Rabbit Thought of the Day

This is normally something you only see or here about in films made in Hollywood, not something you expect to see for real, but real it is not matter how unbelievable it seems. The courage of this marine is something else; he deserves his medal and more.

A Royal Marine who threw himself on a grenade to save his comrades' lives is to receive the George Cross. Lance Corporal Matthew Croucher, 24, from Solihull, in the West Midlands triggered a trip wire in Helmand Province, Afghanistan, in February. He immediately dropped to the ground and lay across the grenade, being blown into the air as it went off. The George Cross is one of the highest decorations that can be awarded for acts of gallantry.

L/Cpl Croucher said: "All I could do in the moment was shout out 'grenade' before diving on top of it." His bag was crammed with equipment which cushioned the explosion. His three comrades suffered just cuts and bruises while L/Cpl Croucher was thrown in the air.

He added: "It was incredible. I escaped with only a nose bleed and a headache." L/Cpl Croucher, a reservist, is one of 20 living recipients of the award. Chief of the Defence Staff Sir Jock Stirrup said: "He acted to save his comrades in the most certain knowledge that he would not himself survive.

"His exemplary behaviour and extreme heroism are fully deserving of the nation's highest recognition." His parents said they had had no idea what had happened to him.

His mother Margaret Croucher, 55, a teacher in Birmingham, said she got three text messages from him while he was away, one of which read: "Being put forward for a citation, might meet the Queen." She said: "Obviously I was very intrigued but we didn't get the full story until he got back and we read about it in the papers. "I am obviously immensely proud but it was a typical act from him. It was not the first time he had put his life at risk." His father, Richard, 57, described him as a very "lucky man". L/Cpl Croucher is expected to receive his honour from the Queen at Buckingham Palace in the autumn.

He was deployed to Afghanistan attached to Taunton-based 40 Commando Royal Marines last autumn. Lieutenant Colonel Stuart Birrell, the unit's commanding officer, said: "This was a magnificent act which absolutely typified the highest traditions of commando service."

I have just applied for a new position within the company which as been advertised on the internal job site. It would mean a promotion and pay rise if successful. I have been with this company now for almost a year and I feel I have been under used and have not fulfilled the role for which I was taken on. I haven’t been challenged enough and I have lots more to offer given the opportunity, to tell the truth I am bored, there is not a lot to do at the moment and the work is not taxing enough. The start date on my project keeps getting delayed and am desperate for something to do!

A head teacher, who banned more than 100 pupils from a Basingstoke school after they went on strike, told their parents by sending a text message. Some 117 pupils at Brighton Hill Community College failed to attend lessons in protest over a plan to extend the school day by 20 minutes. Head teacher David Eyre reportedly told the pupils involved they would be suspended for the rest of the term. One parent said "children do have opinions". Mr Eyre did not comment.

Under the new system - expected to get under way in September - the school day will end at 1505 instead of 1445. Pupils, who currently take 30-minute lunch breaks in two separate groups, will eat lunch together in one period lasting about 50 minutes. Paul Mason, whose daughter attends the school in Brighton Way, Brighton Hill, said: "She said the queues are bad enough as it is even with a split lunch-break.

"They would be even worse under the changes.

"She phoned me when she went on strike and I said: 'If it is something you believe in as long as no-one has coerced you into it and it is peaceful then stick by your guns'.

"Children do have opinions. I brought all my children up to have their own opinions and use them. "It is a democratic society we are meant to live in and they wanted to voice an opinion." Parents were initially notified of the disciplinary action taken with a text message but a confirmation

It’s only a day to go before Rosemary’s birthday and she will XX years old. So I will have to pop out at lunch and get her a card, and a nice bottle of champagne, and on Saturday I am taking her out to but her some new clothes (her choice) I have to speak to the bank manager and arrange a mortgage.

A 16-year-old girl has been unable to find work as she has been told legally she does not exist. Jade Jacobs-Brook has spent most of her life in Harlow, Essex, but was born while her British parents were on holiday in Alicante, Spain. Because her birth was registered abroad and Jade returned home without a birth certificate, she has been unable to prove her identity.

The teenager told the BBC this has left her rejected by potential employers.

Jade said she felt like she'd done something wrong when she was turned down for summer jobs.

"I saw these other people getting their contracts and then there's me and I was really upset," she said. Jade's parents registered her birth in Alicante, rather than at the British Consulate and were allowed to fly their daughter home without a birth certificate. Since then they have been unable to obtain a birth certificate or passport for their daughter.

Linda Jacobs said: "Everybody says 'well surely you must be able to do this' and 'why don't you try this?', and we've tried everything we can. "I'm positive there's somebody out there who could help us that might know of a way around this."

Bill Rammell, MP for Harlow, said: "They are caught in this limbo situation.

"I have been making strenuous representations and will be again taking up the case on their behalf to both the Foreign Office and the Home Office and I'm sure we can find a way forward.

"I actually think the responsibility lies more with the Spanish government to help resolve this issue."

This seems a bit of a strange case, It’s a while ago since I had to go through procedure but I think the parents have cocked up here. It is my understanding that after your children are born you have six weeks to register the birth at the local registry office and it is they who issue the birth certificate. Please correct me if I’m wrong.

After seeing the nurse yesterday and receiving the good news that I have lost weight I am feeling really good, and it has given me the confidence to continue to carry on. I doubt that I will lose 6 pounds every week if what was that simple everyone would be slim and we would have obese people wandering around.

I know there will be weeks, where I don’t lose anything or maybe see a slight rise in my weight; those are the weeks where I will have to strong and not lose heart. I am under no illusion that this will be hard but I am determined to get back to my normal weight I have got loads of such nice clothes that I would like to wear once again. But I have great willpower and I will reach my target of 12 stone, how long it will take me I have no idea, but I think I will set a target of 6 months and see how it goes.