What is the most exciting thing that has ever happened in your village or small town?

[Puffinshop]

Obviously when you live in a big city, newsworthy stuff is happening all the time. If you've lived in small towns you know that it's often slim pickings for the local papers and it can be quite exciting when something happens close to you. What's the biggest local news story you remember from your town?

The most dramatic thing that ever happened where I live now (in my memory) is the body of a whale washed up on the beach. Sadly it was already dead so there was no rescue possible but so many people went to see it - quite a grisly and depressing sight but also impressive to see an animal of that size I suppose. I didn't go, partly because I had the kids with me and I didn't think a dead animal was something they'd enjoy (or me tbh) but loads of people took their kids It was certainly quite an event and everyone was talking about it.

In my childhood village there was once a man running round at night dressed in a gimp suit and frightening the villagers.

The Battle of Hastings

Childhood home was very near the epicenter of an earthquake

I think that might be my 'most exciting thing' 5.2 on the Richter Scale, small market town in Lincolnshire? My house shook!

A man died in Michael Barrymore's swimming pool.

Peaky Blinders filming in our local pub.

Winterfell built in a field in neighbouring village, where my family live.

Dad happily took lost tourists on impromptu (and possibly illegal) tours down to it. "Oh aye! 'Mon and I'll show you". Away he'd go, traipsing over fields.

Goring is just down from my in laws in Pangbourne, love The Catherine Wheel. The floral tributes and candles for George Michael were a sight to behold.

During covid lockdown the electrical box on the corner of our road went on fire, we had no power for several hours. All the neighbours were out to watch the police and fire brigade arrive, it was the most excitement we'd had all year.

A lady went missing on a night out. Her body was found, and turns out she was not the killer's first victim.

@NoTouch
This was awful and fairly local to me too

We've had a child murder and a mini bus crash killing multiple children. We also had a scandal involving the wife of local gentry and a famous politician.

In addition we have a football pundit's mother living up the road from mine and a relative of Peter Andre lives close now so he's been seen in the area.

There was a murder about 15 years ago where various body parts were dumped in suitcases, some were in my village.

Plus a mum and her disabled daughter died and weren’t found for a long time.

Both of those were pretty horrific.

Oh and the Beckhams apparently looked at a property very close by to my house. But that was also years ago.

Nothing that exciting in our town!

But the tour of Britain (bikes) has come past our house twice. Certainly quite exciting at the time, for all of about 7 seconds.

Town has 5 letters beginning with C?

Yep. The one with the vacuum cleaners.

I grew up in a pit village so in the early 80s during the miners’ strikes there were always reporters about.

until recently the most excitement in my current village was when the real donkey used in the Church Nativity crapped on the baby Jesus (doll) and went for a wee next to the pulpit. However, we’ve recently had a double murder and it looks like it might be a bodies under the patio type scenario. 😦

Think you're close to me but I didn't know about that sex scandal...do tell more!

Someone had the audacity to sleep in an expensive hammock (which is now on sale apparently, in store, not his personal one) and kept his very expensive pedal bike beside him in an unused, out of the way, old bus shelter (I believe). I know, because I saw a photo taken of it on the local Facebook group.

He fell asleep peacefully listening to the sounds of waves crashing...even had the bare faced cheek to tidy up the little area beforehand! Some poor woman couldn't have her usual sit down on the bench inside the shelter, ofcourse she couldn't have been expected to sit on any part of the wall/benches that line the length of a promenade!

'Maybe they're homeless,' came cries from townsfolk. Shocked faced emojis were used. 'They seem to have drilled into the wall to hang them hammocks...' casually observed one guy. No shit Sherlock.

The 'troublemaker' left the morning after, clearing up after himself. He defended himself with dignity on the Facebook post. He was just too good for the pearl clutches of this place. How dare he not just sleep at home looking at his artex bedroom ceiling like everyone else! Who the hell does he think he is?!

Thought so 😬 I’m trying to think of anything else mad that has happened here…..not much

Car Trap - hours of entertainment

There was a car accident which shut the road and the other football team form up North couldn't make it down for the game

It made the paper....

Town centre pavementgate is about as exciting as it gets these days

Neighbour! That was horrific.

David Mellor and Lady Cobham!

Our market town started with the death of two princes. We have occasionally escapes of cows from various farms. Most recently a man who was convicted of killing his 3 children (2 different families) is to move to an open prison ready for parole it's caused lots of upset and rightly so.

Used to live in a little village of <200 people and George Clooney had lunch in our local once.

Having said that, at the end of the road was the science park where they first sequenced the human genome so that’s probably a bit more exciting.

But…George Clooney!

@Nuca Yes! The culprit was a few years below me at secondary school.