Category: Features

A THAME poet and philosopher?s latest book has earned the praise of a BBC TV presenter and the Mayor of London.
Pam Rhodes, long standing presenter of the BBC?s Songs of Praise, says of Eric Gladwin?s book: ?Eric Gladwin is a wordsmith weaving together experience, empathy and vision in verse which becomes more than mere poetry. The book is wonderful. The work in it takes my breath away. Well done!?

Eric?s collection of poems has been released recently by Trafford Publishing and entitled ?The Beauty of the Feminine, Love and Family.?

Thame?s MP until recently, Boris Johnson, now the Mayor of London, has read Eric?s work and said: ?This book of poems touches in a thought provoking way on a variety of subjects and its main themes make it an interesting and enjoyable read.?

The book does indeed touch on many aspects of love and family life, imbuing that journey we all take through life, with both a spiritual and a humanistic glow that only the poet can do for the rest of us humanity, by looking at things through a metaphorical pair of upside down binoculars.

Eric?s observations and questions transport the reader from the poet?s acute appreciation of a woman?s naked body, ?stripped of the camouflage of fashion?s art, Free? Knowing.. Of the deepest of all things feminine? – through flirting and courting, to special moments of love when observing a child playing, or the burning feelings of loss when they leave home for the first time:

?They mourn.
As their forefathers mourned
As those now grown will mourn in turn
And those that follow them..
Perhaps this price should not be grudged
For this loss in the flesh
Is the Young?s fulfilment
And a joyousness?.?

There are too some less optimistic moments caught, as in ?The Child and the Chick?:

?Golden chick, in small boy?s hand
A light upon his face
Mark well the look that will be gone
For, as a man, that is his fate.?

Yes, such subjects as these in our more sceptical times are in danger of being called ?corny? but Eric?s treatment of these things that touch us all despite our armour, draws us in to his view of love and nature and what he calls ?the healing of the sun?. And we cannot help but be touched at some level that may surprise us.

?GRUMPY YOUNG MAN? – The incoherent mutterings of a humanitarian misanthrope, by Vaughan Humphries. “People look at me, with my eclectic tastes, and eccentricity, and think, “There goes a weird bastard”. Admittedly I dress like a country squire and have the oddest accent you will ever encounter. I would describe myself more as a ?bohemian gentleman???
Also sprachen Vaughan Humphries ? aka the Irascible Kiwi ? whose valiant attempts to live up to the iconic status of New Zealand?s Grumpy Young Man are continuously subverted by a fatal and irredeemably cheerful optimism.

From grumpy to cheerful and back again. If only life was that simple … but things are not quite as they seem …

It was not until he finished his undergraduate studies that he had an epiphany, when he started to make sense of a lot of things in his life that had never quite added up.

Fast forward ten years, and we see the beginnings of a grumpy man beginning to come out of his shell, and start learning how to be human, or at least act like one. Vaughan was raised for a society that no longer exists. He is a man out of time with his generation, putting the world to right with peers that are old enough to be his parents and grandparents.

From his childhood in the suburbs of NaeNae in Lower Hutt, New Zealand, through to his arrival in England at the age of 22, his curious life and times at the Birdcage tavern in Thame, and his travels to all points of the globe, it can truly be said that Vaughan has often been to paradise but never quite been to me ? though he?s been making a damn good effort trying.

And now, before you open this book, a few words of caution …

The first rule of Grumpy Young Man is that it never quite sticks to the point ? it?s funny, irreverent, discursive, usually politically incorrect and definitely written from a male point of view.

The second rule of Grumpy Young Man is that it never even begins to stick to the point, so if you?re looking for a pointy sticky rulebook, don?t even think of reading any further.

To place orders for the book, contact:

AuthorHouse
500 Avebury Boulevard
Central Milton Keynes
MK9 2BE

Tel: 0800 1974 150
Fax: 0800 1974 151
URL: www.authorhouse.co.uk

ISBN: 9781434387684

AUTHOR and thinker, Professor Richard Dawkins was recently interviewed by Nicholas Newman of oxfordprospects.co.uk, at Dawkins’ Oxford home.

RICHARD Dawkins is the well known advocate of atheism and rationalism and for his criticism of religion. He holds the Chair for the Public Understanding of Science at Oxford University. I interviewed Richard Dawkins at his Oxford home recently.

Nicholas Newman

As a life long atheist, I find myself almost entirely in agreement with the views expressed in your writings, but nevertheless, it is still possible to see the utility of certain physiological aspects in some religious beliefs or customs. I?m thinking of: Comfort to a soldier about to die, or succour for a mother on the death of her child or belief in the after life of a husband who is mourning the death of his wife? Such comfort or succour would be called upon particularly in cases where no human aid would be available?

Richard Dawkins

Yes, I do see psychological value, if it does have a real value, and I would not wish to be the person who destroys that person?s psychological succour. But I would not, however, compromise with my public speaking out in the public forum and writing, but if I was visiting someone who was recently bereaved, I might dissemble somewhat in what I said, but would not do so in when writing a newspaper article. It is also I think disputable whether it is that comforting, given that people are brought up to fear hell for example. They might actually be comforted by the lack of religion, depending on their upbringing. Although many of us fear death, I think there is something illogical about it. As Mark Twain once said ?I was dead before I was born without the slightest inconvenience.?

Nicholas Newman

Cannot religion, however misguided, also provide a useful social mechanism, irrespective of people?s beliefs by reinforcing social discipline by using the power of religious sin to gain reinforce adherence to man made laws? E.g. Thou shall not kill? Of course such beliefs have, throughout history, been used by rulers to enforce their particular forms of governance, or lack of governance. The best example of this aspect has, perhaps been emperors, kings, and popes claiming they have been appointed by a god?

Follow the LINK
to read the rest of Nicholas’s facinating and revealing interview.

CHELSEA is over for another year and with a week of glorious weather it gave hope for things to come? What a hideous bank holiday weekend we have had. All plans for a relaxing and peaceful couple of days in the garden thwarted by incessant rain. The show was fabulous though and I loved the tranquillity offered by designers such as Tom Stuart-Smith, Cleve West and Andy Sturgeon. I have always admired their work, but this year I thought they surpassed themselves.

Personally, I love tackling shaded gardens and the flowers that thrive seem to give an ethereal feel, bobbing so proudly amongst the sea of green. What I wouldn?t give for just one of those beautiful Carpinus cloud trees, although I am not sure my bank manager would endorse such a frivolity! We are all wondering where Tom found them ? probably some far-flung corner of the globe? Rumour has it that he sources his trees first and then designs his gardens around his find. What a luxury.
I rarely get to Chelsea but the TV coverage is probably more satisfactory anyhow. The crowds are such that you can only really go in one direction whilst desperately trying to glimpse gardens through a sea of heads, usually about 12 deep. I find the whole experience rather frustrating. Next year I think I might try one of the horrendously expensive pre-show dinners or try and get a ticket for Press Day on the Monday. Now that is bliss. You can wander around, talking to designers and friends and actually see and feel everything.

I really do love this time of year in the garden with all the perennials coming in to their own. The new area I created seems to be doing well and I can?t wait for all the new stock to come through. I can see it here from my office and hope it doesn?t distract me from my work too much in the coming months. My excuse is that the beauty of it will inspire my designs?

Business continues to be brisk, to say the least. It gets increasingly difficult to fit everything in to a normal working week. At least we are at a point in the year where it is impossible to build a garden for this summer and this does begin to release the pressure. I still find it hard to say ?no?, but I am getting better!

This year I hope to take the best part of July off to re-charge the batteries and spend some quality time at home, see my family and take a break away. I seem to have been neglecting all of these for too long and feel it is time to re-address the balance.

Remember to look at The Garden Boutique Website ? www.gardenboutique.co.uk. Quote the promotional code JF268 and you will be entitled to a discount.

RECIPE
BAKED ASPARAGUS WITH OLIVE OIL, LEMON AND PARMESAN
Bunch of Asparagus Parmesan cheese
Olive Oil Lemon Juice

This is such a simple recipe and I often put Parma Ham over the top of it for extra flavour. Break the asparagus stems. Take the tip in one finger and the stem in the other and bend. The asparagus will break naturally and what you are left with is the edible bit without any stringy bits. Throw into a tray and liberally cover with olive oil making sure it is covered well. Sprinkle on some freshly ground pepper.
Pop in the oven to bake, turning occasionally. It takes about 10minutes. When the tips feel soft add the parmesan shavings and return to the oven for a few moments. This would be when I add the Parma Ham.
Take out of the oven and squeeze over a little lemon juice and add a little more parmesan. Serve with crusty bread.

SEASONAL TIPS
With all this rain we have had the lawns are growing well. Mow regularly but don?t set the blades too low as this could create bare patches which
in turn can lead to moss invasion later.

I know it sounds daft, but if you do have a new lawn, don?t rely on the rain, it will still need to be soaked thoroughly whilst it is getting established. The same goes for any new plants ? the odd sprinkle with a watering can is simply not enough. However, avoid over-watering Mediterranean style plants such as Lavander and Rosemary.

Deadhead early flowering perennials to encourage a second flush of flowers. Now that the primulas have finished flowering, dig them Up and divide for next year. Remember these are great indicators of lack of water in the garden. If the leaves are looking limp and sad it means your garden needs watering.

Lift tulip and narcissus (daffodil) bulbs and store in a cool place ready for re-planting in the autumn. I tend not to do this and leave them to multiply in situ.
Continue to stake taller perennials. Deadhead spring flowering shrubs such as Azaleas and feed with sulphate of ammonia to encourage new growth and flower buds for next year.

Roses, of all types will probably need spraying against aphids. Remove dead flowers and feed towards the end of the month.

VEGETABLE & FRUIT GARDEN
Despite the rain make sure any newly transplanted seedlings are watered in well and kept watered whilst they are establishing themselves.

Start a new compost heap. There are plenty of grass cuttings available at this time of year and for me, loads of bits from the kitchen and garden. Compost tends to break down in the heat of summer more quickly.

Thin vegetables sown in April and May and earth up potatoes.

As usual there are just too many vegetables to cover in this issue. In my own garden the tomatoes are enormous and are actually fruiting. I nurtured them from seedlings in my office and then potted them on and left them in an unheated greenhouse from about the beginning of May.

The aubergines, squash and pumpkin are desperate to be potted on. These are in the greenhouse, but as I am growing an Aubergine capable of growing outside these will be put outside early this month.

The leeks, cauliflower, brussel sprouts, cabbages, fennel and endive are all ready to be transplanted into the vegetable patch.

Growing outside and coming on apace, I have Broad Beans, French Beans, Jerusalem Artichoke, Horseradish, Greek Cress, Salad crops, Spinach, Carrotts, Onions and Garlic. Hopefully, I can sow much more this weekend. The Goji berries and raspberries (my only fruit) are doing well although there is no sign of fruit of the Goji berries as yet.

If any of you love growing your own vegetables and enjoy cooking them I can highly recommend Jamie Oliver?s ?Jamie at Home?. He is the inspiration for growing so many tomatoes this year. ISBN 978-0-718-15243-7.
Net soft fruit against birds.
Don?t forget to water all fruit trees.
Plums should be thinned in two stages. In early June prune lightly and then in late June thin to 5-8cm apart.
Lay straw under strawberries. Cut old canes of raspberries and other cane fruits to ground level once the new suckers have appeared.
Thin gooseberries.
Thin out apples and pears to encourage larger fruits. Spray against scab and mildew at the end of the month.
Pinch out the tips of new fig shoots once they have five leaves.

GREENHOUSE
This is the month for feeding. Nitrogen and potash are the foods most
needed at this time of year. It is a good idea to get into the habit of
feeding once a week.
Sow cucumbers for late summer and autumn fruiting. Pinch out male
flowers on those already established.
Thin out grapes.
Ventilate regularly and apply shading. Damp down and keep the door open on warmer days.
Watch out for pests and diseases.
Conservatory/greenhouse plants benefit from being moved outside
during the summer, but if tender bring them in at night.

POINTS OF INTEREST

Patio Heaters. I know I keep going on about these, but here are some
facts. I shall leave this item in the Newsletter for some months!
* One hour of heating uses the same energy as making 400 cups of tea.
* We could power a small town with the energy needed to power the UK?s one million patio heaters.
* They do not heat your patio, they heat the atmosphere.
* They are hugely unattractive
* By burning wood or charcoal, we are releasing back into the atmosphere carbon which has only just been locked up in that wood.
* The Market Transformation Programme has calculated that a heater used regularly in a pub or restaurant produces 2.2 tonnes of CO2 per annum. The average household only produces 6.

Portable firepits or bowls are fashionable and stylish options. Please take a look at what is available and help redress the balance. I?d be happy to help or even design a permanent sunken firepit as a feature in your gardens.

The Soil Association has launched A Taste of the Good Life. These are classes held on organic farms throughout the UK. Anything from sausage making, yarn spinning to hedge laying. www.soilassociation.org/masterclasses.

Reduce your Carbon Footprint. Schumacher College in Devon is running a practical course (7-11th April) to help you do just this with facts and inspiration from leading experts in sustainability.
Tel: 01803 865 934. www.schumachercollege.org.uk

The Plant Exchange. Buy and sell plants from small local growers or offload anything surplus in your own garden.
www.theplantexchange.co.uk / tel: 01387 370707

Japanese knotweed is a highly invasive plant and if you know of anyone who has it perhaps you could get them to contact www.environet-uk.co.uk . The website shows how to identify it and what action to take.
This stuff can grow three meters in a year, overwhelms other plants, causes extensive damage to property and can lower property value.

BBOWT
I have a great friend, Maggie Piggott, who works at the Berks, Bucks & Oxon Wildlife Trust as the Community Wildlife Officer for Bucks. She is an expert on wildlife gardening. BBOWT has a Wildlife Information Service which takes over 700 calls per year. The service is open on a Monday ? 01865 788307. There are over 38 fact sheets available. For a list please visit ? www.bbowt.org.uk. Maggie will send me an article each month which I am happy to forward on to anyone.
This month she is covering ?Batty about Bats?.

PLACES TO VISIT

Schooldays in the Garden
Offer garden events at various venues all through the summer.
www.schooldaysinthegarden.com / Tel: 01962 760346

Leeds Castle
Castle of Roses Flower Festival and Gardening Weekend
18-22nd June Tel: 0870 6008880
www.leeds-castle.com

Open Garden Squares Weekend
See London?s secret green spaces 7-8th June
Tickets from www.opensquares.org

Hampton Court Flower Show
8th ? 13th July
Charity Gala Preview Monday 7th July 6 ? 11pm Tickets from

A THAME volunteer, who has worked tirelessly for the Thame and District Day Centre almost since it opened 22 years-ago, was thanked for her tireless and dedicated service at a special garden lunch party this week.
After presenting flowers on behalf of the members of the Day Centre, the other volunteers and the Trustees, the Chair to the Trustees, Brenda Prosser, told Sheila Schleising that she was “a part of the history” of the Day Centre.

Sheila replied:”You havn’t got rid of me quite. I will be popping in on the odd occassion because I do love a good old chat.”

Sheila will also be giving up the organising of the Thame Community Car in July.

Brenda Prosser said that in losing Sheila, the Day Centre is now even more in need of more volunteers if it is to continue offering support to elderly, frail and socially isolated people.
She explained how they are competing with a number of more visible worthy causes in the town, like Charity shops, for volunteers in a climate where more and more people are working for longer or “going off ski-ing and the like, spending the kids’ inheritance!”
“We suffer,” she said, because we are less visible being attached to the hospital and people thinking that we are part of it.
“If we do not have volunteers to give a listening ear and work with the Members of the Day Centre, the centre cannot continue.”

Gillain Coleman, the centre’s Manager, told ThameNews.Net: “Working at the Thame and District Day Centre, as far as I’m concerned, is the best job in the world. The members are lovely and I get great satisfaction in bringing things like seated exercise, professional entertainment, quizes and even May Pole dancing into their daily lives.”

Anyone interested in finding out more about becoming a volunteer at the Thame and District Day Centre, for even just one day a week, can contact Gill Coleman at the Day Centre by calling: 01844 212080.

LIZ Lochhead?s new translation of Moli

IT seems hard to believe Easter is over and what a hideous weekend it was weatherwise. Where has this year gone? It has been a very busy one for me and I was really looking forward to a few days off. I have finally had time to think about re-planting my garden and all the plants are here waiting to be put in the ground. The vegetable patch was finally dug over last weekend, in between showers, and I already have an impressive array of seedlings ready to go in the ground.

This year I am trying a few unusual crops. There are some great salad crops in the Marshall?s catalogue, such as ?Mesclun Salad Mix? which promises ?traditional young green leaves with both mild and spicy flavours?. An old favourite Greek Cress with a really hot kick to it ? fine for growing on a window sill. Aubergine Ophelia ? a baby fruit variety which is ?perfectly suited to growing on a sunny patio?. Let?s hope we have some sun and I am successful. This year I have decided to go a bit mad on tomatoes and am growing four different varieties. One of the most successful last year was ?Golden Cherry?. They were so tiny and so divinely sweet they often didn?t make it to the kitchen table!

As always, I try to grow things that are more expensive in the supermarkets ? I find it rather gratifying to think it has only cost me the price of a packet of seeds. Okay, there is the digging, watering and nurturing to take into account, but the results far outweigh the effort.

If any of you are tempted to have a try, Harrod Horticultural ?
www.harrodhorticultural.com Pinbush Road, Lowestoft, Suffolk NR33 7NL have small Timber Raised Beds starting from

A NEW exhibition at Oxfordshire County Council?s Central Library reveals when wolves last roamed the countryside between Oxford and Kidlington – and it was not as long ago as you might think!
Gosford Hill Farm in Kidlington was the home of Oxford Zoo between 1931 and 1937. A ?zoo-mad? population regularly piled on to special buses from the city centre to see star attractions Rosie the elephant and Hanno the lion.

Wolves were also housed at the zoo and the escape of three of them in 1937 provided a drama that is now the subject of a fascinating exhibition called Zoo-mad at Oxfordshire Studies in Oxford Central Library.

Thrilling chase

The wolves were 14-months-old, and one was said to be six feet in length after it was shot.

Inspector Barnett of the City Police brought down the first wolf near the police houses in Banbury Road on the same day the wolves escaped.

Robert Collett of Hampton Poyle shot the second wolf the same evening at his father’s farm. The third wolf survived until Thursday after allegedly killing 13 sheep at a farm near North Oxford Golf Club.

Press photographer shoots wolf

That evening, Oxford Mail photographer, Johnny Johnson, gave chase to the wolf, and shot it in Summertown.

He had commandeered a bike from a cyclist on the A40 and ridden up to the house where children were yelling ‘There’s the wolf, there’s the wolf’; before shooting the animal dead from 30 yards.

Malcolm Graham, Head of Oxfordshire County Council’s Oxfordshire Studies, said: ?We?ve recently acquired some Oxford Zoo postcards and these inspired me to find out more about this short-lived entertainment venue.

?Like so many aspects of local history, it?s an intriguing story once you delve into it and where better to start than Oxfordshire Studies!?

The exhibition will run until 6 April at Oxford Central Library in the Oxfordshire Studies section, at the Westgate Centre, Oxford.

AT last it feels as though spring is just around the corner with lovely sunny days (albeit still quite cold) and the evenings definitely gettinglighter. The vegetable patch is nearly dug over and I have loads of
seedlings coming through ready for planting. Exciting times ? AND theclocks go forward later this month.
Keeping on this cheerful note, you might be pleased to learn that the jinx on my holidays has now been well and truly lifted. I spent a delightful four days in Ireland with no hitches ? apart from a 40 minute delay on the way back!
I flew out on Friday morning and sauntered down the cost to my destination ? Durrus – on the Sheep?s Head peninsula. This is quite close to Bantry so I had a wee look at the town and sampled an excellent Irish Stew (had to be done) before heading off to my B & B. I was made to feel very welcome and it turned out Alice is a very keen gardener so we had plenty to talk about. After a leisurely breakfast on Saturday we went off to The Good Things Caf

BY Nicholas Newman www.oxfordprospect.co.uk.
Dr. Bjorn Lomborg aged 42, heads the Copenhagen Consensus Centre, is adjunct professor at Copenhagen Business School Denmark, and author of the best selling books ?The Skeptical Environmentalist? and ?Cool It?. Bjorn was named one of the “50 people who could save the planet” by the Guardian newspaper in 2008.

Bjorn Lomborg has been described as one of Europe?s leading scientific and political realists, who has brought courage to those that wish to discuss and debate environmental issues in a scientific rational, compassionate and logical manner.

Bjorn?s work has brought a breath of fresh air to the debate for he has challenged many of the almost dogmatic claims about global warming, overpopulation, energy resources, deforestation, species loss and water shortages using scientific methods of evidence, analysis and assessment.

It is not generally realised that Dr. Bjorn Lomborg does not dispute the existence of climate change, but questions the priority given to specific solutions, in particular, co2 emissions, put forward by the likes of the former American Vice President Al Gore. In so doing Lomborg is providing Europe?s politicians, like Chancellor Merkel and President Sarkozy with the public policy toolkit on which to determine government priorities to tackle the problems Europe faces.

Bjorn Lomborg ? the man
Dr. Lomborg is the sceptical environmentalist, and probably the most famous Dane since the Viking Eric the Red? It is a pleasure to listen to this impressive friendly Danish academic. Bjorn looks like a professional tennis player; there is hardly a trace of his Danish heritage in his bubbling Californian accent. Of his friends Bjorn says: ?they are always happy to share a pizza and play with my X-box.?

Global Warming is not our first priority
?Gore?s film ?An Inconvenient Truth? makes three points; global warming is real, it will be catastrophic and addressing it should be our first priority. Inconveniently for the film?s producers, however, only the first statement is correct.? Bjorn says.

Not only does Lomborg question the solutions put forward to deal with the problems involved but is also sceptical of the often simplistic correlations made between physical phenomena and the degree of effect of such phenomena.

To take one example the recent flooding in Prague and Dresden are simplistically often attributed to global warming, though other scientific hydrological studies of historical records, tend rather to indicate that these events are well within normal parameters.

Another example is where the doomsday scenario predicts that the sea level rise consequent on climate change will mean that the Netherlands will be submerged under 6.5 metres of water. Such exaggeration, Lomborg points out, is not backed by IPCC (UN Climate Change Committee) research. In fact, they expect a more manageable 38.5cm, which means cities like Amsterdam and London will easily be able to improve their flood defences.

As for Possible Solution?
Turning to possible solutions for dealing with the effects of climate change, Lomborg argues that rather than concentrating almost solely on reductions in CO2 emissions, attention should rather be given to what might be called social/political alternatives. It would be more effective if we spent our scarce resources on human happiness (which, after all, should be the point of environmentalism), such as poverty alleviation, anti-malarial programs, and similar measures.

For example, anticipated costs of ?1 trillion to reduce carbon emissions sufficiently to have a global effect, might be more efficiently applied to the prevention and treatment of HIV/Aids, the elimination of malaria and the provision of clean drinking water to the world?s poor?

In other words attention should be given to a cost benefit analysis approach, which would have more certain results in both the short and long term.

What Bjorn Lomborg has achieved is to provide Europe?s decision makers with a set of policies, including increased spending on research and development, in particular nuclear power, on which to base informed rational decisions. Such policies Dr. Lomborg suggests, will not only be more cost effective, but provide greater economic development opportunities than Gore?s policies which are likely to significantly limit future opportunities to deal with future problems.

Perhaps this explains why the Kyoto Protocol has not been fully implemented and adopted by the world?s nations and as Bjorn observed about the recent IPCC conference in Bali in December 2007: ?that little concrete progress had been accomplished, despite the theatrics. In fact since 1995 little has been achieved.?

Finally, perhaps the greatest irony is that whilst the EU enthuses over the Kyoto Protocol in contrast to the US hostility the reality is, Lomborg observes is that: ?since 1990 the growth in EU?s emissions have tended to increase ahead of the US.?

Seems actions speak louder than words?

Dr. Bjorn Lomborg http://www.lomborg.com/

Bjorn Lomborg : video talk on ?Our priorities for saving the world? http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/view/id/62

Copenhagen Consensus Centre http://www.copenhagenconsensus.com/

IPCC – Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change http://www.ipcc.ch/

Eric The Red http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erik_the_Red

Guardian Newspaper http://www.guardian.co.uk

Al Gore http://www.algore.com/