Sammy gets harpooned

The seal known as  Sammy to the locals of Brixham Devon  was seen  to have a 2 ft harpoon in its back. Sammy  has evaded rescue attempts.

EXCALIBUR found?

A young  girl  found  a 4ft sword at Dozmary pool on Bodmin  Moor  .why is this important it's is said that it is where the lady of the lake caught the legendary sword  of King Arthur it is likely sword may  be  film prop.

Holsworthy tales part three

Holsworthy ornament s my from garden

I remember the day princess Diana died

It is hard to believe  that  20 years ago to the day in1997 that  the world heard of the  news of the sad death of what  a lot of people  say was the people's  Princess  Diana. I and my wife heard via my step son Shane who informed us he heard it on the news at first we did not believe  him but we both remember the powerful images on the news .later when  it was the funeral  is was working at woodtown house in Bideford and nearly all the residents  watched that day as the nation was caught in a whirlwind of grief.

Raccoons roam Britain after escape

2 raccoons named bower and workie escaped from tropiquaria in Washford cross somerset on Monday  this week. It is thought that their enclosure was kicked until a hole was made to sneak through and sightings  of the 1 year  old rodents  2 miles from  sight. Defra warned  people  not to approach and report any sightings  to animal and plant health  agency. Raccoons are native  to north and central America; live up to  20 years in captivity or in wildfires 2 to 3 years;eat eggs;birds;fish; frogs;insects; nuts; fruit; snakes;can carry rabies; salmonella; roundworm; leptospirosis; grow to 24 to 38 inches

ANDY MCGRATH -BEASTS OF BRITAIN INTERVIEW

Hey Mark, 

cheers for the interview invite. Here's my blurb in line with the questions you asked. please let me know if you need anything else.

Andy :)

What inspired me?

 

I cannot remember a time when I wasn't into tales of strange or unknown cryptids and OOPAs (Out of Place Animals). As a child growing up in the late 70's and early 80's. I remember being fascinated with television shows like 'In search of ...' with Leonard Nimoy and 'Arthur C Clarke's, Mysterious World' and that I was especially interested in their episodes on lake and sea monsters, Bigfoot and living dinosaurs.

 

I started taking note of sightings, photo and film evidence from age around age 12, but I didn't really take any of it seriously until December of 1999. I was then 23 years of age and had been staying near the Preseli Mountains in Pembrokeshire, Wales, with the family of my then girlfriend. A friend of her family who was also staying, was a bit of a heavy smoker and had gone out on to the patio one morning at 5am for a smoke. As she sat down and lit her cigarette she was shocked to see a large panther staring at her, too scared to even move she sat motionless, until after around 20 seconds, the panther turned and quietly melted away into the darkness. Later that day as she recounted her story, the sister of my then girlfriend also confessed that she had seen a similar animals whilst riding across the mountain a year or two earlier. In fact it was admitted that the presence of these out of place animals was well known amongst the local population and the owners of the property even claimed to have previously owned 2 lamas which had been injured by some unknown creature that left 4 inch claw marks on their necks and flanks. From this moment i was hooked, and i got my introduction to the Beasts of Britain, in the form of the Alien Big Cats or British Big Cats as they are sometimes known that have been seen by hundreds of people all across the country for many years now. For years after this I kept my eye out for sightings and newspaper stories in the press and was also fortunate to incidentally meet a few other people who had had close encounters with these exotic predatory big cats, in Britain.

 

This research inevitably led on to other commonplace cryptids like Nessie and Morgawr, The Owlman, Pterosaurs and the British Bigfoot et al.  It was my research into these familiar faces of cryptozoology for example, that revealed to me a much larger cache of modern day lake and sea monster sightings, which seem to show a much wider dispersion of these 'prehistoric' cryptids around the British Isles (yes, i think they're plesiosaurs BTW ) and to my mind a transient or roaming population of ocean migrants who inhabit our inshore waters and lakes from time to time, (that's not to say that there aren't any resident monsters as well, no reason we cant have both), most likely following salmon or eels into places like Loch Ness, Lake Windermere or up the River Thames, as in the case of 'Tamsin' the River Thames Monster that was allegedly filmed on 3 separate occasions between March to April of 2016 and incidentally around the time of an eel migration. My research also led me to connect with many experienced researchers and authors of British Cryptids and i feel that I have been enabled to learn so much from the endeavours of these true cryptozoologists, who did most of the real research well before our internet age simplified everything.

 

 

What are my aims?

 

I have just finished writing my first book 'Beasts of Britain' due to be published through CFZ Press, which is about the unknown creatures living right under our noses here on this tiny island in the North Atlantic. I felt I wanted to write about British cryptids and OOPAs because it always seemed to me that most of our 'mystery' creatures were overlooked in favour of other, similar animals in more exciting and far away (and therefore more believable) parts of the world. Indeed, many of the modern reports I discovered of Water Monsters, Bigfoot, Mystery Big Cats and U.F.C's (Unidentified Flying Cryptids), were largely dismissed out of hand or used as tongue in cheek newspaper fillers to entertain us. All failed to illicit any serious investigation of these strange sightings. In my book I try to frame a few theories as to what some of these animals might be, and show taht there is a wealth of independent, corroborative reports that back up what some of these brave witnesses are claiming in to see. I also dedicate some space to known animals that are reported, but not yet accepted as being resident in the UK. Britain is largely a rural landscape dottted about with busy towns and cities, for the most part, an island in darkness, i believe we have both the environment to sustain many hidden species, if nocturnal or intelligent and the prey species to support them.

 

What plans do I have for the future?

 

I have written a TV series/documentary under the same name as my book- Beasts of Britain and once the book is released i hope to start pitching it. I kinda had something a little less sensational than Finding Bigfoot & friends and if i get my way, it'll be more of a cross between 'River Monsters' and 'Coast'. I am also involved in some other documentaries, one of which will be filming in the UK in the spring of next year, and I will be giving a few talks on the subject of British Cryptids, starting from this October 22nd at PROBE, who have opened up a section for cryptozoology this year. As far as writing goes, I do have 3 other titles on the burn, 2 of which I have made a start on and another which will be co-written with a well-known Bigfoot researcher.

 

My hope for the time being is to organise some expeditions and put into practice some of my research methods, in the hope of outsmarting some of these hide and seek champions, and collecting some scientific evidence along the way ;)

 

Links: 

Follow Beasts of Britain on Facebook, Twitter & Blogger

MAYWEATHER VS CONNOR FIGHT NOT A MISMATCH

Today 27 the of August 2017 I woke up at  4.00 am to listen to the  big fight  between  MAYWEATHER  who is a boxer VS CONNOR  who is a ufc fighter on radio 5 live but managed to  get  to see the fight  in a delayed version  through  YouTube. This  fight was not the mismatch  expected as Connor  out fought MAYWEATHER  for the  first 4 rounds but he did begin to get tired  so MAYWEATHER came back in the fight and he too looked old.The round that got the win for  MAYWEATHER was began in 9th round were getting dominated  Connor and in 10 the the ref stopped the fight to give MAYWEATHER a win on a tko. Yes MAYWEATHER deserves to be more recognised for his boxing  record  but I think he was looking his age and if Connor was to train  more in boxing it would be worth a  rematch as he carried himself with  pride.

Save Alfie he is no dangerous dog

8 police  man and dog units  turned up  to deal with a so called  dangerous dog after  it jumped  up at a delivery  driver. The dog in question  was a ten years old Yorkshire terrier called Alfie. Alfie is being held  by a magistrates warrant under section 5 of dangerous  dogs act and could be  put down. That  hope not

Sunblock killing coral

Scientists are warning that sunblock  worn by swimmers could be  killing the  coral. This is  caused by oxybenzone a common sun cream  ingredient.

Big Ben loses bongs

Yesterday  a hush came over  the capital  city of  London  which  will last  four years and beloved  by thousands  it  of course  the sounds of the bongs of big Ben. This is due to fact work is required  on the clock  face and it was deemed  unsafe  for workers  if bongs from the  famous  bells  may deafen them.it will  still be  possible to  hear them on remembrance day  and new years day.

Dark ages of asteroid

This refers  to the asteroid that killed  the dinosaurs and now believed to  have plunged earth into  darkness  for  two  years. This  was due to six miles asteroid sparkling earthquakes; tsunamis and volcanoes which  resulted in wildfires which  throw soot into the  air blacking  out  the  earth.

R.I.P COMEDY LEGEND JERRY LEWIS

Jerry Lewis (born Joseph or Jerome Levitch, depending on the source;[1] March 16, 1926 – August 20, 2017) was an American actor, comedian, singer, film producer, film director, screenwriter, and humanitarian. He was known for his slapstick humor in film, television, stage and radio. He and Dean Martin were partners as the hit popular comedy duo of Martin and Lewis. Following that success, he was a solo star in motion pictures, nightclubs, television shows, concerts, album recordings, and musicals...https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jerry_Lewis.also
https://youtu.be/neEe1itDC_k link to the nutty professor starring the late Jerry Lee Lewis and my personal favourite of  his

JAWS SHIP FOUND.

If you have  watched the  film jaws you will remember that the character called quint played by Robert  shaw how he recounted the tale of the wreck of ship that delivered components of hirsoshirma bomb. Well now  that  wreck  has been  found by crew of research vessel petral; nearly 900 crew of uss indianapolis were killed by sharks when torpedoed in 1945 trying to  deliver key components of hirsoshirma bomb.

KANGAROO IN WEST SUSSEX

Whilst driving a mini cab driver spotted a kangaroo hopping on the  road. It is thought the kangaroo was  a red necked wallaby on run from  a zoo or private owner. Wildlife experts said a number of populations that  survived from  collections in 1850s.And a population did established itself in West Sussex  in 1940s and we're recoded into 19 70s in and around crawley and horsesham.

What is a memory café?

How do memory cafés help with dementia care?

You might have heard about memory cafés but don’t know much about them. Find out what happens at one and how they can be useful for someone with dementia

Memory cafés are popping up all over the UK and they can be a great place to go if you’re caring for a person with dementia, if you’re worried about someone’s memory, or if you just want to meet other people who are affected by dementia.

Here’s what to expect if you visit a memory café.

Three facts worth knowing

1. Memory cafés are usually held on a regular basis, either once a week, once a fortnight, or once a month. Most are located in places that are easy to access, such as a community centre, a village hall, or a local hotel.-read more

Freeze-dried dung gives clue to Asian elephant stress

"Collecting fresh faecal samples is not as easy as it may sound," says researcher Sanjeeta Sharma Pokharel.

But her efforts have helped scientists in India devise a unique, non-invasive way to monitor the physiological health of wild elephants.

The key has been freeze-drying dung in the field to preserve the elephant's hormones.

As a result, scientists found stress levels in females were more conspicuous than in male elephants.

Over five years, Sanjeeta and her colleagues collected more than 300 samples from 261 elephants in the biodiversity-rich Western Ghats area.

She explained her technique: "I used to hide and observe till the elephant defecated and moved away."

She told the BBC: "These samples mean a lot to me.-read more

SIR BRUCE FORSYTH R.I.P A TRUE TV LEGEND

Bruce Forsyth

Page issues

Sir Bruce Joseph Forsyth-Johnson CBE (22 February 1928 – 18 August 2017)^[2] was an English television presenter and entertainer whose career spanned more than 75 years. In 2012, Guinness World Records recognised Forsyth as having the longest television career for a male entertainer.^[3]

Sir
Bruce Forsyth
CBE

Forsyth in 2006

BornBruce Joseph Forsyth-Johnson
22 February 1928
Edmonton, Middlesex, EnglandDied18 August 2017(aged 89)^[1]ResidenceLondonNationalityBritishOther names

Bruce JohnsonBoy Bruce, the Mighty Atom

BruceySir BruceyOccupationTelevision presenter, actor, comedian, singer, dancer, entertainer, screenwriterYears active1939 – 2015Television

Sunday Night at the London Palladium (1958–1964)The Bruce Forsyth Show (1965–1973)The Generation Game (1971–1977, 1990–1994, 2007)Bruce Forsyth's Big Night (1978, 1980)Play Your Cards Right (1980–1987, 1994–1999, 2002)The Price Is Right (1995–2001)You Bet! (1988–1990)An Audience with... (guest)Strictly Come Dancing (2004–2014)

Spouse(s)

Penny Calvert (m. 1953–73)Anthea Redfern (m. 1973–79)Wilnelia Merced (m. 1983–2017)

Children6RelativesJoseph Forsyth Johnson
(great grandfather)
William Forsyth
(4x great grandfather)

Forsyth came to national attention from the mid-1950s through the ITV series Sunday Night at the London Palladium. Since then he has hosted several game shows, including The Generation Game, Play Your Cards Right, The Price Is Right and You Bet!. He co-presented Strictly Come Dancing from 2004 to 2013.^[4] Forsyth was known for his catchphrases, "Nice to see you, to see you nice" and "Didn't he (/she/they) do well?".

Bats living in triceratops in Devon

A triceratops at Combe Martin Wildlife

Sixty-six millions years after they were believed to have become extinct, life has been discovered once more in the body of a huge dinosaur in Devon.

While the giant lizards once roamed the prehistoric lands of a supercontinent known as Pangea, this time the dinosaur in question is to be found near Ilfracombe, North Devon.

This startling claim began to make more sense when it was found that the 'life' in question actually belonged to a colony of lesser horseshoe bats.

Wildlife researchers have recently discovered that the bats are actually living in the belly of a giant fibre-glass triceratops, one of a range of large, replica dinosaurs on display at the popular Combe Martin Wildlife and Dinosaur Park.

The finding was made by The Devon Greater Horseshoe Bat Project. In 2017 more than 400 volunteers have undertaken night time surveys using ultrasonic bat detectors in an attempt to map the places where the nocturnal mammals live in Devon. It was after a tip off of an unusual bat roost that the dinosaur location was revealed.

Ruth Testa manages the Heritage Lottery Fund supported Devon Greater Horseshoe Bat Project, an initiative which is led by the charity Devon Wildlife Trust.

Ruth said: "Combe Martin Wildlife and Dinosaur Park generously allowed us to visit and have a look for bats in the park after we were alerted to the possible presence of a roost. When we arrived we didn't know what species they would be and we could never have guessed where they would be living. To find them hanging out inside a model of a triceratops came as a big surprise."

The four metre high dinosaur is one of the older models found in the park and it's thought that the bats made their home there after discovering a hole in the underside of the triceratops' belly.

A Lesser Horseshoe Bat

Ruth added: "Bats will seek out safe and dry places they can rest up during the day before venturing out at night to look for food. The stomach of this dinosaur obviously fitted the bill. The surveys our volunteers undertake are giving us a unique insight into how bats behave. With this knowledge we can then ensure that our landscapes become more bat-friendly in the future."

Louisa Bartlett, Senior Primate Keeper at Combe Martin Wildlife and Dinosaur Park, said: "It is fantastic to discover we have bats living in a triceratops, we always knew we had wild bats on site but never really knew where. The fact that they have decided to live in a dinosaur just makes it even more exciting.

We have 94,000 visitors every year and recently installed six brand new animatronic dinosaurs. You never know, one day the bats may decide to move residence into one of our new dinosaurs, if they feel like upgrading."

Lesser horseshoe bats are described as 'rare' and like many species of bat their numbers have declined in the UK over recent decades due mainly to changes in our countryside such as the loss of hedges, falling insect prey numbers and the destruction of their roosts.

Becky Wilson, of the national charity Bat Conservation Trust, reacted to the find with surprise.

She said: "We get to hear of some very unusual bat roosts and are always pleased to hear of new ones. But a fibreglass triceratops is definitely a first for us."

To guard against disturbance Combe Martin Wildlife and Dinosaur Park is now asking its visitors to give the bats and their triceratops some space.

Wellness membership at 1610 Holsworthy leisure centre

I have recently  decided to go  to gym more often to improve my overall health so  this wellness membership was a great option so i hope othrr will give it a go.Exercise referral gym staff will work closely to ensure you get the best on-going support and guidance Exercise Prescription for medical practitioner or self-referralAccess to fitness suite, exercise classes and swim sessions (restrictions apply) for those with health issues that physical activity could improveMonday - Friday until 5pmFull weekend access
https://www.1610.org.uk/memberships/pricing/?centre=holsworthy-leisure-centre