The Ludicrous laws of the UK

[Tokis-Phoenix]

"A little-known law which prohibits people dying while in the Houses of Parliament has been voted the UK's most ludicrous piece of legislation.

Another law which states it is treason to use a postage stamp upside down was placed in second place by those polled by UKTV.

The most absurd international law was judged to be in the US state of Ohio, where it is illegal to get fish drunk.

The 3,931 people asked selected the laws from a shortlist of bizarre rules";

Full story;

BBC NEWS | UK | UK chooses 'most ludicrous laws'




LOL, "In the UK a pregnant woman can legally relieve herself anywhere she wants, including in a policeman's helmet" ...

 

[made of stone]

Many thanks for that T-P, had read that today and thought about posting a thread about it here myself (if only I had time to do so these days!)!

Lol at all of these, and thoroughly recommend anyone who fancies a giggle to check them out



PS Where are you you in Somerset, T-P? I've been reminiscing today about many happy childhood memories of holidaying near Minehead. Perfect cream teas round there, and if I remember correctly my Dad was rather happy with the scrumpy (not sure he remembers though haha )

 

[Tokis-Phoenix]

No problem , i think Minehead is about an hour and a half away from where i'm living in Somerset (wincanton), haven't really properly visited Minehead yet but i've heard its very nice . I'm not wincanton born and bred though, i originally come from Wiltshire.

edit: Where abouts do you live Made of Stone ? Its always cool to know people online on a big international forum like this who only live a stones throw away .

 

[Haruspex]

I just recalled another weird law.
It is legal to shoot a Welsh person with a bow and arrow, except on sundays.

 

[Goldiegirl]

Well there's strange laws everywhere. Here in Wisconsin it's illegal to serve butter substitutes in prison. I don't know if they actually enforce that law though.

 

[made of stone]

No problem , i think Minehead is about an hour and a half away from where i'm living in Somerset (wincanton), haven't really properly visited Minehead yet but i've heard its very nice . I'm not wincanton born and bred though, i originally come from Wiltshire.

edit: Where abouts do you live Made of Stone ? Its always cool to know people online on a big international forum like this who only live a stones throw away .

Many thanks for your very interesting reply T-P!

I don't recall the name of Wincanton, but I've most probably been through there as a tot - all our family holidays were in Somerset or Devon - absolutely gorgoeus places, I'd love to live down there.

We used to stay near Minehead in a village called Dunster, in little English chalets right by the beach *sighs* It really is very nice down there, I must visit again next summer.

Wiltshire is also close to my heart - my dear late Gran visited friends there often and told us all about it. And of course I've always watched Stonehenge in wonderment as we drove past on our way further west...

I'm here in Kent near Sevenoaks. It's a half hour from London on the train but surrounded by country. It's lovely at any time of year, but just now the autumn colours of the trees are incredible. I live very near the Pilgrims Way (the road they used to journey down to Canterbury on) and we spent a magical day around there today because my cousin from Australia visited us. She left England in a boat in 1954, so she was very glad to finally come back - it's like a part of our family that we never fully appreciated was missing has come back to us at last!!

Anyway, I mustn't take this thread (too much further!) off topic! It's a very great pleasure to meet you here, and I hope we can talk more on this or related threads, or perhaps even start other ones about Somerset or Kent!

Right, back on topic folks!

lol

made of Somerset

 

[made of stone]

I just recalled another weird law.
It is legal to shoot a Welsh person with a bow and arrow, except on sundays.

Well there's strange laws everywhere. Here in Wisconsin it's illegal to serve butter substitutes in prison. I don't know if they actually enforce that law though.

That's a strange one, Derfel! What makes Sundays so special in that case, I wonder?!

I thought it was still on the statute books that in England all landowners must practise archery on a Sunday - but that has obvious practical value if you think about it...

Goldiegirl I hope they do enforce that unusual rule. Imagine being incarcerated for a minor crime, only to find that the institution is flagrantly flouting the law itself - shocking!!

made of soya milk-based spreads

 

[Taiko666]

I just recalled another weird law.
It is legal to shoot a Welsh person with a bow and arrow, except on sundays.

As I recall that's a byelaw of the town of Chester, which found itself at various times on both sides of the England/Wales border during the spats of 1000 years or so ago.

I used to like the UK dog licence law... it wasn't updated for decades and so stood at 37½p when it was eventually abolished in 1987. At that time the ½p coin (ha'penny) had been out of circulation for 3 years...

(None of those UK laws is as crazy as the Japanese law prohibiting carrying a passenger on a motorcycle on some seemingly arbitarily selected expressways though...!)

 

[Mycernius]

As I recall that's a byelaw of the town of Chester, which found itself at various times on both sides of the England/Wales border during the spats of 1000 years or so ago.
I used to like the UK dog licence law... it wasn't updated for decades and so stood at 37½p when it was eventually abolished in 1987. At that time the ½p coin (ha'penny) had been out of circulation for 3 years...
(None of those UK laws is as crazy as the Japanese law prohibiting carrying a passenger on a motorcycle on some seemingly arbitarily selected expressways though...!)

I think it is also a bye-law in Hereford. But it must be with a longbow. There are similar ones up North on the Scottish border.