DAVID ADAMS provides a round-up of some stories on the odder side of life…
The hearse carrying the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II departs RAF Northolt, from where it will be taken to Buckingham Palace, London, to lie at rest overnight in the Bow Room on Tuesday, 13th September. PICTURE: Andrew Matthews/Pool via Reuters.
• More than five million people viewed Queen Elizabeth II’s final flight on Tuesday, as the journey carrying the late monarch’s body from Edinburgh to London became the most tracked flight in history. Flight tracking website Flightradar24 said a total of 4.79 million people watched the flight live online, with a further quarter of million people watching on its YouTube channel. The company said an unprecedented six million people tried to follow the flight within the first minute of the Boeing C17A Globemaster turning on its transponder at Edinburgh’s airport, affecting the stability of the platform. “Seventy years after her first flight as Queen aboard the BOAC Argonaut Atalanta, Queen Elizabeth II’s final flight is the most tracked flight in Flightradar24 history,” Flightradar24 Director of Communications said in an email. Flightradar24 said the flight was more than twice the previous record of 2.2 million – when US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi flew on a controversial visit to Taiwan in August. – Reuters
General view of the “world’s largest corn maze” celebrating the 60th anniversary of James Bond, in Spring Grove, Illinois, on 8th September. PICTURE: US REUTERS/Eric Cox
• A suburban Chicago farm that boasts the “world’s largest corn maze” is celebrating the 60th anniversary of the world’s most famous fictional secret service agent, James Bond. The intricate maze, set to open Saturday, features over 16 kilometres of trails and sits on 11 hectares in Spring Grove, Illinois, north of Chicago. “It’s a different theme every year,” said George Richardson, co-owner of Richardson Adventure Farm. “We’re highlighting 60 years of James Bond this year, a very fun theme for us.” Richardson says the maze is made by using high-tech corn planter tractors outfitted with GPS and special shutoffs. As the tractor travels across the field, corn seed is dropped to plant the maze’s pattern, down to the tiny details of their chosen design. “It’s a pretty big process,” said Richardson. “It’s very enjoyable and to see the results, it’s really amazing.” – ERIC COX/Reuters
Jim Bachor installing a mosaic of former US President Donald Trump in a pothole in Chicago on 24th August. PICTURE: Video still from Reuters TV.
• An American mosaic-maker is putting his skills to work by filling potholes with eye-catching works. “I never meant to be a street artist, but given where this pothole thing has gone, people say ‘he’s the ultimate street artist,’ said Jim Bachor who says that, after years of working as a creative director for a Chicago ad agency, he was prompted to start his work in Chicago after a 2013 to Italy in which he saw mosaics that had survived an ancient volcano in Pompeii. “And I never really thought about that, but it’s totally true. Because I’m the only literally doing it in the street.” Besides garnering attention for mosaics he’s created across the country, Bachor – who learnt the art of mosaic-making during an earlier trip to Italy in the late 1990s, has also received international acclaim; traveling overseas to install his pothole art in Italy and Finland. “The success of this whole thing and really why it took off is because everyone can relate to it,” said Bachor. “It doesn’t matter who you are, where you live, how much money you make, whatever. Everyone can relate to potholes and everyone hates them.” The imagery in Bachor’s mosaics vary greatly, from kittens and Taco Bell hot sauce packets to political messages critical of former President Donald Trump. “I’ve done I think about 103 right now total, and each one’s got its own story in terms of how it got there,” said Bachor. “It’s an advertising sign that’s constantly on, and hopefully, it puts a smile on somebody’s face because it’s unexpected.” Bachor is currently in Washington DC on a month-long tour installing mosaics in the DMV area. – Reuters
