With so much depressing news concerning the environment and man's appetite for destruction hogging the headlines we need to grab hold of every scrap of good news we can, shout it from the rooftops, unfurl the banners and run naked through the streets gleefully singing Michael Jackson's "Heal the World." Okay, maybe not that last bit. … Continue reading A Drop in the Ocean…but it’s a start!
Wilderness
I Bought a Rainforest
Watching the first two episodes of BBC2's I bought a rainforest has been difficult viewing. Very difficult . But it's something we should all be watching. It's all too easy to turn a blind eye to the destruction of the natural world and shrug our shoulders apologetically, with the view: "It's not me mate, I've … Continue reading I Bought a Rainforest
The Lion Sleeps (less soundly) Tonight
It feels like I've been neglecting my blog a bit lately, but other things have started to take precedence. That's the problem for me - the creative muscle is stronger than the other components that go into being a writer: new ideas overtake older ones before they are finished. Still, I haven't forgotten what inspired … Continue reading The Lion Sleeps (less soundly) Tonight
Fear of the Dark
With Halloween just passed and long dark nights upon us, it's a time of year that really whets the appetite for things macabre and frightening. Autumn is the season of long shadows and withering sunsets, grey days and sullen skies; a time to hunker down indoors, out of the cold, and allow the machinations of … Continue reading Fear of the Dark
Grizzly End for the Grizzly Man
It was nine years ago today that Timothy Treadwell died in the wilds of Alaska, killed by an unbridled passion for the wilderness, and in particular, the animal he had dedicated his life to protect. You may or may not be aware of the story of Timothy Treadwell. Indeed, you may have seen Werner Herzog’s … Continue reading Grizzly End for the Grizzly Man
Wild Places: A Bucket List
I suppose we all have one, and even if it’s not written down on an official list it resides up there in grey matter, buffeted by a multitude of daily chores, soap-opera plots and countless other bits of mundane information, like this: there is approximately one chicken for every human being in the world. Which … Continue reading Wild Places: A Bucket List
In Search of Uranus … and Other Celestial Bodies
I don’t profess to be an expert in astronomy. Indeed, last night was my first serious attempt at stargazing - or should I say planet gazing. My curiosity was piqued by the roll call of experts plonked on to TV sofas of every shape, size and colour - you see, the planets are aligned … Continue reading In Search of Uranus … and Other Celestial Bodies
Blurred Worlds 