Hi there, its Peter here. I hope youre well. Yesterday in the Letter, I mentioned that free tickets were to be given away for free to young adults as part of a £2.5 government-funded scheme to get young people interested in the theatre. Well, Paul from Hull has got in touch with his thoughts on this. He writes, I can't help thinking that the more the government gives away to the less well off, the less they will have the initiative to earn things for themselves. I'm sure I'm not the only taxpayer who would rather see their hard earned money go somewhere more worthwhile than free broadband and free theatre tickets. There are lots of places where the internet can be accessed for free already (libraries etc) and I can't see how being able to get into a theatre for free will encourage anyone to see a show they otherwise wouldn't be interested in. Or I may just be getting to be a grumpy old man. Theres nothing wrong with being a grumpy old man Paul it comes to us all!! Tha! nks for getting in touch with me Paul, much appreciated.
Wiggly Worms Theyre certainly not my favourite creature in the world, but then to be honest, as Im not much of a gardener, our paths dont cross much. Ive read though how earthworms are becoming our new best friends. Scientists have discovered that they can help plants clean up contaminated soils. Researchers have been studying these worms as they ingest and excrete soil as they go about their daily subterranean lives. Theyre being nicknamed the future 21st century eco-warriors! There are many sites across the UK with contaminated soil due to previous industrial activities like mining, engineering works and lead smelters. As the worms munch their way around the soil, there are subtle changes that occur to the contaminant metals in the soil and these changes caused by the worms make it easier for plants to take up potentially toxic metals from the earth, leaving the ground clear again. These super worms have evolved to allow them to survive in soils contaminated with toxic metals li! ke arsenic, lead, copper and zinc. So there you go, little worms are going green to help clean up the planet! And on the same note, theres a surprising company coming out as eco-friendly and thats a family-run coffin makers. Theyve come top in the Sunday Times list of the UKs Best Green Companies as they use a very green wood to make their coffins. The wood is called paulownia and its a lightweight, fast growing wood from the Far East, which grows back in just seven years, which is less than a quarter of the time taken by oak, elm and mahogany. That news certainly surprised me! Dreams I mentioned yesterday about unpleasant dreams and how having sweet-smelling flowers in your room can help you have a really nice dream. On the same thought, Ive read that women apparently experience significantly more nightmares than men and have more emotional dreams. What do you reckon to that one? Research has shown that both sexes probably dream the same amount, but that women suffer from more nightmares. And women are more likely to suffer the really emotional dreams about traumatic events like losing a loved one. Researchers have said that women may be prone to examine unresolved problems in dream form. Sound familiar? Do you suffer from nightmares? I hope you dont! Take care and sleep well! 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. 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.
