Each week, Ben Hopkinson looks back at a serious, crazy, and happy news story from the past week.
Serious News
London’s newest tourist attraction is facing a huge amount of backlash. The Marble Arch Mound that cost £2million is a temporary viewing platform from Westminster City Council, however many people are complaining that it is incomplete. Currently set to close on Sunday 9th January 2022, it costs up to £8 to take full advantage which is simply just walking up it. The 25metre scaffold platform may potentially be London’s most expensive and pointless tourist attraction, according to some people.
Crazy News
One of the smallest campervans has been made by Hannah Hughes. The 26-year-old from Solihull turned her hot pink Fiat 500 into a micro-camper for only £150. After building a wooden frame for the bed with room for storage underneath, the windows were then insulated for to keep it warm and cosy during the night time. As well as the bed-boot, the budget also went on supplies such as a foldable table and chairs set, two baby cot mattresses, a mini stove and decorative fairy lights. The process took only four weeks while working around her full-time job. Speaking on why the Fiat 500 was a perfect choice to turn into a mini-home, Hughes said: “Camper vans have really been growing on the internet and I follow a lot of van lifers on social media so I’ve wanted to convert a van for ages. To buy a van it was looking like anything from £3,000 to £10,000 depending on the condition and then a couple more thousand pounds to convert it. But me and my boyfriend are saving up for a house so it’s just not the right time to be putting a load of money into a campervan”. Who needs a house when you have a Fiat 500?
Happy News
During the pandemic, 2-year-old Benjamin Olson made friends with next door neighbour Mary O’Neill aged 99. The saying “Good fences make good neighbours” rings true here, just as people had to stay inside on a lockdown. Mary even watched Benjamin as he learned to walk, talk, run and play. They have even created a game where she would hit the ball back to him with her cane. Mary’s family have all moved away apart from her daughter who comes round weekly, who believes that this special bond has kept the elderly woman going through the long period of isolation.
