Harry Potters gather in Bolton to smash Record
Nearly 700 children have broken the world record for the largest gathering of people dressed like Harry Potter, on the 20th anniversary of the publication of the first book in the series.
A gathering of 676 children wearing wizard robes and round glasses from 11 Bolton primary schools filled the lawn at Smithills Hall on Friday in an attempt to beat the Guinness record.The previous record of 521 had been held since 5 March 2015 by Tanbridge House school in Horsham, West Sussex.
Adjudicators from Guinness stipulated that every child had to be wearing a Gryffindor tie and glasses, with a wand in their hands and Potter’s trademark lightning scar on their foreheads. The pupils had to to stand together for five minutes before they could celebrate breaking the record. Each participant was given a copy of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone.
(The Daily Telegraph)
Cops called on Queen for not wearing a seatbelt
A resident in England called police to report Queen Elizabeth II was not wearing her seatbelt during a public appearance. West Yorkshire Police Contact Center said one resident made an emergency call reporting the traffic offense as the Queen visited the State Opening of Parliament.
“999 call received reporting that the Queen isn’t wearing a seatbelt,” police said.Police noted the event was not even in Yorkshire, but rather at the Palace of Westminster.
The monarch was at the palace to deliver the Queen’s speech before the resident spotted her without her seatbelt, as she was exiting the ceremony. Usually traveling in a vehicle without a seatbelt would result in a fine, but the Queen is immune from prosecution and police warned the 999 number is not meant to be used as a joke. “I cannot stress enough that the 999 number is for emergencies only,” Tom Donohoe of West Yorkshire Police told the Telegraph.
(UPI)
Neapolitan Mastiff named World’s Ugliest Dog
A 125-pound Neapolitan Mastiff named Martha was officially crowned the “World’s Ugliest Dog” at the Sonoma Marin Fair in California on Friday. Martha’s sleepy eyes and rows of floppy skin helped her stand out from the pack of 13 other curious-looking canines at the 29th annual World’s Ugliest Dog competition in Petaluma, but her owner can still see the beauty in her beloved pet.
“She’s just a bit unique,” Martha’s owner Shirley Zindler told the Press Democrat. “You could say she’s ugly, but I think she’s beautiful.”
Zindler, an animal control officer who also serves as president of the rescue project’s board of directors, rescued Martha from a local shelter and the pup returned the favor by bringing home the Ugliest Dog crown.
For representing the perfect “cute-ugly mix” Martha was awarded $1,500 prize, a trip to New York and a shiny trophy. The 3-year-old Mastiff was the tallest dog in the show and loomed large over the competition, which included the runner-up, a 16-year-old pug named Moe, and Chase, a Chinese Crested-Harke mix that came in third place.
“look at her: she’s about 300 pounds of skin on 100 pounds of dog,” judge Brian Sobel said of Martha.
(UPI)
Al Capone song, pocket watch fetch over $100K at auction
Artifacts connected to some of the nation’s most notorious gangsters sold for more than $100,000 at auction Saturday. A diamond pocket watch that belonged to Al Capone and was produced in Chicago in the 1920s, along with a handwritten musical composition he wrote in Alcatraz in the 1930s, were among the items that sold at the “Gangsters, Outlaws and lawmen” auction. The watch fetched the most — $84,375 — according to Boston-based RR Auction.
The winning bidder of the watch was not identified. The buyer is a collector who has an eye for interesting American artifacts, said RR Auction Executive Vice President Bobby livingston. He was among about 30 internet, telephone and in-person bidders.
Capone’s musical piece entitled “Humoresque” sold for $18,750. The piece shows Capone’s softer side. It contains the lines: “You thrill and fill this heart of mine, with gladness like a soothing symphony, over the air, you gently float, and in my soul, you strike a note.”
livingston told The Associated Press he wasn’t surprised that lyrics written by a man better known for organized crime than his musical talents sold at the auction because of the way Capone “resonates in the American imagination.”
“The musical artifact gives insight into who this man was,” livingston said. “It humanizes him, and shows that he had an imagination and creativity. These people had talents and they used those talents, unfortunately for criminal endeavors.”
(AP)