We’ve heard some rumours that people might think that ‘hump day’ means something a little bit naughty! To clear things up – ‘hump’ refers to the middle of the week when many of us feel a bit of a slump, which is why we bring you a dose of happy news each Wednesday.
Love Nest
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Conservationists at Knepp Estate in West Sussex are waiting with bated breath for the arrival of the first baby storks to be born in the wild since the 15th century! Members of the monogamous species have been bred in captivity and recently released into the wild, as part of a special reintroduction project. The chicks are due mid-May – they will stay for around 60 days before they fly south for three years, then return home once again to breed. Perhaps there’ll be a few new human arrivals carried by the symbolic bird in around nine months time, too…
Keep Your Coal
While we enjoyed soaking up some vitamin D in our gardens or on our daily walks over the past couple of weeks, the mini spring heatwave actually contributed to a new record. The warm weather combined with the current lockdown situation meant that the UK didn’t use coal-fired plants for energy for a whopping 18 consecutive days and generated a record amount of solar power. It marks the longest coal-free power run since 1882!
Slow Ways
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We think it would be incredible if many of the positive aspects of lockdown continued after the rules were lifted, such as reduced pollution and a slower pace of life. Before the coronavirus pressed pause on normality, former geography teacher Daniel Raven-Ellison was actually setting up a project that encourages walking between British towns, cities and villages. The Slow Ways initiative, in association with Ordnance Survey, is calling on volunteers to help map paths all over the country from home – these will go on to be reviewed after lockdown before the first draft is published!
New Tricks
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Scientists at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) and Durham University are exploring the possibility that medical detection dogs could be used to identify people who have coronavirus. While this might sound absurd, clever pooches are already used to detect conditions such as malaria, and because coronavirus is a respiratory disease, there’s a chance that they may be able to smell it on masks worn by those with the virus. Just when we thought man’s best friend couldn’t possible get any better.
Love Conquers
An elderly Merseyside couple who requested to be treated side by side after contracting coronavirus have been discharged from hospital and are recovering at their home. Sidney and Jean Moore, both in their 70s, have hardly been separated in 60 years and apparently ‘don’t do apart’. They praised the staff at Whiston Hospital for making their wish a reality and helping them beat the virus, describing them as ‘magnificent’.
You Got a Friend in Me
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An Australian boy called Corona wrote a letter to Tom Hanks, after the news broke that the actor and his wife had contracted coronavirus. He confided in Hanks that he was now being bullied because of his name, so Hanks sent back a heartfelt letter and the gift of his typewriter – made by a brand called Corona. Hanks told the boy: “You are the only person I’ve ever known to have the name Corona – like the ring around the sun, a crown.”, and signed off saying “PS! You got a friend in ME!” – a reference to one of his most famous roles, Woody from Toy Story.
Knock Knock
A six-year-old boy in Vancouver Island who was looking forward to setting up a lemonade stall this summer has adapted his business to the current climate and converted it into a joke stand instead. According to the young entrepreneur, jokes are free because people need money for groceries, but it looks like he’s already got a foot in the door of Hollywood, with stars like Ryan Reynolds calling him a ‘hero’ on Twitter.
Above and Beyond
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A 17-year-old carer in a Preston care home gifted a 94-year-old resident a cushion with a photograph of his late wife printed on it, after she noticed he would sleep with a framed picture of her next to him each night. Ken Benbow was married to Ada for 75 years, until she sadly died in 2019. An emotional video of Ken receiving the gift has gone viral – he declared that it was the most precious thing anyone could wish for.
A Barking Mad Birthday Parade
By now, we probably all know someone who has had a lockdown birthday, and while Zoom quizzes are oh-so fun… we’re in awe of what these parents in North Carolina organised for their three-year-old daughter. They invited their neighbours to walk their dogs past their house (at a safe distance from each other) around a certain time. The parade turned into an furry, all-singing all-dancing canine fashion show, with banners, balloons and outfits – safe to say it was a roaring success!
Happy Birthday Captain Tom
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Another birthday tribute to our new national hero has been made, but it might not be quite what you expect! Drew McIntyre, who is WrestleMania’s first British champion, has made Captain Tom a personalised WWE Championship title… Let’s hope it doesn’t give him any wacky ideas for another fundraiser!
If you’re anywhere near Croydon on Thursday 30th April, look to the sky during the weekly ‘Clap for Carers’ applause and see if you can spot the RAF flypast – which includes a Mark XI Spitfire – in honour of Captain Tom’s birthday.
And Finally…
Here is a sheep making the most of human lockdown – or trying to cheer us up – by jumping on a family’s trampoline. Literally, a woolly jumper.
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