Hi there, its Peter here. Welcome to the last Levy Letter of the week. And what a glorious way to end the week with this sunshine! Lets hope it lasts through the weekend.
And speaking of the weekend, perhaps this weekend, you might be thinking of going out clubbing or just down the pub for a couple of pints. Well, think of this when youre supping your pint. The British may have a fairly bad reputation for binge drinking, but by no way are we the worst! A tropical shrew with a taste for alcoholic nectar has been identified as the hardest-drinking creature in the world. And this shrew isnt some hard bruiser; it weighs in at just 47grams. These shrews are called Pentailed Tree Shrews and they have a voracious appetite for alcohol. So much so, they actually drink, weight for weight, the equivalent of a human downing up to nine glasses of wine! Now thats surely a hangover waiting to happen! But theres no slovenly antics from these animals when theyve had a few no drunken fights or being unsteady on their feet. Their capacity to hold their booze and keep a clear head puts human drinkers to shame. Their chosen drink from the bar is a West Mal! aysian bertam palm, whose nectar has an alcohol content to rival beer. The unusual thing is that other mammals, if they consumed the same amount of nectar from this palm, would be in danger of dying from the high alcohol levels. So there you go an alcoholic shrew from West Malaysia! Repossessions Oh dear, the figures dont look good Im afraid. The number of homeowners in England and Wales facing repossession after falling behind on their mortgages has risen. The Ministry of Justice said 28,658 orders were made by the courts in England and Wales in the second quarter of 2008. That was up 24% on the same period in 2007 and 4% higher than the first quarter of 2008. And it looks like its all down to the so-called credit crunch, which has led to more expensive mortgages, which people have been struggling to pay as their other household costs rise. Well, that's it from me for now. Just time to mention an event coming up in Grimsby. Ian Birrell emailed in to let me know that Grimsby Rotary Club are holding an ascent of the Grimsby Dock Tower on the 30th and 31st August. So thats two weeks time. Well, the Dock Tower is a hugely impressive monument, but I certainly wouldnt fancy climbing up it! Good luck for that event! Take care and have a lovely weekend. And dont forget, if youre out and about this weekend, then do take your camera with you! If its safe to do so, then take some shots of what you think epitomizes our region. Id love to see them. And then send them in to me at the usual address of [EMAIL PROTECTED] Take care, Peter Your email address will be held by the BBC and kept confidential, and will only be used in relation to this newsletter. You will be given the option to unsubscribe from this newsletter each time you receive it. Please visit the BBC's Privacy & Cookies Policy (www.bbc.co.uk/privacy) for more information And for the latest news and more where you live, go to: http://bbc.co.uk/humber and http://bbc.co.uk/lincolnshire ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- To unsubscribe from the BBC Look North newsletter, go to http://www.bbc.co.uk/england/looknorthhull/newsletter/newsletter_index.shtml, enter your email address in the unsubscribe box. 1.94.4
