Curious tale of folklore and smuggling...

ONCE upon a time there lived a dragon in a deep, dark pool at Lyminster that terrorised the local community until it was killed by a brave farm lad armed only with a poisoned pudding! Once upon a time a mill once used by a smuggler collapsed in a storm, sending a millstone hurtling down the hill until it hit and crushed to death a man at Angmering. Once upon a time great supernatural horses appeared in a shimmering mist to the terror of lonely travellers. Once upon a time the ghost of an executed highwayman haunted his own gibbet high up on the downs near Burpham.

‘Once upon a time’ is the starting point of many folk stories and recalls an age when the lines between fact and fantasy were far more blurred than today. People accepted that strange, inexplicable things happened and put it down to the activity of unseen forces.

In his new book, historian Chris Hare delves into the world of folklore in Sussex and Hampshire and attempts to separate historical fact from fantasy. This new book, The Secret Shore: tales of folklore and smuggling from Sussex and Hampshire, is published by the South Downs Society, and is a result of a two year long Heritage Lottery funded project. It is a companion to the previously released CD, South Coast Songs and Shanties.

Chris led a team of volunteer researchers during the summer and autumn of 2015, who interviewed people living on the Sussex and Hampshire coast about the folk tales and superstitions that still exist amongst our modern coastal communities. The results of this survey were set against the ground-breaking research undertaken in Sussex by pioneering folklorist, Charlotte Latham in the 1860s.

In his book, Chris is able to show how many old beliefs that Charlotte Latham thought were dying out in her day, still survive in our own times. Many people still wish magpies a good day for fear of inviting bad luck if they omit to do so. There are numerous stories still in circulation about mysterious tunnels, just as there were 160 years ago. Some of our local residents still smash their spoons through their empty egg shells for fear that witches will put to sea in them if they fail to do so!-read more

New Year´s Eve countdown takes longer due to leap second

Counting down to 2017 will take longer than usual this New Year’s Eve as clock experts compensate for a slowdown in the Earth’s rotation.

To be precise, it will last an extra second.

In a move guaranteed to make revellers’ heads spin, time lords at the National Physical Laboratory (NPL) are to introduce a “leap second” after 23:59:59 on December 31.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/wires/pa/article-4075538/New-Year-s-Eve-countdown-takes-longer-leap-second.html#ixzz4TlcoNqN7
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Three music fans share memories of The Who's 1966 Barnstaple concert at Queen's Hall

Three Journal readers contacted a music writer researching performances by rock band The Who in Barnstaple in 1960s – here are their stories.

Richard Houghton asked anyone who saw The Who perform in their early days, specifically in Barnstaple, to get in touch to help inform his people's history book and he was overwhelmed by the response.

Richard Houghton said: "I've had some great stories from Who fans of seeing the group up close and personal in Barnstaple, where they appeared in July 1966 at the Queen's Hall.

Read more at http://www.northdevonjournal.co.uk/three-music-fans-share-memories-of-the-who-s-1966-barnstaple-concert-at-queen-s-hall/story-30018527-detail/story.html#b0mlx6FYy3qfuqwj.99

IN MEMORY OF Status Quo guitarist Rick Parfitt R.I,P

Status Quo are an English rock band whose music is characterized by their distinctive brand of boogie rock. The group originated in The Spectres, founded by schoolboys Francis Rossi and Alan Lancaster in 1962.^[1] After a number of lineup changes, which included the introduction of Rick Parfitt in 1964, the band became The Status Quo in 1967 and Status Quo in 1969.

They have had over 60 chart hits in the UK, more than any other rock band,^[2] including "Pictures of Matchstick Men" in 1967, "Whatever You Want" in 1979 and "In the Army Now" in 2010. Twenty-two of these reached the Top 10 in the UK Singles Chart. In July 1985 the band opened Live Aid at Wembley Stadium with "Rockin' All Over the World". In 1991, Status Quo received a Brit Award for Outstanding Contribution to Music.^[3]

Status Quo starred in their first feature film, Bula Quo!, which was released to cinemas in July 2013. The film coincided with the release of the soundtrack album Bula Quo!, which peaked at number 10 in the UK Albums Chart. The first single from the album, "Bula Bula Quo" was released in June 2013, and is Status Quo's one hundredth single release.^[4]

Some young dinosaurs shed teeth, say experts

Some dinosaurs lost their teeth as they grew up, according to fossil evidence.

The hatchlings ate meat with their teeth, then used beaks to peck at plants as adults, say scientists.

The discovery is a surprise and has not been seen in any other reptile.

Limusaurus inextricabilis lived in China around 150 million years ago. The first fossilised remains of the animal were discovered about a decade ago.

"Initially, we believed that we found two different ceratosaurian dinosaurs from the Wucaiwan area, one toothed and the other toothless, and we even started to describe them separately," said Shuo Wang of Capital Normal University in Beijing, China, who led the research.

The palaeontologists then realised that the dinosaurs looked remarkably similar, except for the presence of teeth.

They found that the dinosaur lost its teeth over time, making it the first known reptile to do this.read more

Scientist claims future humans will have to live like Martians

EARTH is slowly turning into a barren red world just like Mars and it spells doom for every living being on the planet.

That’s the terrifying warning from a top scientist who wants our species to wake up to the grim fate awaiting us.

Anjali Tripathi, an astrophysicist at Harvard University, has spoken out about a “frightening” natural effect called atmospheric escape.

In a recent TED talk, she said that 400 pounds of hydrogen and almost 6.6 pounds of helium escape from Earth into space with every single minute that passes.

Eventually, this will cause such a massive change in the makeup of Earth’s atmosphere that life will be unable to cling on any longer and the planet’s surface will turn blood red and barren.read more

/Seal-pup-farmer-s-field-seven-miles-sea.

A Stranded seal pup has been rescued – after turning up in a field seven miles from the sea.

The male pup was found dehydrated and a little underweight on a farmer’s land near Cowbridge, South Wales.

Officers from RSPCA Cymru believe he must have travelled up streams connected to the River Thaw before making his way onto land.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4062392/Seal-pup-farmer-s-field-seven-miles-sea.html#ixzz4TlTUV0tU
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wrestling -world of sport -back

quadruplets snow leopards filmed

Second Yellow GESAR KARATE .

I did my grading for this belt on friday 16 -12-2016 at holsworthy college between 5 - 7 pm .All the students helped sensi put down the mats ready for the grading we were then put into 2 groups of 3.I then proceeded to do fitness test ,moves required,self defense ,Kata,randori.I   passed but i did not perform katas well due too on fault on only practice one  had to do 2 on day and as for randori i was like a rabbit in the headlights as not looking at what i was hitting and not blocking as looking at opponents down or at arms..It was great to see all fellow students pass and show potential to go forward in gesar karate.I agree with sensi that my green belt will need a lot of work and improvement to go for grading ,next year in December,but i really do think and hope all fellow students go on to do green next grading .

Pie in space .

Yes a meat and potato pie has been sent to the edge of space via weather balloon .This was to mark world pie eating championship ,Wigan,it is hoped the trip will alter pies molecular structure to make easier to eat.

Citizen Advice ,WHAT A DAY.

Recently i had to visit my local citizen advice centre about my new p.i.p claim as no longer able o get low rate d.l.a . I  had to use a lift to access room then ring a bell then wait at least 10 minutes over appointment time and then discussed situation with the volunteer .Then the volunteer disappeared for ages to discuss case with other ,have to make a preappeal to get appeal and the journey begins again  as  this will e my third time i have lost d.l.a and had to fight to get back i could scream.

Lion by its tail.

You can see in photograph a hungry lion chasing and trying to eat its sisters tail at Antelope Park,Zimbabwe,Africa.

Warning to pet owners over Stan, the hungry golden eagle on the loose

P

et owners have been warned that a giant golden eagle, capable of eating animals as large as baby deer, is on the loose.

Falconry expert Kris Ford, 65, fears his prized bird of prey Stan could kill animals the size of foxes and rabbits after it broke free from its perch.

The bird, which has a six-foot wing span, poses a risk to the public as its six-foot nylon leash is still flailing behind it.

It is thought to be nesting around two miles from Kris' home in rural Suffolk, but despite his best efforts to bring it home, the eagle is still free.

Father-of-three Kris, who is married to Dee, said: "It could take rabbits and foxes. Eagles just grab what they can.

"The ring that he was tied to failed and [its] poor quality allowed him to escape.

"So he's still got a long leash attached to him. He might be feeling a little hungry by now so hopefully he'll come back to me later when he has eaten."Read More

Discovery of space-ice boosts chances of man being able to build homes on the Moon by 2030

A NEW space-ice find has boosted hopes of man living on the Moon.

It’s hoped the discovery will help scientists learn about water that’s believed to be widespread on the Moon, with the eventual aim of building a lunar base.Frozen water was detected in dark polar craters of the dwarf planet Ceres, between Mars and Jupiter

The frozen water was detected in dark polar craters of the dwarf planet Ceres, between Mars and Jupiter.

At minus -200C the ‘find’ is located within one of the coldest, darkest places in the Solar System.

New images taken by Nasa’s Dawn spacecraft reveal frozen water trapped in a few of the craters where the sun never shines.Read More

Frist Christmas Card in Museum.

If you were to visit the Postal  Museum ,Central London,you can see the on display  the worlds first christmas card.The christmas card was made for Sir Henry Cole and was sent 173 years ago.

Shipwreck of the lost Schiedam is found AGAIN

Divers have rediscovered a 17th century shipwreck off Cornwall, at exactly the same spot where the shipwreck scene was filmed in 2014 for the TV series Poldark.

First seen by a local diver in 1971 and designated under the Protection of Wrecks Act 1973, the wreck of the Schiedam had been buried for many years under the shifting sands of Gunwalloe Church Cove.

The site is now managed by Historic England and dived by a keen local team.Read More

Chewing Gum.

 I  chew gum ,roughly 3 to 4 pieces a day due to fact i produce access saliva which in turn makes me dribble like a baby .

Able the bouncing cat.

In this picture you can see a disabled cat called ABLE who lost its tail and front paws due to a massive electric shock due to a loose wire in street at a year old.Able was found in an alley in ChiangMai,Nothern Thailand by accident and was  nursed back to health.He is able to chase and play with fellow cts by bouncing along like a mini kangaroo.

Stargazers discover priceless planet which has clouds of RUBIES and SAPPHIRES

A MASSIVE planet with clouds jam-packed full of precious rubies and sapphires has been glimpsed in deep space. 

Scientists have been watching HAT-P-7b for through the Kepler telescope, after it was spotted twinkling in a peculiar fashion four years ago.And now David Armstrong at the University of Warwick found that the exoplanet’s brightening and dimming is due to its dazzling cloud system.

“When we say clouds, they’re definitely not like clouds on earth,” he explained in science journal Nature.

Unlike the fluffy white vapours we’re used to on Earth, the new Hat-P-7b’s clouds are made from corundum – the same mineral that produces rubies and sapphires on Earth.

And if alien life does exist on the brave new world – some 1,000 lightyears from ours – they’ll definitely need a brolly.-Read More

I need a pee.

Oh why do i need a pee every time i wish to go out.I know i have an over active prostrate gland ,tablets taken,i think its due too fact i get anxious before i go out ,a throw back to when i was painfully shy ,so to pee or not to pee is the question.

What have i done?

I think many a person has felt like this way in life.Mine is seeming to fall out with one of my step daughters which is baffling,the second is with my oldest sister over events at my dads funeral which i wrote about in a blog and i miss our closeness as kids despite fought like cat and dog .This is my chance to say pease give me another chance.

Draw a Cartoon.

I started to do cartoon drawing by just copying from newspapers,internet and think have developed my own style.I do not claim to be the best but as long as one person likes them i am happy ,i am also published in a online mag called Gonzo Weekly,normally on the next to last page .I like to get inspired by items or stories that interest  me and draw in pencil frist then go over with a black pen as prefer black and white to colour.So i hope i make you smile ,see you in the cartoon universe of life.

Cows Breaking Wind Is Global Warming.

I do not think a new idea but its is thought that cows breaking wind around the world is responsible for rising levels of potent greenhouse gas methane. A possible way of cutting down the methane emissions is too give cows a diet supplement with linseed oil.

Walt Disney and Disneyland: 17 bizarre true stories, conspiracy theories and rumours

On the 50th anniversary of Walt Disney's death, we revisit some strange-but-true (and some strange-but-probably-not-true) tales about the legendary animator, his studios and his famous Anaheim theme park.

1. Disneyland grew out of Walt's obsession with trains

After becoming disillusioned with the financial constraints imposed upon his film studio, and with the difficulties involved in making expensive feature length animations, Disney began pouring all his (considerable) creative energy into his childhood hobby: Pokémontrading cards. (Okay, model trains.)

In 1950, working from his home in California's Holmby Hills, he constructed the Carolwood Pacific Railroad, a scaled down, ride-able miniature railway system, which he would invite friends and family round to test out. He also collected and built smaller engine models, and amassed an impressive collection...some of which can be seen today at the Carolwood Barn Museum -Read More and see Video

Bigfoot sightings to move down as Facebook finally targets fake news, boosts fact-checkers

 Facebook is taking new measures to curb the spread of fake news on its huge and influential social network, focusing on the “worst of the worst” offenders and partnering with outside fact-checkers to sort honest news reports from made-up stories that play to people’s passions and preconceived notions.

Fake news stories touch on a broad range of subjects, from unproven cancer cures to celebrity hoaxes and backyard Bigfoot sightings. But fake political stories have drawn attention because of the possibility that they influenced public perceptions and could have swayed the U.S. presidential election. There have been other dangerous real-world consequences. A fake story about a child sex ring at a Washington, D.C., pizza joint prompted a man to fire an assault rifle inside the restaurant, Comet Ping Pong.

“We do believe that we have an obligation to combat -Read More

TIGER PROTECTOR

That Thing With Feathers Trapped in Amber? It Was a Dinosaur Tail

While most paleontologists dig up prehistoric bones from the ground, Lida Xing hunts for fossils in the amber markets of Myanmar. In 2015, he made a remarkable find: Trapped in what looked like golden glass was the feathered tail of a dinosaur.

Along with the primitive plumage, the 99-million-year-old amber also preserved soft tissue and eight complete vertebrae. The tail bones indicated that the specimen belonged to a dinosaur that was not a prehistoric bird and also provided researchers with insight into the evolution of feathers.

“This is the first time that skeletal material from a dinosaur has been found in amber,” Dr. Xing, who is a paleontologist at China University of Geosciences in Beijing, said in an email. He and his colleagues published their findings Thursday in the journal Current Biology.

After performing a CT scan and microscopic analysis, Dr. Xing and his colleagues realized that the feathers did not belong to a bird because the specimen’s tail vertebrae were not fused into a rod, as they are in modern birds. The feathers most likely belonged to a baby nonavian theropod, meaning it looked more similar to a velociraptor or Tyrannosaurus rex than -Read More

Historians and scientists create digital images of Scots king

Scientists and historians believe they have created digital images of what could be the head of Robert the Bruce.

It is reconstructed from the cast of a human skull held by the Hunterian Museum with the realistic images coming from historians at the University of Glasgow and craniofacial experts at Liverpool John Moores University.

Robert Bruce, was no stranger to the battle field, with the the Battle of Bannockburn in 1314 the fight he is most well known for, when he won independence for Scotland.

He was the King of Scots from 1306 until his death in 1329 at the age of 54.

Historians believe that Bruce suffered from an unidentified ailment, most likely leprosy, and the the -Read More and see video of images

Paris wages war on rodent infestation

 Both Nadine Mahe des Portes and the rat panicked when she inadvertently stepped on it on her walk back from work through Paris.

“I heard a terrible squeak,” the property agent recalled with a shudder. “I thought I’d stepped on a child’s toy or something.”

When Parisians are literally tripping over rats on the sidewalk, it is clear that the City of Light has a problem. Professional exterminators with decades on the job struggle to recall infestations as impressive — perhaps that should be repulsive — as those now forcing the closure of Paris parks, where squirmy clumps of rats brazenly feed in broad daylight, looking like they own the place.

On Friday, City Hall threw open one of the closed parks, the Tour Saint-Jacques square a block from the Seine, to show journalists its latest anti-rat drive. The park in the heart of the city is only a short walk from the Pompidou art museum. Two Japanese tourists searching for Notre Dame cathedral, also just minutes away, thankfully didn’t notice the rats in bushes just in front of them when th-Read More

School forced to sell advertising space to pay for urgent repairs

A PRIMARY school has been reduced to selling advertising space in order to try and fund essential repairs.

Carden Primary School in Brighton has applied for planning permission for advertising banners it has put up along it’s perimeter fencing.

The school said the revenue would be used to pay to replace the fencing which had become “dangerous and unfit for purpose” having failed to secure public money for the repairs.

Unions said the move was symptomatic of a crisis in school funding.

School staff said banners up to 30 metres long would be used to promote local banners and would not advertise any products deemed detrimental to children.

As well as paying for school repairs, funds will also be used towards extra-curricular activities for children.

The plans have been greeted with large support from residents with 26 letters of support sent to the council and just seven of objection.-Read More

PEE-BACK TIME

CIVIC chiefs are fighting back against revellers who damage ancient city walls by peeing on them.

The sandstone has been covered with liquid-repellent clear paint, which causes urine to bounce back leaving footwear and clothing soaked.A video showing a bearded “hipster” getting “pee-back” is being promoted via social media, beers mats and posters.

The famous walls were built by the Romans around 70AD in Chester.

Cllr Karen Shore, the council’s cabinet member for environment, said: “Most party-goers will enjoy the festive season and respect our beautiful city.Read More

Are giraffes an endangered species?

Researchers are working to get a more accurate count of the giraffe population but describe all giraffes in all parts of the African continent as either decreasing in number or unstable. The declining numbers are due largely to poaching, habitat loss, human population growth and degradation of the giraffe's habitat. Two subspecies of giraffe have populations of less than 250 animals, including the West African giraffe and the Nubian giraffe. Around half of the giraffes in Africa today are Masai giraffes.-Read More

Memory Test.

On Wednesday 7-12-2016  i had to go to a medical centre based in Barnstaple,Devon, to do a memory test .After  going to wrong  place on 4 occasions  due to place had similar street and place name finally arrived at a tatty looking building . I awaited in the waiting room until summoned by the doctor who preceded to take me to a room to for my very intensive memory test that lasted 1 and half hours and i was mental drained afterwards.I am not complaining as wish to known what is happening to my brain at the moment .

Old School Ways.

Some may say i am a bit old fashioned as i try to stick to what some call old school ways.Here is a list-1-Always say please and thank you. 2 -Treat others others as you expect them to treat you , 3 ,Be as gentleman ie open doors ,give up seat on bus when can,get items down from shelve if asked,let someone in queue if only has couple of items, 4- Try to walk away from a fight as violence solves nothing,sounds uncool but thats me folks.

Joy for birdwatchers as rare duksy thrush spotted in British village

Twitchers are flocking to the Duke of Devonshire's famous country seat to catch sight of the long-distance wanderer from the Far East.

By rights, the striking dusky thrush - a distant relative of our blackbird - should have been wintering in China or Vietnam.

Somehow, the bird with its distinctive brown speckled plumage and dazzling eye-markings, migrated in the opposite direction and arrived in the picturesque Derbyshire village of Beeley.-Read More

Forgotten Tablets.

No not the computing kind but tablets you take for your health conditions ,also known as pills.I often forget tablets and think i will be o.k but the next day my health goes downhill and if i forget main morning ones my health goes down badly.

Bed Socks.

Yes the time has come when i have succumbed to the dark side ,wearing bed socks to bed .Due to recent cold spell i had to make this decision with my wife,Enid,influence to start wearing said bed socks to bed.How sad am i but lest feet toasty .

Ice Bucket Challenge.

No not any old ice bucket but the one that launched the self soaking challenge.The ice bucket challenge raised  40 million for charity and is now on show in the Smithsonian Museum,Washington D.c ,America.

Discover some of history's forgotten facts

Was your old high school history teacher wrong?

You can’t imagine so; she taught you all about World Wars I and II, America’s past, and British history. But could you have missed something? What don’t you know? Was your high school history teacher wrong or, as in “When Churchill Slaughtered Sheep and Stalin Robbed a Bank” by Giles Milton, was history merely hidden?

Say you’re looking in your cupboard for a plate, when you stumble across a china cup you’ve never seen before. Something similar happened to Giles Milton while he was researching one thing and found something else. History, he learned, is full of those little “historical nuggets.”

Take, for instance, when Winston Churchill explored the possibility of using biological weapons against the Nazis. He couldn’t, of course, experiment on humans, so he tried his methods on sheep. What happened affected an island off the coast of Scotland for the next 45 years.

And then there’s the Chevalier d’Eon, who was very much involved in espionage and politics for several countries in the late 1700s. As much as the Chevalier changed jobs, gender was also scandalously changed until few knew the truth. The Chevalier finally had herself legally declared female by French courts; it was only when she died that the truth was finally revealed.-Read More

me mark explaining current problem with brain

scenes from the Arctic - polar bear filmed by Robert pearson

information-the bear is from his trip to the Arctic the above penguins are from the Antarctic his on the ship IOFFE which does all the trips completly russian crew and take the Franklin route im flying out to LA sunday but when i get back il post more story line for you if you look up ocean 1 which is who he works for you will see they contribute to all Arctic documentrys.

scenes from the Antarctic filmed by Robert pearson

information-the bear is from his trip to the Arctic the above penguins are from the Antarctic his on the ship IOFFE which does all the trips completly russian crew and take the Franklin route im flying out to LA sunday but when i get back il post more story line for you if you look up ocean 1 which is who he works for you will see they contribute to all Arctic documentrys.

Stange object

The eerie dome was spotted by a dog walker over fields in the small village of Tremeirchion yesterday morning at 8am.

Hannah Blandford, 33, had been with her pet in the village when she came across the white spectacle in the sky.

The 33-year-old told The Sun: ‘I couldn’t believe how perfectly dome shaped it was, it looked amazing, so I had to take a photo. I’d never seen anything like it before, it was really quite ....
http://metro.co.uk/2016/12/04/rare-ufo-like-fog-dome-appears-in-sky-as-temperatures-drop-to-4c-6300419/

Ghosts

If you  think  about  it  you can hear and see  ghosts  everyday, madness  you may think .But  in a way we do when we watch an old film or tv show that has a departed  star in it or listen to a record of a singer long gone is that not a ghost.

Space poop challenge.

Nasa  have  a problem  to solve ,how to help astronauts  go to the  toilet and offering  24,000 to solve  it. The  challenge to  help  the crews that spend days in their  spacesuits in an emergency. For  the  challenge  you  need to design a portable  hands free  device and must dispose  of  human  waste  up to 6 days for possible mission  to Mars. Astronauts wear  nappies  during  space walks .

Never go to bed on a an argument.

This is an old saying that  may have some scientific  basis. Research showed its harder to  get back to  sleep if have  angry  thoughts. Due to fact that that  sleep reorganises information from short term  memory  to long term memory. A study involving  students  who  were  shown  negative images over 2 days, before and after a nights  sleep found their found  it harder to  shift bad thoughts on the 2 nd day.

Bees keep people in work

Scientists  cliam that bees keep  1.4 billion  people  in work. Due to the crops being dependent on tem and other  creatures pollenating them ,crops are worth 403 billion and 75% of world's  output.

No fish in park please

In kitakgushi, Japan a fun park was closed due to 5,000 dead fish used as decoration.

Alarmshock.

Do you  have trouble trying to get  up  in the morning. Well you  could  buy a new  alarm clock  called alarmshock. Alarmshock  works through a  wristband on the sleepers  arm and increases in power and frequency a small electric shock. You can  only turn it off when you  turn  it off by pairing it with it's  docking station  so therefore forcing  you  to  get  up.

Potty cat.

A cat has got his  owners  in trouble by stealing over 25 flowerpots, 5 year old paddy ,even manages to drag them to the owners house. The  owners are using Facebook to reunite the flowerpots with  their  neighbours, Newmarket, Surrey.

Children brainer if learn musical instruments

23 children  were given music lessons  with a  percussion tubes for a  period of  9 months. Brian scans showed an increase in fibre connections  which can aid mental development.

SOUTH WEST PANT LIGHTS

KEEP OUR PET WARM

ME TRYING OUT KATA