Upping my game in March

March 2019 has got to be better than the month has been in previous years. In the last seven years, it's been the most difficult time, but I'm not letting that stop me.
    Now, I'm raising money for Cancer Research UK by aiming to walk 10,000 steps a day. I know it's possible, because I've done it before, but my stomach issues have left me lacking energy.

    This walk was more than 10,000 in Crete and it's my inspiration:

However, this will be the location of much of March's steps - the fields around North Hertfordshire.

If you would like to support me, please click here.

To ban or not to ban?

The issue of whether to ban the herbicide glyphosate continues to raise hackles around the scientific and non-scientific world.

    

    The controversy is spreading like weeds. UK government minister (Therese Coffey) tweeted in August saying “Getting ready to deploy the amazing Roundup!” alongside a product image. She came under fire for acting more in the interests of the manufacturer Monsanto than those of the British public. At the same time, 1.3million people across Europe signed a petition to ban the herbicide glyphosate. In the autumn, the EU nevertheless renewed its approval for use for the next five years – with the UK among the 18 nations in favour of its use.

    Glyphosate sprayed on weeds travels to the roots and blocks an enzyme. Without that enzyme, the weed fails to make the building blocks it needs to grow and withers to the ground. At this point, Monsanto says: “any remaining glyphoate is broken down in the soil into naturally occurring substances like carbon dioxide and phosphate.” Its website quotes from the United States Environmental Protection Agency study under its Endocrine Screening Program: “Hundreds of scientific studies have been conducted into the endocrine system issue, and a causal relationship between human illnesses and exposure to environmental contaminants has never been found.”

    Interestingly, the controversy surrounding Monsanto continues as it is acquired by Bayer. Monsanto’s website is clear on where it stands on the ban: It focuses primarily on the economic benefits: “A ban on glyphosate would leave farmers facing lower yields and higher production costs, causing a significant rise in food prices.”

    Pesticide Action Network UK (PAN UK) considers the alternatives to herbicide use and cites the “great costs to human health, the environment and natural resources” from synthetic pesticides in agriculture. Quoting Derpsch, R. 1998. “Historical Review of No-Tillage Cultivation of Crops” it says: “In Europe, their use in farming has increased considerably to replace mechanical ploughing, which has been reported to cause soil degradation and soil nutrient loss, in certain geographic zones with high rainfall and specific types of crops, particularly in intensive agriculture.”

    For PAN UK, the case is clear: “Because of their properties, when these substances are used on open fields they will directly affect other non-target species in the area and the surroundings, and through a cascade of ecological interactions will end up affecting biodiversity. Furthermore, these same properties may allow them to interact with living cells of animal species including humans and result in toxicity.”

    Meanwhile, France has taken its own decision, cancelling the licence for Roundup Pro 360 in January 2019. A court in Lyon ruled that: “Despite the European Union’s approval of the active substance (glyphosate), the court considered that scientific studies and animal experiments showed Roundup Pro 360 … is a potentially carcinogenic product for humans, suspected of being toxic for human reproduction and for aquatic organisms.”

    In the US, lawsuits being brought against Monsanto/Bayer by farmers, landscapers and consumers may finally bring an answer to this storm.

On being creative

A sunny February day spent in Cambridge ended up being very productive.
    Thanks to the team at Writers HQ and my fellow writers on the day, I hit a great total and broke the back of planning my second novel.
    The first is languishing in the in-boxes of various agents but that's not stopping my ploughing on with the second.
    So, I'm proud of my total and now on to some serious research to ensure this one is better and takes less than ten years to write!

Rediscovering Ravel

Volunteering with Benslow Music Trust  is providing interesting and  immensely rewarding experiences.
    This week, it was a Friday evening of piano duets from Francesca Leonardi and Nigel Clayton. In between the possibly predictable Mozart and Brahms (they did, after all, write some of the best piano music for four hands) there was the delightful Mother Goose Suite by Ravel.

    The Ravel reminded me how much I loved his work when I was studying music at school and university. It also reminded me how little space there is between classical and jazz. The old adage - "There's only 12 notes" certainly holds true.
    Two pianists at one piano is an interesting feat - musically and visually. I've seen concerts before with two grand pianos on stage, and that's wholly different.
    Leonardi and Clayton performed beautifully and their encore of the Liszt Hungarian Rhapsody was inspired. I've only ever heard it as a solo piano piece before and it was a delight. So much so, that I wonder if it's time for me to rediscover my own piano playing?

Movin' on

There's no way I could afford the original of this beautiful piece of artwork. But a print will do for now.

    This is 'Movin' On' by Ed Gray, created as part of a stunning music video for Paul Weller.

    So there's lots to love about it and I'm delighted to have a limited edition print (number 10!) on my wall. In the run-up to Valentine's Day tomorrow, it's particularly poignant, with so many images of love within the painting, as well as in PW's lyrics.

    I've always liked Ed's work and this was sold in aid of Teenage Cancer Trust, which makes it even more valuable to me. The framing wasn't cheap, with non-reflective glass that will also protect the print from sun damage, and the blue brings out the colours of the art. Worth every penny.

    If you want to see the creation of the original and just enjoy this beautiful video, you'll find it here.

    Meanwhile, something about the song, the print and the video move me immensely and I am very definitely movin' on.

Branagh redeems himself. For now.

I hated Kenneth Branagh's portrayal of Hercule Poirot in the 2018 Murder on the Orient Express botch-job. In one of the worst Christie adaptations I've ever seen, Branagh did nothing to improve on the action or the dialogue. However, his Shakespeare has definitely won me back.
    This is from the man I LOVED in Frankenstein.

    What worries me more is the impending release of Death on the Nile with a reprise of the moustache, one assumes.

    However, the preview screening of All Is True - written by Ben Elton - gave me a hint, once more, of the actor I know Branagh to be. He makes an excellent William Shakespeare in what is one of the most beautiful films I have ever seen. It's like something from an art gallery, interposed with pastiches - that just about work - of great movies of the twentieth century.
      No-one minds driving to Cambridge when you can enjoy the Arts Picturehouse on a windy Wednesday in February. Comfy seats for a screening of the film and then a Q&A led by Mark Kermode.
    Both Branagh and Elton were at their wittiest, but then intelligent questions from Kermode always help. Elton was especially interesting, shedding light on his research and writing process. His imagining of the bits in between the facts really is quite extraordinary. He explained in depth how he took the moment of the fire that destroyed The Globe in 1613 and developed a bewildered Shakespeare returning home, to never write another play.
    The film itself was a complete joy - Judi Dench makes a great Anne Shakespeare.
    But the most surreal moment comes when Sir Ian McKellen sits in front of a fire and banters with Shakespeare. Because that's what it feels like: McKellen is himself and Branagh is the bard. The candlelight helps with the surreal nature of the setting and their 'Sonnet-off' is simply sublime.
    The date for the release of the new Death on the Nile keeps moving further and further away. Long may that process continue. Mia Farrow excelled in the 1978 version and I doubt there's a better cast than Peter Ustinov and David Niven investigating Bette Davis, Maggie Smith and Angela Lansbury. But Branagh might prove me wrong. Let's hope he loses the moustache.