Football - When I was a Kid!!!

COMMING SOON!

Chalkin on the Pavement (Song)

The best songs for me are told as a story and not just a collection of feelings and ideas. I'm one of those 'Old fashioned' kinda kids who still buys CDs and reads what's inside. At Gigs I often try to listen to what is important to the singer on stage. Love, friendship and breakups - these are all things an audience can relate to but not always easy to explore these subjects within the confines of a verse. I see alot of new bands fall down as they don't take enough risks in their writing or forget that a person should walk away feeling they have truely learnt something new.

I have discovered some really great lyricists this year, far better then me. But I am happy that the songs I have written recently are just fun and nothing to be taken seriously! Here is my attempt at a mushy love song...

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Chalkin on the Pavement

On my doorstep, I sit and I watch you

Chalkin pictures on the floor

We get talking

About all the places we never been before

You don’t notice, all the people smiling

But they stare at every one

I love to see that angry look in your eyes

When they walk across the things you’ve done

(CHORUS)

You’ll see a change in me

I got your drawings on my wall                  

All the places you wanna go

Yeah I think they’re Pretty Cool!!!!

I found your Dreams

In a Sketch Book in a draw

Gonna save my money

I want to help you see them all

I see the chalk dust, on the side of your hand

As you move your finger ‘cross the glass

The bus is steaming up, your drawing faces

At the people going past

You draw a stick girl standing with a stick boy

On an Island out at Sea

You even write on the window what they’re rowing about

So I know that it’s you and me

(CHORUS)

So the rain came down, with that crippling sound

I hear the parks gonna close today

So we grab some clothes and our mobile phones

It’s time for us to go away

The rain may have faded the chalk on the street

But not the promises we laid down

I watched as the colours fell into themselves

Like a Sunset on the ground

Like a Sunset on the ground (Repeat x4)

A Tiger's Tale

‘What of the Hunting, Hunter Bold?

      Brother, the watch was long and cold.

Where is the power that made your pride?

      Brother, it ebbs from my flank and side’…

                                                                from The Jungle Book

What I find the most incredible about Tigers is their adaptability and their nomadic existence. They will wander for huge distances in search of new hunting grounds. When I think of them nowadays I no longer imagine ‘Shere Khan’ walking silently through the jungle, stalking his prey. We often see photographs of Tigers in the snow (which always seems strange to me) and watch television programmes of them cautiously pacing through swamps and mountainous regions.

It is worth remembering that Tigers have been around for over two million years and in that time the Earth’s climate has pulsed from the frozen glacial ages to warmer wetter climates, bringing the forests and jungles we see today. The biggest cat of all is the Siberian Tiger, able to survive in temperatures as low as -35’C. There are three important factors which are key to a Tiger’s success. Water, a plentiful food source and just as important is the need for adequate natural cover. Without this a Tiger lacks the element of surprise in hunting. It also requires shelter to regulate its body temperature whether this is from blizzards or the suns searing heat.

There has always been a demand to see more of these creatures with their striking design. They have a hidden ferocity and strength, a lethal grace that makes them the perfect hunter. Their eyes are keen yet they have a wise look in them. There is a deep respect for Tigers within the cultures they have touched directly. In Siberia there are tribes that call them ‘Old Grandfather’ or ‘Brother’, protectors of the ginseng root.  In Warli marriages in India both bride and groom will wear red and yellow head-dress in their honour. If their tribe's Hindu Goddess of love sanctifies the wedding all will be well, if not the cloth will turn into Tigers and eat them both up!

Tigers will eat just about anyone: most commonly Bison, species of deer known as Chittal and Sambar, they will even chase a Leopard into a tree. But due to their size Tigers are very poor climbers so will often give up at this point. They can stalk a solitary animal for hours and will sometimes return to a herd for 2-3 days looking for the right time to strike. They are the largest of all the cats and require a huge amount of energy to keep them going. Therefore they will only sprint for around a hundred yards and aim to put their prey down quickly which is defiantly the smart approach. Tigers can also see in the dark and will become nocturnal if their prey is more active at night or if they live close to man and feel roaming in the dark is safer.

As far a family life goes Tiger males are always respectful to females and will not approach her for mating till she is ready. He knows this by the way she roars and sprays across the ground. Although males are often 1/3 times larger then a Tigress, she can certainly pack a healthy wallop if she is unhappy and so this respect is also another smart move. Tigers may fight Bears or Pythons, they may take on Bison three times their size and weight, but a female Tigress will always be his toughest threat. However if he is lucky he may have several females within his territory to choose from.

  

Tiger cubs are very inquisitive and playful creatures, always exploring their environment. Litter sizes range from 1 to 5 but on average 3 younglings are born at a  time. You may often see documentaries where cubs are wading in the water with their brothers and sisters, messing around with sticks or teasing smaller creatures. But work starts early and at the 3-6 month stage their mother will start teaching them the skills of hunting. It is common for a Tigress to catch a wild pig or young faun beneath its paw, releasing it for their cubs to make the kill. It is important that a Tiger develops the agility and judgement to take down an animal quickly, using gravity, momentum and the animal’s weight against them. If done incorrectly a Tiger could be crushed to death by a larger animal or more commonly they may suffer an injury. An injured tiger can not hunt and will inevitably starve.

The Tigress must always be aware of the dangers that her younglings face, there are natural predators such as Wolves or Sloth Bears that will take a cub if they are not protected. Fathers are often close by too and will defend their families against rival males. At around the 2 year mark a mother will force her cubs away, it is vital to disown them at this time. Tigers need a huge amount of meat to sustain them and so must branch out to their own hunting areas and this is why they are solitary for large parts of their lives. Also the Tigress will naturally want to start a new family at this time. As Tigers push out closer to human villages there is the danger of being killed by poison, traps or by poachers and its startling to think that on average only 1 cub from every litter will survive to full maturity.

Humans and Tigers have always been in conflict for a variety of reasons. Tigers are opportunists, they will kill and eat a human if one encroaches on their territory. They eat fish and livestock: they were considered pests when settlers came from Russia and the West, who killed them for sport and the desire to introduce wider farmlands. Their numbers have diminished to frightening levels with some species only having a few hundred left. In China Tiger bones have always been used in medicine and in Nepal their fur is used for religious ceremonies. Killing Tigers is completely wrong but it is something ingrained in the workings of these cultures, laws must be tightened and people re-educated to ensure any real progress.

Projects in India and other parts of Asia have seen the creation of huge National Parks designed to protect tigers, but the answer to the problem is not quite that simple. Many villages have been relocated to make room for the parks. This not only leads to resentment but also the increase of illegal poaching and fishing as former villagers believe they should still be allowed access to their ancestral lands. It becomes impractical to condemn the actions of others without at least trying to understand the reasons. Many people in these areas have families and want to create a better life for themselves. Uprooting communities in such a way means they have to rebuild their own economy: they need support to do this and help to build up new external trade links. 

As we know Tigers are hugely territorial, a single adult may prevail over an area of 4 square miles in the south to 70 sq miles in the north, roaming further when there is less food. With emerging cultures like China and India constantly pushing out due to industry and population growth, some species find themselves at the tipping point. The land that Tigers now inhabit has become fragmented and for them to stand a chance these must be connected by ‘land corridors’, allowing them to reproduce effectively. Their success will inevitably come down to those who are willing to take up the moral slack. A lot of hard work, compromise and resources will be needed, but I know I would rather read about animals in a magazine then in a museum. Humans are natural builders and we create amazing things. We are problem solvers and the world is a big place. We should be enlightened enough to find a place for everything we share the planet with.

I think it is possible to look into a Tigers eyes and see great curiosity and ambition. We understand that they have such awesome strength controlled by the truest of patience. They are intelligent and adaptable creatures. They have a Traveller's Soul. When I think about what motivates us in our lives and the type of people we want to be, than perhaps these are the qualities we both aspire to