
Yarn bomb display celebrates beauty of Hertford's four rivers
Mrs Bonfield said the group had raised money for a number of local charities since it began in 2017. She hoped its latest display would raise more than £20,000 and take it to more than £200,000 in total. It created a number of displays, including a celebration for the Queen's Platinum Jubilee, King Charles III's Coronation and the Olympics.
"It's a lovely craze that's taken off. We started with 12 members and now have 140, it's just grown from there," Mrs Bonfield said. The river theme was chosen because Hertford "is unique"."It has a chalk river bed, and there are only a few of those in the country. "As a small town, it has four rivers running through it, which is quite rare."We wanted to celebrate the natural beauty of Hertford."
She said scenes including fish, ducks, coots, bees, butterflies and voles would "take over the whole of Parliament Square". It also includes a depiction of the annual Hertford Duck Race, complete with 200 knitted ducks, and the winner on a podium. "We're really proud of what we've achieved, we thoroughly enjoy it, we get together three times a week, we're all volunteers, we make beautiful things for the town to enjoy and the town embraces it", she added.
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The Independent
6 minutes ago
- The Independent
Cambridge Dictionary adds 'skibidi' and 'tradwife' among 6,000 new words
What the skibidi is happening to the English language? 'Skibidi' is one of the slang terms popularized by social media that are among more than 6,000 additions this year to the Cambridge Dictionary. 'Internet culture is changing the English language and the effect is fascinating to observe and capture in the dictionary,' said Colin McIntosh, lexical program manager at Cambridge Dictionary, the world's largest online dictionary. 'Skibidi' is a gibberish term coined by the creator of an animated YouTube series and can mean 'cool' or 'bad' or be used with no real meaning as a joke. Other planned additions including 'tradwife," a contraction of 'traditional wife' referring to a married mother who cooks, cleans and posts on social media, and "delulu,' a shortening of the word delusional that means 'believing things that are not real or true, usually because you choose to'. An increase in remote working since the pandemic has created the new dictionary entry 'mouse jiggler,' a device or piece of software used to make it seem like you are working when you are not. Concerns over climate change are behind the addition of 'forever chemical,' a harmful chemical that remains in the environment for a long time. Cambridge Dictionary uses the Cambridge English Corpus, a database of more than 2 billion words of written and spoken English, to monitor how new words are used by different people, how often and in what contexts they are used, the company said. 'We only add words where we think they'll have staying power," McIntosh said.


The Independent
6 minutes ago
- The Independent
‘Skibidi' has no place in the dictionary – and here's why
I was on a rollercoaster with my kids recently and the ride, apparently, was 'skibidi'. The hot dogs were also skibidi; the entire theme park was skibidi – but I, when I screeched about how I wasn't going to spend another £15 on tokens for more goes on a giant teacup that spins you round fast enough to give you whiplash, thank you very much, was not skibidi. I was not skibidi at all. I could have been, though – because the Gen Alpha slang term 'skibidi toilet' (confused, yet?) can also mean something terrible, depending on the context in which it's said and used. So, maybe I was skibidi? Either way, this lexical nightmare has entered the dictionary. That's right: 'skibidi' is one of a plethora of 6,000 new words to have made it in to the Cambridge Dictionary, along with 'delulu' (shorthand for 'delusional' and once spoken out loud – in public – by the Australian PM Anthony Albanese, who said the Coalition was 'delulu with no solulu'). The term 'tradwife', which takes us right back to stereotypical 1950s gender roles, meaning women who choose to stay home looking after the children and cooking, also made the cut. 'Mouse jiggler' has also been added, meaning someone who uses a device to give the illusion they're actually working when they're WFH, which I've never heard of. How 'brain rot' (Oxford's word of the year for 2024) of me. Now, I like to embarrass my children as much as the next parent who still believes very strongly they are young and hip and cool; and so one of my favourite past-times is intentionally bastardising the language of my Gen Alpha and Gen Z kids. That means that when we watch a film together, I will casually and entirely intentionally decree it as 'sigma'; except pronounced like this: 'Wow, that was sigmaaaaaaaa.' I will get dressed to go out and then ask my 13-year-old daughter if she thinks I've got 'rizz'; if I 'slay'. When they've fully collapsed with cringe, I will sometimes get on my high horse and tell them that actually, the word 'sigma' has darker underpinnings; popularised by the likes of ultra-chauvinist Andrew Tate, who uses it to describe a 'high-value male' like him, or so he believes. I would argue that being held in Romania over charges of trafficking and money laundering isn't very 'sigma' and is actually quite 'brain rot', but there we go. My daughter, though, argues that while it may have meant that once, in origin, 'it doesn't mean that anymore'. 'It's changed, Mummy! Like you always go on about with Shakespeare.' And she is correct, Mummy does go on about Shakespeare. Specifically: the way that language, over time, is organic – it grows and shifts and changes; it is fluid and not static. Words and phrases can outlast their originator and transcend their original meaning. Sometimes they turn back on themselves and become their entire opposite, like 'sick' ('that is sick, bruv!') They can also have surprising tenacity, too, such as in the case of the phrases 'wear your heart on your sleeve' and 'break the ice' and even 'wild goose chase' – which date back from Othello, Taming of the Shrew and Romeo and Juliet, respectively. No cap. But that doesn't mean I want 'skibidi toilet' added to the dictionary. Far from it. Why? Well, to be honest I think silly phrases that are so clearly internet meme-coded only cheapen language – they don't enhance it. And a lot of that is to do with where they come from: the phrase first appeared in the "Skibidi Toilet" online series on YouTube, originally posted by Alexey Gerasimov. The animated film sees a battle between human-headed toilets and humanoid beings with electric devices for heads (of course). The phrase itself apparently derives from the lyrics of "Give It to Me" by Timbaland, sped up to sound like 'skibidi'. It's silly and frothy and ephemeral and of the moment – and while it may have its place among kids in school corridors, I don't believe it warrants the gravitas that adding it to the Cambridge Dictionary suggests (they have said they only add words with 'staying power'). Neither does the word 'snackable', which has also been added this year (meaning content you engage with only fleetingly and briefly, because of our shrinking attention spans). In fact, the combination of both of these words and phrases in the dictionary this year just about sums up my problem with it. The real issue I have with 'skibidi' is that it is snackable. My kids say it, for now, but then we used to say 'Yo, yo, spex ' meaning 'respect' when we passed each other in the school lunch hall in 1994. We grew out of it, just like Gen Alpha will grow out of 'skibidi' – and now cringe that we ever used it in the first place. The last thing they – or the rest of us – need is a reminder of it, forever, in the dictionary. Though it might, actually, have a surprisingly positive effect – legitimising slang takes away its cool creds, so perhaps 'skibidi' will now die because of its inclusion. That would be lit.


The Sun
7 minutes ago
- The Sun
Hollyoaks confirms another shock exit and TWO returns from the 90s for 30th anniversary
HOLLYOAKS has confirmed another shock departure - while also bringing back TWO fan-favourites from the 90s. The Chester-based soap is pulling out all the stops for its milestone year, with bosses promising some of the most dramatic storylines in its history. 5 5 Fans will be left gutted as one popular character bows out in emotional scenes. But it's not all bad news, as two familiar faces from the show's early days are making a surprise comeback three decades later. Producers are keeping tight-lipped on the finer details, but teased that the anniversary will be packed with nostalgia, shock twists and plenty of drama that long-time viewers won't want to miss. SHOCK EXIT The soap has teased another shock exit of a major character as it gears up for its 30th anniversary celebrations. This comes after a string of grisly deaths at the hands of village serial killer Jez Blake. Viewers have already seen Jez take the lives of Dennis Savage, Dilly Harcourt, Tommy Odenkirk, Joel Dexter, Bobby McQueen and Robbie Roscoe. His daughter, Sienna Blake, recently discovered his trophies, along with Robbie's body, in his allotment. When she confronted him, Jez explained that he gets a thrill from killing and that she is the same. As soon as Sienna ran to tell the world about her dad, a fatal fall and injury left Jez convinced she had lost her memory, when in reality, she was pretending. Cheating scandal, rival soap star and huge shocks in Hollyoaks' explosive summer trailer Is she plotting to expose him for good? Meanwhile, the soap revealed there will be another shock departure this autumn. Will Jez kill again, or will someone leave the village and escape him? Fans are convinced it is a long-serving male character, like Tony Hutchinson or John Paul McQueen or Jack Osbourne, that could be leaving the village for good. Most devastating soap deaths SOAP viewers are frequently left heartbroken after watching some of their favourite characters bite the dust. Here is a list of the most devastating deaths that have taken place in soapland over the years. EASTENDERS Barry Evans - Evil Janine (Charlie Brooks) lured her trusting fiance to Scotland for a quickie marriage after learning he was dying. Her plan to inherit Barry's fortune was thwarted when Barry told her that the doctors had mixed up his medical files. Furious that she was no longer set for a windfall, she pushed Barry off a cliff after telling him their love was 'fake'. Bradley Branning - Bradley was accused of killing Stacey Slater's rapist Archie Mitchell (Larry Lamb) after he punched him twice on the night he died. He was spotted in the Square by a police woman who chased him up a fire escape. Bradley lost his balance and tragically plunged to his death. CORONATION STREET Tina McIntyre - Tina was getting it on with Peter Barlow - despite him being married to Carla Connor. When she threatened to reveal the truth, Carla's brother Rob got into a physical altercation with her. Tina lost her footing and fell off a balcony - then warned Rob she was going to tell the cops he pushed her. In a panic, Rob brutally clobbered her over the head with a metal pipe. Molly Dobbs - Molly was one of the victims in Corrie's 2010 tram crash, alongside Ashley Peacock (Steven Arnold). Married to Tyrone (Alan Halsall), Molly had been having an affair with Kevin Webster (Michael Le Vell) in the months before her death. This resulted in the birth of their son, Jack (Kyran Bowes), who was named after Jack Duckworth. As fate would have it, Kevin's wife Sally (Sally Dynevor) was by Molly's side in her final moments. Sally was stunned as Molly confessed Kevin was Jack's father, before dying of her injuries. Vera Duckworth - Having appeared regularly in Corrie since the 1970s, there was no denying Vera Duckworth was an iconic character. Alongside her husband Jack, the pair formed one of the soap's most beloved couples. Viewers were heartbroken when Vera was killed off in 2008, being discovered having passed away peacefully in her chair. Liz Dawn, who played Vera, made a brief return two years later for Bill Tarmey's exit as Jack. Paul Foreman - Fans were heartbroken when Paul Foreman succumbed to his illness after battling motor neurone disease. Introduced in 2018 as David Platt's (Jack P. Shepherd) cellmate, he later embarked on a romance - and marriage - with vicar Billy Mayhew. The MND storyline was announced in 2023 - with the expectation it would result in the character's death. EMMERDALE Sarah Sugden - After the family got into financial problems, Sarah's son Andy (Kelvin Fletcher) decided to make some quick cash from an insurance company by setting fire to the Sugden barn. He didn't realise his mum was inside the building, and she got trapped in the blaze. Nine villagers - The shocking 1993 plane crash episode brought in 18 million viewers for Emmerdale. Mark Hughes was killed by a falling wall, Archie Brooks was burned by jet fuel, Elizabeth Pollard was killed by debris and newcomer Leonard Kempinski died in a car crash caused by the crash. Five other non-recurring characters from the village also died. HOLLYOAKS Carmel McQueen - The talented singer died in shocking scenes when a train crashed into a her family's car. Carmel managed to free her cousin Theresa from the rubble - but got stuck in it herself. Moments later the train exploded and Carmel died in the arms of her family members, promising to be their guardian angel. TWO RETURNS Hollyoaks has also teased a return of two characters from the 90s. Their identities are kept under wraps for now - but fans are all thinking the same thing. Taking to Reddit, one fan wrote: "If it's from the true original bunch, it must be Kurt and Jambo." Another agreed: "I could see it being Kurt or Jambo, after Kurt came back for the 25th." A third added: "I know the actor for Kurt is keen to come back." Kurt Benson, played by Jeremy Edwards, was one of Hollyoaks' original heartthrobs when the soap launched back in 1995. Known for his cheeky charm and on-off romance with Ruth Osborne, he was also best mates with Tony Hutchinson. His shock 'death' in a jet ski accident in 1999 was one of the soap's first big tragedies - though he later made a ghostly reappearance in 2013. Jambo Bolton, portrayed by Will Mellor, was another founding character and provided much of the show's early comedy. Famous for his laddish humour, hopeless romantic streak and daft schemes, he was also the first character ever seen on Hollyoaks' opening episode. Jambo left in 1998 to start a new life in London, but he too has popped back for special occasions, most memorably in the 2004 anniversary episode. FAN SURPRISE In a soap first, Hollyoaks is giving one lucky fan the chance to appear in a special episode – only to be killed off by serial killer Jez himself. The unique competition asked viewers to pitch why they're the ultimate superfan and deserve to be part of the dramatic 30th anniversary storyline. With scripts already written and filming underway, fans won't have long to wait to see how the shocking plot unfolds. Hollyoaks airs Monday to Wednesday at 7pm on E4 and YouTube. 5 5 5