8 February: Moss

Today’s plant of the day is Narrow Spring Moss, Mnium Androgynum, dedicated to St John of Matha. 10 things you might not know about moss:

1. Mosses belong to the genus Bryophyta. With over 15,000 species, mosses are the second most diverse plant group on the planet, the first being the angiosperms, the flowering plants, with 350,000 species.
2. Mosses don’t have roots. Instead, they have rhizoids, small hairlike structures which anchor the moss to whatever it’s growing on, and absorb moisture and nutrients.
3. They don’t produce flowers, either, but reproduce by means of spores. They are reliant on damp conditions for reproduction because the male cells need to move via a film of Water to reach the female cells.
4. Most species of moss grow to a height of between 0.1 and 3.0 inches. The tallest self-supported moss in the world is Dawsonia superba. The average height of this moss is about 24 inches. There are reports of Dawsonia superba reaching a height of over three feet.
5. There are also mosses which glow in the dark. This is due to adaptations mosses which grow in caves have developed in order to cope with low light conditions – the chloroplasts inside the moss gather together to collect as much light as they can, and the lens shaped cells focus it, reflecting it, which is what causes the glow. An example is Schistostega pennata, also known as dragon's gold, which shines an emerald green colour.
6. Species of moss are found all over the world, including Antarctica, and have adapted to a wide range of conditions, from snow covered mountains to baking hot deserts. Studies have shown that they can photosynthesise at temperatures ranging from -15ºC to around 40ºC. Desert mosses can survive even hotter temperatures by becoming dormant.
7. Mosses are important ecologically as one of the first colonisers of bare ground. In fact, the first land plants to appear on our planet were very similar to moss. They date back 450 million years, and have survived a range of drastic climate changes. Moss will soak up rainfall like sponges, creating a more humid environment and keeping moisture in the soil, which makes the environment more hospitable to other plants. Mosses can affect the temperature of the soil, warming it up or cooling it down depending on the environment. In hot places, they can protect tree roots by shading and insulating the soil.
8. It’s not only other plants which benefit from having mosses around. Animals do, too, as moss provides a habitat for creatures which like moisture, like woodlice, Slugs, rotifers, tardigrades and nematodes. Insects lay their eggs in moss. While most of the animals which live in moss are tiny, there’s a type of Turtle in Canada which shelters in moss during the cold winter months; and with so many invertebrates living there, it will attract birds, like Blackbirds, which will tear it up looking for food beneath it.
9. A species of moss found in the UK, Fontinalis antipyretica, was traditionally used to extinguish fires because it retained so much water. In fact, its name even means "against Fire". The absorbing properties of moss meant that it could be used to clean and dry fish, or to pack food in to keep it dry. It was also used to make nappies and sanitary pads. Moss had some antiseptic properties, too, which made it useful as a wound dressing. During World War I, medics would use moss to treat and bandage wounds.
10. Ancient societies had a number of uses for moss. Laplanders, North American tribes, and other people living in colder climates used it to insulate their homes, their bedding and even their clothing. Otzi the Iceman had moss-packed boots.

Who's That Girl?

Matt Webster lives in a tower block and attends a failing school. He dreams of being a spy like James Bond. Little does he know that he is being watched by someone who can make him into even more than that – a superhero.

His first solo mission is to attend a ball at the Decembrian Embassy and discover who is planning to steal a priceless diamond. While there, he meets the mysterious Lady Antonia du Cane, and is powerfully drawn to her. It soon becomes clear, however, that Lady du Cane is not what she seems. Matt’s quest to discover who she really is almost costs him his career.

A modern day Guy Fawkes gathers a coterie around him with the aim of blowing up Parliament with a nuclear bomb. To achieve this, they need money. Lots of it. Selling the Heart of Decembria Diamond will provide more than enough. All that stands in their way is the Freedom League – but the League is beset by internal disagreements. Can the heroes put their differences aside in time to save the day?

Prime Minister Richard Miller and his wife Fiona grieve for their daughter, Yasmin, who has been missing for three years, and is presumed to be dead. Viper agent Violet Parker could hold the key to what happened to Yasmin, but Violet is accused of giving away the organisation’s secrets. She is to be executed without trial. Will she take her knowledge of what happened to Yasmin with her to her grave?

Available on Amazon:

Paperback

E-Book

7 February: Ballet Day

Today is Ballet Day. Here are 10 things you might not know about ballet:

1. While ballet is often considered a feminine activity, when ballet first originated in 15^th century Italy women were not allowed to dance in public, so all the dancers were men. It began as a form of entertainment in royal courts, often alongside operas and with elaborate costumes. Women were not allowed to dance in public until 1681.
2. King Louis XIV, King of France, was a keen ballet dancer. He frequently appeared in ballet performances, sometimes dancing multiple roles in a single show.
3. The word ballet is French, derived from the Italian word balletto, which in turn came from the Latin ballo, ballare, meaning "to dance". The word came into English usage around 1630.
4. The first full scale ballet was performed in Paris in 1581. It was called Le Ballet Comique de la Reine, which means The Comic Ballet of the Queen. It was arranged by the then Queen of France, Catherine de’ Medici, to celebrate her sister’s wedding.
5. Thank male ballet dancers are weak and effeminate? Think again. As I said, early ballets were only performed by men, at a time when graceful and delicate characteristics were a sign of power. In the 19^th century the view shifted and the stereotype emerged. Next time you watch a ballet, just look at how many ballerinas they lift in the course of a performance. One to one a half tonnes’ worth of ballerinas, apparently, the weight of an average sized car.
6. Dancers of both genders use up a heck of a lot of energy during a performance. They all have to be incredibly fit. During a full performance they use the same amount of energy that it would take to run 18 miles/28.9 km, or play two full football matches.
7. It’s also pretty tough on their Feet. Every time a ballet dancer jumps en pointe, three times their body weight is carried on the tip of their big toe. Not only that, but a professional dancer will wear out two or three pairs of ballet shoes a week. At least.
8. The leotard was named after Jules Léotard, a French acrobatic performer and aerialist, who developed the art of trapeze. If you want to know about tutus (chances are you do as I kept coming across a statistic that 60% of ballet audiences experience feelings of joy when they see one) you can read my 10 facts about tutus, HERE.
9. Rather than saying “Break a leg” as most performers do, ballet dancers have a tradition of saying “merde” instead. Which is French for “Shit”. This came about at a time when performances often included live animals on stage, so it was a warning to look out for the poo!
10. After the film Billy Elliot was released in 2000, there was a dramatic increase in male enrollment in dance classes. More boys than girls were admitted in the Royal Ballet School, which had never happened before.

Who's That Girl?

Matt Webster lives in a tower block and attends a failing school. He dreams of being a spy like James Bond. Little does he know that he is being watched by someone who can make him into even more than that – a superhero.

His first solo mission is to attend a ball at the Decembrian Embassy and discover who is planning to steal a priceless diamond. While there, he meets the mysterious Lady Antonia du Cane, and is powerfully drawn to her. It soon becomes clear, however, that Lady du Cane is not what she seems. Matt’s quest to discover who she really is almost costs him his career.

A modern day Guy Fawkes gathers a coterie around him with the aim of blowing up Parliament with a nuclear bomb. To achieve this, they need money. Lots of it. Selling the Heart of Decembria Diamond will provide more than enough. All that stands in their way is the Freedom League – but the League is beset by internal disagreements. Can the heroes put their differences aside in time to save the day?

Prime Minister Richard Miller and his wife Fiona grieve for their daughter, Yasmin, who has been missing for three years, and is presumed to be dead. Viper agent Violet Parker could hold the key to what happened to Yasmin, but Violet is accused of giving away the organisation’s secrets. She is to be executed without trial. Will she take her knowledge of what happened to Yasmin with her to her grave?

Available on Amazon:

Paperback

E-Book

6 February: Reggae Day

Today is Reggae Day, a day to recognise and honour all reggae musicians, celebrated on Bob Marley’s birthday. February is also Reggae Month in Jamaica. So here are 10 facts about reggae:

1. There’s more than one theory as to where the word “reggae” came from. Some say it came from a Jamaican slang term, “rege-rege,” which means "rags, ragged clothing" or "a quarrel, a row", because the genre emerged from a mix of other styles. Bob Marley would disagree. He subscribed to the other theory which is that comes from the Latin “Regi,” meaning “to the King” or Spanish for “the king’s music.”
2. There is certainly a long list of musical styles which could have influenced reggae in Jamaica. Jamaican folk music, English gospel music and sea shanties, calypso, blues and Jazz would all have been heard there in the early 20^th century. There was a type of music called Mento, a calypso-influenced style which made light of local issues and events, and was made using whatever came to hand. the first recorded mento song, Mento Merengue Meringue was played on harmonica, coconut grater, and homemade wooden trumpet.
3. In due course, Jamaica became independent and began to develop a new musical style of its own. Ska was a popular genre there at the time of independence. Ska is quite upbeat, and when the Jamaican economy went into depression people started to slow it down as they sang about the social issues of the time. This type of music was called rocksteady. Add in some experimentation with different instruments and the Rastafarian religion, and over time, rocksteady evolved into reggae. One story goes that reggae as we know it was born when reverb on an amp coincidentally mimicked the chord on the offbeat, and people liked the sound.
4. A characteristic of reggae is that it has regular chops on the back beat (off-beat), played by a rhythm guitarist. This is known as “skanking”. The bass drum hits on the second and fourth beat of each bar. These are called the “drop”. The role of the bass and guitar are essentially reversed - the bass plays the melody and the guitar plays the rhythm. The lyrics are often delivered in a Jamaican-English dialect called patois. The songs are frequently about politics and religion, in particular, thanks to Bob Marley, Rastafarianism.
5. What was the first recorded reggae song? Again, there’s some disagreement. Some say it was The Pioneers’ Long Shot (Bus’ Me Bet), in 1967, a song about a racehorse which bore all the hallmarks of reggae; others say it was Do the Reggay by Toots & the Maytals in 1968. The latter was certainly the first popular song to use the word "reggae" and give the genre a name.
6. In turn, reggae has influenced many other styles of music, including punk rock. The Clash covered a number of reggae tunes. Bob Marley would later write a song called Punky Reggae Party in acknowledgement of the fact.
7. Some believe that in order for it to be authentic, reggae must be created and performed by Caribbean artists. Reggae made by anyone else, such as white British band The Police, has been labelled “Cod reggae”.
8. Reggae has been extremely good for Jamaica’s economy. It boosts tourism, for one thing, with over 2 million reggae fans visiting each year. Bob Marley’s birthday and Jamaica’s national Reggae Month in February is one draw; in July, there’s another influx of reggae tourists as tend of thousands attend the annual Reggae Sumfest in Montego Bay.
9. In 1973, The Wailers were fired in the middle of a tour, when they were opening for Sly and the Family Stone, because they proved more popular with audiences than the main act.
10. The richest reggae artist alive is Shaggy, who is worth $22 Million. He’s got a long way to go before he catches up with Bob Marley, however, who would be worth $130 Million if he was alive today. Needless to say, the best selling reggae album of all time is one of his – Legend.

Who's That Girl?

Matt Webster lives in a tower block and attends a failing school. He dreams of being a spy like James Bond. Little does he know that he is being watched by someone who can make him into even more than that – a superhero.

His first solo mission is to attend a ball at the Decembrian Embassy and discover who is planning to steal a priceless diamond. While there, he meets the mysterious Lady Antonia du Cane, and is powerfully drawn to her. It soon becomes clear, however, that Lady du Cane is not what she seems. Matt’s quest to discover who she really is almost costs him his career.

A modern day Guy Fawkes gathers a coterie around him with the aim of blowing up Parliament with a nuclear bomb. To achieve this, they need money. Lots of it. Selling the Heart of Decembria Diamond will provide more than enough. All that stands in their way is the Freedom League – but the League is beset by internal disagreements. Can the heroes put their differences aside in time to save the day?

Prime Minister Richard Miller and his wife Fiona grieve for their daughter, Yasmin, who has been missing for three years, and is presumed to be dead. Viper agent Violet Parker could hold the key to what happened to Yasmin, but Violet is accused of giving away the organisation’s secrets. She is to be executed without trial. Will she take her knowledge of what happened to Yasmin with her to her grave?

Available on Amazon:

Paperback

E-Book

5 February: Quotes about the weather

 Today is Weatherman's day. 10 quotes about weather:

1. In the spring I have counted one hundred and thirty six different kinds of weather inside of four and twenty hours. Mark Twain
2. Everybody talks about the weather, but nobody does anything about it. Charles Dudley Warner
3. We may achieve climate, but weather is thrust upon us. O Henry
4. Nature gives to every time and season some beauties of its own. Charles Dickens
5. There's no such thing as bad weather – only the wrong clothes. Billy Connolly
6. Sometimes I wish that I was the weather, you'd bring me up in conversation forever. And when it rained, I'd be the talk of the day. John Mayer
7. There's no such thing as bad weather, just soft people. Bill Bowerman
8. Sunshine is delicious, rain is refreshing, wind braces us up, snow is exhilarating; there is really no such thing as bad weather, only different kinds of good weather. John Ruskin
9. There's no such thing as good weather, or bad weather. There's just weather and your attitude towards it. Louise Hay
10. I've lived in good climate, and it bores the hell out of me. I like weather rather than climate. John Steinbeck

Who's That Girl?

Matt Webster lives in a tower block and attends a failing school. He dreams of being a spy like James Bond. Little does he know that he is being watched by someone who can make him into even more than that – a superhero.

His first solo mission is to attend a ball at the Decembrian Embassy and discover who is planning to steal a priceless diamond. While there, he meets the mysterious Lady Antonia du Cane, and is powerfully drawn to her. It soon becomes clear, however, that Lady du Cane is not what she seems. Matt’s quest to discover who she really is almost costs him his career.

A modern day Guy Fawkes gathers a coterie around him with the aim of blowing up Parliament with a nuclear bomb. To achieve this, they need money. Lots of it. Selling the Heart of Decembria Diamond will provide more than enough. All that stands in their way is the Freedom League – but the League is beset by internal disagreements. Can the heroes put their differences aside in time to save the day?

Prime Minister Richard Miller and his wife Fiona grieve for their daughter, Yasmin, who has been missing for three years, and is presumed to be dead. Viper agent Violet Parker could hold the key to what happened to Yasmin, but Violet is accused of giving away the organisation’s secrets. She is to be executed without trial. Will she take her knowledge of what happened to Yasmin with her to her grave?

Available on Amazon:

Paperback

E-Book

4 February: Norman Wisdom

Comedian and actor Norman Wisdom was born on this date in 1915. Here are 10 things you might not know about him:

1. He was born in West London. His father was a chauffeur, and his mother a dressmaker. She worked for West End theatres, and had once made a dress for Queen Mary; nevertheless, the family were poor, living in one room.
2. His mother walked out on the family eventually, and Norman and his brother Fred were placed in a children’s home by their father. Norman left school at 13 and when he was 14 and homeless, set off on foot for Cardiff where he joined the Merchant Navy and became a cabin boy. During his time on a cargo ship to Argentina, the crew taught him boxing. He was Flyweight Boxing Champion when he was in the army.
3. He joined the army at the outbreak of World War II and served in India. He made his first appearance as an entertainer with a comedy boxing routine at an army concert, and joined the Royal Corps of Signals as a bandsman in 1943.
4. When he was demobbed, he knew he wanted to become an entertainer, but struggled at first to find an agent. He eventually did find one, and made his first stage appearance at Collins Music Hall on 17th December 1946.
5. His first major film was Trouble in Store in 1953, followed by One Good Turn in 1955. He didn’t just act in films – he wrote screenplays, too, including The Square Peg, Follow a Star, A Stitch in Time and The Early Bird. He also composed songs, including his big hit Don't Laugh At Me.
6. He was a lifelong supporter and a former board member of football team Brighton and Hove Albion.
7. He was one of the actors considered for the role of Frank Spencer in Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em, but he turned it down, because he didn’t think it was very funny. The role went to Michael Crawford.
8. Since his kind of slapstick routine transcends the need for language, Norman Wisdom was popular all over the world, but he enjoyed a particular renown in Albania. The dictator there, Enver Hoxha, banned most western films, but allowed Norman Wisdom’s to be shown. Hence when he was there at the same time as the England football team, his appearance eclipsed that of David Beckham. In 1995 Wisdom was made an honorary citizen of Tirana.
9. One of his trademarks was tripping over his feet, which he not only did as he exited the football stadium in Tirana, but also as he left the ceremony after being knighted by the Queen. The Queen, unlike her ancestor Queen Victoria, was said to have been amused.
10. He spent his latter years living on the Isle of Man in a house in Andreas named Ballalough, which is Manx for "lake farm", and also sounds a bit like “belly laugh”. For most of his years there, he spent time with his family, played golf, drove classic cars and even had a yacht, although he sold that eventually claiming he was no sailor. In 2007, a Norman Wisdom-themed bar opened at the Sefton Hotel, Douglas, called Sir Norman's. He ended his days in a nursing home on the island, where it’s said his dementia was so severe he didn’t even recognise himself in his films. He died in 2010 at the age of 95.

Who's That Girl?

Matt Webster lives in a tower block and attends a failing school. He dreams of being a spy like James Bond. Little does he know that he is being watched by someone who can make him into even more than that – a superhero.

His first solo mission is to attend a ball at the Decembrian Embassy and discover who is planning to steal a priceless diamond. While there, he meets the mysterious Lady Antonia du Cane, and is powerfully drawn to her. It soon becomes clear, however, that Lady du Cane is not what she seems. Matt’s quest to discover who she really is almost costs him his career.

A modern day Guy Fawkes gathers a coterie around him with the aim of blowing up Parliament with a nuclear bomb. To achieve this, they need money. Lots of it. Selling the Heart of Decembria Diamond will provide more than enough. All that stands in their way is the Freedom League – but the League is beset by internal disagreements. Can the heroes put their differences aside in time to save the day?

Prime Minister Richard Miller and his wife Fiona grieve for their daughter, Yasmin, who has been missing for three years, and is presumed to be dead. Viper agent Violet Parker could hold the key to what happened to Yasmin, but Violet is accused of giving away the organisation’s secrets. She is to be executed without trial. Will she take her knowledge of what happened to Yasmin with her to her grave?

Available on Amazon:

Paperback

E-Book

3 February: Paul Auster Quotes

Paul Auster, US writer, was born on this date in 1947. 10 quotes from him:

1. There's hope for everyone. That's what makes the world go round.
2. Everything can change at any moment, suddenly and forever.
3. Stories only happen to those who are able to tell them.
4. It often happens that things are other than what they seem, and you can get yourself into trouble by jumping to conclusions.
5. If you're not ready for everything, you're not ready for anything.
6. All men contain several men inside them, and most of us bounce from one self to another without ever knowing who we are.
7. You can't put your feet on the ground until you've touched the sky.
8. To leave the world a little better than you found it. That's the best a man can ever do.
9. What matters is not how well you can avoid trouble, but how you cope with trouble when it comes.
10. Wounds are an essential part of life, and until you are wounded in some way, you cannot become a man.

Who's That Girl?

Matt Webster lives in a tower block and attends a failing school. He dreams of being a spy like James Bond. Little does he know that he is being watched by someone who can make him into even more than that – a superhero.

His first solo mission is to attend a ball at the Decembrian Embassy and discover who is planning to steal a priceless diamond. While there, he meets the mysterious Lady Antonia du Cane, and is powerfully drawn to her. It soon becomes clear, however, that Lady du Cane is not what she seems. Matt’s quest to discover who she really is almost costs him his career.

A modern day Guy Fawkes gathers a coterie around him with the aim of blowing up Parliament with a nuclear bomb. To achieve this, they need money. Lots of it. Selling the Heart of Decembria Diamond will provide more than enough. All that stands in their way is the Freedom League – but the League is beset by internal disagreements. Can the heroes put their differences aside in time to save the day?

Prime Minister Richard Miller and his wife Fiona grieve for their daughter, Yasmin, who has been missing for three years, and is presumed to be dead. Viper agent Violet Parker could hold the key to what happened to Yasmin, but Violet is accused of giving away the organisation’s secrets. She is to be executed without trial. Will she take her knowledge of what happened to Yasmin with her to her grave?

Available on Amazon:

Paperback

E-Book

2 February: 33

Today is the 33^rd day of the year. Here are 10 things you might not know about the number 33:

1. 33 is the atomic number of arsenic.
2. It crops up quite often in religion. In Christianity, 33 is said to be the age Jesus was when He was crucified and resurrected. In Buddhism, the second level of heaven is called Trāyastriṃśa, meaning "of the 33 (gods)." It’s also the number of incarnations the bodhisattva Avalokiteśvara is said to embody. In Islam, prayer beads are usually arranged in sets of 33. Also, Pope John Paul I, whose reign was one of the shortest in history, is known as the 33-day pope.
3. In motor sport, 33 is the traditional number of racers in the Indianapolis 500.
4. If you count the bones in the coccyx individually, the human spine has 33 vertebrae.
5. +33 is the code for international direct-dial phone calls to France.
6. 33 is the number of miners involved in the 2010 Copiapó mining accident. It began on 5 August 2010, with a cave-in at the San José copper–gold mine in the Atacama Desert in northern Chile. Thirty-three men, trapped 700 meters (2,300 ft) underground and 5 kilometres (3 miles) from the mine's entrance, were rescued after 69 days. They became known as “Los 33” and a film made about the accident was called The 33.
7. The modern Russian and Georgian alphabets consist of 33 letters.
8. World Snooker Championship semi-finals are played over 33 frames.
9. The lunar year has approximately 354 days, the solar year has 365 days, which means it takes 33 years for the cycle to return to its original position.
10. In numerology, 33 is a master number. People with 33 as a life number are born to inspire, influence and lead, and are likely to be authors, pastors or teachers.

Who's That Girl?

Matt Webster lives in a tower block and attends a failing school. He dreams of being a spy like James Bond. Little does he know that he is being watched by someone who can make him into even more than that – a superhero.

His first solo mission is to attend a ball at the Decembrian Embassy and discover who is planning to steal a priceless diamond. While there, he meets the mysterious Lady Antonia du Cane, and is powerfully drawn to her. It soon becomes clear, however, that Lady du Cane is not what she seems. Matt’s quest to discover who she really is almost costs him his career.

A modern day Guy Fawkes gathers a coterie around him with the aim of blowing up Parliament with a nuclear bomb. To achieve this, they need money. Lots of it. Selling the Heart of Decembria Diamond will provide more than enough. All that stands in their way is the Freedom League – but the League is beset by internal disagreements. Can the heroes put their differences aside in time to save the day?

Prime Minister Richard Miller and his wife Fiona grieve for their daughter, Yasmin, who has been missing for three years, and is presumed to be dead. Viper agent Violet Parker could hold the key to what happened to Yasmin, but Violet is accused of giving away the organisation’s secrets. She is to be executed without trial. Will she take her knowledge of what happened to Yasmin with her to her grave?

Available on Amazon:

Paperback

E-Book