And in other news....

Shoeburyness stranded car rescued as high tide rolls in

A stranded car had to be towed off a beach minutes before a rising tide threatened to sweep it away.

Two people in the vehicle called 999 to say they had driven on to wet sand and got stuck in Shoeburyness, near Southend Coastguard Station, on Sunday.

HM Coastguard said the driver was given details of vehicle recovery firms while it went to keep a watch on the situation and help if needed.

It said the car was moved "15 minutes prior to the tide reaching" it.

It added that while HM Coastguard was the fourth emergency service, "contrary to popular belief that does not include vehicle recovery and breakdown service".

New Forest Stone Age nutshell 'reveals prehistoric campsite'

The remains of a hazelnut shell from the Stone Age could show evidence of early human activity in the New Forest, archaeologists have said.

They were discovered along with a monument and five urns from the Bronze Age during two digs at Beaulieu Estate.

Archaeologists working on the New Forest National Park Authority (NPA) project said evidence from the Mesolithic period was rare.

They might show there was a prehistoric campsite in the area, they added.

NPA said the "charred remains" of the hazelnut shell were given a "surprisingly confident" Mesolithic date of 5736 - 5643 BC by radiocarbon dating.

"Archaeological evidence from the Mesolithic period is rare but now and again we do find flint tools and evidence for these temporary settlement sites," said Jon Milward, of Bournemouth University Archaeological Research Consultancy.

"We know of a few Mesolithic sites close to Beaulieu River and it appears there was another at this site."

The NPA said the investigation of the ring ditch monument had "added significantly to our knowledge of prehistoric activity in the New Forest".

Mr Milward said: "Monuments with entrances and apparent open interiors such as this one may have been meeting spaces used to carry out rituals and ceremonies that were important to the local community.

"There is evidence here of regular modification and an apparent continuity of use over a long time, implying that this monument was perhaps more than a burial place and played a significant role in the community for many generations."

Three of the urns, dating to 1500-1100 BC, were excavated at Bournemouth University and found to contain cremated human bone.

The investigations and digs, which took place in 2018 and 2019, were supported by the National Lottery Heritage Fund and involved more than 40 volunteers.

Tattooed piglets stolen from farm near Fordingbridge

Dozens of tattooed piglets have been stolen from a farm prompting fears they could die.

A total of 67, six-week-old piglets were taken from a farm in Damerham near Fordingbridge, Hampshire, between 20-28 May.

They had the reference HB0789 tattooed on them, Hampshire Constabulary said.

Officers said moving the animals to a different location could cause "unnecessary stress", expose them to infection and lead to premature death.

"The piglets were being kept in their family groups, which is important for pigs as they are social animals," the force said.

It said the farmer was "understandably extremely concerned" and officers have appealed for anyone who may have noticed new piglets at a smallholding, or similar location, recently to come forward with information.

Bideford councillor's speeding mural a 'distraction'

A town councillor has been threatened with legal action if she fails to remove a mural painted on the side of her house targeting speeders.

Kaye Corfe, from Bideford, asked an artist to complete the work because she says her road has become a "rat run".

Torridge District Council said it was a "distraction" for motorists and has given Ms Corfe 28 days to remove it.

Ms Corfe said the community had "taken it to their heart" and she was waiting for an update from highways officials.

The street-style artwork shows the VW Beetle movie character Herbie and the words "Kill your speed".

Ms Corfe received a letter from the council saying it had received an "allegation of a breach of planning regulations".

It went on to say the mural was deemed to be a "miscellaneous advertisement" which could be "harmful to the visual amenity and a distraction for drivers using the highway".

Ms Corfe said she had been informed by Devon County Council highways staff the car image itself could stay if the wording was removed and she was awaiting an update from them about the phrase.

She added that a petition had been started locally to keep to keep the entire mural.

She said: "We want to keep the whole thing, and the community, who have taken it to their heart, are getting very cross."

The council said prosecution action could be taken without further warning if the mural is not removed.

Councillor Pete Watson, from the district council, said while he "may have some sympathy with the sentiment and message behind the mural", the authority had to treat it at face value

"Clearly there is a potential for motorists to be distracted by such a large and colourful installation at this junction," he added.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-devon-54666318

Banksy: Bike from hula-hooping girl 'removed for safekeeping'

A bicycle that provided the foreground to a Banksy artwork was removed by the owner of the building the piece was painted on, a council has confirmed.

The bike went missing from its position outside a beauty salon in Lenton in Nottingham over the weekend, leading to fears it had been stolen.

Kyle Myatt was so disappointed by its disappearance he replaced it with a bike he bought himself.

But the council said on Monday the bike had been taken away "for safekeeping".

The Nottingham Project, an organisation aiming to "rejuvenate" the city, said on Twitter they are working with the council and the building owner to protect the artwork, including the bike.

The artwork first appeared on the building, on the junction of Rothesay Avenue and Ilkeston Road, on 13 October.

A few days later it was claimed by the elusive artist via his Instagram account.

The original bike - sporting the livery "Arkansas" with a twisted front wheel and missing a back one, which the girl is depicted using as a hula hoop - was locked to a street sign.

Crowds had @!@@@! to see the artwork, and the city council protected it with a transparent cover before it was twice targeted with spray paint.

When Mr Myatt, a 23-year-old food delivery rider, saw the original bike had gone he thought it had been stolen and decided to replace it.
He told the BBC: "Banksy put us on the radar by putting it on that wall. It makes the area look a lot better."

He said he found a £20 Raleigh bike on sale on Facebook and, using an old lock he already had, he took off the back wheel and put it where the old bike had been on Sunday evening.

He added: "I just did it to see people happier.

"Even if it's not been stolen I'm still glad I replaced it as it looks like part of the Banksy.

"And at least now if someone does nick it, the original is safe."

Art fan and Nottingham resident Jasinya Powell, 39, said she too had thought it was a theft.

She said: "This shows how Banksy has seen something we don't see in this city.

"We all assumed it had been stolen, but it was just for safekeeping.

"And now it's been replaced with another iconic piece by a member of the public. It's brilliant."

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-n ... e-55042525

I was in the same room as Banksy once.

I wanna meet Banksy!

I knew he was in the room but didn't know who. Nobody did, except for the privileged few.

Hinckley railway bridge sits top of 'most bashed' chart.

A low bridge in Leicestershire has been dubbed the "most bashed" in Britain after being struck 25 times in a year.

The Watling Street railway bridge on the A5 in Hinckley saw crashes almost once a fortnight on average in the year to the end of March, Network Rail said.

Its list of the most commonly struck bridges also included structures in Dudley, Cambridgeshire and Norfolk.

However, the organisation said there had been an 11% decrease in bridge crashes compared to the previous year.

Network Rail said there was an average of five railway bridge crashes per day nationally, with repairs costing an average of £13,000 per strike.

It has started a new awareness campaign ahead of an expected increase in traffic encouraging lorry drivers to familiarise themselves with the height of their vehicle before setting off.

Chairman Sir Peter Hendy said: "We've done a lot of work with partners across the industry in recent years to tackle bridge strikes, and whilst it's encouraging to see our work is paying off with numbers now on the decline, there's a lot more to be done to cut the unnecessary delays, costs and safety risks they pose."

'Simple steps'

Network Rail, which looks after about 10,000 bridges over roads, has also written to operators of large vehicle fleets warning they could lose their licence if they fail to have measures in place to minimise the risk of drivers misjudging height restrictions.

Senior structures adviser at Highways England, Hideo Takano, said: "Around two-thirds of bridge strikes on our roads are caused by vehicles carrying a load.

"So to reduce the risk of this happening, we urge all drivers to follow these simple steps: Know your height, plan your route and secure your load."

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-l ... e-54871244

-- Tue Nov 24, 2020 7:46 pm --

Oblivion wrote:I knew he was in the room but didn't know who. Nobody did, except for the privileged few.

He smells of cheese apparently. Its the only way to detect him.

Sussex Cricket League: Clubs allowed to stop providing tea at matches after vote

The tea interval at cricket - one of the most quintessentially English things there is.

Often a fine selection of cakes, sandwiches, crisps and pies, it can often be the highlight of the game if your side has been on the wrong end of a slogging in the opening innings.

But the world's biggest recreational league has voted to allow clubs to decide if they want to provide the full tea experience or not next season.

Instead, clubs in the Sussex Cricket League - which has 140 clubs and 335 teams - will only be obliged to provide hot and cold drinks to players.

"In 2020 we didn't have any choice," explained league chairman Gary Stanley to BBC Sport.

"With the pandemic the cricket we played was a short season and there was no option to provide teas, everyone had to provide their own food as it wasn't allowed.

"Lots of clubs, and this was proposed by six or seven of them, came to us and said 'we want to propose that the obligation to provide teas for 2021 is removed'. This is only for 2021 - it can be changed for the following season."

There will still be a 30-minute break between innings while umpires will have a slight increase in their match fees to cover their own tea.

But while the image of the village cricket team providing tea is still there, the reality has become somewhat different over recent years.

Costs have risen, volunteer numbers have fallen and with extra issues surrounding dietary requirements, providing a tea can be a potential minefield.

"Decades ago there was the quaint idea of every club having a lady that prepared the teas for their teams out of love," added Stanley.

"There are clubs that are still fortunate enough to have that, but large numbers don't and often it's a case of 'which player will provide it this week?'.

"As a result you quite frankly get some poor teas. I'm sure some clubs are annoyed by providing a great tea at home and a curled sandwich and a packet of value crisps away.

"It's possible that this may be a moot point as come April or May we may have to operate under the same rules as we did in 2020 if Covid is still around and we still have to provide our own teas."

The reaction on Twitter was, as you can imagine, mixed to say the least.

Some clubs say they will still provide teas...

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cricket/55057080