OH dear, it seems like our supplement last week with all those charming pictures of mums of Powys has really infuriated one reader.
Personally, I thought all the pictures schoolchildren had done for our Draw Your Mum feature were great and I’m sure most mums would have been pleased with the pictures done for them for Mother’s Day.
I know everyone here has worked really hard to produce the supplement on top of one of the biggest papers we have produced in years.
One reader, however, doesn’t agree.
He, or she, was so angry they couldn’t even write in English – returning their supplement with the words “RUBBISH, THIS ABSOLUTE” and then they added “RECYCE”, presumably meaning it should be recycled.
Oh dear, I don’t suppose they were too enamoured of this week’s paper with the second half of all those thousands of pictures.
Well all I can say is sorry, we try to do our best for everyone.
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IT’S a subject I’ve talked about before but the amount of dead animals which have been knocked over and killed on our roads seems to have gone through the roof recently.
Last week our Radnorshire reporter roped the sports editor into helping rescue a tiny baby rabbit from the main road outside Coed-y-Dinas, only to have to put on the brakes outside Berriew to avoid hitting a pheasant, swiftly followed by a suicidal badger who made a dash for freedom across the road.
I sympathise with one of our letter writers from last week’s paper, who spotted a dead cat on a Welshpool road.
Many of these animals are kept as pets and it is worth keeping an eye on your speed as you travel, as you never quite know when an animal could dart out.
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A ZOO’S hotlines are aimed at preventing a ‘roar’ deal from April Fool’s pranksters.
Forgive me for that, but here at the County Times a large number of us have fallen prey to chief snapper Phil Blagg’s pranks.
His last favourite was to get one of our newest reporters to call a number, which was for a shoe shop, and get them to ask for “Miss hughes” with an extra ‘sh’ in the middle of it.
Well every year, zoos around the world receive hundreds of April Fool’s Day prank phone calls from unsuspecting callers – given a message from a work colleague asking them to return a call to the likes Mr C Lyon, Miss Ellie Fant, and Mr Don Key on the zoo’s phone number – often overwhelming switchboards and infuriating staff.
To combat this, Chester Zoo has set up some special phone numbers for pranksters hoping to ‘fool’ their friends:
Miss Anna Conder – 01244 389785
Mr Jim Pandsey – 01244 389786
Mrs Anne Teater – 01244 389787
The zoo hopes the hotlines will provide some welcome relief to harassed reception staff who year after year are inundated with phoney calls.
Guest services manager Julie Thompson says: “The numbers each have a pre-recorded message that will let callers know they have been fooled, but in a nice and friendly way.
“Last year we received around 3,000 prank calls on April 1.
“The switchboard lit up like Blackpool illuminations and so this time around, we’re very much hoping that they (the hotlines) make life a lot easier for our reception staff.”
Perhaps we’ll catch Blaggy with one of them. I’ll let you know.
I hope no-one really catches you out tomorrow on April Fool’s Day – watch out.