Taking a look at recent, positive, uplifting, news stories and yarns, from New Zealand and all around the world, to bring a smile and a bit of cheer.
Street signs lift the spirits
Just before Christmas, six signs in inner city Christchurch caused a bit of confusion and raised the odd smile too. Looking very much like official council signage, the works were in fact created by a local artist.
“Outside an abandoned building in New Zealand’s second-biggest city, a sign reads ‘slightly haunted but manageable’. In the middle of a busy shopping strip, pedestrians are warned to keep to a 2.83km/h walking speed. In another part of Christchurch, one piece of signage declares simply ‘don’t’.
“The baffling boards are not an overzealous new council initiative, but a piece of art designed to ‘play with the way we take authority and signage so seriously’. Despite resembling official Christchurch city council signs, the ‘Christchurch city confusion’ warnings are the work of artist Cameron Hunt.
“‘Watching people interact with the signs has been awesome,’ Hunt said. “There have also been a few grumpy people who’ve joked about writing to the council about these ‘ridiculous signs’. The council, however, is thrilled. ‘Hunt’s signs are truly delightful,’ said Kiri Jarden, the council’s principal adviser for community arts. ‘We totally support artists using humour to gently interrupt and engage passersby.'” (Source: “‘Slightly haunted but manageable’: new signs cause confusion – and delight – in Christchurch,” by Eva Corlett. December 22, www.guardian.co.uk).
5 stars – what a great initiative and a fantastic way of getting people to think outside of the box.
Family find kākā in their dishwasher
15-year-old Freddie Matcham encountered something exceedingly rare just before Christmas – an endangered kākā that had wandered into his family’s rural Hawkes Bay home and made itself comfortable in the dishwasher.
“’I woke up in the morning and heard noises from the dishwasher which was left overnight with the lid open,’ Matcham said. With the back door also left open, the native parrot is believed to have wandered inside during the early morning hours. ‘The bird did not seem scared but instead was very interested in the shiny interior and its own reflection,’ Matcham said.
“Unsure what to do, Matcham called his mother, who contacted the Department of Conservation (DOC). At first, staff were sceptical. ‘When she spoke to the ranger they advised us to avoid touching it because of its sharp beak, and also suggested using seeds or nuts to tempt it out.’ Matcham’s grandfather soon arrived to help and the family used trail mix and a mop to gently guide the kākā towards the door. The plan worked. The kākā calmly hopped outside before flying off, unharmed.” (Source: “Watch: Curious kākā climbs into dishwasher on Hawke’s Bay farm,” by Sanda Arambepola, December 30, www.stuff.co.nz).
5 stars – a great yarn and another all’s well that ends well tale. Total upside!!
Amazing iron age find
An incredible ‘once-in-a-lifetime’ discovery of an iron age trumpet in Norfolk, United Kingdom, has created quite a stir in archaeological circles. The find is remarkably complete and may also have ties to one of Britain’s most famous warriors – Boudicca – who fought against the Romans over two millennia ago.
“The bronze trumpet or carnyx is only the third ever found in Britain, and the most complete example discovered anywhere in the world. Fashioned in the shape of a snarling wild animal, the object would have been mounted on a long mouthpiece high above the heads of warriors, allowing it to be sounded to intimidate the enemy in battle. It was found last summer, during excavations ahead of a new housing development in west Norfolk, among a collection of iron age military objects, which also included a bronze boar’s head battle standard – a unique find in Britain – and five shield bosses.
“Tantalisingly, the area where the hoard was discovered falls within the territory of the Iceni, the British tribe that in AD 60 staged a fierce but ultimately doomed rebellion led by Boudicca against the Roman army. Archaeologists believe the hoard was buried at some point in the first century AD.
“Mark Hinman, chief executive of Pre-Construct Archaeology, whose experts made the discovery, said the hoard was ‘a once-in-a-lifetime, once-in-a-career find. I’ve been doing archaeology for over 40 years and I’ve never seen anything like this.'” (Source: “‘Extraordinary’ iron age war trumpet find in Britain may have Boudicca links,” by Esther Addley, January 7, www.guardian.co.uk).
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