Who is benefiting from the proposed restoration of Parnham House? (Jan26)
Those promoting the Parnham proposals often frame the issue very simply: do you want to save this historic house in West Dorset, near Beaminster – or leave it as a ruin? It is a compelling question, but a misleading one. Most people would like to see Parnham House restored. Few would argue otherwise. But restoration […]
Beaminster Rebellion over Parnham Planning (Dec25)
There was shouting.There were walkouts.There were calls for councillors to resign.Placards were waved reading “Represent Us – Reject Parnham.” Feelings were running high at Beaminster’s extraordinary planning meeting on Parnham – and understandably so. But this was not an angry mob lacking substance. The people who spoke were measured, articulate and deeply informed. Many had […]
All Pain, No Gain for Beaminster
All Pain, No Gain for Beaminster Parnham House – the striking Elizabethan mansion just outside Beaminster – is once again in the spotlight. In 2017 a catastrophic fire gutted the building, leaving behind a shell of what had been one of Dorset’s finest homes. The circumstances were unsettling – and are still mysterious – but […]
We’re wasting our Poo! (Sep25)
Humans produce around 1 million tonnes of poo every day and at least 80% of it is wasted. Aargh. On a finite planet, this is yet another example of how we squander precious resources. My son, Connor Bryant, recently highligthed the absurdity of almost every country measuring success in GDP, which essentially means that governments […]
Barbed Wire is a Killer – it should be banned (aug25)
This deer is looking a lot perkier than the one we found…. The faun was squealing in pain and distress as we approached. One of its hind legs had been snagged on barbed wire – the foot was hanging by a thread. I had to twist it off to free the poor animal. My son […]
How Do You Poo? Shortlisted for the Sustainable Story Awards (Aug25)
Have you ever really thought about poo? Why is it that wild animal poo can be wonderful for the planet but human poo has become such a problem? That’s the question at the heart of How Do You Poo?, a new children’s book I’m co-authoring with the brilliant Elsa Kent — an inspiring young educator […]
No more Wilding Weekends – but Wilding is on the Rise…(jun25)
Have you ever seen a hedgehog, a hare or a barn owl? Heard the song of a nightingale or the unmistakable call of a cuckoo? Have you stood in a summer meadow and listened to the hum of insects? Many people haven’t. And what’s worse – many don’t realise what’s missing. These sights and sounds […]
What do you do with dog poo? (Jun25)
I was walking with a friend not long ago when she casually lobbed two dog poo bags into the hedge. My first thought was: Can I just ignore that and keep chatting? But of course I couldn’t. “Are you going to come back and collect those?” I asked, rather tentatively.“No,” she said. “They’re biodegradable. So […]
Consumers hoodwinked by Gillette ‘recycling’ scheme! (May25)
Here we go again — another shiny new recycling initiative promising to solve a minuscule part of our vast waste problem. This time, it’s Gillette’s razor blade recycling programme, offered in partnership with TerraCycle. It might sound noble: send back your used blades (any brand!) through the post and feel good about “doing your bit.” […]
Visiting the rainforests might save them! (Mar25)
I’m not someone who buries their head in the sand—or in this case, the trees—but I can’t stand to hear about the world’s forests being obliterated. Especially the rainforests. They are beautiful, wild, untamed, brimming with life in a way that no human creation could ever be. And yet, we treat them like an infinite […]