Two Welsh psychics have been given a British Government business grant to teach people how to "communicate with the dead". Paul and Deborah Rees have been given 4500 pounds ($11,300) under the Want2Work job creation scheme, reports the Daily Telegraph. The couple will use it to instruct people on how
to contact friends and relatives "on the other side" at their centre, the Accolade Academy of Psychic and Mediumistic Studies. Mr Rees said the couple had to negotiate "a lot of red tape" to secure the grant: "They hadn't invested in psychics before, so we really had to prove ourselves."
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A reader writes: "In a 'Horse Riders' Code of Conduct' for one of its regional parks, the Auckland Regional Council casually notes, among the other safety tips and rules, that ... "injured or dead horses must be removed from the park at the owner's/rider's cost." Surprisingly, no mention of making sure that any horse thrashing about in agony from a broken leg should refrain from disturbing other park users, or that all blood should be cleaned up to save the environment..."
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Graham from Northcross says the filling-in of potholes on the council-owned access road to five properties off Glamorgan Drive was half-done in early February. North Shore City's road maintenance department is currently "contacting the contractors", but Graham wonders if an approach to KFC might be quicker.
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A reader writes: "I'm sure that Telecom would love not to have to pay to print the books (printed in NZ) and pay the community groups (Scouts, etc) that deliver them. Telecom wouldn't reduce your phone bill, so the phone books are literally money out of their pocket. This money from Telecom is going directly back into the economy - the printer, transport companies and community groups all receive money from Telecom. Maybe for those who don't want a phone book, put your money where your mouth is and donate $5 to support your local community group instead ..."
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Austin defends the usefulness of Telecom's phone books: "I know lots of people who use computers to locate numbers, the phone book being used to elevate their monitor so they can read the number without strain ..."
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Pauline Merritt writes: "A woman applying for shares at the merchant bank new issue department where I worked went by the name of Mrs Lilo Bedrisker and the supervisor at my first job was a woman called Tilly Piebust. You don't see either of those names around in great abundance. I wonder, have they become extinct or have they changed their family names?"
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See today's Herald cartoon
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Today's Video Webpick: The Speight’s Southern Man is back after a five-year break with a new ad. click here and scroll down. Plus, are all the decent TV shows on Prime? What are you watching on TV? click here.
These are the very best online videos from Ana's online magazine Spare Room.