Make us smile

Remember from a few weeks ago the storey about a small puppy saved from an alligator by it's owner? Well........

https://www.rte.ie/news/newslens/2020/1216/1184896-florida-dog/

 

Think this is the place for this. A very good friend of ours who played a big role in our kids’ lives when they were small has a fifteen year old daughter who has quite severe cerebral palsy and multiple other physical challenges, including near deafness and very poor eyesight. I do joke with her that her biggest handicap is being a Villa supporter, but that doesn’t work very well at the moment. She plays for Aston Villa Women’s ‘special’ team and loves it.

Her whole life has been a succession of very serious operations, and next week she is back to Great Ormond Street for a brain operation, much delayed because of COVID, and requiring weeks of shielding for her family, so she will be in hospital over Christmas.

Today she got a call from Jack Grealish. He chatted to her for half an hour very effectively apparently (he has a sister with cerebral palsy himself), and invited her to a few games once the restrictions are lifted.

Now, I’m no fan of the Villa, and I can’t say I have had much time for Grealish (can be a very good player but seems a bit of a tit especially when in charge of a vehicle) up to now, but fair play, this was an step well beyond a small gesture and it meant the world to her. I doff my hat to you, sir.

 

This is the sort of thing we need.......

Cadiz: The conquerors of Real Madrid and Barcelona who do things differently

After an absence of 14 seasons, seven of which were spent in the third tier, Spanish football's own Crazy Gang, from the wonderfully vibrant, party-loving city that is Cadiz, are back in the top flight.

Since their return, Cadiz are proving as unpredictable and as entertaining as the city itself. They have won at Real Madrid and beaten Barcelona and are 10th in the league after 14 games, just three points off the European places.


A peninsula city with a wealth of attractive vistas and well-preserved historical landmarks accessed by two main bridges, Cadiz is most famous for its annual carnival, a two-week long fiesta dating back to the 16th Century, second only in importance to Rio de Janeiro's annual knees-up.

Read the rest here..........https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/55378524

 

Form an orderly queue...

 

https://www.bbc.com/news/av/world-55449435

If the abseiling Father Christmas', 1 minute into the video, don't make you smile you need to cheer up.

 

Doctor Who: Saxmundham superfan, 8, given Tardis door frame
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6 hours ago
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IMAGE COPYRIGHTMANDY TUCKER
image captionMandy Tucker said she had been overwhelmed by the response on social media
A mother has told how her Twitter feed "exploded" after posting images of her son's custom-made Tardis door frame.

Mandy and Phil Tucker, from Saxmundham, Suffolk, said the design for their Doctor Who superfan son Luke, eight, was months in the making.

In the TV series, the Time Lord uses the Tardis to travel to any point in time and space, with the telephone box bigger inside than the outside.

Mrs Tucker's tweet about the gift has been liked nearly 150,000 times.

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IMAGE COPYRIGHTMANDY TUCKER
image captionThe door frame, built by Mr Tucker, was about four months in the making
"Twitter exploded and I had to turn off my notifications," she said. "But it has been so nice to see it make other people smile."

The Tardis was created in the family garage over about four months by school bus driver Mr Tucker, while the family shielded during the coronavirus pandemic.

Mrs Tucker said: "Luke is Doctor Who mad and he said he would love a police public call box.

"We spent the first lockdown doing gardening but, as restrictions continued, this has really helped get Phil through the time at home while he has been furloughed.

"We all enjoy the show and Luke has really taken to it - he likes all of the classic episodes, too. He has a fez, bow tie and scarf - and about six sonic screwdrivers."

'He squealed his head off'
Having built the door frame in secret, Mr and Mrs Tucker installed it - complete with whirring lights - on Christmas Eve while Luke stayed with another family in the Tuckers' support bubble.

"He spotted the edge of it as soon as he walked in the door," Mrs Tucker said. "He squealed his head off and started shouting 'wow, wow, wow!' and he's been running in and out of the door ever since."

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IMAGE COPYRIGHTMANDY TUCKER
image captionThe door frame, complete with whirring lights, was installed on Christmas Eve

 

Brilliant...

 

Anyone else enjoying some fast food tonight?

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Have a good weekend everyone

 

I always thought Alan Partridge was heavily based on Nick Owen, still evading the retirement age on BBC Midlands. Then I saw this.