New dad meets two-month-old son for the first time at airport
By Freddie Noble
This is the sweet moment a new dad met his baby son for the first time two months after he was born.
Ellie Gorley, 24, met now-hubby Oguzcan Aktaş, 25, when they were working together at a hotel in Turkey.
But via complications meant he couldn't join her back in the UK for the birth of this son.
Finally his visa was granted and an adorable video shows him meeting Ruben at the airport after he touched down in the UK.
Ellie, a caterer, from Maryport, Cumbria, said: "It was the best feeling in the world. Me and Oguzcan hasn't seen each other since January either."
Oguzcan said: "After I received the visa, I was filled with excitement because there was nothing stopping me from going to my newborn son and my wife.
"When I first saw them at the airport I felt like I had returned to my home, which I had been away from for years, and it was a great feeling."
Ellie met Oguzcan while working as a caterer in Turkey in 2022 in the same hotel.
Ellie said it was love at first sight as Oguzcan took her out on plenty of dates including an ice cream date by the beach.
Ellie said: "I liked that he wasn't the same as the other boys that worked in the hotel
he was the quiet and shy one."
After becoming official in May 2022, Ellie found out she was pregnant in August 2023.
Ellie said: "It was amazing - I cried for days."
They married in January 2024 in Marmaris, Turkey, surrounded by their friends and family.
Ellie said: "It wasn't a big wedding, we just wanted close family there. We wanted no fuss."
Ellie had to leave her new husband and fly back to the UK for the rest of her pregnancy.
The pregnancy was straight forward and Ruben was born on March 19, 2024, at West Cumberland Hospital, Cumbria weighing 6lbs 7oz.
Oguzcan wasn't able to be at the birth as his visa application had not been accepted.
Oguzcan said: "Not being able to be there when Ellie gave birth and not being able to do anything was one of the moments I felt most helpless in my life.
"Even though the surgery only lasted half an hour, it felt like it had lasted hours, but after the surgery, her sister Amy video called me, which reassured me a bit."
The first time he met his daughter was over Facetime.
Oguzcan's visa was finally accepted on April 17 and he arrived in the UK two days later (19).
Ellie said the introduction at the airport was the "best feeling in the world".
Ellie said: "I couldn't believe it was happening to be honest, It was a bit surreal.
Oguzcan added: "Now, life has become better with the happiness and morale of living with my wife and child. It's my 2nd week in England and everything continues to get better."
Eric Clapton's 'Wonderful Tonight' cigarette-burned guitar up for auction
By Dean Murray
The guitar Eric Clapton used to write 'Wonderful Tonight' is up for auction - complete with cigarette burns.
The 1974 000-28 Martin acoustic is estimated to fetch £300,000 - 400,000 in the Bonhams Knightsbridge sale.
The auction house say the instrument was Slowhand’s primary guitar during the seventies, quoting the musician as saying "that guitar went everywhere with me".
Bonhams says: "He used it extensively for writing, recording, and live performances until parting ways with it for a charitable auction in 1999 in aid of his Crossroads Centre.
"Reflecting on how much this guitar meant to him personally, Clapton said, “During the auction, the guys were all around me, and I felt myself starting to cry.”"
Two signature Clapton’s elements stand out on this guitar: a sticker on its side, which reads "She's in Love with a Rodeo Man" to honour one of Clapton's favourite songwriters, Don Williams.
The second Clapton touch resulted from wedging his cigarettes under the strings, leaving trademark burns on the headstock.
Claire Tole-Moir, Head of Bonhams Popular Culture department, commented: “This guitar is a one-of-a-kind collectible of immense cultural significance. Written in 1976 by Clapton while waiting for his then-girlfriend (and future wife) Pattie Boyd to get ready for a night out, the song ‘Wonderful Tonight’ is an ageless anthem.
"With intergenerational appeal, the song’s popularity has grown since its release four decades ago, with more than 450 million streams on Spotify, 490 million views across YouTube, and billions of plays on terrestrial radio."
The song debuted on Clapton's second most popular album, Slowhand, which itself has been streamed 1.3 billion times as of April 2024.
Bonhams add the guitar has remained in the current owner’s possession since 1999.
The instrument will be offered as part of the Rock, Pop & Film sale on 12 June at Bonhams Knightsbridge, London.
Pair of tiny fox kits hand-reared by keepers at safari park
By Lauren Beavis
A pair of tiny fox kits are being hand-reared by keepers at a safari park.
Weighing in total just 46 grams, the adorable pair of fennec foxes at Longleat Safari Park, Wiltshire, have not been named yet named and their gender is unknown.
Samantha Peeke, their keeper, is sharing the sleepless nights with colleagues Gemma Short and Catriona Moy as the babies initially need feeding every two hours, day and night.
They are planning to introduce them to rice as the first step to weaning.
Samantha said: “We are now feeding them every three hours with a longer break overnight.
“We are sharing the care so they don’t get attached to one of us as the aim is to reintroduce them to their mum and dad; eventually we hope they will also become part of the international breeding programme."
The fennec fox is the smallest member of the fox family.
They reach a maximum length of under 40cm and weigh less than two kilograms.
According to National Geographic, Fennec foxes dwell in the sandy Sahara and elsewhere in North Africa.
Their nocturnal habits help them deal with the searing heat of the desert environment, and some physical adaptations help as well.
Their distinctive ears radiate body heat and help keep the animals cool.
It is the second litter for Zuri and dad Enzi.
Their first kits died within 24 hours as although Zuri produced the vital colostrum needed, there appeared not to be enough milk for the babies.
Catriona, Team Manager of Animal Adventure and Lakes at Longleat, said: “After she lost the first three, we spent time preparing for the possibility of a further litter. We wanted to ensure that knowing she may not produce enough milk that we had everything in place in case it was required to help Zuri care for the young.
"Hand rearing is always a last resort.
“When cameras in the den showed Zuri had given birth to three kits, we watched closely so not to disturb her.
"Zuri showed good mothering behaviours; however, it then became clear she was struggling with all three. This combined with previous history led us to make the difficult decision to remove two to give mum the best chance to successfully raise a kit.
"Unfortunately, despite Zuri’s best effort, sadly the kit that remained with her passed away.”
In the summer the plan is to reintroduce them to mum and dad as their birth is important for the European breeding programme as with the new pairing of Zuri and Enzi, the blood line is not represented elsewhere in the UK.
Night sky aurora light show might not be over just yet
By Dean Murray
The night sky light show might not be over just yet.
Sunspot AR3664, responsible for the jaw-dropping Northern Lights over the UK on the weekend, has had a final blast.
The active region generated another massive solar flare on Monday (13 May), releasing intense bursts of energy and radiation into space.
Scientific website Space Today reported: "This time a long duration M6.6 flare, resulting in a full and rapid halo CME (Coronal Mass Ejection). Most of the CME is directed SW, with a component directed toward Earth. Impact is expected on May 15."
CMEs are explosions of plasma and magnetic fields from the sun’s corona. They cause geomagnetic storms when they are directed at Earth.
An M6.6 solar flare is classified as a moderately strong solar flare, able to cause radio blackouts at the higher frequencies used by commercial airliners and ham radio operators. They can also cause minor disruptions to satellite operations and navigation systems.
Space blog EarthSky says the Sun's fresh output won't have such a dramatic effect on Earth as the weekend's activity, but "at least G3 (moderate) geomagnetic storming is in the forecast", which has potential to produce significant auroral displays under the right conditions.
The Sun's activity was observed by NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) spacecraft. Its mission is to study the Sun’s dynamics to "increase understanding of the nature and sources of solar variability".
SDO documents the outer atmosphere of the Sun - called the corona - as well as hot flare plasma.
Tiny peregrine chicks weighed in ice cream tubs
By Adam Dutton
These sweet and fluffy peregrine falcon chicks are so tiny they are weighed in empty ICE CREAM tubs.
The four chicks, two male and two female, have been officially ringed by the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO).
They also had their wingspans measured before being added to the national database for future identification.
The chicks, which hatched in a nest on Worcester Cathedral, are so small staff put them in ice cream tubs on the scales.
The chicks are expected to fledge later this month or in early June, and fans can track their progress on the Cathedral’s 24-hour livestream.
Chris Dobbs, Biodiversity Advisor for the Cathedral, said: “The ringing process is an important part of protecting these birds.
“Although peregrines are still quite rare, they are recovering well in the UK, largely due to the new habitats they take up in cities, of which Worcester is a great example.”
The chicks are the latest offspring of mating peregrines Peter and Peggy who built a nest in the Cathedral Tower in 2022.
Each colour ring has a unique letter code so the individual birds can be identified when seen in the future.
A chick born at the Cathedral in 2022 was recently spotted in Bolton, Lancs., while one named Mr Lazy was seen flying around Alexandra Palace in north London.
Chris added: “It’s wonderful news that two of our peregrine chicks have been sighted recently and are thriving and hopefully introducing another generation of these magnificent birds in the not too distant future.
“Hopefully the 2024 chicks will all fledge successfully and, with their newly fitted rings, can be identified in the future continuing Peter and Peggy’s legacy in the peregrine world.”
Peregrines often nest in Cathedral towers because they are similar to their natural habitat nesting sites, which include quarry faces, sea cliffs, and mountainsides.
Family live off-grid in the desert after buying land from Facebook Marketplace
By Emma Dunn
A family swapped city life to live off-grid in the desert by buying five acres of land from Facebook Marketplace for $7,500.
Zani Sunshine, 43, grew up dreaming of living on a large plot of land.
Her and her husband Yaseen, 43, a carpenter, didn’t want to be stuck in their home in Atlanta, Georgia when the pandemic hit.
They made the quick decision to trade in their car for a truck to tow their trailer and travelled with Zani’s son, 11, until they found the perfect location.
They bought 10 acres of land near Albuquerque, New Mexico for $10,000 four months later – and bought a further five acres on their land line on Facebook Marketplace for $7,500.
Now the family are in the process of building their own home and have their own solar panels for electricity and a septic system.
They want to build and underground geothermal greenhouse to grow their own food and so they can be self-sufficient.
Zani, a content creator and author, said: “It’s a freeing lifestyle.
“I have so much more of a sense of security to know you have so much more control over things.
“People think I’m living in fear.
“It’s not a fear. There’s a possibility and I want to be prepared.
“I feel empowered.”
Zani had a busy life in Atlanta – working as a health nurse – but had been prepping for the last ten years.
She said: “If something did happen I wanted to be self-sustaining.
“We had water, medical supplies and bug out bags to leave the city quickly.
“The fact we’re so dependent on the systems.
“So many people are not prepared – then there is chaos and violence.”
She took the plunge to move off-grid in March 2020.
Zani, who is also a consultant, said: “When the pandemic hit we didn’t want to be in the house.
“We traded in our car for a truck to pull our trailer.”
The family travelled 1,300 miles until they found their dream location.
They set up their 26ft travel trailer on the land and bought a 40ft destination trailer for $15,000 on Facebook Marketplace to live in while they build their home.
Yaseen built a mud room next to their trailer for their muddy boots, wood stove and extra storage.
They had septic system installed for their waste.
The family currently have a chicken coop and meat rabbits but are hoping to get some mules and sheep.
They live in the high desert – 75,000 ft above sea level – meaning their days and nights can vary in temperature of 20 degrees.
Zani says the temperatures rarely get above 32 degrees Celsius.
Zani said: “The growing season is really short.
“We’re trying to build an underground geothermal greenhouse but it will cost $50,000.
“That’s our next goal.”
Currently Zani bulk orders dry food on Amazon – and has six months to a year of prepped food.
They get their fresh food from a small town 30 minutes away or from a bigger supermarket an hour and a half away.
The family’s land is well elevated so they are less likely to experience flooding – as it becomes more common due to climate change.
She said: “We don’t have tornadoes, or hurricanes.
“There is less of a possibility of it.”
Zani’s goal isn’t to be 100 per cent self sufficient but she wants to be able to live with what she has if something happens.
Her recent book Offgrid Planning Workbook is available on Amazon.
Is this the real-life Bambi and Thumper?
By Samuel Wightwick
This cute clip shows a young deer and rabbit playing together - like a real-life Bambi and Thumper.
The pair, who resemble the characters from the famous Disney film, greet each other by bumping noses.
The deer then hits its hooves against the floor to get the rabbits attention before licking its head with affection.
The video was shot in Coos Bay, Oregon.
People reacted to the footage on TikTok, where it has received more than 12,000 likes.
One commenter said: "Bambi and Thumper!"
Bambi, a deer, and Thumper, a rabbit, are best friends in the 1942 Disney film.
"I bought a $410 mystery storage unit - it contained $70k of designer clothes"
By Amy Reast
A man bought a $410 abandoned storage unit at auction - and found it contained $70,000 worth of designer clothes.
Wade Venture, 37, snapped up the storage unit at auction with little idea what it contained.
The treasure trove contained over 400 pairs of footwear - including brands such as Gucci and Coach.
Along with that, the content creator from Portland, Oregon, found $8,000 worth of fur coats and other items still with the tags on.
Wade, who shares his finds online @wadesventures, estimated the haul was worth around $70,000 in total.
He has started re-selling items - with one coat which sold second-hand for $1,500.
He said: "It’s rare to find a unit like that in particular, often you find household stuff or trash.
"It's more than likely she had a shopping problem -people speculated maybe she was keeping it from her husband!"
Wade bought the unit on March 27 for $410 having only seen a few pictures taken of the entrance to the unit - so he didn't know exactly what to expect.
Having bought 400-500 units in the past - much of the contents of which were donated to charity - he said little comes as a shock.
But he said even being as experienced as he is, this one took him by surprise.
He said: "People think I've been doing this so long I've seen everything, but I've never found a unit like this before.
"Normally I find things 30% new and 70% used but this was all brand new.
"It was such an awesome experience, I was so shocked.
"Units like this are really rare and special.
"She wasn't just buying run-of-the-mill stuff, she was shopping at Macy's and JCPenney."
Because of the storage units being abandoned, it's rare to know anything about its previous owner.
Wade added: "There were expensive Gucci shoes and purchases - it could be she didn't have the money.
"Or she could have passed away.
"Another common one is they move to a different state."
High-flying view sees Glastonbury festival taking shape
By Dean Murray
Amazing aerial views show Glastonbury festival taking shape.
The Somerset event involves the construction of dozens of stages, the centrepiece of which is the iconic Pyramid stage.
High-flying paraglider Tom McMeakin was able to get a sneak-peak at progress at the site when he made a fly-by late last week.
The sky-high perspective of the lush green 900 acres at Worthy Farm in Pilton saw the Pyramid stage, which had its roof put on this month, another stage nearing completion, and the iconic ribbon tower yet to have its bright decoration applied.
Tom, Chief Flight Instructor at the newly-opened Sky Riders Paragliding & Paramotor School, says: "I was flying at around 1000 ft and you could clearly see activity across the whole of the Glastonbury site.
"Some of the permanent features were looking bare and slowly getting their coverages / facades to bring the Glastonbury magic."
Sky Riders has a workshop and classroom on the Bath & West Showground, but operates across the whole of the south west, including the stunning Jurassic coast.
Glastonbury Festival is the largest greenfield music and performing arts festival in the world.
Over 200,000 attendees are able to enjoy more than 3,000 acts over 62 stages, with headliners this year billed as Dua Lipa, Coldplay and SZA.
"I can't get on property ladder - I turned my parents garage into a home for £15k"
By Ben Barry
A man struggling to get on the property ladder landed spent just £15k on his first home - by building it in his parents' garage.
Josh Jones, 21, convinced his mum and dad to let him convert the garage attached to their four bed family home in Tunbridge Wells into a one-bed apartment.
Having saved up £4000, Josh decided to spend the cash transforming the space into his own home rather than putting down as a house deposit.
He started the build in January 2023 and took eight months to complete the work - with tips he picked up on YouTube.
Josh did all the work himself- completely stripping the garage roof, levelling out the floor, adding drainage, building a kitchen, installing a bathroom and a bedroom.
He spent £14,700 on materials, moved into his new abode in May 2024 with his girlfriend and say his parents are "happy for him".
Josh, a landscaper, from Tunbridge Wells, Kent, said: "Renting is ridiculously expensive.
"I was living with my mum at dad and I knew renting could never be an option.
"As I was still living at home it was a no-brainer really.
"I learned to do it all on YouTube, as I have been in the building trade since I was 16.
"I knew what to do with most bits but I used YouTube for anything I didn't know about."
In December 2022, Josh approached his mum and dad with the idea to transform their garage into a small home.
He says to start with his parents weren't into the idea but Josh was able to win them around.
He said: "Initially, they were not on board. I kept going on and on about it.
"The garage was full of crap from over the years and I think dad realised that it was a serious situation when I started to take stuff out of the garage."
Josh started working on the garage in January 2023 - stripping it of all the items and fixing the roof.
From there he levelled the garage floor, added drain work and damp-proofed the structure.
He said: "I had to completely strip the garage roof, repair it and then insulate it.
"I levelled out the garage floor, we damp-proofed it and added drainage.
"I added walls, a kitchen, bathroom and living room."
Josh said the hardest part of the project was the drainage.
He said: "We had to dig a six-foot deep hole and I dug too far down and broke a pipe that I didn't need to so I had to replace that.
"The most challenging part of the project was the drainage - it is very complicated."
Josh said his favourite part of the build was putting in his kitchen.
He said: "I love my kitchen, it was second-hand from Facebook Marketplace and so cheap - costing £500.
"The most exciting part of the build was when I put in the window and doors.
"It felt like I was getting somewhere."
Josh said he will be in the property for the next 10 years due to the state of the rental market.
He said: "Renting is ridiculously expensive and never an option for me as I didn't want to be paying someone else's mortgage.
"I can see myself living here for the next 10 years - I don't see why not.
"When I told my friends what I was doing, they were gobsmacked - they are super impressed."
After the successful of his garage renovation Josh is now wanting to go into business with his brother and dad to do garage conversions and development.
BREAK DOWN OF SPEND
Architect fees and building control - £850
Raising garage roof - £1150
Drainage - £450
Door, window, timber and brickwork- £470
Stud Wall - £240
Plumbing - £750
Roof repair - £500
Plasterboards - £650
Plastering, materials and labour - £1350
Electrics - £3750
Bathroom - £570
Kitchen - £500
Flooring - £520
Decorating - £700
Screws and other bits - £300
Insulation - £1450
Skips - £500
