Geographical articles from December 2004

Geographical archives from December 2004

Return to the battlefields.(From The Editor)
December 1, 2004... I recently experienced the rather unusual sensation of travelling comfortably and quickly across country on a train. I wasn't in the UK, of course, but speeding along on an SNCF TGV across the flat agricultural landscape of the part of northern...

Memories of Elemi.(Letter Of The Month)(Letter to the Editor)
December 1, 2004... I read with interest the short piece on the Elemi Triangle in northern Kenya (Quizzical, October 2004) as I lived there during the early 1960s. I was 20 years of age at the time and still have vivid memories of my time there. I was the last...

Station error.(letters)(Letter to the Editor)
December 1, 2004... I would like to point out an error in a caption in the collection of old railway photographs from the RGS-IBG archives (Tracks of time, September 2004). The lower photograph on page 95 is not of Rawalpindi railway station; the photograph was...

Better balance.(letters)(Letter to the Editor)
December 1, 2004... Congratulations on improving the format of Geographical. The balance between photos and type is pretty good now, and the quality of advertising does contribute significantly to the overall impression. The subject matter is also more in balance...

When a visit isn't a visit.(letters)(Letter to the Editor)
December 1, 2004... In your September issue, Christian Amodeo describes James Cook as the first European to visit New Zealand (The art of exploration). Not so. The honour belongs to the Dutch navigator Abel Tasman, who, sailing out of Batavia (modern Jakarta),...

Rohan fusion giveaway.(letters)
December 1, 2004... This month, we have three sets of clothing from Rohan to give away. Each set is made up of a pair of Fusion trousers and a fleece top (Vital for men; Angelfleece for women)--a combined value of 78 [pounds sterling]. For more about these...

Hope for Kyoto?(letters)(Letter to the Editor)
December 1, 2004... The potential ratification of the Kyoto Protocol by Russia gives us all encouragement for its implementation in the future. However, it's possible that this is just a hollow piece of the political manoeuvring at which Russia is so adept. It...

Goats not cars.(letters)(Letter to the Editor)
December 1, 2004... In reponse to the Quizzical piece about red dust from the Sahara (November 2004), it isn't the 4x4 drivers who are damaging the desert's surface layer. Most vehicles driven in the Sahara are two-wheel drive and most drivers tend to stick to...

More China please.(letters)(Letter to the Editor)
December 1, 2004... I recently returned from a summer of travel to New Zealand, Thailand, Malaysia and China, and of all the places I visited, China was the most breathtaking. It was just so culturally, geographically and socially eye-opening. I was lucky enough...

Lost in the post.(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... Standing almost a metre tall at the shoulder, this large deer lives in groups of 10-30 individuals, although it sometimes forms much larger herds. It favours forest margins and woodland, where it feeds on grasses and browsed vegetation. While...

A university of Queensland lecturer has generated electricity by using methane from rotting bananas to power a turbine.(Australia)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... A University of Queensland lecturer has generated electricity by using methane from rotting bananas to power a turbine. Bill Clarke built the generator after the Australian Banana Growers' Council asked for suggestions on what to do with reject...

Greenhouse gas emissions from transport have risen by 47 per cent since 1990, according to the Office of National Statistics.(UK)
December 1, 2004... Greenhouse gas emissions from transport have risen by 47 per cent since 1990, according to the Office of National Statistics. The figures show that emissions from UK transport industries fell slightly from 2000, while those from private...

Ethical Events will hold its 18th Fair Trade Fair.(UK)
December 1, 2004... Ethical Events will hold its 18th Fair Trade Fair on Friday 3 and Saturday 4 December at the Emmanuel Centre in Marsham Street, London. * Info: www.fairtradefair.org

World's tallest viaduct to be inaugurated in France.(Worldwatch)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... The world's tallest viaduct is due to be inaugurated this month in Millau, south central France Designed by celebrated British architect Lord Norman Foster, the 2.5-kilometre structure spans the Tam Valley and reaches 343 metres at its highest...

Explorers' ship discovered in the Arctic.(Worldwatch)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... A Royal Navy expedition to become the, first to retrace the route taken by Sir John Ross and his nephew Sir James Clark Ross during their unsuccessful search for the Northwest Passage has discovered the remains of the explorers' ship, the...

First pictures of a planet from another world.(Worldwatch)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... Astronomers at the European Southern Observatory in Chile think they have captured the first direct image of an exoplanet--a planet circling a star other than the sun. A tiny red glow was enough to make French astronomer Christophe Dumas...

Malawi, Zambia agree new transfrontier areas.(Worldwatch)
December 1, 2004... The tourism ministers of Malawi and Zambia have signed a memorandum of understanding that will create two transfrontier conservation areas totalling 35,000 square kilometres. The treaty, described as one of Southern Africa's most far reaching...

Photographers awarded.(Worldwatch)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... Geographers, photographers, journalists and sponsors San Disk, Gecko Travel and Hasselblad gathered in the new pavilion at the RGS-IBG on 14 September for the opening of the Geographical Photographer of the Year exhibition. The 18 winning...

Lakes within the Norfolk Broads are on the way to recovery, according to a report by English Nature and the Broads Authority.(UK)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... Lakes within the Norfolk Broads are on the way to recovery, according to a report by English Nature and the Broads Authority. Results show that, thanks to a programme launched 25 years ago to reverse the effects of sewage dumping and chemical...

The preserved bodies of three First World War Austrian Soldiers.(Italy)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... The preserved bodies of three First World War Austrian soldiers, with uniforms and equipment in almost perfect condition, have been recovered from a glacier on the mountain of San Matteo, Italy.

Top 10 countries with the most malnourished people (millions).(Worldwatch)(Illustration)
December 1, 2004... TOP 10 COUNTRIES WITH THE MOST MALNOURISHED PEOPLE (MILLIONS) 1 India 214 2 China 135 3 Bangladesh 44 4 DR Congo 38 5 Pakistan 27 6 Ethiopia 26 7 Philippines ...

A three year project to measure children's exposure to UV radiation has been launched in New Zealand.(New Zealand)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... A three year project to measure children's exposure to UV radiation has been launched in New Zealand. Using high-tech badges, the sun's radiation will be recorded about 15 times a minute to produce a continuous graph detailing the badge...

20 years ago today ... Geographical Magazine, December 1984.(Worldwatch)
December 1, 2004... When a homeland is not a home described the 'social re-engineering' being carried out at the time by the South African government. Three million people were forcibly relocated to black homelands--often from coveted agricultural land. The system...

Sir Francis Leopold McClintock (1819-1907) a Royal Navy officer and polar explorer, Francis McClintock discovered the fate of the missing Franklin Expedition and charted large areas of the Arctic.(Late Great Geographers #50)
December 1, 2004... What was his background? Francis Leopold McClintock was born on 8 July 1819 in Dundalk, Co Louth. One of 14 children born to Henry McClintock, the town's customs collector and an ex-officer in the 3rd Dragoon Guards, he had little formal...

Maldives man-made island.(Worldwatch)(Hulhumale)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... This is Hulhumale, a new man-made island in the Maldives and the archipelago's future capital city. The 33 million [pounds sterling], 195-hectare island is the largest project of its kind, made from compacted sand, shredded coral and shell...

Fastest-ever ascent of Mount Everest confirmed.(Worldwatch)(Sherpa Pemba Dorjie)
December 1, 2004... Nepal's tourism ministry has confirmed that Sherpa Pemba Dorjie did indeed break the record for the fastest ascent of Mount Everest. On 21 May 2004, Pemba climbed the world's highest mountain in eight hours and ten minutes, breaking the...

The Imperial War Museum.(Geographical Organisations Of Note)
December 1, 2004... When was the museum first founded? In 1917, the government decided that a national war museum should be set up to display material related to the First World War, which was then still being fought. It was opened at the Crystal Palace by...

Cyprus.(Geographical Flags Of The World)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... Description The Cypriot flag was designed by a Turkish Cypriot artist and is the only flag to bear the shape of the country it represents. Below this are two joined olive branches--a reference to the country's emblem, which depicts a dove...

Donors at a recent UNESCO conference have pledged US$40million to the government of the Democratic Republic of Congo.(Dr Congo)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... Donors at a recent UNESCO conference have pledged US$40million to the government of the Democratic Republic of Congo to help it preserve the country's five World Heritage sites.

New evidence suggests that birds started flying earlier than previously thought.(UK)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... New evidence suggests that birds started flying earlier than previously thought. Using computer imaging, Dr Angela Milner, a palaeontologist at the Natural History Museum, has demonstrated that Archdeopteryx, the most ancient bird known, had a...

The Woodland Trust's Tree for All weekend takes place from 18 to 23 November, launching what it hopes will be the UK's largest children's tree-planting initiative.(UK)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... The Woodland Trust's Tree for All weekend takes place from 18 to 23 November, launching what it hopes will be the UK's largest children's tree-planting initiative. The weekend will immediately be followed by National Tree Week, a countrywide...

December: we're all dreaming of a white Christmas, but what are the chances we'll get one? Helen Willets checks out the odds.(Weatherwatch with Helen Willetts)
December 1, 2004... The desire for snow at Christmas is deep-rooted in British culture. Each year, many of us hope to reenact the scenes depicted on traditional Christmas cards and in works such as Dickens' A Christmas Carol or Pickwick Papers, let alone the...

Seven summit couple hit the heights.(Worldwatch)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... Two British based mountaineers have become the first married couple to climb the highest mountains on each of the seven continents. Jo and Rob Gambi are also the fastest couple to complete the seven summits--taking a year and 38 days--and Jo is...

Global population watch.(Quizzical)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... The world population at the time of going to press was according to: the United Nations 6,478,880,055 the CIA 6,416,629,894 the US Bureau of the Census 6,403,537,604

What is the US equivalent of the Ordnance Survey?(Quizzical)
December 1, 2004... ANSWER: The US counterpart to the Ordnance Survey is a body called the US Geological Survey (USGS), and its remit goes a lot further than the mapping that the UK agency performs. The US government has had difficulty keeping a lid on the growth...

Which is the world's fastest-growing island?(Quizzical)
December 1, 2004... ANSWER: It depends how you measure it. Volcanic activity is causing various islands, notably Iceland and some of the Hawaiian islands, to increase in size, but for sheer speed, the anthropogenic island-building of Singapore and the Palm Islands...

Does the sun influence climate change?(Quizzical)
December 1, 2004... ANSWER: Before the greenhouse effect became a concern, people used to blame sunspots for unusual weather. And while research indicates that these do affect the weather, that doesn't mean it's time to rip up the Kyoto Protocol--carbon dioxide...

Why is it that the water from the Okavango Delta doesn't flow into the sea?(Quizzical)
December 1, 2004... ANSWER: From the air, the Okavango Delta is an odd sight. It looks just like a normal river delta, but it's hundreds of kilometres inland, and the water just seems to disappear at the end of the river branches. The water doesn't flow into...

Bearing in mind that Ethiopia claims never to have been colonised, what measures did the recent Eritrea-Ethiopia Boundary Commission take into account when deciding where the border should be?(Quizzical)
December 1, 2004... ANSWER: It's true that Ethiopia was never colonised by Europeans, although it did end up being annexed by Italy in 1935, before the Italians were expelled in 1941 by the British. All through Africa's colonial period, Ethiopia maintained its...

Geography A-Z.(Royal Geographical Society)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... The Society has produced a new guide for students keen to study geography at university, featuring all undergraduate and postgraduate courses in the UK. To buy your copy for 15 [pounds sterling], please contact the Research and Education...

Geographers join panel on asylum.(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... Three geographers have joined the Home Office's Country Information Unit to give advice on countries that produce asylum seekers. The panel will report on the top 20 producers as well as other countries identified by operational need.

Grant deadlines.
December 1, 2004... Applications for three research grants have their deadlines in December: the Hong Kong Research Grant for postgraduate students (3 December); Small Research Grants of up to 3000 [pounds sterling], available for workers in UK academic...

How treading lightly can have a large impact.(In society: a round-up of news, views and recent and forthcoming events at the RGS-IBG)(Editorial)
December 1, 2004... EDITORIAL How big is your footprint? We're not talking about whether you walk around in dainty Cinderella's slippers or size 18 Wellington boots, but rather the size of the damaging dent that you leave in the Earth's environment and its...

Geographical holidays with a difference.(In society: a round-up of news, views and recent and forthcoming events at the RGS-IBG)
December 1, 2004... Following the success of the Mediterranean and African tours for members and friends in 2004, the Society is continuing its partnership with Temple World in 2005. An exciting new itinerary of tours will take members to Botswana, Sri Lanka and...

A selection of December's Society events.(In society: a round-up of news, views and recent and forthcoming events at the RGS-IBG)(Calendar)
December 1, 2004... 1 December, 7pm Plant collecting and introductions today: The modern plant collector (LECTURE, RGS-IBG, LONDON) Dr Christopher Grey Wilson examines factors affecting plant collecting, such as worldwide political upheavals,...

Join the society--get the magazine.(In society: a round-up of news, views and recent and forthcoming events at the RGS-IBG)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... The Royal Geographical Society (with IBG) is a world centre for geographers and geographical learning dedicated to the development and promotion of knowledge, together with its application to the challenges facing society and the environment....

Crossing the empty quarter: Wilfred Thesiger's travels in Arabia (1950).(Map Of The Month)
December 1, 2004... Wilfred Thesiger, who died last year, crossed the southern Arabian Peninsula several times between 1945 and 1950, travelling by camel with a small group of Bedouin. His journeys through the Rub' al Khali--the Empty Quarter--became renowned,...

Africa's ark: with the highest concentration of endemic species anywhere in the world, Tanzania's Eastern Arc and coastal forests represent some of the world's most precious habitats. Edward Parker and Christopher Cairns reveal how the Tanzanian authorities hope to ensure their long-term survival.
December 1, 2004... Rainforests tend to look deceptively peaceful from a distance Under a blanket of low cloud they seem to slumber in steamy tranquility, with only the occasional flypast of a squadron of hornbills or the rustle of a light wind in the canopy to...

Debt in the developing world.(Geographical dossier)
December 1, 2004... You could be forgiven for thinking that, thanks to the belated efforts of global statesmen, the world's poorest countries no longer suffer the crippling effects of repaying international debt. After all, at the 1999 G8 Summit world leaders...

Pushers and junkies: the current debt crisis in the developing world is the product of Cold War rivalry, corporate interests and the actions of greedy, corrupt dictators.(Geographical dossier)
December 1, 2004... "I place economy among the first and most important of Republican virtues, and public debt as the greatest of the dangers to be feared." So wrote Thomas Jefferson in 1816 in a letter to William Plumer, the governor of New Hampshire. However,...

Grey men in grey suits: most of the world's unpayable debt is owed to the World Bank and the IMF. But both have admitted failing to promote economic stability or growth.(Geographical dossier)
December 1, 2004... With victory in the Second World War in sight, the great economists of the UK and the USA met at Bretton Woods, New Hampshire, in the summer of 1944. Seared by the memory of the near meltdown of the world's great financial institutions and...

Dealing with debt: we could solve the global debt crisis with bankruptcy-type procedures and the formation of trusts that would ring-fence savings to meet development goals.(Geographical dossier)
December 1, 2004... The way in which we deal with the debt of developing countries has come a long way since the Latin American debt crisis of the early 1980s. But the current approach is manifestly failing debtors and creditors alike. We need to come up with...

Pilgrimage to war: as the two world wars recede from first-hand memory and take on the impersonality of the history books, 'battlefield tourism' has an increasingly important role to play in helping subsequent generations to understand the reality of war. Jenny Balfour-Paul visits the beaches and poppy fields of Flanders with the British Legion.(Cover Story)
December 1, 2004... Four dignified old men stand under lowering skies on the world's most infamous beach and remember. It's 30 May 2004 and Dunkirk is almost deserted. But on the same date 64 years earlier, nearly 30,000 Allied troops were evacuated from this...

Drilling for independence: an ambitious new mineral project at Skaergaard in eastern Greenland is set to yield treasures that may fuel the Danish protectorate's journey to autonomy.
December 1, 2004... Anyone wishing to divine the future of Greenland would do well to study its rocks. Not just any rocks mind, but those of a geological wonder known as the Skaergaard intrusion. Located on the island's eastern coast, this enormous hunk of basalt...

A world of discovery: Christian Amodeo presents an overview of some of this year's most exciting RGS-IBG-supported expeditions and research projects.
December 1, 2004... Another year and another crop of fascinating RGS-IBG-supported expeditions and projects comes to Geographical's attention. As usual, the diversity and scope of the expeditions are impressive, but what they all have in common is that they remind...

Hunting the slave ship: Tim Ecott travels to the Turks and Caicos Islands to join the search for the 19th-century wreck of the Trouvadore and discovers that the mystery surrounding the origins of the slaver's human cargo still resonates today.
December 1, 2004... From the deck of the Turks and Caicos Explorer, the island ahead was a shimmering sliver of white sand and green foliage. Our skipper Jean-Francois Chabot steered the boat slowly, but expertly, through the shallows. A glance at the electronic...

Yorkshire's green and pleasant land: on the 50th anniversary of the designation of the Yorkshire Dales as a national park, photojournalist Paul Harris examines the delicate balancing act required to conserve and enhance its natural beauty, wildlife and cultural heritage.
December 1, 2004... Climbing to the summit of Ingleborough Peak on a rare crystal-clear day in August this year, it was easy to appreciate the grandeur and beauty of the Yorkshire Dales. Easy, also, to see the impact of man and nature on this quintessentially...

Bumpy ride for the camel man: he's a noted author, traveller and a genuine explorer of the old school, but John Hare is also one of the unsung heroes of modern conservation. He talks to Chloe Scott-Moncrieff about his pioneering work with the wild Bactrian camel and his hopes for the species' long-term future.(Interview)
December 1, 2004... The large, hollow-eyed skull in John Hare's hands still smells pungently of decay. Hare looks down inquisitively at his unusual treasure--the head of a wild Bactrian camel, which he found nestled in the sand on his initial camel-research...

Slow boat to China: with some of the world's largest rivers forming a network across its landscape, it's little wonder that China's past, present and future are intimately tied to the water. Octavia Lamb explores the world's most populous nation's love affair with the river through a collection of images from the RGS-IBG archives.(Geographical Archive)
December 1, 2004... China's rivers have played a major role in the shaping of both the country's history and its identity. Some of the world's longest rivers form an important network across this vast country, and they have long represented an important part of...

Deserts of the Earth.(Brief Article)(Book Review)
December 1, 2004... Deserts of the Earth by Michael Martin Thames & Hudson, hb, pp372, 35 [pounds sterling] In the opening pages of this breathtaking tome, Michael Martin asks," What is a desert?" A pertinent question indeed, considering the glorious range of...

Alexander the Great: the Hunt for a New Past.(Book Review)
December 1, 2004... Alexander the Great: the Hunt for a New Past by Paul Cartledge Macmillan, hb, pp384, 18.99 [pounds sterling] World conquerors don't come much grander than Alexander the Great. Together with Genghis Khan and Tamerlane, the King of Macedon...

The Transformation of Ireland.(Brief Article)(Book Review)
December 1, 2004... The Transformation of Ireland by Diarmaid Ferriter Profile Books, hb, pp896, 25 [pounds sterling] Diarmaid Ferriter's ambitious history of Ireland in the 20th century takes an unconventional approach to documenting a period that saw much...

The World of Gerard Mercator.(Brief Article)(Book Review)
December 1, 2004... The World of Gerard Mercator by Andrew Taylor HarperCollins, hb, pp274, 16.99 [pounds sterling] "When Mercator was born in 1512, the known world was... surrounded by shadows," writes Andrew Taylor in his fascinating new examination of the...

Spanish Steps.(Brief Article)(Book Review)
December 1, 2004... Spanish Steps by Tim Moore, Jonathan Cape, hb, pp328, 16.99 [pounds sterling] Spanish Steps is a wry account of the Santiago pilgrimage across Spain's northwest, undertaken with the services of a donkey. Mindful of Robert Louis Stevenson's...

Wilfred Thesiger: a Life in Pictures.(Brief Article)(Book Review)
December 1, 2004... Wilfred Thesiger: A Life in Pictures by Alexander Maitland, Harper Collins, hb, pp224, 30 [pounds sterling] Wilfred Thesiger is widely considered the 20th century's greatest explorer. In A Life in Pictures, Alexander Maitland has created a...

Mapping the Silk Road and Beyond.(Brief Article)(Book Review)
December 1, 2004... Mapping the Silk Road and Beyond by Kenneth Nebenzahl, Phaidon, hb, pp116, 29.95 [pounds sterling] It's been a big year for the Silk Road, with the British Library's majestic exhibition ably and plentifully supported by book publishers...

A Pike in the Basement.(Brief Article)(Book Review)
December 1, 2004... A Pike in the Basement by Simon Loftus, Eland, hb, pp144, 9.99 [pounds sterling] To drink a pint of Adnams, the famous Suffolk beer, is to know that the brewer's art is a noble one. The person in charge of this brew, we feel, is endowed...

Around Alone.(Brief Article)(Book Review)
December 1, 2004... Around Alone By Emma Richards Macmillan, hb, pp323, 17.99 [pounds sterling] In May 2003, Emma Richards set out to become the first British woman and youngest ever person to complete the Around Alone race, one of the world's most arduous...

The Explorer's Daughter.(Brief Article)(Book Review)
December 1, 2004... The Explorer's Daughter by Kari Herbert, Viking, hb, pp368, 18.99 [pounds sterling] After becoming the first man to undisputedly reach the North Pole on foot and to cross the entire Arctic Ocean in 1969, Sir Wally Herbert took his young...

The Mapmaker's Wife.(Book Review)
December 1, 2004... The Mapmaker's Wife by Robert Whitaker Doubleday, hb, pp350, 16.99 [pounds sterling] In 1735, a team of French scientists set out into the wilderness of South America on a daring expedition to resolve one of the greatest scientific...

Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2004.
December 1, 2004... Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2004 Natural History Museum, Cromwell Road, London, SW7 5BD Open daily: 10am-5.50pm (Sundays: 11am-5.50pm) Admission: 5 [pounds sterling], 3 [pounds sterling] concessions, 12 [pounds sterling] family, free to...

Cassell's Tales of Endurance.(Book Review)
December 1, 2004... Cassell's Tales Of Endurance by Fergus Fleming Weidenfeld & Nicholson, hb, pp576, 20 [pounds sterling] Tales of Endurance is an apt title for a collection of true stories wherein mammoth feats are undertaken and the most appalling hardships...

Geographical travel: this month we bring you the latest travel news and talk to Carol Coppinger of Remote Africa Safaris.(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... SVALBARD, NORWAY A barren, icy wilderness is illuminated by the thin, yellow Arctic light as the sun hovers just above the horizon. The Svalbard Archipelago, which lies 640 kilometres from the coast of Norway, enjoys 24-hour sunlight...

Airport expansion opposed.(travel news)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... Pressure groups have joined together to campaign against UK airport expansion. Local people recently joined Stephen Tindale, director of Greenpeace, George Marshall of Rising Tide and Lianna Stupplles, campaigns director for Friends of the...

Celebrating the sea.(travel news)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... Next year marks the start of a year of celebration of Britain's relationship with the sea. Organised by Sea Britain--a partnership of organisations that includes the National Trust, Visit Britain and the National Maritime Museum--the year long...

Examining tourism's ethics.(Tourism Concern)
December 1, 2004... Lately, we at Tourism Concern have been discussing the term 'ethical', which appears in our current strapline: Campaigning for ethical and fairly traded tourism. We've been wondering whether 'fairly traded' conveys enough of the message, so...

Volunteering organisation i-to-i recently celebrated its tenth anniversary and has revamped its website to mark the occasion.(UK)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... UK Volunteering organisation i-to-i recently celebrated its tenth anniversary and has revamped its website to mark the occasion. Since its foundation, the company has sent nearly 10,000 volunteers on 300 projects in 24 countries and has trained...

Richard Grant's Ghost Riders was recently announced the winner of this year's Thomas Cook Travel Book Award.(UK)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... UK Richard Grant's Ghost Riders was recently announced the winner of this year's Thomas Cook Travel Book Award. Grant's book focuses on his travels around the USA. Kate Adie presented Grant's parents with his 10,000 [pounds sterling] prize (he...

Carol Coppinger is co-founder of Remote Africa Safaris, which offers game-viewing safaris in Zambia. She and her husband John have worked with local schools and helped to establish a library and a women's craft centre. Sian Wherret talks to her about the company's origins and life in Zambia.(Travel For A Living)(Interview)
December 1, 2004... How did Remote Africa Safaris start? I first came to the Luangwa Valley with my husband John in 1984, intending to spend six months away from my career in computers in South Africa. Twenty years later we're still here. Initially, we managed...

Alan Titchmarsh has worked in television for 25 years. He's the author of more than 30 gardening books and was awarded an MBE in 2000 for services to horticulture and broadcasting. Jo Sargent talks to him about his latest BBC TV series, British Isles: A Natural History.(In Conversation)(Interview)
December 1, 2004... How did you get involved in the project? I was asked if I'd be interested in working with the BBC Natural History Unit and, of course, I said, "Not half!" They had brainstorming sessions, and we had meetings about my interests. It soon...