A record crop of UK strawberries has been grown this year and the season is expected to continue into December, industry leaders have said.
So far 60,170 tonnes of the quintessentially British fruits have been produced this year, up eight per cent on last year with several weeks of the season to go, according to British Summer Fruits, which represents 98 per cent of domestic growers.
It said the 2014 season is expected to last 38 week thanks to polytunnels and a mild winter at the start of the year which allowed it to start earlier than normal in March.
Lowering risk of prostate cancer
Sleeping with numerous women protects a man from prostate cancer, a study has found.
Research showed Lotharios with a lot of notches on their belts are significantly less likely to develop the disease. Compared with men who have had only one sexual partner during their lifetime, those with a score of more than 20 conquests have a 28 per cent reduced risk.
But the same is not true for gay encounters, according to the Canadian scientists. In fact, having more than 20 male partners doubled the risk of prostate cancer.
Constable painting settles tax bill
An oil painting by John Constable of the country scene he later immortalised in The Hay Wain has been acquired by the Ashmolean Museum to settle a tax bill.
The work, called Willy Lott’s House From The Stour, shows a cottage in Sussex’s Stour Valley and will go on display in the Oxford museum.
Constable painted the scene several times and The Hay Wain, a view of the same building from a different angle, is his most famous work. The painting, which dates from around 1816, was owned by Jonathan Peel, the younger brother of prime minister Sir Robert Peel.
Unique urns made by 3D printer
A company in Minnesota is using a 3D printer to create custom-made cremation urns shaped into objects which meant something to the people whose remains they hold.
Foreverence offers urns that are made from a ceramic material which can take the form of just about anything, from ballet shoes to cars and musical instruments.
The company even made an urn shaped like the signature hats worn by rock band Devo when co-founder Bob Casale died earlier this year. Foreverence offered Casale’s family the urn and ended up making two for them. The family said it was “the first joyous moment in a dark period of time for them”, company chief Pete Saari said.
Double trouble for Taylor Swift
Taylor Swift is seeing double.
Madame Tussauds is adding a waxwork model of the young songstress to its museums in Washington and Hollywood, after her wax doppelganger in New York City proved a massive hit with fans.
When that model was created in 2010, Swift shared her favourite styling and make-up tips with museum staff to help perfect the look. Swift will join US President Barack Obama, in waxwork form, at the Washington exhibition.
‘Speeding’ charge for direct action
An American man who took direct action to slow down traffic in his town has found himself fighting a criminal mischief charge.
John Cherok, 55, painted the message “Slow, 25mph” on to the road surface on Main Street in Burgettstown, Pennsylvania, where he says too many cars speed at up to 50mph.
Appearing in court, he refused to pay £333 to cover the cost of cleaning up his message, plus a small fine, and the judge postponed the hearing until next month to allow Cherok to hire a lawyer to help him fight the charge.