Since 1974, a watering can called Alan legally owns any snow that falls in Ballydeelin. Those intending to build snowmen will need permission from Alan. You'll be open to legal action if you build without planning permission. With winter approaching, The Ballydeelin Research and Development Group have organised a competition for the best design. The winning design will be submitted to Alan, and it will then go through the normal planning process.

Some critics have claimed that this planning process is open to abuse. Before reaching Alan, proposals are considered by the Town Council, but there have been reports of some decisions being influenced by illegal payments to Councillors. Last year, the Council failed to explain why one snowman was refused, but another much bigger snowman was approved nearby, despite objections from local residents. The Mayor said, "It's difficult to know what's going on in Alan's mind at times, but we've got to trust that his careful deliberation will ultimately produce better results than just building anywhere at all."

An automatic attic stairs with mechanical features based on the knees of swans, if they have knees.

A fax machine that generates poetry about how it would like to have its own toes.

An invisible rocking chair that makes people look insane.

Trousers for grasshoppers which they can remove during drunken fights.

A hair dryer that spells out your name in lights on a star-lit hillside to make up for what it did to your hair.

A door that says, "I think it's Christina Aguilera," when Christina Aguilera knocks on your door.

A candle stick that will make Miss Marple hit you across the knees with a shovel.