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7 February 2024

This England: Get into the groove

This column – which, though named after a line in Shakespeare’s “Richard II”, refers to the whole of Britain – has run in the NS since 1934.

By New Statesman

Music lovers can now be immortalised by having their ashes baked into vinyl records, thanks to a new service available from Gedling Crematorium.

The bespoke discs feature recordings and images of a loved one, and each contain a small amount of their ashes. The memorial can include a personal message or soundtrack, or the sound of silence – aside from the unmistakable pops and crackles of a vinyl record.
Gedling Eye (Terry Hanstock)

Cold sweat

A runner training to do the London marathon with a 4st fridge on his back was stopped by police – as they thought he had stolen it.

Daniel Fairbrother, 34, from Hertfordshire, explained he is hoping to raise £10,000 for Diabetes UK in support of his best friend, Sam. Officers joked: “You do know if you order from Currys they will deliver it for you?”
Metro (Kate McIntosh)

Minimising the commute

A retired architect has spent five years building a precise model of his beloved local Brighton railway station.

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Malcolm Thomas, 67, recreated every pillar, platform and even passengers for the nearly 10ft-long replica. He used historical plans and reference images to construct the station buildings and canopy out of rigid plastic, wood and aluminium. Malcolm said: “I used to travel in and out of the station quite a bit and had a love for its structure.”
Sunday Mirror (Amanda Welles)

[See also: This England: In the bag]

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This article appears in the 07 Feb 2024 issue of the New Statesman, Who runs Labour?