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
Couple's stunning suburban garden in industrial heartland springs into life
By Adam Dutton
Stunning pictures show a couple’s spectacular ‘four seasons’ garden bursting with spring colours – hidden in the industrial heartland of the Black Country.
Tony Newton, 74, and wife Marie, 76, have devoted 42 years and more than £15,000 transforming their ordinary suburban garden into an idyllic oasis.
Their garden in Walsall, West Mids., features more than 3,000 plants and flowers, including 450 azalea, 120 Japanese maples, 15 juniper blue stars.
Locals have nicknamed the stunning garden ‘four seasons’ after the couple deliberately planted different flowers to bloom all year round.
The green-fingered couple spend up to eight hours every day maintaining the quarter-of-an-acre plot which attracts visitors from around the world.
Marie said: “Over the years we’ve had a lot of interest. Someone flew in from New York.
“We’ve had a lot of Chinese tourists. We’ve been all over the world.
“We had a couple of Chinese girls come down from Sheffield on a landscape course. Back in China they’d heard even about us.
“We used to open the garden once a year to the public but we now share it with just family and friends.”
Marie started gardening as a hobby after she retired from her job as a transport planner in 1982.
When Tony retired as a GP a couple of years later, the couple dedicated their time to cultivating their garden paradise.
Marie recalled: “I used to work on the grass and the borders a little here and there.
“I had to stay in ear shot of the landline and we had four children in five years so we were very busy.
“The garden became a feature to keep them entertained.
“We started in 1992 to develop it. We made the garden safe for the kids and attracted the children.
“After ten years they got more sophisticated. Between 1992 and 1995 we landscaped all of it. We did it all ourselves, without any outside help.
“Tony laid the paths and I was quite happy to wield a pickaxe.
“It’s gradually evolved over the years. In 2000 we built a stream and two years later built a second stream.
“We used to use head torches in the dark evenings and do the work in the garden.
“It’s the Black Country and as we always say it’s where the black country turns green. We have no houses behind us.
“We’ve got a variety of evergreens. We created the garden with lots of views, anchor plants. Spring and autumn are the two most vivid.
“They all turn lovely colours. The main trees we’ve got are maples and acers.
“They’re just brilliant colours. In the winter it’s lots and lots of bulbs. We’ve got colour all year round.
“A lot of neighbours ask advice sometimes, we all have larger gardens. We’ve had no formal training. It’s just been trial and error, a lot of error.
“We know what we need now. You have to look at the plants to see which is being the most dominant. Sometimes you have to meditate.
“We’ve been here for 42 years now and we’ve mastered our garden.
“There are times when we don’t go out, or we could spend eight hours. It can be busy in the autumn with all the leaves.
“In the spring there’s a lot, especially with the bulb leaves. There are peaks and troughs.
“It’s an all-year round thing. We try to spread it around. We’re a team, we don’t mind helping each other.”
As word spread, the couple, who have five grandchildren, would get used to strangers turning up at their door begging to see their garden.
In 2006 the couple won Walsall in bloom and the next year were crowned winners of ‘Britain’s best garden’ competition.
In 2015, celebrity gardener Alan Titchmarsh took a guided tour of their creations before presenting them with an award.
Thanks to the mild winter and wet spring, the couple say this year’s blooms are the most colourful yet.
Tony said: “Each year is different but May is a wonderful time.
“The colours haven't been scorched thanks to there being no frost. It’s a celebration of the changing of the season.
“It’s a joy to see nature bursting through again. We’ve created our garden to burst through all the seasons, but late May is a beautiful time. It’s a joy to see.
“We’ve put lots of work in, between us, it’s a partnership working in the garden. The garden gives back.”
Brit flies to Portugal and buys peri peri chicken - all for less than £15
By Ben Barry
A Brit flew to Portugal and bought peri peri chicken all for less than £15 - cheaper than the cost of his usual Nando's order.
Callum Ryan, 23, usually orders a butterfly chicken, peri salted chips and garlic bread from the fast food chain and wondered if he could get it cheaper elsewhere.
He booked a flight from London Gatwick to Faro, Portugal, with Wizz Air - costing him £8.99.
Once he landed in Portugal, Callum went to Frango Piri Piri in Albuferia, Portugal - where he got half a chicken for just £3.45.
In total, Callum spent £12.44 on the flight and lunch which was cheaper than his £15 Nando's order.
Callum, a content creator, from Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, said: "I ended up having a three day trip - I wanted to make the most of it.
"I asked a local taxi driver to find the best chicken and he sent me to Frango Piri Piri.
"It was a typical Portuguese peri peri chicken. It was a half chicken and it was so nice - I would definitely go back."
In October Callum flew to Spain for a three day holiday for less than £100 all in.
He also flew to Dubai for £64 - less than the cost of filling up his car with fuel.
Breakdown of costs -
Flight to Faro, Portugal, from London Gatwick - £8.99
Peri peri chicken for lunch - £3.45
Usual Nando's order cost -
Peri peri chicken with salted chips and garlic bread - £15
Meet couple who have become 'book rescuers' - saving up to 15,000 titles a week
By Samuel Wightwick
Meet the couple who have become 'book rescuers' - taking in up to 15,000 titles a week to save them from landfill.
George Brooks, 36, and partner Sarah, 42, started their journey in 2021 when they came into possession of 800 books that were destined for the dump.
They managed to sell that haul successfully and decided to start to taking in more, which they took to parking lots to auction off.
With locals wanting a more permanent location, they then opened a 3,600sq ft warehouse in Pinellas County, Florida where they now regularly take in 5,000 to 10,000 - and up to 15,000 - books a week.
The couple also recycle the books and create various projects and packages that they then sell on to artists, schools and theatres to give them new life.
They post videos of the process of creating these things on their Instagram and TikTok, @thebookrescuers
George, who does all of this full-time, said: "Our mission is to keep books out of the landfill at all costs and provide as many books as we can to the community affordably.
"Most books come to us via organizations that otherwise would throw them away.
"We work with 35 different libraries, Amazon sellers, estate sale companies, junk removal companies, thrift stores and other used Bookstores.
"We also get about 20% from our amazing community of supporters."
George and Sarah use the spines of hardcover books for DIY crafts and art, such as canvasses for artists.
They also function as great covers for fiction authors who want to bind their own books, the couple said.
George said: "The issue is that hardcover books cannot be recycled without removing the spine and the cover.
"So using the guillotine, which I and lots of our followers love, allows us to strip the books down to its spine, cover and pages.
"We can then repurpose these elements, ensuring these epic works of art are treasured for many years to come."
George's next task is finding a new location where he will be able to take in more donations - and take the business to the next level.
He said: "We have found a new building we would like to move into that would allow us to rescue and rehome tons more books.
"Three months ago I had to turn down a 20 tonne donation that is currently going to the dump.
"Ever since then I have been trying to figure out how to make the move to be able to facilitate receiving and rehoming the vast majority of them.
"We've launched a Kickstarter to help fund the move."
Whilst he cant think too far ahead, George has already envisioned the endless possibilities available to him with the new location.
He said: "I have huge dreams for the new site.
"I want a story time area for kids and a hands-on section for them to learn as well.
"We'll have a full coffee and tea bar with wine and local craft beers on tap, and a cafe that seats 50 plus with a small stage.
"All of these are going to come to fruition with this new location!"
A page has been set up to raise funds for their new location. It can be found here: https://gofund.me/28e3fcf3
'I'm Britain's oldest worker - I'm 98 and doing my job keeps me young'
By Adam Dutton
Britain’s oldest worker has no plans to retire at the grand age of 98 – saying his job “keeps me young”.
Ivor Ward is still clocking on four days a week as a production operative at health company EM Pharma.
He started work at the firm when he was 80 following a career which included jobs in the Army and being a professional poker player.
He did retire when he was 79 but only managed one day before he got "so bored" he went job-hunting and joined EM Pharma near his home.
He now enjoys weekends drinking with his younger colleagues and playing poker with friends.
Ivor, from Rothley, Leics., said: “I had one day in retirement and it sent me nuts so I went back to work almost immediately.
“In our day when you left school you had to get a job. There wasn’t dole or benefits.
“A lot of older people who are just on their pensions, have a hobby. For the lonely ones it’s the biggest killer.
“I know so many people who just end up sitting at home all day.
“Then that’s deadly because you just end up getting up at 10am and sit all day in your pyjamas.
“Now at the weekends we have parties with the younger people. We drink, dance and create mayhem.
“I play poker and have a quiz. It’s like being at home with the family when I’m working.
“The day just goes by like lightning. It just generally keeps your mind busy and active.
“I do four days a week now. I do longer days on the four days. I work from 7am until 3pm Monday to Thursday.
“It’s great, in a way coming to work is like coming home.
“I know everyone here. I know the families, there’s always someone to talk to.
“The only alternative is to sit, there’s no one about in the daytime. It's like purgatory.
“It's a pleasure to come into work, otherwise I'd just be at home sitting on my own doing nothing, ageing fast. In here, we have a laugh.”
Ivor, who has four great-great-grandchildren, has worked non-stop since joining the Army as a Royal Engineer in 1943.
He rose to the rank of Lance Corporal before leaving the military at the end of the war and getting a job as a civil engineer.
He moved to another firm as an operations manager before trying his hand as a professional poker player.
Ivor added: “I worked pretty much non-stop until I was 79.
“Then the company I was operations manager for sold up and that was that.
“I managed one day in retirement before I had to start work again.”
The sprightly pensioner, who celebrated his 98th birthday last month, has lived alone for over 30 years since his wife Joyce died aged 63.
He says he intends to carry on working until he reaches 100 when he plans to have a gap year travelling the world playing poker.
He said: “I’m happy here. In two years when I’m 100 I'll have a gap year. Then I’ll come back.
“I have been gambling around the world gambling so I'd like to visit the popular casinos again.
“End up skint or end up rich. Either is fine with me.”
