Most unfortunate names revealed

IMAGINE growing up as Annette Curtain, Tim Burr, Justin Case, Barb Dwyer or Stan Still.
It sounds like a bad joke, but a study has revealed that there really are unfortunate people with those names in the UK.
Joining them on the list are Terry Bull, Paige Turner, Mary Christmas and Anna Sasin.
And just imagine having to introduce yourself to a crowd as Doug Hole or Hazel Nutt.
The names were uncovered by researchers from parenting group TheBabyWebsite.com after trawling through online telephone records.
Retired airman Stan Still, 76, from Cirencester, Gloucestershire, said his name had been "a blooming millstone around my neck my entire life". But 51-year-old Rose Bush, from Coventry, West Midlands, said she loved her name.
Other unfortunate names uncovered include Pearl Button, Jo King, Barry Cade, Carrie Oakey and Priti Manek.
Researchers also scoured phone records in the US and found some unlikely names there too including San Franciso dentist Les Plack!

Flying Toblerones!

REPORTS of “flying Toblerones” and objects travelling at 1,100 mph across the Scottish sky have been released by the Ministry of Defence.
The files detail how unidentified objects have been witnessed flying over a range of locations across Scotland.
Among them were one from a senior air traffic controller at Prestwick Airport who reported seeing a fast-moving UFO on the airport radar.
While four fishermen spotted a flat, shiny object hovering off the coast.
The Scottish accounts are among the thousands of reports made of close encounters with UFOs across the UK which have been released in a joint project between the MoD and the National Archives.
Also included in the previously top secret files is the testimony of a West Lothian electrician who spotted a “Toblerone-shaped” UFO hovering over a field.
Another document describes a request submitted to former Prime Minister Tony Blair from a councillor for an inquiry into 600 alleged sightings in the so-called Bonnybridge Triangle, near Falkirk.

Scottish motorists most likely to hit animals

NEW research into the types of crashes motorists have has shown people in Scotland are the most likely in the UK to hit an animal.
Although rear end bumps are by far the most common road accidents, car insurance specialist elephant.co.uk. looked into the more unusual types of incidents, in particular where they happen.
elephant.co.uk looked at data from over 1.3 million claims over five years and found the top five postcode areas for accidents involving animals were all in Scotland.
Some of the unusual claims were more of a surprise and include incidents of motorists hitting badgers, swans, horses, cows and even monkeys. One policyholder even struck a rabbit which despite its small size, wrote off the car!
The Galashiels area was the fourth worst in the UK for cars hitting trees while Berwick was the fourth worst for hitting walls!

The voice of rugby Bill McLaren

EVEN if you are not a rugby fan you loved Bill McLaren who sadly died in his home town of Hawick earlier this week at the age of 86.
Scotland has lost 'the voice of rugby' and we will all miss the pearls of wisdom which made his commentaries legendary.
No-one loved his sport more. His knowledge was encyclopaedic, his attention to detail was extraordinary and his ability to recall facts and figures unrivalled.
The world of sport and broadcastling has lost a true legend.

Snow angels!

PROOF this week, if it were needed, that faced with adversity people rise to the challenge - and succeed.
Proof also that community spirit is alive and well in Berwickshire and the Borders, whether it is helping to keep elderly neighbours fed and warm; collecting prescriptions for those unable to get out or banding together to clear roads where the gritters feared to venture.
The big freeze has brought out the best in some of the good hearted people around the district and Scottish Borders workermn, NHS Borders staff and many nothjers have gone beyond the call of duty. Well done to all of you.
Unfortunately, one victim of the weather was the Berwickshire News!
For the first time in living memory, the paper - along with a number of others including our sister titles the Berwickshire Advertiser and Southern Reporter - printed at Sunderland did not hit the shelves last Thursday.
The vans bringing the papers north were stopped south of Berwick in the early hours of last Thursday morning and a combination of roads closed due to snow and vehicles being stuck meant the distribution company which delivers the titles was unable to get them here.
Apologies to all readers - we hope that picking up the paper a day later did not spoil your enjoyment.

Don't be a grumpy shopper!

The shops are getting busier and everyone is rushing around preparing for Christmas.
The run up to Christmas can be exciting, but, unfortunately, it can also be a time when shoppers get aggressive towards shopworkers. When items are out of stock or the queues are long, people are often stressed and have a very short fuse.
Nearly a third of shopworkers have been verbally abused in the past month. This is clearly not acceptable. They are under a lot of pressure, often working long hours, and are just trying to do their job.
Think again before becoming aggressive, keep your cool and give shopworkers the respect they deserve this Christmas.

What's your favourite Christmas song?

WHENin comes to Christmas we’re just a load of old softies!
It’s official the nation’s favourite Christmas song is …Driving Home for Christmas.
In a recent poll carried out by One4all gift cards the Chris Rea classic topped the charts with 33% of the votes, closely followed by Do They Know It’s Christmas by Band Aid (26%) and Wham’s Last Christmas (23%).
It seems that at Christmas we soften up a bit and go for a mellow feel to life, and that’s not just in music.
The title of favourite Christmas movie is pretty evenly spread between Home Alone (27%) Love Actually (24%) and It’s A Wonderful Life (23%).
But there was one clear winning in the Christmas Carol category, with 43% of the votes, Silent Night.