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The Dolphin People by Torsten Krol is a fantastic adventure story set against the backdrop of a jungle village deep in the heart of Amazonas. It’s 1946 with emotions running high after the end of the Second World War when a German family crash lands and are rescued by the natives. The narrator, Erich, a 16-year-old boy, begins to realise that his Uncle Klaus, a former SS officer, may not be the noble figure he thought he once was and by the time he finally escapes his whole life and values have been completely overturned.
The Dolphin People, Torsten Krol, Atlantic Books, £12.99, 9781843545774
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Good evening ladies and germs, we have news in from the South Devon Humanists about a talk that’s on tonight as part of their series of lectures. Paul Menday will give a talk about the evolution of bacteria entitled from Darwin to the Antibacterial Arms-race, at Birdwood House, Totnes from 7.30pm.
“Penicillin, hailed in the 1940s as a miracle treatment, has become virtually useless against a bacteria it initially killed”, Paul told the PRSD. He will show how common bacteria have evolved to combat antibiotics used to treat the infections they cause.
“These are modern day examples of Darwin’s Theory of Evolution through natural selection. You can see this happening before your very eyes. It is war between man and bacteria. Can man win this war, or will bacteria always fight back through evolution?”
He explained: “To study evolution you probably need at least 1,000 generations. In mankind this would take something like 20,000 years. However, some bacteria - in the right conditions - double every 20 minutes, so evolution can be witnessed over a matter of a few years. And here we see an arms race for survival.”
“Sir Alexander Fleming discovered penicillin that killed many bacteria. However, a strain developed resistance and therefore thrived, becoming the dominant bacteria. Scientists then developed a new type of penicillin, methicillin, which killed the now dominant bacteria. However, another strain has evolved which is now resistant to methicillin - better known as the deadly superbug MRSA. “
Paul added: “Resistant forms evolve all the time. As man develops different drugs to kill different strains of bacteria, some will become resistant. There will never be an outright winner in this arms race, but hopefully man will always have the upper hand. It is the survival of the fittest - evolution through natural selection.”
Paul worked as a microbiologist in the pharmaceutical industry for 30 years. During this time he was involved in many clinical trials, working with drugs for many infectious diseases and for cancer and eczema. He was even known to use himself as a guinea pig from time to time! Paul took early retirement in 2001 and moved to South Molton with his wife. Here he became a member of the North Devon Humanists. Paul is a great Charles Darwin fan and he is currently planning a trip of a lifetime to Galapagos.
Johnny Depp has confirmed he WILL play the Mad Hatter in Tim Burton’s forthcoming Alice In Wonderland - currently being filmed at Antony House near Torpoint.
Read the full story and find out which other blockbuster Johnny’s set to star in, on D+CFilm.
Devon County Council is determined to make the region England’s greenest county, and they are taking the lead to promote a greener working environment, with a new website and prizes for those who cut down on their car travel.
The council is so committed to reducing its carbon footprint it’s launched Doing it for Devon@Work to remind people of stuff they probably already know, like turning off lights and computers and such like, reducing reliance on the car for work and thinking about new flexible working patterns.
There’s a figure flying about that the council could cut 250 tonnes of Co2 emissions if it achieved its Travel Plan targets (about half of the organisation’s carbon footprint is produced by car). And it could save what amounts to 245 trees every month with more paper and card recycling.
They are even looking at a voluntary second car free day.
And as a reward, those who park on site for less than four days a week will be entered into a weekly draw for prizes like vouchers towards walking and cycling equipments and public transport discounts.
We hear of artists getting up to all kinds of stunts to promote their work, but Tom Dale’s work goes one further. His Kings Island exhibition, which revs into action on September 27 and runs until November 16 at Plymouth Arts Centre, is made up stunt ramps.
For his first sole show Tom has put together a whole load of stunt ramps which launch those death-deying leaps over buses and what not not. They are reconstructions of the ramps of motorcycle daredevil Evel Knievel, but the trajectories have been skewed, and although this is billed as conjuring up “ideologies of national pride and sacrifice: launch pads for the olitical ideals of a culture and its time”, couldn’t they also (rubs chin knowingly) be a warning to our own impossible dreams and kooky perspectives?
Plus, there’s bright colours.
There’s a conversation with Tom Dale at Plymouth Arts Centre, which took place in July, where he talks about his work, which includes a film of Evel. “I can’t overemphasise what a vulgar figure he was,” says Tom. “He was overtly misogynist, racist and anti-Semitic.”
He explains a possible reason for the show: Maybe it was borne about from a sense of frustration for the times we were in. We had just seen the Bush administration come to power and Washington was full of 4×4s and Stetsons. There was a sweeping change and the US was led by someone who thought it was alright to say, “Saddam Hussein tried to kill my father”.
Tom Dale’s Kings Island takes off on September 27, leaping October and skids to a halt on November 16 at Plymouth Arts Centre.
The comedy that is blasphemy is back to the fore in Torquay this weekend.
The dour-faced council, which banned Monty Python’s Life of Brian all those years ago, is cracking a smile for the international comedy film festival that is taking place on it shores, and allowing a screening of the film.
Of course, we all know that Life of Brian is basically an investigation of the Middle East Question.
Read the full story, the mayor’s comment and a toe-tapping clip, visit D+CFilm.
Those creative burghers of Teignmouth are limbering up to launch the the Cultural Olympiad with a weekend of free fun, funky, arty, informative events throughout the seaside town from Friday September 26 to Sunday September 28.
As the Teingmouth Advisory Arts Group says boldly on its site: “It will also launch a number of large-scale creative projects. It is not just another one-off weekend, but the start of the four-year celebration. We are making our first mark; writing the first sentence of a four year story.”
Pop along and be culturally olympic, you might even get on the podium. Here’s a run down of events they sent through.
FRIDAY Carlton Theatre
7:30pm - 9:30pm - Teignmouth Community Choir rehearsal.Go along and just listen or join in and find out what goes on in our community choir. It might surprise you. There’s a lot of laughter and chat and mucking about - and every now and then we sing a song
Poetry overview of weekend workshops - Meet the poets and get an outline of aims and contents of Saturday’s and Sunday’s events
Gallery 8
10am - 5pm - Art exhibition & workshops
SATURDAY Carlton Theatre
9:30am - 12:30pm - Breathe Easy Coffee Morning, Music in the Bar
10am - 11am - Story telling - Clare Viner - The story is set in Teignmouth in 1683 and everyone is afraid. The Pirates are everywhere; on the seas and undercover in the town. They pretend to be ordinary sailors and drink in the taverns but thats just how they find out, how they plot, who to take next…
11am - 11:30am - Musical consequences, a “just for fun” song writing workshop
9:30 - 11:30am Poetry Consequences Relay
2pm - 4pm - Storytelling workshop - Local Storyteller Clare Viner
2pm - 3:45pm Creative writing workshop
Workshop 1: Getting Started (for new writers) 30 minute duration
Workshop 2: Moving On (for returning or experienced writers) 30 mins
Workshop 3: Is it for me? (for the curious non (or stalled)) writers 30 mins
Various location around the town
1pm - 3pm Singtastic singers sing
Gallery 8
10am - 5pm - Art exhibition & workshops Gallery 8 is an exciting arts and crafts collective situated on the corner of Teign Street and Stanley Street Locally made paintings, photographs, greetings cards, jewellery, embroidery, painted tiles, cushion craft, woodcraft, silk glass, soaps, etc
SUNDAY Carlton Theatre
All day - display of theatrical costumes
9:30 - 8pm Teignmouth Art Society exhibition
9:30 - 11:30 - Sculpture workshop
11am - 1pm Teignmouth Jazz machine , playing easy listening jazz standards such as Georgia, Blue Moon, Summertime Etc.
12noon - 5pm - TRAIL Art workshop/ Colours of Devon come and contribute to this year’s Community sculpture.
3pm - 4pm Theatre tours
4pm TYKES play - Just Bin it,
5pm Theatre properties Workshop
2pm - 6pm Poetry word wall, Pester a poet, Quick Fire Poems
6pm Sue Kibbey with renowned pianist Lewis Riley of jazz interpretations of Darwin Songs by David Haynes
This is a unique opportunity to hear two top-rate jazz musicians performing work by a local composer whose work is receiving increasing number of performances throughout the UK and the USA
7:30 - 8:30pm Teignmouth Players open pantomime rehearsal
Gallery 8
10am - 4pm Art exhibition and workshops
Those known to be taking part: David Haynes and the Teignmouth Community Choir; The Singtastic singers; The Teignmouth Players; TRAIL TRAIL Recycled Art In Landscape; Bob Hill, Louise Jenkins; The TYKES (Junior Teignmouth Players members); Gallery 8 (Jenny Harris & Rose Barrett); Teignmouth Jazz Machine
Open Up Teignmouth is to help celebrate the start of the Cultural Olympiad and “open up” areas and activities for all.
Further information and programme from The Carlton Theatre, Gallery 8, (on the corner of Teign Street
and Stanley Street) , Regency Style, 31 Regent Street or on the Teignmouth Arts Advisory Group website Related articles
The writing’s on the wall for car travel… well… on the floor, and for today anyway, what with it being car free day.
The whole of the county has been traveling without the use of the internal combustion engine today, and campaigners for a little bit of environmental sense have been out and about too. Part of their remit seems to have been to encourage some impromptu street arts as well.
Another year of trekking, travailing and talking through a collection of the county’s art, artists and art studios has come to an end. And from whichever angle we’ve tried to cut it, the whole thing seems to have been quite successful. Here’s just a tiny selection of what we’ve seen. If you’ve got anything you’d like to share about the event - thoughts, pictures and so on, then get in touch.
Sculptor Peter Randall-Page and photography Chris Chapman, whose work documenting the local distinctiveness project makes up the Granite Song exhibition, are in conversation in our final film of the series. Watch and enjoy.
To read more about Peter Randall-Page, have a look at Arts+Culture online magazine.
The films are made by the relatively inimitable Rhys Bonney.
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