The Unusual News Thread

[Pip Madeley]

Wham! single annoyed neighbours

A Wham! fan who infuriated neighbours by blasting out their hit Last Christmas all night has been prosecuted by council officials. Brian Turner, of Doncaster Road, Newcastle, repeatedly played the festive favourite at full volume one night in May. Now he has become the first noise nuisance to be prosecuted by Newcastle City Council's Night Watch team. Magistrates fined Turner 200 and ordered him to pay 215 costs.

Gosforth magistrates heard how Turner visited friends in nearby Walker on 15 May and played the song relentlessly from 0100 BST until 0400 BST. Finally a neighbour snapped and called in the noise squad, who eventually gave residents peace by seizing the stereo.

A city council spokesman said: "The music was so loud from the flat that officers could clearly identify the track being played as Last Christmas by Wham!" Anita Lower, city council executive member for transformation, modernisation and regulation, said: "In most instances a visit from the Night Watch team is all that is required to deal with problems of night time noise. "However, in a very few cases such as this, people continue to be noisy even after they have been warned and leave us with little option but to take action against them."

A study by the National Society for Clean Air and Environmental Protection (NSCA) revealed noisy neighbours forced around half a million people to move home between 2005 and 2006.

It's a good song! Just not in May.

[Rob McCow]

Gosforth magistrates heard how Turner visited friends in nearby Walker on 15 May and played the song relentlessly from 0100 BST until 0400 BST. Finally a neighbour snapped and called in the noise squad, who eventually gave residents peace by seizing the stereo.

Shouldn't that read "eventually a neighbour snapped and firebombed their house"?

[Jason Thompson]

It doesn't matter how good the song is, or if it's played in May or December. Playing music so loudly that your neighbours can clearly hear it, whatever time of day or night, is just not acceptable behaviour. I find it hard to have a sense of humour about this, because I am one of the half a million people forced to move home because of noisy neighbours between 2005 and 2006. One of them, following an official complaint, became plainly threatening and abusive to us, and frankly that period was the worst of my entire life.

[Ralph]

If half a million people moved due to noisy neighbours presumably that means half a million people were duped into moving into properties they thought were good buys but are suffering now? It's always a concern I'd consider if buying a property - it must be a nightmare to move into a new property and inherit this problem.

Not that I wish to make you feel guilty Jason ... I guess you have no choice but to play it down when you sell it on, otherwise...

[Jason Thompson]

If half a million people moved due to noisy neighbours presumably that means half a million people were duped into moving into properties they thought were good buys but are suffering now? It's always a concern I'd consider if buying a property - it must be a nightmare to move into a new property and inherit this problem.

Not that I wish to make you feel guilty Jason ... I guess you have no choice but to play it down when you sell it on, otherwise...

It was rented, so I carry no guilt. I told the landlord the full story in regard to both sets of neighbours, and the local police as well. Last I heard, both of them were going to be evicted shortly after we moved out, so I don't give a toss, frankly.

Interestingly, I saw that old flat on Homes Under The Hammer about a year later. The landlord had sold it at auction, and some bloke had bought it and done it up a bit before selling it on.

[Ralph]

I guess neighbours with antisocial habits are more likely to rent than buy.

[Wayne]

I guess neighbours with antisocial habits are more likely to rent than buy.

I can vouch for that. I don't think Jason would enjoy living next door to me very much.
Not unless he really likes Hawkwind.

[Ralph]

precisely!

[Pip Madeley]

You thought Alan Partridge had it bad with 182 days in a travel tavern...

A couple who have lived in Travelodges for more than 20 years are to have a room named after them. David Davidson, 79, and his wife, Jean, 70, have a flat in Sheffield but have lived in the hotels near Newark, Notts and then Grantham, Lincs, since 1985.

The couple have spent about £100,000 but said they do not have to worry about bills, cooking or making the bed. Room 1 of the Gonerby Moor Travelodge near the A1 will now be called The Davidson Suite, complete with a plaque.

The couple stayed at the first ever Travelodge in Barton-under-Needwood, Staffordshire and liked it so much they began to stay more and more often, finally choosing the hotel in Newark. By booking 12 months in advance, they pay £90 a week and have all housework done by maids while often eating at the nearby Little Chef.

World War II veteran Mr Davidson said: "We get great rates because we book well in advance and we even have our own personal housekeeper. It doesn't get much better than that, does it?

"We do have to be a bit choosy about what we keep in our room as it can fill up easily - but our must-have item is our framed personal photograph." He continued: "The Travelodge room suits us so much better than our first-floor flat in Sheffield, which has no disabled access for Jean. It's important as she now suffers from a bone disease and uses a wheelchair." And, of course, the couple use the hotel chain when they go on holiday.

Paul Anstey, Travelodge director of operations for the North, said: "We know Travelodge has really loyal customers throughout the UK but the Davidsons are unique - they've literally made a Travelodge into their home."

Reminds me of the Major in Fawlty Towers.

[Simon R]

I stayed in a Travel Lodge near Grantham during Christmas 05. It might have been that one for all I know.

Travel Lodges used to be better when you got hot chocolate in your room but alas it seems to have been stopped.

[Pip Madeley]

Travel Lodges used to be better when you got hot chocolate in your room

They were better than watching the pay-per-view television with the remote stuck to the beside table.

[Pip Madeley]

Family wants plastic pen tops ban

The parents of a County Durham schoolboy, who choked to death on a plastic pen top, are stepping up their campaign to get them banned. Ben Stirland, 13, from Consett, died in January, after swallowing the pen top while doing homework.

His parents vowed to get the tops banned after they said one acted "like a fish hook" when it became lodged in the teenager's throat. A charity ball on Saturday aims to highlight their campaign. The youngster's school, Moorside Community Technology College, banned plastic pen tops after the tragedy. But his parents, Nathalie and David Hodgson, want a wider ban.

They have organised a charity ball to highlight their campaign and to raise cash for Newcastle General Hospital, where Ben was treated for two days before he died. Mrs Hodgson, 38, said: "Ben was very outgoing and popular at school and just loved having a laugh. "What Ben was doing that day, chewing his pen, is what thousands of people do every day. Our initial and main aim is to get the pen lids banned. Our biggest concern is that the safety air hole and the clip, which you clip on to your jumper, acted almost like a fish hook and was difficult to remove from his throat."

Since Ben's death the family have approached various organisations, including the British Standards Institute and the Writing Instruments Association, in an effort to persuade manufacturers to stop producing pens with removable plastic tops.

Sorry but I think that's just stupid. It was obviously a freak accident, and the kid shouldn't have been chewing it in the first place.

[Andrew Curnow]

It's obviously tragic for the family concerned, but I agree. Also, I think I'm right in saying that pen lids now all have to have a hole/holes in them, to help with breathing if accidentally swallowed - I'm pretty sure that was changed 20 or so years ago, after a similar accident.

I'm also a bit confused by the story - it says he choked to death, but also that he was treated in hospital for two days? I don't want to dwell on it, but surely if you choke to death it's pretty instant isn't it?

[Pip Madeley]

Man who had sex with bike in court

A man has been placed on the sex offenders’ register after being caught trying to have sex with a bicycle. Robert Stewart was discovered in his room by two cleaners at the Aberley House Hostel in Ayr, south west Scotland, in October last year.

On Wednesday Mr Stewart admitted to sexual breach of the peace in Ayr Sheriff Court, where depute fiscal Gail Davidson described how he had been found by the hostel workers. She said: "They knocked on the door several times and there was no reply. They used a master key to unlock the door and they then observed the accused wearing only a white T-shirt, naked from the waist down. The accused was holding the bike and moving his hips back and forth as if to simulate sex."

Both witnesses, who were extremely shocked, notified the hotel manager, who in turn alerted the police. Mr Stewart was placed on the sex offenders’ register but his sentence was deferred until next month.

He is not the first man to be convicted of a sexual offence involving an inanimate object, however. Karl Watkins, an electrician, was jailed for having sex with pavements in Redditch, Worcs, in 1993.

It was a big chopper, so I'm told.

[Dirk Gently]

How the hell do you have sex with a bicycle let alone a pavement!?!?

Why don't people just have a w**k like everyone else?

[Whitney]

I guess the problem was really that he was doing it in a hostel right? The "breach of peace." Cause, as weird as it is, you sould be able to use whatever you want to use. I don't know about putting him on the sexual offender's list though. I mean... people are going to look at that and not hire the guy. It's different from abusing a minor or flashing someone. That guy's just weird. There are plenty of weird people who don't want to hurt a soul. Why ruin the rest of his life (when he's apparently doing a great job of that himself)?

[Darren]

Gives new meaning to riding your bicycle.

[Alex]

How the hell do you have sex with a bicycle let alone a pavement!?!?

Insanely, it's happened again:
http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage...icle433034.ece

TEENAGER IS DEPAVED

A TEENAGER tried to have sex with a PAVEMENT after downing a half-bottle of vodka while on medication.

Horrified drivers saw Steven Marshall lying in his own street pleasuring himself, before flipping over and simulating full sex. The 18-year-old’s bizarre antics were witnessed by a woman taxi driver, among others. Selkirk Sheriff Court heard he’s on seven forms of medication for arthritis problems.

One neighbour was scared Marshall was having a fit in the street until she got closer. Another finally picked him up and carted him off home. Graham Fraser, prosecuting, told the court Marshall was spotted with his trousers at his knees “in the press-up position on the pavement simulating sexual intercourse”.

He said: “It is a regrettable incident resulting from alcohol and medical problems.” Defence lawyer Mark Harrower added: “He was on seven types of medication and it was getting him down.”

Marshall admitted public indecency outside his home in Galashiels on June 17. He was put on the sex offenders’ register for five years while his sentence was deferred. Marshall said last night: “I really regret it. “I was depressed and had too much to drink.”

IN 1993, pervert Karl Watkins was jailed for 18 months for repeatedly having sex with pavements in Redditch, Worcs.

[Matthew T]

Seems strange you would get put on the sex offenders register for something like that. Not a good thing to be doing obviously but I don't think he deserves being lumped in with paedophiles and the like!

[Jeff]

Sounds like something you'd hear about on Monty Python!

[SiHart]

On an even more surreal note:

An American couple have survived unscathed after their minivan was crushed - by a falling cow.
Charles and Linda Everson were driving back to their hotel when Michelle, a 600lb rodeo cow, landed on their bonnet.
Amazingly, the beast had fallen 200ft from a cliff.

Chelan County fire chief Arnold Bake said the couple missed being killed by a matter of inches in the accident near Manson in Washington State.
The pair, who were visiting the area to celebrate their first wedding anniversary, were taken to hospital but later released.
Unfortunately, Michelle was not so lucky. She had to be put down.
Mr Everson, 49, said he was in shock as he watched the bovine bounce off his battered bonnet.
He told the Detroit Fee Press: "I'm just glad to be alive. It's raining cows out here, man!"

The chauffeur said he saw something hit his vehicle but amazingly kept on driving for a mile before pulling over.
"Wham! It happened so fast I actually thought it was a deer," he told the paper.
"All of a sudden I'm looking at it, and I tell my wife, 'It's a cow,'" he said.
"I kept saying, 'I don't believe it.' I must have said that 20 or 30 times."
Chelan County Sheriff's Sergeant Mike Harris said the animal was a Professional Bull Rider-registered cow that had escaped its ranch about a month ago.
"It was bred for rodeo," Sgt Harris told the paper. "It was not your normal cow in a field."

Si xx

[Pip Madeley]

A pavement wouldn't make a very good lover, what with it being all cold and indifferent.

[Jeff]

[Jon Masters]

A pavement wouldn't make a very good lover, what with it being all cold and indifferent.

Maybe his name was Elton and he'd decided to take his relationship to the next level

[WhiteCrow]

Maybe his name was Elton and he'd decided to take his relationship to the next level

And everyone sings RTD's praises for being all clever and daring, when he's really just a closet Sun reader.