Scientists find clues to future biofuel use in insects
A KEY figure in an ancient game, which is now under threat from the demise of village pubs, says it should be “protected for its history” which could date back to pagan times.
The longest reigning Lord in the history of the Haxey Hood, Phil Coggon, said villagers would do everything they could to stop plans to convert one of four pubs involved in the game, for housing.
It comes after a planning application to knock down the Duke William Hotel on Church Street, Haxey, in North Lincolnshire, was withdrawn.
Organisers understand the plans will be resubmitted for a change of use instead.
Thousands of spectators turned out this year to see regulars from local pubs going headto-head in a marathon rugby scrum-style battle to get a 2ft leather tube, known as a hood, into their favoured watering hole.
Usually four pubs take part, three in Haxey and one in Westwoodside. However, only three took part this year after 2017 winner the King’s Arms, in Haxey, was closed.
If the conversion of the Duke William goes ahead, only two pubs would be left.
Mr Coggon has been involved with the Haxey Hood from being a child. He became a Boggin – one of whose jobs is to ensure the safety of competitors – at the age of 16 and has been Lord of the Hood – or chief referee – for 30 years.
Speaking ahead of a public meeting in Haxey last night, Mr Coggon said the game was a major tourist attraction which had been televised in more than 75 counties and its history probably goes back much further than the often cited 700 years.
He said: “Its timing matches the St John’s Eve Old Midwinter Festival, Blessing Of The Land, and probably dates back to pagan times.
“If you have never witnessed the atmosphere build in the public houses on Hood Eve and Hood Day you will not understand the depth of feeling that some people have for this tradition which brings people back to village each year to be part of the event.”
Mr Coggon believes the Duke William would have been taking part since when it was built around 1730.
And he said he believed the housing plan was for no other reason than short-term profit, adding: “There are currently approximately 25 building plots and 55 houses for sale in the parish.
“We will also lose a valuable community asset and a number of local people will lose their jobs.”
He said a suggestion that a marquee could be used instead would not necessarily work out.
A licence was applied for this year for a marquee on land adjacent to the Kings Arms, but that had been refused by North Lincolnshire Council, he added.
His son, Luke, who is running a Facebook site “We live here – Haxey”, said campaigners would fight the plans on all fronts, via social media, leaflets and meeting the local council and MP.
He said there had already been over 40 objections to the plans, adding: “We are just going to do everything in our power to raise the profile and try and get the council onside.
“The pub has been here 300 years and if it were demolished, it would basically destroy the village.”
The MP for Brigg and Goole, Andrew Percy, said campaigners had not yet been in touch, but he was “very concerned” and would be raising the issue with the planning authority. A STUDY by Yorkshire academics of the unusual digestive system of an ancient group of insects has provided new insights into future biofuel production. Published in
the research reveals that the ability of some insects to efficiently digest cellulose could be exploited for industrial processes, such as the production of sustainable low carbon fuels to cut greenhouse gas emissions associated with fossil fuel use.
The surprising find occurred when the team at the University of York were investigating the digestive system of firebrats, which had been previously shown to thrive on crystalline cellulose, the natural fibre, abundant in straw, paper and cardboard.
Professor Simon McQueen Mason, from the University of York’s Department of Biology, said: “Firebrats belong to one of the most primitive groups of insects – they appeared on land during the Devonian Period, some 420m years ago.
“Despite this long evolutionary history, however, these insects have been generally overlooked by scientists.
“Cellulose forms the fibres that give the cell walls of plants their strength and has a high degree of structural order, making it solid and tough.”
Until now it was a mystery how firebrats had found a way to digest cellulose so effectively. In looking at their digestive system, the scientists discovered something they were not expecting.
Dr Federico Sabbadin, from the University of York’s Department of Biology, said: “Inside their gut the firebrats had a group of uncharacterised proteins that make up 20 per cent of their carbohydrate digestive enzymes.
“On further inspection, these proteins proved to be a new class of enzyme, called lytic polysaccharide monooxygenases (LPMOs), which attack crystalline polysaccharides. Our study revealed that these enzymes are used by firebrats to greatly increase the rate of cellulose digestion.”
Previously, LPMOs were only known to occur in fungi, bacteria and viruses, but analysis of this new family showed it was widespread among invertebrates.
Scientists suggest that it is possible that these enzymes could be adopted in industrial processes to break down cellulose into fermentable sugars for biofuel production.