Each week, Ben Hopkinson looks back at a serious, crazy, and happy news story from the past week.
Serious News
Notting Hill Carnival returned for the first time since 2019.
It began on Sunday with a run to remember the 72 victims of the Grenfell Tower fire and a 72-second silence was also held at 3pm.
The cost of living crisis had an affect on the parade as some of the bands saw the flamboyant costumes as too expensive to create. However, 29-year-old Marelle Steblecki said that she was “excited” to wear the costume that was planned pre-pandemic. “I’ve had my particular costume, which is rose gold, purple and teal booked with my carnival band since 2018, so I’ve been waiting to wear this for two years. The carnival band that I’m playing with chose their theme as Africa. It is good for people to see that there are true influences behind each costume”.
Linett Kamala who is on the carnival’s board of trustees admitted it was expensive to stage: “It is a free event but there’s absolutely a cost to all of us involved in terms of materials, equipment hire, and storage hire. It’s been tough for all of the carnivalists, we’ve been affected by the pandemic too, but that’s not deterred us, people will see an amazing carnival this year”.
Crazy News
A fisherman’s size catch is a game of sport, so it is no surprise that one decided to have a ruler tattoo going all the way up his leg. A TikTok from the user Kuyyannunu shows the tattoo but the unknown man doesn’t speak, only slapping a fish next to his leg to get the measurement.
Commenters say: “It’s smart” and that it’s the “most practical tattoo I’ve ever seen”. Someone else said: “As someone who lives in a big camping/fishing town this is so common i know at least 3 guys with the same tattoo- although normally not this big”.
@kuyyannunu #greenscreenvideo #videoreact #fishtok
♬ original sound – KUYYAandNUNU
Happy News
A man has been reunited with a sentimental ring from his mother after losing it picking berries 50 years ago.
Gifted by his late mother for his 21st birthday, it slipped off his finger while picking strawberries in the field behind his friend’s house in 1968. Realising that the 9 carat gold ring wasn’t on his finger, he thought it was lost forever. However, Peter, a metal detectorist made the discovery after hearing about the story which happened many decades ago.
Found seven inches deep in the ground with just one scratch, Dave collected it from Leicestershire and says: “I’ve had to have it changed slightly as I can just about get it on. But none of that matters because I’m so grateful to have it back. My family wasn’t too well off in those days and I spent hours searching for it on the rows we had been. My mother wasn’t upset with me, just more upset because of how distraught I was. When I got the call from Peter I couldn’t quite believe it—the joy I felt in that moment is indescribable”.
