Each week, Ben Hopkinson looks back at a serious, crazy, and happy news story from the past week.
Serious News
In what many people have been talking out this week, details have emerged that there was a Parliament Christmas party which took place on 18th December last year. Footage emerged of Allegra Stratton joking with fellow MPs about a Christmas party last year when those of us in Tier 3 were not even allowed family round. Boris Johnson has apologised for the video which has made him “sickened”, denying the claims that a party actually went ahead. There have been calls for the Prime Minister to resign, along with his team, but whether this will happen or not – only time will tell.
(Photo courtesy of ITV)
Crazy News
There was a mass layoff last week which has just broken into the news this week. Vishal Garg, the chief executive of Better.com, a mortgage company, summoned the “unlucky group” into a Zoom call. The 900-odd strong Zoom call was an odd way to break the news, and to me felt like the days of X Factor where Simon Cowell and co would break the lucky or unlucky news to the performers all in the same room. Take a listen to the call now. What is even more gut-wrenching is that it comes so close to Christmas, as well as the company receiving £565million following a merger which will bring its balance sheet in excess of $1billion.
(Photo courtesy of Better.com)
Happy News
Feeling the festive spirit is 47-year-old Monika Orrey who has gone all out at her work’s decorating competition. Turning her cube into a life-sized gingerbread house, she went in on a Sunday to install the piece to surprise her colleagues on Monday. The mum-of-one has only been in the role for two months and may have won this year’s competition. The sides and roof of the house were constructed using duct tape and cardboard which had been covered in brown paper. Talking about the process she said: “When the cubicle decorating contest was announced, I started stockpiling cardboard right away. I was at first concerned my new colleagues might think I was odd but soon remember that I am happiest when I am authentically me so I pushed right past any concerns and got to planning.”, adding “I consider myself very festive, or as my daughter would say, I am ‘extra’! I do indeed have far too many decorations at home according to my family but I know they love it. It’s fair to say that Monika’s colleagues were speechless come Monday morning.
(Photo courtesy of SWNS)
