charlesghose

Covid: Old bikes given a new life for lockdown

There has been a surge in interest in the outdoors during the Covid pandemic, prompting a pair of cycling enthusiasts to breath new life into old, discardedbicycles.Beth Ward and Robin Hughes are turning unwanted bikes into electric powered cycles in Denbighshire.They hope it will help encourage new riders to get fitter, for a fraction ofContinue reading “Covid: Old bikes given a new life for lockdown”

Moscow metro hires women drivers after rule changes

Moscow’s metro says it has hired its first female train drivers since controversial rules banning women from certain jobs were lifted last year. The city’s transport department welcomed “the [Moscow metro’s] first female electric train drivers” on Sunday, likening it to a new era. Twelve women joined the network in the Russian capital on 1Continue reading “Moscow metro hires women drivers after rule changes”

India coronavirus: The mums who became pandemic chefs

king – and they were good at it too. But they only cooked for family and friends.But everything changed for them in March when India’s coronavirus lockdown kept them at home with more time on their hands than ever before. And cookingis how they chose to fill their days.But soon they started cooking for othersContinue reading “India coronavirus: The mums who became pandemic chefs”

The K-pop inspired band that challenged gender norms in Kazakhstan

They made their debut as a boy band, expecting to create music and amass fans along the way – instead they were met with anger, protests and even threats. They perform choreographed dance routines, addictive tunes and shockingly slick music videos – and no, we’re not talking about K-pop.This is Q-pop, or Qazaq-pop – anContinue reading “The K-pop inspired band that challenged gender norms in Kazakhstan”

Faith and spirituality in the time of Covid

Like many millennials, Ms Allard had not attended church in years. She went every Sunday as a child, but when she hit her teenage years, she lost interest.Now, with nothing but time on her hands, she decided she would revisit her faith and see if she could find it a home. The pandemic had causedContinue reading “Faith and spirituality in the time of Covid”

Covid: The Rhondda boy who climbed a mountain carrying potatoes

People devised many ways to avoid becoming couch potatoes during lockdown.But few were as novel as actually carrying sacks of potatoes up a Rhondda mountain.Corey Williams, 10, did not stop there though – cycling up another and running up a third.His efforts raised £4,000 to buy tablet computers for patients at hospitals such as Llantrisant’sContinue reading “Covid: The Rhondda boy who climbed a mountain carrying potatoes”

Circus ring mistress ‘grateful’ for food banks

Big Kid Circus is a travelling circus that arrived in Morecambe in March 2020 and got stuck there because of the coronavirus lockdown. Unable to put onperformances, the troupe had to rely on local food banks to survive.Circus ring mistress Olympia Posirca explains what they have been doing since then to try and keep theirContinue reading “Circus ring mistress ‘grateful’ for food banks”

Moscow train carriage helps rehome stray pets

Moscow has launched a train carriage on the city metro system that’s dedicated to finding new owners for stray cats and dogs.Known as the ‘Tails and Paws’ train, it has posters on board featuring dozens of animals from 13 Moscow shelters asking passengers to give them a new home. https://www.bbc.com/news/av/world-europe-55418334

South Korea’s 96-year-old pianist hopes to keep playing

South Korean Jegal Sam has been playing the piano for 82 years – and is still going strong.The 96-year-old has been inseparable from the instrument even since he first took it up aged 14. It gave him a career teaching which spanned more than50 years, and even saved him from conscription during the Korean war.NowContinue reading “South Korea’s 96-year-old pianist hopes to keep playing”