England beat Venezuela 1-0 in the Under-20 World Cup final.

Yes it has finally happened in my lifetime ENGLAND have won a world cup in football ,the under 20 world cup 2017 making it the second greatest success in world football since 1966 .

Highlights: England win the U20 World Cup

England won their biggest international title since 1966 by beating Venezuela 1-0 in the Under-20 World Cup final.

It was England's first appearance in the final of a global tournament since their World Cup victory 51 years ago.

Everton forward Dominic Calvert-Lewin's first-half goal was enough for victory thanks to Newcastle goalkeeper Freddie Woodman's second-half penalty save.

Woodman denied Adalberto Penaranda from the spot after the Malaga forward was fouled by Kyle Walker-Peters.

• Can England dare to dream after Under-20 success?
• Who are the England Under-20 squad and how much have they played?

With 17 minutes to play, the referee pointed to the spot to signal a penalty before immediately referring to the video assistant referee.

The decision stood - there was the slightest of contacts - but Newcastle keeper Woodman's strong palm kept out Penaranda's effort.

In the first half Ronaldo Lucena hit the post with an audacious long-range free-kick that had Woodman well beaten, while Tottenham midfielder Josh Onomah saw a powerful effort strike the underside of the Venezuela bar after the break.

After the match, England forward Dominic Solanke, due to join Liverpool from Chelsea on 1 July, was awarded the Golden Ball given to the player of the tournament. Previous winners of the award include Diego Maradona, Lionel Messi, Luis Figo, Paul Pogba and Sergio Aguero.

Woodman was awarded the Golden Glove, given to best goalkeeper of the tournament.-read more and see video highlights of game

R.i.p ADAM WEST ....BATMAN

To me adam west was batman as i havr watched every episode and loved the tongue in cheek action and sideways sets and the cartoon like action when fighting the bad guys. Most of the  youngsters of today would find the batman of this era sightly camp but that was that gibe it cult  appeal. So i salute you adsm west you will always be  the batman i liked the best .follow link to original film of series 1966
https://youtu.be/zLXPYQ6bu8Y

radio 5 world football phone in -with me mark aka ghostman

Dogs and wolves share sense of fair play

The sense of fair play is an important human trait, but new research suggests that it's a key behaviour for dogs and wolves as well.
In tests, if one animal was given a more substantial reward when performing a task, the other one downed tools completely.
It had been felt that this aversion to unfairness was something that dogs had learned from humans.
But the tests with wolves suggest that this predates domestication of dogs.
Scientists have long recognised that what they term a "sensitivity to inequity", or a sense of fairness, played an important role in the evolution of co-operation between humans. Basically, if others treated you badly, you quickly learned to stop working -read more

THE CHRONICLES OF CHARLOTTE ELIZABETH by Jo coombe

 The Chronicles of Charlotte Elizabeth

The Chronicles of Charlotte Elizabeth The Chronicles of Charlotte Elizabeth

Hi Mark, 

I really appreciate the opportunity to get the word out about my book !!

I started writing it a number of times, the first chapter kept going round and round in my head like an ear worm !!  I was dreaming it, living it, being kept awake by it, so I decided to put it down on paper, if only to get a chance of some sleep!!  I wrote most of it then got disheartened and left it on a shelf to gather dust, it was only after making contact with a couple of author friends via the internet that I actually felt able to take the plunge and get it published!!

The authors in question are Keith McCloskey, author of The Dyatolov Pass Incident, and Return to Dyatolov Pass.  Also Bill Bradshaw, author of From the Horses Mouth, A Jailers Tale and his new book Hello Welcome which is about to hit the book shops.

I sent Bill a sample chapter for a bit of advice, he was amazingly encouraging and gave me the impetus to get another couple of chapters on paper and seek publication.  The first three publishers I sent it to all accepted the book and wanted to publish, however, they all wanted me to sell and Kidney in order to do so !!  That's where Keith stepped in, he was pretty scathing about that type of publisher and advised me to do as he had just done, and publish through Amazon, which has worked out really well, it's just the hard work of getting it noticed now !!

Charlotte is now 18 and is suffering from severe Autism, severe Epilepsy, severe learning and speech delays.  She is generally a happy bunny, however, she can turn on a sixpence and will cross the room to give you a thump !!  Nowadays she is taller than me, so it really hurts if she catches you unawares!! 

I have another book I am working on currently and plan a follow up to this one about Charlotte.  

The other one I am working on is based on the amazing stories my mom told me as a youngster about her and her sisters growing up in the War years, one married a GI and went to live in the US, one had a couple of children with another GI, in addition to the 2 she already had with her husband, who was away in Grand Bahama for 7 years looking after Edward and Mrs Simpson - he had a lovely War, I strongly suspect I have a great many 'relatives' in Grand Bahama !!  My mom was only 15 when the War ended and I suspect had seen and heard more about life than many young people in that day and age could have ever dreamed of!!  It's a very gritty, down to Earth story so far...lots of work to do on that one yet !!

I have put the synopsis below and a note of the reviews I have had from the publishers and Bill.  I have some really lovely reviews on Amazon too.

Let me know if you need anything else, and Thank You once again for this opportunity!!

Yours 

Jo Coombe

Synopsis

 

Charlotte Elizabeth is often precocious, cute and cuddlesome, however, when the Evil Twin surfaces any number of disasters may ensue!  A heart-warming and often humorous story about a mother’s journey to understand and accept her daughter’s Autism.  Together they navigate the highs and lows, the tears and the laughter that forge the bittersweet path of life. ‘The Chronicles of Charlotte Elizabeth’ is their story.'

Testimonial’s:

‘A heart-warming and engaging read’ Austin Macauley Publishers Ltd, London.

 

‘your book is well-written with an absorbing and heart-warming narrative, we see potential in the work. We believe that it deserves a chance to reach the general readership’, Olympia Publications, London.

 

‘The Chronicles of Charlotte Elizabeth’ is wonderfully engaging, beautifully written, surprisingly funny, steeped in love and honesty.  Bill Bradshaw, Author, Playwright whose works include ‘From the Horses Mouth – A Jailer’s Tale and also the upcoming novel ‘Hello Welcome’.

 

Cat paw print discovered on Gloucester Roman roof tile

A paw print made by a cat in Roman times has been discovered on a 2,000 year old roof tile in Gloucester.

It was dug up in Berkeley Street in 1969 but the footprint has only just been discovered.

The print was found by an archaeologist at Gloucester City Museum who was examining thousands of fragments of Roman roof tile.

The cat is thought to have snuck across the wet tiles which were drying in the sun in about AD100.

The tile, a type called tegula, was used on the roof of a building in what became the Berkeley Street area of modern Gloucester, a spokesman said.

Councillor Lise Noakes, from Gloucester City Council, said it was a "fascinating discovery".

"Dog paw prints, people's boot prints and even a piglet's trotter print have all been found on tiles from Roman Gloucester, but cat prints are very rare," she said.-read more

BUBBLECAR UP FOR AUTION

This not just a normal bubble car but one that looks like car in classic cartoon THE JETSONS .This 3 wheeled car is a 1965 PEEL TRIDENT ,7.3 LONG,39 IN wide and top speed of 38 m.p.h .Similar to GEORGE JETSONS AEROCAR it has a glass bubble dome which the driver must lift to get in and out and only 45 made.

FANCY A CAKE .

2 bakers in CLADICH,ARGYLL,SCOTLAND have opened a disused red phonebox into a cake shop,cool.

Torrejonia wilsoni

A partial fossilised skeleton of a very ancient ancestor of humans discovered in north-western New Mexico has revealed that the first primates lived in trees and that they were not obligate ground-dwellers.  More complete fossil material shows that the Palaeocene plesiadapiform known as Torrejonia wilsoni was adapted for a life in the trees.  The fossil discovery is important as most of the Palaeocene mammals associated with the first primates (Euprimates) are only known from a handful of bones and isolated teeth.-read more

GREIF

What is the right way or wrong way to show grief as i am unsure.Is it to sob your eyes out daily ,scream and shout,get angry or all of them.Myself i tend to feel numb and think of all the good memories .read more if helps

Dog skull study reveals genetic changes linked to face shape

A study of dog DNA has revealed a genetic mutation linked to flat face shapes such as those seen in pugs and bulldogs.

The research reveals new insights into the genes that underpin skull formation in people and animals.

Scientists say their findings also shed light on the causes of birth defects that affect babies' head development in the womb.

Researchers at the University of Edinburgh's Roslin Institute analysed DNA samples from 374 pet dogs of various pedigree and mixed breeds. The dogs were being treated at the Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies.

All of the animals underwent body scans as part of their care, producing detailed 3-dimensional images of the dogs' heads.

These high-resolution images -- called CT scans -- enabled the researchers to take precise measurements of the shape of the dog's skull.

By comparing the dogs' genetic information with measurements of their skulls, the team were able to pinpoint DNA variations that are associated with different head shapes.-read more

JOHN NOAKES R.I.P

When i was growing up i used to watch the cult childern,s show BLUE PETER and one of my favorite presenters was JOHN NOAKES  who in this show for twelve and half years -1965-1978.He was famous for doing daredevil stunts like climbing nelsons column in Trafalgar square ,crashing a bobsled,leaping fro a plane to free fall 5 miles.He had a real on screen chemistry with resident collie co star -SHEP -who died in 1987 -and would say on many a show get down shep which became a bit of a catchphrase .

Rare WHITE sparrow snapped in Wales

The unique feathered creature was spotted hopping around and being fed by its mother in Newport, South Wales, by hobby photographer Claire Griffiths.

The stunning white bird could be mistaken for an albino, but the 46-year-old believes it has a condition called Leucism which only affects the pigment in its skin and feathers giving it its white hue. -READ MORE

WELL DONE EDDIE HALL WORLDS STRONGEST MAN

Eddie Hall has become the first Briton in 24 years to be crowned the World’s Strongest Man as he beat runner-up Hafthor Julius Bjornsson – better known as The Mountain from TV show Game of Thrones.

Hall, who is nicknamed The Beast – made history by winning the competition in Botswana on Sunday.

The 31-stone strongman came out on top in the squat lift, Viking press and deadlift rounds on the way to winning the title.-read more

NEW FITNESS FAD MADNESS

If  you are willing to try yet another fitness fad method please consider the following -BUGGY BOOTCAMP -in which new mums can use their babies as weights no for me .

man lives with magpie

Baa-humbug! Scientists develop face test for sad sheep

LONDON -- They may look placid while grazing in fields but sheep's faces can tell us a lot, according to scientists in Britain who have developed a new system to work out if sheep are in pain or just feeling sad.

The test is based on 500 photos of sheep collected by veterinarians and used to design an algorithm by researchers at Cambridge University that measures five key markers of ovine facial expressions.

When sheep are in pain their eyes narrow, their cheeks tighten, their ears fold forwards, their lips pull down and back and their nostrils change from a U shape to a V shape, according to the scientists.

They now hope to extend the test to other species, including horses, rabbits and some rodents.

By installing cameras in sheep pens, the scientists hope the test will help farmers spot injuries or illnesses early on and find treatment.-read more

Giant sloth remains found in Los Angeles

Fossils found by workers digging a tunnel for a new railway line in Los Angeles have been identified as the remains of a giant sloth and a bison.

The "amazing discovery" of a sloth's hip bone and a fragment of a bison's radius bone was made about 16ft (5m) below ground in Park Mesa Heights.

Scientists say the Harlan's Ground Sloth could have weighed 1,500lb (680kg), and been up to 10ft in length.

The sloth and bison species have been extinct for at least 10,000 years.-read more

CAN I HAVE YOUR PERFUME SAYS TIGER.

Howletts ,the aspinall wild animal park,Kent  is asking for donations of perfume and aftershave for its tigers.These are used to spray around tiger enclosures as it is believed that the smells awaken the tiger senses and trigger natural tracking behaviour and communication.see their Facebook page video and post

5 Things You Need To Know About Direct Cremation

Basic Features Of Direct Cremation

Because direct cremation does not include a formal funeral or any pre-funeral events, many of the costs of a traditional funeral are avoided.

• The body is cremated immediately after death, which means that you may engage the services of a crematory directly rather than a funeral home. This can potentially save you a significant amount of money.
• The body is usually cremated in a simple container, rather than an expensive casket
• There is no viewing, visitation, or wake before the cremation, which eliminates the need for embalming or other body preparations
• A memorial service may be held at a later date, which eliminates the need for an expensive casket and funeral arrangements

Service Options

If you are interested in a direct cremation but want to have a formal service as well, that service will likely take the form of a memorial service at a later date. If you want to have a service before the cremation, you will not be planning a direct cremation, -READ MORE