Watercooler Stories

Fox wanders London train station

LONDON, Dec. 8 (UPI) -- A fox was spotted running down an escalator at a London Underground train station, a witness to the unusual urban wildlife episode says.

"As I got off the train and headed towards the up escalator I saw this daring creature dashing full speed down the down escalator, which was taped off for maintenance workers at the bottom," Kate Arkless Gray, 29, told The Mirror of her midnight Saturday encounter.

"I was wishing I'd been able to film it and then the workers at the bottom of the escalator shooed him back up again. He paused near the top for a moment so I scrabbled around in my bag and took some pictures. We were all stunned."

Gray said the fox eventually turned and left the station.

"He calmly left under the ticket barrier and went towards the bus station exit. Maybe he was trying to catch the last bus home," she said.

City replaces $22,800 fake tree with real

LONDON, Dec. 8 (UPI) -- The people of Poole, England, are getting a real Christmas tree after people grossed about the city's $22,800 fake one and someone vandalized it, officials say.

Jonathan Sibbett, chairman of Poole Town Center Management, said the artificial tree had been chosen as a health and safety measure because trees in past years had proven difficult to keep standing in strong winds. However, he said the tree was removed for repairs following recent vandalism and will now be replaced with a real fir, The Guardian reported Tuesday.

"We opted to have an artificial tree this year after feedback from Poole shoppers and residents This led to the decision to bring in something different this festive season and we are very disappointed that the cone tree has been vandalized," Sibbett said.

Detractors had compared the artificial tree with a giant traffic cone and a crashed UFO. A Facebook group demanding the tree be replaced with a real fir gathered more than 5,000 members.

Both the artificial tree and the new $814 real tree were paid for with private funds.

Language group blasts British official

LONDON, Dec. 8 (UPI) -- Britain's Plain English Campaign awarded its "Foot in Mouth" prize to an official who said people should look "round corners more thoroughly."

Business Secretary Peter Mandelson was given the campaign's satirical "award" for his use of language while discussing lawmakers' expenses, Politics.co.uk reported Tuesday.

"Perhaps we need not more people looking round more corners, but the same people looking round more corners more thoroughly to avoid the small things detracting from the big things the prime minister is getting right," Mandelson said.

The Plain English Campaign also awarded a Golden Bull to the Department for Health for a statement reading: "Primary prevention includes health promotion and requires action on the determinants of health to present disease occurring. It has been described as refocusing upstream to stop people falling in the waters of disease."

London's Metropolitan police also draw criticism from the group for "continuing use of jargon and gobbledegook."

Retailer stocks inflatable bra pads

LONDON, Dec. 8 (UPI) -- A British retailer says it is now stocking bra pads that inflate to increase cleavage by up to a cup size with the push of a button.

High-end retailer Debenhams said the white cotton air pads, which retail for $8, can be inflated or deflated to a number of sizes by pushing the small button, the Daily Express reported Tuesday.

"When getting ready at work for the office Christmas party a cleavage boost is the perfect way to take you from day to evening glamor puss," said Annette Warburton, head of lingerie buying for Debenhams.