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bluesdoodles · 8 years ago

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Skegness Solid Live Music More Blues than Rock in 2017

January drawing to a close, Christmas lights a fading memory. Then your calendar clicks around to Butlins, Skegness for the Great British Rock & Blues Festival, the next year of musical journeys begins. This year the emphasis is on Blues, Rock has fallen if not silent but reduced to a whisper this year, upsetting some and definitely changing the balance and feel of the weekend.

The Introducing Stage got the show underway from 4pm Friday until the early hours of Monday morning. The gaps were minimal the music quality, meeting of friends chatting about what stood out and having fun was the order of the day. The grumble about the lack of rock was justified. The title of the weekend is Rock & Blues so you would expect a balanced mixture. Everyone who knows me knows that I love my Blues of every hue, but I love the energy of Rock, the power of Rock and energy of the stage shows and this year this injection of power was missed. Without the balance of Rock and Blues, we didn’t have the contrast of razor-sharp, sparkling blues guitar and the full-on power chords and stinging licks of granite fueled rock.

Bluesdoodles, Liz Aiken enjoyed the weekend visiting the stages catching acts, missing others. With four stages this was a hectic few days. Starting off with the highlights across the days on Introducing Stage, run by Steve Stanley, of Solid Entertainments with the help from Paul Stiles and the Blues In Britain Team to hand out the voting disks. The Skeggie road takes us to Centre Stage – designated as ‘The Rock Stage’ by the Butlins programming team. The journey continues with a visit to Jaks with its late night sessions jams and a distinctive atmosphere, organised by Blues Matters. Finally, our travels and weary feet take us to Reds, 2017 the Blues stage. The programming was without argument patchy by the Butlins team what was good was very good, interspersed by mediocre and poor. The Road was definitely a Blue cobbled street rather than a rocky trail throughout the 2017 weekend. Let’s hope this is a transition year and next year the balance between Rock and Blues is restored. There are so many young exciting bands on the circuit that would be delighted to entertain the Skeggie crowds.

Now, for the music. GT’s Boos Band got the show under way and they were one of the thirteen excellent bands who delighted the crowded area at the heart of the Skyline Pavilion. The bands played for the chance of performing on a stage at Butlins 2018, decided by public vote. The three successful bands this year were Friday Night – Tom Walker Trio, Saturday, Southbound and the final finalist on Sunday was Greg Coulson Band. The competition was tough every band bought an interpretation of blues and rock that shows the depth of live music in the UK today. Tom Walker Trio, played a set that sparked including originals and an interesting, entertaining interpretation of Joe Bonamassa’s John Henry. Hitting the authentic blues spot Backwater Roll certainly pleased the audience in a packed area. Saturday night showed that this stage is getting more popular every year as the place to find new festival gems that you will want to see live again. Southbound were great on the night with a live performance showcasing the power of the rhythm section as they delivered their distinctive Blues Rock with a bucket of soul sound thrown in for good measure. Matt Edwards Band with Stuart Dixon on bass impressed as did their 2015 album Four Berry Jam. Matt has a voice that makes you listen and his guitar playing has an infectious tone. Amy Eftekhari’s performance of Somewhere Over The Rainbow got the crowds purring with delight. Then it was Sunday two performances really stood out and on another day Elles Bailey would have won. Her vocals have power and the addition of Nick Garner on harp added another dimension to this class act; for me the winner of Sunday night. But the popular vote went to Greg Coulson, who delivered by surrounding himself with excellent musicians and a confident stage presence on the day. His experience as keyboardist with The Selectors shone through combined with strong numbers from his forthcoming debut album. This was party music that lit up the Introducing Stage.

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Centre Stage is where queues form every night long before the doors open. At least now they are entertained by the adjacent Introducing Stage. This year designated The Rock Stage for the first time had one certainty rock would be hard to find. Friday night opened with one of last year’s winners Sugarman Sam & The Voodoo Men. Wow, the transition to main stage fitted the band perfectly with a strong set. The music was hefty blues-rock, punctuated with authentic blues licks that curled around the rhythm section. Sugarman Sam, is growing as the new number She’s A Woman demonstrated. The following act was Eric Sardinas & Big Motor highly anticipated and deeply disappointing in the delivery. Yes, a string did break, but why the length of time off stage, as so many said surely someone of this calibre should have a spare guitar tuned for slide, do a different number or have a guitar tech. It was left to the bass player, Paul Loranger who held the fort not once but twice as Sardinas left the stage and flounced off again. What the band played was good but the flow of the set was disjointed and definitely an off night for this colourful performer of Rock-blues.

Saturday with two sessions the afternoon opened by Texas Flood another winner from 2016. What a winning Rock n’ Roll set. Texas Flood definitely washed away any cobwebs with a rip-roaring high octane set that rocked. This is the rock we want to hear at Skeggie, but why the early timing? It was not as if the evening bands were that exciting. The energy was high, the timing sharp they certainly did Wales proud! The interplay between guitar and bass was sharp and entertaining. Closing the afternoon the Helen Hardy Band entertained. A good R n’ B band the covers we know and flowed through the auditorium as Saturday afternoon drew to a close. Saturday night. Kenney Jones & The Jones Gang, may not be classic rock but this was a band that delighted the crowds with songs from his vast back catalogue. Kenney Jones, the drummer who was the heart of three of the great bands The Small Faces, Faces and The Who. The crowd sung along with delight to Itchycoo Park and more. Leafhound, a rock band were well received with Luke Rayner’s guitar sounding superb, the most underrated of the weekend. (Bluesdoodles spent most of the time in Reds and Jaks this just didn’t rock our boots)

Last day of the festival with a feeling of the night after the day before. The last of 2016 Introducing Stage winners the Rainbreakers started things off. This is a band that never rains on your parade but brings a ray of sunshine Once again proving what a great launch pad the introducing stage is as they also stepped into Centre stage limelight delivering a storming set. The testimony to this was the queue for the merch as people wanted to get their hands on the latest E.P. Rise Up. This was R n’ B with attitude, full of tasty riffs and delicious licks in the eclectic selection of numbers. A class act with loads of potential to be a name on everyone’s lips. Popa Chubby Band closed out the afternoon with his own brand of Blues and R n’ B with his trademarked lead breaks, held together by a solid rhythm section. The crowd really warmed to him many hearing him for the first time. Definitely class blues BUT definitely not Rock as Poppa described his music as Working Class Blues. The night was not about rock but there were three acts that delighted the audiences. Kicking off the double celebration of the Rocking Blues was Laurence Jones with his new line-up. He built the energy, excited the packed house, the guitar was sweet. Laurence full of confidence gained from years of touring and playing live across Europe and the UK. The set was one-hundred percent Laurence with ribbons and bells as he showcased his latest album Take Me High. That is definitely what he did he took us high in to a dazzling blue encrusted music with the edge of rock With Joanne Shaw Taylor up next we were going to be in for a Wild ride. Reflecting her current album, the set was full of deep blues riffs and licks that curled around the audience with a sensuous and stylish flow. The interaction between Joanne and her bassist Luigi Casanova adds energy a visual focal point. Then she breaks away and soars into her renowned guitar solos that hit the spot where musical memories are made. Tonight, was the best I had heard her vocals the balance was perfect so voice and guitar were in balanced harmony. Closing out the festival on Centre Stage was Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel where many re-lived memories and reminded many of the sound track of their youth.

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The weekend selection at Jaks was vast, full of delights and festival gems plus the fun of Saturday afternoon Jam. Ranging from the gently harmonious blues from Fran McGillivray to the dynamic sounds of blues with a punk attitude and sassy energy from the Husky Tones as this duo caught your attention. With a new album out soon this is a band we will be hearing lots of as they ask Who Will I Turn To Now? Closing the night as the other stages fell silent we danced into the early hours with The Revolutionaires led by the charismatic and energetic Ed Stephenson. Saturday afternoon is all about the Jam which two young men, Mikey Maclennan and Steve Liddle ran with style as unfortunately Jam stalwart Gary Boner from Roadhouse was unwell following a recent operation. Everyone wishes Gary a speedy recovery and a hearty welcome back to Skegness 2018. Saturday evening was a night of magic live-music. With two of the acts for many the bands of the weekend. Firstly Catfish who played a blinding set. Deep emotional blues full of verve and style as Matthew Long with his voice and guitar dominated the stage capturing the audience so that no-one was tempted away. Catfish’s rendition of Make It Rain was stunning and the emotions were charged and there were tears of joy as the passions of the audience and the band connected. Their new album, out 28th January, Broken Man will be a hit of 2017 there is definitely nothing broken about this band. How do you follow that with Dom Pipkin & The Ikos and some New Orleans infused music. Closing the night and welcoming in Sunday were LaVendore Rogue. A band that is like marmite with the supporters outweighing those who cannot connect to their interpretation of the blues. Mixing up the set with old Hokie Joint numbers and tracks from the debut album, Light Up With they definitely shone music into our soul tonight. Sunday evening, without Roadhouse they pulled a blinder by filling the gap with Ash Wilson. The anticipation was high, many had seen him play dual guitar in the Sean Webster Band. On stage he was joined by Bob Fridzema and Roger Inniss who played on his debut album, Broken Machine. Joining him on drums tonight was Wayne Proctor sitting in for his brother Phil Wilson who was otherwise engaged playing drums with Laurence Jones on Centre Stage. The set was mature, accomplished a quality performance of R n’B from everyone on stage. We heard covers like My Babe done the Ash way. Ash’s vocals are strong at times sounding like molasses with the bass drum the heartbeat like cotton popping in a sun-drenched field as he Holding Hands was sung. The Revelator a Jesse Davey number picked up the tempo. There was a pure synergy between these top drawer blues musicians a delight to behold and listen to. Be delighted to see him on the Blues main stage next year. Following this Will Johns & Friends, with Mikey Maclennan once again coming to the rescue as stand-in drummer. He met Will and the band a few minutes before stepping on Jaks stage with them to play a festival set. What a brilliant job he did. Very entertaining with witty repartee, brilliant guitar with a fantastic tone. What a high quality set of blues. The festival had one more act as the clocked turned into Monday, Jaks was packed as everyone squeezed a few more musical memories out of The Great Rock & Blues Festival 2017. Kris Barras Band, who delivered blues rock with power and a force to be reckoned with. Another live act that delivers every time building on the studio sound heard in their current album Lucky 13. Blues Matters once again delivered music that will hold many memories and hats off to the DJ Clive Rawlings who each year acts as the glue that held the sessions together.

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Reds this year was coloured with Blues of every hue and shade. With Friday and Saturday dedicated to firstly to the harmonica and then to Alligator Records. Opening the festival for Reds was A Harmonica Explosion, a night where this German folk instrument was re-shaped in tone and playing by Southern States Blues musicians to be forever connected. Blues and harmonica are a perfect pairing. Opening the night was Giles Robson Band, a very entertaining set engaging the audience who were delighted to participate when asked. The music was an explosion of blues harp as we stepped on board the steam train and followed Giles on a ride full of tonal twists and turns of the blues-harp. Later on in the evening he was joined by three more renowned harp-players Magic Dick, who for some reason was not on top form, James Harman beset with frustrating technical issues so his harp was silent for far too long and the cream of the night a musician on fire Billy Branch. When they all played together at the end of the evening we were treated to a harp firework display. The acoustic set from Martin Harley opening on Saturday afternoon was a melodic delight as he explored the tonal ranges of his lap Weissenborn guitar. The covers took us deep into the Delta full of acoustic twists and turns gently kick-starting a harmonious Saturday in Reds turned Blue. The tempo then changed and Reds was packed as loyal fans of Nine Below Zero were once again caressed by the band that knows how to deliver. The only disappointment was this set was on in the afternoon many felt it suited an evening slot. The music drew you in the blues was delivered and everyone left with a deep sigh of contentment. The evening was a celebration of all things Alligator. With a first for Skeggie a Q&A session with Bruce Iglauer President and founder of Alligator records. Lots of interesting questions and we all gained an insight into how a blues label works. Three blinding sets unfurled showing the diversity of electric blues. Marcia Ball got the Alligator Party rocking turning Reds into a Roadhouse for this Blues Spectacular. Proper Chicago blues played by a wonderful group of musicians who with a smile opened up the joy of the blues and entertained. Marcia Ball sung like an angel accompanying herself on the piano with the musicians that pulled together to showcase the sound they just love to share with everyone who listens. Blues is heavenly when played this well. The harmonious and interesting combination of drum shuffles, sax, keys and the power of vocal lyrics was infectious with the guitar pulling the show together. Wow! How do you follow that? Easy when you have the depth of Alligator artists to choose from. Next up blues with a difference a trio, Moreland and Arbuckle. All eyes are focused on Moreland with his cigar box guitar and Arbuckle’s, harp and vocals. A high octane band playing Roots music that rocks you to your core. Electrifying raw delta infused music that gets the adrenalin pumping feet tapping and you get a warm feel good glow as the music surges through your veins. Closing tonight we headed deep into Southside Chicago for authentic urban blues with Toronzo Cannon. Having learnt his craft in the competitive and demanding Windy city club scene it takes a special blues magic to rise above the crowd. Toronzo has that with style and a flourish as he melds smooth vocals and stinging guitar chords. With a mix of his own numbers with strong lyrics and a couple of covers; what a dynamic end to an evening that enveloped you in Chicago Blues and so much more.

Sunday at Reds was a mixed package for me opening with Lil Jimmy Reed featuring Bob Hall on Keys this was the perfect blues smoothie for early Sunday afternoon. Followed by Paul Jones and Dave Kelly as a duet Sunday was a smooth affair. The evening was a mix David Knopfler on acoustic guitar, disappointed, The Blues Band as ever delivers British blues with style and aplomb. Closing the night is Jamie Williams and The Roots Collective; this is blues infused with English Folk and roots music. Closing the festival on Reds they delivered a stylish set that didn’t for me shout out the blues. Not a celebration but a party we all enjoyed.

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There were many highlights of every Blue hue the strongest stages over the whole festival weekend were Jaks and the Introducing Stage. The night celebrating Alligator Records was a combination of brilliant blues drenched music. The three young bands who won The Introducing Stage Sugarman Sam & The Voodoo Men, Texas Flood and The Rainbreakers, all added a shine to the festival. Memories of 2017 will be many and all tinged in blue rather than rock. The acts that you should run to see again are Catfish, LaVendore Rogue, Ash Wilson, the winners of the Intro Stage and Elles Bailey. Joanne Shaw Taylor in this form is a force to be reckoned with, Marcia Ball , Moreland & Arbuckle, Toronzo Cannon and the harp supremacy that is Giles Robson.

Skegness Solid Live Music More Blues than Rock in 2017 Skegness Solid Live Music More Blues than Rock in 2017 January drawing to a close, Christmas lights a fading memory.

#Blues #Butlins Big Weekend #Butlins Music Weekend #Butlins Skegness for the Great Rock & Blues Festival #centre Stage #Festival #Festival Music #Great British Rock & Blues Festival #Great Rock & Blues Festival #Introducing Stage #JAKS #January 2017 #live music #Reds Stage #rock #Skegness 2017

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dailyunsolvedmysteries · 2 years ago

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Incidents at UK amusement parks

On 2 June 2015 at Alton Towers, a train with 16 passengers collided at 32 km/h (20 mph) with a stationary test car that had failed part way round the track. Four passengers — two male, two female, aged between 17 and 27 — suffered serious leg injuries and were airlifted to nearby hospitals for treatment. One of the casualties had to have her left leg amputated due to her injuries while a second casualty had to have her right leg amputated due to the extent of her injuries. A fifth person with neck and abdominal injuries was also taken to hospital. The other 11 riders were believed to have only minor injuries and received medical treatment at the scene. This has been stated to be the biggest incident to ever occur at Alton Towers. The theme park was closed until 7 June 2015 pending the completion of the investigation. Ride staff operating The Smiler at the time of the incident were investigated, after reports that it was manually restarted in similar fashion to the Alton mouse during its incident in 1991, however the criminal investigation concluded that the crash was not caused by individual staff error. The Smiler reopened on March 19, 2016. Merlin Attractions Operations Ltd was prosecuted at North Staffordshire Justice Centre on 22 April 2016, in which the firm pleaded guilty, and was subsequently fined £5 million on 27 September 2016 after a two-day hearing at Stafford Crown Court.

At Battersea Park Funfair on 30 May 1972, one of the train cars on the roller coaster started to climb the cable hill when the cable suddenly snapped. With there being no anti-rollback device on this attraction, the train rolled back into the station colliding with the other train. Five children were killed and thirteen others injured. The ride (the park's main attraction) was permanently closed, leading to the funfair's commercial decline and its eventual closure at the end of the 1974 season,

On 24 October 2014 at Blackpool Pleasure Beach, a 58-year-old man broke his neck whilst riding the Grand National with his 13-year-old nephew. Upon returning to the station, he was found slumped in the carriage and was rushed to Royal Preston Hospital. On 21 July 2000, an 11-year-old boy died after falling out of a ride vehicle on the Space Invader roller coaster. Reports say that he may have panicked on the dark ride and unfastened his seatbelt. As a result of the accident, the ride was closed and carriages were re-fitted with over the head restraints.

At Camelot Theme Park on 23 August 2011, a 12-year-old boy fell from the ride. Witnesses say the boy clung to the ride until he fell 9 m (30ft). On 22 October 2001, a 59-year-old employee was killed as he was struck by a train when he was performing maintenance on the ride.

Drayton Manor Resort on 9 May 2017, an 11-year-old girl fell out of a raft on the Splash Canyon Rapids ride. She then climbed an 'algae-covered travellator' before slipping and falling into a deeper pool of water where she drowned. According to Drayton Manor's director, George Bryan, park staff responded immediately and rescued the girl from the water. The girl was airlifted to Birmingham Children's Hospital, but was proclaimed dead from her drowning soon after arrival. The park was temporarily closed after the incident, and the ride remained closed until summer 2021. The ride reopened in 2021 after increasing its height restriction from 1.2 m (47 in) to 1.3 m (51 in) and barring those under the age of 14 from riding without a responsible person above the age of 16. The same updated restrictions were applied to adjacent water ride Stormforce 10.

On 2 June 2000, a 12-year-old boy died as a result of injuries sustained at Gray's Amusement Park in Ingoldmells near Skegness. He was hit in the chest by a manual swing, known as The Swinging Gym. The incident was described as a tragic accident.

On 17 May 2006, a 56-year-old park employee was performing safety checks on the train when his head hit on a bridge as the train dragged him through a tunnel, killing him.

On 16 July 2007, an 18-year-old park worker with mild cerebral palsy died after falling 24 m (80 ft) from the Rat ride at the Scottish Park. He was on a day off on 15 July 2007 when it is believed he saw one of the carriages stuck on the ride. He climbed up to attempt to fix the ride; however when it started to move he was dragged to the highest point, when he lost his grip and fell. The park voluntarily closed the ride even after it passed inspection

Oakwood Theme Park on 15 April 2004, a 16-year-old girl from Pontypool was killed after falling approximately 30 m (100 ft) from the top of the Hydro (now called Drenched) ride. During the Coroner's inquest, the jury returned a narrative verdict stating that the victim died due to not being properly restrained.

On 11 September 1999, an 8-year-old girl died after falling from the coaster and hitting her head on a steel support. On 19 February 2003, Dreamland Leisure denied the charge but was found guilty of negligence in ensuring guest safety.

#true crime #crime #parks #theme parks

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logopops · 5 years ago

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Currys, Nuneaton

Logo date: 1988-2007

Closing when the store lease ended in July, this branch of Currys in Nuneaton may well have been the final red-and-white branded store still standing. Other branches in Skegness and Ayr that were late to rebrand were finally given the three-in-one treatment last year (2018) which saw the classic logo ditched and the stores converted to the favoured mix of Currys, PC World and Carphone Warehouse. You almost have to admire the hubris in calling this branch in Nuneaton a ‘superstore’ on the signage; it was actually quite pokey inside.

Red and white was very much the colour of major chain electronics retailers in the UK for a time. Currys, Dixons* and Comet all had red and white branding through the 1980s and 1990s, which no doubt was fairly confusing for the consumer.

A red-on-navy rebrand introduced back in 2007 to replace this look didn’t last long, mainly because management soon realised that ‘currys’ basically became illegible in some newspaper ads and on their store signage when viewed from a distance. The red was changed to white within a year. This made spotting stores with that original 2007 rebranded logo quite a rare thing, and when I moved to Lincoln in 2016 I was pleased to see the local branch was still sporting that original red-on-navy 2007 look, next door to a retro PC World. They subsequently downsized to just the one unit and took the current branding.

Google Streetview shows that the Nuneaton branch also sported retro department signage on the outside as recently as 2017 but this had been removed by 2019.

And for those interested, the final solo PC World store closed last year... (I can’t work out how to embed tweets on tumblr or if it’s even possible so to view the tweet itself, click here)

NB. You may also be intrigued to know there was an abandoned PC World rebrand back in 2007...

*Dixons took over Currys in 1984 but elected to keep both brands; they both had red and white branding beforehand anyhow!

Photos via @JosephBegley

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lifepeoplecountenanceroom · 6 years ago

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There were lights falling from the sky and flashing

This was happening in Lahore, where I live. I used to see real lights flashing in the sky, even balls of light sometimes. And they were all coloured too. The ones I usually saw were neon blue. This was all happening in consequence to my focus on the inner reality, my being deep in my thoughts, as they always fell when things happened there, I noticed. Yes, it was real, but the weird thing was that no one acknowledged it. I was right there standing next to people on a few occasions and when the lights flashed, I asked them many times whether they saw them too but they so blatantly denied it.

Back then when it was happening, in 2017, I came across an article on the internet telling of how there were these same lights flashing in USA as well.

Doing a quick google search, I found this:

https://www.google.com.pk/amp/s/www.lincolnshirelive.co.uk/news/local-news/what-blue-flashing-light-spotted-1292468.amp

It might not be that same article, but does show the same thing; neon blue lights flashing in the sky. There’s also a few YouTube videos. Just type in “blue lights flashing in the sky” and you’ll find some.

So, I’m not crazy after all am I? I just need to prove to people that this is real somehow. Back then, these things didn’t mean much to me, but now this is a kind of proof for me. I have been wronged and I need justice. I know I won’t get anything like that, but just to prove to people that put these labels on me that this is real, here you go, something for you.

This also does prove that this was happening on a worldwide scale.

And the lights weren’t always blue either. Sometimes white or green and even red too.

If you look at how each “lataif” has a different colour, you could understand that this could have something to do with that too.

I do hurt putting this out, because I know I should just leave this all alone, as this was all from Allah and something that is beyond me, but truth is, these people aren’t stopping, and they’re everywhere... I mean, why? Do I have a right to ask ‘why’?

I just hope that this will bring something good to come after it and not evil. InshaAllah

So, does anyone else know about this?

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darael · 7 years ago

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Goodbye, Paul. And good riddance.

Shame you’ve been replaced by a Tory but still.

#ge17 #General Election #Election night #uk election #uk election 2017 #nightblogging #Boston and Skegness

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kevinscottgardens · 5 years ago

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24 February - 14 March

Tomorrow is the Ides of March...what else can happen?

It’s been a busy few weeks in the garden and I’ve been to Antwerp and up to Gresgarth Hall, so a lot to report.

I re-mounted a Platycerium for the first time. It was interesting to see how they pile up on each other and how easy it was to pull off the dead ones and keep the one thriving one. Only two years ago this had only one pathetic little frond. I have nursed it back to a nice specimen and now have given it a new mounting. See photo under plant of the week below...

I enjoyed the last weekend of February in Antwerp with Jody and Steve who live there. It was the end of winter hours at work, so I was able to get away on the 15.00 train. We had a nice weekend.

The first of March brought us back to summer working hours (08.00 to 17.00 Monday through Thursday and 08.00 to 16.00 Friday). I replaced some raised bed wood that had rotted away in the pharmaceutical area.

We had two days of students installing art all around the garden for their course. It was fun to see it installed. It was only up for two days, unfortunately.

Last weekend I went up to Gresgarth Hall as a guest of Arabella and Mark Lennox-Boyd. I work on the database for the arboretum at Gresgarth. I met the new members of the gardening staff and upgraded their databases. Gresgarth is a beautiful place to escape London (and CoVid-19).

Monday morning at 06.13 I took a photo, through the bus window, crossing Putney Bridge on my way to work.

Later that day, one of our volunteers, Charlotte Lorimer, sent me this... Amazing!

This past week I spent three days working on turf, so by Thursday, with sore chest muscles, of course I initially equated that with ‘breathing difficulties’. I stopped, and realised I just had sore muscles. Ah, how CoVid-19 is playing with my mind. I then had an opportunity to add my own art to the garden. I was asked to try to protect new grass seed from birds, this is what I came up with...

We are growing bananas from seed for the first time and this is a photo of them germinating on 3 March and again, one week later on 10 March.

A volunteer donated a tablet to the garden so we will be able to use our database in the garden, once I figure out how to set it up! This is very exciting and should save us a lot of time. We expressed out huge gratitude to the wonderful volunteer who made this possible.

There is a lot of yellow in the garden at the moment, one of the showiest is Forsythia x intermedia ‘Beatrix Farrand’ which are located by the Embankment gate.

Plant ident on winter twigs by Joe:

Betulaceae Betula pendula

Betulaceae Carpinus betulus

Betulaceae Corylus avellana

Cornaceae Cornus sanguinea

Fagaceae Castanea sativa

Fagaceae Fagus sylvatica

Grossulariaceae Ribes nigrum

Rosaceae Prunus avium

Sapindaceae Acer griseum

Sapindaceae Aesculus hippocastanum

Plant of the week 28 February

Polypodiaceae Platycerium bifurcatum (Cav.) C. Chr.

common name(s) - common staghorn fern, common stag's horn fern, Australian elk's horn fern, elkhorn fern, antelope ears synonym(s) - Acrostichum bifurcatum Cav.; Alcicornium bifurcatum (Cav.) Underw. conservation rating - none native to - Eastern Australia & New Caledonia location - tropical corridor, accession 2008-0538, and fernery, accession 2008-0537 leaves - heart-shaped sterile fronds and grey-green, arching, fertile fronds to 900mm long, forked into strap-shaped segments, bearing brown spore patches beneath the tips flowers - none habit - evergreen, epiphytic fern habitat - a bracket epiphyte occurring in and near rainforests pests - scale insects disease - generally disease-free hardiness - to 1ºC (H2) soil - epiphyte sun - part shade, sheltered propagation - sow spores when ripe or detach plantlets pruning - none nomenclature - Polypodiaceae - polypodium - many-feet, Dioscorides’ reference to the rhizome growth pattern, polypody; Platycerium - broad-horned, the stag’s-horn-like, dichotomous lobing of the fertile fronds; bifurcatum - divided into equal limbs NB - AGM

References, bibliography:

Gledhill, David, (2008) “The Names of Plants”, fourth edition; Cambridge University Press; ISBN: 978-0-52168-553-5

IUCN [online] http://www.iucnredlist.org/search [14 Mar 20]

Missouri Botanical Garden [online] http://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/PlantFinder/PlantFinderDetails.aspx?kempercode=b615 [14 Mar 20]

Plant List, The [online] http://www.theplantlist.org/tpl1.1/record/tro-50050265 [14 Mar 20]

Plants of the World [online] http://plantsoftheworldonline.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:17177460-1 [14 Mar 20]

Royal Horticultural Society [online] https://www.rhs.org.uk/plants/details%3Fplantid%3D1488 [14 Mar 20]

Wikipedia [online] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Platycerium_bifurcatum [14 Mar 20]

Plant ident of Jess’s favourites in the dicotyledon beds:

Apiaceae Ferula communis subsp. communis

Asteraceae Scolymus hispanicus

Asteraceae Serratula shawii

Caryophyllaceae Gypsophila acutifolia

Cistaceae Citrus trifoliata

Fabaceae Coronilla valentina subsp. glauca 'Citrina'

Fabaceae Glycyrrhiza yunnanensis

Ranunculaceae Clematis serratifolia

Rhamnaceae Paliurus spina-christi

Solanaceae Eriolarynx australis x Eriolarynx fasciculata

Plant of the week 6 March

Boraginaceae Echium candicans L.f.

common name(s) - pride of Madeira synonym(s) - Argyrexias candicans Raf.; Echium brachyanthum Hornem.; E. candicans var. noronhae Menezes; E. cynoglossoides Desf.; E. densiflorum DC.; E. macrophyllum Lehm.; E. maderense Steud.; E. marianum Boiss.; E. pallidum Salisb.; E. pavonianum Boiss.; E. truncatum auct. conservation rating - Data Deficient native to - Madeira, Portugal location - glasshouse two Macaronesian plants, accession 1991-0343 leaves - grey-hairy lance-shaped evergreen leaves flowers - dense terminal spike-like panicles of white, pale or deep blue flowers in spring and summer habit - bushy biennial sub-shrub habitat - forest, rocky areas (e.g. inland cliffs, mountain peaks), shrubland pests - outdoors slugs; indoors glasshouse whitefly, glasshouse red spider mite, vine weevils disease - generally disease-free hardiness - to 5ºC (H1c) soil - under glass, grow in a loam-based potting compost, in full light; water freely when in growth, sparingly in winter. Outdoors, grow in moderately fertile, well-drained soil in full sun. Protect from winter frost in situ with horticultural fleece sun - full sun, sheltered propagation - seed at 13 to 16°C in summer, overwintering seedlings at 5 to 7°C pruning - none nomenclature - Boraginaceae - borago - shaggy-coat, burra with feminine suffix (the leaves); Echium - viper, a name used by Dioscorides for a plant to cure snakebite, viper’s bugloss Echium vulgare; candicans - white, hoary-white, with white woolly hair, present participle of candico NB - in California, it is an invasive species. It is removed from native plant communities as part of habitat restoration efforts in coastal parks such as the Golden Gate National Recreation Area. In New Zealand it is a common garden escapee onto road-side verges and shingle banks throughout the drier parts of both the North and the South Islands. In the state of Victoria, Australia, it is considered to be a high weed risk and an alert has been posted by the Department of Primary Industries.

References, bibliography:

Gledhill, David, (2008) “The Names of Plants”, fourth edition; Cambridge University Press; ISBN: 978-0-52168-553-5

IUCN [online] https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/162036/115869493 [14 Mar 20]

Plant List, The [online] http://www.theplantlist.org/tpl1.1/record/kew-2784037 [14 Mar 20]

Plants of the World [online] http://plantsoftheworldonline.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:115594-1 [14 Mar 20]

Royal Horticultural Society [online] https://www.rhs.org.uk/Plants/6290/i-Echium-candicans-i/Details [14 Mar 20]

Wikipedia [online] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Echium_candicans [14 Mar 20]

Plant ident on plants from Macaronesia by Louisa:

Arecaceae Phoenix canariensis

Asparagaceae Dracaena draco

Asteraceae Argyranthemum frutescens

Asteraceae Schizogyne sericea

Athyriaceae Diplazium caudatum

Boraginaceae Echium wildpretii

Crassulaceae Aeonium spathulatum

Lauraceae Laurus azorica

Pinaceae Pinus canariensis

Plantaginaceae Plantago famarae

Plant of the week 13 March

Rosaceae Prunus spinosa L.

common name(s) - blackthorn, sloe, sloe plum, buckthorn, bullace, skeg, snag synonym(s) - Druparia spinosa Clairv.; Prunus acacia Crantz ex Poir.; Prunus acacia Crantz; Prunus acacia-germanica Crantz; Prunus domestica var. spinosa (L.) Kuntze conservation rating - Least Concern native to - Europe, Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Turkey, Syria & Iran location - useful garden - survival bed, accession 2017-0263 leaves - dark green, ovate leaves flowers - small white flowers in early spring, followed by ovoid, bloomy black fruits 15mm across habit - small thorny deciduous tree to 3m tall and 3m wide habitat - shrubland, artificial/terrestrial, rocky areas (e.g. inland cliffs, mountain peaks), forest pests - aphids, caterpillars, bullfinches disease - silver leaf, blossom wilt hardiness - to <-20ºC (H7) soil - any moist well-drained soil sun - full sun propagation - sowing the stones shallowly (no more than their own length deep) in a well-drained growing medium. In order to germinate, the stones must be exposed to a period of cold for approximately two months. This can be achieved by placing them in a bag of moist sand in a fridge. Semi-ripe cuttings can be taken in late summer. Blackthorn tolerates most soils, except acidic ones, but does not perform well if shaded. Once it is established it is a tough, resilient plant pruning - in mid-summer if silver leaf is a problem nomenclature - Rosaceae - rosa - the Latin name for various roses; Prunus - the ancient Latin name for a plum tree; spinosa - spiny, with spines NB - flavouring for alcoholic beverages (sloe gin), when tea derived from Camellia sinensis (a commonplace drink today) was a very expensive product, the young leaves of blackthorn were dried and used as a replacement for, or to adulterate, the more expensive tea. Blackthorn wood has been used to make walking sticks, clubs and hay-rake teeth. A shillelagh is a highly polished stick of blackthorn wood that was made and used in Ireland, and a blackthorn walking stick is still carried by commissioned officers of the Royal Irish Regiment. Blackthorn wood is especially hard and takes a high polish. The shillelagh was used in self defence and is now used in a form of traditional fighting or martial art. Stout sticks of blackthorn are highly prized since it is rare to find blackthorn grown to this size.

References, bibliography:

Gledhill, David, (2008) “The Names of Plants”, fourth edition; Cambridge University Press; ISBN: 978-0-52168-553-5

IUCN [online] https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/172194/19400568 [14 Mar 20]

Plant List, The [online] http://www.theplantlist.org/tpl1.1/record/rjp-43 [14 Mar 20]

Plants of the World [online] http://plantsoftheworldonline.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:730297-1 [14 Mar 20]

Royal Horticultural Society [online] https://www.rhs.org.uk/Plants/14041/Prunus-spinosa/Details [14 Mar 20]

CoVid-19 is consuming me now. I altered the way I return home from work after Wednesday’s nighmarish journey on the underground. Trains were only every twenty minutes to Richmond so we were packed in like sardines. Now I’m walking across the river to Queenstown Road and catching a train. There is much more room on the train. I’m addicted to following the numbers on this incredible Johns Hopkins University website:

Stay healthy if you can, and self-isolate if necessary. This will pass in time...

#Platycerium bifurcatum #Prunus spinosa #Echium candicans #CoVid-19

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rockzone · 5 years ago

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Burnt Out Wreck - This Is Hell

Release Date: 11 Oct 2019

Burnt Out Wreck released their new album 'This Is Hell' earlier this month. It sees the band ratcheting up the pace with some great foot stomping hard rock tunes.

Vocalist Gary Moat put the band together in the summer of 2016. After penning songs for the debut album, he ventured into the studio under the watchful eye of Steve Rispin (Asia), and with Gary’s determination to create good time classic rock, the album "Sallow" took shape and was released early 2017. After plenty of promotion and hard work touring the UK, the band have returned with this follow up.

Gary Moat says, "This is Hell, the title says it all. It’s a hard hitting, fast paced and more focused album. It’s an angry set of songs that follows on in the same vein as Swallow, but a bigger sound. It has drained me mentally and physically, made in eleven days start to finish, I cracked the whip on the entire band & they agreed it was worth it."

Gary has a colourful history as the drummer and main songwriter for Heavy Pettin’, but for Burnt Out Wreck, he has traded the drum stool for the microphone. His vocal style developed in in the band Mother’s Ruin.

Lineup: Gary Moat - Lead Vocals Alex Carmichael - Bass Paul Gray - Drums Adrian Dunn - Lead Guitar, backing vocals Miles Goodman - Rhythm Guitar, backing vocals

UK Tour dates 2019/2020: 27 Sept - Four Sticks Weekender, Amersham Arms, London 24 Oct - The Underworld, Camden London, supporting The Pete Way Band 25 Oct - The Tivoli Venue, Buckley, supporting The Pete Way Band 26 Oct - Hangar 18 Music, Swansea, supporting The Pete Way Band 6 Dec - The Wharf Theatre, Travistock, supporting The Pete Way Band 17 Jan - Great British Rock and Blues Festival, Skegness 28 Jan - The Robin 2, Wolverhampton, Supporting The Pete Way Band 7 Feb - Hard Rock Café, Glasgow 8 Feb - Bannermans, Edinburgh

#Album Review #Tour News #Burnt Out Wreck

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theclickersnet-blog · 5 years ago

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New Post has been published on http://www.theclickers.net/vet-left-dog-to-die-alone-overnight-despite-advertising-24-hour-care-lincolnshire-live/

Vet left dog to die alone overnight despite advertising '24-hour care' - Lincolnshire Live

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A dog was left on its own to die overnight in a vets that was advertised as providing 24-hour care.

Penny and Anthony O’Callaghan took their beloved Kiwi to the Riverside Veterinary Practice in Spalding after they feared he was suffering from an urgent stomach condition.

The vet was able to carry out a successful emergency operation on the 11-year-old German Shepherd–Wolfhound cross.

But he was then left to recuperate from the surgery on his own for more than seven hours overnight.

Kiwi was found dead the following morning, leaving the O’Callaghan’s devastated.

Elizabeth Law, the vet who carried out the operation, was reprimanded by the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons following the dog’s death.

They said it was a ‘serious mistake that she made in failing to ensure that Kiwi was checked or monitored overnight’.

The dog’s owners told a disciplinary hearing that one of the reasons that they chose her practice was that it advertised itself as a 24/7 operation.

At the time of the incident, the Riverside Practice stated on its Facebook page: “24-hour care is provided at our practice, with our vets.”

A Royal College disciplinary panel said Miss Law – who had been a vet for nine years – had made a ‘serious mistake’ which resulted in a ‘serious lapse of clinical judgement’.

However, the practice was cleared of dishonestly claiming that it offered 24/7 service.

The vet argued that this simply meant vets were available to be called out at any hour, rather than they were permanently staffed around the clock.

Mrs O’Callaghan said: “We have been pet owners for 20 years and we know all the right questions to ask when we sign up to a surgery.

“The crucial thing is that my pets can be offered 24-hour care.

“Riverside advertised that they provide care 24/7, but Kiwi was left by himself after a major operation.”

She believes that if a vet had been there to look after Kiwi, he would not have died that night.

“I was re-assured that everything was successful, and I slept peacefully that night – I couldn’t wait to wake up and call Riverside to check on him and bring him home,” she said.

“They called me the following morning to tell me he had died overnight. I was devastated and angry.

“I was absolutely heartbroken, and I am disappointed that Riverside have been let off the hook without any serious action being taken.

“It makes me very concerned that other vets offer this service but in reality it is only 24-hour response – not 24-hour treatment.

“We trusted the vets completely and left our pet in their care.”

The disciplinary panel was told that Kiwi’s owners had taken the dog to the Riverside practice during the evening of November 7, 2017.

Both of them suspected that he was suffering from a condition called ‘bloat’ – where the stomach fills with gas and can become bloated.

The 11-year-old dog was treated and operated that evening before a nurse made a final check on him at around 12.30am.

“(She) felt he was stable and could remain on fluids until the following morning,” the judgement, which was published last week, says. “Kiwi was left alone overnight, during which time no visits or checks were made to assess and/or monitor his condition.”

Kiwi was found dead in his kennel at 7.45am the following morning. Miss Law rang the O’Callaghan’s to break the bad news.

“Mrs O’Callaghan asked if Kiwi had been on his own when he died, and (Miss Law) said yes,” the judgement states. “Mrs O’Callaghan was extremely upset and could not continue the call.

“Mr O’Callaghan was very upset and angry at what had occurred and asked (Miss Law) why she had left a dog alone after life-threatening surgery. She said they were a small practice and they did not have the staff.

“He said that he did not care and that they advertise themselves as providing 24-hour care.”

Professor John Williams, an expert witness at the hearing, said that Miss Law’s decision to leave Kiwi alone “fell below the standards of a reasonably competent veterinary surgeon”.

The panel agreed with this assessment.

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Riverside owner Julia Creese was also cleared of any wrongdoing surrounding the death. It ruled that the practice had not advertised itself as offering 24/7 staffing.

A written statement by Mrs Creese said: “Although we do offer a 24-hour emergency service at this practice, rather than using a designated out of hours provider, we are not a hospital and don’t have staff on site overnight.

“Details of the level of cover that we provide is available to read in the waiting room on our practice noticeboard.

“We did not advertise the practice to have staff on site 24 hours a day and I do not know why the O’Callaghans thought this was the case.”

This content was originally published here.

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thewidowstanton · 7 years ago

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Las Chicas Morales, rolling-globe artists, Gandey’s Circus

Rolling-globe specialists Gina Morales (below left) and her younger sister, Jacquie, are Las Chicas Morales. They were born into a circus family – their father is the Mexican clown Chico Rico – and started learning the skill in 2005 during their school holidays. They began performing full-time after finishing their A-Levels in 2006, and have since performed all over the UK and in Hong Kong as part of The Royalles British Thrill Circus in the TungWah Charity Carnival. Gina and Jacquie are appearing at Butlin’s in Skegness with Gandey’s Circus until 3 September 2017 and will join its autumn tour, which starts on 15 September. They chat to Liz Arratoon.

The Widow Stanton: Tell us about your circus background. Gina Morales: Our dad’s side is the circus side. We are sixth generation circus artists.

Was your dad always a clown? Jacquie Morales: No. As he was growing up his father owned a circus so every year he had to change his act and learn a new one. He’s done flying trapeze, tumbling, the cradle… most acts. Our mum, who is English, trained at Guildford School of Acting and started as a Bluecoat at Pontin’s. She was a dancer and that’s how she met our dad in Mexico. She went over as a dancer to join a large touring circus. When they got together and married, she learnt an aerial act, so she was full-time on the circus with us while we were growing up. Then we started getting a bit older, we couldn’t keep going to different schools every week so when we hit secondary school, she finished her circus career and stayed with us at home. She started teaching foreign languages at primary school and later opened a drama school.

Did your mum take easily to doing an aerial act? Gina: Not that I know of... It helped that she was a dancer so she was already used to training and such... but maybe not that sort of training. It was my dad who taught her and from what they have told us... it was a painful journey! Lots of bruises and aching muscles but she was determined and trained hard so before she knew it she was performing.

What’s her drama school called? Gina: It’s a franchise called Razzamataz Rayleigh West, and she has about 80 students who attend on Saturdays. They then put on shows for parents, and attend local parades and events showcasing their talents in acting, singing and dance.

When you were growing up were you in Mexico? Jacquie: [Laughs] We did a few years in Mexico but basically, we were everywhere the circus was. Quite a lot of it was in England as well.

Do you have any other siblings? Gina: Yes, a younger sister, Rosa. She wants to be in the circus, but she’s 17 and studying at ArtsEd in London at the moment. She loves dancing and singing as well so when she finishes her studies we’ll see what she wants to do afterwards. Jacquie: We all finished college before we started performing.

Why did you choose to specialise in rolling globes? Gina: It was kind of not a choice exactly. We ended up loving it but to begin with we were just looking for an act that we could do together. Fortunately for us the prop was available; someone was selling it, so it just worked out that this was the act that we ended up doing. Our dad had an idea of how to train us; though he’d never done the act before he had a good understanding of it. We just spent months practising and before we knew it we had it. So yeah, it just fell into place.

How difficult is it to learn? Jacquie: It took us a good few months to start learning. Obviously the first step is just getting on to the spheres. To get comfortable with it… I mean we still have some trouble now. It depends how the surface is on the floor, it depends if it’s wet. Different conditions make it harder, but then once we leant how to roll on the globes that’s when we started doing the hula-hoops and juggling as well. They were previous skills we had so it was easier for us to put those in.

What is the most important thing for a beginner to know? Jacquie: [Laughs] Not to be scared! Gina: And just go for it! [Laughs]

But it looks scary when you’re going up the ramps; if the one in front rolls back… Jacquie: That’s why Gina is behind me so if I happen to roll back, she always got her eye on my ball. If she sees it coming towards her, she has to roll back as well so I don’t knock her off. [Both laugh]

Was there anything in particular you struggled with? Gina: Just balancing and control. Jacquie: Yes, controlling the actual ball is quite difficult… Gina: … the momentum in the feet, because once you’ve grasped the idea that you have to be constantly moving and if you step too hard on one side it will roll from under you. So it’s just grabbing the whole comfort in knowing you have full control of the prop; that took a while. [Laughs]

Are the globes quite heavy? Jacquie: Yeah, they’re made of fibreglass, so they’re solid and they are quite heavy.

Describe your act… Jacquie: We have two spheres and we start by jumping on to them and walking around on them. Gina juggles four rings while balancing on the globe and then we cross juggle six rings together. I then go on to do hula-hoops, which is three hoops on three different parts of my body, while walking around on the globe and now we have… Gina: … a new prop… Jacquie: … it’s a sphere as well, a mirror ball. It’s slightly bigger than the others and has mirrors all over it, so it’s very shiny. That’s what I do the fire hoops on. Gina: And then we go up and down the ramps; a series of three that go up 16 feet high.

It’s a beautiful act! What other skills do you have? Gina: I’m learning the low wire; it’s about a 6.5ft-high wire. It’s not too high but high enough. [Laughs]

Why did you decide to learn that? Gina: In circus you tend to learn more than one act and you do tend to have an interest in other acts, especially when you’ve been performing something for many years. I had this interest when I was about 12 but wasn’t dedicated enough. It was more of a hobby. I didn’t want to commit to training so I forgot about it until a couple of years ago when I saw another performer in England who kind of made me want to get back into it and I started training it again. It’s always good to have a variety of acts.

Sometimes a company would like to keep you for longer and they can’t keep repeating the same acts. So if you have something new you can show them you can stay with the company you like and have something else to offer. It’s always handy to know more than one thing. Jacquie: With our act being so big, sometimes it’s difficult to have the right venue. So if not in a circus, if we get a job opportunity somewhere else and we’re not sure of the location we can offer different things and whatever’s feasible we can do that. I have a double aerial silks act with my financé, Brandon Carrisosa Nava. He’s from Mexico, too.

What sort of shows have you been in? Jacquie: We have been involved in many different styles of shows and productions especially since we began working for Gandey World Class Productions. One of our favourites was Cirque Surreal, which is one of the most different styles of shows we have done. It meant adapting the act to suit a story and fantasy idea, as well as using new music, which we had to listen to many times to get a feel for how we should perform. It was challenging but the end result was amazing!

What do you like about working together? Gina: So many reasons! We can argue – because all siblings argue! – and not hold a grudge. This is useful when rehearsing, training and working together because you need to be able to get over things quickly and get on with the performance. Also Jacquie makes all our costumes and she knows both our likes and dislikes when designing them. I think working together has brought us closer and that’s something all sisters want.

And what do you like/dislike about touring? Jacquie: I love that we get to see the whole world while doing something we love… not many people can do that as part of their job. We also get to work with people from many countries so see many cultures and traditions from everyone around us as well as when working abroad. The downside to touring means seeing less of our mum and younger sister, who, sadly, don't tour all year round with us and can only visit during school holidays. It can be hard to leave places we love and people we meet... I suppose that’s why social media is so handy these days!

Is it good being in the same shows as your dad? Gina: Of course! He is there to help us with all our training, fixes all our props and cooks the best Mexican food; it’s ideal! Dad also likes a good party and is a barbecue king so without him touring would be very different!

You’ve worked a lot for the Gandeys, you must like their shows… Jacquie: Gandeys is one of the biggest companies we have worked for. I love that every show they arrange is different and unique. They have so many great ideas and always try to incorporate modern with traditional, which is the best way to keep all audiences entertained. We are very lucky to work with and for such professional people.

Can you pick a couple of highlights of your career so far? Gina: Well, Hong Kong is 100 per cent the biggest highlight so far, not just since working for Gandeys but from the start of our performance career; four months working and living in such an incredible place was seriously the experience of a lifetime and we have all said we would go back in a heartbeat.

Would you like to have your own circus one day? Jacquie: I’m sure every circus performer will say yes to this question! If you are in this business, it’s because you love it so, yes, maybe one day when I retire from performing or can no longer be in the circus ring I could have my own circus. It would be the best way to stay involved in a world that I love, and who wouldn't want that as a future possibility?

youtube

Las Chicas Morales appear with Gandey’s Circus at Butlin’s in Skegness until 3 September 2017 and will join its autumn tour, which starts on 15 September.

Picture credit: Gina, Jacquie and Chico Rico; Dan Foster

Twitter: @gandeyscircus @Butlins

Follow @TheWidowStanton on Twitter

#Las Chicas Morales #gandey's circus #Circo Cuba Libre #rolling globe #circus #interview #Gina and Jacquie #gina morales #jacquie morales #Brandon and Jacquie #Gandey's World Class Productions #butlins #skegness

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dazeaghaji-blog · 6 years ago

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Caring about air pollution isn’t as cool as going vegan or quitting plastic – but a new gen of young disruptors are attempting to change that

A FUTURE WORLD POLITICS 16.05.2019 Text Lydia Morrish

Read the original piece in Dazed Magazine

When 20-year-old Daze Aghaji moved back to London after six years at boarding school in Skegness, Lincolnshire, she was annoyed that her asthma came back. “When I was younger I used to have asthma, and I didn’t have it when I was in Lincolnshire,” she says, passion trembling in her voice over the phone. Skin problems, like eczema, acne, and itchy eyes, also returned, along with her asthma, in London. “That was when I knew something needed to be done.”

Now a student at Goldsmiths University in south east London, Daze believes her health issues are a result of the British capital’s illegal levels of air pollution, which it’s been grappling with since 2010. “It hit me, the air not being as good,” she says from her shared house on a buzzing New Cross street.

Air pollution – the presence of harmful particles in the air we breathe – is a national crisis in the UK. An estimated 36,000 people die prematurely in Britain every year because of it, and it’s particularly bad in London, which has overtaken the EU’s annual legal limit of nitrogen dioxide (from road traffic and factories burning fossil fuels) within one month every year since 2007. The air meltdown is global, with nearly one in every ten deaths in 2017 a result of pollution, according to a major new study on global air published in April.

But you wouldn’t necessarily know all this. In comparison to more mainstream environmental issues, like quitting plastic straws and bottles, or going vegan, caring about air quality is still catching up. According to some estimates, 70 per cent of London teenagers aren’t aware of how bad the capital’s air is. This could be because much of the buzz surrounding air pollution is all dreary posters, stuffy documentaries, and lifeless infographics from out-of-touch charities failing to capture the attention of new voices and the next generation. Because of this, air pollution isn’t a household anxiety. Instead, it’s more routinely thought of as a distant issue that’s dull and non-urgent.

But this misrepresents the threat of polluted air. Its effects are long-term, deadly, and need to be more widely known, says Dr Maria Neira, the director of the World Health Organisation’s public health department and one of the world’s top 100 climate policy influencers. “If you don’t have safe water, food and clean air… how can we survive?” she asks over the phone from her office in Geneva, Switzerland.

“We should, from the beginning, tell people that the price of climate change is paid by our lungs and hospitals,” says Neira of the link between global warming and air pollution, both resulting mainly from the use of fossil fuels. “This is something that until now has not been considered.”

This is why Daze is one of thousands of young people trying to “rebrand” air pollution’s public image from something dull and grey into something that everyone shouts about. With subversive ad campaigns, preconception-busting protests, and bunking off school, they hope to fix what they see as a lack of public concern and government action for air quality. Despite the Conservative government launching a new clean air strategy, which it described as “world-leading”, campaigners argue it falls short of providing a proper game plan to cut emissions. “If kids have the sense to know something is dramatically wrong, I don’t get what the government is doing,” says Daze. “We have less than (ten years) to make this dramatic change.”

Daze is part of XR Youth, the youth wing of the headline-grabbing radical activist movement Extinction Rebellion, which attempts to force government action to reduce carbon emissions by 2025 with tactics like shutting down central London and stripping in the House of Commons. Daze stages strikes, plants trees, and distributes leaflets to rework air pollution’s public image and make the government take more radical action. “We’re going to cause havoc until they listen to us.”

The collective is part of an international movement of students skipping school to protest political inaction to climate change. Inspired by Swedish activist Greta Thunberg, the Youth Climate Strike sees kids around the world bunk off school on selected Fridays to protest global warming. “You’ve got dancing, people moshing (and) a party, festival vibe,” says Daze, recalling how she sat down eating her lunch in the middle of Westminster Bridge, refusing to stand up when approached by police, at the February 15 strike. “If this isn’t going to make them take it seriously, what will?”

A group that knows a lot spicing up the public perception of environmental issues is Clean Air Now, an eco-gang of 20-something anti-pollution warriors founded in 2016. Its founders, filmmaker Vasilisa Forbes and graphic artist Claire Matthews, who met the rest of their clan on social networks, aim to tip the view of air pollution on its head through an underground, DIY approach, using creative design and artistic activism to bring air pollution to a wider, younger audience.

Their subversive campaigns include anarchic Kidulthood-inspired anti-pollution billboards warning young people of traffic fumes, an advert campaign showing the effects of pollution on skin using kitsch imagery, a collaboration with British grime artists including JME for a campaign promoting electric vehicles, and artsy, witchcraft-esque posters personifying Mother Nature.

“Traditional environmental activist organisations can be prone to presenting themselves in a visually outdated and unreliable way, which does little to inspire new engagement,” says 26-year-old Claire, referencing the use of idyllic imagery and soft and forgetful messaging in pollution campaigns from NGOs. “(They) looked more like antihistamine adverts than anything campaign or civic engagement-related.”

The duo’s most recent campaign, CAN Organic, completely overthrows traditional narratives around air pollution. The stunning film, featuring south London youth collective RAWMAR and dance students from a Leyton sixth-form – all of whom have respiratory problems – forces viewers to face the human impact on major cities’ air quality through ethereal dancing and hazy stills.

“Our whole aim was to turn the idea of being environmentally conscious (into) something that everybody can be a part of,” says 27-year-old Vasilisa. “You can still be cool and environmentally friendly. It’s not just a frumpy middle class concept.”

Aside from historically lax air pollution ads, the lack of public awareness around air pollution so far could be down to its inherently foggy nature. “You can see climate change is causing flooding, you can see plastics, but with air pollution, you can’t really see it,” says Daze. This makes engaging with the issue of air pollution more difficult, with individuals unable to know how to make a change themselves. “It’s everywhere,” she adds.

“You can still be cool and environmentally friendly. It’s not just a frumpy middle class concept” – Vasilisa Forbes

We might not see air pollution, but we feel it. “When you breathe polluted, toxic air, you feel it immediately,” says Neira. A growing stack of research points to air pollution’s negative impacts on our general health: in the UK, there are record levels of deaths from asthma and air pollution is increasingly being linked to heart disease, diabetes, and dementia. “You might not know the name of the diseases it’s causing, but you see the linkage very clearly and quickly.”

Much like wealth, pollution isn’t spread equally, with eastern countries like Bangladesh and China bearing the biggest air pollution burden. Even in western countries there’s a racial gap, with pollutants disproportionately inhaled by black and Hispanic Americans despite them being disproportionately caused by white Americans' consumption of goods and services.

It’s also worse for young people: 90 per cent of the world's children breathe toxic air, while growing up in polluted areas increases the chance of teens developing depression, according to one recent study. “The younger you are, the bigger the risk,” says Neira. It’s no wonder young people have to take matters into their own hands.

The narrative around air pollution is already changing. “We have been trying to ‘rebrand’ the climate agenda by saying that this is a question of asthma, this is a question of our lungs, our brains, and our hearts suffering,” says Neira. “When you (ask) people living in a polluted city what is air pollution, they can immediately tell you that their eyes are suffering, they cannot breathe, they can feel it. This is a language that everybody now understands.”

Lawmakers are finally responding to activists’ efforts. Sadiq Khan has launched the Breathe London network, building a map of air quality across the capital using sensors, as well as a new fee to drive in the city centre in an attempt to cut congestion and reduce traffic emissions. Meanwhile, air pollution tech is getting better, with tools like China-based Blue Map and British app London Air bringing the air conversation to people’s smartphones. These changes aren’t anywhere near enough, however. The UK doesn’t look likely to meet EU air pollution limits or WHO guidelines any time soon.

Ultimately, it will be young people, the policy-makers of tomorrow, who change the game. “Young people... I’m sure will be able to move mountains,” says WHO’s Neira. “They recycle, are conscious of plastic bags, cautious with way they use water, (and) use public transport instead of cars. This is the way we will transform our society.”

For Daze, the freight lorries driving through New Cross are a daily reminder of her health problems. “Air pollution is something you can’t escape,” she says.

From the image-conscious young activists’ perspectives, air pollution will be tackled properly once it has been solidified in the public psyche, and seen as an issue people can get involved in, like cutting down on meat and recycling. Despite the hurdles, they won’t be giving up – their mission to rebrand air quality has only just begun. “People have power,” says Daze. “If everyone cares about it, the government will have to listen.”

Read the original piece in Dazed Magazine

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