That's the worst photography in a photo-based news story I've seen from a British newspaper. You can't see the farking hat. "Here's a close up of a hat somewhere else".

Oh, and:

Bloody tabs.


actually, that's quite cool

I just skimmed the article. Why was it so important to remove the hat from the spire?

Brilliant!

they had it removed so that it would not fall and hit somebody??? It's a hat, a nice soft hat that would flutter to the ground.

How did the British ever stand up to Hitler??

The hat is a lie.

Am I the only one who doesn't see the "health and safety" issues in a Santa hat on a spire?

Or did they just call up the fire department because they didn't want litter on their roof?

FTA:
When Santa got stuck up a chimney, there was no fire service on hand to give him help.

But when a student threw a Santa hat onto a roof at Cambridge University, three fire trucks turned up to remove it over health and safety fears.

UK Nanny State needs its own Tag.

rabidferret: Am I the only one who doesn't see the "health and safety" issues in a Santa hat on a spire?

Or did they just call up the fire department because they didn't want litter on their roof?

FTA:
When Santa got stuck up a chimney, there was no fire service on hand to give him help.

But when a student threw a Santa hat onto a roof at Cambridge University, three fire trucks turned up to remove it over health and safety fears.

Apparently, at this point in British History, a hat falling to the ground is sufficient to scare people to death.

Wow what a waste of time and money.
retarded limeys

Meh -- the little snot probably used a remote-control helicopter to deposit up there. Either that, or he was drunk.

If not actually scaling it perhaps an RC vehicle? That'd be a trying feat. Maybe a long pole? Hmmm...

nicksteel: they had it removed so that it would not fall and hit somebody??? It's a hat, a nice soft hat that would flutter to the ground.

How did the British ever stand up to Hitler??

Well, in their defense, when it rains, the had could become soaked and then fall off. Now it's a 2 kilo weight, which would of course hit some baby in the eye. Then the university is liable for not taking action beforehand.

Whoever put that hat up there better remain silent; I understand there is no statute of limitations for wanton hanging of Santa hats in the UK.

Feltonl: Wow what a waste of time and money.
retarded limeys

you are needlessly repeating yourself. When you say "limey", the retarded part is implied.

"retarded limeys"

A perfect new tag if there ever was one.

nanded: nicksteel: they had it removed so that it would not fall and hit somebody??? It's a hat, a nice soft hat that would flutter to the ground.

How did the British ever stand up to Hitler??

Well, in their defense, when it rains, the had could become soaked and then fall off. Now it's a 2 kilo weight, which would of course hit some baby in the eye. Then the university is liable for not taking action beforehand.

They have no defense.

Nobody was bowing to it. They couldn't spot the real William Tell.

Hurr god Nanny State stop being so nanny

"But college authorities failed to see the funny side and phoned the fire brigade to remove the hat from the top of the 60ft building in case it fell on someone's head."

First sentence of the article...


THIS

Since RC helicopter has been taken, I am gonna guess potato gun.

Unfortunately the article doesn't mention all the smashed potatoes that were found on the grounds around the spire. What a lousy reporter.

id like to see the scenario in which a santa hat on top of a spire seriously injures or kills someone...

unless santa hat is slang for a 100ton anvil

We should've invaded them when we had the chance.

/never forget the Boston Tea Party.

The Gate of Humility! The Spire of Humility!

What can one say?

//wow

Nameless_One: UK Nanny State needs its own Tag.

Agreed. Perhaps allow it to be used in conjunction with Massachusetts news as well - our own little Nanny.

Balloons

But college authorities failed to see the funny side and phoned the fire brigade to remove the hat from the top of the 60ft building in case it fell on someone's head.

Imagine the calamity if a hat fell on someone's head. Unthinkable.

snowmayne: If not actually scaling it perhaps an RC vehicle? That'd be a trying feat. Maybe a long pole? Hmmm...

Ladder. MIT students scoff at such a lame stunt.

Ah, that reminds me of this incident.

Apparently the a-spire-ing students found a way to climb the "impossible to climb" spire.

beerbaron: Ladder. MIT students scoff at such a lame stunt.

Not getting caught with a 60-something foot ladder is still somewhat impressive.

Sorry to interrupt the wankfest but ""But college authorities failed to see the funny side and phoned the fire brigade to remove the hat from the top of the 60ft building in case it fell on someone's head." is a complete fabrication from The Daily Fail in order to add a Nanny State/Health & Safety angle to the story.
Real reason: humourless Caius College employees asked the firecrews that were already at the college on a training exercise to remove the 'unsightly' article. The firecrews obliged.
You may now return to your credulous consumption of tabloid bullsh*t.

But college authorities failed to see the funny side and phoned the fire brigade to remove the hat from the top of the 60ft building in case it fell on someone's head.

hisshi: Imagine the calamity if a hat fell on someone's head. Unthinkable.

Yeah, they'd be, like, wearing a hat!

Those considerate people wanted to return Santa's hat so isn't cold riding in his sleigh on Christmas Eve. Whoever stole the hat and put it on the roof will be getting coal in their stocking.

Amusingly, when I was growing up the city hung santa hats on a number of pointy things around town. Inside the santa hats were eight pounds of lead and sand to keep them -on- said pointy bits.

Iron Chef Scottish

Don't spoil it for people. Farkers need the health and safety angle so they may feel smug and superior. Simple explanations that make something seem reasonable destroy their fabricated reality.

opiumpoopy: That's the worst photography in a photo-based news story I've seen from a British newspaper. You can't see the farking hat. "Here's a close up of a hat somewhere else".

This.

Over 4 million cameras in the U.K. and not a single telephoto lens?

Pics or it didn't happen.

MIT is not impressed

/like fire this link is hot

I'm a member of Clare college, right next to Cauis. I saw it happen. I don't expect anyone to listen, but this isn't really a nanny state issue; it's Caius college being arsey (they're known for being like that). The spire is pretty prominant and they probably thought it the look wasn't appropriate for such an august institution, etc. The university has a fair bit of influence in the city and must have been throwing it's weight around, I can't imagine any other reason why the emergency services would waste so much effort on something like this. Notice that Clare thus far hasn't done anything about it's own decoration, like 99% of the population, they can see the funny side. And I haven't seen terrified individuals diving for cover whilst entering the college yet, either.

In more important news, it seems that Helen Mirren finally let herself go.

Iron Chef Scottish: Sorry to interrupt the wankfest but ""But college authorities failed to see the funny side and phoned the fire brigade to remove the hat from the top of the 60ft building in case it fell on someone's head." is a complete fabrication from The Daily Fail in order to add a Nanny State/Health & Safety angle to the story.
Real reason: humourless Caius College employees asked the firecrews that were already at the college on a training exercise to remove the 'unsightly' article. The firecrews obliged.
You may now return to your credulous consumption of tabloid bullsh*t.

Yep.

the firefighters were paying a routine familiarisation visit to the college when they were asked to remove the hat

The top of the spire is only 30 feet above the balcony outside the fourth floor window. No need for anything more sophisticated than a long stick. Nice prank, but I would've used a bra instead of a Santa hat.

Reading stuff like this, I'm more and more convinced that I'm the only human being on this planet who's not addicted to crack.

It's called buildering. Use the Google.

In TFA, the second pic down from the top, one of the windows on the top floor is partially open (it's the window on the far right of the pic). Now what's to keep somebody from climbing through said window and directly onto the roof?

I will say that I agree with the RC movement that others have proposed, but if you did this at night (and you would have to, because if somebody saw the farking hat way up there during the day, then a person would undoubtedly be spotted), you would have to have aerial help to get the hat up there. You'd be able to control the RC copter better from the roof than the ground floor and you'd also be able to see better to make sure the hat was put in the right place.

As for the second Santa hat, that would have to be done by RC, since the dome doesn't look all that scalable. I also laughed more over the second Santa hat (the third pic in the article), because it looks like a golden pine cone is wearing a Santa hat at a jaunty angle.

/Wished pranks like this happened on my campus
//Unfortunately, I do not own an RC copter

'Students enter the Gate of Humility when they matriculate, then pass through the Gate of Virtue and finally go through the Gate of Honour on graduation.'

---yikes.

snowmayne: If not actually scaling it perhaps an RC vehicle? That'd be a trying feat. Maybe a long pole? Hmmm...

Oh come on! The answer is easy!!! They used The Force!

"How did the British ever stand up to Hitler??"

They didn't. The English Channel slowed him down enough for America to come in and save them.