| Saving the soldiers we neglect
Where we come in is that we can help to raise the funds so our soldiers get really excellent facilities." The charity is the brainchild of Parry, 51, a cartoonist and former member of the Royal Green Jackets, and Sarah-Jane Shirreff, wife of General Sir Richard Shirreff, former commander of British forces in Basra. Through its website it will also allow the public to "help a hero" in any way they see fit - perhaps by offering tickets to football matches or funding a meal out. Already this aspect of the appeal has been kickstarted by retailers - Dixons has donated 1,000 MP3 players and PC World has provided a number of combined television-computers. The Clarksons became involved in the cause of Britain’s war wounded last year when they met Lance Bombardier Ben Parkinson at Selly Oak hospital - where a military-managed ward, albeit with beds for only 14 patients, gives primary care to injured service personnel returning from combat zones.
Walk to Wellness at Pleasanton park
Pleasanton-based pedometer and stopwatch manufacturer Accusplit, Inc. sponsors the first World Walk to Wellness from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. today. The event is open to all ages and includes a self-guided 5,000-step walk (2.15 miles) around Pleasantons Sports and Community Park. The event is free at 5800 Parkside Drive, Pleasanton. Visit http://www.walking10000.org. Alta Bates Summit Medical Center The Markstein Cancer Education and Prevention Center presents a free discussion for those touched by cancer, featuring support group leader and therapist Connie Holmes, from 6:15-7:30 p.m. Jan. 9. Registration is recommended. At the Summit Campus, Peralta Pavilion, 430 30th St., Room 2810, Oakland. Call 510-869-8833. The weight-loss surgery support group New beginnings will be having meetings for people who have had or are considering weight-loss surgery.
Shooting the Rapids
There are two groups of chimps, one a young group in a large paddock, the other a mature group that lives in an area of fenced off native forest. Truly wild chimpanzees can be seen in western Uganda (I have seen them just across the border in the Congo —the Democratic Republic of the two), but for a more easily accessible primate experience this comes pretty close. Access to Ngamba is by a large wooden canoe, and the morning of my visit Lake Victoria was deciding to do a passable impression of the Roaring Forties. The boat tossed up and down, launching itself over crests and plunging into troughs. Those of a more sensitive disposition, and more recent breakfasts, slunk, a delicate shade of green, to the marginally more stable rear where a bucket was thoughtfully provided. The chimp experience was slightly underwhelming, but the work being done is admirable.
|
