New judging criteria are on the cards at RHS Chelsea, an appeal to save a great nature reserve, looking back at a movie classic and an owl who's found a perfect home are in today's round-up.
RHS hints at environmental focus for 2020 Chelsea Flower Show
Judging gardens at the Chelsea Flower might be very different as of next year, according to a report in The Daily Telegraph.
RHS judges meet today to discuss next year’s event — and they’re expected to agree on sustainability as one of the key criteria in deciding who gets the medals.
Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, visits her garden at the 2018 RHS Chelsea Flower Show. Credit: Yui Mok – WPA Pool/Getty Images
‘We want to show visitors who come to Chelsea that their gardens can be places that are good for the environment with long-lasting materials,’ said the RHS’s Catherine Potsides. She added that she ‘couldn’t promise’ that environmental concerns will be on the list, ‘but I can say that the conversation is taking place.’
Fly tipping costs farmers thousands — and the problem is getting worse
Over a million fly tipping incidents were recorded across the UK, according to new figures from DEFRA — and it costs businesses an average of £1,000 to clear up what’s left behind.
Fly-tipping is changing: from the odd fridge or caravan dumped in the countryside, it has now become a large criminal activity run by gangs
The true number of incidents may actually be much higher, since according to Hannah Hubbard, of Farmers and Mercantile Insurance Brokers, most farmers simply deal with it themselves rather than reporting it to the authorities.
‘If a farmer’s land becomes a flytipping ‘hotspot’, costs can quickly escalate and the crime can soon turn from being a nuisance to crippling.’
How many tree holes did this owl find before she found one that fitted so perfectly?
Tawny Owls are turning up the volume for winter, their distinctive call of ‘twit twoo’ is actually 2 birds talking to each other. The ‘twit’ or ‘kee-wick’ is the main contact call, often made by females & the ‘twoo’ is the main territorial call of the male. #TuesdayThoughts pic.twitter.com/X1bOjFOlur
— Sussex Wildlife Trust ? (@SussexWildlife) November 26, 2019
Malaysia’s last Sumatran rhino has died
The world’s rarest rhinoceros has now died out in Malaysia; less than 100 are believed to still survive in other countries.
The Sumatran rhino is now officially extinct in Malaysia, with the death of the last known female. ? https://t.co/nI1AjaPLHE
— BBC Earth (@BBCEarth) November 26, 2019
On This Day… in 1942
…Casablanca was released. Its success was a total surprise, as the great American film critic Roger Ebert wrote: ‘No one making Casablanca thought they were making a great movie… It was made on a tight budget and released with small expectations. Everyone involved in the film had been, and would be, in dozens of other films made under similar circumstances, and the greatness of Casablanca was largely the result of happy chance.’
But the mix of characters, actors and dialogue proved irresistible, especially on repeated viewings (‘the more you see it the more the whole film gains resonance’ adds Ebert). It’s gone down as one of the greatest films ever made.
‘Urgent appeal’ to save the Attenborough Nature Reserve
The Attenborough Nature Reserve in Nottingham has been described by the man it’s named after as ‘a symbol of hope in a challenging world. It is a natural oasis at the edge of a big city, full of remarkable and beautiful birds and other wildlife.’ Yet rather surprisingly it’s owned by an aggregates company called CEMEX UK. A chance has come up to buy the reserve, however, if the necessary £1m can be found.
Read more and chip in (Notts Wildlife)
A very important fundraiser for Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire residents by @Nottswildlife.
Whatever money you have, just chip in to help keep the reserve safe. https://t.co/OPLQLZlZTo
— Christopher Harper (@ChrisHarperDT) November 25, 2019
And finally… if you’re enjoying the new series of The Crown…
…remember that you can’t always trust what you see on TV.
In this extract from his book The Crown Dissected, royal historian Hugo Vickers sheds light on the truth and fiction of every episode in series one, two and three of the Netflix drama.
— The Times (@thetimes) November 18, 2019
The Devil’s Horsemen: The stallion who’s starred in Game of Thrones, Wonder Woman and The Crown
Octavia Pollock visits Camilla Naprous of The Devil’s Horsemen to find out more about the horses they train for film.
The converted 18th century mill that comes complete with its original water wheel
Among Crown Spindle Mill's distinctive characteristics is its original water wheel, 120-ft stone mill chimney and a walled garden.
