Latest news with #BoatyMcBoatface
The Independent
02-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Independent
So the Bank of England wants ideas for new banknotes: let's start with our war heroes
My initial response to the news that the Bank of England wants to redesign our banknotes was to wonder whether Threadneedle Street's pointy heads had really thought this through. Whatever they come up with is all but guaranteed to offend someone, and that's before you factor in social media to contend with. The latter is populated by armies of people who spend their lives getting offended. They come from the left, and they come from the right, and history tells us that it is remarkably easy to get on the wrong side of all of them. Mercifully, such joyless scolds are somewhat out of step with the British public. Large parts of it have a cheerfully irreverent sense of humour, which can also create problems for officials. Remember Boaty McBoatface? In 2016, the National Environment Research Council decided that it would be a good idea to conduct a public poll to decide the name of its shiny new polar research vessel. Boaty was one of the ideas, and it rapidly went viral, easily winning the poll. Cue red faces all around and a nasty dilemma. They solved it by choosing to name the vessel the Sir David Attenborough, who is popular with the public, even though his name picked up barely a tenth of the votes Boaty received. The latter's moniker was given to one of the ship's subs. A nice compromise, I suppose, but if it had been down to me, Boaty would have been the choice. You can see what's coming: step forward, Notey McNoteface. Let's face it, the world's not in a great state, the economy's spluttering, we have an incompetent government, no good choices when it comes to alternatives and it's too damn hot. We could all do with a diversion. Notey could give us a good laugh during the dog days of summer. However, we also kicked around some more sensible ideas. What we came up with was a series of banknotes featuring lesser-known war heroes. My own favourite, being a man with legs that don't work properly, was Sir Douglas Bader, a Second World War flying ace, even though he lost the lower part of both legs while attempting aerobatics in 1931. Sir Douglas didn't let this stop him from becoming a heroic flyer until he was shot down over occupied France. There, he was involved in numerous escape attempts, for which he ended up getting sent to Castle Colditz. Disabled Britons who aren't Paralympians or Professor Stephen Hawking rarely get much recognition. This would help to correct that. A fine choice to join Sir Douglas would be the First World War's first and only female soldier, Dorothy Lawrence, a reporter who had to disguise herself as a man to get to the front. Illness forced her to give herself up, and she was promptly arrested. Her conduct was a very British mix of heroism and subversiveness. Then there is Sir Nicholas Winton, the stockbroker who helped rescue 669 Jewish children from Czechoslovakia on the eve of the Second World War. His humanitarian achievements were barely known until an appearance on the BBC's That's Life in the 1980s. You could make a platoon of deserving Gurkhas who have won the Victoria Cross. So, how about a design featuring several of them? Billy Strachan, a Jamaican pilot who fought for Britain in the Second World War, joined Windrush after being demobbed and became a lawyer in the UK. He was also a human rights activist who fought for workers and universal suffrage and against colonialism. He might represent a step too far for the Bank because he was also a committed communist. But I'd vote for him, given the option. Simon Weston, who survived severe burns during the Falklands War, is better known than some of these but is nonetheless deserving of celebration. He subsequently became a formidable charity fundraiser and campaigner for better treatment of troops and veterans. He became a thorn in the side of the Blair government during the Iraq War, too. Yes, we're going with people again here. But so what? For those who sneer at my list because, yes, it is inclusive, I would kindly suggest you eat grass. Alternatively, try reading the stories of the people I've nominated. There is no tokenism here. To the contrary. What researching this revealed to me is that Britain has an awful lot of mightily impressive war heroes who could do with a leg up (with apologies to Sir Douglas) in terms of recognition. Just think of the designs that you could come up with to celebrate these individuals. I still like the idea of annoying the Bank of England and the political class by giving Notey McNoteface a push, but I think some very worthy candidates on my list would also irritate Threadneedle Street and maybe even Downing Street if they picked up momentum. As it is, they'll probably go for something inoffensive and dull. Pictures of buildings or bunnies and suchlike are already being mooted. Enough already. It's people who use banknotes. The people I've suggested should be celebrated.
The Guardian
26-06-2025
- Climate
- The Guardian
Met Office should name storms after fossil fuel companies, say campaigners
The Met Office should name storms after fossil fuel companies, campaigners have said, after the weather forecasting service opened a storm naming competition. Climate campaigners have recommended the Met Office names its storms after various oil and gas corporations to remind the public of the link between burning fossil fuels and extreme weather. They are hoping to spark a craze similar to 'Boaty McBoatface', when in 2016 the National Environment Research Council opened a competition to name a £200m polar research ship. Nationwide hilarity ensued when the public voted Boaty McBoatface as the top choice for the ship's name. However, the name was not chosen by the government, who opted to name it the Sir David Attenborough instead. Hundreds of people have submitted ideas to the Met Office. While some have named specific oil and gas companies, others have suggested names such as 'bigoil' and 'fossily mcfuelface'. Alexis Eyre, who works in sustainable marketing, has been drumming up support for the campaign. She said it was inspired by a letter to the Guardian last year by a reader, John Uden, who suggested: 'Instead of naming storms after 'those who work to keep people safe in times of severe weather', thereby making these severe disruptions sound innocuous, it would be more appropriate to use the names of fossil fuel companies and the manufacturers of SUVs.' Eyre told the Guardian: 'An idea like this makes it much more tangible the connection between, the companies that have helped create this damage, and actually, what the consequences are.' She said the campaign had 'gone crazy', adding: 'I've had hundreds of reposts on LinkedIn, and it just keeps on getting picked up everywhere on WhatsApp as well. So I definitely think it will gain some traction. Everyone's hoping it will be like a Boaty McBoatface situation.' The release of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases into the atmosphere has made the storms we experience more extreme, research from the forecaster has found. An attribution study cited by the Met Office found that rainfall in the winter season of 2023-24 was 20% more intense due to human-caused climate change, and the amount of rainfall observed during the season was 10 times more likely. Scientists predict that while the number of storms may not increase during climate breakdown, their intensity most likely will. This is because rising global temperatures contribute to more frequent weather anomalies such as the 'Spanish plume', which is when hot air from the Iberian peninsula moves northwards into the UK, creating unstable conditions that can lead to intense summer thunderstorms with heavy downpours and lightning. Sign up to Down to Earth The planet's most important stories. Get all the week's environment news - the good, the bad and the essential after newsletter promotion The Met Office does frequently draw attention to climate breakdown and clearly explains the links between extreme weather and the combustion of fossil fuels. However, Eyre said: 'I think people are just grasping at different ways of how they can bring stuff to life, how do we visually get this into the public domain, and how do we grab the attention of the government to do more in this space? It wasn't an attack on the Met Office as such.' A Met Office spokesperson said: 'We don't name storms after any private companies.'
BBC News
18-06-2025
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Sunderland Keel Crossing: FOI reveals the weird and wonderful alternatives
If 14 people had their way, anyone crossing the newest route over the River Wear would be doing so on Bridgey McBridgeface. A public vote resulted in Sunderland's new footbridge being called Keel Crossing but, despite it being nine years since Boaty McBoatface topped a poll of names for the UK's new polar research ship, the play on words still seemed popular. For some, the chance to make a pun or a political point was too good to miss - with Bridge-it Jones, the Please Fix the Potholes Instead Bridge and Régis Le Bridge all being 1,705 submissions - outlandish and sensible alike - where whittled down to a final three by a panel of representatives from community organisations across the city, with the final choice giving a nod to the "city's rich shipbuilding history", Sunderland City Council said. The new £31m footbridge, which is due to open in the summer, links the city's Keel Square with the Sheepfolds and the Stadium of of the name suggestions revealed in response to a Freedom of Information request by the BBC reflect the city's heritage and many took the vote as an opportunity for a bit of fun with five people suggesting Footy McFootbridge and 31 calling for Régis Le Bridge, after Sunderland head coach and former French football manager, Régis le rather plaintive Would Rather Have Crowtree Back Bridge and Please Fix The Potholes Instead Bridge had one vote each. Drama series Bridgerton was also among the names inspired by TV and film, while Wor Bridgit was another strong word play an older reference, and making good use of the local dialect, one person suggested The Bridge over the River, Aye, and another opted for The Bridge over the River, Niall - a nod to former Sunderland striker Niall secretary and Houghton and Sunderland South MP Bridget Phillipson missed out on being immortalised with Bridgey two people took the naming task more literally and suggested calling the 260m (853ft) structure Brian, or Colin. Football was a popular theme, with many people taking inspiration from the crossing's proximity to Sunderland AFC's home at the Stadium of suggested The Bridge of Light and variations on the words Black Cats, Stadium and wanted to name the bridge after six-year-old Bradley Lowery, who died of a rare form of cancer in shipbuilders and shipyards, lightbulb inventor Joseph Swan, the Wear, and the brewer Vaux were also popular topics. 'Sight to behold' But ultimately the chance of calling the crossing Bridgey McBridgeface was slim, given the 86 suggestions that included the word chance of a quirky sense of humour landing the city with a name it might regret was also averted by only letting Sunderland residents vote on a shortlist of Crossing - named after the structural backbone of a ship - was chosen with 55% of the votes, beating Wear Crossing and Beacon Bridge. City council leader Michael Mordey said the bridge was important as it extended the city centre to make areas such as the National Esports Arena, Sheepfolds Housing, and the Stadium of Light more accessible."I think I speak for every fan when I say I can't wait to see the spectacle of the Keel Crossing being transformed into a sea of red and white shirts and scarfs come matchdays," he said."It will be a real sight to behold." Follow BBC Sunderland on X, Facebook, Nextdoor and Instagram.
Yahoo
11-04-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Loch Ness Monster camera deployed in 1970 is pulled from water after 55 years — with eerie photos revealed
These secrets have been Loch-ed away for over half a century. An underwater camera deployed in 1970 in an attempt to capture images of the Loch Ness Monster was accidentally recovered — and it boasts some incredible photos. 'It is remarkable that the housing has kept the camera dry for the past 55 years,' Adrian Shine of the Loch Ness Project, which has been hunting for Nessie since the 1970s, told the BBC after identifying the aquatic recorder. The gadget was one of six cameras sent down into the Loch in 1970 by Chicago biologist Roy Mackal of the Loch Ness Investigation Bureau, Popular Mechanics reported. He had hoped to get definitive footage of the legendary cryptid, which has spawned thousands of so-called sightings — including a 'particularly captivating' one last month of a 'slithery mass' in the lake. The camera then lay forgotten for over a half-century until it was encountered by an autonomous marine submersible known as Boaty McBoatface, which was operated by the UK's National Oceanography Centre. While scouring the depths, McBoatface inadvertently snagged the mooring of the monster cam — nearly 600 feet down. Shine said he was impressed by the 'ingenious camera trap,' which was equipped with a built-in flash cube so four pictures could be snapped when the bait line was taken, perhaps by the so-called monster. He was also amazed that such a complex camera had managed to stay dry in its casing for all those years so far down and — most importantly — yield viable film when opened. To monster lovers' chagrin, the cam didn't capture any pics of Nessie, but the photos that were developed provided a fascinating visual map of the murky depths of Loch Ness. The film and the camera were subsequently handed over to the Loch Ness Centre, in Drumnadrochit, close to where it was recovered. Unfortunately, the existence of Nessie remains as murky as the waters in which it allegedly resides. Even die-hard monster hunter Adrian Shine remains unconvinced; he recently dismissed iconic photos of the beast as boat wakes or birds. 'Of course, there are long-necked creatures on Loch Ness — we call them swans,' the Scot scoffed.
Yahoo
03-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
‘Really Stupid Park': SF commuters use Great Highway park-naming contest to vent
SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) — Residents and commuters in San Francisco's Fourth District vented their frustrations with the permanent closure of a two-mile stretch of the Great Highway in March by submitting politically charged suggestions to San Francisco Recreation and Parks' 'Great Park Naming Contest.' Records obtained by KRON4 show that citizens submitted nearly 4,300 suggestions to San Francisco Recreation and Parks' park-naming contest. Responses ranged from silly to crude to thoughtful. SF to end free distribution of fentanyl paraphernalia without treatment Of the thousands of entries, roughly 100 recommended some variation of 'Parky McParkface' — a reference to the United Kingdom's famous research vessel Boaty McBoatface. More than 100 other submissions criticized or supported District 4 Supervisor Joel Engardio, who played a major role in the park's creation. In November, 54% of San Francisco voters approved Proposition K — an Engardio-backed ordinance, which permanently shuttered the segment of the Great Highway to establish a new public park. A majority of San Francisco residents in the Great Highway area, however, opposed the measure, citing traffic concerns. The backlash from local residents and Great Highway commuters spurred a movement to recall Engardio. In December, Engardio issued a statement in response to District 4 voters' cries for a recall. 'Many of them have told me they didn't feel heard in their objection to it being on the ballot,' Engardio wrote. 'I take this feedback to heart because it's important to me that everyone is heard.' Trump announces sweeping 'reciprocal' tariffs The frustrations of the citizens against Prop K were apparent in the names submitted to San Francisco Recreation and Parks — some of which are listed below. KRON4 has edited the list of submissions down to feature some popular, funny and meaningful responses. The new, still-unnamed park officially opens April 12. Park Name Reasoning for Proposed Name Engardio's Folly 'He had the audacity to go against his constituents' wishes and won!' Joel Engardio Park 'I typically do not like it when things are named after politicians, but I think this park should be an exception. I believe Joel was very instrumental in getting this park made and he sacrificed a lot of political capital to do and also had to stand up to a lot of verbal abuse.' Recall Joel Engardio Park 'If Joel Engardio had not acted against the will of his constituents, this closure would never have happened.' Engardio's End 'Supervisor Engardio betrayed his constituency by supporting this and now he faces recall for his treachery.' Point of Contention Park 'Point of Contention Park is the perfect name for this 'park' as it was shoved down the throats of the citizens of San Francisco by uber-progressive loudmouths who insist on taking away every single road in the city, foot by foot and mile by mile, as part of their never-ending war on cars and roadway traffic, despite the fact cars remain the most popular and practical choice for most of the city's residents …' The Joel Engardio Screw You District 4 Park 'Many parks, buildings, and other structures are name[d] after local politicians, as should this one.' The Great Scamway or The deLUXe Scamway 'Saying we need a park where we already have one, and the false advertising that went with that, constitutes a great scam, by the Great scammer himself, Joel Engardio (and his sidekick, Lucas Lux)!' Engardio ParK 'As supervisor for the Sunset, Joel Engardio believed in the potential of the Upper Great Highway being converted into a park. He may even lose his position as a result of this support. Either way, naming the park after the supervisor would be a stunning and brave decision by all San Franciscans. The upper case K is a nod to Proposition K, which paved the way for the park to be created.' King Joel Park 'Joel Engardio screwed his own constituents by acting in secret without public meeting or input — or even letting us know his plans to put a proposition on the ballot that seriously impacted the lives and neighborhoods in the Outer Sunset. He acted like a king who rules without regard to his subjects.' Deadly Sunset Streets Park 'Outer Sunset streets are more dangerous and crowded because of the closure of Great Highway — and Supe Engardio's lies, secrecy, and disregard of perspectives of his own constituents. Let's call this what it is.' Benedict Engardio Park 'Recognizes how the West Side was betrayed by its supervisor.' Engardio's Boondoggle 'D4 Supervisor performed political magic by convincing voters to turn a highway into a faux park that will get minimal use.' Traffic Congestion Park 'Will clog up traffic real bad and only people living in the Richmond and sunset will pay a price.' Joel Engardio is a Sellout Park 'Alternatives could be Bicycle Coalition Park, YIMBY Park, or The Neighborhood Didn't Want This Park.'' There's No Place to (Park) 'It's pretty freaking obvious if you live out here where it's already almost impossible to find a place to put your car let alone with additional visitors. But I am sure Joel Engardio must have some plan for that he just hasn't shared with us yet!' Joel Engardio 'This is to honor Joel Engardio, the supervisor of district 4 of San Francisco, in case he is recalled by a group of people who don't accept the results of our democracy election. Joel is the victim of hatred of the prop K's opponents when the ballot result wasn't their favor.' Joel P Engardio Great Highway Park 'It would be funny.' Traitor Joel Expressway 'Because Joel along with all of you are traitors to the west side. This from a multi-generation sunset resident.' Park Name Reasoning for Proposed Name This Is Stupid, Let's Not Do It 'I have to find another way to commute to work. So let's not close this road. Like my justification SF?' Parky McParkface 'In the great culture and history of the Internet, this is the only appropriate name.' Really Stupid Park 'It's a road!!!!' Worst Park Ever 'It's a highway.' Karl's Place 'Let's name it after Karl the Fog! The park's greenery will be sustained by Karl, I'm sure.' Adios Cars 'True and multi-cultural.' Bring a Jacket Park 'The fog sometimes comes in unexpectedly for people, it would be good to have a reminder.' No One Who Lives Here Voted for This Park 'It seems like only people who live nowhere near the great highway want this to be a park and everyone who uses it or lives near it wants a road.' Glide of The Tiddleywinks The Great Detour Traffic Jam Gridlock Parkway 'Because that's what I expect to experience each time I travel from Daly City …' Barren Stretch of Asphalt in the Service of the Idle Non-Working 'Park' 'The 'park' will still be paved. It was created by a city-wide referendum under misleading promotion, and only the far-off eastern neighborhoods voted for it, whereas the working communities actually next to it voted to keep things as is. The major use of the 'park' will be some guy from Noe Valley driving an SUV to it, parking, unloading his bicycle, and idling around for an hour before he packs up and drives home …' The Tickler 'This park will tickle your sensations of joy and belonging, in an outside sense. Let's all get tickled at The Tickler.' Shark Park 'Because I like the name.' Hella 'Hella is a word that is as San Francisco as its Cable Cars. The new park is 'Hella big.' The new park is 'Hella fun …'' Nowhere To Park 'As a long-time San Francisco native, and someone who spent my early years driving on the great highway to go to ocean beach, drive to UCSF for endocrinology appointments, and enjoy coffee in the sunset, I feel like this name encapsulates a lot about what makes this area so great. People are proud to be in the sunset and around the (former) great highway, but still have the pride to critique things they still want to change about the city they love.' Daddy's Little Park 'Daddy loves his parks.' Skibbity Rizzler 9,000 'Build a park for the young folks, name a park for the young folks!' The UGH for upper great highway! 'It's how quite a few of native San Francisco residents are feeling!' Miso Soup 'Good soup.' Gary Danny Glover's Gettin' Too Old for This Park 'Honor the amazing SF bred Danny Glover, of course.' Park Name Reasoning for Proposed Name Playland Park by the Beach 'Obviously, nothing is left to really remind of these times in the city's history, yet Playland must have been an immensely memorable place for so many San Franciscans. It is completely forgot unbelievable that there's nothing left on site informing those who don't know and haven't heard of it. A magical place. Forgotten. We need to hold on to our places' stories a little better. This would be a great way to do so … The Great Parkway 'It's historically been known as The Great Highway. It's becoming a park. A parkway is defined as 'an open landscaped highway.' So calling it The Great Parkway reflects its history, it's existence as a park, and its definition.' People's Park 'It's a space for people instead of cars and one that allows us all to enjoy the amazing western end of the city and edge of the continent. Especially in a time when people seem to matter less than data centers and rockets, this reminds us all that we're in charge.' (The) Great Pacific Esplanade 'It's a nod to both JFK Promenade as inspiration and to Great Highway for being on the site previously. But Esplanade is a word that captures the human experience, retaking of the space for people, not cars. As a Midwest transplant, there is nothing more grand than strolling along the Pacific Ocean on a sunny afternoon. Strolling down San Francisco's Great Pacific Esplanade will feel all of that simultaneous grandeur and serenity.' Yelamu Way 'This honors the Ohlone people who were here first, though all current SF residents are 'western people' as the word Yelamu confers. Way is a nod to the Great HighWAY. These two words together bring all of San Francisco's history forward, honoring the past by giving this land back to the people.' Fogpatch Park 'The sunny side of the city has the Dogpatch. The west side should have the Fogpatch.' Oceanview Park 'The name Oceanview Park would incorporate the existing landmark of Ocean Beach and remove any reference to highway as this evokes thoughts of vehicles and noise. Oceanview Park would set a picture in the mind of local San Franciscans and tourists alike as a place to view the Pacific Ocean and access Ocean Beach.' Karl's Expanse 'Favorite place for Karl the Fog when he comes to town.' Golden Sunsets Promenade 'This name describes how the park is used (promenade) and one of its biggest attributes (sunset viewing) and also incorporates the word golden (as in Golden State/Gate) and sunset (the neighborhood the park is in). It is a functional name that also markets the park well.' Pickleweed and Snowy Plovers Park 'These precious sand dunes once covered most of the western expanse of San Francisco. All of us who live and work in The Outer Richmond, Richmond, and Sunset neighborhoods need only dig a few inches down in our yards to reach the built over sand dunes. These precious remaining dunes along Ocean Beach are the only remaining local natural habitat for the fragile ecosystem of the Snowy Plovers and the dunes are full of pink, white and yellow glossy floral bloom from both the Pickleweed and Ice plants that creep over the dunes — so gorgeous, and such a treasure.' Golden Dunes Park 'Golden Dunes Park references the golden sands of Ocean Beach, the proximity to Golden Gate Park, the history of the Outside Lands region as miles of sand dunes, and the adjacent Sunset District's romantic name Golden Dunes Park, somewhat romantic in itself, also evokes the transitional nature of the space between the powerful surf, golden sands, and the bustling city by the Golden Gate that we see today.' Rainbow Park or Rainbow Park of the Great Highway 'San Francisco has always been a colorful city. People of all colors and walks of life give the city it's character. Rainbow park sounds like a fun and magical park that kids can easily pronounce …' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
