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BY ANGELA KELLY

WHEN NATURE WAS ON VIEW AGAIN

WATCHING the 1995 film The American President the other day reminded me what a hard sell caring about the environment was back then.

The plot is all around the President (Michael Douglas) meeting an environmentalist (Annette Bening) and their trials before, of course, a happy ending.

But the interesting aspect was how people regarded her and her work, even to some extent the President’s view. It just underlined how far we have come with understanding global warming and the very real threats that we humans pose to the planet.

Many would obviously point out that we have a very long way to go yet before we can start congratulating ourselves on genuinely caring for the world around us, and they would be right.

You only have to look at the amount of litter casually chucked around by uncaring individuals to realise the length of that particular journey. But lockdown provided a unique perspective on how the planet improves if you, even temporarily, largely remove humans from the equation.

We had dramatic drops in city pollution around the world that could be seen from space. Venice’s canals were visibly cleaner and wildlife returned to this newly improved habitat. Even general litter improved - although fly-tipping increased as official tips were closed.

Perhaps even more importantly, more people walked or cycled for exercise and just to get out and about. So we began a re-education of how we see Nature – often passed onto and shared with our children.

There was also a boost in people growing their own fruit and vegetables in their gardens, enhanced by the good weather. We had more time and had slowed down our lives enough to appreciate the world around us.

What David Attenborough had been showing us so brilliantly for years about the life on our planet suddenly seemed far more relevant. And, yes, it felt hopeful. But did this all last when lockdown was lifted?

It would be easy to say “no” but I’m trying to be more optimistic than that.

This newly boosted appreciation could last and, hopefully, it will galvanise us to do more about our environment and ALL the creatures that live there.

Seeing what happens when Nature is left to its own devices might just make us more aware and caring. Let’s try and find a way to live in harmony, permanently.

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WE’VE watched actor David Jason grow up on our TV screens from Granville in Open All Hours to an ageing Inspector Frost in A Touch of Frost.

His acting skills are indisputable and must still be the envy of actors and actresses of all ages. He’s 80 now and easily qualifies as a national treasure.

So it’s surprising to learn from his just-published third autobiography, A Del Of A Life, that he was actually FIFTH choice for Del Boy Trotter in Only Fools and Horses. Robin Nedwell of the Doctor in the House comedy series and Billy Murray (later in The Bill and EastEnders) were possibles along with comedian Enn Reitel and actor Jim Broadbent, the oily copper Roy Slater on the show.

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Jason acknowledges that some of them, much taller than the compact Jason, might have made a better match as “brother” to gangly Nicholas Lyndhurst’s Rodney. However, as became apparent, the disparity of height and looks actually helped the characterisation of what is arguably still one of our favourite TV programmes of all time.

But it does make you think, though, of what we take for granted in our favourites. How would Porridge (or Open All Hours) have been without Ronnie Barker?

With whom would either of The Two Ronnies have partnered to create the fabulous eponymous comedy series? Would Dad’s Army have been the same if Arthur Lowe hadn’t been cast as pompous Captain Mainwaring?

More recent re-makes seem to indicate that no others could really take those roles. They also underline, though, how clever was the casting in the originals, and how lucky we’ve been to be able to enjoy seeing comedy genius at work in exactly the right telly environment. WE often think that we are in charge of animals in zoos and wildlife centres but sometimes little things happen that make us wonder.

One of them occurred at Lincolnshire Wildlife Centre recently, concerning five grey parrots called Billy, Eric, Tyson, Jade and Elsie.

They joined the Centre’s colony of 200 grey parrots last August and all seemed well at first. Centre staff are used to the lively parrots and also used to their tendency to swear – presumably having heard humans doing it first. Apparently, though, they usually clam up outside.

The Famous Five, however, not only learned to swear but ended up egging each other on! In the end, they had to be split up for the sake of young visitors.

It’s tempting to think that these feathered friends did it on purpose because they liked swearing. Not so different then from youngsters everywhere - but definitely hilarious and a lesson from Nature on the canniness of all creatures great and small. COMEDIAN Billy Connolly used to have a famous routine about how exotic the ingredients in haircare had become.

He thought jojoba was something you chucked into a pan with other ingredients for your evening meal.

Even though this oil - that has a variety of healing properties - probably wouldn’t have gone with his neeps and tatties, at least Billy always pronounced it properly as ho-ho-bah.

Now, a new Scandinavian survey has revealed that two thirds of people interviewed think it’s jo-jo-bah.

Don’t bother feeling smug, though. The survey also revealed that 58 per cent of Brits pronounce Turmeric wrongly. We tend to say tur-mer-rik when it should be tuh-muhruhk.

But then, think of all the words wrongly pronounced anyway. The one that sets my teeth on edge is mischievous mispronounced as mischiev-i-ous with an extra i. Grrrr!

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