The speaking clock (somewhat of a British institution) is more popular than ever! It’s hard to believe in the days of the iPhone, Android and Blackberry (even wrist watches are still pretty popular we believe!) but the speaking clock gets 30 million calls per year! 30 MILLION!!!

It was originally created in the 1930s for people who didn’t have a watch or clock to hand.

There are times when it is called more often than others, one of the most popular being (obvious really!) New Year’s Eve. But we find something quite heartwarming and nostalgic about the fact that it’s still there. We once knew someone who got drunk and left it on all night – at 30 pence per minute that was quite a phone bill!

Also, and rather amusingly, the clock is quite popular just before 5 o’clock, when call-centre staff are desperate to avoid picking up a 20-minute call. We can assure you that never happens at 247Moneybox.com though (especially as our offices are open until 7 pm!).

In the spirit of the Olympics, a man from Bexley, south London, was arrested by police for painting a Royal Mail post-box gold.

The Telegraph reports on the bizarre incident that saw the 38-year-old man, with a paint-brush roller and a plastic bucket filled with gold paint, reprimanded by Bexley Police at 2.50 a.m.

With the job unfinished, the pillar-box remains half-red and half-gold, with the reporters estimating the damage will cost Royal Mail £300 – although they have been painting some patriotic gold boxes of their own in the home towns of our Olympic champions.

“It was meant to be a bit of fun and part of the Olympic fever,” said the man, who was released with a caution. A first class effort … ?

The BBC reports that a 12-year-old girl from Brazil is planning to cut off her five-foot cascade of hair and sell it to wig suppliers for more than $5,000 (£3,100). Interestingly the UK is now the third-largest buyer of human hair worldwide, behind the US and mainland China. Most of the human hair is imported, but could there be a untapped supply here at home?

Sixty-six-year-old Jo Winter from Cardiff said she managed to sell 19 inches of her “mousey brown” hair.

“I cut it last September,” she says. “But I sold it for £50 and gave the money to my granddaughter because she needed to pay some bills.”

Genius idea and sustainable.