The Secret Life of 'Lieutenant' Les [5 Images]

In a recent piece for I Scream Dreams titled 'Natures Voice', Les explored the many voices of nature. On water he offered these thoughts: Just as we listen to our bodies for our own wellbeing, we should listen to the voice of water when it talks to us about the health of our planet. Water...

What we are doing to the forests of the world is but a mirror reflection of what we are doing to ourselves and to one another Mahatma Gandhi

On his most recent visit, Les was a little concerned to see the level of the reservoir much lower than anticipated. He could see from his records it was early July last year before the level was this low. Maybe the recent warm weather was responsible? Maybe people are using more water? Whatever the cause,...

For Jean-Paul growing up in a large family in a busy city meant solitude was something he sought but rarely found.  When he was of independent means he started to take excursions to the countryside or coast.  Something he has continued to do to this day.   Speaking on BBC Radio 4’s Town and Country...

One of Les’s early childhood memories was being slightly bewildered by a sculpted water feature which had been unveiled in the city centre.  Looking back now he would now describe it as a brutalist concrete structure standing about four metres high.  Essentially a big cube with textured and carved surfaces some of which were tiled...

'New Wave' Dave and Nige Contemplate Technology [2 Images]

On modern art they had this to say: Dave: "Not sure why it's called modern art! Isn't all art timeless? Adding labels to art is academic which to my mind is the opposite of art!" Ferg: "Modern, conceptual, renaissance, impressionism, you name it and I'll find something I like." Nige: "Art is the fifth dimension....

As a child Dave would watch his father work.  One of his most enduring memories was watching his father cut a square form screw thread on his large centre lathe.  Watching his dad create a screw thread from a solid metal bar was magical. He didn’t understand the lathe gearing, speeds and feeds but what...

Dave had always lived and worked in the city and was fully aware that he accepted far too much that was wrong with city living. Noise, light and air pollution affected his every day and night! Even birds have adapted to twenty four hour lighting and their birdsong could now be heard right through the...

Jean-Paul considered himself to be from a generation for whom churches now held little relevance. However he was far more open to how they may still play a part in peoples lives. It surprised him that even his friends who were religious went to church infrequently and said their faith wasn't centred around church itself....

For as long as he can remember, even right back to his childhood Les had always been drawn to water. He could swim from the age of two and through his late teens had been a swimming instructor at the local all seasons outdoor swimming pool. He was an accomplished sailor and had his own...

Recent conversations with Ferg about his fearless approach to free climbing had started Jean-Paul thinking about his own mortality. Jean-Paul believed Ferg when said he had no fear death. He'd said If anything when he thought about death it had helped him live a fuller life. For Ferg death was a fact of life! Jean-Paul...

After spending so much time in the library Ferg finally decided to give Bunty a call. They agreed to meet by the lake. Bunty arrived, carrying a flower and looked great. Ferg was thrilled when she said the flower was a gift for him, for being a great friend. She had grown the flower in...

With his new found interest in all things fungi, Ferg was excited to explore the world of these wonderful organisms. He spent days and weeks in the library researching all that he could. Quickly he realised what an expansive subject he had welcomed into his life and could see why so many experts have dedicated...

Ferg had always known Bunty to be smart but he had no idea she had an encyclodedic knowledge of fungi, their origins and importance to all life on earth! Her shyness meant she had always been slow to reveal things which are important to her. Ferg was captivated by her enthusiasm for all things fungal....

Ferg's favourite pastime is 'free climbing'. It worries his friends as much as it does his family. He says free climbing is one of the things that makes him feel human. There are very real and dangerous consequences to such an extreme form of climbing. Do you fear death? "No, I don't fear death. I...

Nige Contemplates Nature and Wide Open Spaces

Jean-Paul, Bunty, 'Lieutenant' Les & 'New-Wave' Dave

Weather Storm [2 Images]