Eideard

 
Toddlers have been told to stop making a “diamond” star sign while singing Twinkle Twinkle Little Star in case the gesture is misinterpreted as sign language representing a female body part.

Staff at the Sure Start centre in Acomb, York, were accused of an “overreaction” for stopping the children making the symbol for fear of offending people. A disgruntled mother said: “It seems a little politically correct. These are innocent little children just making a sign to show a star.

“No one would give it a second thought. Now every parent may worry their child may be making an offensive gesture when they’re singing this song.”

Staff members had been on a course to learn Makaton sign language – a system used by about 100,000 people in Britain that assists people with communication difficulties and shares many signs with British Sign Language, which is used by deaf people.

In both, the sign for female genitalia is an inverted diamond made with a thumb and forefinger, held in front of the crotch.

During the singing of Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, children will usually hold their hands high in an upright diamond as they sing the lines “like a diamond in the sky”…

However, a spokeswoman for City of York council, which runs the Sure Start mother and toddler group, said it was “a sensible decision taken to prevent deaf children or deaf parents being offended by the use of the gesture”.

Given the season, the sensibilities and sense of humor of most folks – I hope there will be appropriate gestures made at the next public meetings of the City of York Council. Helping Council members to know how people evaluate their fitness to represent anyone with more than half a brain.

Council bosses have admitted scoring an “own goal” after a fence was built through the middle of football goalposts in a park in York.

The new fencing was installed at a cost of £6,000 on playing fields in Heworth…

Dave Meigh, City of York Council’s head of parks and open spaces, said: “We recognise that the failure to relocate the goalposts is a real own goal.”

It has left local people who use the park to play football confused. Local residents said it was “unreal” and a “waste of money”.

Jane Hannon wrote on the BBC Look North Facebook page: “Typical example of too many chiefs and not enough Indians, one doesn’t know what the other is doing. What a waste of time and money.”

OTOH, this demonstrates there is plenty of local talent in the UK ready and qualified to take over leadership of the FA and FIFA at a moment’s notice.

Thanks, honorarynewfie