The Passenger Pigeon went extinct in 1914, the same year the Great War began. To commemorate the centenary of those two events, my band, The Corner Laughers, has released an ode to the last Passenger Pigeon, Martha, in the style of a First World War-era song (but with synthesizers, for no good reason, really). …
Tag: passenger pigeon
Sunday book review – England’s 100 best views by Simon Jenkins.
I bought this book because I like views, I like Simon Jenkins’s writing, I admire and respect him as an intellect and I disagree with him quite a lot about some things (although I agree with him a lot about others). If this book had been written by another I would have been less interested…
Game Fair 6: this blog, ‘overheards’ and en passant
‘Oh we all read your blog – don’t you worry‘ – a senior staff member of a pro-shooting organisation. Trimbush – was that you entering Churchills’s tent at around lunchtime on Saturday? ‘Ian Coghill out-Faraged Nigel Farage‘ – a back-handed compliment, if a compliment at all. ‘Nigerian Garage‘ – how the GWCT’s Chair was reported…
It’s the society stupid!
Last week I was early, I’m always early, for my interview with Martha Kearney on the World at One and so I watched a protest march set off from outside the BBC near Oxford Circus. There were firefighters and teachers from the NUT. I recognised the strains of Billy Bragg’s rendition of The Internationale playing…
Sunday books – more books than pigeons
This week I’m going to talk about three books – all about the extinct Passenger Pigeon. The first of these is a classic if you are interested in the story of the Passenger Pigeon – AW Schorger’s The Passenger Pigeon: its natural history and extinction. This time last year, I probably consulted Schorger every day…
Martha and Martha 2 and a great review in the Independent
The World at One say they had such a strong response to the chat between Martha Kearney and me on the subject of Passenger Pigeons that they have put up a separate link to it and included a film of the interview too – click here to hear and see the interview. I also enjoyed…
Live on BBC Radio 4 on The World at One
I’ll be talking to Martha Kearney on The World at One today – some time after 1pm (because they told me to turn up at 1pm!). It’s A Message from Martha to Martha Kearney. Publication is a week today but you can order right now.
Shooting – good for wildlife?
BBC Countryfile magazine has a poll about the good that shooting does in the countryside following the Countryfile programme last Sunday. The poll asks ‘Does the shooting industry do more good than harm to Britain’s wildlife?’. I know several people who have voted in the opposite way to that which they intended because of the…
Two weeks until publication
Comments Off on Two weeks until publication
Just a brief reminder that A Message from Martha is published two weeks today. To order in advance of publication, and get this book as soon as possible, then click here.
I’ve given Martha a cuddle
I have a copy of my forthcoming new book, A Message from Martha, in my hands. Unlike its author it looks both classy and beautiful. There is something about a book isn’t there? Review copies have been sent out so I will soon know how the book is received. You can hold a copy of…