Dad slams school as ‘woke' after they asked him ‘not to wear gorilla costume or horse mask to pick daughter up'
MONKEY BUSINESS Dad slams school as 'woke' after they asked him 'not to wear gorilla costume or horse mask to pick daughter up'
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window)
Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
A DAD has slammed his child's "woke" school after they banned him from wearing a gorilla costume.
Chris Napthine dressed up to collect his seven-year-old daughter Addie on her last day of term as a "bit of fun".
Sign up for Scottish Sun
newsletter
Sign up
5
Chris Napthine wore the costume for a bit of fun while picking up his daughter Addie
Credit: SWNS
5
The dad-of-two slammed the school for being "woke"
Credit: SWNS
5
Hertford Vale C Of E Primary School claimed it was a safeguarding issue
Credit: SWNS
He pulled up to Hertford Vale C Of E Primary School, in North Yorks., in the gorilla costume - after previously donning a horse's head mask.
But the 47-year-old was told it posed "a serious safeguarding concern" and was asked not to wear it again via a "snotty" message.
The dad-of-two, a self-employed horse dentist and farmer, said: "It's a little village school and I live just opposite it.
"I went there, my son went there and now my little girl does.
"I was just trying to embarrass her. She's always saying, 'Dad, please don't embarrass me'.
"The other day I put a horse's head on, so on the last day of school I put on a gorilla outfit.
"Then, I got this snotty text off the school, saying it's a 'serious safeguarding issue'."
The text, shared by Chris, read: "Please do not come into school in a costume or mask.
"This is a serious safeguarding issue. It has also upset some of the children & caused concern for adults."
But Chris slammed the school for being "woke" and claimed he was "just trying to have a bit of a laugh".
He added: "How is that a safeguarding issue? Where is it going to end? Are the kids not going to be allowed to dress up?
"I really didn't like the way they worded it.
"I was just trying to have a bit of a laugh, but the school have taken it dead serious.
"I messaged them back, but they didn't reply.
"I just thought it was ridiculous. Safeguarding is about the safety of the kids.
"A dad in a gorilla outfit is not a safeguarding issue - let alone a 'serious' one.
"It's taking the p**s. I've had lots of messages of support, saying: 'What on Earth is this country coming to? A kid can identify as a cat but a dad can't dress up as a gorilla'.
"That's what dads do: embarrass their daughters. I'm always playing jokes and messing about.
"It's just a bit woke."
The school has been contacted for comment.
This comes after another dad hit out when his daughter was banned from a school's cultural diversity day — for wearing a Union Jack dress.
Heartbroken pupil Courtney Wright, 12, was told: 'You get to celebrate being British every day, this is for everybody else.'
The Year 7 pupil teamed her dress — similar to the one worn by Spice Girl Geri Halliwell in the 1990s, below — with a matching bowler hat.
She also planned to read a speech celebrating tea, Shakespeare, fish and chips and the royals.
But the grade-A student was stopped by teachers who gave her the option of wearing a second-hand uniform instead.
Courtney refused before her dad Stuart Field, 47, arrived to collect her from Bilton School in Rugby, Warwickshire.
He slammed the school for 'virtue signalling' and said he had since received a grovelling apology.
The dad of five told The Sun: 'Her head of year bizarrely said that if she had worn a suit of armour or a nurse's outfit, she probably would have been allowed. It's ridiculous.
"The irony is they were having a cultural diversity day and yet they singled out a group of people.
'She's a grade-A student and they have vilified her and punished her for being proud of being British.'
The school was later forced to close following "extremist threats".
It announced it was closing "in the interests of student and staff safety" following threats.
The school released a letter to parents on Thursday in which is said it was receiving "extremist abuse online and via our telephone systems".
Headteacher Jayne Delves and Ranjit Samra, CEO of Stowe Valley Multi-Academy Trust, both said that members of staff had been threatened.
5
Chris claimed the message he received was "snotty"
Credit: SWNS
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mirror
30 minutes ago
- Daily Mirror
American living in UK shares most 'overhyped things' Brits love including Oasis
Kobie Jordan, who moved to London from the US, admits there are three aspects of British culture he feels are 'overhyped' with Gallagher brothers, Liam and Noel topping his list An American man who now lives in the UK has taken to TikTok to reveal the three aspects of British culture he feels are the most "overhyped". Kobie Jordan, who is known on his social media profiles as Kjordyyy, claims he can't get his head around the natives' fascination with certain things. "As an American living in London, these are the top three things I think are overhyped in the UK," began Kobie, who works as a model and content creator for brands including the BBC. Ahead of his list, he went on to quip: "Trigger warning - it is just my opinion." Oasis While the nation is gripped by Oasis fever, Kobie clearly isn't very fazed by the Gallagher brothers' reunion after 16 years - nor is he impressed by the band's extensive back catalogue. "First up, Oasis," he declared. "Wonderwall is absolutely an amazing song, but personally I think they're a one-hit wonder and there are a lot better bands and artists in the UK besides Oasis." Nando's Next to suffer the American's harsh scrutiny is the restaurant chain, Nando's - one he described as an "average chicken spot". Kobie elaborated: "I just don't understand the hype - for the price it's really not good." Kobie said he regularly heard people saying: "Nando's this and Nando's that," after arriving in the UK, leading him to think experiencing it himself would be like "heaven". However, he explained to the contrary: "When I took my first bite I was so underwhelmed because it had been so hyped." Frustrated Kobie added his "go-to" meal, the Sunset Burger with two sides, set him back £16.50 plus an additional £3.95 for a drink. "Is Nando's really worth £20.45 for one meal?" he asked. "No, no, no." Greggs' Sausage Rolls Food was on the agenda for Kobie's final point too, this time in the form of the classic British staple, the Greggs sausage roll. "I know this is going to hurt a lot of y'all, but the Greggs' sausage roll... it's an okay pastry with sausage in the middle and Brits talk about it like it's an artisan French pastry," he joked. Kobie again hit out at the "hype" associated with it. "What I'm starting to think is the UK has a herd mentality when something's good as everyone kind of teems onto that, no matter if they really like it or not," he exclaimed. The American closed by admitting: "I love Greggs, I just feel like there's better pastries out there. I give Greggs the upper-hand over Nando's because it is much cheaper. It's still overhyped, but what saves it a bit is that it's a bit cheaper." Writing in response, one TikTok user told Kobie: "If Wonderwall is the only Oasis song you can name, you've not listened to them. It's the most overrated song of theirs. Not even that good." A second hit out at the American's opinion: "Saying Oasis is a one hit wonder when Wonderwall is nowhere near their best song is just peak American ignorance, Nando's if it cost less would be as good as people say, it's just too expensive to really enjoy, you leave our sausage rolls alone, it's supposed to be a cheap, easy and a reliable quick meal that tastes 7/10." However, a third person stated: "I'm from the UK and totally agree with Nando's and Greggs. It's just basic chicken it's definitely overhyped." While a fourth TikTok user concurred: "I totally agree with everything you've said. Never liked Oasis, Nando's is mediocre and Greggs is a last resort at a push."
Daily Mirror
30 minutes ago
- Daily Mirror
'I watched nuclear attack docu-drama deemed 'too horrifying for TV' by BBC'
The War Game is one of the most harrowing pieces of television every produced Anyone of a certain age will have less-than-fond memories of the terrifying public information films that would be shown in school and on TV, warning us of the dangers of playing on building sites or messing around with matches. The War Game, a 1966 docu-drama, which the BBC deemed 'too horrifying for the medium of broadcasting' and banned from TV for almost 20 years, takes this to the extreme. Framed as a factual documentary, the film shows the brutal reality of what would happen if the UK was hit by a nuclear attack, narrated by the authoritative tones of newsreader Michael Aspel. The 47-minute film written and directed by Peter Watkins wasn't aired on TV until 1985, although it was shown in cinemas in the 1960s, and won the 1967 best documentary Oscar. While it's often been difficult to track down a way to watch The War Game, it's now available on BBC iPlayer. Comparisons with 1984's infamous TV film Threads, which graphically depicts a nuclear attack on Sheffield, are perhaps inevitable. The War Game isn't quite as graphic as Threads - which at one point makes the viewer watch a child burn alive - but it's no less horrifying. The black and white film begins with a depiction of rising tensions between the East and West, with the British government declaring a state of emergenc, and people are evacuated from larger towns and cities. The film doesn't skirt around the social and racial tensions of the time - with rationing in place, people are shown protesting that they already don't have enough food to feed their own families, and one woman's first question when she's told she'll have to house a group of evacuees asks what ethnicity they are. The actual moment the missiles strike is brief, but shocking, with Michael Aspel grimly describing horrors such as melting eyeballs and burning skin, and a young boy is shown screaming in pain after being blinded by the flash. Aspel's description of the shockwave sent by the detonation as sounding like 'an enormous door slamming in the depths of hell' is genuinely chilling. The scenes following this show what is left of the UK descend into bleak chaos, with police struggling to hold back starving masses desperate for something to eat and every doctor attempting to treat hundreds of patients. It doesn't shy away from the stark decisions faced, with doctors shown shooting patients who are beyond help in the head and police executing agitators by firing squad. It's a far cry from the stiff upper lip Spirit of Dunkirk of just a couple of decades before. The spectre of the bombings of Hiroshima, Nagasaki, and Dresden looms large. Key to the impact of the film is how real it all looks. There's no Hollywood glamour at play - the people look, speak, and dress like real people you'd see on the street, and the nondescript part of Canterbury much of the footage is set in looks like it could just be around the corner. Years later Threads would use a similar trick by setting its action around the working-class communities of 1980s Sheffield. And if you're expecting a sense of hope or light at the end of the tunnel, there's none to be found here. Seeing a traumatised small boy asked what he wants to be when he grows up reply 'don't want to be nothing' is one of the bleakest things I've ever seen on screen. Harrowing though it may be, its impact is undeniable, with a 93 per cent rating on film reviews site Rotten Tomatoes. One reviewer said: "The stark documentary realism of the film makes it effectively scary and unsettling even today, the retina burning images of despairing children in the aftermath of nuclear war will stay at the front of your mind for a long time." Another wrote: "Despite this being made over 40 years ago it is still hard-hitting stuff and I'm not surprised in the slightest the BBC banned it." Another, however, suggested it amounted to "scaremongering propaganda". "Almost seems a bit insulting to a modern audience but there's no arguing that this is excellently done," they said. With international tensions building day by day, The War Game stands as sobering viewing of a reality which isn't as far removed from our own as we might hope. If you've got the stomach for it, The War Game is available now on BBC iPlayer.
Daily Mirror
3 hours ago
- Daily Mirror
Corrie's Suranne Jones plays Prime Minister with rap star for Netflix thriller
After gracing the Weatherfield cobbles and other hit shows, Suranne Jones stars in Netflix's political thriller Hostage, sharing the spotlight with a grime star. Bombshells, diplomacy and danger collide in Matt Charman's new thriller Hostage - and some grime fans might be surprised to see one of their favourite stars grace the screen. From the cobbles of Coronation Street to Doctor Foster, Vigil and Gentleman Jack – winning a TV Bafta on the way – Suranne Jones has cemented herself as one of Britain's best-loved acting talents. Now, the versatile star is taking on her most powerful role yet – quite literally – as the British Prime Minister in Hostage, Netflix 's explosive new political thriller from Oscar-nominated Matt Charman (Bridge Of Spies). In Hostage, Suranne plays Abigail Dalton, a politician plunged into chaos when her husband, Dr Alex Anderson, is kidnapped. And she made sure she was thoroughly prepared and did her homework. 'I don't think I'm allowed to say [who], but I did speak to three really high-up women from different parties,' Suranne, 46, says. 'I read their books and I interviewed them, and that was very exciting.' That attention to detail paid off. Abigail isn't just a PM fighting for her family – she's a woman balancing power and vulnerability. Portraying the latter involved getting close to her co-star and on-screen husband, Ashley Thomas, aka grime star Bashy. 'We did chemistry tests, and when he came in, it was just like, 'Oh, you're intriguing, handsome, lovely, smart, intelligent,'' Suranne remembers. 'And then we met our daughter (Isobel Akuwudike), who is also brilliant. It was her first job.' Ashley also prepared thoroughly to portray medic Alex. He consulted real-life doctors, but it was the emotional weight of Alex's kidnapping that hit the hardest. 'That was tough. Putting yourself in those places is heavy – especially as Alex is a father,' says Ashley. 'The environment I've come from, I've witnessed and experienced a lot of trauma, so there were things I was able to pull from.' While Abigail grapples with domestic turmoil, things aren't calm across the Channel either. French President Vivienne Toussaint – played by French-American actress Julie Delpy – is battling her own political scandal after being blackmailed. During a state visit to the UK, Vivienne is forced to work with Abigail to expose a common enemy, despite their vastly different political backgrounds. 'She's quite conflicted, which I liked,' Julie, 55, says. 'She is someone who started out with ideals but had to give up part of what she believes in to get access to power.' Vivienne is dangerous and captivating – a role that seemed made for Julie, who has spent her career tackling complex characters. 'She might not be a very good person, but she's more than just a bad guy,' Julie adds. But beneath her icy exterior lies a secret: an age-gap relationship that threatens everything. 'A May-September relationship these days isn't a big deal – but this is a little darker and more complicated than that. A little more destructive,' Julie explains. 'Her husband is key in her ascent to power, so to put herself in this situation and put everything at risk is kamikaze.' Hostage shows Vivienne's struggle to keep her Achilles' heel hidden. 'She's good at handling situations and power, but her weakness is her hidden side,' Julie says. 'She's romantically involved with someone she shouldn't be and that's a huge weakness for a politician – especially a woman.' Before Sunrise actress Julie embraced the opportunity to portray someone morally grey. 'I loved the idea of playing someone very different from me,' she says. 'She's not the most likeable of characters, but that's fine with me. If they are unlikeable as a person, you find a way to approach them as a human being. When I played a Nazi character, she was obviously repulsive, but then you have to think that she sees it differently.' Despite Vivienne's complicated personality, Julie found herself intrigued by her. 'It was interesting to see someone that seems so rational and together, but behind the mask, her life is a mess,' she says. 'I'm the opposite – I look messy and crazy, but I would never do what she does!' And when it comes to politics? 'I'm not interested at all [in politics] because of the compromises you would have to make. I don't even do that in the movie business, and you see a lot of people give up their morals to succeed. I'm not able to do that. I'm just not that kind of person.' Julie's first day of filming for Hostage set the tone that the tense series demanded. 'I'm always nervous, and not just on the first day,' she admits. 'My first day on Hostage was a kissing scene – so it was even more stressful than usual. I didn't know this person so I had to switch off my mind a little.' If that wasn't enough, the role involved linguistic hurdles, too. Julie had to learn the more official, formal speeches in English. 'Those are hard enough in your own language, but to do them as a non-native speaker was tough,' she says. Luckily, the tension on screen was offset by the real-life camaraderie with her castmates – particularly Suranne. 'She's a lovely person and a great actress,' Julie says. 'Sometimes, it takes a little time to find your way with certain people, but with Suranne it was immediate. I like communication to be quick and fast and clear, I have no time for ego and she's like that as well. So it made it very easy.' The friendly feelings appear to be mutual. Suranne revealed during a recent appearance on the Table Manners podcast, 'There were a lot of unrepeatable stories, told in the make-up trailer. Julie would be talking in the corner, and then everyone would go quiet!'
