QUIRKY WORLD ... 101-year-old woman falls hard for abseiling
Wind and rain did not deter Doris Long, who has been honoured with an MBE for her charity fundraising, as she abseiled down the Spinnaker Tower, in Portsmouth, Hampshire. She last performed the feat on her 100th birthday, in May, 2014.
Long, nicknamed Daring Doris, has previously abseiled alongside new Top Gear host, Chris Evans. She did so again to raise money for the Rowans Hospice in Waterlooville.
Ms Long, who first abseiled at the age of 85, said: “I don’t feel afraid and never have. I just have a placid nature.” The centenarian, who is 5ft tall and eight stone, added: “I have a look down at the crowd. I am normally looking to see how the other person is getting on.”
Doris Long, 101, becomes world's oldest abseiler by descending Spinnaker Tower, Portsmouth. Pictures: @parsnippo pic.twitter.com/2IMBUyZHLS
— PA Media (@PA) July 12, 2015
Ms Long, who has a daughter, three grandchildren, seven great-grandchildren and two great great grandchildren, received cheers and applause from the crowd below, as a band played The Proclaimers’ hit, ‘I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles)’ as she reached the bottom of the tower.
Afterwards, she said: “It was very hard work, much harder than last year. It was so windy, I swung about a bit, but, oh yes, I enjoyed it, I feel it’s well worth it. My legs ache like anything and my right arm, where I hold the rope, and my hair is all sticking out.”
Letter of the law
An Oregon school district has reassured parents at a Salem elementary school because of a letter warning that children not picked up promptly would be turned over to the state.
The Salem Statesman Journal reported that a Salem-Keizer school district spokesman confirmed that the letter about the upcoming school year was sent to Swegle Elementary School parents.
However, district spokesman, Jay Remy, said it was sent in error, because the school’s principal had not reviewed it. Remy described the letter as neither accurate nor courteous and said an apology would follow.
The third paragraph began: “Children must be picked up on time. If they are not picked up on time, we will call DHS and you will then have to pick them up at court the next day.” DHS is the Oregon Department of Human Services. Parents have been sent a phone-message apology.
Fowl play
The owner of a suburban Chicago pub that has held an annual Turkey Testicle Festival for 32 years isn’t testy that a nearby community plans to host its own celebration of the unusual dish this November.
JR Westberg, who owns the Parkside Pub, in Huntley, told The Daily Herald that his only criticism of East Dundee’s plan for its own event, the day before Thanksgiving, is the lack of originality. The events have the same name and are scheduled for the same date and time.
The Huntley festival attracts 4,000 people to snack on the deep-fried turkey bits, which attendees consider a ‘dare food’ and which they prefer doused in ranch dressing or Tabasco sauce.
East Dundee businessman, Cliff Surges, says there’s interest to support both festivals and that the new one will target a different demographic. Surges hopes to draw 1,000 to 2,000 people to East Dundee’s event, which he says will be “family-oriented.”
Like the Huntley festival, the new one will raise money for charity.
Stray bullet
A Florida woman says she was shot in the leg at a café on Independence Day, but she didn’t realise it until doctors found the bullet five days later.
Heather Charlebois told The Daytona Beach News-Journal that after days of pain from what she thought was a firecracker injury, she went to the hospital. Doctors found a bullet in her leg.
Charlebois says she was on the patio of Cafe Da Vinci, in DeLand, on Saturday night, when she felt a pain in her leg. She checked it in the bathroom, but there was little blood. Police say there were no reports of gunfire, but believe the bullet might have been fired into the air from some distance away.
Bear necessity
Wildlife officials tranquilised a 60lb bear that was resting in a tree on the University of Colorado campus in Boulder.
The Daily Camera reports that the two-year-old bear was spotted Friday morning and stayed in the tree for about four hours, until wildlife officers used a dart gun to tranquillise it. The bear fell 30 feet, hitting mats before rolling onto the ground.
It briefly popped its head up, before falling asleep.
Jennifer Churchill, with Colorado Parks and Wildlife, says the bear will be relocated as far from campus as possible.
In 2012, a 200lb bear was tranquillised after climbing a tree near a CU residence hall. That bear was killed by a car a few days later.
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