Spend, spend, spend
London mayor Sadiq Khan ended support for the Garden Bridge, probably killing it off. How are other public projects going?
— Manchester City Council spent
£3.5 million blocking a right of way with a glass pod and iron gates likened to Edvard Munch’s ‘The Scream’.
— Birmingham City Council proposes to spend £10 million on a water feature and new lights in Centenary Square.
— Trafford Council spent £16,000 on a stone in Altrincham bearing the words ‘market’ and ‘1290’.
— Since 2005, Belfast City Council has spent £104,650 on portraits of its lord mayors.
Gap years
Emmanuel Macron’s wife is 24 years older than him. How unusual is this?
— In 2001, 4 per cent of UK couples had husbands more than 15 years older and 4 per cent had wives over eight years older.
The US has more detailed figures
| Husband 20 or more years older | 1.0% |
| Husband 15-19 years older | 1.6% |
| Husband 10-15 years older | 4.8% |
| Husband 6-9 years older | 11.6% |
| Age-gap five years or less | 76.7% |
| Wife 6-9 years older | 2.7% |
| Wife 10-14 years older | 1.0% |
| Wife 15-19 years older | 0.3% |
| Wife 20 or more years older | 0.3% |
Source: US Current Population Survey
Crime watch
East Devon District Council made it an offence to feed seagulls under a Public Spaces Protection Order. Other new or proposed crimes under such orders:
— Under-16s gathering in groups of three or more (Bassetlaw)
— Sitting in a shop doorway on more than one occasion (Tendring)
— Busking for over an hour (Hammersmith)
— Sleeping in public in the dark (Wrexham)
— Walking more than four dogs at a time (Gosport)
— Allowing your sheep to enter the village of Bream (Forest of Dean)
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