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Yahoo
7 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
They say the endearing elephant never forgets – and nor should we
They say that elephants never forget – so how could we fail to remember these loveable creatures on World Elephant Day? Eugene the Elephant in Around the World in Eighty Days at Theatre by the Lake (Image: Submitted) The day brings global attention to the challenges elephants face and the importance of preserving their future. Bradley Corkhill, a reception class pupil at St Gregory & St Patrick's Infant School, dressed as an elephant for World Book Day (Image: Newsquest) These majestic animals, known for their intelligence and emotional depth, are celebrated with the hope of ensuring they continue to thrive in the wild for generations to come. Benjamin Clarke made an elephant mask in a workshop with artist John Parkinson at High Hesket School (Image: Newsquest) World Elephant Day was officially launched in 2012 by filmmaker Patricia Sims and the Elephant Reintroduction Foundation of Thailand. Since then, over 100 wildlife organisations and countless individuals around the world have joined the cause, making this day a significant moment in wildlife conservation. Mr Elephant restaurant at the White Lion on High Cross Street, Brampton (Image: Newsquest) It highlights the urgent threats elephants face, including poaching, habitat loss, and mistreatment in captivity. Both African and Asian elephants are in jeopardy – African elephants are listed as Vulnerable, and Asian elephants as Endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Owner Mo Rammy (centre) with staff at Mr Elephant in Brampton (Image: Newsquest) Current estimates place the African elephant population at around 400,000, while Asian elephants have dwindled to just 40,000. Experts warn that if aggressive conservation steps aren't taken, both species could vanish within the next decade. Elephant hawk moth caterpillars at the Hall Park Hotel in Workington (Image: Newsquest) The first World Elephant Day was accompanied by the release of a documentary titled Return to the Forest, narrated by William Shatner. The film focused on reintroducing captive elephants into the wild and set the tone for the day's mission. A ceramic elephant in the feature window on the landing of a home on Asby Road, Asby (Image: Newsquest) This initiative was co-created by Patricia Sims and Sivaporn Dardarananda, the secretary-general of the Elephant Reintroduction Foundation in Thailand. Children enjoyed a morning creating their Elmer the Elephants to mark his second birthday at Whitehaven Library (Image: Newsquest) The idea took root in compassion, and has since grown into a powerful global movement. You can celebrate World Elephant Day by supporting ethical organisations like the Elephant Reintroduction Foundation, Save the Elephants, and the World Wildlife Fund. These groups work tirelessly to protect elephant habitats, prevent poaching, and ensure elephants live free from harm.
Time of India
01-07-2025
- Sport
- Time of India
How did strawberries and cream become the 'true icon' of Wimbledon
Every summer, as the world tunes in to Wimbledon for the power serves, nail-biting rallies, and that unmistakable hush of Centre Court, there's another tradition that quietly steals the show—strawberries and cream. It's simple. It's classic. And it's as much a part of Wimbledon as the tennis whites and royal box. But have you ever wondered how this humble dessert became a symbol of the world's most prestigious tennis tournament? A dish that pre-dates the tennis Believe it or not, strawberries and cream were part of the Wimbledon experience even before the tennis itself. Back in the day, the All England Croquet Club—before it even added lawn tennis to the mix—was already serving the dish to guests. That wasn't out of the ordinary. In Victorian England, strawberries and cream were a staple at just about every summer gathering you could imagine. Garden parties, cricket matches, political fundraisers—you name it, the dish was there. This wasn't just about food—it was about ritual. The soft sweetness of strawberries paired with thick, silky cream perfectly matched the mood of long, lazy afternoons and polite conversation. A statistician once claimed that in 1889, Londoners alone were eating 12 million strawberries a day. If the fruit had been available all year, he joked, the nation would have spent more on strawberries than on education. Perfect timing made Wimbledon the ideal match When Wimbledon launched its tennis championships in the 1870s, it landed right in the heart of strawberry season—late June to early July. So naturally, the tradition continued. Serving strawberries and cream at the tournament wasn't just charming, it made perfect sense. Even in earlier centuries, strawberries were firmly tied to summer. Seventeenth-century banquet menus featured them with cream or dressed up in rose water and wine. John Parkinson, a royal botanist at the time, called them 'a cooling and pleasant dish in the hot summer season.' Of course, back then, strawberries weren't available year-round. They were delicate things—hard to transport and quick to spoil. Newspapers in Victorian London often grumbled that the berries sold in the city were a poor substitute for the fresh, fragrant ones eaten in the countryside. And as for the cream? It could be thin, watery, and nothing like the real deal. Then came refrigeration, and everything changed The seasonal charm of strawberries started to fade when refrigeration arrived. By the end of the 19th century, cold storage meant that fruit could travel across oceans. Homes soon had ice-boxes and refrigerators, and suddenly, people could eat whatever they wanted, whenever they wanted. Magazines like Ladies Home Journal hailed this new freedom in 1929: 'Refrigeration wipes out seasons and distances.' The thrill of waiting for strawberry season? Gone. Historian Susan Friedberg points out that we stopped expecting food to be 'just picked' and started expecting it to simply look fresh on a refrigerator shelf. So today, you can pick up strawberries at the supermarket in January and no one bats an eye. But somehow, Wimbledon's version still feels different. At the All England Club, strawberries and cream are more than just a menu item—they're a nod to the past. The club even calls them 'a true icon of The Championships.' And despite inflation and fine-dining options on site that can run up to £130, a bowl of this summer classic still only costs £2.70. It went up by just 20p in 2025, the first price increase in 15 years. Last year alone, nearly 2 million berries were served during the tournament.
