Copy! Bring me the file on laughable newsroom mix-ups.

A threetoed sloth

I once worked with a copy boy who was so slow he was nicknamed Threetoed by a savvy sub.

Then there was another copy boy who was the product of a private school and who went on to distinguish himself as a respected TV news professional.

So this is no slight on the copy boy (and girl) fraternity – just a good laugh at some of the alleged shenanigans in news rooms. Especially since most of them don’t seem to be much fun any more.

After posting about the copy boy who confused Brazilian playboy motor racer Ayrton Senna with Ayr Town Centre, I got a call from a normally reliable tabloid source.

He assured me had spoken to someone, who’d spoken to someone who was actually there when the Ayrton/Ayr Town mix up happened. They swore blind it was true.

What’s more the reliable source’s reliable source had another couple of examples up their sleeve of hilarious copy boy buffoonery.

Firstly – There was the case of the copy boy sent to the picture library to pull the Pearl Harbour file. He was found half an hour later still searching in vain through the Models (Female) section, convinced Pearl Harbour was some skinny catwalk queen.

Secondly – Then there was the hapless copy boy sent to pull the library files on Shakespears Sister (popular female pop double act). He reappeared 20 minutes later convinced he was the victim of some humiliating prankd and raged: “Ye’s aw think am stupit? Shakespeare didnae huv a sister!”

Any more, for any more?