RYDER COWBOY
Went to bed las night at just gone nine. I was absolutely whacked and to be honest felt a bit odd. Even after a ripple and a bag of maltesers, I still felt odd.
I stared at the crossword, it looked like a foreign language. I watched a bit of Layer Cake, it didn't make any sense, I couldn't stop thinking how Daniel Craig had this huge muscley body but a small wee head. It was like I was on magic mushrooms.
I think there's something going on at work with the girls and I think this has a massive knock on effect on the more sensitive of us boys...
I immediately knew it yesterday when I arrived. It was that time we all have to be a little more careful in what we say and how we act. One of the guys gave me a heads up, thank goodness. The girls should tell us, then we wouldn't have to guess.
I was asked by someone yesterday in the street, if I believed in psychic phenomenon. I answered him with the word âmuâ an old Chinese word that means, no opinion. This is a phrase one can use when a question does not compute in oneâs brain. I have no interest in anything as inarguable as psychic phenomenon, whether it exists or not doesnât really matter one way or another, itâs never going to change the world, itâs irrelevant, in short, a waist of time. Itâs for people who wear too much jewellery, are overweight and have failed to realise that there are millions of brilliant books to read.
There are so many fantastic things more worthy of comment and discussion.
Astronomy, for example, every weekend when I go home to my country cottage, I look up into the vast night sky and see all the stars and wonder about the hugeness of it all and I am open mouthed, the complete opposite of mu. Then I think to myself, why, when astronomy in the past has taught us so much, are we now not taught about it at school ? Itâs the single most important science that has shaped the world into what it is today, yet I canât remember it ever being mentioned once when I was a student. Is this not a massive oversight, a huge mistake? Shouldnât astronomy be one of the major compulsory school subjects.
Nature⊠why arenât we taught that at school ? Not biology, or physics, or chemistry, simply nature. Itâs what we live amongst for heavenâs sake, every day of our lives, and yet not a word about it. We are surrounded by millions of birds and insects, worms and the like, all with different voices and calls signs, yet barely any of us know what their names or what they might look like. The same can be said for the trees and the shrubs and all bushes and the different grasses, I think itâs insane we ignore such obviously important things.
Why was I taught to expand brackets in maths, something I will NEVER use, yet I was not taught the difference between, a copper beech and a maple tree, two things that come across every dayâŠer, I think.
Gardening⊠Every school should have a vegetable garden. Kids love growing things, imagine introducing a child to the magic of what a packet of seeds can hold, real magic. You can plant a sweet corn seed and four months later youâll have a sky scraper, a super structure of a sweet corn plant in front of you⊠âwow!â. Beetroots are easy to grow and they taste amazing, carrots, sweet peas, courgettes ! Every school should have an annual sunflower growing competition, imagine all those lovely sunflowers shining all over Britainâs schools. Gardening is hugely therapeutic, itâs calming, itâs real, itâs grounding and most of all itâs good fun and itâs not in the class room !
Human relations is never talked about⊠temper control is never explained, how to breath, meditation, relaxation, how to transcend what it is you think you are capable of and go on and excel yourself.
All these things are left for you to find out when youâre an adult, when you no longer have the time. These are things that are important, things that can make a huge difference to the quality of ones life. Trigonometry, what the hell use is that?.. and logarithms, do me a favour, please.
How can kids appreciate the world around them, one of the things they are most criticised of not doing , when they are never told anything about it? No wonder they lock themselves in their bedrooms and play computer games, they must think itâs far safer than whatâs outside the door.
Now, has all that helped me stop worrying about the current working conditions as far as our female co-workers are concerned? Not a bit of it. Iâm going to sneak in as quiet as a mouse tonight, just before five, and hope that no one notices.
Pssst, donât forget itâs ALL REQUEST FRIDAY.
x
Lots of love.
P.S.Tiger's just hit his tee shot into the lake at the first, dreadful shot, come on EUROPE !
P.P.S. U.S won the hole anyway..d'oh!
Have a lovely weekend. I hope it all hangs the way you want it to.
Comments
Another very astute posting - I love this shlog! I feel my education began once I left school - not much taught there that was every much use to me... Always remember in biology we were taught by rote the answer to the question 'what is a cell?' for use in an exam. The answer (which I now can't even remember) was obscurely worded and I questioned the exact meaning. I was told we didn't need to understand it, just know what to put in the exam. Sums it up for me...
Morning All
God Chris your so right.Here we are living in Switzerland walking in the mountains and Vineyards swimming in the Lake.Shopping for Veg in the local market and only being able to get whats in season!!! The kids havent turned on the playstation since we left Blighty why would they Life looks and taste so much better.
And all because we are outside enjoying what we have around us.
Go Europe!!!!!!!
Good morning
You sound a little down this morning and not at one with the world. I'm sure the Friday request show will sort it out. Don't worry about your female co-workers as it's probably nothing at all, they are probably still reeling from the innocence smoothie man you interviewed the other day. Why don't you ask them and clear any negative thoughts before the weekend.
I agree in terms of the the lack of knowledge in schools of those things that are so important to life. I was so bad at maths that I was told to bring a magazine into school and read that instead, and in biology I learned more about human life from the rather experienced girl that sat next to me. The only time we saw nature was when we did cross country but then that had to stop cos there was a wierdo in the woods. It's not the same doing 3 laps of the school fields.
Nature is beautiful and we should count ourselves lucky because we have the ability to notice in the first place.
I'm looking forward to this evenings show Chris because speaking as someone who has some very high and low days, I have found it is absolutely impossible to feel down whilst listening to you!!!
Have a lovely weekend one and all.
xxx
Christopher
Oh so true, so true. My kids think I'm a bit dotty because I happen to know the names of trees, plants and even different types of ducks. Nature is fantastic and I get an enormous amount of pleasure watching the year turn. Fantastic show of hawthorn berries at the moment don't you think?
Though trigonometry is quite useful for navigation and buildings I think.
Ciao - have a great weekend. x
Morning Christoph & Schloggers.
Totally agree, but how weird that just this weekend was also looking at the night sky and thinking - why don't I know the names of the various stars etc? Always annoyed with myself that I don't know enough names etc of trees and plants - you've inspired me today to go and buy a book and get to grips with it.
My partner is an English teacher. His biggest complaint? That they have to teach for exam passes rather than encourage the students to question and discover their own opinions. Suffice to say, he does the latter and oddly that also gives great results plus pupils who remember strangely unique lessons (I should know, I used to be one of them many years ago)!
Hope all Ok in the studio later!
Have a great weekend everyone.
xx
Hi Chris and good morning!
Thank goodness Friday has swung around again hoorah!!!!
I am one girl in an office (for that read portakabin in the middle of nowhere) of varying numbers of boys who come and go throughout the day. It is ALWAYS necessary for me to give them the heads up if I'm not having a good day, but I don't seem to do it with the boy at home. He is a sensitive soul, but it usually ends up being my fault if I say nothing is wrong...hope that makes sense!
TOTALLY agree with your other sentiments. I was very lucky (the robin has just popped in to say hallo, today is looking up already!) at my junior school to be in the gardening group and we looked after a small allotment, the school 'pond' and a greenhouse. For the first time in my life I discovered hay fever...this is when science and nature played a huge part in making my teenage years even more miserable than they were destined to be!
Regarding psychic phenomena...I do believe in spirit, but in a spiritual way. I would never presume to force my belief on to others, why should they be the same as me. Angels, guardians, wishes, peace, nature, beauty are all part of the same thing. Some things are more tragic than thought provoking, but all of it overwhelming.
I used to lie on the grass looking at the stars. I know some of the constellations, but I'd like to know more. Perhaps it's time I dragged my mum's encyclopedia out and checked out the night sky pages again.
...but human relations...human relations are different for everyone and everyone has to learn as they go on. Everyone interacts with different humans in a different way so learning is a life long struggle I'm afraid!
Today is now a hill to climb so that I can look at the view...
love
hazel
x
Helloooo Chris,
Jojo here fantastic blog today, first time leaving a comment so here goes...
I completely agree with you about gardening, I love it and i'm only 36, it so theraputic but I didn't always feel that way, not that long ago I thought it was bloody boring....how things change.
Talking about education I left school with nowt but hmmm prob had something to do with a bun in the oven! gasp! yes at 15.....and another at 17.....however once the little munchkins started nursery I went back to education after many years 12 i think I went to uni and graduated last year as an occupational therapist :0)
so going back to theraputic stuff it very important for us humans to chill relax meditate etc.
Right better get to work, going to be late
have a good day Chris.
love Jojo x
Chris,
You missed out in school. Our simple comprehensive had a large garden (incl vegetable plot) area, and the highlight was on Wednesday afternoon having an hour outside getting dirty. Great for us boys, while the girls had cookery.
We had a temporary (terrapin) type classroom for the theoretical work. It had hundreds of filled plant pots around the edge of the room, and with all the soil and constant watering the classroom was slowly rotting away with holes in the floors and wallsâŠâŠâŠoh happy days.
Now at home we have set aside a very small area for my 4 year old to grow veggies. Not a bad year with potatoâs, carrots, cabbage, and even marrowâŠâŠ.pretty good for a 4 year old I think (although dad did help).
This weekend me must pick the apples and pears from our trees. Does anybody out there have some decent recipes to use these? Mrs J claims she canât make pastryâŠâŠâŠ.obviously in her cookery lessons she was staring into the garden at the boys instead of listening to teacher.
Good morning everyone
Well I've had a week off, blogging that is. Managed to read it everyday, but just been feeling too brain dead to concoct a posting.
Astronomy - teach yourselves! Buy a basic book and lie flat on your back in the garden. I started looking and learning 20 years ago (v young!!) It's fantastic, learning the constellations and names of stars, spotting planets. You can put the universe in context when you know that the light you are seeing has been travelling for millions of years. The love of my life absolutely DOES NOT understand my fascination. He thinks I am eccentric (barking mad, he would say).
Gardening - nope, never learnt any of that at school either. But some of my happiest chlidhood memories are spending time with my grandad, either on his allotment or in his greenhouse. He taught me loads, even though I was very young. We planted and then eventually picked all the veg (spuds were hard work for a 9 year old). Peas were the best, sweet and juicy and mostly eaten before getting home. The smell of a tomato straight off the vine, and I am back there. He's been gone since 1997, but as soon as I dead-head a rose, he's in my mind explaining why.
Blimey, enough reminiscing/rambling.
Happy Friday to you all
Helen xxxx
How true! I look back at my school years and wonder what the hell I learnt, it was more like a formality you HAD to go through.
My mum and dad taught me the names of wild flowers and trees. They loved their garden as I do mine now. So I was lucky.
My husband and I grow our own vegetables and encourage my two step children to get involved although they're getting a bit too old and cool to be interested. We can only hope that it sows a seed which will shape their futures. We're expecting our first child together and I have visions of him or her joining us on the veg plot crawling through the strawberry patch, eating as they go. I'm determined to show them nature and what matters in life.
Off the subject slightly, one of the things I would have really benefitted from when I was at school was a lesson on how to manage money! I know it sounds really basic but it took me a few years to work it out after I had left home! Learning a few lessons on the way!
Have a good weekend everyone.
Louise
Morning Chris and all Bloggers,
Another fine morning, slightly muggy though, wonder if there's a storm in the brewing.
Completely agree with the thread of the muse today, especially children learning to grow veggies and the like.
I decided at the begining of the year to dig a small bed behind my garage and sort the soil with a load of organic peat and horse manure, my intention, to grow some pumpkins for the halloween season and to have some wholesome soups, yum!!!!
I'm well chuffed to say that I have nine healthy juicy large pumpkins and me and my Nieces have had the greatest fun tending to them. They've enjoyed watching them grow every time they came round and getting excited at the prospect of tasting the soup and carving them for Halloween (I'm 27 and I think my excitment is greater than theirs!!!).
Anyway enough of my ramblings, enjoy the day folks and the weekend.
Paul
Hi Chris,
Please don't worry about your female co-
workers; we females are a moody lot and we're
normally fine working things through ourselves,
as long as a man doesn't ask us what's wrong.
I definitely think our real education starts when
we leave school, and I think reading (books
and newspapers, not Heat magazine) is so
under-rated these days. I am in my late thirties
and I don't think any of my friends ever get a
newspaper. I only buy them at the weekend
and they last me all week, but that keeps
me up- to-date on what's going in the world. I
tihnk people today are so self-obssessed,
they're only interested in what impacts them.
Oh my God, I'm starting to sound like my
grandmother so I'd better go. I'll leave you with
my pet hate, when people say, "I can't read, I
haven't got time". Well make time, spend less
time gossiping on the phone or watching soaps!
Happy Friday everyone xx
Hey Chris,
Must be something in the air...me and 2 mates (all late 30's / early 40's) just put our name down for an allotment!!
What's all that about.
Don't go mad on the golf thing though...it's the most frustrating game invented by man. Still like to see the US get beaten though.
Morning all
Well said Mr E, couldnât agree more, to be honest I donât know what kids are taught at school these days, my eldest daughter (17) is hopeless at Geography by that I mean she hasnât a clue which way is north and which is south!!!! But she got a B in her Geog GCSE how bizarre.
As I walked Shan to school again this morning I saw the girl with the book again, new book today, I know reading is good but I still think reading and walking could be a dangerous hobby. I walk to work every day through a nature reserve, I stop to watch the tawny owl in his hole in the tree and if Iâm lucky I catch a glimpse of the little owl scouting for breakfast. I also saw a weasel/stoat the other day â not sure which is which â people at work think Iâm barking âcause I take binoculars to work with me!!!
Think a walk is the order of the day later.
Take care
X
Hi Chris - King Blog - and Fellow Blog Readers
I agree with everything you say Chris, in your post today. Especially the bit about things we are taught at school which you never seem to use once you leave! Don't get me on Logarithims either (ooops can't even spell the word!).
I never noticed nature at all really for years and years, but as I have grown older I have appreciated it more and more. And you are soooo right about being able to recognise trees etc, why aren't we taught more about this kind of thing when we are young? Lucy Comment No. 1 - you put into words my feelings about exams exactly!
Also the bit about growing from seed, I was given some sunflowers this year grown from seed, they were tiny wee plants, two leaves at the most, but they grew and grew into the most beautiful display. Huge sunny faces the size of dinner plates. Beetroot is fantastic as a hot veggie, we ate it last week, just boilded and cubed up, especially if home grown or locally grown. Good idea too about kids growing stuff at school.
You sound a bit down in this post, but I think Blogging helps you get things out of your system somehow, just writing it down and letting it all out, very theraputic! Looking forward to tonights Request Friday, the music always good when we choose it! Love and Light Jeannie ;0)
Hard to know what goes through the minds of some Ladies in the Office.
However it can cause an atmosphere, and it's usually because they are underemployed and spend time sending silly emails to one another.
Probably one has a crush on you.. who knows men are from Mars Women are from Venus or so I am told.
Hello chris and bloggers,
I liked yesterdays blog, SW sounds a lovely lady, didn't get time to respond tho, life took over along with some crappy time management on my part.
One list of 8 would be:
Moonlight serenade by Glenn Miller, reminds me of my dad.
Que sera sera br Doris Day reminds me of my mom
Move over darling, also Doris Day, first grown up film I went to see.
Dream a little dream of me by mama Cass..my young dream of being important to someone.
Oh Well, Peter Green first stray into pholosophy
This Kiss, Faith Hill, an 'our' song
Try, Nellie Furtado, me now
Walking on sunshine, Katrina and the waves, my happiest song ever.
There are loads more...difficult to decide, got some favourite classical stuff, was a classical music person long before contemporary stuff. As you say these are benchmarks.
Hope your day is brightning up chris 'cos to start with you sound a bit down. Must have been a mushroom. Sensitive, hm, if it bothers you, you should have a quiet word or something. Don't go around with agitation in the head or disquiet in the heart when it is so easy to put it to rest by talking.
Rest of the blog is a cracker. I always feel soothed when I look up at the stars, brilliant. Gives me a sense of perspective. Psychic phenomenon, I think that must be individual perception, lot of books on it tho chris. I believe that when you die it is not the end, but I have my reasons for thinking that. Its private, I don't feel the need to have anyone else think the same as me. Vive la differance, in all things please.
Have always loved gardening, well, seeing things grow, especialy things to eat. It was all that talk of spuds that got me hooked into the blog, ah I thought, fellow souls!
Gone on a bit, apologies, Lovely weekend to all..x
hi all
this is a man who speaks from my heart!!!
lots to think about there, but i totally agree. kids need life skills aswell as learning algerbra etc, something i have never grasped and can honestly say the only time i have ever needed it since leaving school is to try and help my kids with their homework!!!!!
thinking about the weekend, have got the kids coming to stay hoorahh, nice long walk with the dog and a big roast on sunday, mmmmmm.
have a good one,
mandie xx
Good morning
Well this is the first time I have read and then felt the urge to reply to a Blog! It's jus so good to know there are other people with similar thoughts about the crazy world we live in.
You're so right when you question the subjects taught at school, but I do believe parents must take responsibility for teaching, nurturing and encouraging their children to care about nature, their local area and other people.
I too love gardening and find peace in my green space, apart from the frustation of slugs and snails (which I cannot kill), that munch their way through my flowers and veg! My children spend time with me but they are usually busy doing other more exciting activities, but I hope when they move into their own home they will spend sometime watching the grass grow, enjoy the bird song and enjoy getting their hands dirty.
Really enjoyed reading all the comments. Hope you all have a great weekend, and fingers crossed for the Ryder Cup. We'll be glued to the TV on Sunday.
Love the show Chris, I missed it last night so am listening to it now - the wonders of technology!!
PS: Theres a solar eclipse today and its also a New Moon, watch out for whacky pooch behaviour all you dog owners. Happy Friday!
Hi Chris
I too wish I'd been taught about Astronomy at school. My teachers had very little understanding of the subject. I wanted to know for years if the planets were arranged on a single plane or do they orbit the sun on many planes. Its never too late to learn though and I was lucky enough to visit the space center (https://www.spacecentre.co.uk) a few years ago. In one half hour show in their space theartre a whole new world was opened up to me. Its well worth a visit.
Also I have recently been reading Bill Bryson's a brief history of everything. In there he describes the vastness of our onw solar system and how its impossible to draw it to scale. It makes you realise just how insignificant a single human is.
Nick C
Morning All,
You've struck yet another chord Chris - nature...
I remember being taught about nature at Junior School, I loved it - the fact I still remember it is testament to that...
I buy my children nature books and we go 'spotting' - the books have ticks next to the things we've spotted - flowers, trees, mammals, birds, etc, etc... It's so important, if today's young don't appreciate nature, we'll lose it...
It's Funtastic Friday folks, another weekend beckons - go out and HAVE FUN!!!!
And remember - don't do it, unless you enjoy it!!!
XX.
Morning Chris,
Weekdays we live and work in Essex, the sky is not so clear at night here because of all the lighting, but at the weekends we go to our little cottage by the sea in Norfolk. The stars there are like nothing you have ever seen, so beautiful. But you are right, unless it's the plough, the seven sisters or the north star I am lost too.
I am a fairly new gardener, and guess what? Sunflowers are my first babies from seed! Fantastic flower!
Don't despair that you were not taught what you consider to be important now when you were young. It gives us opportunity to carry on learning as we get older.
Last year I got a City & Guilds in Gardening, this year I am thinking of doing Photography.
Looking forward to the show tonight on our way to Norfolk.
Good luck with the girls.
Supadel
Well how right you are about this whole education thing. I was educated in school, then college, then university. Then I was shoved out into the world thinking I had all the ammunition I needed to take it on. What a shock it was that as I approached my mid 30's I realised that none of it was any use when I had real issues to deal with. It took me about 2 years and some fascinating reading, to figure out that had I been taught more about the impact positive thinking can have on your entire life, I'd have been in much better shape to take things on.
For me, the one book that should most definitely be on the school carriculum is "Shambhala: The Sacred Path of the Warrior" by Trungpa. It's the kind of book that changes lives - for the better!
Chris,
I am just amazed at your continual positive wonderment of life - I absolutely love it and so so wish more people were like you in expressing it. I listen to your show every night and love that too.....
Thanks and carry on you do make a difference and how brilliant is that!!!!
Morning Chris and the blogettes,
Mmmmmwah!
Well; now you've started something. Maybe I was lucky; we had a school garden, we used to grow all sorts of things. The only trouble with it was there was never enough time spent in there. Can anyone remember growing beans in a jam jar and blotting paper? Putting the bean between the side of the jar and the towel so you could see the roots growing. Growing Cress on cotton wool in old egg boxes. How much fun was that? The teacher would bring in a loaf of bread and a pack of butter when it was ready; I loved those little sandwiches. :)
I think education has gone completely down the wrong road. Take needlework, for example. When we did it, back in the 70s, we made things. Yes really! Actually stitched material together into something useful. A skill which I still use almost every week, even now. The kids today though: when they do needlework, they learn how to do a Health and Safety Risk Assessment on using sharp items, like pins and needles. They take part in symposiums on the exploitation of cheap labour to manufacture clothing in third world counties. Anything but get a needle and thread and make something. Cookery! We used to cook real food and proudly take it home, then give it to Dad for his tea but not these days. Oh no! Today, girls and boys, we're going to design a Pizza Box and next week; put in your diary, cos this is really exciting stuff, we're looking at the economic dynamics of Contract Catering. It's all nonsense!!!!!! Education amounts to nothing more than crowd control these days. It's all gone very badly wrong!
The focus seems to be, get as many GCSEs as you can; it doesn't matter what they are, just as long as you have lots of them. Lets make sure were on the first page of the league table kids Children get filled with so much false hope, with A* GCSEs in dance, drama, personal studies , politics, media studies, combined science and design technology but these kids can't write; can barley add up, they didn't learn how to spell , they learned how to use a spell checker, they didn't learn how to add up, they learned how to use a calculator. It's all rubbish............
I better stop before I get angry and open a school about real life.
The real problem is instant Global News.... get rid of that, and maybe we'd worry about the problems right under out nose.
I didn't blog yesterday. I thought about the records I would choose but concluded, that it would be such an insult to all the great music that I didn't choose, if I were to choose just eight. So I'd not take any music to my desert island. ...
Keep smiling everyone and have a great weekend...
Rachel
x
PS.... Blotting Paper! Does anyone still use that?
Well it looks like I was incredably lucky with my teachers!
All through Jnr school we had an hour a week for nature studies where we would cross the road to the village green and go hunting for mini beasts and plants and look at the trees and collect the leaves, brilliant!
I occasionally see my 3rd yr teacher who I always say hello to and she always remembers my name after 25yrs! She was brilliant an insperation.
I was also lucky with my Grandad who was a dairy farmer and then worked in an office when the farm land was sold off. He taught me names of plants and animals' how to grow food and my 4 times tables by the time I was 3!
He retired the year I was born, and being the youngest grand child and by quite a big gap between me and the next grandchild I seemed to become Grandads gardening buddy!
The highlight of this partnership whas one day when Grandad was poorly so I went to weed the veggie patch, he came out to inspect only to discover I'd "weeded" an entirer row of baby onion plants(oopps!) I was mortified and ther was no consoling me until we replanted them all! Thankfully most survived.
I don't have any children to pass on my grandads wisdom to but I do have nephews and neices who I walk with, I try to do what my mum did with me, we'd do out to see what we could find, If it was something we didn't know what it was or a new thing we'd tick it off in one of the books I had at home, Flowers, birds animals trees.... it was all there and I now end up with phone calls from friends asking me stuff so I think it must of worked.
I do have a question however, I have either as grasshopper or cricket in my garden but I'm not sure which, What's the difference, how can I tell which is which?
That was a lovely blog Chris which brought back many many happy memories not just from my childhood, Thanks!
Chin up Mr Evans! Don't we all have days when we feel a bit down and it's totally inexplicable? I think this is a good reason to implement duvet days, why inflict your mardiness on everyone else!
I know you had the Iggoldun (?Spelling) on to talk about their fab book and I hope you've got a copy. Pull it out and have a flick through it. It will make your heart warm! I do agree that it's sad that we don't teach this kind of stuff in school, but at least there are sensible people out there putting books together like the Dangerous Book for Boys.
Bon weekend tout le monde! Emski x
I guess I'm one of the lucky ones. Through junior school I remember every friday was Magic Blackboard day. The class was told to close their eyes and count to 20. When we opened our eyes the blackboard would be full of colourful pictures and a couple of paragraphs which we had to copy down into our books. Each week would be a different subject, but always based on nature. We covered oak trees, foxes, butterflies and all sorts of different flora and fauna. It was most definitely my favourite school day.
We also had a nature table, where we were encouraged to find things in the park or in the countryside and bring them into school. If it was interesting enough it would be placed on the table and a teacher would help you to find out about it and write a small report on what it was and where it was found. This was a greater honour than being the Bell Monitor! I managed to get a robins nest and a toadstool on there.
Also, two or three times a year we would have day trips to Newton Field Centre, where we would be in our wellies with a packed lunch and the day would be spent pond dipping, weaving bull rushes, collecting leaves to identify trees and walking round with a Spotters Guide so we could put a tick next to anything we might be lucky enough to see.
I have spent some time trying to open the eyes of loved ones to the wonderful world around us, and though they show no sign of being interested in gardening they love to watch the night sky, can identify a few trees, and can appreciate the changing seasons. My work is not yet done, but we are getting there!
MW, a!
Ah Chris, your cover is at last blown; you are the living embodiment of Percy Thrower. You are of course quite right, kids love growing things, so a school garden is great idea - they can combine this with the other thing they do - measuring things, so it's educational and fun at the same time - Not often we hear that these days.
You could perhaps combine forces with Jamie Oliver and become a pair of modern day urban heroes fighting for what is right and makes common sense for our young folk at school.
The astronomy thing, itâs big, yep super-size me, grand scale, over large massive huge on a scale we canât comprehend, great to look at and gives us a feeling of insignificance, but I find the problem is that because itâs so big, itâs GREAT to look up at, but I canât get it â at the farthest, farthest, farthest point imaginable. It still absolutely goes on and on and on.
Weekend shaping up well, my two teams meet on Saturday, the mighty Reading against Man U â poor chaps coming all the way down from up north to see how we do things and learn a lesson or too. I expect youâll be too busy with the golf, and fair doâs I doff my cap to you (or would do if I had one).
Anyway enjoy one and all!
Paudi!
#26 Rachel - Thank you so much. Had completely forgotten about growing beans in jam jars and cress in egg boxes. Wasn't that great? Has produced a big smile which I'll carry with me for the rest of the day!
Josie
There's nothing else for it, Chris will have to take on the prime minister's job when our Tone leaves!!!
(PS Chris, did you know that when a group of women work together they will all suffer from 'that monthly thing' at about the same time - works with dogs and cows too!!!)
Much, much love.
Jonahwood
xxx
I'm impressed Mr C Evans.
Today's post is a lovely way to kick off the weekend. Yes, trees, stars, funghi, birds, flowers, clouds - our formal education system is so not where it's at. It's up to parents too though i guess - i was lucky.
Hope whatever's going on with the girls sorts itself out.
Sara x
Hmmm, I know where you're coming from Chris, but you know some of that stuff you got taught at school - logarithmns etc - which was of no relevance to you, did become of immense relevance to those people who went on to study science. We need our scientists and engineers and where else would they learn that stuff except at school? Gardening, astronomy, nature and all those other wonderful aspects of our world are there to be observed, taught by parents, grandparents, friends, or even just by pursuing it ourselves. So, to all of you grown ups who know kids, either your own or friends', let us inspire them, let's take them for a walk this weekend and point out all the mushrooms in the forests, the berries on the bushes, and notice that the swallows have gone south for the winter. We can make a difference!
Morning all. (((Chris))) because you sound like you need a bit of a squishy squeeze today. Don't worry poppet, I'm sure whatever's going on is nothing to do with you (unless you've got a guilty conscience you're not telling us about??) - you always bring the best out in everyone you work with, at least that's how it sounds. I'd love to work on your show, it sounds like such fun, and like you all care about each other. However we girls do have moods sometimes, that's why we're so fascinating :-)
Well I had my interview for my total career change and have got a second interview next week - woo hoo - so thanks for all the good luck vibes.
Chris, as always, I love the show, love the blog, you and the bloggers bring a bit of sunshine into my day every day!!
Ooh, and the Cheese yesterday - Nolans I'm in the Mood for Dancing - best song ever, not cheese!!!! oo oo oooooo, come on and da-a-ance, woo ooo woo ooo oo oo oo oo ooo ....
Have a great weekend all.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Hello to all :o)
I'm still sure that countryside and thus nature, in whatever quantity available, feeds the soul. We grew tomatoes a couple of years ago and were amazed when the started fruiting as it was something we had never believed we could achieve, of course it was all for nothing when the dog became interested in them and spent time in the garden delicately biting off the fruit and consuming it on the lawn! This year we grew flowers from seeds in little propagators and they have been the most succesful in our small garden, definitely the way forward.
At my junior school we did learn about trees, insects and birds although no when I try to recall the details I find that my mind has forgotten which leaf belongs to which tree - but I could probably still recall how to long divide algebra!
Is it because as soon as we have learnt something we start to forget it unless it's put into use regularly?
About the stars, as a child on our summer holidays I used to love the hour or so before bed when we'd sit by the river in the south of France and star gaze, a real family interaction time and I would ask the source of all knowledge (my dad) which stars were which - I can easily identify the plough but any others would have me stumped. Now I'm all grown up and go on holidays with ny husband I still get the reclining chair out and gaze at stars before bed, somehow it just makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside, don't know why. Although I can't recommend star gazing when walking to the toilet block after a few too many wines - disaster in the making!
Am in total agreement about the whole educatin thing, both my parents were teachers and they instilled in me the importance of asking why when I wasn't sure about something, also the importance of keeping answering if the answer you got was unsatisfactory - it is afterall the job of the teacher to teach you, not just feed you facts and figures so you can recite them in your exams.
On a lighter note, I hope the ripple and malteasers haven't taken the place of all your healthy food bought earlier in the week, that vegetable goo will soon appear at the bottom of the fridge!
Keep dancing
:o) Jo
Just thought - heard Danny from Embrace on the radio this morning talking about the band's split after the next album, when asked why, he said that he'd always looked at the bigger picture and had never taken time to smell the roses. after 17 years he want to smell the roses, good man.
The message is spreading :o)
Reason we all feel rubbish, even if it is friday is entirely weather related. it was sunny yesterday and we were all happy little sunbeams, now it is grey and raining we are miserable. get out in the rain and get wet - it will make you feel good. (i was feeling extra bad because of a horrendous hangover - NEVER go to a competitive wine tasting on a weeknight)
no news from mrs mccrumble yet. Free the cumbernauld 1!
Have a good weekend
Jen
Hello!
In response to your pondering....isn't that what parenting is all about? My dad taught me all I know about nature, gardening, constellations mainly when being walked home from brownies or whereever he was collecting me from. I hope I can pass on some of this to my little ones. It's wrong and a shabby excuse to assume kids these days want to spend all their spare time on playstations etc. Every child I have ever come across is an enthusiastic and avid learner. Adults need to take the time to indulge this. I love my dad....!
Virgin blogger - have been reading for a while now though. You're a funny little lot aren't you!
#26 Rachel - Yes - we grew those beans in jamjars too - think they were called mung beans or something. I remember because our class was given them to grow one bank holiday weekend and I was going camping with my parents - had to set aside a special section of the tent for my little agriculural experiment.
I agree Chris - everyone should do a bit of gardening. Good for the soul. I am planning to create me a veg patch this autumn. Not sure what to grow though. Like the idea of beetroot.
It makes me very sad to see lovely gardens being turned into granny flats and land sold to developers (happening a lot near me) and people are losing out on lovely big trees and caterpillars because they want a few more pennies.
Anyway - Come on Europe. I will miss it on Suday cause I'm climbing a mountain. bad timing! Never even liked golf until my darling husband introduced me to Ryder in 2002.
Now I think I might love Sergio.
Am I normal?
Hi Chris,
You seem to have really taken to this blogging game and I just love your show on the way home, and indeed Wogan on my way to work.
I had to laugh when wogan lost a pip on Thursday and that bit of your show about a subject is really good just before the business news.
But I still think you should dedicate an entire show to my blog and my recovery from alcoholism
Another excellent blog as always. I feel priviliged (sp) to read your thoughts. I am amazed and delighted you are so honest because you really say things which make others think.
Gardening - I am just a recent convert and I love it. I had huge success with a tiny strawberry plant, another one with a mini cucumber plant and basil. The biggest joy has been my two tiny tomato plants. I have had so many tomatoes that have this amazing taste that when you bite into it you feel summer has been sloshed over your tongue. My advice for people who are new to gardening, start very small and the enjoyment you gain will inspire you and encourage you to get bigger.
Camping is another thing which is amazing and really uplifting. To wake up and walk bare feet on the dewy grass whilst you cook some bacon on a camping stove is just amazing. Things taste so much better when camping (might be the meths!) and when you pop yourself into a sleeping bag at night, it is like being in a little cocoon.
I like what Hazel said: "Today is now a hill to climb so that I can look at the view..." What an incredible observation and I hope I keep that in my heart.
Bashing away at a keyboard is so theraputic and this blog means we all get to look at some pretty nitty gritty issues. The things you talk about really challenge me and I feel empathy with some of the issues you talk about. At times I can feel a little out of sorts and I do get a bit paranoid. I sometimes need reassurance that people aren't peed off with me. Some people call it being sensitive but I think that is not necessary a bad thing.
Thanks to you, I now actually care about golf and I hope Europe whip USA's butt. Perhaps Tiger was a bit distracted? Go Europe, go Europe.....
Iâm sure Iâm not dreaming this but I remember filling the toe of a stocking with cress seeds then stuffing it with cottonwood till it was the size of a potato, we tied the stocking, cut off the excess and sat it seed side up on a saucer, watered it every day and hey presto a cress head, you can put faces on them and everything.
What about a record-breaking cress head a thon? Mr Eâs bloggers could revive the cress head, they would be on kitchen windows all over this green and pleasent land!!!
X
You are so right! I would have loved my son's schools to have taught him nutrition and a martial art as well as what you have suggested. I passed on my limited knowledge of nitrition and he began Tae Kwon Do training a the age of 7. I have to add that as a single parent the scouts were invaluable for so much extra-curricular stuff including a lot of nature realted things. He's 21 now and often comes out with gems of info that he learned from scouts. x
When I was a kid I had I-Spy books for just about everything. I loved them. That's how I recognise breeds of dogs, trees, cars, flags, road signs, insects, flowers.......there were so many of them. Dad's a big astomnomy fan so camping trips facilitated much star-gazing. Which led to my interest in astrology and ancient civilisations....etc.....etc......Learning begets learning. x
Have a lovely weekend Chris and all you lovely bloggers.
Spread the love,
Debs xxx
Hello Chris & fellow schloggers!
my partner is a nursery school teacher,and teaches 3 & 4 year olds,and they do some great things with them - last year they got some caterpillars that came in containers placed them in the classroom so all the children could see them,and left them there all term,as the caterpillars got bigger and bigger,and then started to turn into butterflies,and the kids used to come in the classroom and the first thing they would do,is run over to where the caterpillars were and see how they were doing.When they finally changed into butterflies they released them outside and saw them fly away,which i thought was great,as i never did anything like that when i was a child,and children love it
they also have an after school club,just for an hour where they have a garden,and grow things,and plant,and get dirty and generally just see how nature works
just a shame that as we get older we spend more time inside learning things that we are NEVER going to use in our lives ever - pythagoras(dodgy spelling!) theory,what is the point of it?!!
anyway,the weekend is here,so i look forward to all request friday,and happy weekend to one and all
john
Well you struck a chord with me today Mr Evans......
I walk my dog (black Labrador "Otto") everyday along our rive (well no mine, but you know what I mean), and this week I've seen 3 Kingfishers, 2 Green Woodpeckers and today a flock of yellow finches, plus no doubt a number of warblers that I haven't got the foggiest identifying.
But it really puts a smile of my face and back to your previous blog earlier this week makes me have a sense of happiness.
But you're right schools are pretty crap at what really matters in life. What about knowing which bank/building society to choose, or even the basics of a mortgage. Ok we don't want to scare the poor little blighters, but these are far more relevant to life than all that maths stuff.
Got a fab weekend ahead - even more back to nature stuff, taking Otto to Studland, lots of fun on the beach (even in the rain if needs be) and no doubt hubby will insist on trying the guest ales in the Banks Arms.
Have a great weekend one and all.
SJ xx
Some of you bloggers have talked about Parents, Grandparents teaching children about nature, gardening COOKING (so important) having respect for the world and those in it, thats what its like in our family.
Unfortunately some children aren't introduced to all these wonderful and important things.Wouldnt it be great if we had a mentoring system as standard in schools. Think you could become a fulltime Mentor, DJ.
Dangerous Book for Boys was mentioned earlier. I bought this for the Boy Wonder (Son) who loves it. Every home should have one on the shelf next to the Dictionary and Delia Smith's Complete Cookery Course.
Katie #34 from yesterday- Hungarian goose down pillows - pesonal preference really Hungarian Goose down is very soft (more than feather) and very full but light. I believe Siberian Goose Down is even softer.
Kit kate
ps more children should go camping, no bloody computers and playstations there
ows on the bottom and soft on top..lovely
Afternoon schloggers. First off, a big 'thank you' to Chris and the team for playing my gobsmackers on Wednesday night. You made my evening, I had the hugest grin on my face and pogo'd around my room to The Jam like a lunatic. What was/has been a truly awful fortnight, suddenly felt better.
Interesting comments being made about schooling. I really don't know how I feel about not being taught the things Chris and other Schloggers have been saying, because I've loved learning about these things from my parents, by myself, with my friends, with lovers, with family, with peers, with colleagues....
....How dull would life be if post school-leaving age, we knew absolutely everything about anything??! The one thing I wholehearted agree with is that some more practical, essential skills - such as money management - should be taught at school.
As for the girls making you guys have to watch what you say and do - I can honestly say that in our office its the guy who is moody one, where you have to suddenly mind what you say and how you say it. I wholeheartedly feel for you and the boys Chris, as the last two weeks have been complete hell at work because of this guy's 'sensitivities' (as we're now calling them) - aargh.
Have a fab weekend everyone, I'm looking forward to watching the Ryder cup while I paint,
C x
Hi Chris and Everyone else,
I'm a Virgin Blogger!!
Loved todays musings, there must have been something in the air yesterday, him indoors was the same last night. I think it's to do with the eclipse. Just get through today and tomorrow will be better.
School, better forgotten, more has been learnt since leaving.
Gardening, it must be an age thing, (i'm gonna be 30 in two weeks!!) this year I have grown tomatos. There is nothing like picking them off the vine and eating them, so sweet. Just ask Dougal-dog, our puppy, I think he had more than we did!! He also enjoyed the newly sprouted sunflowers!! So I had another attempt and now have 12 fully blossomed bright yellow sunflowers blowing around in the wind and rain.
As for everything else, I went to see Robbie on sat and again on tues. So life is extremly good.
Cheers
xx
Good Afternoon Chris et al,
FirstlyâŠIâm a virgin blogger, so be gentle with meâŠ
I totally agree with Mr E, I work in Horticulture R&D and there isnât enough education in schools on plants etc.
Every year we hold an open day for local schools (years 5&6), the aim of this day is to educate and inspire the children but also to show them that science is fun!
There are usually around 300 children taking part in various activities from potting up plants, DNA extractions, they get to handle giant caterpillars and learn why flowers have colours and lots of other things too.
At the end of the day we send them home with growing kits (seeds and mushrooms kits too!) for their classroom, so that the fun can continue.
Itâs only one day a year but it makes all the difference.
On a different point...chocolate is always the answer for the girls that you work with Chris.
take care K-S
Afternoon Christoph and Fellow Bloggers/Blogettes!!!
Once again Mr Evans you have surpassed yourself and given us more food for thought......
Nature is indeed a wonderful thing which we should not take for granted........ I remember going with my Grandad on his tractor to help him when I was a littley, sadly he died when I was still young, so I never got to learn more from him - which as a Norfolk Country Boy - would have been worth learning!!! I used to wear a red boilersuit and wellies and he used to take me everywhere on the dairy farm he had, I was lucky enough to grow up in the countryside and have stayed in Norfolk my whole life, I like travelling but there is nothing better than coming home.............
Nature........ after a rain - the smell of fresh cut grass........watching a barn owl hunting at dusk...........hearing the hedgehogs snuffling thro the garden.........sitting in the garden in the dead of night watching the stars.......watching my pathetic attempts at gardening come good..........there are hundreds of things to feel good about if we only took the time..........and the last time there was a full moon we stood in the garden and howled like wolves - must have scared the neighbours rigid but we were giggling like kids
Have a great weekend everyone - lets hope the sun comes out to play because at the minute its grey and dull and raining
Still awaiting news on the Prof J Mc..................................
Luv and hugs
Mayhem
xx
Dear All,
I'm afraid I have to leap in and disagree somewhat. Though it is absolutely important to know about nature, our environment and how to make the quality of life better for ourselves and those around us, schooling has to teach us the fundamentals. Often I have heard it said that what we are taught at school has no use in our day to day lives (particularly when it come to maths), remember though just because you may not use it in daily life others do. Today's blog has really interested me as it talks about the importance of learning about astronomy, then goes on to talk about the lack of importance for mathematics, trigonometry and logarithms - however, without the mathematics & physics how can we make sense of the universe? I am an astronomer. I've been studying & working in the field of astronomy for more than 10 years and I have to deal with mathematics (and logarithms!) daily. Though of course, it is not vital to learn about the physics behind astronomy to learn the constellations, the planets or other objects that can be seen in the sky, it is vital for the people who spend their lives studying the physics of the universe to know these things. If I had not learnt the fundamentals of maths, physics and language at school I could not apply this to studying the universe and thus couldn't then go on to teach other people about it. Also, though there is absolute value to be gained from reading books in adult life, if we are not taught the fundamentals of reading in school we wouldn't be able to do this.
Sorry, this seems to have turned into a bit of a rant - didn't mean for it to become so. I get a little passionate about this subject! My Mum is a primary school teacher and every term there is another new 'subject' introduced which has to taught, such as 'moral studies' ... I'm all for teaching children to become good adults but it causes the time for important teaching of the basics of reading, writing and maths to be squeezed out. Teachers can not teach everything, parents have to take responsibility as well.
I was (am) incredibly lucky. I grew up in the countryside, we had a garden that grew vegetables, we went for long walks in the hills and soaked up the nature, we went to museums at the weekends, I was part of numerous sports clubs, brownies and music clubs (all of which my parents took me to in neighbouring towns). I know that I was lucky and not every child is as lucky but I do think it is easy to place blame on the schools rather than the larger society.
And as adults I feel we all have a responsibility to teach the young people in our lives what we find interesting, important, calming that can't be covered by the schools. If you have children, nephews or nieces take them for walks when you can, drag them out into the garden or greenhouse and make them dig in the mud (they will love being allowed to get dirty!), wrap them up warm and make them sit out on a clear night to watch for 'shooting stars', help with the local clubs, start an after school club, anything big or small will help.
Briefly back to astronomy - it is brilliant to hear so many people talk about the wonder of the night sky. I never get tired of the sight of perfectly clear night sky. For anyone who lives near (or in!) Edinburgh and wants to learn a bit more about astronomy and the work astronomers the Royal Observatory (situated on Blackford Hill) is holding its annual open days next weekend (30th/1st) from 10am to 5pm. It is entirely free and you don't have to book - just pop along (for more info see here:
Anyway, rant over!!
Hope you all have lovely weekends,
Take care, Morag
Your ideas about nature and gardening are great.
great blog and fab responses.
Children need to learn about life, nature and ethics and morals and lots of things that won't help them pass exams but will help them be good and interesting people. Not that I am against exams - I have passed many of them at various stages in life. But I know that learning and interest in learning is something that can start at any age and once grasped can give you a whole range of experiences and take you in directions you would never have dreamed of. School should help children to develop their natural curiosity so that they want to read, they want to know more and they want to communicate with others. Force feeding knowledge alone will leave young people ill equipped for the real world. I adore my computer and the internet and I learn from it and from the wonderful bloggers here - but I would never let the virtual world become a replacement for my friends, family, colleagues (well most of them), a good book, a long walk or my significant other.
Happy weekends to all
Cate D
... wanted to point out a typo - you said and i quote "Human relations is never talked about⊠temper control is never explained, how to breath, meditation..."
it's breathe - with an "e" otherwise the sentence makes no sense... oh, then it matches the whole blog!
Love the show by the way!
Chris, you are right. It takes a healthy dose of humility to have the will to learn once you're done with school but the more you learn, the more your eyes are open to what possibilities there are in life and the more you need to learn about them.
My partner and mother both teach and I've been trying to persuade them for years that we're all born with the same brain power but we don't all the same methods of unlocking it. A little less structure in school and a little more time to consider the width and depth of the horizon, and everything between you and it, would be enormously beneficial.
I firmly believe that kids need to be allowed to explore, to test their limits and discover for themselves what it is that turns them on.
I've just got back from lunch! I went to sit in the park, very close to office!
Nobody there but me a family of magpies and the local hooligan crows!
While I was there it started hoofing down with rain........ so I just sat there it was fantastic after a really stressful wk at work I got back and the rest of the office either think I'm on drugs or need to be! AND to cap it of I had an e-mail from my old boss who I miss very much and haven't heard from for ages. I think it's going to be a good wkend!
Chris,
Phychic, whychic, mhychic, bhychic that is all the sense one gets from that topic of conversation.
It is a phenomenon in itself that it gets any lip service at all.
Anyway great blog and on the conversation of jaw dropping/mouth opening experiences i once had the fortune of being told that there is more stars in the solar system than grains of sand on Planet Earth, another EU mission of fact which i am sure you will agree WAS worth while.
Nature does need more coverage on the curriculum but we need a lot of changes and i am no miracle worker.
I to am off to my country retreat (permanent residence)for a no light pollution, sound pollution and a generally relaxing natural weekend and i do consider my self very lucky for this.
My children are being home educated on the nature front with good brisk nature walks with the wife and dogs across the landscape through trickling rivers etc. Sorry for boasting!!!!!!!
Anyway, long live the Chris Evans Drive time show and have a wonderful weekend!
Please play a feel good, funky, Scissor Sister type track on all request Friday>
All the best for now.
David
Sorry couldn't quite go...
MS MAYHEM 50# Have been checking the McCrumble site on fairly regular basis since arriving at work this am. No news either from the Doc or Dolores. Should this be taken as good news?
However, Richard Hammond has been moved from intensive care to a high dependency unit and his condition is being given as serious but stable. Lets all carry on sending out healing thoughts...it's got to help somewhere along the way!
Get the hamster back behind his wheel
love
hazel
x
Hey Chris and fellow bloggers!
When we were little, Mum and Dad used to take us camping a few times a year. And then we'd get to march around all the local lanes with books which my Dad distributed - wild flowers, birds, trees, etc. And every now and then, he'd stop us and quiz us on what we were looking at - quite scary for a child but it really taught us. And he made it into a little game for us - so, although, we were learning, it didn't feel like we were being taught, we just felt that we were working it out for ourselves. He's a genius! (In fact, I do a lot of walking now and still always carry a little bird book in my rucksack - guess I'll never get out of being under his influence!)
I hated gardening though when I was small - all these creepy worms and spiders, etc. But now I'm all grown up, I'm much more tolerant and love my garden. Last weekend I went and bought the seeds for next year - cherry tomatoes and chillies, courgettes and peppers.
Has anyone had any luck with strawberries or gooseberries- can anyone recommend any particular variety?
Take care everyone and Happy Friday. Have a good weekend all!
Susan
x
Hi Chris
No tip-toeing around the girls. We are awful no mistake. Hormones and female tempers make for awful bed mates.
You just go in, be your regular crazy self and get on with what you do best...... make us smile.
I can say this with authority. I've had a hysterectomy and don't have hormones any more and when I think back. O M G I was a total nightmare. I hereby apologise to any man I've ever worked with when the horrendous hormones were in full flow. AND Thank gawd for my Husband who continued to love me despite the temper tantrums and violence. Now I'm a totally gorgeous person....
All Request Friday....... oooooo Oblivious, I really do want someone to phone that in. I have to drive fast tonight...... One Kid Orchestra, the other to Drama, and Husband to Scouts.....
Hel
And I'll tell you another thing....
they never taught you the biggest thing I've found out his week -
Love is a lesson learned.
If only I'd have understood this from the start.
it does make me wonder, with all this new affection and attention to nature and tending to its benefits (I too am tempted to become an under 30's allottmenter), is it spurned on by the fact that we fear it won't be around for much longer? In which case perhaps we should start teaching it in the history sections of schools? Sad but true :-(
When I go to my Mum's in Cornwall, I love to look at the stars, there's no light pollution and the vastness of the sky is amazing.
Have a great weekend all.
Sally
xx
hi chris, i have been meaning to email you for ages (i just hope this is the correct way to go about it , being a techo phobe,) by the way is "blog " the new word for diary?.
can i just say that i think you must of undergone a personaltity transplant, when i used to skim through your "virgin "radio i found you irritating, self righteous, belligerent,arrogant etc, them you disappeared for a while!! when you popped back up on sat afternoon radio 2 you were a different person, i know you have mentioned many books you have read on philosophy etc have you got a list of them wriien down somewhere as i would love to read them muself.
If i can just add i think you are a really nice "well rounded"person now ( i don't mean to be patronising).
antastic show on drive time 2 hours just isn't enough.
A big thanks to all your team on and off the air.
Kind regardS
Sandra
p.s Have a fab weekend, enjoy the golf.!!
I'm not good at many things but I can spell - it slightly jars when people point out spelling mistakes cos it's abowt sew mutch moor thann thatt.
Have a great weekend everyone.
x
Afternoon Chris et al,
Isn't the case though that with so many things in life, we truly learn about them only when we have the benefit of hindsight?
We learn about the world after school or college, or even university in some cases - when we suddenly find ourselves thrust into the world of work and realising that time is suddenly something we have little of.
Time was in abundence when we were young and meant very little (Remember when you thought that being 16 was SO old!!!).
Growing older (and some of us, a little wiser) we begin to have this nagging feeling that mortality is a reality and we don't have forever to do and enjoy all the things we want to do.
Where does the time go? And why does it seem to pass quicker with each year?
We learn about driving after passing our tests when we're suddenly in a car that is TOTALLY under our own control.
We truly learn about love after having our hearts broken.
Maybe thats the point though - to enjoy life and treasure the good things you have to have had experience of the bad, negative, unhappy things.
Make the most of it, and do the things you enjoy. In the wake of the tragic death of Steve Irwin and the accident of Richard Hammond within such a short space of time it's made me realise that life is all about doing what you love.
If we aren't doing what we love, then are we truly living, or merely existing??
Chris - you've certainly got me thinking.
Em
xx
WOW Chris....
I am the expat living in Toronto....I look forward every day to reading your blog - love it...I hear (and love) your show at noon here when I can and of course if I am working, I listen on the weekend. But your blog is like my daily meditation....it starts my day with a GREAT feeling, something to think about and appreciation for our beautiful planet and the diversity in it. You have such a way with words.....
I completely agree about kids being taught other than expanding brackets .......did I ever learn that??? If I did, I obviously dont use it cos I have not expanded my brackets in a long time!!! LOL
I am an interior designer and went back to school last year to study Environmental Landscape Management to add landscaping to my business. I went into that course with wide eyed wonder, like a 6 year old....it was the coolest and best thing I ever did. I learned all about trees, flowers and ecology..... learned to appreciate the earth and nature. Of course I was the oldest in the class!!! - but the professors and students in my course were fantastic people and I have made such great friends. So all you shloggers....looking for a general interest course? take gardening 101. Get some dirt under your finger nails!!! Planting flowers, shrubs and trees for a living now (in the summer), and working outside, listening to the birds and working with the earth and beautiful flowers, gives a whole new meaning to life. I used to work in the corporate world so this is a big change for me. The best one I ever made.
Keep up the FANTASTIC work Chris....I absolutely love your show and blog - you should write a book if you have not done so (so what do you think about your unauthorized biography or should we not talk about that????) or run for Minister of Education and shake up the system....yes,yes,yes - less violent computer games and more outdoor activities.
One more thing Chris....will you marry me :-)
J xxxxxxxxxx
PS - Have a great weekend everyone
Good afternoon Chris & all
Girls being iffy in the office - well it's got to be the fault of one of the men then as it's highly unlikely that they'd all be feeling off at all. Also sneaking in tonight might not help if they've all read the blog :-)
Though the majority of nature is amazing it's got to be said that it does have it's gross side - yes insects eurghhhhh. Did anyone hear on the R2 news about the cannibal ladybirds - nearly made me throw up ... can't stand ladybirds, or earwigs, or beetles, or slugs, or snails, or worms, or infact most insects - don't mind spiders though.
I agree with Kate #47 - all the children should go camping, it's a great way for them to learn things and to learn to love and respect the planet. We go as a family quite often and my hubby will take the boys on other occasions and they love it. (and Kate thanks for the extra info re the cushions - I'll look into it).
As was mentioned there's still no news on Prof J Mc - how long can you be held without being charged?
Got to stop rambling now, am off away for weekend and haven't even finished packing yet - all have a lovely weekend.
Hear you at 5 Chris
Katie
x
Ive read this and I completely agree.
tbh I wholly believe that forcing kids into the classroom all day is one of the reasons alot of kids have problems at school THEY'RE BORED! get them outside, get them dirty, get them to LOOK at the world around them! Its no good showing them a pretty picture of a flower in the classroom! get them out to where the flower grows! Make them grow it!
Give the kids back their playing fields and get them to dig those playing fields up and grow lots of lovely vegetables that then get used in the school kitchen to provide a healthy meal! I bet 1 pint of the finest ale of your choice that if you actually involved kids in the whole growing process and showed them the chain of the vegetables going from ground to plate there wouldnt be half the problems we face getting kids to eat healthy!
Its a revolution waiting to happen! we could change the world! And come the revolution I'll be stood in a safe place right behind you Chris!
Christoph
You are so right at the age of 40, I find myself at a time of life where the outside fascinates me, having recently moved to the country and taking on all the exciting things a garden can throw at you, the plants, the birds and all those unusual insects and guess what? Havenât got a clue what any of them are called, well there proper names! Daddy long legs, what sort of name is that?, they can't all be daddyâs, I spend my Saturday afternoons sometimes visiting the odd garden center to buy plants, hoping to overhear someone who knows what Perennial means, If only there was a subject at school that introduced all these wonderful things, and I know there will be people who think âKen there wasâ and you know what they are probably right, but its not the sort of think they expect you to remember.
Look forward to Fridays, have a 2 hour drive and the all request Friday helps me through it.
Have a good one
Ken
PS - Girls are just GIRLS!! We don't expect you to understand us and trying can sometimes be seen as an act of hostility....some of use don't even understand ourselves.
BOYS - Just remember to keep a stash of the following items in your drawer at home / work and in the glovebox for ALL girl emergencies:
1. Tissues
2. Baby Wipes (for removing make up if we've been crying)
3. Chocolate...preferably something like maltesers as we deem them less guilty
xx
first time ive ever read your blog chris.i knew i loved you for a reason
Did you get a parking ticket last night? Or did you get away with your 3 minutes?
hope you did!!
Greetings!
Well, I think I must have been a bit blessed - although it's difficult to see how in most respects of my education up to 18!
We did actually study "nature" at primary school but that was bombed out in favour of biology when we went to secondary school. However, for those kids considered too thick to do two languages, rural science was considered the appropriate option. That was, effectively, gardening with a bit of chicken rearing thrown in.
The logic of how the language option was selected though seemed a bit odd.
We studied two languages in year one and then were forced to drop the "non-essential" language (which was welsh) regardless of the two languages the kids showed a natural interest in. I hated French but was forced to study it. I loved welsh but was forced to drop it. What planet are these schools on???? At least I'd have had an opportunity to use my welsh! French was about as much use as a chocolate fire-guard to me at that age!!
Hi Christopher
I'm lucky enough to live in the countryside where's there's little or no light pollution. But best of all I'm married to a man who know's his stars. Last night the milky way was fantastic!
Tree factoid of the day (Am I sending this to the right show?)
Did you know the oldest tree in the UK is the Fortingall Yew Tree in Glen Lyon, Perthshire, and is estimated as being between 3,000 and 5,000 years old. According to some it may be even older than this, possibly up to 9000 years.
Now that fella has some stories.
Funnily enough there is no record of who planted it.
Loved you comments about new subjects for school. It would be so easy to include them in the curriculum.
The planets should be taught in geography, nature in biology and the gardening could be grouped with cooking, which I think Jamie Oliver is trying to get taught again.
Will you be starting a Jamie Oliver style campaign?
Looking forward to the show but back to the Ryder cup. Wish my boss would leave early so that I can go watch it!!
Had my head down all day (working!). I needed a break so I just completed an on-line IQ test - yes for a break! I scored 120 which I believe is ok? Especially for a Friday afternoon.
My poor brain is now zapped and can't add any further comment re your blog. Not now - all i can say is "mu" to you.
I now want to go home and chill out with my book until Rebus comes on. After listening to the "All Request Friday" of course. By the way can I request Happiness by Orson as I'm feeling happy with my days work. I'm too shy to talk on air.
Out with some friends tomorrow night - which will involve lots of debate about the state of the world and the meaning of life!
Hello One-and-All
It's all about Magic today - mushrooms, stars and seeds growing into big (or sometimes very small) plants. It's funny how some of the tiniest seeds grow into whoppers, and some larger ones produce rather small plants.
Great to read through all the entries, and Chris's usual lovely meanderings, and to hear how much people HAVE learned to love nature and appreciate the people around them.
I certainly remember 'Nature' lessons at school, and a magazine called 'Nature'. We were allowed to bring things in to put on the 'Nature table'.
My big sons are teachers at Comp schools and it seems to me that they incorporate guidance on human relationships and appreciation of the world around them into their lessons and day-to-day contacts with the pupils. They learn a lot from the kids too, and talk about it a lot.
Maybe we don't necessarily need separate subject slots for these aspects of life when we're older, but it's best if family and teachers pass on info they've learnt as life goes along.
My little grandchildren (eldest is 3) love helping in the garden, planting seeds and seeing how they've grown the next time they visit, eating veggies that they have planted, and watching tadpoles change into little froglets. When we walk we look out for horse's hoofprints in the mud (or dust until recently!), and they press their wellies into the ground to see the marks they leave. It's all magic to me too!
Need to go on learning from others about stars and mushrooms. Picked a basked of mushrooms when out on a walk and luckily decided to show them to an enthusiastic nature-loving friend who identified them as DEADLY. He's bought me a good book now! He's also a star on the subject of stars, and can guide us on those - I tried to learn from a chart and a CD Rom but really couldn't work out where in the sky to look....
Those I SPY books were great, had forgotten about them. Maybe could find on ebay?
Rachel (Blue angel), perceptive and thought-provoking as ever - love your analysis of modern-day education.
Look forward to hearing what Dr McCrumble will add, as his novel/film script develops its fascinating course...
Not long now until 5pm. Happy weekend everyone.
Jill xxx
afternoon guys,
just starting to wind down for the weekend!
great again 2 read everyone's stuff!!
school and college for me were the best time ever but didn't get much. after failing alevels, thought i would do resits in a year but my mum had other ideas and questioned where i would leave when i did this?
i responded at home i hope but she felt it was time to pay my way, which was the best thing that could ever happen, so thanks ma!!!!
I don't want to get off the subject matter here. But I'm not too sure where to post this question. Has anyone ever had an internet Stalker? Seems i have for a number of years. I am old enough to know better you might say. Is it my own fault, should I ignore it. However my curious nature oftens gets the better of me.
I have responded to this person or persons. If only to find out their true identity. To date it remains a mystery. I just wondered if anyone had had a similar experience.
Sorry to the hog the blog.
Great show Chris.
hi honey
hope you are well
i couldn't get to the pc yesterday and was missing not being able to read the messages and your blog.
so using friends pc again - must get her present for the use!
anyway agree with what you wrote today - think they should also teach you about money and not to spend it all at once like me!
i am goin home now to make dinner and drink wine - nothing exciting
wish i was there - wish you were here!
i can now go and listen to the rest of your show bye till monday
love juliexxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Chris,
What a wonderful site you are producing, it makes me laugh and cry sometimes,although not often. How right you are with todays comments regarding the lack of "sensible teaching"" in our schools and colleges, nature is wonderful and so are you.
May your site go on forever.
Dear Chris
What a wonderful blog site you are producing daily,I am a new reader and am hooked. I agreed with the comments about todays lack of "sensible teaching" in out schools and colleges there is nothing better than nature,she is marvelous. Our children lose out by not learning the very basics of nature,human connections etc etc the list is endless. How sad.
Please continue the good work I hope the site continues for a long time I know I am glued to the screen daily.
mmmm haven't written for a bit been a busy be.
Do schools not have nature tables anymore?
I can remember going to my grandparents farm at the weeeknd and bring back stuff to put on the nature table -eaves..... flowers.... fruit....stones...shells (fom the beach and not the farm!!) a (dead) dragonfly and most memorably a dead shrew (tiny little thing and very sweet despite it's deadness!!) didn't last long on the nature table through as it started to get creepy crawlies on it!!!
We also had to learn about all the trees, recognise leaf shapes and what nuts/berries they would have......another thing nature walks and the bowl of class tadpoles.........a bit stinky and slimey as they satrted to turn into frogs.....but interesting nevertheless!!
I can also remeber being dragged around garden centres by my mother and her friends (BORING at the time) but i must have picked up loads by osmosis as i can still tell the difference between a rose and rhodedenron ......now bookshops and form of torture inflicted from an early age, didn't really get it at the time but can now happily while away hours leafing through the contents of the nearest Borders or the local second had book shop.........i think i like Chris's blog best when it remind me of my childhood which looking back on now was pretty idylic....nature tables, nature walks, days spent on the beach, tadpoles, my granda's farm, my granny's home baked bread, tv that stopped in the afternoon, trips to the garden centre, hours spent in bookshops, little bottles of warm milk at breaktime, pinincs in the mountains, tartan thermos flasks............
ahhh - tv that stopped in the middle of the day guess we had to do someting when the test card was one.....maybe we should bring it back?
j#8 look on waitrose.com for a great apple cider and chilli jelly recipe
trying to attach the link
also nothing better than a good apple crumble very easy.....
gotta go
have a great weekend all
mackiexx
spelling will be very poor but hope you get the gist!!!
Lots of what you say makes complete sense, but ... For me, school was awful - anything in the curriculum was dull. Surely it's better for children to grow up with a deep rooted love of nature, and not thinking "did that at school, move on"! My daughter has her own patch in the garden where she grows stuff, and loves it. The best bit, of course, is that I gave her that (not the bit of ground, but the desire to do it). That's ours, our time. It's special, and I'd hate it if school muscled in on it!
Hugs,
Mx
I LOVE YOU SHOW BECOUSE YOU ARE BEST IN THE WORLD I LOVE YOU MUISC WHAT YOU PLAY
Just popped in to say All Request Friday was brilliant tonight, especially playing The Brilliant and One and Only PROCLAIMERS at the end! Goodness me, did we dance round the kitchen to that track.
Also wanted to say how lovely everyone on here sounds, from their posts, all of a like mind, thinking about stuff, big and small things, but very reassuring that people are out there who are in touch with "life". Good on you all!
How different can I say from the snide and horrible majority on the Radio 2 Message boards (well excepting a few who post on there who do their best to prevent bile being spewed out".
I looked in on the News and Current Affairs Board yesterday, and the awful "clever" comments on poor Richard Hammond, were just too bad. It is much gentler here, I like it here, this Blog has a good Vibe. You are all nice, good people. (when I was at school one word we were forbidden to use in any English exercise was "nice" but apologies to my old English teacher, nice is ok)!
Love and Light to all you Bloggers out there. We have one life and we must make the best of it, and the most of it, I think. Eat good, wholesome food, drink wonderful wine (or the best water if you don't drink) and just LIVE, LIVE, for the reason we have been given a LIFE, is to live it to the full, however long we have got......Please let Richard Hamster be ok, ......love and light The Kaiser Chef ;0) aka Jeannie (and Marvin The Dog)
Hey Chris-baby,
Agree entirely about the natural stuff being taught at school. Teach them about how to interact with people, how to have successful relationships and all that important stuff. Who cares about molar solutions, and chemical equations....trigonometry, well lets not even go there ....its hard enough to spell without doing it.
I've been off out again reaping the fruits of summer's loins. Masses of berries and apples growing wild beside the beach! Fantastic! and mushrooms! How many happy faeries there must be out there with toadstools to lounge upon in this late summer warmth.
Anyway... off to watch the wonderful Ken Stott in 'Rebus' - sorry ±«Óătv but you don't really press my buttons on a friday night.
Chris - you sounded on fire on the show tonight....were you making up for having to tread carefully around the ladeeez yesterday? I was exhausted by 7pm - not often I can blame exhaustion on a man, you naughty, naughty boy!
byzie-bye!!
Susie xxoooxx
Fantastic blog today Chris and fellow bloggers! Really wonderful! What you said Chris was so good that I read it out to my mum and she was saying "oh I did nature studies at school!" (she's 71) and that started memories flooding back for her!
I-Spy books! I remember them now! Thanks for reminding me of them! :) At my school we did have a nature table where we could bring things in. That was good. Nowadays they do seem to do things about crawling around outside and looking at trees and things so I guess they are doing some kind of nature study. Cress! yes, we did that! in egg shells and drew faces on them so that they had cress hair! :) Now I've got a sprouter thing where I grow seeds and then can eat them (mung beans, alfalfa the works! brilliant and a salad made at home!)
I was hopeless with maths at school because it was so abstract. I didn't have the nerve to bunk off school as a little one, so instead I would get my little card out of the SMP maths box (never graduated beyond green) that required me to measure something, took a wheel that made a clickey noise every so often and would trundle my way around the whole of the school grounds. Hours later a breathless student would come and drag me back into the classroom! I never did know much about what that clicky rolling wheely thing did but I did get to see a lot of the school grounds, the trees etc. My mum taught me most of my nature things though, courtesy of her school days.
I would love to know more about the stars, I think that would be marvellous. In Sicily they don't do lighting much and so it's fantastic to be able to sit outside and gaze up at the night sky! Beautiful! Too much light pollution in Nottingham to really appreciate it, but when we have a power cut then I love to look out at the sky! It's wonderful. The moon has been gorgeous recently. My two good friends have also appreciated it, but on a boat cruise the other night when the moon was low and full the guys I pointed it out to thought I was bonkers and just grunted at me! GRUMP! :(
My major gripe about maths (apart from it's hellishly boring when you've got a mind that loves art and literature and doing all that Cathy and Heathcliffe kind of thing!) is that it's so abstract to daily reality. They also brought letters into maths - erm... NOOOO! Letters are for constructing beautiful words, numbers are for ... numbers! Letters don't represent numbers! Oddly enough though, I really did love physics, I understood physics, longed to study it, but, because I was in set 2 (ie not the brightest class) for maths I was told I couldn't do that. I think that's wrong. Surely if you have an interest in a subject area - despite your capabilities - you should be able to persue it as you'll more likely succeed because you've got the interest?
Now my job deals with stats and I have to work out percentages. Of course I never learnt that properly at school and so had to be taught by one of the lecturers! Thanks Dr Hoque! :) Again, it's linked to something, therefore I can work with it.
This is a very long-winded way of me saying; surely you should link banking, finance and other such monetary matters into maths lessons (and not those naff questions like "if Bill put his ladder against the wall at Xdegrees, how long would it take him to fall off it?" or "Polly's bath tap drips every 4 seconds, how long will it take her bath to flood the bathroom?" when the thing should read "Polly's got a really annoying dripping tap, she's going to need to call out the emergency plumber, she earns ÂŁ100 a day, the plumber will charge her ÂŁ85, how will she buy enough chocolate to prevent her from having raging PMT and annoying Chris Evans??" ;) )
It would help if I knew which way North was to understand the stars!
Anyway, thanks for the blog today Chris. I'm going to bed with a smile on my face thinking of happy thoughts about nature. George my 2 year old nephew is being taught gardening and camping (can't stand camping myself but it must be fun for children) and he loves it! Maybe it's something for parents to share and schools to encourage.
Go for PM! I'll vote for you!
Dr McCrumble, this was SO much a blog for you today! I really hope that you're free and back home with Dolores!
Lots of love to you all! Happy nature loving weekend! :)
Clare
XXXXXX
ps
Mu, I'm going to teach that word to Tabby my work chum... it's a word that she needs to know!
chris a logarithm is 10 to the power or 2 so 100=2 same as 100cubed is 1,000
and trigometry is a tangent to do with angles
just look it up sounds plausable
anyway
tired so night all
see you's later
Hello all
Dolores McCrumble here.
I'm sorry to say that Joseph is still in custody. I am with my mother at the moment using her dial-up connection so I have to keep this short. He is still waiting for the magistrate's appointment. Apparently the lady who should have been there to given him bail was taken ill after running a practice marathon. The local constabulary couldn't tell me when he will actually be bailed. I'll keep you informed, hopefully.
Sorry to hijack this blog, but some of you seem interested so I thought I should keep you up to date.
Dolores
P.S. I have sacked Denise as kitchen manager aftre she ruined a basis frittata
P.P.S. Sorry Mr Evans for hijacking your blog. You are doing a very good kob.
afternoon all bonjone christoph
i thought i'd missed a posting out i put one one here then last night forgot i'd put it there
SO DOH! DOH!
so thats that done.
EUROPE leading usa aren't!
the hamster is getting better(richard hammond)
so it's all looking up hurra in a blackadder styley
i'm off to listen to a new cd i bought it's cream at the royal albert hall magic!
See I just don't get it. Why Oh Why are people who make the sense expressed in this blog not in POWER. Is it that clever, sensible, down to earth individuals obtain power and then suddenly without any warning as if by magic become complete morons or can only morons achieve decision making positions. While granted I am not a smarty pants, I was not taught one single thing during my education which I actually needed to know and at the ripe old age of 35 am still fummbling about in the dark and am very bitter about those wasted school years.
Ahh, now I usually love you Chris, but you've not quite got it right today. I'm studying to become a maths teacher at secondary school level, and as part of my course, have just done a two week job shadow at a local primary school. This week, we've spend most afternoons looking at different plants, picked from the teacher's garden, and from the school - this was to help them understand how flowers grow, and the different ways in which they disperse their seeds. I also was given a chance to teach a class for the first time ever (eek!) - I brought in the pair of Giant African Land Snails which I keep as pets, and told the children all about them, then answered their questions. And oh, did they have questions to ask! The mind of a child is a fascinating place. They are constantly coming up with thoughts which would never occur to you in a thousand years, and generally thinking about the world in a different way.
That said, I don't think that children these days are prepared for the world they have to face outside the relatively safe world of their school. The stories I heard during my short time at that PRIMARY school were... no words can describe it. My parents loved me, I was brought up in a safe, supportive environment, and it upsets me to see the way in which some children are raised.
They are the future - how about we stop blaming each other and work together to help them?
94# Angela Moore
yes we are all sensible people and speaking for myself in not a moron if was mornic i'd just not bother with it.
and nothing to do with "POWER" it's a Blog or a shlog(a show blog) the blog owner does the intial blog and you come along if you want and post a comment in response and then add a another bit to it so there.
i'm a year young by the way and have a good iq
Hello Chris,
You're quite right every school should have a vegetable garden - we're lucky in this respect because ours has a large one and many greenhouses in which we can grow all sorts of things!
SV
HI chris just thought i would send my first blog this sunday after noon.Im cooking lunch for freinds and having a beer.
Yay!
Well done Europe and Well done young Henrik Stenson for holing the winning put. Darren Clark was just so lovely - sniff.
xx
As the parent of a 15 yr old and a 12 yr old i know now why we were taught about angles , algebra, to help with their homework,well its the only reason i can think of. However some of the topics we discuss for homework are far better than my day, just helped with the single child policy in china actually interesting
I love the garden and often hide outside growing seeds and cuttings ,isn't nature just so clever.
Don't worry re girls we are designed to confuse you blokes.
Thanks for the blog good fun.
Enjoyed the interview with the Virgin Airways Director, not sure about the comment from "The Fox" about taxing the fuel for aircraft. If Sir Richard donates all his profits from airlines for the next ten years- surely thats like "self taxing" and the money goes towards environment research. Where would the tax go if it was levied by the government?
Well Done Sir Richard !
i listen to your show most nights on the way home. love the show and agree with what you say above. pupils are taught lots of things they will never use but not what they might. our world is a fantastic place, yet lots of it is still a mystery. it needs someone with a lot of vision to bring it to the fore yet again
i went for a ride in a lonesome wood on a horse called ginger and thought of you the next day. The day after that I met with a forrester that has agreed to manage my investments. This morning i brought in my jumper from the washing line because it was raining overnight. I'm selling electricity and gas supplies tomorrow, but i don't live in Surrey. love Francesxx
WELL DONE THE EUROPEAN GOLF TEAM
18.5 to 9.5
get in lads
brilliant result
and well done darren clarke
YESSSS!!!!!
Evening Chrisw and Bloggers!
Had a great week in Spain!
Havnt caught up on the blog for this week yet but have watched the Ryder cup all weekend and just wanted to say DARREN CLARKE, you are amazing!
The American Zach Johnson said it better than me - Darren Clarke is an amazing player but a better person.
Well done Europe!
Love Weezie xx
Just read Dolores McCrumble's entry about Dr J. Are they for real? because if they are what intertesting lives they lead. I did have a quick look at their own website which was entertaining -but I have to say not as much as your blog.
ABout stars and nature kind of .... I have just started watching Taken again - my gorgeous husband bought me the 6 DVD set and I am hooked again - if you haven't seen it - try it - if you have - watch it again. It's awsome.....
Jude :-)
Are you feeling better today Chris?
I've been in bad books all weekend with the other half - I made a massive mistake of making arrangements to visit in laws on Saturday morning so he misssed the beginning of the Ryder Cup. Oh God, have I paid. And I am sorry because I watched the rest of it with him and I have never before seen so much emotion. I am so proud of DC and it was great to see the boys coming out in their pink blazers (their tribute to Heather and Breast Cancer?).
I agree with you that more important stuff should be taught in schools about real life and what we are about. Conkers - everybody should go out and collect conkers - get some fresh air and look closely at the lovely nature we have around us.
Have a great day.
Just read Friday's blog as I didn't have time last week... been entertaining my folks this weekend.
Christophe, you need to enter politics...we need visionaries with fresh ideas like yourself running the country and the free world, instead of those self-service, attention-seeking, greedy poluting bare-stewards that we currently must suffer.
We need to educate our children and oursleves in the natural world, teach common sense not political correctness, reward hard work and dedication not celecbrity and fame.
I propose yourself as PM, the lovely Fox Rebecca as Chancelor of the Exchequer, Mr Saunders as minister for Sport, Sally and Bobbi as ministers for transport and the environment, Nigel Barden as minister for health and nutrition. If I might be so bold as to offer my own services as ±«Óătv Secretary.
Let's start the new Revolution!!!!
Cameron
Good afternoon one and good afternoon all,
a Scot in the Medway #108.....
great posting ............ is your first name David : )......just a thought
Gaby
Chris,
There was a time when, like the bulk of the "grown up" population, I hated your guts.
Now, I have to say I sometimes thing your prog. is not l o n g enough.
When I do get time to read the blogs I wish I'd read em all but the backlog is probably a bit daunting. Keep up the good work.
Hi lovely Chris. your ryder cowboy page really touched me. Ă taught in England for 15 years (I now live in amsterdam) and I was saying all that stuff and having to cope with the eyerolling and sarcastic comments and in the end I just left. I'll never go back. Our education system has completely and totally had it. So sad. Our poor kids. If you opened a school I'd love to teach in it. Do you fancy it? Anyway I LOVE your show. It keeps me in touch with the best of home. Thank you Chris! xxx