Nature’s shot in the arm
ARE YOU any good at taking pictures? If so, have you ever thought of entering BBC1’s Countryfile photo competition? It’s the one where the 12 best wildlife-ish pictures, submitted by viewers, are chosen for the following year’s Countryfile calendar.
Me, I’ve been tempted. I enjoy taking a snap or two. But a couple of things put me off.
One of them is that my own nature-themed pictures are nearly all of my dog.And since she doesn’t like staying still, they’re mostly of her bottom. I’m not sure that’s what Countryfile is after.
The other thing that discourages me (OK, the other “person”) is Countryfile’s John Craven.
Sorry, I know he’s a national treasure and I’m sure he means well, but have you ever heard him reading out the terms and conditions for entering this contest? Boy, does he get bossy. Don’t do this, don’t do that, don’t send us this type of picture, don’t send us that type, don’t send us a photograph of your dog’s bottom. Honestly, he was never like this on Newsround.
But tonight I’m reminded of yet another reason why it’s pointless me entering this or any other photo contest.
Namely, the fact I’m rubbish. Compared, that is, to the people whose entries grace theWildlife Photograper of the Year competition, featured in this week’s
NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM: WORLD OF WONDER (Channel 5, 8pm).
The museum hosts this event each year, and when you see some of the latest stunning pictures on display, I’d imagine that you, like me, will think: “Why do I even bother to try?”
I reckon they’ve even been taken with proper cameras.
Elsewhere, BBC Four devotes a large chunk of its schedules to the late, great Victoria Wood, who would have been 70 this Friday.
Starting at 7.55pm and continuing until stupid-o-clock in the morning, it includes Victoria’s wonderful comedy drama PAT AND MARGARET (10.10pm), first shown in 1994, in which she and JulieWalters play sisters reunited in awkward circumstances – one of them a big star in the States, the other a cook at a motorway service station. Should you find yourself still awake at
1am, after the final programme (VICTORIA WOOD: A PERSONAL VIEW, 12.35pm) has played out, then why not stay with
BBC Four for 30 minutes more and watch MINDFUL ESCAPES: BREATHE, RELEASE, RESTORE?
In episode one, mindfulness expert Andy Puddicombe will tell us “why breathing is so important to becoming still and being in the moment”.
Worth taking notes, I reckon. Mind you, if stillness truly is your aim, I’d imagine NOT breathing would be just as effective.