Other News Stories that might be missed from 2019 to date

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Scottish £100 banknote among the world's 'most beautiful'

A Scottish banknote that pays tribute to a medical pioneer has been named one of the world's most beautiful. Dr Flora Murray, whose image appears on the £100 Bank of Scotland note, founded the Women's Hospital for Children in London and the Women's Hospital Corp. Born in Dumfries in 1869, the medic received a CBE in recognition of her work during World War One. Now the note bearing her image has finished third in a contest to find the world's most beautiful banknotes.

Dr Murray founded the Women's Hospital for Children in London in 1912 with her partner, Louisa Garrett-Anderson. It provided healthcare for the children of factory and shop workers, who were low paid so accessing health care was difficult. When war broke out in 1914, they founded the Women's Hospital Corps, a feminist organisation, and opened two successful military hospitals in France, staffed entirely by female suffragettes. In 1915, the British War Office provided them with a premises in London where they set up Endell Street Military Hospital, the first hospital in the UK established for men by female medical professionals.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-65782157

I'd heard rumours of a £100 note, but never knew it was true until now...

[boatbuilder]

'Euphoric' drug driver killed man in 103mph crash



A driver who got the behind the wheel while "euphoric" on nitrous oxide killed her passenger in a 103mph (165km/h) crash, a court has heard. Nasrin Saleh's Volkswagen Golf GTI hit a brick wall by a roundabout before flipping and bursting into flames.

Saleh, 26, from Liverpool, was jailed for four-and-a-half years.

A judge at Liverpool Crown Court praised a taxi driver who rescued Selah but could not save her passenger Luqman Mehboob, 28. Selah, of Colville Street in Wavertree, admitted causing death by dangerous driving. At the scene of the crash in East Prescot Road, Knotty Ash, the single mother of a six-year-old boy admitted both she and her passenger had been "doing balloons" and taking turns to drive despite neither having insurance. A mutual friend, who was in the car earlier, said Saleh was "having loads" of canisters - about two to three boxes, which each contained 15 canisters.

Judge David Aubrey KC told her: "The court has no doubt you as the driver and Mr Mehboob, as the front seat passenger, were in a state of euphoria having taken nitrous oxide. It was the adrenaline of the moment, driving a powerful vehicle that you were unfamiliar with at grossly excessive speeds. It was inevitable that driving at those speeds, even with braking, that the car would collide with the wall of the roundabout."

The judge said nitrous oxide can cause confusion, disorientation, loss of co-ordination and even hallucinations.

In an impact statement from the victim's mother, Fahmida Kauser, spoke of losing her only child who had his whole life in front of him.

Judge Aubrey said the university graduate was "a special person to so many and a good friend to others". He said his life came to"an abrupt end in the early hours of that Sunday morning while members of his closely knit family were anxiously making phone calls seeking to ascertain his whereabouts".

Arthur Gibson, prosecuting, said CCTV footage from a house near the roundabout showed the car travelling at 103mph in a 40mph zone at about 04:45 BST on 10 October. The car struck the roundabout wall, its front end lifted into the air, rolled onto its side and the roof before bursting into flames ten seconds later not far from Alder Hey Children's Hospital.

Taxi driver Russell Cooper ran to the car with a fire extinguisher and pulled Selah out. He carried her to some nearby grass and she told him, "we swapped, we were doing balloons, me baby, me friend, is he still in there?" Mr Cooper returned to the blazing car and managed to hold Mr Mehboob's arm but he was unresponsive and the intensity of the fire and the black smoke forced him back.

Fusad Arshad, mitigating, said Saleh accepted her actions resulted in Mr Mehboob's death and she "will carry for the rest of her life a heavy burden of guilt".

Judge Aubrey praised taxi driver Mr Cooper for his bravery in saving one life and trying to save another with no concern for his own safety and commended him with a High Sheriff's award of £250.

Saleh was also banned from driving for six years three month.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-merseyside-65810643

The sentence of just four-and-a-half years passed by the judge is ridiculous. I do wonder what goes through the minds of some of the judges in this country.

[boatbuilder]

Sutton-in-Ashfield: Remains confirmed as miner who went missing in 1967



Police have confirmed human remains found in a field are of a miner who went missing 56 years ago. The remains were discovered in farmland off Coxmoor Road in Sutton-in-Ashfield, Nottinghamshire, on 26 April.

A murder inquiry was launched last month and police have now confirmed the deceased man is father-of-six Alfred Swinscoe. Officers believe he was killed and buried in land about four to six-foot deep.

Nottinghamshire Police said officers were contacted by Russell Lowbridge, who was four years old when his grandfather went missing in "mysterious and unusual circumstances". DNA tests were carried out on Mr Lowbridge and Mr Swinscoe's son, now in his 70s, and matched against the bones exhumed from the ground.

Police believe Mr Swinscoe - who was 54 at the time he went missing - was murdered due to the injuries sustained, including trauma to parts of the skeleton that were found.

Full Story

After all this time I would imagine there is only a small chance that his murderer is still alive.

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Cat seized by North Wales Police traumatised - Wildcat Haven

A cat seized by police has prompted a legal complaint by a wildlife rescue group which said the animal suffered mental trauma. Wildcat Haven wrote to North Wales Police after it took Finlay the cat. It was seized by the force after it received a report the organisation was keeping an unlicensed Scottish wildcat. The animal was returned after four months when police said tests showed Finlay was a common tabby. The force has declined to comment.

Wildcat Haven, based in St Asaph, Denbighshire, has said he suffered "physiological and psychological trauma", and has made a number of claims about police actions. Wildcat Haven's lawyer, Joseph Morgan, said the group found the animal dehydrated, soaking wet and close to death as a three-week-old kitten in the Scottish Highlands. Believing he was a Scottish wildcat, he was taken to an enclosure in Conwy for rehabilitation before eventual release. Plans to release Finlay in spring 2022 were derailed on Valentine's Day in February that year, when officers took him from the farm claiming he was being held without a licence. Wildcat Haven claimed no licence was required to rehabilitate Finlay.

Mr Morgan said: "North Wales Police acted excessively in seizing Finlay from Wildcat Haven's care and holding on to him for over four months. In doing so, they undermined months of hard work that went into rehabilitating Finlay for release into the wild, meaning that Wildcat Haven has had to start from square one in their journey to see Finlay in the wild again." Wildcat Haven is also unhappy police do not believe Finlay is a wildcat, but a domestic tabby with some wildcat genes.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-65836546

I have been following this story for several months. I have seen the scientific rules and procedures regarding wild cats, and it does seem as though the police made mistake after mistake. The independant vet report just after the police released the cat back to the Haven is very scathing on the treatment over the previous months. This all stems from the local council wanting to allow a property developer to build houses on land that has wild cats on it - if there are authenticated wild cats then this would be illegal. This is a problem, as large amount of money have already been paid to the council by the developers for various permits and other 'things'. Video evidence provided by the Haven yesterday shows that there are now several different wild cats in the same habitat, which should force the developers to delay their plans considerably. There are more politics in this than just a simple case of animal mistreatment.

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UK weather: Why your phone overheats and how to prevent it

You're sitting outside on your lunch break and your phone says it's too hot to work. What are you meant to do without TikTok to scroll through, actually talk to your colleagues? The current UK heatwave - yes, it is officially one - is not just affecting people's bodies, but also their electronics. Unlike humans, phones can't sweat - which is good for those holding them but not great for our handsets. So why do our electronics struggle in the heat and what can we do about it?

Heat goes up, processor slows down
Much like how we struggle to operate at the same speed in intense heat, it can be something similar for the phone's processor - a chip inside that's responsible for its main functions. "The internal things that actually make it all work, unfortunately, themselves generate heat in the way they work," says Dr Roz Wyatt-Millington, a senior lecturer in electronic and electrical engineering at Leeds Beckett University. "And as the device gets hotter for phones, the processor tries to stop itself overheating and it ends up slowing everything down as a result."

From 100% to battery drained
Dr Roz says electronics are generally designed to work up to 35C (95F). "Batteries store energy and are designed to work at certain temperatures. The hotter they get, the harder they have to work and the more energy they use," she says. Which means the battery life gets drained more quickly, especially as it's harder to cool. Dr Roz says we often turn up screen brightness when outside in the sunshine, which can also have an impact. "They also use energy to monitor their own state, and basically have to do more work."

Screen burn
If you've noticed a slight change in your screen, the heat might have had an impact. "If it's an older phone, if there's a slight defect in it, the heat will magnify it," says Dr Roz. She adds that screen protectors can often hold more heat inside, which isn't good in hot conditions. "If it's really hot, when you are charging your battery, you are generating heat. When your device has been on charge, it ends up being hotter," Dr Roz says.

Position it smartly
"Keeping it out of direct sunlight helps. Don't leave it in your car, keep in the shade as much as possible. Put it in front of a fan if you can."

Keep it light
That applies to both the inside and outside of the phone. Take it out of a case and turn off all the functions you do not need. "If you're not using the GPS, if you're not using stuff, turn it off. Because the less stuff you actually use, the less energy you're going to use, the less heat it's going to generate," she says.

Low power mode
The less power you use, the better off your phone will be. "Sometimes just simply, if your phone's really struggling, turn it off for a few minutes, just let it all cool down, and then turn it back on again." But do not use a fridge or freezer... "Don't stick it in a bag of ice, because that doesn't help it." Rapid temperature changes can be really bad for phones, and the ice can lead to water becoming trapped in it.

Dr Roz says phones have overheat mechanisms built into them to stop them from "destroying themselves, which can happen in really bad heat".

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/newsbeat-62223245

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Experience: I knew nothing of the pandemic until my submarine surfaced

In 2019, I started at the École Polytechnique, a prestigious French engineering school where students undergo military training with the air force, army or navy. I was sent to the naval school in September for two months of basic training. I was then qualified to be part of the mechanics and engineering team, and could choose my next placement. I signed up to go on a nuclear submarine, which can stay underwater for up to 10 years without surfacing. I really wanted to go out into the ocean, although I was nervous when we went for the first time. I got used to it after a few trips back and forth for training, and was eager to embark on a longer journey.

In January 2020, I left for a patrolling mission, along with a 75-person crew. I had got to know everyone quite well, which made me feel confident that everything would run smoothly. The main goal of the mission was to navigate through the water, identifying boats and aircraft with our sensors while remaining undetected. We were the eyes and ears of the French navy, 300 metres under the ocean.

Being in a submarine is a bit like being in a spaceship. Letters from family were allowed – to keep crew members motivated – but, for safety and discretion, all communication from the crew’s families was seen first by navy staff who removed any content that could cause panic on board. For example, if my partner broke up with me through a letter, that might be censored. We received regular news bulletins with updates on politics and football games, but not much about things that could affect the crew’s efficiency and psychological state. The only news I received from my family were things like “Your brother won his judo competition” or “We miss you”.

In February 2020, as Covid started to emerge in Europe, the navy began filtering out all Covid-related news in our bulletins, which meant that we basically stopped receiving any news at all. They asked our families not to send anything that would worry us. My mum later told me she had written to me about Covid several times, but I never read any of that in her letters. Throughout March and April, we had no idea that Covid was even a thing, let alone that France was under strict lockdown. We only found out in mid-April 2020, two days before we were set to come back. The radio channels on the submarine announced the news: “There is a deadly virus. It has arrived in France; you can’t leave your home.” The navy probably thought: “The country is locked down. We have to explain what’s going on.”

Everyone else in the world had weeks to follow the news, whereas we were suddenly bombarded with information that didn’t make any sense. “Lockdown” was a new word to me; I didn’t know what to expect.

https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/world/ex ... r-AA1cDleK

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Trumpington burial: Teenage Anglo-Saxon girl's face revealed

The face of a girl who died more than 1,300 years ago has been revealed through facial reconstruction. Her skeleton was found buried on a wooden bed, with a gold and garnet cross on her chest at Trumpington, Cambridgeshire, in 2012. The image will go on display as part of a Cambridge University exhibition. Dr Sam Leggett said "as an archaeologist I'm used to faceless people" so it was "really lovely" to see how she may have looked.

The face of a girl who died more than 1,300 years ago has been revealed through facial reconstruction. Her skeleton was found buried on a wooden bed, with a gold and garnet cross on her chest at Trumpington, Cambridgeshire, in 2012. The image will go on display as part of a Cambridge University exhibition. She was born near the Alps, probably in southern Germany, and moved to the flat, Cambridgeshire fens at some point after she turned seven. In addition, her diet changed once she came to England. Dr Leggett said: "We now know the proportion of protein dropped, suggesting she was eating more meat and dairy products when in southern Germany than on arrival in Trumpington."

Cambridge University studies published last year revealed Anglo-Saxon kings were mostly vegetarian before the Vikings settled.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-c ... e-65919518

[boatbuilder]

Hampshire man trapped in well after hole opens up in garden



A man has been rescued after falling into a well that suddenly opened up in a back garden.

Emergency services were called to Forge Road, in Bordon, Hampshire, at about 18:00 BST on Tuesday after reports of a man trapped in a hole.

A 76-year-old man fell 2m (6.5ft) and suffered minor cuts and bruises, according to Hampshire's fire service.

It said water had caused part of the well to erode, creating a void underneath a garden patio.

"He was fortunate not to slide down the slope where he could have dropped approximately 12 metres further into the well," the service said in a statement.

Firefighters worked along with paramedics to save the man and set up a rope system that lifted him from the well.

He was treated at the scene by paramedics and a cordon was put in place around the hole.

The fire service praised its crews for their "quick and efficient response".

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-oxfordshire-65970662

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George Orwell and 1984 still relevant today, says son

George Orwell might have a sense of "deja vu" about the state of politics if he was alive today, his son has told the BBC. Richard Blair was speaking on the 120th anniversary of the writer's birth. He was adopted by Eric Blair - better known by his pen name of George Orwell. Orwell's novel 1984 was the origin of the popular understanding of "Big Brother" and "Room 101". Mr Blair told BBC Politics East: "He would have thought, what's changed?"

Mr Blair spoke as a new biography on Orwell by Norwich writer and novelist DJ Taylor was published. With Russia calling the war in Ukraine a "special military operation" and with many supporters of former US president Donald Trump believing his falsehood that he won the last election, many people see 1984 as more relevant than ever, Mr Taylor said. Asked about how his father would react if he came back today, Mr Blair said: "Has it changed from the world of 1984 and Animal Farm? It's been the same for a millennia. I suppose it will be the same in another 100 years' time. "He would have a certain sense of deja vu. He would have thought, what's changed?" He added: "My father was a great patriot. A great defender of his country and he was also a critic of both sides of the political debate. He would criticise both left and right."

Prof Jean Seaton, official historian of the BBC, said Orwell was still incredibly important. "We live in a world with surveillance, facial recognition. 1984 is about the capacity of authoritarian regimes like Russia, China, to make you believe what is not true," she said.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-suffolk-65856526

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Water cremation: Co-op Funeralcare to be first UK company to offer resomation

Water cremation is set to be made available for the first time in the UK. The process, known as resomation, uses a mix of potassium hydroxide and water to break down human remains in what is billed as a more sustainable option. It takes four hours - the bones remain, and are powdered then returned to loved ones in a similar way to ashes, in an urn. Resomation is used in Canada, South Africa and many US states.

It will be the first alternative way to dispose of a body in the UK since the introduction of the Cremation Act in 1902 - and Co-op Funeralcare will be the first to offer it, starting later this year. The British company Resomation, which supplies the equipment, claims the process produces a third less greenhouse gas than cremation and uses a seventh of the energy. According to the founder of the company, Sandy Sullivan, the liquid used in resomation is "safely returned to the water cycle free from any traces of DNA". Anti-apartheid campaigner Archbishop Desmond Tutu chose the process for his funeral arrangements in South Africa - he died in late 2021.

Gill Stewart, managing director of Co-op Funeralcare, said that "land for burials is running out", and that resomation could help the industry "improve its carbon reduction targets and meet the capacity challenges of a growing population". The funeral provider anticipates that the cost of resomation will be similar to that of a traditional cremation. Initially, resomation will only be offered in certain locations - which are yet to be announced - with the intention of expanding it across the UK, the funeral chain said.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-66081058

I have been interested in this for a while, due to the green credentials. However, I already have a paid funeral plan.

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Llandudno: Great Orme goats roam town centre despite removal plans

Goats have been spotted roaming a town centre after the local council announced plans to remove them. The Great Orme goats have been a regular sight in Llandudno, Conwy, since they began venturing into the town during Covid. In April, the council discussed how to control the goats, after they caused widespread damage to people's property. At the time it said it was "looking at relocating strategies" on the grounds of conservation.

However, one shop owner welcomed the latest sighting, labelling the goats as "part of the character of Llandudno". "I'm pro-goat, but I do sympathise when they munch the plants in your garden," said Mark Richards, 50, who runs furniture shop Statement in the town. He said the goats were around "all the time" after lockdown, but that they have been "hardly seen" recently. "Obviously they're a bit of a nuisance munching people's hedges and plants so you can understand people objecting to them," added Mr Richards. "But they are part of the town and I think there's a lot more love for them than not. I certainly wouldn't want them to see them relocated."

Dylan Taylor, 23, who runs nearby craft store The Wool Shop, said his customers love to see the goats roaming about the town. "It's quite comical for them to see goats roaming around - because its really not something you see in the rest of the country," he said. "They seem to like it, they get photos with them and stuff like that... it's just part of the town's culture," he added. Mr Taylor said he'd "never really had an issue" with the goats himself, and said he doesn't "see a solution" to the damage previously caused by them. "It's not really something that you can fix you know, it's like people complaining that there's bees and wasps roaming around, you can't get rid of them or the world over," he added.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-66108809

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Will insect food take off across Europe?

People around the world eat insects every day. They’re packed with vitamins, fibre and minerals - and can be produced much more sustainably than farming livestock. It’s currently a niche market in Europe, but after the EU approved the sale of insects for human consumption earlier this year, is that about to change?

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/world-europe-66122985

[boatbuilder]

Will insect food take off across Europe?

C'mon now! You haven't said if YOU will eat them.

[muzzy]

Will insect food take off across Europe?

C'mon now! You haven't said if YOU will eat them.

It's just the same as with lambs, chickens etc. As long as I don't see them as though they were alive, as long as they come to me cooked as slabs of meat, I'm fine. With the insects, it seems that their main use will be as flour, which will be fine with me.

[boatbuilder]

Wallingford: Mystery bangs heard in Midsomer Murders town



Mysterious loud bangs have kept residents awake at night in the town where Midsomer Murders was filmed.

The noises can be heard throughout Wallingford in Oxfordshire, the original filming location for the hit ITV detective drama.

Residents have taken to social media to determine the source of the bangs, with speculation they could be sonic booms, bird scarers or a gas explosion. Police are investigating reports of the noise between 2 and 8 July. A Thames Valley Police spokesperson said officers currently believed the bangs were fireworks.

Mysterious loud bangs have kept residents awake at night in the town where Midsomer Murders was filmed. The noises can be heard throughout Wallingford in Oxfordshire, the original filming location for the hit ITV detective drama. Residents have taken to social media to determine the source of the bangs, with speculation they could be sonic booms, bird scarers or a gas explosion.

Police are investigating reports of the noise between 2 and 8 July. A Thames Valley Police spokesperson said officers currently believed the bangs were fireworks.

BBC News

Whatever it is, it's within a very short distance from that camera - probably 3 to 4 hundred yards at the most. There is only 1 second between the flash and the bang and it's supposedly 5 seconds from the flash for the sound to travel 1 mile. As far as something floating down is concerned, I saw just one tiny speck and that's not unusual with CCTV's IR night vision - they easily pick up small insects, etc., near the camera as I get it all the time with my own outside cameras.