Richard Ord

​Is dumping a litter lout head first into a wheelie bin an overreaction to casual flytipping or the bare minimum these miscreants should expect?

Is there a name for fear of losing the parking space outside your home?

The name made us laugh, the sentiment was heartfelt - and it was the public’s top pick. So why did Sunderland’s new bridge end up with a name hardly anyone suggested?

​‘Winter is coming’ is an oft-used phrase in the TV series Game of Thrones as both a portent of doom and an observation on the changing weather.

​Of all the world’s pressing problems, coffee cup design is surely the most urgent.

While Cop30 gathered in Brazil trying to save the planet as the Doomsday Clock ticks towards midnight, so a similar summit was taking place in North Tyneside with the fate of another much-loved body at its core… the humble sausage roll.

Having seen a look of panic flash across my face as my milestone birthday celebrations began, my darling sister-in-law gently informed me that ‘turning 60 is a privilege.’

​Where have I been over Christmas? Well, funny you should ask. I’ve been monkey wrestling in the Indonesian archipelago.

​In Ancient Egypt, athletes gained a competitive edge by drinking boiled ass hooves with rose petals. It worked - one runner was seen sprinting faster than ever… straight to the toilets.

‘Breakfast is the most important meal of the day,’ say the people who just happen to sell cornflakes.