A new Greater Anglia trains that works (Photo: Boevaya Mashina under CC BY-SA 4.0)
Under pressure rail operator Greater Anglia has promised a full investigation after it emerged one of its trains ran on time.
The extraordinary event happened this morning when the 7.49 from Ipswich to London made it to the capital without any issues whatsoever.
Commuters are used to delays or their services not running at all, so were alarmed when the train arrived on schedule.
A Greater Anglia insider said: “We would like to apologise for the shock caused by a train running on time.
“We promise to get to the bottom of it and make sure it never happens again.”
Commuter Lorraine Fisher, 34, said: “I arrived at work on time and my boss nearly fainted.
“We expect far less from a rail company that ordered a new set of trains, put them in service before they worked properly, and sold off all of the old trains in the meantime.
“I expect they have some comedic excuse for this morning’s train arriving on time. Perhaps it’s because nothing else was running so it had a clear track?”
Since online games started to become more popular with an increase in the availability of the internet, they’ve become one of the top forms of entertainment. The worldwide online gaming market is now worth around $46 billion which is expected to double by 2024.
With the
industry bigger than ever and producing more innovative and immersive hits each
year, let’s take a look back at some of the biggest and best online games of
the century.
World of Warcraft
Originally released in 2004, World of Warcraft gave players the chance to live out their dream of playing as a dwarf, elf or other fantasy-based characters. Players were part of a huge online world and could interact and join one another to take on quests.
World of Warcraft is the most popular massively multiplayer
online role-playing game (MMORPG) of all time. In 2009 the game had a player
count of more than 10 million, whilst in 2014 there were over one hundred
million registered accounts.
The success of the game has made the Warcraft franchise the
highest-grossing video game series of all time. Its success spawned countless
copies and other MMORPGs, but none could match the quality of World of Warcraft.
Online Slots
Slots which would traditionally only be found in casinos can
now be played directly from the comfort of your home. Aside from offering you
the chance to win big prizes, slots can be great fun to play. Many online
casinos have realised the popularity of these games and now offer hundreds of
online slots.
Whilst traditional slot games typically all followed the same design, innovation thanks to demand and competition has meant today’s slots are a lot more exciting. These days you can find high-quality animations, exciting bonus features and interesting themes featured on the latest video slots. Find out more about new and exciting online slots at 100 euro ohne einzahlung casino.
Recent years have seen the use of online casinos and slot
games increasing as most sites also offer mobile play. The ability to play
slots whilst on the go is a big plus for many players.
Minecraft
Whilst it didn’t start out as a multiplayer game,
Microsoft’s version of Minecraft has come a long way since the original.
Beginning in 2009 as one man’s project to provide players with a Lego-like
procedurally generated world, Minecraft soon became something much bigger.
By the time the game was fully released in 2011, it had 10
million players who enjoyed the creative and unlimited aspects of building in
the game. Over time, Microsoft began to release the game over other platforms
including game consoles and phones, helping to reach new audiences.
Now with other 175 million copies sold, Minecraft has become
a social hobby for many young players who set up servers to build and play with
their friends. Hundreds of schools throughout the world even use the
educational version of Minecraft to help teach students about diverse subjects
such as physics, art, electronics and sustainable farming.
Battle Royale Games
The late 2010s saw the arrival of a new format of online game, the Battle Royale. Widespread access to fast internet speeds have meant the scale of online games has increased and Battle Royale games see up to 100 players all battling against each other.
After the success of Fortnite BR and PUBG, many other games
followed, trying to match the success of the previous games by adding new
features. Although games such as Apex Legends and PlanetSide Arena have been
popular, none have matched the impact of Fortnite and PUBG.
PUBG has racked up more than 400 million players worldwide
and is available across multiple platforms including mobile devices. Fortnite,
meanwhile, has amassed more than 250 million players and made a reported $2.4
billion in 2018, not bad for a free game.
Scientists have conclusively shown that Adrian Smith’s front garden wall is not visible from space.
The study of satellite photos shows that, despite it being a long-held belief, Adrian’s wall cannot be seen from the moon. In fact, it’s pretty hard to spot it from up the road.
Professor Lorraine Fisher, 34, of Suffolk University’s astrophysics department, said: “We’re not sure where everyone got the idea that Adrian’s wall was visible from space, but it’s simply not true. It’s an urban myth.
“It is much to thin to be spotted, which is a shame because it’s a lovely Victorian-era brick.”
Mr Smith, 31, said: “My wall has been something of a tourist attraction here in Ipswich simply because people thought it was a feat of engineering.
“I’ll admit I had even applied for a grant from English Heritage so it could be re-pointed.
“I don’t suppose I’ll get that now.”
Mr Smith, a company director, says the news has not put him off his wall, which keeps his large detached home nice and private.
“It’s a nice wall – and does it really matter that folks on the space station can’t see it?”
The casino industry has always done pretty well for itself for a wide range of reasons, one of these being the fact that players not only enjoy the games but the added bonus of winning is also a great reason to play.
This reason alone is in fact usually enough to get players going in the first place, but ultimately the gaming experience at 666casino.com is the main thing that pulls us in most of the time.
So what is the impact of mobile gaming on the online casino industry? Overall, it is pretty positive stuff, and with the rise of digital, smartphones and gaming going hand in hand, there is a clear correlation as to how mobile gaming has gone up because our devices have too.
Convenience
This means that convenience has won here. It is somewhat ironic that in the way that the online casinos once did, mobile casinos have climbed up the popularity ranks since their inception.
So much so in fact, that since then the growth of mobile casinos has contributed a huge 15 per cent of revenue in the gambling industry.
Which is ironic when you think about it because only about eight years or so ago, nobody and especially not gamers saw this kind of change in gaming happen.
Not that that is a bad thing, but what actually made this event happen and cause the mobile casinos growth?
The short answer is that it all comes back to convenience – now we have plenty of apps on our smartphones, and it just so happens that in our day to day life we use those phones probably more than we use anything else.
This means that the online casino industry is booming like a mobile casino, but the cross over in the two helps.
You might find a game online for example, and decide to download it on your mobile, and in this way, you have got the best of both worlds.
But what exactly is the impact of mobile gaming on the online casino industry then? Well, as more and more of us choose to play games through our smartphones – in particularly casino games – fewer people are playing with an online casino.
As many as 44 per cent in fact of casino gamers choose to play their games online over their smartphones and through apps rather than with online casinos.
But, having said that, that is not to say that online casinos are failing now. Most of the casinos you can find online have more than 100 games on offer in any one catalogue, and this is growing as developers find more ways to create innovative games.
It is also worth noting that it is not all about convenience. The user experience when it comes to gaming has rapidly improved too as with the growth of mobile gaming.
With better graphics and better software, it is perhaps only a matter of time before mobile gaming might just overtake online casinos.
This gorgeous, private cottage in Windsor is now available to rent for £10,000 a night on Airbnb because the owners are moving abroad.
The property has been renovated recently at great expense – about £2.4 million – and comes with all the mod cons and extensive security and personal staff.
Despite unexpectedly moving to North America, host Harry writes on the Airbnb page that he wants to keep the cottage, even though he doesn’t actually own it.
“One is needing to become financially independent, so we are reluctantly allowing the great unwashed to stay in our cottage.
“It’s only £10,000 a night, and you’ll find the key in a key safe by the back door. I will send you the combination code prior to your arrival.”
The Airbnb page is full of glorious photographs of the Grade Two-listed property but warns against families with young children renting it out.
“There is a dodgy uncle who might pop round uninvited. Don’t let him in, whatever you do,” host Harry adds.
Airbnb property listings executive Lorraine Fisher, 34, said: “There has already been a lot of interest in this Windsor cottage, with most people saying they want their money back even though they have never stayed there.”
A bus service has been launched to connect isolated communities in parts of rural Norfolk for the first time, operators confirmed today.
The fleet of shining vehicles each carry two passengers in a secure, air-conditioned seating area, and are capable of whizzing them from village to village inside two hours.
Up until now, it has taken women living in remote areas like Downham Market, Swaffham and Fakenham all day to fetch water from regional wells or to forage berries from far-away hedges.
But the new fleet introduced by Luxor Traction Ltd means they now have more time to attend to their other daily duties – like sweeping out their hovels.
Edna Spratt, 37, who lives near Downham Market with her brother and their nine children, said: “The new bus service is excellent. I can catch the 7.37am from the end of my track and get to Salters Lode to collect water in under two hours.
“It’s then just a five-hour wait for the 2pm service back towards Downham Market. I have heard that abroad in places like Suffolk they have something called locomotives on tracks which can carry more than two people, but that sounds like the devil’s work.”
Luxor Traction Ltd launched its fleet of 15 buses to service most parts of rural Norfolk in recent weeks.
Company chief executive Mr John Deere said: “We are very proud to open up parts of rural Norfolk for the first time. Public transport will transform the lives of hard-working local people like Edna.
“It’s taking a bit of time to catch on because these folk do not have televisions or read, so it is difficult to get the word out. But we are confident of turning a profit by 2023.”
Lorraine Fisher, 34, had nothing to say about this story.
They said it could never be done – but 81-year-old Maggie Moore has become the first person to circumnavigate Suffolk by bus.
The thrill-seeking pensioner has climbed Himalayan mountains in the past, but this year Maggie swapped K2 for the number 62 as she left herself at the mercy of public transport.
“I knew that travelling by bus in Suffolk was difficult, but I never realised it was this difficult,” said Maggie as she clambered off the number 173 to a crowd of journalists and well-wishers on her triumphant return to Felixstowe.
“Until you’ve experienced it yourself, you can never understand the extraordinary mental and physical effort it takes to get from Brandon to Eye on a Sunday.
“Climbing six thousand metres at high altitude is nothing compared with trying to figure out the timetable for the number 312.”
Maggie Moore, third left, on the Lowestoft leg of her trip
Moore’s epic trip took her on a treacherous circular route around the edge of the county, taking in the likes of Ipswich, Sudbury, Brandon and Lowestoft, before finally returning to her home town of Felixstowe on Saturday. In total, the journey took 63 days, during which time she consumed 72 flasks of tea, 253 cheese sandwiches and 20 packets of peppermint creams.
“I had to deal with a lot – loneliness, isolation, body odour. There were some dark times,” admitted Maggie. “Anybody who takes a bus in Suffolk and tells you they haven’t thought about suicide is lying.”
Maggie’s epic voyage has proved an inspiration to the people of her home town, as Felixstowe resident Lorraine Fisher, 34, admitted. “She’s a great role model. Young people in Suffolk will look up to Maggie and realise that, one day, if they work hard and are prepared to make sacrifices, they can take a bus journey too.”
But fellow resident John Mortimer, 62, was less enthusiastic. “I don’t agree with taxpayers’ money being wasted on free bus trips for adventurers. What if she had become stranded and had to be rescued?”
The story also made headlines in Essex, where reports claim Maggie’s journey has finally proved that Suffolk is round.
The British Royal Family has been rocked after revelations that the Queen is not who she claims to be. This bombshell came about following a security breach at the MI6 New Years party, where one of the senior spies reportedly forgot to close the gate.
Among the twelve tonnes of stolen material were various documents and video
footage of the woman we now know as the Queen, winning her crown from the
former Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Windsor with a pair of 8’s.
While the Royal Family has been quick to speak against these ‘malicious
untruths’, longstanding friends of the Queen have noted this development ‘makes
a lot of sense’.
Even since the end of WW2, the formerly calm and collected queen was
increasingly rambunctious. This was marked by a rapid shift of interests, such
as her recent turn towards modern online casinos.
Unbeknownst to the public, the fake Queen has enjoyed a long and successful
history of gambling, noting her recent passion at games like baccarat,
blackjack, and the roulette
table from Paddy Power, to name a few. Here she is reported to play the
days away on the variety of different tables, as she waits for the cover of
darkness to escape the palace grounds.
An unnamed insider remarked that this was one of her few
technological-driven passions, as Her Majesty has otherwise turned to more
mechanical thrills.
Retired Butler of the Queen, Geoffrey Duncedom, now breaking his silence, has reported that she spent a long stint as one of London’s premier illegal street drift racers, operating under the name Burnout Betty.
Still, it is her propensity for victorious gambling which has made the fake
Queen a legend within the whispers of Windsor’s hallowed halls. While not
verified, there are reports that, due to her prowess, England technically owns
twelve US states, half of Denmark, the
Loch Ness Monster (should it exist), and whatever is found at the bottom of
the Baltic Sea.
While we have our team rapidly searching over the collection of data
collected from the MI6 leak, questions remain as to what happened to the old
Queen.
We did manage to track down a woman in Newmarket who fit the profile, but
the woman assured us all that she was devoid of royal blood. She also remarked
that were she to bet her entire life on a hand of poker, she would not have
done so unless she really wanted to lose.
As it now stands, indications are that the current Queen is becoming increasingly
cavalier in her attitude towards expressing her interests and passions.
Having asked for a top of the line computer to play her online casino games,
many of her advisors are warning against playing into public fears about her
true identity.
Bold reporters even managed to invade the recent
knighting of Sir Sam Mendes, interrupting her directly to shout that they
had proof of the Queens royal façade. Escorted out, they were last heard
screaming that she ‘wouldn’t get away with this’.
In response, the Queen only offered her wry smile, and the words: “Do you wanna bet?”.
