Each week, Ben Hopkinson looks back at a serious, crazy, and happy news story from the past week.
Serious News
Greenwich Council agreed back in February it would review its playgrounds as a method to try and save £2.2million over the next four years.
Labour councillor, Sandra Bauer, has not ruled out closures as a public consultation will be launched within the coming weeks – the sites are still yet to be disclosed.
However, a spokesperson for Greenwich Council has announced that £820,000 has been invested to “improve and modernise adventure play centres” as well as potential extended opening hours.
Across the borough, there are five such play parks which include apparatus such as rope swings, zip wires as well as indoor activities – located at Meridian, Woolwich, Plumstead, Glyndon and Coldharbour.
A petition has been launched to keep the Coldharbour area open stating: “Growing up, my local adventure play centre and youth club in Coldharbour was more than just a hub for the community, it was a home. It was a safe haven for children like myself. It wasn't just about play, but about fulfilling the basic needs of many children in our community”.
Crazy News
An Argentinean police officer was handed more than £9,000 in compensation, after a Google Map Street View car photographed him naked on his patio.
Taking the tech company to court, the case was originally won by Google, however after an appeal it was overturned and ruled in the man’s favour as an invasion of privacy.
Arguments included it was difficult to identify the man in question and that he was walking around in “inappropriate conditions in the garden of his home”.
The judge closed the case saying: “This involves an image of a person that was not captured in a public space but within the confines of their home, behind a fence taller than the average-sized person. The invasion of privacy is blatant. There is no doubt that in this case there was an arbitrary intrusion into another’s life. No one wants to appear exposed to the world as the day they were born”.
Happy News
An 85-year-old railway worker from Hampstead has been honoured with a folk song to mark his long and dedicated service to Thameslink.
Siggy Cragwell works as an assistant at Elstree and Borehamwood station and is the company’s oldest employee.
Commissioned by BBC Radio 2, the song was written by singer songwriter Richard Thompson and features backing vocals from Mr Cragwell’s cricket team.
He did once attempt to retire, but found it boring so decided to return to work, adding: “It's such an honour to have this song written about me. I could never have dreamed when I came to this country that I'd still be working for the railway 63 years later and be receiving all these accolades”.
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