Latest news with #Humbug
BBC News
30-04-2025
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Two penguin chicks born at Newquay Zoo
Two penguin chicks were born at a Cornish zoo recently, keepers have Humboldt penguin chicks, from separate breeding pairs, both hatched in April after their eggs were laid in March, Newquay Zoo keeper Dan Trevelyan has successfully reared many penguins in his time at Newquay said the team was thrilled to welcome the chicks but it was a "critical period". "While everything is going well, we're monitoring them closely to ensure they stay healthy and strong," he one breeding pair - Oreo and Humbug - it was their first time as 28-year-old Ebony and her partner of 20 years, Patch, have successfully raised many chicks over the years and are even grandparents to some of the zoo's current penguins."Ebony and Patch are experienced and reliable parents who've successfully raised several offspring over the years," Mr Trevelyan said."It's fantastic to see Oreo and Humbug stepping up as first-time parents." The zoo recently held a pool party to celebrate several penguin birthdays, a spokesperson event included special talk for visitors, behind-the-scenes insights and enrichment activities - a bubble machine to stimulate playful penguins are native to Peru and Chile and classed as Vulnerable because of habitat loss, overfishing, and climate Zoo said the species was part of a coordinated breeding effort across European zoos."While the chicks remain safely tucked in their burrows next to the penguin pool, visitors might be lucky enough to catch a glimpse - or even hear a tiny chirp - on their next visit," the spokesperson said.
Yahoo
22-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Ex-Arctic Monkeys touring musician recalls 'time of my life'
Twenty years ago, sound engineer John Ashton travelled to London to see a much-hyped band with a "daft" name. Little did he know, this young Sheffield four-piece would soon take him around the world – and he would eventually be given the dream offer of joining them. As he prepares to auction off his collection of Arctic Monkeys-related memorabilia, the musician recounts "the time of my life" to BBC News. The band ripped through future indie club night classics including I Bet You Look Good On The Dancefloor and When The Sun Goes Down at the capital's Islington Academy, with John "absolutely blown away". "I had never seen anything like that and I have never seen anything like it since," he recalls. "It was sold out, everyone knew all the words." John, who has also worked with the likes of Tame Impala, remembered the band being "fully formed" as a live act despite their tender years. "It was already all there, it was just astonishing." Their first two singles, bellowed back to them from the sweat-drenched moshpit at the London venue, went straight to number one - with their debut album becoming the fastest-selling debut album in UK chart history. "It was an event when they arrived," says John. "Oasis were important but they didn't arrive in the charts like the Arctics did." John was asked to join the touring operation when "it looked like it was going supernova" for the-then teenagers, with their rapid rise seeing them graduate from playing pubs and small venues to large arenas in the space of two years. Frontman Alex Turner offered him the opportunity to join them as a live member around the time third album Humbug was released, with John also featuring on several track recordings. "On the Favourite Worst Nightmare tour I used to play [James Blunt hit] You're Beautiful on the guitar to entertain them," he says. "He would borrow my iPod and ask me about certain artists, songs and things, we just started exchanging music." Having already played live with Turner on side project The Last Shadow Puppets, John describes the process of joining Arctic Monkeys as "very organic". "It was just in passing," he says. "Alex was like: 'Oh, by the way, do you want to join the band on keyboards?' "I was like, well, of course!" "I remember [drummer Matt] Helders had his headphones on, Alex nudged him and said: 'He's in.' "He just replied: 'Oh, right' and put his headphones back on." John moved on at the end of 2011 and had to decline an offer to rejoin as a touring musician due to the imminent birth of his son. "The one regret for everyone who tours is always that they missed their children growing up - I just couldn't do it," he says. "I had the time of my life with them - it was brilliant as a sound engineer, then it just went up a notch to amazing." John runs a studio in Gateshead, where he lives, and works as a production manager at Newcastle's Boiler Shop venue. Meanwhile, his now 11-year-old son likes to boast about his father's former life. "He does show off with it from time to time, but at the same time he can't possibly let on to me that it's any good." His memorabilia collection, which will be auctioned on 27 March, includes tour t-shirts, signed posters, a branded flight case and a custom-made amp from his time playing with the band. "I hadn't realised I had so much, it's all very evocative," he adds. Listen to highlights from South Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North Alex Turner on the Arctic Monkeys' musical evolution Swift breaks Arctic Monkeys chart-topping streak
BBC News
22-03-2025
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Ex-Arctic Monkeys touring musician recalls 'time of my life'
Twenty years ago, sound engineer John Ashton travelled to London to see a much-hyped band with a "daft" did he know, this young Sheffield four-piece would soon take him around the world – and he would eventually be given the dream offer of joining he prepares to auction off his collection of Arctic Monkeys-related memorabilia, the musician recounts "the time of my life" to BBC News. The band ripped through future indie club night classics including I Bet You Look Good On The Dancefloor and When The Sun Goes Down at the capital's Islington Academy, with John "absolutely blown away"."I had never seen anything like that and I have never seen anything like it since," he recalls."It was sold out, everyone knew all the words."John, who has also worked with the likes of Tame Impala, remembered the band being "fully formed" as a live act despite their tender years."It was already all there, it was just astonishing." Their first two singles, bellowed back to them from the sweat-drenched moshpit at the London venue, went straight to number one - with their debut album becoming the fastest-selling debut album in UK chart history."It was an event when they arrived," says John."Oasis were important but they didn't arrive in the charts like the Arctics did."John was asked to join the touring operation when "it looked like it was going supernova" for the-then teenagers, with their rapid rise seeing them graduate from playing pubs and small venues to large arenas in the space of two years. Frontman Alex Turner offered him the opportunity to join them as a live member around the time third album Humbug was released, with John also featuring on several track recordings."On the Favourite Worst Nightmare tour I used to play [James Blunt hit] You're Beautiful on the guitar to entertain them," he says."He would borrow my iPod and ask me about certain artists, songs and things, we just started exchanging music."Having already played live with Turner on side project The Last Shadow Puppets, John describes the process of joining Arctic Monkeys as "very organic"."It was just in passing," he says."Alex was like: 'Oh, by the way, do you want to join the band on keyboards?'"I was like, well, of course!""I remember [drummer Matt] Helders had his headphones on, Alex nudged him and said: 'He's in.' "He just replied: 'Oh, right' and put his headphones back on." John moved on at the end of 2011 and had to decline an offer to rejoin as a touring musician due to the imminent birth of his son."The one regret for everyone who tours is always that they missed their children growing up - I just couldn't do it," he says."I had the time of my life with them - it was brilliant as a sound engineer, then it just went up a notch to amazing."John runs a studio in Gateshead, where he lives, and works as a production manager at Newcastle's Boiler Shop venue. Meanwhile, his now 11-year-old son likes to boast about his father's former life."He does show off with it from time to time, but at the same time he can't possibly let on to me that it's any good."His memorabilia collection, which will be auctioned on 27 March, includes tour t-shirts, signed posters, a branded flight case and a custom-made amp from his time playing with the band."I hadn't realised I had so much, it's all very evocative," he adds. Listen to highlights from South Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North
BBC News
13-02-2025
- General
- BBC News
Critically endangered penguin chicks 'thriving' at Banham Zoo
Two critically endangered penguin chicks that were born in a zoo have been "thriving", keepers black-footed penguins, named Pudding and Humbug, were born at Banham Zoo, Norfolk, in year, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) added the species - also known as African penguins - to a red list of wild animals considered most at risk of Zoo said keepers were "closely monitoring" the progress of the chicks. Deborah Harris, the zoo's animal manager, said: "It's wonderful to have two penguin chicks here at the zoo."The African penguin is critically endangered in the wild, which makes this even more special as we try to help ensure the survival of their wild counterpart with the captive population." The IUCN estimates there are only about 9,900 African penguin breeding pairs remaining in the the late 1950s, that figure was believed to be about 141,000 IUCN said the species' existence was threatened by climate change, industrial fishing and oil penguins are mostly found off the coast of South Africa and Namibia. Banham Zoo said the chicks were part of its "continuing dedication" to conserve critically endangered animals. Follow Norfolk news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
