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Articles from Bruno Blackstone | Selfgrowth.com
- To Bee or not to Bee! - by Submitted on May 03, 2012 from Bruno BlackstoneIn one or two of my previous articles I have written about how grasslands are managed to encourage wildflower growth. Farmers are being given incentives to promote this kind of management in order to halt the decline in these native wild plants. There is another reason why this decline should be ...
Views: 1001 - Wat-er Day in the Pool - by Submitted on Jul 03, 2012 from Bruno BlackstoneI was sitting in a friend’s garden recently watching their children playing in a paddling pool during an unusually hot spell for this country. Well I say ‘paddling pool’, it looked more like a swimming pool to me. The friends are somewhat younger than me and can’t remember the days when gardens ...
Views: 996 - Advice with regard to Choosing Walking Boots - by Submitted on Oct 21, 2011 from Bruno BlackstoneThere is a potentially perplexing range of boots for hiking available for the consumer to pick from. Having said that, making the proper decision is really critical as actually the primary item of clothing to assure a rambler's optimum trekking pleasure is the footwear. The right boots will ...
Views: 966 - Chocolate – From Mesoamerican Beverages to Multi-Million Pound Market - by Submitted on Nov 10, 2011 from Bruno BlackstoneChocolate, the actual word itself appears – well chocolatey! A handful of people rarely ever touch it, their palfry consumption more than made up for through the chocoholics within us. However, how did chocolate come across from the Mesoamerican peoples who nurtured the cacao tree, to the ...
Views: 966 - How the Swiss Put an Essential Item on Your Camping Gear Checklist. - by Submitted on Jan 16, 2012 from Bruno BlackstoneWhilst, during your next camping break, you look for your useful pen-knife or multi-tool, take a moment to remember the trip it followed to become an essential item on a rambler's camping gear list. Throughout the 1880s the Swiss Armed service wanted a twin purpose device that would be issued ...
Views: 966 - Where there’s muck there’s grass! - by Submitted on Feb 25, 2012 from Bruno BlackstoneIn a preceding article I outlined how experiening a series of guided rammbles gave me an interest in wild flowers. Having begun to learn a little more about grasslands I was amazed to hear that our wild flowers were effectively under threat and this in turn was affecting the wildlife ...
Views: 966 - Bridging the Thames - by Submitted on Jun 26, 2012 from Bruno BlackstoneHere in England we had a spectacular event recently; as part of the celebrations of the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee the River Thames played host to a flotilla of craft of all shapes and sizes. The pageant covered the seven miles between Albert Bridge and the world famous icon of Tower Bridge, which ...
Views: 962 - Why is it that Cows Follow Trains? - by Submitted on Dec 01, 2011 from Bruno BlackstoneThere's a great movie produced in the 1950s starring Alistair Sim (possibly most famous for his portrayal of Dickens’ Scrooge) known as “Folly to be Wise”. It is set in a British army camp in the 1950’s in which a recently arrived barracks chaplain (Sim) attempts to liven the place up by staging ...
Views: 961 - Bouncy, Bouncy, Bouncy, Bouncy, Fun, Fun, Fun, Fun, Fun! - by Submitted on Sep 15, 2012 from Bruno BlackstoneWhy is it that whenever someone has a little mishap in the garden someone else is bound to be on hand filming it just in case they capture enough decent footage to send to one of those programmes that showcases camcorder catastrophes. Usually it is plastic garden chairs collapsing or even ...
Views: 950 - Just How Much Do You Know About Celebrity Chefs - by Submitted on Apr 21, 2012 from Bruno BlackstoneI love cookery programmes, it’s great to get some new ideas which can be used or adapted into my own cooking. These programmes are often based around a certain personality and the success (or failure) of the series very much depends on whether the general public like the chef – perhaps more so ...
Views: 935 - The Tale of a Damaged Ankle - A Cautinary journal about the perils of the wrong footwear - by Submitted on Oct 30, 2011 from Bruno BlackstoneBBA (Before Broken Ankle): I have an active daily life and value trekking and road cycling, getting out into the great country side is one of my favorite activities. Day 1: Enjoyed a charming ramble with my companion and our pet dog - Tess, sporting my brand new wellingtons because there had ...
Views: 933 - Social Networking - What's your views on it? - by Submitted on May 18, 2012 from Bruno BlackstoneBeing the thoroughly modern chap that I am, I use Facebook. This is partly a business thing, but I find it’s also pretty useful for staying in touch with people who otherwise had passed completely out of my life since I upped sticks and came to the countryside. Old friends from the days of my ...
Views: 922 - Looking After the Colonials: A Weekend of Northern Hospitality - by Submitted on Apr 17, 2012 from Bruno BlackstoneOver the Easter weekend of 2012, I played host to some American friends. Originally from Dallas, Texas, they are a couple who moved to sunny Sheffield last year, partly out of a wish to leave the U.S. for a while, and partly for Shanes’ job. His wife Rachel has not yet found employment in the UK ...
Views: 917 - The Way To Decide On a GPS or SATNAV Right for Walkers - by Submitted on Oct 10, 2011 from Bruno BlackstoneWhat is Sat nav? The Global Positioning System (GPS) is really a satellite-based navigation system (hence they're in addition referred to as SAT NAV) made up of a network of 24 satellites placed into orbit by the U.S. Department of Defense. GPS was initially created for armed service ...
Views: 911 - Wild Plants - Their Uses Through the Years - by Submitted on Dec 04, 2011 from Bruno BlackstoneWild flowers from many places have been thought for a great number of years to contain healing and other attributes. Woodland plants like Wood Avens otherwise known as Herb Bennet, have been worn as an amulet to guard the wearer. The sap from Dog’s Mercury was used as an antiseptic and was ...
Views: 909 - Tales Of The Bleak Midwinter – The Benefit of a respectable Walking Outerjacket (Even for the Northern Chap)! - by Submitted on Nov 21, 2011 from Bruno BlackstoneSimilar to most English people, I was caught unprepared by the cold winter weather of 2009. I will keep in mind Dec. 17th particularly well because, untypical for me, I was ill prepared for the weather and the happenings of that day. I had enjoyed the morning rambling, it was chilly and the very ...
Views: 907 - Ben Nevis Challenge - by Submitted on Nov 20, 2011 from Bruno BlackstoneThere’s a charity dear to my heart and so I made the decision it was about time I did some thing to raise money on their behalf. I log on to their web site and identify they have a number of challenges, the one which looks to fit the bill for me is the Ben Nevis Challenge. Following some thought ...
Views: 893 - A Night In A Bare Mountain! - by Submitted on Feb 02, 2012 from Bruno BlackstoneQuite a few years ago when I was a much younger guy it was my pleasure (!) to organise an outward bound style adventure for a number of kids aged between about ten and fifteen. The idea was relatively simple, I was to drive one minibus load of them with my then girlfriend (now wife) driving ...
Views: 888 - How Much Chocolate is Just Too much? - by Submitted on Apr 21, 2012 from Bruno BlackstoneIn the modern world Chocolate is a multi-million pound industry, but where did it come from and how did the humble cocoa bean develop into the many varieties we see on our shelves today? The Cocoa bean is thought to have originated in the Amazon as far back as 2000 BC, it was used by the ...
Views: 886 - Walking to see wildlife – how to experience flora and fauna as you enjoy the countryside - by Submitted on Oct 10, 2011 from Bruno BlackstoneFor many of us the most enjoyable part of walking is seeing the various plants and animals along the way. In this article the author suggests how to maximise your wildlife spotting chances If we stop to think for a moment about the many types wildlife that surround us all we will quickly ...
Views: 886(1 vote) - Encouraging Your Kids to Cycle - by Submitted on Sep 12, 2012 from Bruno BlackstoneFamily cycling is a fun and great way to enjoy the outdoors as well as a great way to exercise. Every child develops at a different pace but they will probably be ready to start cycling sometime between the ages of three and seven. Also remember to emphasise the fun nature of it; try and relax ...
Views: 885 - Getaways on a budget - by Submitted on Jun 08, 2012 from Bruno BlackstoneWell, it seems it is that time of year again holiday season is once more upon us but in today’s economic climate a good break is not always possible, never fear though – here are some tips on getting away without it costing the Earth. Try a stay-cation – OK, so you can’t rely on the weather ...
Views: 876 - The Yorkshire Three Peaks - by Submitted on Nov 04, 2011 from Bruno BlackstoneI purchased some new outdoor kit just lately and in consequence decided I wanted to justify my expenditure by creating myself a challenge, I pick on the Yorkshire Three Peaks, the challenge being to ascend the three tallest hills in Yorkshire - Whernside, Ingleborough and Pen-y-Ghent. Typically ...
Views: 869 - What’s In a Name - A Trip From Ignorance to Local Historian! - by Submitted on Dec 04, 2011 from Bruno BlackstoneA little earlier this year The writer took a rail trip from my place in Yorkshire to pay a visit to my mom and dad 80 miles away. My local station was one of those minor unmanned rural stations; my destination station was just as tiny but on the outskirts of a major industrial town. As I had ...
Views: 863 - When We Were Very Young…(We Didn’t Know About Computer Games!) - by Submitted on Mar 03, 2012 from Bruno BlackstoneNot long ago I was calling on a good friend while he was baby sitting his grandkids who were staying for a few days. They had brought a variety of things to keep theirselves occupied (and out of Grandad’s hair!). Apart from the old favourites of books, board games and puzzles they had ...
Views: 862 - Wildlife Surrounding Us - by Submitted on Mar 07, 2012 from Bruno BlackstoneMany of us who delight in the great outdoors do so partly as a result of flora and fauna that we see there. Wildlife is, after all, all around us and I think it is especially entertaining when one has to go no further than one’s own home to spot it. We live in a remote locale in the centre of ...
Views: 849 - Which Indulgence Therapy Will I Choose? - by Submitted on Oct 30, 2011 from Bruno BlackstoneThere is no doubt that the spa break business is bouyant, put ‘spa break’ into Yahoo and google and you shall get countless of results. Even during these hard days we can not get enough of indulging ourselves with a quick holiday to pamper ourselves. Perhaps you planning a hen (or stag) ...
Views: 839 - Great lakes and little birds - by Submitted on Apr 21, 2012 from Bruno BlackstoneRecently I left my beloved Yorkshire to explore the outdoors elsewhere; in fact I left these shores completely and went to the Italian Lakes. I had never been to the area before and was really looking forward to comparing it to our own Lake District that I know fairly well. I stayed in the ...
Views: 835 - Why Camping Excursions Make Ideal Holidays for Young Ones - by Submitted on Mar 06, 2012 from Bruno BlackstoneUncovering a suitable holiday to please all of the members of the family is often quite a complex job. More years ago than I care to mention when my children were still young I was always reluctant to take them to another country, and did not do so until they were both young adults. I knew how ...
Views: 785 - How a planned wildlife ramble turned out to be a search for thrills. - by Submitted on Jan 14, 2012 from Bruno BlackstoneJust lately I did a little favour for a good old friend of mine; he had promised to take care of his two grandchildren for a day, completely forgetting that he had a clinic appointment to keep. As the appointment was simply a follow-up one and wasn't going to be long I volunteered to look after ...
Views: 784 - Picking out Binoculars to Spot Birds Whilst Walking - by Submitted on Nov 05, 2011 from Bruno BlackstoneSeeing our feathered friends whilst on your outdoor walk genuinely is a fascinating thing to do, there will likely be a number of unique birds to experience and recognise. A few birds are well-known and simple to see, others are rarer and more challenging to name. Some species of birds are so ...
Views: 783 - Where there is muck there’s not as many wild flowers! - by Submitted on Mar 06, 2012 from Bruno BlackstoneMy regular readers will know that I adore being in the outdoors and furthermore anything to do with the natural world. Especially I like to recognise the wildlife I come across whilst hiking, hence I rarely go out without my binoculars. Last year, for a variety of reasons, I had an exceptional ...
Views: 779 - To Bee or not to Bee! - by Submitted on May 03, 2012 from Bruno BlackstoneIn one or two of my previous articles I have written about how grasslands are managed to encourage wildflower growth. Farmers are being given incentives to promote this kind of management in order to halt the decline in these native wild plants. There is another reason why this decline should be ...
Views: 766 - The Pendle Witch Trials - Their 400th Anniversary - by Submitted on Mar 22, 2012 from Bruno BlackstoneSalem might be famous for its witch trials but there was an equally shocking case some eighty years earlier in the heart of England. 2012 marks the four hundredth anniversary of the Pendle Witch trials held in 1612. Many events have been planned to mark the date but what was it all ...
Views: 762 - Matching Food to Wine - by Submitted on Oct 21, 2011 from Bruno BlackstoneThere genuinely are a numerous varieties of wines available in the market, put together with the written matter, devices and countless jargon this can be very difficult to establish exactly where to start out with the whole thing. Some folks come across a tipple they like and don't change, ...
Views: 752 - Walking the Dog - Which Breed Would Suit You Best? - by Submitted on Nov 19, 2011 from Bruno BlackstoneIn this article Bruno Blackstone examines the many different breeds of dogs and considers how a person's preferred exercise may effect the choice of breed. There is a place near to where I live that is very popular with dog walkers, it is a combination of woods, flat paths, fields and a river ...
Views: 712 - A Short History of the Cocktail - by Submitted on Nov 11, 2011 from Bruno BlackstoneNobody appears to know in what way the name ‘cocktail’ came to be synonymous to a beverage that's a mixture of ingredients (at least one of which being alcohol based!). The very first recorded reference in writing would seem to have been around 1862 at which time a bartender’s guidebook was ...
Views: 661 - Tips on how to Eat Out in Style – Or “If I Don’t Choose Someplace Great to Take My Wife, I Am a Dead Man! - by Submitted on Nov 27, 2011 from Bruno BlackstoneI’m confident all of us is able to remember the film Mary Poppins, I stood in line outside the picture house with my folks when it first came out. Just as we arrived close to the front of the line the usher said the house was full – how disappointing. Mother, Dad and younger cousin went homeward ...
Views: 660 - Guide to Outdoor Photography - by Submitted on Nov 03, 2011 from Bruno BlackstoneA brilliant strategy to enrich your strolling outing is to take a camera along with you, it certainly can make you watch your natural environment more whilst you look for some thing to capture on film. We have charming country side and an abundance of wildlife in this region so you can’t go far ...
Views: 572 - Love Flora and fauna? Some handy info concerning the best way to entice a variety of birds to your garden. - by Submitted on Oct 31, 2011 from Bruno BlackstoneDespite the fact that I enjoy the countryside I am additionally not averse to a bit of wildlife spotting in my own garden; last month my spouse and I remained transfixed as a stoat moved its family, 1 baby at a time, to a place less than 6 feet from where we both were sitting. After having ...
Views: 506 - Recollections of the land and sea and how artwork helps you to enjoy your surroundings. - by Submitted on Dec 22, 2011 from Bruno BlackstoneBeing a country kind of fellow I am always drawn towards magnificent landscapes in all sorts of locations. I've got a couple of particular favourites and my family already has orders (when the moment comes) to distribute my charred remains over one of them. There is a golf links next to where I ...
Views: 501 - Rambling and the European Financial Crisis - by Submitted on Mar 03, 2012 from Bruno BlackstoneWalking for fun is the most well-liked leisure time activity in The UK by far. According to data from the United Kingdom government 16% of individuals do it every week, compared with 11% who head over to the gym. Maybe staying and being in the country side is linked with success and the “upper ...
Views: 495 - There must be fifty ways to find your lover; or the musings from a forty-something unromantic! - by Submitted on Oct 21, 2011 from Bruno BlackstoneA handful of years ago whilst off on a business trip I found myself eating on my todd at a peaceful small bistro in some unknown city. As the bistro was quite tiny, the tables ended up being rather near to each other and as a result it was relatively simple to hear dialogue at the neighbouring ...
Views: 455 - Hay Meadows Aren't Purely For Christmas - by Submitted on Dec 22, 2011 from Bruno BlackstoneThe Hay Meadow is typically connected with romantic unspoilt country side but regrettably over the last few years they have been disappearing at an alarming pace. Therefore, what basically is a meadow and why are they so crucial to protect? The word 'meadow' is strictly speaking employed to ...
Views: 453 - Looking for Ghosts in Edinburgh - by Submitted on Dec 05, 2011 from Bruno BlackstoneA couple of years ago I happened to be in the glorious ancient city of Edinburgh with a lot of time to pass and in consequence I decided to search for a few interesting things to do. Not having any vehicle with me I wanted to search for things I may do walking not overly far from my lodgings. As ...
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