MAN DODGES DANGER TO COMMUTE ON PENNY FARTHING
Meet the Victorian gentleman who could not face sitting next to smelly commuters on the bus - so he dodges danger to go to work on a penny farthing. Eccentric Jake Redfern, 21, rides high on the nine miles to his job as a caretaker at a school using a modern version of the 19th century form of transport. He stops motorists and passers by in their tracks wherever he goes as they stare in wonder at him riding his historic-style bike complete with Victorian dress of top hat and long jacket. Negotiating a tricky motorway junction over the M5 and nearly a dozen main roads aboard the bike he has named Tallulah, Jake carefully weaves in and out of traffic for over eight miles twice a day. Instead of spending the £700 on an annual bus pass he chose to spend £400 on the bike last year from an internet auction site. And he says he was inspired to choose a greener mode of transport to work after simply becoming tired of the personal hygiene of many of his fellow travellers. He said: "I was looking for some sort of mode of transport to work because I can't stand sitting next to smelly people on the bus.
Other great stories
ICELAND'S 360 DEGREE VIEW WATERFALL
THESE BREATH-TAKING photographs show the natural beauty of Iceland's most famous waterfall .
MISCHIEVOUS FOX CUBS
A mischievous fox cub demonstrates his playful side by biting his sibling’s tail .
BEAUTY AND THE BEAST: SWIMMING WITH SHARKS
Armed with a snorkel, flippers and her skimpy bikini, an intrepid female free diver swims alongside an array of reef sharks .
NEW DELHI CHILD RAPE PROTESTS
NEW DELHI, A woman activist of India's main opposition Bharatiya Janata Party crosses a police barricade near the residence of ruling Congress party chief Sonia Gandhi during a protest against the recent rape of a five-year-old girl in New Delhi, India, April 21, 2013 .
CATERPILLAR AND MANTIS BATTLE IT OUT
A little caterpillar fearlessly scampers down a branch and confronts a praying mantis .
HYPER-REALISTIC DINNER IS ACTUALLY DESSERT
From a platter of finger licking chicken wings to a bowl of Chinese noodle soup, these foodie snaps are enough to make your savoury saliva glands drool .
PENSIONER’S 100K MILK BOTTLE COLLECTION
FOR someone who hates milk, pensioner Steve Wheeler has got an udder-lot of it - nearly 20,000 bottles in fact .
I FLED TO AUSTRALIA AFTER HOUSE TORCHED BY ONE-NIGHT
A woman has told how she fled to Australia, after a one night stand burned down her house .
DIVERS EXPLORE UNDERWATER CANYON WITH 100M VISIBILITY
A diver explores the crystal clear waters of the Silfra canyon in southern Iceland, which is the only place on Earth where you can dive or snorkel between two continental plates .
COUPLE TIE THE KNOT IN SPECTACULAR £45K HARRY POTTER WEDDING
A couple have tied the knot in a spectacular Harry Potter-themed wedding which cost £45,000 .
UNDERGROUND CHIC
Full of tired and busy commuters, these underground stations are rarely admired for their architecture or beauty .
LONDON 2012: FUNNY OLYMPIC BAGS SAY 'THEY'RE ALL ON STEROIDS
While the various controversies rumble on regarding transport, security issues and overly-officious copyright enforcement, a couple of designers is saying what we're all thinking about the Olympics - and putting it on bags .