From trying to kick rats to death on Camberwell Green to a car getting stuck on the steps of a Dulwich pub – here are five of some of the weirdest news stories from 2022.
1. “I spend my days trying to kick rats to death”: Camberwell Green anti-rat Instagram account emerges
Sightings of “demented pigeon-hunting rats” on Camberwell Green prompted an exasperated local resident to set up an anti-rat Instagram account.
An anonymous person who runs @CamberwellGreenRats said the green off Camberwell New Road has been “surrendered to the rats” and is trying to get Southwark Council to take action.
In one post, they wrote: “I’ve been spending my days conspiring against the rats and the majority of my evenings trying to kick the rats to death – which I’m unfortunately nowhere near agile enough to do. Surely there’s a way @SouthwarkCouncil?”
The account is still active, and its latest post urges for a “24-hour armed police presence” until the issue has been resolved.
“I spend my days trying to kick rats to death”: Camberwell Green anti-rat Instagram account emerges
2. Fingers on the pulse
Local parents were left deflated after waking up to find eco-vigilantes had let down the tyres on their “gas guzzler” SUVs, by shoving lentils in their valves.
One mum-of-three from Eynella Road, East Dulwich, whose 4×4 was hit, called the perpetrators “absolute a-holes”.
The eco-group didn’t leave without an explanation –leaflets they’d left under drivers’ windscreen wipers said: “SUVs are the second biggest cause of rising carbon emissions in the last decade. This is why we have disarmed your SUV by deflating one or more of its tyres.”
Parents fuming after eco group ‘Tyre Extinguishers’ deflate Dulwich and Herne Hill SUVs
3. Car gets stuck on stairs of West Dulwich pub
A driver reportedly mistook the steps for the exit of the pub car park and lodged their car on the stairs of The Alleyn’s Head pub in West Dulwich.
Thankfully, no one was injured, and no offences were identified that day.
One passerby, noticing the sticker in the car’s window, joked that it was a “National Trust member gone rogue”. Maybe they’ll get the bus home next time.
4. Tarantula was spotted on London Bridge train after being abandoned by owner
Commuters were shocked to be sharing their train carriage with a furry, eight-legged companion at London Bridge station.
The pink-toed tarantula – thought to be an abandoned pet – was rescued by Mat Hawkins, an RSPCA officer and taken to an animal hospital in Essex.
Tarantula spotted on London Bridge train after being abandoned by owner
5. Peckham conkerers: Competition saw hundreds compete for 22-carat gold conker
A Peckham-based conker club hosted their annual competition at a local pub which attracted over 300 people to compete for a 22-carat gold conker, known as “The Nugget.”
Winner Harry Phillips, from New Cross, walked away with the unusual trophy and debunked some myths about what makes a ‘winning conker’.
He said the age-old trick of putting it in the oven to harden it ‘didn’t work’. Instead, he said ageing it in his garage was the secret to hardening the conker. “Some of them will rot over time, but the ones that don’t will become solid.”
Peckham conkerers: Hundreds competed for 22-carat gold conker, the much coveted ‘Nugget’
READ MORE – REVIEWS OF THE YEAR 2022 – below:
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Killings in 2022
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The Most Shocking Stories
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The Funniest Headlines
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How we covered Her Majesty’s passing
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We look back at the people taken from us in 2022
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How locals responded to the cost-of-living crisis
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How we stood with Ukraine
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Labour tightened its hold in the local elections
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Southwark Soapbox hit the screen
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Squabbles over MP Harriet Harman’s succession
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Neil Coyle’s suspension from the Labour Party
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Mass strike action
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Winning the war against the bus cuts
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Primary schools faced closure and the battle to stay afloat continues