Most newspaper articles are quite serious so it is refreshing every now and again when a bizarre or hilarious Northamptonshire story catches our eyes on the feed.
We have rounded up just a few of those articles that gave us a good chuckle or even just do a double-take and think, 'wait... did I read that right?'
Here are nine 'laugh out loud' stories we reported on in 2021...
5. Police left dumbfounded by woman's excuse for driving without a licence or insurance
A car was pulled over by police officers in Kettering back in April after they found the driver only had a provisional licence and no insurance. Her defence to the officers? "My friend said I'm a good driver." Fair to say, that did not make officers reconsider seizing the vehicle.
6. An angry letter to West Haddon woman, who decorated her cottage for Christmas...
"Well done for ramming your eye-sore 'Chris Biggins Panto' decorations on residence in this beautiful village" were the words of one angry letter writer in West Haddon after Katie Coleman, 37, decorated her cottage with a festive archway of garlands. It comprised of baubles, lights, stars, candy canes, gingerbread men and sweets - all in vibrant reds, glittery silver and gold. Thankfully, Katie found the letter hilarious and she received floods of praise from her village in response. Clearly, the letter writer's spelling is just as good as their sense of humour.
7. Council forced to make a statement after residents complain about 'offensive smells'
Back in September, fields in the Nether Heyford area were being sprayed with liquid manure in an agricultural practice called 'muck spreading'. This prompted an influx of complaints to be sent in to the council about 'unpleasant' and 'offensive' smells. West Northamptonshire Council sent out an Environmental Protection Officer, who confirmed that the farmer in question followed all regulations correctly. Ah, village life!
8. Careless drivers pay the price for trying to dodge diversion in Daventry
Drivers trying to dodge diversions around waterworks on the A45 in August came to a sticky end overnight as their vehicles tumbled into trenches meant for a new pipeline. Stunned Angian Water workers found the two vehicles the next morning and took pity by using cranes to lift the cars out of the trenches, looking decidedly worse for wear. Remember roads are closed for a reason!