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Showing posts from May, 2014

Real (dead) Mammoth in the Flesh at the Natural History Museum

Today the Natural History Museum (NHM) exhibits the actual remains of a Mammoth, a baby Mammoth named Lyuba (pronounced Loo-ba, meaning Love). Perfectly preserved due to the bacteria surrounding her after she accidentally choked to death, she was found by herders in 2007. She's  been compared to the size of a 'large dog', and now hovers in a glass dark box in the middle of the NHM's new exhibition 'Mammoths, Ice Age Giants' . Emotive eyes As it's so well preserved scientists are still learning about it everyday; DNA samples have been removed and examined, what they know already is she died with some of her mothers milk still in her tummy. It doesn't get more personal than that, does it? I have to say as it's a rolling exhibit and Lyuba belongs to The Yamal-Nenents Regional Museum- Siberia, near where she was found; to see her in the 'flesh' as it were is truly a once in a lifetime thing. Personally I feel it is pretty impress

Royal Horticultural Show, Chelsea 2014, SILVER GILT award winning Garden of Possibility

This week is the RHS Chelsea Flower show , world reknown and highly prestigious, I got to talk to one of the new comers Matthew Childs , who did a garden for Brewin Dolphin - an investment managing firm. He's just won the Silver Gilt and had a visit too from Benedict Cumberbatch! The Silver Gilt award winning Garden of Possibility Matthew Childs Matthew has already won awards on RHS Hampton and is quite a distinguished horticulturalist, but his story is unique in that he started his career in Advertising.  Life changing events befell him in the attacks on London on 7/7 and he reassessed his life and decided to develop his horticultural dreams, and it clearly seems to be the path he was destined for.   Childs was challenged to express Brewin Dolphin’s values through the design of the garden and so is designed around the theme of nurturing and preserving wealth.  Of his design he says; “The most effective gardens tell a story. Life is a roller coaster. Y

Wildlife in London; Peacocks, Lemurs, Parakeets and... Chickens

Houses of Parliament at Sunset Apologies for not posting for a while, things got hectic, went to California for a wee while popped back and then the sun came out! Hip, hip hooray. London in the sun is the most wonderful place to be, honestly. I've lived many other places, and even though this is my hometown, it's still full of vibrancy and a sense of fun when it's sunny and warm. Except if you're on the tube maybe ;) Still,  here's my top tips at enjoying the parks now that the tree pollen is going down, stock up on your hayfever tablets and get out to enjoy, if only for lunch time. GOLDERS HILL PARK- N London It may surprise you that there are Lemur's in Golders Hill Park, they cost nothing to go see, and their faces are full of exactly the character depicted from a Disney movie, seriously, they are as curious about you as you are about them, so after a tough day at work, do head to them to remind yourself how big the world is, and how mu