Native oysters bizarrely reappear in Belfast Lough after 100 years of absence without any human intervention
In March, as the world locked down due to coronavirus, one note of positivity came in the form of reports of Venetians reporting that their canals were clearer and cleaner.
Now, this morning, the Guardian, followed up with similarly good news from Northern Ireland in sharing that “native oysters have unexpectedly returned to the shores of Belfast Lough after more than 100 years” absent.
“Fished to oblivion” from the 1800s, a systematic survey in May and June found 41 live ostrea edulis European flats along the coast and of the news, Joanne Preston of the University of Portsmouth told the paper: “I think it’s really interesting. The take-home message is, if you create the environmental conditions… then the species will be able to establish again.”
Obviously a “boost to biodiversity in the lough, since [they] filter seawater and their shells provide a habitat for many other sea creatures including tiny worms, snails, algae and anemones,” David Smyth of Bangor University in Wales commented: “The big question is, how did they get there?”
Citing that “the lough could one day be home to a future oyster fishery right near Northern Ireland’s capital,” here indeed could be one light of hope for the fishing industry as we career into Brexit Britain 2021.
When Covid-19 restrictions allow, we urge readers to head to Britain’s oyster capital, Whitstable, and visit the restaurant we reviewed in March 2016, the Whitstable Oyster Fishery Company (first established as a cooperative in 1793). Here, we suggest, you’ll find the finest seafood that will utterly delight you.
Credited with reviving interest in oysters, the current owners of the Whitstable Oyster Fishery Company, the Green family, have very much led the transformation of Kent’s answer to Burnham Market in Norfolk or Salcombe in Devon into a fashionable destination for foodies and art lovers. Could the same eventually happen in Northern Ireland at Belfast Lough?
‘The Steeple Times’ examines the tipsters’ selections and offers a couple of options for Boxing Day’s King George VI Chase 2020 at Kempton
Our betting followers did well on the last day of racing, 23rd December, with four out of four each way tips coming home in the form of 1st for The Tin Miner at 11/2 at Huntingdon, a 3rd for Poldark Cross at 14/5 in the same race, a 1st for Paddys Motorbike at 11/4 and a 2nd for Protected Guest at 13/2 at Lingfield.
Today, it’s time for the highlight of the Christmas racing calendar, the King George VI Chase at Kempton Park. Inaugurated in 1931 and covering a distance of 3 miles on turf, this Grade 1 National Hunt steeplechase is open to horses aged years or older.
Dominated in recent years by Paul Nicholls with eleven wins from 1997 to date with such stars as Silviniaco Conti and Kauto Star, our favoured option in the Ladbrokes King George VI Chase 2020 at 3pm has to be his 2018 and 2019 winner, Clan Des Obeaux.
Of the 9/4 favourite in the King George VI (pictured top), which will be ridden by Sam Twiston-Davies, the tipsters are confident (Guardian, Radio 4, Racing Post NAP and ’Spotlight NAP’, The Sun, Telegraph NB, Daily Mail ‘Robin Goodfellow’).
Racing Post says: “A fine race in prospect. CLAN DES OBEAUX (nap) can land the hat-trick in this race. Particularly well suited by this track and has won the last two runnings of this race.”
Richard Austen adds: “Grade 1 credentials are rather thin elsewhere but he’s reigned supreme in this race for the last two years and a very good second at Haydock last month suggests he may raise his game further back on the track that suits him best.”
The Sun adds: “Looking for three King Georges in a row and loves it here.”
Also in the King George VI, is old old favourite, the Power – Tizzard combo Lostintranslation at 7/1.
Racing Post says: “Close 3rd in the Gold Cup; excuses for high-profile defeats in last 12 months; respected.”
Finally in the King George IV, going for something a bit more punchy at 16/1 from 20/1 earlier, Paul Kealy of the Racing Post suggests Saint Calvados.
Kealy remarks: “If this race was being run over 2m4f he’d probably have only Cyrname ahead of him in the betting. It’s not, but Saint Calvados was improving rapidly last season and he certainly got 2m4f well when just denied by Min in the Ryanair. He’s won first time out every season and can go well at a big price.”
Racing Post adds: “Improved chaser at about 2m4f; off since close 2nd in the Ryanair in March; first 3m run.”
Three trainers have dominated the King George VI Chase since 2006 – Paul Nicholls, Nicky Henderson and Colin Tizzard.
Clan Des Obeaux won the King George VI Chase in 2018 and 2019.
Elsewhere for our Boxing Day bumper today, we’re looking at:
12.40pm Kempton (6 runners)
Skelton double Third Time Lucki at 11/8 (Racing Post ‘Handicappers’ NAP, GG.co.uk, Daily Mail ‘Robin Goodfellow’, Guardian, At The Races ’Top Tip’).
Steve Mason says: “Last season’s Champion Bumper fourth may have lost his unbeaten hurdle record last time, but he was the only horse to make ground on the talented tearaway For Pleasure and he can resume winning ways.”
At The Races remarks: “THIRD TIME LUCKI lost his unbeaten record over timber when runner-up in a Grade 2 at Cheltenham’s November meeting, but he is more than capable of regaining the winning thread with a sounder surface to aid his cause.”
Racing Post adds: “Has leading claims provided this race pans out better than last time.”
1.15pm Kempton (10 runners)
Tom Cannon on William H Bonney at 14/1 (Racing Post ‘Dark Horse’).
Mark Friar says: “Ran well for a long way on his chase debut at Newbury last month and that experience, plus the additional half mile, should bring about plenty of improvement. Alan King’s runner is well handicapped on his best hurdles form and should enjoy ground conditions.”
Racing Post adds: “Five hurdle wins at 2m; pulled up sole attempt at 2m4f; creditable chase debut; needs more.”
Also in the same race, Scudamore – Channon double Hold The Note at 6/1 from 7/1 earlier (The Sun NB).
“The Sun says: “Runs over this trip for the first time since his third at the Cheltenham Festival in March. He has failed to see out three miles this season after travelling well earlier in the races. He is 5lb lower than that Prestbury Park effort as a result and is capable of bouncing back.”
2.05pm Wetherby (8 runners)
The Dutchman at 8/1 from 17/2 earlier (Radio 4).
Racing Post says: “Cruelly denied in Haydock veterans’ chase recently; could do with ultra-testing conditions.”
Also in the same race, Spiritofthegames at 11/2 (GG.co.uk, Guardian).
Racing Post says: “Unraced at 3m but admirably consistent in 2m4f h’caps at stiff Cheltenham on last 4 starts.”
Guardian adds: “This is a better chance than Spiritofthegames usually gets, as he has been repeatedly sent to Cheltenham, and he gets to run off the same mark as when second in the Paddy Power, beaten only by a well-treated rival who got the run of the race.”
Enjoy the King George VI, bet sensibly, and, as ever, happy racing.
‘The Steeple Times’ shares an analysis of the top tipsters and their selections for the ‘Betfair Tingle Creek Chase 2020’ at Sandown in the wake of Altior being pulled out
Yesterday, our racing followers were lucky to get two firsts including a 22/1 win at Exeter in the form of Findusatgorcombe and a 9/2 win for Emmpressive Lady at Sandown.
Today, after the fun we had earlier in the year there at the Coral-Eclipse, everyone was set to cheer on the dual Champion Chase winner Altior in the 1 mile 7 furlongs and 119 yards ‘Betfair Tingle Creek Chase’ at 2.25pm, but sadly trainer Nicky Henderson decided to pull him out.
“It is with a heavy heart we have decided that Altior is not going to run. We simply don’t want to bottom him again given what happened last year.”
“Everyone has seen how testing the ground was today and we’re not going to ask him to do it again.”
“We’re very sorry to everyone who was looking forward to seeing him and it was a very tough decision for his owners the Pughs, but we’ve got to do the best thing by the horse.”
“It’s tough, and if there was any further rain forecast we may have left the decision until the morning, but it will be very holding ground and very hard work.”
“We’ve been talking all night, we started off at 50-50 but we’re not even 90-10 now – he won’t run.”
“Sadly, the horse could not be in better form so we’ll look at either Kempton or Ascot for him next.”
Given this unfortunate news, out of the five remaining we’re looking at each way bets on:
2.25pm Sandown (5 runners) – Harry Cobden – Paul Nicholls combo Greaneteen at 23/10 from 9/4 earlier especially given Nicholls’ being the leading trainer in the race with ten previous wins.
Racing Post says: “The improving GREANETEEN can make the most of Altior’s absence. Progressive 6yo who landed the Haldon Gold Cup at Exeter on reappearance; more to come.”
Also of interest in ‘The Tingle Creek Chase’ is Brewin’upastorm at 13/1 from 14/1 earlier (Guardian).
Guardian says: “A chance is taken at double-figure odds on Brewin’upastorm (2.25pm), a classy hurdler who always looked likely to make a better chaser. Inexperience caught him out in the Arkle but he faces half as many rivals here and his stable is going a lot better than when he made a disappointing reappearance.”
Racing Post less enthusiastic: “Disappointing at Carlisle on reappearance, which is far from ideal going into this.”
Happy racing.
Pictured top: Brewin’upastorm (in pink colours) heads to victory at Taunton last season.
As the ‘Guardian’ reveals Donald Trump’s border wall construction is threatening the survival of jaguars in the US, our petition to get his endangered animal slaying supporter Larysa Switlyk banned from Instagram tops 13,000 signatures
This morning, the Guardian reported that the North American jaguar – which was hunted to extinction in the southern US borderland in the 1960s, but remarkably reappeared in the 1990s in Arizona – is again shockingly likely to be wiped out.
The cause? According to the paper, Donald Trump’s border wall barrier has “severed wildlife corridors and fragmented crucial habitats for numerous endangered and threatened animals, including the wide-ranging jaguar.”
Speaking of this, Myles Traphagen, the borderlands program coordinator for Wildlands Network, remarked: ““If all contracts are complete [for Donald Trump’s wall], 93% [of jaguar territory] will be blocked and walled off.”
Aside from all else in Trump’s shameful legacy, his decision to overlook the harm to jaguars is sadly not surprising given his elephant slaying sons’ association with the likes of our pet hate, Larysa Switlyk – a cretin who shoves sex toys up the bums of dead sheep and a woman determined to wipe out endangered species across the globe.
Trump’s Jaguar Wall – A twisted trio: Donald Trump Jr. pictured with his gobby girlfriend Kimberly Guilfoyle and the “bitch of the first order” Larysa Switlyk. All three of them are supporters of the sick Safari Club International Convention “First For Hunters” and in February, Mr Trump Jr. raised £255,000 (£340,000) for it by auctioning a trip to kill Sitka black-tailed deer with him at their 48th annual convention in Reno, Nevada.
As Arcadia looks set to go under today, ‘Sir Shifty’ Philip Green will deservedly become this season’s pantomime villain
This morning in the Guardian, a “veteran retail analyst” named Richard Hyman declared of ‘Sir Shifty’ Philip Green: “He’s gone from zero to hero, and now it looks like he’s going back to zero again.”
Sadly, why that outcome would be very much deserved for a man the legendary actor-writer-producer Steven Berkoff termed “a cross between Shylock and Al Capone” in this very publication, on the day that his retail empire likely goes under, this rotten rat and his sleazy scumbag family will retain their £100 million yacht just as 13,000 people will likely lose their jobs.
Whilst Sir Philip turned down his arch rival Mike Ashley’s offer of a “£50 million lifeline” to keep Arcadia out of administration – with a spokesman for the fat fool telling The Sun on Saturday: “It’s laughable… Sir Philip is not keen to jump into bed with a chancer” – it is now once again time to remind our government of what should really come next.
As the video below proves, Sir Philip Green is not a man of good personal character and in addition he is also not a businessman of sterling quality. This brash braggart and his tax avoiding wench of a wife should be stripped of their ill-gotten titles and they should now finally be told to bog off to super yachting Siberia. Forever.
Pictured top: Sir Philip Green once thought it funny to wander around in a T-shirt emblazoned with: “Phil Says Relax.” He must now be condemned for causing the Christmases of 13,000 families to be anything but relaxed. Shame on him.
Sir Shifty Returns to Zero – Looking as if he didn’t care in the world and wearing scummy white socks, beached whale Sir Philip Green sprawled his colossal belly out on the deck of his £100 million super yacht. According to ‘The Sun,’ the shameless tycoon supposedly will Christmas with a £30,000 per night getaway whilst “13,000 of his staff face the sack.” Sir Shifty Returns to Zero – “Shylock crossed with Al Capone-esque” Sir Philip Green, his title obsessed wife Tina and well-known village bike of a daughter, Chloe.
‘Nasty Nat’ Natalie Elphicke MP – wife of convicted ex-MP turned sex offender Charlie Elphicke – rightly called out for pestering the judiciary with naughty notes
When she’s not curiously crowing on Twitter about the crappy Brexit trade deals that her government keep screwing up, Natalie Elphicke MP – wife of the disgraced and deservedly jailed sex predator “naughty Tory” and ex-MP Charlie – has been getting her colleagues into the sh*t.
Reported first this morning in the Guardian, immigrant hating ‘Nasty Nat’ and the likes of the trout-mouthed Theresa Villiers, it seems, have been shamefully “seeking to influence a judge overseeing a hearing this week on whether references written in support of the former MP Charlie Elphicke can be made public.”
Admonished as “improper” conduct for their attempt “to seek to influence the decision of a judge who would ultimately rule on the basis of evidence and argument in court,” ‘Nasty Nat’ and her five colleagues – whom also included David Freud, Sir Roger Gale, Adam Holloway and Bob Stewart – should be ashamed of themselves.
Quite rightly, the Guardian also reported: “An application is being made on Wednesday by the Guardian, The Times and Associated Newspapers for release of the letters where the author is a public figure, in public office or holds or has held a position of public responsibility.”
Pictured top: Tory trashbag Natalie Elphicke MP with her filthy sex pest husband and ex-Tory MP Charlie Elphicke. The Belgravia resident turned bottom slapping brute has quite rightly now locked up. Long may he rot!
Matthew Steeples slams ‘Bosie The Clown’s’ pub destroying lockdown; 7 out of 10 pubs are likely to close as a result and the nation will be left pintless
This morning, the Guardian shockingly reported that seven out of ten British pubs could close as a result of ‘Carrie On Not So Regardless’ and her puppet ‘Bosie The Berk’s’ plainly pointless “damaging Covid-19 restrictions.”
Shamefully, in spite of research finding that 82% of pubgoers believing “that pubs and other hospitality venues offered a Covid-secure environment,” the likelihood of them reopening after the 2nd December seems low with each and every leak from our inept government.
A Pintless Policy – The Hour Glass in Brompton Road on the South Kensington Estate closed “temporarily” in Lockdown 1.0. It did not open again and locals have been left asking: “Will it ever?”A Pintless Policy – Recent research by the Hospitality Union found that only 2% of Covid-19 cases were connected to food outlets and restaurants. Just 18% came from other sources, yet schools and universities – which Boris Johnson has kept open – account for a staggering 22% of the total.
As the public quite rightly rubbish a disgraceful ‘Mail on Sunday’ diatribe against the campaigning footballer Marcus Rashford, he responds with dignity and launches a book club
In their frankly completely irrelevant and unnecessary diatribe, Buckwell and Aitchison banged on about how the school meal campaigning footballer Marcus Rashford MBE had bought “five luxury homes” with mortgages “from the Queen’s bank, Coutts.”
Pointedly, aside from these perfectly legitimate buy-to-let investments, the pair trivially carped on about Rashford trademarking his name in the US and quite rightly of this Liew responded: “Virtually none of this is really anyone’s business.”
Aside from the fact that Rashford has done nothing illegal, one would have thought The Mail on Sunday could have put their resources to use instead to investigate the allegations of huge tax avoidance against the House of Commons Leader, Jacob Rees-Mogg.
Given that one Maureen Fitzsimmons’ tweet about that has been liked by 22,200 individuals and retweeted 7,900 times, one could suggest that newsworthy, but since Rees-Mogg’s activities are not much different to those of the Mail’s very own proprietor Viscount Rothermere’s very own tax affairs, they wouldn’t be wanting to touch that with a barge pole.
Elsewhere this morning, humble and decent Marcus Rashford – whom responded to the Buckwell and Aitchison jamboree by quite rightly stating: “Ok, so let’s address this. I’m 23. I came from little. I need to protect not just my future but my family’s too. To do that I made a decision at the beg [SIC] of 2020 to start investing more in property. Please don’t run stories like this alongside refs to ‘campaigning.’” – announced plans to launch a book club. Unsurprisingly, the Mail showed very little interest in that.
Rashford sensibly addressed the hateful piece by Andy Buckwell and Max Aitchison with a civilised response on Sunday. In doing show, he showed himself as the bigger man.Amongst those who leapt to his defence were businesswoman Deborah Meaden. One Twitter user, Jon Butterworth, added: “Wonder if Andy Buckwell or Max Aitchison ever did anything decent that helped anyone or scored a good goal.” Another pointed out that Aitchison himself supposedly lives in a £1.2 million home.This morning, humble Rashford shared news of a book club he is working on to help children experience “escapism” from reading news. In a show of dignity, he didn’t even bother to mention Aitchison or Buckwell.Maureen Fitzsimmons’ tweet about the affairs of government minister Jacob Rees-Mogg has attracted huge attention on Twitter. It has attracted no interest from the ‘Mail’ – how terribly surprising. Not.
As serial killer Peter Sutcliffe dies, ‘The Steeple Times’ invites readers to submit their nominations for the best and worst people of 2020 – he’ll definitely be joining ‘The Ones Who Won’t Be Missed”
The quote: “I’ve never wished a man dead, but I have read some obituaries with great pleasure” is often misattributed to Mark Twain, but with news of the demise of the evil serial killer Peter Sutcliffe (AKA ‘The Yorkshire Ripper’), that quote most definitely rang true for many.
Whilst, according to The Atlantic, the sentiment itself actually closest relates to the words of the lawyer Clarence Darrow – whom in 1932 stated: “All men have an emotion to kill; when they strongly dislike someone they involuntarily wish he was dead. I have never killed anyone, but I have read some obituary notices with great satisfaction” – Sutcliffe’s death was quite rightly described as bringing “some kind of closure for victims’ families” this morning in the Guardian.
As we begin to prepare The Steeple Times’annual Heroes & Villains list of the best and worst people of 2020, we can guarantee that Peter Sutcliffe will make it towards the top of the year’s “One’s Who Won’t Be Missed,” but whether he’ll replace last year’s winner Jeffery Epstein remains to be seen.
Readers are invited to submit their nominations for The Steeple Times’ Heroes and Villains list by email to [email protected]. There are twenty-five spots to be allocated in each of the following categories:
Sutcliffe Won’t Be Missed – In 2020, our readers and selection committee chose Lorraine Kelly as the best person of 2020 and the barbarian bear slayer Larysa Switlyk as the worst. Please join the 7,000 who’ve already signed the petition to ban Switlyk from Instagram by clicking here.Sutcliffe Won’t Be Missed – In 2020, our readers and selection committee chose Jeffrey Epstein as the winner of our “not missed” category (here he is pictured with the equally filthy fleabag and deservedly incarcerated Ghislaine Maxwell) and ‘Keeping Up Appearances’ star Clive Swift as the winner of our “missed” category (here he is pictured with his brilliant co-star Dame Patricia Routledge).
Matthew Steeples suggests Greta Thunberg needs to be told to put a sock in it at a time when economy needs to be put ahead of climate
Climate change is indeed a problem but right now the impact of coronavirus on our economy is what we ought to be worrying about.
This morning, however, in a wishy-washy interview in the Guardian, the petulant poker face that is Greta Thunberg returned to plague with a “blast” against just about everyone and everything.
In the feature, the misguided moaning minnie whinged about how the world doesn’t treat “the climate crisis like a crisis” and stated there “was not a politician on the planet [she] would vote for.”
‘Grim Greta’ went further and declared: “We are in an emergency.” She added: “We have reached the end of the road.” Perhaps she could just lay down and fill in a pothole there. That’d be a hell of a lot more useful right now. Thanks, Greta.
Greta Thunberg once claimed: “How dare you… I should be back at school.” The majority of the world seconds her sentiments and wishes her parents would just keep her under control.
