England 2016: A year in videos
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-38366422 Version 0 of 1. From exploding buses to a fox trapped in a dishwasher, the past 12 months has produced some remarkable videos. Whether you have found 2016 a good, bad or indifferent year, here are some of the most-watched news videos from around England each month. January: Secret tunnels and a very clever girl One of the most-watched videos of January was about secret wartime tunnels beneath Clapham South Tube station being opened up to the public. The warren-like network provided shelter for thousands of Londoners during World War Two. Anushka Binoy hit the headlines in January after getting the maximum score on an IQ test. The brainy youngster from Isleworth, who was then 11, sat the exam set by Mensa and has an official IQ of 162. Nearly a million people watched an interview with her. February: Exploding buses, neat feet and enormous dogs February's top-viewed video was of a double-decker bus being blown up on a bridge in central London - all for a film. Footage of the bus crossing Lambeth Bridge was taken by London Fire Brigade who were on standby in case anything went wrong with the explosion. CCTV footage released by police in Kingston, showing a man neatly tripping up a suspected drug dealer was also popular, but surely nothing compares to Kurt - a former stray who is now 7ft (2m 13cm) tall and 11st (70kg) The Anatolian Shepherd, from Chatham in Kent, manages to wolf down £120 worth of food every month, and on Fridays he has tripe, beef chunks, chicken hearts and ribs - served on a tray because it won't fit into a bowl. March: Sauciness in Sutton, radiator worries and disappearing patios The shooting of an adult film in garages in Sutton, south London, was deplored by local councillor Trish Fivey as "absolutely disgraceful". The movie was uploaded to the internet and viewers recognised landmarks including the car park at St Nicholas Shopping Centre. Glamorous. Footage of clothes drying on a radiator may not seem terribly compelling, but it was accompanied by a health warning about dangers posed by a common household mould, leading to it being viewed a million times. And March was also the month a 300ft (92m) mine shaft opened up under the patio of a house in Scorrier, Cornwall. It was thought to be a remnant of an 18th Century tin mine. Stuart Dann, who runs Cornwall mine survey firm Mining-Eye in Cornwall said: "The area is like a massive bit of Swiss cheese". April: Dancing gorillas, Emma Thompson being mucky and a marathon proposal There's nothing quite like a dancing gorilla, as Twycross Zoo found out when footage of three-year-old Lope aping around went viral. The zoo's director of life sciences Dr Charlotte Macdonald said Lope's "dance" was evidence of him playing - an important aspect of young apes' behaviour. Also dancing about, but this time to dodge flying manure, was double-Oscar winning actor Emma Thompson. She was taking part in an anti-fracking demonstration when a farmer drove his muckspreader past, bespattering the campaigners. And the London marathon took place. One runner surprised his girlfriend by stopping and pretending to tie up his shoe laces before pulling out a ring and proposing. She said "yes". May: High heels and Peaky haircuts May was all about appearance. Eight-year-old Joshua Reape was sent home from school because of a hairstyle he'd copied from the hit BBC drama Peaky Blinders. His short back and sides - based on that of Tommy Shelby, a character played by Cillian Murphy - caused a stir at Abbey Catholic Primary School in Erdington. But easily the most-viewed video of the month, with more than three million hits, was that of a London receptionist who was sent home from work after refusing to wear high heels. June: Vardy snubbing, fox in a dishwasher, and flash flooding While Leicester City supporters enjoyed their team's unlikely triumph in the Premier League, spare a thought for poor old Lee Chapman. The lookalike postman, who'd attracted attention over his uncanny resemblance to Foxes striker Jamie Vardy, said he was "heartbroken" after the footballer blocked him on Twitter. Also upset were the owners of several cars which got submerged by floods in south-east London, caused by torrential rain. And sticking with a watery theme, a fox cub became stuck in a dishwasher. Yes, you read that right. A fox became stuck in a dishwasher. He was eventually "ushered out" by a vet wielding a broom. July: Dog does push-ups, wakeboarding in drains and inside a secret mansion In Derbyshire, a six-bedroom luxury mansion which had been disguised as a farm shed was discovered by police. It was the work of Alan Yeomans who was jailed for drug dealing and money laundering. And the crook had called it "Shedley Manor". Clever. July was the month to be remembered for a police dog joining in a push-up challenge. PC Steve Hopwood from Avon and Somerset Police was joined by Monty, who completed 23 push-ups to raise awareness of veteran suicide. The challenge is to do 22, but the pair did "one for luck". In Sheffield, the challenge some sports enthusiasts filmed themselves wakeboarding through a Victorian storm drain. August: An island retreat, a mystery door and pink hay bales August was the month in which an island in the River Avon in Worcestershire was put on the market. With no services on Osier Island, the owner lived using electricity from solar panels and rain water. BBC Midlands Today sent their drone up for the footage. The island and property sold at auction for £280,000 - comfortably beating its £190,000 guide price. Staying with rivers, a mysterious black door was placed on a buttress of the Sonning Bridge in Berkshire. There was even a floating doormat. It's thought to have been the work of local artist Impro, and could refer to the fact Sonning is home to the Prime Minister Theresa May. As for the pink hay bales, the giant marshmallowy structures were the brainchild of Dave Broster from Diggle Green Farm in Warrington. They were wrapped in pink plastic to raise awareness of breast cancer. September: Bouncing deer, best man japes and a wheely bad move The joyous video of a deer bounding along the sands in Poole Harbour was taken at dawn by dog-walker Dave Mott in September. It's thought to be a Japanese Sika deer that may have swum over from Brownsea Island. Have a look at the little chap in action - it'll make you happy. Another happy occasion was the wedding of Jamie and Mandy Milligan - where a stunt by the best man stole the show. He pretended he'd forgotten his speech and set off on an epic quest to find it. An epic fail was also in the most-watched news, as a Domino's Pizza rider toppled off his bike while doing a wheelie. Which demonstrates exactly what happens to show-offs. October: Britney, Barlow and Bieber Oh, October was a showbiz month. Britney Spears developed a crush on a 42-year-old man from Surrey. The object of her desire was Phil Lupton, a studio manager filmed by the singer riding his motorbike home. On the footage, which she posted on her Instagram account, the star can be heard saying: "My crush in London. Very hot, very hot, very hot." Mr Lupton told BBC London his wife "didn't understand the fuss". Take That crooner Gary Barlow turned up at a 13-year-old's birthday party in Birmingham and sang Greatest Day. She was in tears. Possibly of joy. And then, baby-faced pop star Justin Bieber made a surprise appearance at an ice hockey practice session in Manchester. He even scored. Unbeliebable. November: Boy delivers a baby, ghost roundabouts and extreme dunking A thrill-seeker from Sheffield combined his passions for baked goods and bungee jumping by successfully dunking from 75m (246ft) away. Simon Berry's technique involved clasping one wrist over the other to offer greater stability and precision as the biscuit surged towards its small target. Well done him. And another "well done" for eight-year-old Marcus Caffrey, who delivered his baby sister Freya when his mum went into labour. He said he was just focused on getting "the job done" before the paramedics took over. Less well done, perhaps, for the designers of a "ghost roundabout" in Cambridge. The cobbled brick circle has been described as a "UFO landing pad" and an "urban crop circle" on social media. Cambridgeshire County Council said it was designed to slow down traffic by confusing drivers. Job done. December: Pie in the sky, giant fish and dancing man In December, a meat and potato pie attached to a weather balloon was sent into space to see if its journey changed the molecular structure of the pie. The pioneering pastry was launched from Wigan. In nearby Manchester, eyes were on an enormous fish caught in the Indian Ocean and put on display at the Arndale Market. The goliath grouper weighed 30 stone (190kg). And to finish on a festive note, the BBC News jingle inspired a dancer in Leicester Square. After the video of Corville Cuffy became popular on social media, he was invited to the newsroom to perform it there. The BBC, like someone's dad trying to sound cool, said Mr Cuffy threw "some funky shapes". |