IT is not just doom and gloom, often the weird and the wonderful can be found in Bradford.

Here are a few quirky stories for you to enjoy from the Telegraph & Argus archives.

Bradford Telegraph and Argus:

RODNEY MARSH v BRADFORD

Bradford City's arch critic Rodney Marsh urged people to raise as much money as possible through his charity head shave.

The former England star had his golden locks shorn on the Valley Parade pitch before Bradford City's match against Leicester City in August 2000 as a penance for wrongly predicting that the Bantams would be relegated the previous season.

The then Sky TV pundit, who still believed the Bantams would be relegated after that season, urged people to follow his lead and back the Baldly Go With Rodney campaign which is raised funds for Bradford's Plastic Surgery and Burns Unit.

"The burns unit is a terrific cause," said Marsh, who was challenged to have his head shaved by the Telegraph & Argus if Bradford stayed in the Premiership.

"I hope people will really support this. I promised to have my head shaved if City stayed up and I'm a man of my word.

"I was determined to raise money through it so when City suggested the burns unit I was delighted."

Bradford Telegraph and Argus:

ZLATAN IN BRADFORD

A football superstar visited Bradford to watch his son compete in a sports event.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic was at Richard Dunn Sports Centre to watch his teenage son take part in a taekwondo tournament held at the Rooley Avenue site in February 2018.

The AC Milan striker, 39, who was injured at the time of the visit, was stopped by autograph hunters and was happy to have his pictures with fans in the centre's car park.

It was the second year in a row that Ibrahimovic has attended the Bradford competition, run by Horizon Taekwondo.

He has played for some of the world's biggest clubs including Juventus, Inter Milan, Paris Saint-Germain and Barcelona during his glittering career.

Bradford Telegraph and Argus:

MONTY PYTHON'S FLYING CIRCUS

A building that had been used as an antiques shop and a butchers in the past at the junction of Toller Lane and Cross Road was the location for a sketch by a legendary comedy group.

It was seen in The Ant, An Introduction episode of Monty Python's Flying Circus, at the end of the Llamas sketch, which was recorded on December 7, 1969.

The scene starts with a shot of the shop - called Ada's Snack Bar - before the camera pans around the building to Cross Road where one of the show's stars, John Cleese, is sitting behind a desk. Cleese then introduces the next scene in the episode.

Bradford Telegraph and Argus:

UFOs

UFO stories seem to come along now and again in Bradford.

One example was a strange light in the sky spotted above the Tong area of Bradford.

That incident on Tong Road at 4.36pm on November 26, 2019, was described as a 'possible UFO sighting'.

Maybe the truth is out there in the district after all.

Bradford Telegraph and Argus:

SNAKES IN A PARK

Ethel, a 15ft long Reticulated python, made waves when she was spotted in Roberts Park, Saltaire.

Former snake breeder Bilal Israil, of Riddlesden, revealed he took his large yellow-coloured pet out for some fresh air.

Mr Israil told the Telegraph & Argus: “I had 100 per cent faith in her.

“She shows no signs of aggression.”

He also stressed that he would not take his pet snake out unless he was sure it would remain calm.