The Earth from the Sky

(Written for MSN's New Thinker's Index with Hyundai website, originally published here.)

Beautiful images that offer a new way of looking at the world from Bing Maps.

Bullfrog Bay Marina, Lake Powell, Utah 

Bullfrog Bay is a popular spot for boaters who want to park up their houseboats in beautiful surroundings. From 17,000 feet above, however, the view becomes one of marshmallow clouds drifting across an ominous dark blue sky.


Cabinet Gorge Dam, Idaho

Thrown up in record time in the early 1950s to combat flooding, this arch dam remains a striking presence not far from the Idaho Highway in the US. Seen from above, it’s power over, and control of, the forces of nature are even more apparent as it keeps a tight grip on the natural flow of the river.

Carved animals in a field, Ghent

Not all farm fields have to be etched with the straight lines created by tractors going about their work. One imaginative farmer near Ghent, in the Flemish region of Belgium, has been doodling in one field. How many animals can you see?

Coastline of Cap d'Artrutx, Menorca, Spain

This tiny little village on the south west corner of the Spanish island of Menorca is an unassuming tourist spot with an array of hotels and villas. From above it’s a clash of patterned colour – swirls of different shades of brown mix with dull green, both lifted by the sparkling blue of the water – of both the pools and the sea.

Container ship on the River Lys, France

The River Lys is better known for being polluted due to the large amounts of industrial activity along its banks in Northern France and Belgium than it is for being a beauty spot. Yet seen from above, it regains its natural beauty, the presence of a container ship only adding a pleasing splash of colour.

Crazy Mountains, Montana

Home to a large array of fauna, including many a mountain goat and the occasional elusive wolverine, the Crazy Mountains are also a popular spot for hiking and mountaineering. Seen from above, however, they take on a menacing air – throbbing and undulating as if a bubbling hot tar pit.

Everglades National Park, Florida

One of the largest national parks in the US, the Everglades protects a fragile ecosystem and a number of endangered animals, such as the Florida panther and the American crocodile. From above it is representative of how we incorporate nature’s look into our own lives, the water creating beautiful patterns that wouldn’t look amiss on curtains or wallpaper.

East of Widnes, England

Widnes is a thriving industrial town in the north-west of England, a major centre of the chemical industry since the Industrial Revolution began in the mid-19th century. From above it is a clash of industry and nature, the circuit board of buildings nestling uncomfortably amongst the greenery.

Farm fields, Washington

The undulating landscape of Washington State in the US contributes to the unusual shapes formed in these farm fields, north of the small town of La Crosse. Looking down on these well-cultivated fields, you can imagine beautiful ancient carvings cut deep into sandstone, creating beautiful intricate patterns.

Farm fields, New Mexico

These circular markings look slightly odd seen from above – more like mysterious crop circles than the innocent farm fields in New Mexico, US that they are. The circular shape is becoming increasingly common due to the growing popularity of ‘central pivot irrigation’ – often used on more difficult undulating landscapes.

Farm fields, Ghent

These more typical farm fields in Ghent in Belgium have a stark uniformity to them when seen from above that takes away any natural feel you may have walking amongst them on the ground. Such is their precise tidiness, they are reminiscent of the chips and other components of a computer motherboard.

Farm fields, north of La Solana

From the air this dry and arid-looking land in central Spain doesn’t look capable of producing much in the way of fruit and vegetables. And yet the neatly arranged dots – well-organised amongst the random shapes of the fields themselves - are abundant olive trees, thriving in the hot Spanish climate.

Great Divide Basin, US

The Great Divide Basin is a huge area of land in the US – some 4,000 square miles – that serves as a catchment area for surface water, taking it through the land and out to the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans. The water has a striking effect on the land as it travels through, shaping it into patterned cuts and grooves seen in beautiful clarity from above.

Navy bombing target area, Nevada

Nevada – the driest state in the US – has still managed to make use of its large desert and semi-arid areas – as a bombing test site. The state has a long history of nuclear testing, but these buildings (looking like some sort of code, according to some conspiracy theorists) are used as navy bombing targets.

Tulip fields, near Amsterdam, Netherlands

Tulip season in spring in the Netherlands sees acre after acre of brightly coloured fields form a myriad of rainbows across the land. Tourists flock to the Dutch countryside to see the flowers in full bloom before they are harvested for sale, but few get to see them from above, still retaining their brightness and eye-catching power.

Incredible Endeavours: Martin Strel

(Written for MSN's In Search of Incredible with ASUS/Intel website, originally published here.)

Long-distance swimmer Martin Strel likes a challenge, taking the likes of the Amazon River in his stride…

Martin Strel has stunned people around the world with his feats of endurance in long-distance swimming. The 57-year-old Slovenian has claimed a succession of Guinness World Records for swimming the lengths of the Danube River, the Mississippi River, the Yangtze River, and the Amazon.

His epic 66 day, 3,300 mile swim of the Amazon was documented in the award-winning film Big River Man, securing Strel’s notoriety as an unconventional athlete – known as much for his hard drinking as his incredible physical achievements.

In Search Of Incredible spoke to the fearless swimmer as he prepares for his next big swim.

How did you get into long-distance swimming?

When I was young I swam up and down many times and people didn’t understand me. I swam non-stop, sometimes for 10km, even though I was very young. It was very hard for people to swim with me, I was pretty fast already. Maybe I was born like this, who knows.

What motivates you when swimming?

When I started, I swam in competitions for money, so a better position was better for your pocket. Then a little later, when I started to swim long rivers, I kept surprising myself. At first, swimming for 55 hours non-stop was almost impossible. Now I can swim maybe 100 hours.

In the Mississippi I swam for the people that died on September 11th, 2001. I told myself I simply have to swim, even though I was tired. In the Amazon, it was everything that was happening in this beautiful, precious part of the world – I heard a lot of terrible news about people simply destroying forests there. So I said, okay, I’m going to swim the Amazon because this planet must understand what’s going on.

How do you prepare yourself for a long river swim?

Physically I must be strong, so I train twice a day in the swimming pool, in the ocean, rivers, lakes. Then as well as cross-country skiing, I’m doing a lot of hiking. Then your health is very important, you have to be very strong, a very tough guy. I’m never sick. That’s part of why I’m doing this successfully. And there’s also mental preparation. My son is with me, that’s very important. He works on the logistics. It couldn’t happen without him. That would be a huge problem for me.

On the ship’s crew, the cook is very important – what to eat, what to drink, you have to know all that before you start. Then you have to organise the media. And when you start, don’t give up. Now it’s time to show the world who you are.

Which swim has been the most challenging?

The Amazon swim was extremely hard and risky. I risked my life, it was 50/50. On the Yangtze, every day was a lucky day for me. We passed many rapids, and there was lots of pollution. On the Mississippi there was the danger of lightning. I’ve seen many deadly situations. But the Amazon was definitely the most challenging.

What river would you like to swim next?

It’s in my head to do the Grand Canyon next year. I’m still trying to find one sponsor. I’ve swam parts of the Canyon for TV shows this year, I know it pretty well. It’s beautiful. It’s very risky as it’s extremely cold water and there are many rapids, but people could follow it on the internet and TV and I think it could be a great story.

What do you love about swimming?

Swimming makes me healthy, swimming gives me power. You get to see beautiful nature and you can get a connection with animals. Also, I want to raise awareness about drinking water because clean water is very important for future generations.

Will you retire in the future and do something different?

I’m 57 and would like to swim until the end of my life. Even if you’re 100-years-old you can still swim. I might not be able to go cross-country skiing, or play basketball, but you can swim forever.

Find out about Martin Strel's Swimming Adventures experience

Wireless 2011

I wrote some words in sentences in paragraphs in a grammatically sensible (ish) order about my pleasant afternoon and evening partaking in the musical performances of a host of popular and electronic acts on a stage in Hyde Park during the Wireless Festival.

Those words are here: http://www.skiddle.com/news/all/Review-Saturday-at-Wireless/9588/

Enjoy.

Down by the River

(Written for ITV's Perspectives website, originally published here.)

Why has House star Hugh Laurie suddenly become a blues musician? He tells us about his love of the blues.

For many, the recent foray of House star and British comic stalwart Hugh Laurie into the blues has come as something of a surprise. As the actor himself puts it: "I've broken the cardinal rule."

"Actors are supposed to act," he says, "and musicians are supposed to music. That's how it works. You don't buy fish from a dentist, or ask a plumber for financial advice, so why listen to an actor’s music?"

But for Hugh himself, his latest incarnation as a blues musician and performer is the inevitable result of a lifelong love of blues and jazz that began when he was just 10 years old.

"One day a song came on the radio," he recalls. "I'm pretty sure it was I Can't Quit You Baby by Willie Dixon – and my whole life changed. A wormhole opened between the minor and major third, and I stepped through into Wonderland.

"Since then, the blues have made me laugh, weep, dance and… well this is a family discussion, so I can't tell you all the things the blues can make me do.

"The question of why a soft-handed English schoolboy should be touched by music born of slavery and oppression in another city, on another continent, in another century, is for a thousand others to answer before me: from Korner to Clapton, the Rolling Stones to the Joolsing Hollands. Let’s just say it happens."

Now Hugh is indulging that love in a road trip to the birthplace of blues and jazz – New Orleans – for the Perspectives film Hugh Laurie: Down by the River. We follow the actor as he goes on a journey – both literally and figuratively – into blues heartland.

Not only does he explore the city where blues and jazz grew legs and started tapping its feet, he also records and performs blues classics, songs he’s loved for years, and in the process, works with some of his musical heroes.

"At the centre of this magical new kingdom [I discovered as a boy], stood the golden city of New Orleans," says Hugh. "In my imagination, it just straight hummed with music, romance, joy, despair.

"Its rhythms got into my gawky English frame and, at times, made me so happy, and sad, I just didn't know what to do with myself. New Orleans was my Jerusalem."

Now he's keen to share his love of blues with the world, to use his fame as one of the highest paid TV stars in the world to spread the word about a music he is unwaveringly passionate about.

"I could never bear to see this music confined to a glass cabinet," says Hugh, "under the heading Culture: Only To Be Handled By Elderly Black Men.

"That way lays the grave, for the blues and just about everything else - Shakespeare only performed at The Globe, Bach only played by Germans in tights. Its formaldehyde and I pray that Lead Belly will never be dead enough to warrant that.

"I love this music, as authentically as I know how, and I want you to love it too. And if you get a thousandth of the pleasure from it that I've had, we’re all ahead of the game."

Gallagher and Lowry

(Written for ITV's Perspectives website, originally published here.)

Noel Gallagher talks about his admiration of fellow famous son of Manchester, painter LS Lowry.

Noel Gallagher might not be the first person you’d expect to see in a film about one of the 20th century’s most popular painters. But Looking for Lowry film-maker Margy Kinmonth made the connection when she saw the video for their song The Masterplan.

Inspired by LS Lowry’s paintings of crowds in scenes of the industrial north of the early 20th century, the animated video is a Lowry painting come to life. It even includes a swaggering Liam Gallagher, a character that fits seamlessly into the Lowry landscape.

“Everybody’s on the move [in his paintings] aren’t they,” says Noel. “There’s nobody standing still, everybody’s walking, all slightly hunched over aren’t they? I mean, they’re very brilliant.

“Only works in the rain though, don’t you find? You get great skies up in Manchester, real turbulent. Grey skies and tall buildings. And a little scraggy dog.”

For Noel the connection with and awareness of Lowry goes way back. “It’s like when they say ‘When’s the first time you heard The Beatles?’. It’s like, I don’t know, it’s just always been there for me, always.”

Both famous sons of Manchester with a deep connection with the city, Noel has always admired and related to how Lowry presented their hometown.

“I guess all the people that he ever met were all in there somehow,” he says. “Even though there are hundreds of people in those paintings, they’re all individuals in some way.

“There’s like a solace in them I think, you know. And you see them walking, they seem to be in their own little world. And I guess I was like that when I was younger. I was in my own little world and it was quite quiet, Manchester.

“It would be great to see what he could do with a northern town now because all the factories are dead. All those that haven’t been turned into cheap flats are just huge empty buildings that once housed all these people.

“All the houses around and all the people working there, the whole community was based around the factory. It’d be interesting to see how he would paint all these northern towns that are dead now that the textile industry has gone.”

A topic touched on in the film is the continuing issue of Lowry paintings not being considered worthy of serious art criticism. This has resulted in the Tate not displaying the many Lowry paintings the gallery owns. It’s something Noel is at a loss to understand.

“So [the paintings] aren’t considered Tate worthy? Or is it just because he was a northerner?” asks Noel. “Does anybody know why though? I mean, what’s the official line?

“I find it amazing that an artist that’s got that much of a strong identity is not accepted, because surely that’s what art is all about, you know. It’s reflecting real life and you know what it is when you see it.”