: “Ruth’s World Series jersey is the most significant piece of American sports memorabilia to be offered at auction in decades.
“Given its history, its mythology, we expect that when the final bid is placed, it will hold the record as the most expensive sports collectible ever to cross the auction block.”
Heritage Auctions say the jersey is twice authenticated and recently matched to several photographs from the era.
They say: “Ruth gifted the jersey to a Florida man following a round of golf, where it remained until the man’s daughter auctioned it nearly two decades ago.”
The record for the most expensive sports collectible belongs to another Yankees legend, Mickey Mantle, whose 1952 Topps card sold for $12.6 million at Heritage in August 2022.
Woman overcoming fear of rejection by deliberately making herself super awkward
By Amy Reast
A woman is curing her debilitating fear of rejection by deliberately undertaking awkward challenges - and is becoming "immune to embarrassment".
Sophie Jones, 22, felt held back how much she feared rejection and deeply cared what people thought of her.
Then she read about the idea of 'rejection therapy' - desensitising yourself to rejection and embarrassment by exposing yourself to those situations regularly.
So Sophie, from Warrington, Cheshire, decided to tackle her fears by doing 30 days of rejection therapy - putting herself in positions she was likely to encounter rejection.
So far she has asked to sing on stage at a theatre, have a tour of a supermarket warehouse, and take a pizza out of a stranger's trolley - and been rejected each time.
She has also invited someone to film a video with her and joined in with a stranger's TikTok dance.
The social media manager said: "I decided to do this after I went to film a dance in the park and realised the idea of doing it in front of people would terrify me.
"The challenge is about knowing you can do a silly thing and desensitising yourself to fear and judgement.
"It applies to all aspects of life - imagine what you could do if you didn't hold yourself back and could push yourself out your comfort zone.
"I'm noticing little changes already.
"For my TikTok I often have to push myself out my comfort zone to do comedy videos and it can make me anxious.
"But I filmed one today and I didn't even feel anxiety. Everyone was looking at me but I wasn't bothered.
"It felt really freeing not caring."
Sophie comes up with ideas for her challenges herself, or by searching on social media for similar challenges others have done.
Sophie said the most difficult challenge so far has been asking to look around the supermarket warehouse.
It was so anxiety-inducing for her that she was nervous to continue the challenge the following day.
But she pushed on and continued - as that's the point of the challenge.
She said: "When I first started, I was terrified - but that showed I needed to do it."
Sophie has only been doing the daily challenges for a week - but said she's already noticing a difference in her mindset.
She added: "I'm realising it's never as bad as you think it will be, and the world will keep turning!
"I'd recommend the challenge to others - it's scary but when you push past the fear you feel more confident."
Ideas for future challenges include going into a bed store and asking to have a nap, asking to slide down a fireman's pole, and asking strangers if she can try on their sunglasses.
Young boy who loves the police wears cop uniform to help keep town safe
By Lauren Beavis
An autistic child who loves the police wears a cop uniform to help control traffic on his street.
Finley Bollen, six, dresses in an officer's hat and outfit everyday - keeping his town and its people safe on the roads.
He has autism, ADHD and sensory processing disorder - but his mum Emma says being a copper has 'transformed' him and his behaviours for the better.
Finley, of Clevedon, North Somerset, is well known in his home town and gets saluted as he does his duties.
Emma said: "As a mother who is so proud of her son who struggles with life to have found his thing it is amazing - and he is keeping Clevedon safe!
"The cars slow down for him - he gets beeped, salutes and waves wherever he goes, everyone loves him!
"Wherever he goes wants to be the guy who looks after the safety of everything - keeping an eye on the road, he loves it.
"He can be very challenging but oh my gosh being a policeman has transformed him.;;
The young boy's passion for policing started about a year ago, when he found a deep interest in blockages, road signs, road safety and police duties.
But last month he decided to turn his hobby into a reality - as he patrols not only on the road he lives on, but also the local train station and anywhere he attends which needs an extra touch of safety.
Finley likes his doughnuts on the job and uses a hairdryer as a speed gun.
He wears his cop outfit everyday to school - and Emma admits his police hat "is always on - whenever we go".
The mum-of-two who lives Clevedon said: "The police thing has been one of his obsessional things which he just absolutely loves.
"When Finley knows what he wants and likes it, he will take it very serious - he's so quirky and funny and just amazing."
"He wears his UK or US cop outfit and keeps everyone in order wherever he goes.
"Even when we were in Turkey on holiday last month he decided to help keep the peace at the pool.
"Even when we go to hospital appointments - which he used to absolutely hate - when he wears his cop outfit they are so successful, and they haven't been like that since he was one.
"Being a police officer has dominated him into a different kind of being and it is working is so many different ways!
"He even started directing the traffic at the ski centre a couple of weeks ago.
"It's so funny because everyone goes into character around him.
"If you talk to him like a cop you are sorted!"
Emma admits she is not allowed to sit near Finley when he is completing his control checks, she explained: "I love it, I go and sit with him but he doesn't like me to be there because he doesn't want anyone to think he's not official.
"But as a mother I can't let my six-year-old sit on the road and direct traffic - so I am always standing by!
"I know have a fold-away chair so I can sit on the other side of the road to keep an eye."
