tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-78042462024-03-23T14:51:45.527-04:00Another Chance To SeeNews updates on the endangered animals visited by Douglas Adams and Mark Carwardine for their book and radio series "Last Chance To See". With updates on the TV series featuring Stephen Fry.Garethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01016456671468216397noreply@blogger.comBlogger69125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7804246.post-44255256681005505282018-08-03T11:47:00.001-04:002018-08-03T11:48:52.280-04:00Douglas Adams talks to Clive AndersonThis is really nice. I probably watched this at the time, but I just stumbled upon this interview on YouTube. Here's Douglas Adams interviewed by Clive Anderson on his Talks Back show including talking about the Last Chance To See book. Great stuff!<br /><br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="344" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/W-qOF8R1KHg" width="459"></iframe><div class="blogger-post-footer">---
Originally published at http://anotherchancetosee.blogspot.com</div>Garethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01016456671468216397noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7804246.post-10695827248826997552014-02-26T12:18:00.001-05:002014-02-26T12:18:39.100-05:002014 Douglas Adams Memorial LectureThis year's lecture is March 11th at 7:30pm. For more information please visit this page at Save The Rhino: <a href="http://www.savetherhino.org/events/798_douglas_adams_memorial_lecture">The Science of Harry Potter and the Mathematics of The Simpsons</a><blockquote>This year's lecture will explore a theme close to the hearts of many of Douglas' fans. We will be exploring science in fiction, taking a closer look at two popular fictional worlds - Harry Potter and the Simpsons - and exploring the science within.</blockquote><div class="blogger-post-footer">---
Originally published at http://anotherchancetosee.blogspot.com</div>Garethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01016456671468216397noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7804246.post-56084069052027656432013-04-10T16:47:00.002-04:002013-04-10T16:47:53.368-04:00Douglas Adams Audio ReadingCourtesy of <a href="https://twitter.com/MarkCarwardineT">MarkCarwardineTumblr @MarkCarwardineT</a> here's an audio account of Douglas preparing to go to Australia (to go check out the Komodo Dragon) by talking to an expert on poisonous animals there (who tells them they’re stupid for going).<blockquote>Audio: xenophule: In honour of Douglas Adams’ birthday, I present to you my very favourite reading by him.... <a href="http://fymarkcarwardine.tumblr.com/post/47642493461/xenophule-in-honour-of-douglas-adams-birthday#_=_">tmblr.co/ZKr6txiNji8L</a> </blockquote>I can't decide if I've heard this before or not.<div class="blogger-post-footer">---
Originally published at http://anotherchancetosee.blogspot.com</div>Garethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01016456671468216397noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7804246.post-8777238175645158952013-03-11T09:12:00.002-04:002013-03-11T09:12:43.582-04:00Douglas Adams Google Doodle<a href="http://www.google.com/doodles/douglas-adams-61st-birthday">Google's Doodle</a> for today celebrates what would have been Douglas Adams' 61st birthday. Click around on the doodle to find some hidden stuff.<div class="blogger-post-footer">---
Originally published at http://anotherchancetosee.blogspot.com</div>Garethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01016456671468216397noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7804246.post-35688030354055006212013-03-07T14:29:00.001-05:002013-03-07T14:29:57.919-05:00Douglas Adams's daughter Polly spends a day in BrisbaneIn January, <a href="http://www.anotherchancetosee.com/2013/01/douglas-adams-little-rocket.html">Polly was in Tasmania</a>, but now she's paying a flying visit to Brisbane. Check out her <a href="http://blogs.abc.net.au/queensland/2013/03/douglas-adamss-daughter-polly-spends-a-day-in-brisbane.html">interview with 612 ABC Brisbane</a>.<div class="blogger-post-footer">---
Originally published at http://anotherchancetosee.blogspot.com</div>Garethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01016456671468216397noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7804246.post-57422430363051101292013-02-25T16:46:00.002-05:002013-02-25T16:46:54.981-05:00The Meaning of Liff at 30 - Thursday February 28th<a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01qjjgw">On Radio 4 on Thursday</a>, a special program celebrating the Meaning of Liff's 30th anniversary. The program should be available for world-wide Listen Again for at least 7 days after broadcast.<blockquote>This year marks the 30th anniversary of the publication of The Meaning of Liff, by John Lloyd and Douglas Adams. This funny and well-loved dictionary uses placenames as new definitions for common experiences which we all know and recognize, but for which no words exist.
John Lloyd talks to Matt Lucas about his love of Liff, and also gathers new entries from the Radio 4 audience. These are then chewed over and sifted down by John and fellow Liff-lovers Sanjeev Bhaskar, Helen Fielding and Terry Jones.
And Professor Steven Pinker - Liff devotee - talks about the psychological relief and sense of bonding that comes from recognising that you're not alone in having these thoughts and feelings.</blockquote><div class="blogger-post-footer">---
Originally published at http://anotherchancetosee.blogspot.com</div>Garethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01016456671468216397noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7804246.post-2027616989083109802013-01-24T16:12:00.001-05:002013-01-24T16:12:26.421-05:00Douglas Adams' Little RocketTasmanian radio station ABC Hobart has a <a href="http://blogs.abc.net.au/tasmania/2013/01/douglas-adams-little-rocket.html">lovely little audio interview</a> with Douglas Adams' daughter Polly who is currently Down Under on a gap year. In it she talks fondly of her father, and how much she enjoyed reading "Last Chance To See". Enjoy.<blockquote>Have a listen to Polly's memories of her father, her adventures in Aus and the one career her mother forbade her from entering!</blockquote><div class="blogger-post-footer">---
Originally published at http://anotherchancetosee.blogspot.com</div>Garethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01016456671468216397noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7804246.post-38456668496233072512013-01-16T16:41:00.000-05:002013-01-16T16:43:14.670-05:00Douglas Adams Memorial Lecture 2013<img border="0" height="136" width="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9omN2lCb4kg2o3Z9lyz_zuCVqXVYvF1I9TFIrBXWje8WnHa8mFtNlRj6hbK712FHwk1UeAsnzoeEll3dA8Cx7HpFpkOxdoRFEF-K-Of5oG0nlNXb9EyQ6hcLobEAm5aRDZDhm/s400/adam_rutherford_53_gallery_thumb.jpg" style="float:left; padding-right:5px;"/>This year's Douglas Adams Memorial Lecture will be from Dr Adam Rutherford and will take place on March 12, 2013 at 6:30 p.m (for 7:30 p.m. start) at the Royal Geographical Society in London.
For full details and booking information, please visit the <a href="http://www.savetherhino.org/events/476_douglas_adams_memorial_lecture_2013">Save The Rhino Events page</a>.<blockquote>Dr Adam Rutherford is a scientist, writer and broadcaster. He completed his doctorate in genetics at University College London in 2002. Since then he has worked at the science journal Nature, as an editor and filmmaker.
Adam is also a presenter for the BBC. On Radio 4 his work has included programmes on MMR and autism, human evolution, the influence of astronomy on art and literature and most recently Extinct!, a three-part series on the current and great mass extinctions of the past.</blockquote><div class="blogger-post-footer">---
Originally published at http://anotherchancetosee.blogspot.com</div>Garethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01016456671468216397noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7804246.post-36856205635330441942011-05-25T01:00:00.003-04:002011-05-25T01:00:03.300-04:00Towel Day 2011 - VideoIn celebration of <a href="http://www.towelday.org/">Towel Day 2011</a>, here's the <a href="http://gnews.com/10-towel-day-celebrations-to-get-wrapped-up-in-17201113052524/">Top 10 Celebrations to Get Wrapped Up In</a>, and a strangely appropriate video...<blockquote>The Encyclopaedia Galactica defines a robot as a mechanical apparatus designed to do the work of a man. The marketing division of the Sirius Cybernetics Corporation defines a robot as "Your Plastic Pal Who's Fun To Be With."</blockquote><br /><iframe width="560" height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/gy5g33S0Gzo" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe><div class="blogger-post-footer">---
Originally published at http://anotherchancetosee.blogspot.com</div>Garethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01016456671468216397noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7804246.post-46875133438346439712011-03-09T01:18:00.000-05:002011-03-09T01:18:01.039-05:00FINAL REMINDER: Brian Cox to Host Douglas Adams Memorial Lecture<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOeQ5WbMlxZPp46XsWLR0rGpfH3AVZTNlY7PR6inB5QR40rCFaAy89L0s13JFNGCuFYvxxen0BiRRAQu7JoCvDPPxV2xoucbkmcQSKPRWsNQ7Pm27miztwS3GFkp_DH-LCrs_j/s1600/DrBrianCox_01lowres.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 311px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOeQ5WbMlxZPp46XsWLR0rGpfH3AVZTNlY7PR6inB5QR40rCFaAy89L0s13JFNGCuFYvxxen0BiRRAQu7JoCvDPPxV2xoucbkmcQSKPRWsNQ7Pm27miztwS3GFkp_DH-LCrs_j/s400/DrBrianCox_01lowres.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5532883026111731202" /></a><a href="http://www.looktothestars.org/news/5660-brian-cox-to-host-douglas-adams-memorial-lecture">Look To The Stars.org</a> has a feature on the upcoming Douglas Adams Memorial Lecture, to be presented by "Rock star physicist" Professor Brian Cox.<br /><blockquote>Although Adams died unexpectedly in 2001 at the age of 49, the Memorial Lectures – held every year since 2003 – continue to explore the themes in which he was so interested, and help support both Save the Rhino International and the Environmental Investigation Agency, two charities championed by the “Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy” author.<br /><br />Douglas was moved to take action for wildlife conservation during a 1985 visit to Madagascar. His dedication to the cause resulted in the book “Last Chance to See” highlighting the plight of species facing extinction.<br /></blockquote><a href="http://www.savetherhino.org/eTargetSRINM/site/1190/default.aspx">The Ninth Douglas Adams Memorial Lecture</a> will take place at The Royal Geographical Society in London on Thursday 10 March 2011, 7.30pm. <br /><small><span style="font-style:italic;">Photo Credit: Vincent Connare</span></small><div class="blogger-post-footer">---
Originally published at http://anotherchancetosee.blogspot.com</div>Garethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01016456671468216397noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7804246.post-33126914384049507822011-03-08T09:16:00.002-05:002011-03-08T09:17:15.661-05:00Douglas Adams PodcastCheck out the latest edition of <a href="http://www.ipadio.com/phlogs/PodDelusion/2011/3/8/The-Pod-Delusion--Douglas-Adams-Special">The Pod Delusion</a> podcast which is a Douglas Adams special.<blockquote>In association with Save The Rhino, a look back at Adams' life, work and legacy featuring Stephen Mangan, Mark Cowardine, Simon Jones, Marcus du Sautoy, Dirk Maggs and more. </blockquote><div class="blogger-post-footer">---
Originally published at http://anotherchancetosee.blogspot.com</div>Garethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01016456671468216397noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7804246.post-17480226151907611792011-02-07T09:15:00.000-05:002011-02-07T09:15:01.011-05:00REMINDER: Brian Cox to Host Douglas Adams Memorial Lecture<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOeQ5WbMlxZPp46XsWLR0rGpfH3AVZTNlY7PR6inB5QR40rCFaAy89L0s13JFNGCuFYvxxen0BiRRAQu7JoCvDPPxV2xoucbkmcQSKPRWsNQ7Pm27miztwS3GFkp_DH-LCrs_j/s1600/DrBrianCox_01lowres.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 311px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOeQ5WbMlxZPp46XsWLR0rGpfH3AVZTNlY7PR6inB5QR40rCFaAy89L0s13JFNGCuFYvxxen0BiRRAQu7JoCvDPPxV2xoucbkmcQSKPRWsNQ7Pm27miztwS3GFkp_DH-LCrs_j/s400/DrBrianCox_01lowres.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5532883026111731202" /></a><a href="http://www.looktothestars.org/news/5660-brian-cox-to-host-douglas-adams-memorial-lecture">Look To The Stars.org</a> has a feature on the upcoming Douglas Adams Memorial Lecture, to be presented by "Rock star physicist" Professor Brian Cox.<br /><blockquote>Although Adams died unexpectedly in 2001 at the age of 49, the Memorial Lectures – held every year since 2003 – continue to explore the themes in which he was so interested, and help support both Save the Rhino International and the Environmental Investigation Agency, two charities championed by the “Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy” author.<br /><br />Douglas was moved to take action for wildlife conservation during a 1985 visit to Madagascar. His dedication to the cause resulted in the book “Last Chance to See” highlighting the plight of species facing extinction.<br /></blockquote><a href="http://www.savetherhino.org/eTargetSRINM/site/1190/default.aspx">The Ninth Douglas Adams Memorial Lecture</a> will take place at The Royal Geographical Society in London on Thursday 10 March 2011, 7.30pm. <br /><small><span style="font-style:italic;">Photo Credit: Vincent Connare</span></small><div class="blogger-post-footer">---
Originally published at http://anotherchancetosee.blogspot.com</div>Garethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01016456671468216397noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7804246.post-37562192190934440612010-10-27T20:09:00.006-04:002010-11-29T07:28:45.130-05:00Ninth Douglas Adams Memorial Lecture - Brian Cox<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOeQ5WbMlxZPp46XsWLR0rGpfH3AVZTNlY7PR6inB5QR40rCFaAy89L0s13JFNGCuFYvxxen0BiRRAQu7JoCvDPPxV2xoucbkmcQSKPRWsNQ7Pm27miztwS3GFkp_DH-LCrs_j/s1600/DrBrianCox_01lowres.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 311px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOeQ5WbMlxZPp46XsWLR0rGpfH3AVZTNlY7PR6inB5QR40rCFaAy89L0s13JFNGCuFYvxxen0BiRRAQu7JoCvDPPxV2xoucbkmcQSKPRWsNQ7Pm27miztwS3GFkp_DH-LCrs_j/s400/DrBrianCox_01lowres.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5532883026111731202" /></a>News from the Save the Rhino website. <a href="http://www.savetherhino.org/eTargetSRINM/site/1190/default.aspx">The Ninth Douglas Adams Memorial Lecture</a> will take place at The Royal Geographical Society in London on Thursday 10 March 2011, 7.30pm. <br /><br />The lecture will be given by Professor Brian Cox. <br /><br />For tickets (which cost £15) please contact <a href="mailto:jo@savetherhino.org">jo@savetherhino.org</a>, <a href="http://www.savetherhino.org/eTargetSRINM/site/920/default.aspx">online</a>, or call +44 020 735 7474<blockquote>Professor Brian Cox began his career not as a physicist but as a rock star, most notably as part of the band D’Ream, whose song ‘Things Can Only Get Better’ was famously used by Tony Blair as the Labour Party election song in 1997. During the D’Ream years, Brian obtained a first class honours degree in physics from the University of Manchester and a PhD in High Energy Particle Physics at the DESY laboratory in Hamburg. <br /><br />In 2010, Brian received an OBE for his services to Science. Brian was granted a Royal Society University Research Fellowship in 2005 and in 2009 became Professor of Particle Physics at the University of Manchester. He works at the CERN laboratory in Geneva, Switzerland on the ATLAS experiment at the Large Hadron Collider.<br /><br />Brian also writes for various publications including New Statesman, The Telegraph, Sun and Times. His book ‘Why Does E=mc2?’ (Da Capo USA and Perseus UK) was published in 2009. Brian’s ability to present science in an engaging manner makes him a popular television presenter & radio broadcaster. His credits include the recent series, Wonders of the Solar System (BBC2, 2010).<br /></blockquote><small><span style="font-style:italic;">Photo Credit: Vincent Connare</span></small><div class="blogger-post-footer">---
Originally published at http://anotherchancetosee.blogspot.com</div>Garethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01016456671468216397noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7804246.post-12140306999302349352010-05-25T11:09:00.001-04:002010-05-25T11:09:57.671-04:00Towel Day 2010<a href="http://www.towelday.org/"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://home.comcast.net/~anotherchancetosee/bath.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><div class="blogger-post-footer">---
Originally published at http://anotherchancetosee.blogspot.com</div>Garethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01016456671468216397noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7804246.post-91277765218147758002009-09-04T12:32:00.012-04:002009-10-11T11:08:59.034-04:00The Story of Last Chance To See (by David Haddock)The story of Last Chance to See begins with Douglas Adams being telephoned by the World Wildlife Fund and asked to go to Madagascar and look for the rarest form of lemur then known - the Aye-Aye. He was to do this in the company of zoologist Mark Carwardine who would act as the expert foil to Douglas who would be writing about the trip. The trip took place in the Spring of 1985, and the photographer Alain le Garsmeur went along to provide the pictures, and Jane Belson who was later to be Douglas’s wife also joined the group.<br /><br />The article duly appeared in the <span style="font-style:italic;">Observer Sunday Magazine</span> (9th June 1985) with plenty of pictures of other lemurs, nice photogenic ones that were active during the day, like the Ring-tailed lemur shown on the cover, and the Sifaka lemur in the body of the article. However, much to everyone's surprise they did manage to capture the nocturnal Aye-Aye on film as well, and so a grainy picture of it was also published in the article. The aim of the project was to promote conservation in Madagascar, and to that end it was sponsored by Fiat, which donated a pound to the WWF for every person that called an advertised phone number.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx7-OWMChQza9YlX4Xcjr6ebtZwuANV5urnY92s7PiGyR8mXsEvY6Y_MmVpyOpf1WQpeVWVafUlFgYoYz5vjTc-O1LKvPeudagbnVgDrRxIQTYtvJV3g_XN4XM6FTMqm9g3T_S/s1600-h/solcts1.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx7-OWMChQza9YlX4Xcjr6ebtZwuANV5urnY92s7PiGyR8mXsEvY6Y_MmVpyOpf1WQpeVWVafUlFgYoYz5vjTc-O1LKvPeudagbnVgDrRxIQTYtvJV3g_XN4XM6FTMqm9g3T_S/s400/solcts1.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5117163048082364402" /></a><br /><br />Incidentally, Douglas used the expedition as the basis of a chatty ten-minute radio programme of him speaking over a background of wildlife sounds that was broadcast on BBC Radio 4 on 1st November 1985 under the title <span style="font-style:italic;">Natural Selection: In Search of the Aye-Aye</span>. Douglas returned to the subject of the Aye-Aye, specifically the evolution of its distinctive middle finger, in a one-minute programme for a 1998 BBC2 series called <span style="font-style:italic;">Natural Selections</span>, with his contribution broadcast on March 28th.<br /><br />An account of the Madagascar trip, and how it led to the others, is given in the introductory chapter of <span style="font-style:italic;">Last Chance to See</span> entitled Twig Technology. After successfully finding the Aye-Aye, Mark was telling Douglas about some of the many other endangered species and Douglas goes and gets his Filofax and says, “I've just got a couple of novels to write, but, er, what are you doing in 1988?” The preparation for these later trips is discussed in Neil Gaiman's book, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1840237422?ie=UTF8&tag=anotherchan04-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1840237422"><span style="font-style:italic;">Don't Panic: The Official Hitch-Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy Companion</span></a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=anotherchan04-20&l=as2&o=1&a=1840237422" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" />, published in 1988, and mentions three particular species that they planned to look for: the Kouprey, the Quetzal and the Kakapo. The last of these did make it into the final selection, but the Kouprey, an ox-like creature found in Vietnam and the Quetzal, the national bird of Guatemala, did not. Choosing where to go and what to see was somewhat haphazard with Mark and Douglas horse-trading over a map of the world about where they wanted to go and what they wanted to see. “The Congo? The Seychelles? Split the difference – Mauritius”, reported Gaiman's book, which also said that initial thoughts were to produce a television series, but the first place they asked about filming was in China and as the permit was going to cost £200,000 they quickly shelved that idea, and turned it into a radio series. The radio series was eventually funded by the advance on the book, with the authors paying the expenses of the BBC sound engineers that individually accompanied them: Gaynor Shutte and Chris Muir.<br /><br />The various trips to search for the animals eventually took place in 1988 and 1989 after Douglas wrote the two Dirk Gently novels and Mark had to change all the arrangements because the books took a little longer than expected. The book of <span style="font-style:italic;">Last Chance to See</span> is still in print, but the full radio series seems only been to have been broadcast in the UK in October / November 1989, with a repeat of four of the six episodes the next year. A clip from the show made the prestigious <span style="font-style:italic;">Pick of the Year</span> BBC radio selection. The full set of episodes did receive an airing in Australia in 2001, and the Fruit Bat episode was included in the three-hour tribute to Adams broadcast on BBC7 in 2003. There are clips from each episode on the triple CD package, <span style="font-style:italic;"><a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/0563494042?ie=UTF8&tag=anotherchance-21&linkCode=as2&camp=1634&creative=6738&creativeASIN=0563494042">Douglas Adams at the BBC</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.co.uk/e/ir?t=anotherchance-21&l=as2&o=2&a=0563494042" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" /></span>.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;"><u>Last Chance to See – Radio Episode Guide</u></span><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">Prelude: <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/lastchancetosee/sites/radio/aye_aye.shtml">Natural Selection: In Search of the Aye-Aye</a> [Aye-Aye Lemurs - 01/11/1985]</span><br /><ol><li><a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/lastchancetosee/sites/radio/kakapo.shtml">Ralph, The Fragrant Parrot Of Codfish Island</a> [Kakapo Parrot - 04/10/1989]</li><li><a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/lastchancetosee/sites/radio/river_dolphin.shtml">Gone Fishing!</a> [Yangtze River Dolphin - 11/10/1989]</li><li><a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/lastchancetosee/sites/radio/animal_vegetable_mineral.shtml">Animal, Vegetable Or Mineral?</a> [Amazonian Manatee - 18/10/1989]</li><li><a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/lastchancetosee/sites/radio/fruit_bat.shtml">The Answer Is Blowing In The Wind</a> [Rodrigues Fruit Bat - 25/10/1989]</li><li><a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/lastchancetosee/sites/radio/komodo_dragon.shtml">A Man-Eating, Evil-Smelling Dragon</a> [Komodo Dragon - 01/11/1989]</li><li><a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/lastchancetosee/sites/radio/fur_seal.shtml">The Sultan Of Juan Fernandez</a> [Fur Seal - 08/11/1989]</li></ol>The episodes went out at 12.25pm on Wednesdays with a repeat at 8.00pm on the following Sunday. In the absence of a commercial release, all the episodes should be available to listen to at the National Sound Archive. In May 1997 Radio 4 broadcast another set of five fifteen-minute programmes under the title <span style="font-style:italic;">Last Chance to See</span>. These were Douglas reading from the Komodo Dragon chapter of the book, and a companion website was created at the time is still available at <a href="http://tdv.com/lastchance/">http://tdv.com/lastchance/</a><br /><br />The radio series was made with each episode having three or four Hitchhikers Guide style vignettes read by Peter Jones, but with the majority of the content coming from the on the spot recordings made on their travels. These provide their instant reaction to what they are seeing allowing Mark to describe the creatures and Douglas to give his commentary. There are also some more considered comments that were recorded by Douglas after their return that has a background of typewriter noises. The radio programmes featured in a two-page article in the <span style="font-style:italic;">Radio Times</span> (30/09/1989) that quoted Douglas as saying, “The intention of the series is to be serious, but because I'm a comedy writer the tone will be light. The aim is to bring these issues to a broader audience: greens tend to preach to the converted on green issues.”<br /><br />Writing the book to accompany the series was somewhat of a struggle. Mark and Douglas planned to do this over the course of four months at a villa in Juan-les-Pins in the South of France. With Mark commuting weekly and Douglas there full time, they managed to produce a solitary page, although they did do a great deal of planning and lunching. Returning to London the pair were apparently locked into Douglas's house in Islington in order to produce the book, which, so the story goes, the publishers took as soon as they thought it was long enough. The page written in France didn't make the final edit. This is one of the reasons that two of the species they searched for did not make the book at all: the Juan Fernandez Fur Seal and the Amazonian Manatee. The audio version of the book, the English version of which is read by Douglas Adams, further excludes a couple of the book chapters in order to fit the double cassette format.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;"><u>Last Chance to See – Book Chapter Guide</u></span><br /><ol><li>Twig Technology [Aye-Aye]</li><li>Here Be Chickens [Komodo Dragon]</li><li>Leopardskin Pillbox Hat [Northern White Rhino / Gorilla]</li><li>Heartbeats in the Night [Kakapo]</li><li>Blind Panic [River Dolphin]</li><li>Rare, or Medium Rare? [Rodrigues Fruit Bat]</li><li>Sifting Through the Embers [Sibylline Books]</li><li>Mark's Last Word ... [Summary / News]</li></ol>A CD-ROM followed in 1992, produced by The Voyager Company. This has audio recordings of Douglas reading the whole of the book as well as some contributions from Mark about the individual animals and extracts from their on the spot recordings. There are also over 800 photographs from the trip included in the multimedia package. In 2001 a German company re-released the CD-ROM, the book having been successful in translation into German, and a German audio-book also being available. Other translations of the book include Dutch, Polish, Czech and Hebrew editions. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQd6KpfQ7FKBNrDnME0dgT7U0E9Af_LyaqMXERJxL3ohZ2TRnANGWntDXcwVyRw84GeKcax923tj8BL6JfCz2cfJjEtU6Jr3uBuURQQ1AjeVnVa-piifKg2KFaJj-nzIZCwTCk/s1600-h/solcts2.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQd6KpfQ7FKBNrDnME0dgT7U0E9Af_LyaqMXERJxL3ohZ2TRnANGWntDXcwVyRw84GeKcax923tj8BL6JfCz2cfJjEtU6Jr3uBuURQQ1AjeVnVa-piifKg2KFaJj-nzIZCwTCk/s400/solcts2.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5117163576363341826" /></a><br /><br />The trips that he and Mark undertook awoke within Douglas a sense of wonderment at the natural world that can be seen in his subsequent writings. Both <span style="font-style:italic;">Mostly Harmless</span> (1992), with the section about Perfectly Normal Beast, and the <span style="font-style:italic;">Salmon of Doubt</span> (2002) with the Rhino's point of view of a rampage, reflect the development of his ecological awareness. In a March 1998 interview with Matt Newsome, partly reproduced in <span style="font-style:italic;">The Salmon of Doubt</span>, Douglas mentions the impact of his trip to Madagascar on the first Dirk Gently book, although the author admitted that “I recast it for various reasons as Mauritius”. The interview also touched on the possibility of a <span style="font-style:italic;">Last Chance to See TV series</span>, although Douglas presaged that part of the interview with “I probably shouldn't say this” as the discussions were only just beginning, and at the time came to naught. After publishing the first Dirk Gently book, Douglas became friends with Richard Dawkins who had written Douglas a fan letter after reading the novel, and this again reinforced and developed his interest in evolution and natural history. Douglas eventually became a patron of both Save The Rhino and the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund, charities for which the annual Douglas Adams Memorial Lectures have raised money.<br /><br />A set of follow-up trips were touted and an article appeared in <span style="font-style:italic;">The Times</span> (19th February 1991) which indicated that the pair were to be even more intrepid than on their previous trips and look specifically at species whose predicaments had been caused by their proximity to war zones. Again the Kouprey was mentioned by name, described as living “on the borders of Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia, which has been devastated by minefields”. The article also mentioned the pair having researched the plight of animals in Afghanistan, Uganda and Nicaragua, and the potential of looking at the predicament of fish and birds in the oil spills of the (First) Gulf War zone. This is as far as the second series seemed to get, however, the <span style="font-style:italic;">Last Chance to See</span> story does not end there, as nearly twenty years after the original radio series we now have the prospect of a televisual update with the working title <span style="font-style:italic;">Another Chance to See</span>. <br /><br />At a lecture in London in November 2006, to raise money for tiger conservation, Mark Carwardine was introduced as “the author of 54 books, and shortly to film a series with Stephen Fry”. Asked about it after the lecture Mark confirmed that he was in the process of arranging the filming dates for going to visit the people and animals that he had seen with Douglas and hoped the series would be broadcast in Spring of 2008. Stephen Fry would be filling the role of enthusiastic amateur now Douglas is no longer with us, and was not only a great friend of Adams, but also has his own environmental pedigree with his TV programme, book on the Spectacled Bear, as well as a charity to help protect it. The TV series has had quite a long gestation. Stephen Fry mentioned on a webchat that he was in discussions about this project with Mark back in June 2006. <span style="font-style:italic;">Another Chance to See</span> seemed to take a major step forward when the TV company Iostar announced it on their website as part of their launch at the TV trade show MIP-TV in Cannes during the second week of April 2007. Part of the text ran: “This time it's Stephen Fry at the helm with Carwardine, as they revisit the six featured endangered species and bring their stories right up to date. From Madagascar to Mauritius, and from China to the Congo, the pair will be guided by the ethereal presence of Douglas Adams whose voice lives on, loud and clear in scene-setting audio.” The company then went spectacularly bust soon afterwards. However, the project was far from being dodo-like...<br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">Added by Gareth, September 2009</span><br />In January 2008, Stephen Fry and Mark Carwardine set off on the first filming expedition, to try and find the Amazonian Manatee. Unfortunately, Stephen fell off a boat dock and broke his arm badly, but the first of the films was in the can. <br /><br />Further filming expeditions followed from mid-2008 through the spring of 2009. Stephen Fry "Twitter-ed" their progress regularly, and the BBC provided blogs and video clips on their new <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/lastchancetosee/">Last Chance To See website</a>. The website also gradually released <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/lastchancetosee/sites/radio/">streaming audio of the entire original radio series</a>. As the radio series had never received a commercial release before, this was very well received by fans.<br /><br />Working titles for the films were "Another Chance To See" and "Last Chance To See - The Return", but ultimately the series would end up being called "Last Chance To See". On Sunday 6th October 2009, the six-part TV series began on BBC2 at 8p.m.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;"><u>Last Chance to See – TV Episode Guide</u></span><ol><li>Last Chance to See: Amazonian Manatee [6/9/2009]</li><li>Last Chance to See: Northern White Rhino [13/9/2009]</li><li>Last Chance to See: Aye Aye [20/9/2009]</li><li>Last Chance to See: Komodo Dragon [27/9/2009]</li><li>Last Chance to See: Kakapo [4/10/2009]</li><li>Last Chance to See: Blue Whale [18/10/2009]</li></ol>To accompany the TV series, Mark Carwardine wrote a new Last Chance To See book, with a foreward by Stephen Fry, which was released in hardback on September 3rd 2009, published by Collins. A DVD and Blu-ray of the TV series was released on October 19th, 2009.<br /><br /><br /><br /><small>A version of this article, also by David Haddock, first appeared in issue #105 of Mostly Harmless, the magazine of ZZ9 Plural Z Alpha, the Official Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy Appreciation Society. See <a href="http://www.zz9.org">http://www.zz9.org</a>.<br /><br />Apologies for the re-post, but with the TV series about to begin, Dave's article deserves another visit to the front page</small><div class="blogger-post-footer">---
Originally published at http://anotherchancetosee.blogspot.com</div>Garethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01016456671468216397noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7804246.post-44618415186947892462009-05-25T01:10:00.002-04:002009-05-25T08:39:46.405-04:00Towel Day 2009<a href="http://www.towelday.org/"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://home.comcast.net/~anotherchancetosee/bath.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><div class="blogger-post-footer">---
Originally published at http://anotherchancetosee.blogspot.com</div>Garethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01016456671468216397noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7804246.post-61235733663934463182009-05-24T10:59:00.000-04:002009-05-24T10:59:00.464-04:00Towel Day Tomorrow - Do You Know Where Your Towel Is?Tomorrow, May 25, is <a href="http://www.towelday.org/">Towel Day 2009</a>. Towel Day is an annual celebration, and tribute to the late author Douglas Adams (1952-2001), when fans around the universe proudly carry a towel in his honour.<div class="blogger-post-footer">---
Originally published at http://anotherchancetosee.blogspot.com</div>Garethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01016456671468216397noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7804246.post-63357519801297775112009-05-14T16:01:00.005-04:002009-05-17T11:59:37.574-04:00Eighth Douglas Adams Memorial Lecture - Marcus du Sautoy on "42"<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq3NNtCb5XiWkr1JuaBatCwfCPB7xU8KsIxJD65H1hs3odcK0CYab4pWJLZlA0ZegattadDa0Mqdot8QW4q2fdF9CHSsBLuG-3L1sq3S8kJ36s82ausXL4ceERtWwRV7a2fJh8/s1600-h/Marcus_du_Sautoy.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 215px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq3NNtCb5XiWkr1JuaBatCwfCPB7xU8KsIxJD65H1hs3odcK0CYab4pWJLZlA0ZegattadDa0Mqdot8QW4q2fdF9CHSsBLuG-3L1sq3S8kJ36s82ausXL4ceERtWwRV7a2fJh8/s320/Marcus_du_Sautoy.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5335774372413157522" /></a>According to their website and the latest issue of Save The Rhino's "The Horn" newsletter, <a href="http://www.savetherhino.org/eTargetSRINM/site/1074/default.aspx">The Eighth Douglas Adams Memorial Lecture</a> will take place on Thursday, March 11th, 2010. (Douglas Adams' birthday) <br /><br />The lecture will be given by Oxford Professor of Mathematics Marcus du Sautoy on the very <span style="font-style:italic;">Douglas Adams-ie</span> subject of "42". Proceeds will go towards Save the Rhino International and the Environmental Investigation Agency.<br /><br />For tickets (which cost £15) please contact <a href="mailto:fiona_AT_savetherhino.org">Fiona Macleod</a> for tickets, phone +44 (0)20 7357 7474.<blockquote>Marcus du Sautoy is the Charles Simonyi Professor for the Public Understanding of Science and Professor of Mathematics at the University of Oxford and a Fellow of New College. He has been named by the Independent on Sunday as one of the UK's leading scientists. In 2001 he won the prestigious Berwick Prize of the London Mathematical Society awarded every two years to reward the best mathematical research made by a mathematician under 40. In 2004 Esquire Magazine chose him as one of the 100 most influential people under 40 in Britain and in 2008 he was included in the prestigious directory Who’s Who.<br /><br />Marcus du Sautoy writes for the Times, Daily Telegraph, Independent and the Guardian and is frequently asked for comment on BBC radio and television. He has a regular column in the Times called Sexy Maths.</blockquote><small><span style="font-style:italic;">Photo Credit: Niall McDiarmid</span></small><div class="blogger-post-footer">---
Originally published at http://anotherchancetosee.blogspot.com</div>Garethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01016456671468216397noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7804246.post-82097440443982036282009-03-20T07:48:00.000-04:002009-03-20T07:48:03.682-04:00Last Chance To See: Book ReviewSonia Mitchell has written a <a href="http://www.popmatters.com/pm/review/71393-last-chance-to-see-by-douglas-adams-mark-carwardine/">review of the original Last Chance To See book</a>, over at PopMatters.com, and I thought it was worth a link if you're still on the fence about reading this terrific book. She gives it an 8/10.<blockquote>Adams treads a delicate line between making it clear how threatened some of these animals are and staying optimistic as to the future. It’s possibly too late for some of them, but others still hang on, and with increased public awareness perhaps comes an increased chance of survival. Adams’ character portraits of the conservationists in the field are witty and skillful, and leave the reader with some hope that with (often charmingly insane) people like these devoting their lives to these animals there might be a future for some of them.</blockquote><div class="blogger-post-footer">---
Originally published at http://anotherchancetosee.blogspot.com</div>Garethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01016456671468216397noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7804246.post-81521148567340426682009-03-10T15:38:00.001-04:002009-03-10T15:39:43.387-04:00Last Chance To See Books: Re-issue, and TV Tie-In<iframe src="http://rcm-uk.amazon.co.uk/e/cm?t=anotherchance-21&o=2&p=8&l=as1&asins=009953679X&fc1=000000&IS2=1<1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=FFFFFF&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr&nou=1" style="width:120px;height:240px;padding-right:5px;" scrolling="no" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0" align="left"></iframe><iframe src="http://rcm-uk.amazon.co.uk/e/cm?t=anotherchance-21&o=2&p=8&l=as1&asins=0007290721&fc1=000000&IS2=1<1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=FFFFFF&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr&nou=1" style="width:120px;height:240px;padding-left:5px;" scrolling="no" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0" align="right"></iframe>Thanks to Dave who points out that the re-issue edition of <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/009953679X?ie=UTF8&tag=anotherchance-21&linkCode=as2&camp=1634&creative=6738&creativeASIN=009953679X">Last Chance to See by Douglas Adams and Mark Carwardine</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.co.uk/e/ir?t=anotherchance-21&l=as2&o=2&a=009953679X" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" />, with a new introduction by Richard Dawkins, will be released on October 1st, 2009.<br /><br />This new paperback edition by Arrow Books is now available for pre-order at Amazon.co.uk. <br /><br />Similarly, the TV tie-in book published by Collins, <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/0007290721?ie=UTF8&tag=anotherchance-21&linkCode=as2&camp=1634&creative=6738&creativeASIN=0007290721">Last Chance to See by Mark Carwardine and Stephen Fry</a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.co.uk/e/ir?t=anotherchance-21&l=as2&o=2&a=0007290721" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important;" /> is set for release on October 5th.<br /><br />Stephen Fry and Mark Carwardine finished recording the Whales episode of the TV series very recently. Stephen is currently back in New York, playing with his Kindle2. They only have the Komodo Dragon episode left to film in April.<div class="blogger-post-footer">---
Originally published at http://anotherchancetosee.blogspot.com</div>Garethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01016456671468216397noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7804246.post-42704597595884945272009-03-08T23:34:00.000-04:002009-03-08T23:34:00.502-04:00FINAL REMINDER: 7th Douglas Adams Memorial Lecture - Benedict Allen<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUp2Fq3LdIBMf893tkVysjesui_A4Ppz0b6WfdPcftgD7zSAP2HMF10wwOSaWnTDnkKC_3MwpKf5eCJFFbblD1twBRn7iwjOlFib6rTyxx0AEu0PqEjYXTR_IGshfsHJg9DBha/s1600-h/ba.jpeg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 171px; height: 263px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUp2Fq3LdIBMf893tkVysjesui_A4Ppz0b6WfdPcftgD7zSAP2HMF10wwOSaWnTDnkKC_3MwpKf5eCJFFbblD1twBRn7iwjOlFib6rTyxx0AEu0PqEjYXTR_IGshfsHJg9DBha/s320/ba.jpeg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5299888912265672754" /></a>**FINAL REMINDER REPOST**<br /><br />In aid of Save The Rhino, the <a href="http://www.savetherhino.org/eTargetSRINM/site/1045/default.aspx">Seventh Douglas Adams Memorial Lecture</a> will take place on <span style="font-weight:bold;">March 11, 2009</span>. The speaker this year will be explorer and broadcaster <a href="http://www.benedictallen.com/">Benedict Allen</a>.<br /><br />I first became aware of Benedict when he presented his inspiring 1997 "video diary" style documentary series "The Skeleton Coast" in which he trekked through the Namib desert with three grouchy camels. He followed that trip with a 3000 mile trek across the Mongolian Gobi desert in "The Edge of Blue Heaven".<br /><br />Benedict is a sometime guest, and sometime presenter on BBC Radio 4's "Excess Baggage". Here he is in an appearance from 2006: <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/excessbaggage/index_20061028.shtml">The Adventurer's Spirit in the Face of Adversity</a>.<br /><br />These days, Benedict is known for his Channel Five TV series <a href="http://unbreakable.five.tv/">Unbreakable</a>...<blockquote>in which eight athletes are pushed to their mental and physical limits, explorer Benedict Allen takes a look at what helps keep any of us going in the face of disaster. </blockquote>As to the lecture itself...<blockquote>It’s an exciting and often humorous talk which draws on his vast experience of survival in jungles and deserts and the Arctic, by himself and others who live at the extremes.<br /><br />Please e-mail <a href="mailto:fiona@savetherhino.org">fiona@savetherhino.org</a> for tickets, which cost £15.</blockquote><div class="blogger-post-footer">---
Originally published at http://anotherchancetosee.blogspot.com</div>Garethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01016456671468216397noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7804246.post-36943249214869846182009-02-12T09:01:00.002-05:002009-02-12T09:06:55.044-05:007th Douglas Adams Memorial Lecture - Benedict Allen<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUp2Fq3LdIBMf893tkVysjesui_A4Ppz0b6WfdPcftgD7zSAP2HMF10wwOSaWnTDnkKC_3MwpKf5eCJFFbblD1twBRn7iwjOlFib6rTyxx0AEu0PqEjYXTR_IGshfsHJg9DBha/s1600-h/ba.jpeg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 171px; height: 263px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUp2Fq3LdIBMf893tkVysjesui_A4Ppz0b6WfdPcftgD7zSAP2HMF10wwOSaWnTDnkKC_3MwpKf5eCJFFbblD1twBRn7iwjOlFib6rTyxx0AEu0PqEjYXTR_IGshfsHJg9DBha/s320/ba.jpeg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5299888912265672754" /></a>**REMINDER REPOST**<br /><br />In aid of Save The Rhino, the <a href="http://www.savetherhino.org/eTargetSRINM/site/1045/default.aspx">Seventh Douglas Adams Memorial Lecture</a> will take place on <span style="font-weight:bold;">March 11, 2009</span>. The speaker this year will be explorer and broadcaster <a href="http://www.benedictallen.com/">Benedict Allen</a>.<br /><br />I first became aware of Benedict when he presented his inspiring 1997 "video diary" style documentary series "The Skeleton Coast" in which he trekked through the Namib desert with three grouchy camels. He followed that trip with a 3000 mile trek across the Mongolian Gobi desert in "The Edge of Blue Heaven".<br /><br />Benedict is a sometime guest, and sometime presenter on BBC Radio 4's "Excess Baggage". Here he is in an appearance from 2006: <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/excessbaggage/index_20061028.shtml">The Adventurer's Spirit in the Face of Adversity</a>.<br /><br />These days, Benedict is known for his Channel Five TV series <a href="http://unbreakable.five.tv/">Unbreakable</a>...<blockquote>in which eight athletes are pushed to their mental and physical limits, explorer Benedict Allen takes a look at what helps keep any of us going in the face of disaster. </blockquote>As to the lecture itself...<blockquote>It’s an exciting and often humorous talk which draws on his vast experience of survival in jungles and deserts and the Arctic, by himself and others who live at the extremes.<br /><br />Please e-mail <a href="mailto:fiona@savetherhino.org">fiona@savetherhino.org</a> for tickets, which cost £15.</blockquote><div class="blogger-post-footer">---
Originally published at http://anotherchancetosee.blogspot.com</div>Garethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01016456671468216397noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7804246.post-79426055163966982272008-11-11T21:37:00.006-05:002008-11-11T22:16:47.769-05:00Video: Douglas Adams - Parrots, the Universe and EverythingOne of the very first posts I made on this blog, back in 2004, was about this wonderful Douglas Adams lecture entitled "Parrots, The Universe and Everything", which is mostly about "Last Chance To See". At the time, it was only available as a fairly low quality stream, direct from the University of California Television website. It is <a href="http://www.uctv.tv/search-details.asp?showID=5779">still available at UCTV</a>, but now, through the magic of YouTube (which didn't even EXIST in 2004), I can present it for your enjoyment right here. ENJOY!<div align="center"><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/_ZG8HBuDjgc&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/_ZG8HBuDjgc&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object></div><br />This report from the <a href="http://www.dailynexus.com/news/2001/692.html">Daily Nexus Online</a> describes the lecture, and how it was enjoyed by an enthusiastic audience of some 800 people.<br /><br />Very sadly, this is one of the last public appearances by Douglas, as he would tragically die the following month. Still so very sadly missed.<div class="blogger-post-footer">---
Originally published at http://anotherchancetosee.blogspot.com</div>Garethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01016456671468216397noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7804246.post-32210088630067507962008-10-22T06:05:00.003-04:002009-02-06T22:16:32.894-05:007th Douglas Adams Memorial Lecture - Benedict Allen<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUp2Fq3LdIBMf893tkVysjesui_A4Ppz0b6WfdPcftgD7zSAP2HMF10wwOSaWnTDnkKC_3MwpKf5eCJFFbblD1twBRn7iwjOlFib6rTyxx0AEu0PqEjYXTR_IGshfsHJg9DBha/s1600-h/ba.jpeg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 171px; height: 263px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUp2Fq3LdIBMf893tkVysjesui_A4Ppz0b6WfdPcftgD7zSAP2HMF10wwOSaWnTDnkKC_3MwpKf5eCJFFbblD1twBRn7iwjOlFib6rTyxx0AEu0PqEjYXTR_IGshfsHJg9DBha/s320/ba.jpeg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5299888912265672754" /></a>In aid of Save The Rhino, the <a href="http://www.savetherhino.org/eTargetSRINM/site/1045/default.aspx">Seventh Douglas Adams Memorial Lecture</a> will take place on March 11, 2009. The speaker this year will be explorer and broadcaster <a href="http://www.benedictallen.com/">Benedict Allen</a>.<br /><br />I first became aware of Benedict when he presented his inspiring 1997 "video diary" style documentary series "The Skeleton Coast" in which he trekked through the Namib desert with three grouchy camels. He followed that trip with a 3000 mile trek across the Mongolian Gobi desert in "The Edge of Blue Heaven".<br /><br />Benedict is a sometime guest, and sometime presenter on BBC Radio 4's "Excess Baggage". Here he is in an appearance from 2006: <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/excessbaggage/index_20061028.shtml">The Adventurer's Spirit in the Face of Adversity</a>.<br /><br />These days, Benedict is known for his Channel Five TV series <a href="http://unbreakable.five.tv/">Unbreakable</a>...<blockquote>in which eight athletes are pushed to their mental and physical limits, explorer Benedict Allen takes a look at what helps keep any of us going in the face of disaster. </blockquote>As to the lecture itself...<blockquote>It’s an exciting and often humorous talk which draws on his vast experience of survival in jungles and deserts and the Arctic, by himself and others who live at the extremes.<br /><br />Tickets cost £15 and are on sale in January.<br /><br />Please e-mail <a href="mailto:fiona@savetherhino.org">fiona@savetherhino.org</a> to be notified when tickets go on sale.</blockquote><div class="blogger-post-footer">---
Originally published at http://anotherchancetosee.blogspot.com</div>Garethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01016456671468216397noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7804246.post-5094594661329446322008-08-29T19:00:00.002-04:002008-08-29T19:30:09.929-04:00Geoffrey Perkins dies in road accidentIt is with great sadness that I have to report that Geoffrey Perkins has died in a road traffic accident in London. He was only 55. Geoffrey was instrumental in bringing Douglas Adams' The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy to radio back in the 70s, and in his roles as a BBC radio producer, director of Hat Trick Productions, BBC TV Head of Comedy, and latterly with Tiger Aspect Productions, he has been part of an incredible number of shows that I've enjoyed for nearly 30 years. <br /><br />He was a great talent who will be much missed, and his list of hit shows just goes on and on. How many of these have you enjoyed?<br /><br /><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catherine_tate_show">The Catherine Tate Show</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Fast_Show">The Fast Show</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Father_Ted">Father Ted</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spitting_Image">Spitting Image</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saturday_Live_(Channel_4_TV_series)">Saturday Night Live</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harry_Enfield%27s_Television_Programme">The Harry Enfield Television Programme</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ben_Elton">Ben Elton</a> - The Man From Auntie, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Thin_Blue_Line_(TV_series)">The Thin Blue Line</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radio_Active">Radio Active</a> and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/KYTV_(TV_series)">KYTV</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2_pints_of_lager">2 Pints of Lager</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/My_Family">My Family</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coupling_(UK_TV_series)">Coupling</a>, and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Big_Train">Big Train</a>. His latest show <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harry_and_Paul">Harry and Paul</a>, with Harry Enfield and Paul Whitehouse, starts next week.<br /><br />Read the full report on his life at <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7589102.stm">BBC News</a>, and here is his <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geoffrey_Perkins">Wikipedia</a> and <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0673942/">IMDB page</a>.<blockquote>Geoffrey Perkins, 55, worked for many years for BBC Radio, where he created the game <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mornington_Crescent_(game)">Mornington Crescent</a> in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I%27m_Sorry_I_Haven%27t_a_Clue">I'm Sorry Haven't a Clue</a>.<br /><br />He also produced the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, one of the most successful radio shows ever made.<br />[...]<br />BBC director of vision Jana Bennett said she was "shocked and deeply saddened" by the news.<br /><br />"Geoffrey Perkins was an outstanding creator of countless comedy hits on the BBC and elsewhere, and a very distinguished former BBC head of comedy. </blockquote><div class="blogger-post-footer">---
Originally published at http://anotherchancetosee.blogspot.com</div>Garethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01016456671468216397noreply@blogger.com2