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Diver's Luck: Lost Wedding Ring Resurfaces Thanks to Community Help
Chris Brightmore's wedding ring, lost in the Persian Gulf after 51 years on his finger, was miraculously recovered thanks to a community effort. While swimming at Kite Beach in Dubai, Chris noticed his ring missing and panicked. Despite initial failed searches with his wife, help came from an online post. A former professional diver named Adam Whitehead volunteered to assist and successfully retrieved the ring from ten feet underwater. This heartwarming story highlights the power of community support and asking for help when needed.
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New Study Reveals That A Little Stress Could Be The Secret To Healthy Aging
New research out of Switzerland suggests that not all stress is bad — at least not when it comes to aging. A team of scientists at the University of Basel has found that certain nutrients in the diet of microscopic worms can trigger a mild stress response that helps them stay healthier as they age. Far from being harmful, this small dose of stress appears to boost the worms’ ability to fight off age-related damage. The study, published in Nature Communications, focuses on Caenorhabditis elegans, a tiny roundworm often used in aging research due to its short lifespan and well-mapped genetics. The researchers discovered that certain double-stranded RNA molecules in the worms’ bacterial diet helped prevent the build-up of toxic protein clumps inside cells — a process linked to diseases like Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and age-related muscle disorders. “These molecules prevent the formation of harmful protein aggregates that are typically linked with aging and disease,” said study leader Professor Anne Spang. As organisms get older, their ability to clean up damaged proteins declines, leading to clumps that can interfere with normal cell function. But in this study, the dietary RNA molecules appeared to kickstart a gentle, system-wide stress response that activated the worms’ internal clean-up system — a process called autophagy. “This low-level stress essentially trains the body to cope with protein damage more effectively,” said Emmanouil Kyriakakis, the study’s first author. The effect wasn’t just local to the digestive system. “We observed protective effects not only locally, but also in muscles and throughout the whole organism,” Kyriakakis said. In short: the nutrients helped the worms clean up cellular waste more efficiently — which kept them healthier and more active in old age. The broader goal of the research is tied to a growing focus in medicine and aging science: not just how long we live, but how well we live. Known as healthspan, this concept refers to the number of years spent in good health, free of serious disease or disability. “Specific food components can stimulate the body’s own protective mechanisms,” Spang said. “So, a little stress can be good for you.” Whether the same mechanisms apply to humans remains to be seen. But the study adds to a growing body of evidence that what we eat doesn’t just affect how we feel — it could also play a role in how we age. For now, the takeaway is clear: diet matters, and some nutrients may do more than nourish — they may actually help the body protect itself from aging, one cell at a time.
Score (98)
AI Technology Locates Blind Dog 33 Days After Thunderstorm Disappearance
When a thunderstorm rolled through San Antonio in early June, it frightened Sandy, a 12-year-old blind dog, into fleeing her home. What followed was a frantic, month-long search — and a reunion made possible by a new kind of tool: artificial intelligence. Sandy’s owner, Juliette Gonzalez, was devastated. “I was very worried and so scared for her, especially because she is blind and a senior,” she told PEOPLE. “I was scared to death.” After weeks of searching her neighborhood and local shelters with no sign of Sandy, Gonzalez turned to Love Lost, a free national database that uses AI to match photos of missing pets with those recently brought into shelters or posted online. Love Lost works by scanning submitted images of lost pets and comparing them to thousands of intake photos from shelters across the country. It also pulls from community platforms like Nextdoor and Ring to increase the odds of finding a match. Gonzalez uploaded Sandy’s photo and waited. On July 4 — more than a month after Sandy disappeared — Love Lost alerted Gonzalez to a possible match. She clicked the notification and immediately recognized her beloved dog, thinner but unmistakably Sandy, in a photo from the Footbridge Foundation shelter. “I was so excited, and my heart was racing,” Gonzalez said. She contacted the shelter and confirmed the match. Staff at the Footbridge Foundation were thrilled to facilitate the reunion after Sandy’s 33-day disappearance. “She was so very happy,” Gonzalez said of Sandy. “Her tail was wagging so much. Sandy is very happy to be back home with our family and playing in her yard with her brother.” Sandy’s story is one of more than 140,000 pet reunions made possible by Love Lost, which is part of Petco Love, a national nonprofit focused on animal welfare. "One major obstacle to reuniting lost pets with their families is the sheer number of places where people can choose to post lost and found pets online," said Abbie Moore, chief operating officer of Petco Love. “If I lose my pet and post somewhere, and you find my pet and post somewhere else, we are not going to connect. That’s a missed opportunity.” Love Lost is designed to bridge that gap. Regardless of where a pet is posted — whether it’s on a shelter site or a neighborhood app — it feeds into Love Lost’s centralized system, where AI compares photos to find potential matches. "It's pretty revolutionary," Moore said. "For every lost pet there's a heartbroken human feeling absolutely frantic with worry. Pets make our families whole. Love Lost keeps families together." Later this year, the platform is launching a new tool called “Search Party” to make it even easier for pet owners to organize help. The feature will allow users to quickly print flyers, coordinate volunteer searches, and manage social media outreach. “When a pet goes missing, almost every pet parent has help from the community to find their pet, but 75% of them find it difficult to manage and organize help,” said Aaron Klein, head of product at Petco Love. “Search Party can reduce the mental and emotional burden on pet parents by offering structured ways to ask for help.” With more families like Gonzalez’s now relying on AI to bring lost pets home, Love Lost is showing how technology can lend a hand — or a paw — when it matters most.
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Score (97)
Researchers Develop AI Fabric That Predicts Road Damage Before It Happens
A team of researchers in Germany may have just cracked one of the biggest problems in infrastructure: how to fix roads before they fall apart. At the Fraunhofer Institute, engineers have developed a new kind of “smart” fabric embedded with ultra-thin sensors and powered by artificial intelligence. Once laid beneath a road, the material constantly monitors what's happening below the surface — long before cracks and potholes appear. It could mean fewer construction zones, longer-lasting roads, and far less wasted money. Right now, most road maintenance is reactive. Cities and transportation agencies wait until visible damage appears, then scramble to resurface or patch affected areas. But by the time damage shows up at the surface, deeper layers may already be compromised. Fraunhofer’s innovation aims to catch those problems early. The fabric, made from flax fibers interwoven with conductive threads, can detect minute structural changes as vehicles pass overhead. Each time a car drives over the road, the embedded wires register subtle changes in resistance, which can indicate stress, deformation, or micro-cracks developing in the base layer. The data doesn’t just sit there. A roadside unit transmits it to an AI system, which analyzes the information in real time. That system can not only detect where damage is forming, but also predict how and where it’s likely to spread. The researchers say the system, part of a project called SenAD2, is already being tested in an industrial area in Germany. So far, results are promising — the smart fabric has flagged internal road damage without disrupting traffic or requiring destructive testing methods like core sampling. This could be a game-changer. Drilling into pavement is expensive, invasive, and limited to small sample areas. Fraunhofer’s system offers continuous, wide-area monitoring instead. Engineers can pull up a web-based dashboard and get a live view of the road’s health — and make decisions based on actual data, not educated guesses. Beyond the tech, the implications are big. Smarter road monitoring could extend the life of roadways, reduce emergency repairs, and help governments prioritize maintenance budgets years in advance. Instead of reacting to crumbling roads, cities could get ahead of the problem. For drivers, it could mean smoother commutes and fewer delays from sudden construction. For cities and towns, it means better infrastructure management, fewer surprise costs, and less frustration from residents. And while no system will make roads indestructible, this one could make them a lot more predictable — and a lot less expensive to maintain. The smart road fabric is still in the pilot phase, but if adopted widely, it could signal a major shift in how cities around the world think about infrastructure: from reactive to proactive, from patchwork to precision. Whether drivers ever realize it or not, the future of roadwork might just be happening quietly, right under their wheels.
Score (97)
Restoration Begins On Shoemaker’s Shop Left Untouched For 60 Years
Scotland’s last traditional shoemaker’s shop, left untouched for more than half a century, is set to be brought back to life. The Souter’s Shop in Birse, Aberdeenshire, has received $74,500 in funding from Historic Environment Scotland to repair and restore the historic building — a rare, time-capsule glimpse into rural craftsmanship before the era of mass production. Originally opened in 1897, the shop was run by local shoemaker James Merchant and his son until it closed in the 1940s. Then it simply sat, doors shut and tools untouched, with its ledgers, fittings, and workbenches left just as they were. When it was rediscovered in 1999, everything was still in place, frozen in time. Now owned by the Birse Community Trust, the Souter’s Shop will be repaired and opened to visitors, both on site and through a virtual exhibition online. Work is scheduled to begin in spring 2026. Repairs will focus on the roof, timber, chimney, and original glazing. But what sets this restoration apart is the commitment to using traditional skills and techniques — just like those employed when the shop was first built. The project will also include training opportunities to keep those skills alive. Dr. Susan O’Connor, Head of Grants at Historic Environment Scotland (HES), called the site “a fascinating building with an important story to tell.” “We are excited to support the Trust’s efforts to unlock this story with the community and the wider public,” she said. “Our historic environment is one of Scotland’s greatest assets, but it needs care, investment and collaboration to thrive.” The funding comes from HES’s Historic Environments Grants Program, which helps preserve buildings of national importance while encouraging public engagement. Listed as a category A building since 2000, the Souter’s Shop is considered nationally significant and is the only known example of its kind still in existence in Scotland. Remarkably, even the business ledgers have survived, providing insight into the economic and social role of the local souter — the Scots word for shoemaker — in the community. Toni Watt, Manager at Birse Community Trust, said the restoration is about more than saving a building. “BCT are absolutely delighted to receive such generous funding from Historic Environment Scotland,” Watt said. “This grant together with support from other funders and from many individuals, means that we are able to start work to save the Souter’s Workshop and Shop.” “It is such a special place. To enter the Souter’s feels like you are stepping back in time. It is a window into a now-disappeared way of life, showcasing the life of a souter and his role in rural society.” She added that the stories of souters still resonate for many people. “At one time every settlement would have had a souter; our visitors tell us about grandparents who were souters, but in a few more generations this tradition will be lost from memory,” she said. “History, oral history and saving the rural architecture where this history takes place matter so much.” Volunteers are now being trained to carefully pack and conserve the collection of tools and artifacts inside the shop in preparation for the building work. When it reopens, the shop will serve not only as a museum of shoemaking but as a record of a once-common trade that helped stitch rural communities together — one sole at a time.
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Chicago Mother Receives Surprise Proposal in Delivery Room — With Newborn's Help
A Chicago couple’s trip to the delivery room turned into a moment they’ll never forget — and not just because of their newborn son. Challis Bell, 28, had just welcomed her first child with her partner Denzel Kimbrough, 30, on Friday, Oct. 10, when she was hit with another life-changing surprise. As a nurse brought over their newborn son, Ace, dressed in a custom onesie, Bell noticed something printed across the front. It read: “Mommy, will you marry Daddy?” “I looked over and he was on one knee,” Bell told Fox 32 Chicago. “I was shocked.” A video of the surprise proposal, shared with the outlet, shows the moment Bell realizes what’s happening. At first, she looks puzzled as she reads the onesie, asking out loud, “What? What does that say?” Seconds later, Kimbrough, dressed in a gray suit and holding a ring box, steps forward and kneels beside her hospital bed. Bell appears stunned, speechless, before finally saying, “Oh my god! Yes.” As laughter and cheers echo around the hospital room, Kimbrough slides the ring onto her finger. Bell, still dazed, examines the ring in disbelief and says, “What the heck?” A nurse then hands baby Ace back into her arms. The couple says the proposal came after years of reconnecting. Bell and Kimbrough first met over a decade ago while attending the same high school on Chicago’s South Side. They lost touch after his family moved away, but mutual friends brought them back into each other’s lives three years ago. “Since she came back into my life, I knew I wanted to marry her,” Kimbrough said. He worked with the staff at Advocate Christ Medical Center to orchestrate the proposal, including arranging the onesie and timing the moment just right. Now back home with their newborn, Bell and Kimbrough say they’re grateful to the hospital for both the care they received and the help pulling off the surprise. With baby Ace in their arms and a ring on her finger, the newly engaged couple say they’re looking forward to planning their wedding — and soaking in this unforgettable start to parenthood.
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An Animal Center in California is Honoring Diane Keaton's Legacy in Animal Welfare
Diane Keaton may be best known for her iconic roles in Annie Hall and The Godfather, but for the Helen Woodward Animal Center in California, she was something even bigger — a tireless advocate for animals. On Tuesday, Oct. 14, the Center paid tribute to Keaton’s lifelong commitment to animal welfare, just days after she died at age 79 on Saturday, Oct. 11. In a statement, the organization described her as “the real deal,” someone whose actions matched her words across more than two decades of service. Keaton first partnered with the Center in 2001 as a celebrity spokesperson. By 2005, she had joined the Board of Directors and was given the Helen Woodward Animal Center’s Humane Award. From there, her involvement only deepened. “She created numerous promos for the Center and Center programs, such as the international campaign Remember Me Thursday®,” the tribute read. “Keaton continually donated her personal time, dedicating herself to a lunch with the highest bidder at Center Galas, and making numerous appearances at Helen Woodward Animal Center’s Telethons, even answering phones and matching bids with callers.” She also used her film press tours to promote pet adoption and regularly used her platform to spotlight the needs of rescue animals. Her work didn’t stop at events or speeches. Keaton was instrumental in supporting legislation such as the Big Cat Public Safety Act, which banned the private ownership of wildcats in the United States. She also backed stronger protections for animals working in entertainment and pushed for improved welfare laws for wildlife and farm animals. Helen Woodward recalled one story in particular: Keaton once rescued a dog she found on a California freeway and brought it directly to the Center. After receiving medical care and training, the dog was adopted into a loving home. “It’s impossible to count the number of lives that Diane has saved,” said Mike Arms, President and CEO of the Helen Woodward Animal Center. “She was the real deal. The many years she committed to improving the lives of animals and encouraging families to adopt their pets from animal shelters have certainly had an overwhelming impact on untold numbers of animals around the world. She was a dear friend to the Center and to animals everywhere. She will be greatly missed.” Keaton lived her values — advocating for adoption, living a vegetarian lifestyle, and showing up when it mattered most. Her final Instagram post on April 11 marked National Pet Day. The image showed Keaton alongside her golden retriever, Reggie, in collaboration with the home and lifestyle brand Hudson Grace. “Proof our pets have great taste too! Happy National Pet Day from HG & @diane_keaton 🖤🐾” the caption read. For those who worked alongside her in animal advocacy, Keaton leaves behind more than a legacy. She leaves behind thousands of pets now safe and loved — and a reminder of what it means to put compassion into action.
Score (95)
Experts Make New Recommendation to Boost Fitness and Mental Health: Backward Walking
If your daily walk is starting to feel a little dull, experts have a simple suggestion: try going backward. Known as reverse or retro walking, the practice is gaining attention not just as a quirky fitness trend, but as a surprisingly effective way to add variety and challenge to your routine. And yes, it actually works. Janet Dufek, a biomechanist at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, says the movement taps into underused muscles, boosts flexibility in the hamstrings, and forces your brain to work in new ways. “I see a lot of people in my neighbourhood and they walk, and that’s good,” Dufek said. “But they are still stressing the same elements of their structure over and over again. Walking backward introduces an element of cross-training, a subtly different activity.” Cross-training, or mixing up your workouts to avoid overuse and injury, often involves switching between running, swimming, or strength training. But backward walking offers the same benefits on a much smaller scale. Just changing how you move — even slightly — changes how your muscles work and how your body responds. Dufek, a former college basketball player who knows a thing or two about moving in every direction, says the activity is also useful for rehab. After certain knee injuries or surgeries, physical therapists sometimes recommend walking backward, since it reduces the range of motion in the knee joint and avoids the hard heel strike of forward walking. “Backward walking is very different than forward walking from a force perspective, from a movement pattern perspective,” Dufek said. “You strike the forefoot first, often quite gently, and often the heel does not contact the ground.” It’s not just for recovery, either. Reverse walking is a staple in athletic training. Football defensive backs, soccer players, and basketball defenders all do it regularly. “I played basketball and I probably spent 40% of my time playing defence and running backwards,” Dufek said. If the idea of walking backward outside makes you nervous, personal trainer Kevin Patterson recommends trying it on a treadmill. Patterson, based in Nashville, said treadmills offer a safe environment, especially for older adults who may need the handrails for balance. You can even turn the treadmill off and push the belt yourself — a trick known as the “dead mill.” “It can take a while to get the treadmill going, but from there we have them be the horsepower for the treadmill,” Patterson said. He uses backward walking as an “accessory exercise,” a small addition to a workout designed to target specific muscles or improve mobility. Off the treadmill, Dufek suggests easing into it. Try one minute of backward walking during a 10-minute stroll and increase from there. If you're worried about running into something — understandably — try walking with a partner. One person goes backward while the other walks forward, watching for obstacles. Then switch. “At first, you start really, really slowly because there’s a balance accommodation and there is brain retraining,” she said. “You’re using muscles in different ways.” The benefits may go beyond fitness. Dufek is studying whether reverse walking helps with balance and reduces fall risk in older adults, who may benefit from the extra sensory input and movement variety. And yes, if you really get into it, you could take it all the way. People have run full marathons backward — that’s 42.2 kilometres in reverse. But for most people, just a few minutes here and there might be enough to shake up a stale routine, stretch some new muscles, and keep the body guessing. As with any new activity, experts say to take it slow, stay safe, and enjoy the novelty. Sometimes, the best way forward really is a few steps back.
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New 'Screen-Free Smartphone' Allows Kids To Communicate Safely, Inspired By Walkie-Talkies
In a world where smartphones are everywhere — and in kids’ hands far earlier than most experts would like — one tech company thinks it’s found a better option. Meet the Karri Messenger. It looks a bit like a toy, works more like a walkie-talkie, and could help parents stay connected with their kids without handing them a full-blown smartphone. Karri, a startup based in the UK, designed the Messenger for kids aged five to 13. The device lets children send voice messages to a parent or guardian’s phone through a paired app — no touchscreen, no web access, and no outside contacts. It’s a response to what many parents are feeling: a desire to give kids more freedom without exposing them to the risks of smartphones, especially before age 13. Studies continue to raise alarms about unfiltered internet access, social media pressure, and screen time’s impact on child development. As a result, some families are opting for a more stripped-down kind of tech. Pete Clifford, Karri’s founder, said the idea started in 2020 with a simple parenting dilemma. His then-seven-year-old son wanted more independence, like walking to school alone or visiting friends nearby. Clifford wanted to say yes, but worried about safety and not being able to get in touch. “I knew he wanted to walk to school by himself or go meet his friends a few streets away,” Clifford told Dezeen, “but I was also nervous about not knowing where exactly he would be and not being able to get in touch.” After finding no reliable, kid-friendly, screen-free options, he decided to build one. The first Karri Messenger launched in May 2024. A newer version, redesigned in collaboration with design firm Pentagram, is set to ship this Christmas, with wider rollout planned for 2026. The device is small, waterproof, and designed to clip onto a lanyard or fit in a kid’s pocket. It doesn’t have its own phone number and can’t be used to call or text — only to record and send voice memos to pre-approved family members through the Karri app. The design is as basic as it gets. A central “slide to talk” button lets kids record or listen to messages. An LED matrix screen shows contact names or instructions. There’s also a flashlight, volume buttons, and support for multiple chat channels so kids can message not just parents but also grandparents, aunts, and uncles. “It represents a commitment to promoting healthy childhood development while maintaining essential family connectivity,” Karri said in a press release. For safety, parents can view their child’s location, check battery and signal strength, and create “safe zones” — alerts go off if the child leaves a designated area. Pentagram, the design firm behind the updated Messenger, said one of their biggest insights during development was the need for a single, intuitive interface. “The result is the ‘slide to talk’ button,” the team explained, “inspired by the simplicity of the push-to-talk button on a traditional walkie-talkie.” The Karri Messenger arrives as more parents opt out of the smartphone arms race altogether. In the UK, over 140,000 parents have pledged to delay smartphones until their children are at least 14, according to Karri. The movement is growing internationally as well. In the US, some school districts that have banned phones are already seeing ripple effects. One notable trend: library book checkouts are going up. Karri’s device might hit a nostalgic nerve too, especially among parents who grew up using walkie-talkies. But this version adds just enough modern tech to be useful — and enough safety features to ease anxiety. The second-gen Messenger is currently priced at £90 (about $121 USD), with pre-orders available for £50 ($67). Membership plans start at £1.79 ($2.40 USD) per month in the UK, with higher-priced global options also available. It comes in four colors: Fairytale (lilac purple), Rocket Pop (blue), Ocean Bounce (teal green), and Dark Phantom (grey). As debates continue around kids and tech, the Karri Messenger offers something simple: a way to say “I’m here” — without handing over the internet.
Score (96)
Heroic Young Surfers Rescue Paralyzed Dad, Reuniting Him With His Children
Scott Muir says he remembers the crunch. The father of two was surfing with a childhood friend off the coast of Oceanside, California, on September 28 when a wave slammed him headfirst into the ocean floor. “The wave threw me over, hit me on my head, on the sand and I just felt a crunch,” Muir told local station KFMB. “Three waves underwater, face down… I was pretty sure it was getting really close.” The crash left Muir, 49, partially paralyzed, though his spinal cord wasn’t severed. His vertebrae had twisted on impact, leaving him unable to move underwater as waves kept pulling him down. “I was getting involuntary reflux and inhaling salt water,” Muir said. “The situation was getting grim and I slowly started fading to black.” What saved him were three strangers in the surf. Judah Ely, 19, had been nearby with his friend Thomas Alspaugh. Minutes earlier, the two had exchanged cheers and laughs with Muir and his friend Dan Pierson. That brief connection may have made all the difference. When Ely saw Muir’s surfboard floating alone, something clicked. “I just see his board pop up, and I’m like, ‘Where is this dude?’” Ely said. Guided by instinct—or something deeper—Ely found Muir and pulled him from the water. Alspaugh called out for Pierson, while two lifeguards from Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, who heard the screams from shore, rushed in to help. One assessed Muir’s condition; the other called 911. He was airlifted to a hospital in San Diego. From his hospital bed, Muir later said it was the thought of his wife, Kristen, that kept him conscious underwater. “I hoped to see her face again.” Kristen was at home drinking coffee when Pierson called with the news. “He put the phone up to his ear for roughly 10 seconds,” she said. “I could hear it was him, really him. From that moment, I felt a calm beyond my true self.” Their children were with their grandmother. Kristen drove straight to the hospital, unsure of what she’d find. When she saw Scott on a stretcher, “we both burst into tears.” She kissed his forehead for a full minute, holding on to the fact that he was still alive. Muir has regained movement in his shoulders, left arm, and left leg. But his right hand and right leg remain severely limited. “I don’t know where my final recovery is going to go,” he said. “There is a real possibility I am in a wheelchair for the rest of my life.” The road ahead is long. According to a GoFundMe page set up by friends, Muir—an Air Force veteran and pilot who served for 12 years—will spend the next year or more at a spinal injury rehab facility in Colorado. The campaign has already raised more than $217,000 to help the family, for whom Muir is the primary breadwinner. A week into his hospital stay, Ely and Alspaugh visited him. “I just cried and hugged them,” Muir said. “I told them they are the reason I get to see my family again.” Kristen, his partner of 22 years, later spoke with Ely on the phone. The teen told her that “some divine intervention beyond himself told him to look for Scott,” even as Scott was imagining Kristen’s face beneath the waves. “Scott is the most incredible person I know,” Kristen said. “Full of grit, determination, humor, and positivity. We are all feeding off his hope for recovery.” Despite everything, Scott Muir says his love for the ocean hasn’t changed. “I want to surf, paddle, dive, you name it,” he said. “Nothing about this event has diminished my love for the ocean. It’s honestly just increased my respect for its power.”
Score (97)
Man Nears Completion Of 2,500-Mile Run On Every Birmingham Street
Most people go for a jog around the block. Nigel Beecroft ran the entire city. The 60-year-old from Harborne set himself a challenge in January 2024: to run every single street in Birmingham. Now, after nearly 2,500 miles and about 8,000 streets, he’s just one run away from completing the mission. “It’s a bit quirky but I do like exploring,” said Beecroft. “There aren’t many people who can say they’ve seen every single street in Birmingham.” The associate director and part-time brewer has been logging his journey through the website CityStrides, which syncs with GPS apps like Strava to track completed roads. What started as a casual interest quickly turned into an obsession. “Once I started it, it was like a bug to me and I thought, yes, I’m going to do this.” Beecroft has completed around 350 runs so far, often planning early morning routes to fit around work and life. The biggest logistical challenge? Traffic—though not during the runs themselves, but on the drives to different starting points. Along the way, he’s kept a diary of the people he’s met and the quirky things he’s discovered: a front garden in Handsworth with six ice cream vans, an astronomical mural near his home that he’d never noticed before, and dozens of unexpectedly vibrant corners of the city. He’s even created his own “best cul-de-sac” competition. “When you’re running up and down a cul-de-sac or very close to someone’s drive it does bat a few eyelids,” he said. But for Beecroft, those side streets often led to the most memorable interactions. One of his favourites was meeting Joss Bygrave, a resident of Balsall Heath who grows vegetables in her front garden for the community. “When I first saw him running along my street, I assumed he was lost,” Bygrave said. “But we struck up a conversation and we had a chance to swap our stories which was lovely.” Beecroft agreed. “What she does is different and unique,” he said, adding that the social side of the challenge was one of the most rewarding parts. On Thursday, he’ll complete his final run and celebrate with a pint at The White Swan—his local pub, where he also helps out brewing beer. He’s also raised £500 for the Mace Foundation, a charity run by the construction firm he works for, which supports young people who’ve grown up in care. “It’s a weird thing to do but I would encourage others to do it,” said Beecroft. “I’m really happy that I’ve done it.”