A slightly overweight, self-centred beast who went viral for being a w**ker this week has finally moved on from the UK – and sadly, I’m not referring to Piers Morgan.
No, this particular mammal was Thor, a huge walrus who chose to spend his New Year’s Eve in the popular northern seaside town of Scarborough.
The incredible marine animal had hauled himself up onto the harbour slipway in the North Yorkshire town, drawing thousands of fascinated locals to see him.
And unlike his viral walrus counterpart Freya – who was euthanised for posing a ‘threat to human safety’ after people got too close to her – Thor was left in peace until he was rested enough to continue his journey north.
His little holiday in Scarborough even led to the local New Year’s Eve fireworks display being cancelled, after the British Divers Marine Life Rescue advised that the loud noises could ‘distress’ the walrus.
Instead, crowds flocked down to see the huge creature hanging out in their town – and got to witness him… ahem… pleasuring himself in front of onlookers.
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A video viewed almost four million times was captioned: “There’s a walrus lost in scarborough. So hes just decided to knock one out in front of us all on the pier. no fucks given.”
Someone else sharing the video wrote: “A walrus named Thor stopped by Scarborough to masturbate and rest on his journey in the North Sea, prompting the city to cancel its New Year’s Eve fireworks to avoid disturbing him. This is the energy we need in 2023.”
Other more family-friendly videos show him scratching his nose, having a slow wander about, and generally chilling out by the water.
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Since he moved on from Scarborough, he was spotted relaxing on a pontoon up in Blyth, Northumberland, but moved on again early this morning.
An incredible Twitter thread by Bethan Clyne, a marine mammal medic with BDMLR, detailed the ‘gruelling but rewarding’ 14 hours they spent monitoring Thor the walrus in Scarborough.
What a surreal day! Arriving on site at 3am 31/12/2022 and spending a grueling but rewarding 14hrs closely monitoring 'Thor'.
It's been an absolute honour and a privilege to be involved from the start and be part of such an amazing @BDMLR team.
Her updates included that he remained ‘relatively unphased and comfortable’ despite the huge crowds who came out to see him.
Bethan wrote: “As Medics, we also devoted a large amount of our time to the public. I really enjoyed talking and educating 100’s upon 100’s of the interested, respectful members of the public. Some were so kind to offer drinks, food and encouraging words to keep us going in the rain and cold!”
She added: “After hours of him teasing us (I thought he was going to rest again) I was so excited and relieved when he finally made his way back to sea! We sprinted to the end of the harbour where we watched him surface a few times before disappearing into the darkness.”
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Thor the walrus is now expected to make his way up north, but may pause again for another break (hopefully he keeps it PG this time) somewhere along the Scottish coastline.
Featured image: TikTok @andysheadz / Twitter @BDMLR
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Half of Mancs don’t know how to cook Christmas dinner, new survey reveals
Emily Sergeant
Christmas dinner is one of the key parts of any festive celebration.
No matter whether you choose to tuck into a traditional roast with all the trimmings and lashings of gravy, or you prefer to go for something a little different like a curry or a Chinese instead, your Christmas dinner is a chance to gather round with your loved ones and enjoy one of the heartiest meals you’ll likely have all year.
However, some shocking new figures have revealed that half of Manchester residents have no clue how to even cook a Christmas dinner.
Through a major study by the UK’s leading electrical retailer, AO.com, it was revealed that the majority of our city’s residents are “losing confidence” in preparing even the simplest of British dishes – with a traditional roast or Christmas dinner being one of them.
A new survey has revealed that half of Mancs don’t know how to cook Christmas dinner / Credit: Freepik | GoodFon
As part of its new campaign to get Brits back into the kitchen, AO found that just 57% of respondents reckon they would be able to make a roast dinner, 52% could whip up a classic shepherd’s pie, 58% could cook bangers and mash, merely 61% could prepare a full English breakfast, and again, only 57% could tackle fish and chips.
Classic desserts are clearly a struggle for us Mancs too, according to the survey, as only 19% of respondents said they’d feel confident cooking a Christmas pudding.
The survey also found that nationwide, it was Gen Z – those between the age of 16 and 27 – that are the least confident in their ability to cook great British classics, while on the other end of the spectrum, Baby Boomers are the most capable, proving that culinary confidence increases with age.
Our region’s residents are apparently ‘losing confidence’ at cooking simple British classics / Credit: Freepik
Commenting on the results, Jay Lockton, oven expert at AO.com, said: “Kitchens should be a place of creativity and joy, but our data shows that a lot of people in Manchester are losing confidence in preparing even the simplest of British dishes.
“Based on our findings, many younger people may be opting for convenience foods or takeaways due to their busy schedules and the perception that cooking from scratch is time-consuming or difficult.
“But with simple guidance and the right tools, we believe everyone can rediscover the joy and simplicity of homemade meals.”
Featured Image – gpointstudio (via Freepik)
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New Hairy Bikers documentary to take viewers on ’emotional journey’ in tribute to Dave Myers
Emily Sergeant
A new documentary paying an emotional tribute to late Hairy Biker Dave Myers is set to air on the BBC in the run up to Christmas.
Dave Myers – who was most well-known for being one half of the famous Hairy Bikers duo that starred in the BBC cookery and travel show of the same name, alongside Si King – died earlier this year (28 February 2024) after revealing back in May 2022 that he had been diagnosed with cancer, and was undergoing chemotherapy treatment.
The final Hairy Bikers episode aired on 19 March following Dave’s passing, and viewers tuned in in their tens of thousands to watch the beloved show that had been entertaining the masses for close to two decades.
🏍️ Si King celebrates the life of fellow Hairy Biker and best friend Dave Myers in a special one-off BBC documentary
Si picks out key moments from the past 25 years of the pair's TV careers in The Hairy Bikers: You’ll Never Ride Alone
But despite that being the final episode with Dave involved, there’s still one last chapter left to tell.
Set to air on BBC Two on Monday 23 December, viewers will be invited on an “emotional journey” through the Hairy Bikers story with Si King, as he celebrates the life of his best mate and former TV partner.
The documentary follows Si as he leads a motorcycle convoy to Dave’s hometown of Barrow-in-Furness, while archive material, new interviews, and previously-unseen footage is shown to help celebrate Dave’s life.
A new Hairy Bikers documentary will take viewers on an ’emotional journey’ in tribute to Dave Myers / Credit: BBC / South Shore Productions
You can relive the journey that took Dave around the world while cooking up a storm as one of television’s greatest-ever double acts.
“I’m incredibly proud of the programme because it’s a tribute to my best mate,” Si King said.
“It was an amazing experience, I didn’t quite know what to expect. That was the whole thing, none of us did. We thought at the most we’d get 10,000 bikes, we didn’t dream it would be 46,000 motorcycles and a 30-mile tail, it was just insane. I just felt enormously privileged.”
Daisy Jackson -
3rd January 2023 
