Latest news with #OriginofSpecies
Daily Mirror
12-05-2025
- Daily Mirror
UK's sunniest spot with royal connection boasts hours of daily sunshine
The UK is not known for its sunshine, but there are some spots where the weather is more predictable, with the Isle of Wight taking the top spot for time in the sun While the UK may not be renowned for its sunny weather, we do enjoy occasional bursts of sunshine that fill pub gardens and inspire family trips to the seaside. Even though our summers can be punctuated by sporadic rain showers and overcast days, there are some sun-drenched locations in the UK that are ideal for summer staycations. Topping the list is the Isle of Wight, boasting an average of five hours and eight minutes of daily sunlight between 1991 and 2020. Situated just off the coast of Portsmouth, this island paradise is a mere 20-minute ferry ride from the city, yet it feels like a different world altogether. Conde Nast Traveller, sharing the list of the UK's sunniest spots, declared there's "something special" about this breathtaking island. The Isle of Wight also holds a Royal seal of approval, having been adored by Queen Victoria and Prince Albert, who loved it so much they even commissioned a Royal residence there. Osborne House was constructed between 1845 and 1851 to satisfy the Queen's wish for a "place of one's own" where she could relish some tranquillity away from public scrutiny, reports the Express. Visitors to this grand home, now owned and managed by English Heritage, can marvel at the lavish interiors and art collections within, while also appreciating the splendid gardens outside and the unique Swiss Cottage, where the Royal children would play during their stays at the residence. The island is also a treasure trove of charming villages, complete with thatched cottages and meandering paths. One such village, Shanklin, has gained fame as the place where Charles Darwin penned his groundbreaking Origin of Species during an extended 18-month stay. Arguably one of the most iconic spots on the Isle of Wight is the Needles, offering breathtaking views of the island and its coastline. Simply hop on the chairlift to the rocks and coloured sands and soak up the sun while taking in the scenery. But it's not just the Isle of Wight that boasts plenty of sunshine. CN Traveller revealed that Kent clinched second place with four hours and 46 minutes of sunlight, narrowly beating East Sussex by a mere minute. Interestingly, the popular holiday spot of Devon didn't make the cut, although its neighbour Cornwall did round off the top ten with an average of four hours and 29 minutes of sunlight. The ten Sunniest places in the UK: Isle of Wight - 5 hours 8 minutes Kent - 4 hours 47 minutes East Sussex - 4 hours 46 minutes West Sussex - 4 hours 42 minutes Essex - 4 hours 35 minutes Dorset - 4 hours 34 minutes Suffolk - 4 hours 34 minutes Hampshire - 4 hours 32 minutes Surrey - 4 hours 29 minutes Cornwall - 4 hours 29 minutes
Observer
15-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Observer
Thanks... Shelley, Frankenstein and Barnard
Our fascination with the human form and its possibilities has been with us for all time, but more especially so since Charles Darwin challenged mankind's religious origins, in his 'Origin of Species,' in 1859. With much more innocence, we innocently wondered as children, about 'Captain Hook's' hook felt, in 'Peter Pan?' Or what about one-eyed, wooden-legged, 'Long John Silver,' from 'Treasure Island?' Later, 'Star Trek's' Jean-Luc Picard had a new heart, 'Star War's' hero Luke Skywalker and villain Darth Vader both had prosthetic appendages. What about Steve Austin, the 'Six Million Dollar Man,' of whom they said, "Gentlemen, we can rebuild him. Better... stronger... faster." Or Tony Stark, the Iron Man; Captain America's 'Bucky' Barnes; GOT's Jamie Lannister; Even 'Mad Eye' Moody, from 'Harry Potter,' were they all just complete and utter fantasy? Who among us was not simultaneously haunted and fascinated by Mary Shelley's 'Frankenstein,' when a young scientist creates a grotesque living 'thing' from human body parts sourced from dissection laboratories and mortuaries. Going on to create murder and mayhem, Victor Frankenstein's monstrous creation has been brought to the cinema screen several times since Boris Karloff brought it to life so dramatically in 1931. The very idea that you could fit 'spare parts' into the human body though, remained little more than tales... stories of what could have been. Until, on December 3, 1967, South African surgeon Christian Barnard successfully transplanted the heart of a human donor into Louis Washkansky, at Groote Schuur Hospital in Cape Town, South Africa. Although, he passed away 18 days later, Barnard's work had inspired hundreds of others and during the following year over 100 successful heart transplants would prove even more successful, and today, they are commonplace. By the 1970s heart transplants were virtually commonplace, and the medical fraternity sought wider applications for transplants and enhancements, many of which may not have been essential to longevity but inspired by the 'quality of life' needs of a burgeoning consumerist society. Among these, total (tkr) and partial (pkr), knee and hip replacements are today commonly sought by those with leg joint ailments, most frequently through osteoarthritis, a degenerative disease of the joints that causes swelling, stiffness and significant pain. Late last year, I sought medical help for this very condition, and met with a nearby consultant Christian Nita, and after an initial consultation he agreed a way forward and following X-Rays and MRI scans it was agreed that my left knee was an appropriate candidate for surgery, with all my options laid out and a total knee replacement chosen. This requires the bottom of the upper leg and the top of the lower leg to be removed and new titanium femur (upper), and tibia (lower) leg components and a plastic patellar spacer between the two, to replace the ailing joint. Surgery day, a couple of months later, was a final flurry of documentation, vital signs measurements, questions and final discussions with the surgeon and anaesthetist, then I was wheeled down to the operating theatre. A shunt was inserted in the back of my left hand, a prickle in the back of my right and then I was sat up to have the local (spinal) injection. 'This will numb you from the chest down so you will just feel a cold spray (which I did) and we'll give you a sedative to keep you relaxed for the next couple of hours,' said the anaesthetist, and a screen was hung up so I couldn't see what was happening and the work started... I can't say it was blissful, but there's something Shelly'ish, about knowing I was being cut, sawn, pushed, pulled, hammered and well, whatever else, just a couple of feet away, and I just... didn't... care... Yes, it did play with my head a wee bit later, but that has still been the most amazing element of this entire process... It just shows how far medicine has come. My quality of life will be improved and I must thank a quality surgical team, and among a host of others, Frankenstein... I guess?
