A Lincolnshire mum of two has become the world’s fastest woman on two wheels after reaching 264mph on a motorbike her husband built in their garage. Becci Ellis, 46, set the incredible speed on her modified Suzuki bike, smashing the existing world land speed record by a whopping 20mph.
Mrs Ellis, an IT analyst from Scunthorpe, bought the bike second hand for spare parts but after testing it on a track realised it had potential to be a record-breaker.
Husband Mick spent two years tweaking the 1300cc bike and developing a turbo system to boost it to breakneck speeds.
And his hard work paid off when Ellis blasted down a mile-long course at Elvington airstrip, York, at 264.1mph, destroying US rider Jennifer Robertson’s record of 243.6mph.
She said: “I’ve had a passion for bikes since I was nine years old and I knew that was what was going to help me live my dream.
“I know going that quickly could be dangerous but I don’t find it scary at all. I wouldn’t get on the bike if I didn’t have full confidence in it and the team running it.
“I get an adrenaline rush but there’s no nerves. I’m totally focused and I know exactly what I’m doing. The feeling is phenomenal. I absolutely love it – I can’t get enough.”
Woman ‘possessed by ghost writers’
A Scottish woman claims she is regularly possessed by ghosts which use her hands to write letters.
Catherine Kennedy claims to have brought together her husband Antonio and one of his dead friends Ivo after writing a letter in Italian, despite not being able to speak it fluently.
“At first he didn’t believe me, but when he read the letters he said it was obvious it wasn’t me,” she said. “He was amazed at my flawless translation.”
“Whenever the spirits take the pen, my writing completely changes and my hand guides across the page,” she added.
“I just sit back and let them finish. It’s an incredible gift.”
Ms Kennedy also claims the spirit told her about the afterlife but she can’t reveal details – as the ghost made her promise to keep it a secret.
Man is addicted to breaking records
A US man who has set the most official world records ever with a staggering 563 has admitted that he will never stop trying to add to his collection.
Ashrita Furman, 60, currently holds 198 official Guinness World Records, including ‘most pies in the face in one minute (56)’ and ‘opening drinks cans in 30 seconds (41)’.
His incredible achievements have allowed him to travel the world, setting records at the Eiffel Tower, Stonehenge and Great Wall of China.
His first official record came in 1979 when Mr Furman did 27,000 star jumps in New York.
In the following two years he somersaulted backwards for ten miles and followed it up with 50 hours of continuous hand clapping.
Growing up, as an un-athletic boy, he would pore through the pages of the Guinness Book of World Records.
But when he took part in a 24-hour bicycle race in which he completed over 400 miles, coming third overall, he got the bug to break records for himself.
Over the years, Mr Furman has set records for pogo stick jumping, stilt running, milk bottle balancing and most eggs crushed on his head.
“On occasion I have gone too far and the stupidest record I attempted was when I tried to beat the time for eating a whole tree,” he added.
“I can’t see myself stopping, this is my spiritual life and as long as I can inspire and bring joy to other people I will carry on.”
Cold War army truck converted into camper van
A Hampshire man is selling the ultimate camper van – a converted Cold War Russian army monster truck.
Chris Armstrong, 41, turned the 12.5 ton, six wheel Russian Ural-175D into luxury accommodation with a double bed, shower, toilet and its own kitchen with fridge.
He turns heads whenever he roars onto a countryside campsite in the beast and has actually been banned from several parks because of the sheer size of his communist camper.
The former Royal Marine medic fell in love with the 17ft nuclear proof vehicle while working in Siberia and Kazakhstan and bought one on eBay from a man in Dresden, Germany, for £6,000.
He spent almost three days and more than £1,500 on fuel driving it back to the UK before forking out thousands to convert it into living accommodation.
After several years of happy camping he has now decided to sell the truck.
Armstrong, from Alton, said: “I have taken it to loads of festivals and campsites in the New Forest and Wales. “There have been a few awkward moments when I have booked up a site in advance and then turn up in this monster truck.
“I have been refused access of some sites and even banned from others because people think it will cause damage to the land.
“It can’t really be kept on a driveway of a suburban house as it will overshadow the next door house. I keep it on a friend’s farm and whoever buys it will need a bit of outdoor space.”
Post published in: World News