Daily Archives: February 3, 2022

Future Stars continues to cast a well-deserved spotlight on talented young Northwest suburban solo artists and bands. The upcoming performance - the third Future Stars event since it was established in the fall of 2021 - will take place on Durty Nellie's main stage Sunday, Feb. 20 from 4-7 p.m. Tickets are limited, and on sale now at http://www.FutureStars.Live.

Singer Sara Bella will kick off the event, followed by a performance from Jagger, also a solo artist/singer - with the band David's House rounding out the event as the headliner. Jagger is a newcomer to the Future Stars family, while Sara Bella provided an impressive and beautiful 'sneak peek' performance at the November Future Stars event that immediately engaged the audience. David's House, a band with eight talented members, opened at the November event and was invited back to be the headliner due to their high-energy, crowd-pleasing performance! (Please see performer bios below).

Over the last few months, Jason Stallard, Future Stars' co-founder and co-emcee has noted the maturity of the young performers, which have included the bands Voodoo Dolls, Kung Fu Sleepover, Collision and David's House, along with solo artist, Sara Bella.

"They've really impressed us all with how they carry themselves, and with the intensity in which they focus on growing and improving their talents while on stage," he said. Stallard is also the founder of Love Local Off 53, a community-building brand that highlights Northwest suburban businesses/organizations through videos and podcasts.

Future Stars co-founder and co-emcee Melanie Santostefano is excited for the future of Future Stars.

"Jason and I see this as an amazing start where we can grow this event and allow it to evolve as we continually meet new young entertainers. We, along with our audiences, have been wowed by the talent these young people bring to the stage," she said. "We believe they can absolutely go places with their music if they choose to, and we are there to help highlight them and their talents."

SUBMIT YOUR DEMO: Future Stars is seeking demo submissions for the March 27 event; the deadline is Feb. 15. Singers or bands (up to age 18/senior in high school) are invited to apply, and all potential acts go through a vetting process in order to be invited to perform at Future Stars. Entertainers can be invited back to subsequent events based on overall performance and crowd response. The goal of Future Stars is to provide professional promotion, marketing and public relations, along with a stage and enthusiastic audience, to help these entertainers grow musically and gain experience through live performances. Learn more, check out a gallery of images from previous events, and view video about the evolution of Future Stars at http://www.FutureStars.Live.

BIOS FOR SOLO ARTISTS AND THE BAND

Sara Bella is a multi-talented singer/songwriter and musician. At the age of 5, she began playing piano and singing, and has trained in styles ranging from musical theatre to opera and rock; her dynamic range of 4 octaves impressed all who see her perform. At the age of 14, she was chosen to be on The Voice Kids in her home country of Albania and advanced far into the competition, singing for 150,000 people on national TV. She has trained with various award-winning performers and has performed in a range of musicals and singing showcases, winning multiple awards. Sara Bella is also a self-taught guitar, and ukulele player, and writes/produces her own music. Her goals are to touch and impact people through music. Find her on Instagram, TikTok and YouTube.

Jagger is a velvety singer with deep roots with a style reminiscent of 1970s, with a tone and approach uniquely her own. Accolades include being a three-time School of Rock All-Star, and a Rock On Palatine Singing Contest and Arlington's Got Talent winner. Jagger has written a series of songs with Grammy nominated songwriters and turned them into what are described as magical productions. Her approach brings a soft, calming nature with nuances that lift the listener's ear to another realm. Being lost in the music is easy to do when listening to her recently release song, "I Go Crazy" which evokes ethereal feelings, and provides soft, yet expressive vocals with lyrics that are hard to forget. Find her on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and YouTube.

David's House is made up of eight young stars in the making who've played at several popular, local music venues including Hideaway Brew Garden, Penny Road Pub, Durty Nellies and Madcats! All band members bring a contagious energy to their music and are seasoned performers with several years of on-stage experience at School of Rock. Band members range in age from 15-18 and include: Andrew (keyboards), Caden (percussion), Christian (guitar), Jaime (vocals), Lauren (vocals), Nina (bass) and Sammy (guitar). Get ready to enjoy this infectious, high-energy rock/funk bank as they cover favorites from Led Zeppelin, Steely Dan, Heart, Stevie Wonder, The Beatles and more. Find the band Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon music and other streaming platforms. Visit davidshousetheband.com/ to learn more.

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Future Stars is back Feb. 20th with new talent and crowd favorites! - Chicago Daily Herald

I am an avowed supporter of Valentines Day not because I have a particularly rosy-eyed view of love and friendships, although I am also pro those things. It is 95 percent because of the candy, specifically chocolate.

I enjoy eating chocolate all year round, but on Valentines Day, it deservedly takes pride of place, conversation hearts and flower arrangements notwithstanding. And Valentines Day, unlike the other festive occasions where chocolate is a mere background player, is the time to request and give really fancy chocolate, the kind of chocolate that immediately telegraphs luxury and decadence. Theres nothing that fits that bill quite like bonbons.

Traditionally, bonbons are made with molds and contain a wide variety of fillings, from fruits and nuts to caramel and marzipans (unlike truffles, which generally contain ganache). They are a canvas for a chocolatiers creativity both on the inside and on the chocolate shelled exteriors, which are often painted to resemble glistening gemstones. While any box of chocolates can make for a fine romantic gesture or clichd apology, bonbons are always a celebration. Here, a list of confectioners from across the country to prove my point (they all ship nationwide).

This is the place that convinced me theres absolutely nothing wrong with sitting around and eating bonbons all day. In fact, its a delightful thing to do. At the New York City shop, Susanna Yoon manages to pack all the flavors of other elaborate desserts like calamansi meringue pie or black forest cake into a beautiful package. You cant select individual flavors when you order to ship online, but trust, they wont disappoint.

New Jersey-based Vesta Chocolate is a bean-to-bonbon chocolate factory, meaning chocolatiers Roger Rodriguez and Julia Choi Rodriguez start the chocolate-making process with whole cacao beans which they then process to form the basis of confections ranging from hot chocolate to bars to bonbons. Those bonbons are available to ship in boxes of six or 12 surprise flavors, but all of them are gluten- and nut-free.

In Miami, bean-to-bonbon Exquisito Chocolates prides itself on ethical sourcing. You can see exactly how chocolate maker Carolina Quijano turns cacao into chocolate on this episode of Eaters Handmade. And for Valentines Day, you can pre-order boxes of three or 32 bonbons in classic heart-shaped boxes.

Eater SF called Topotgato San Franciscos most audacious online chocolate shop. The hand-painted confections from pastry chef Simon Brown and designer Beau Monroe contain flavor combinations like pistachio marzipan with hibiscus jelly and pear jam with chamomile tea and a white wine ganache. Topogato also sells artwork by Monroe; this rosebud print would make a sweet addition to a Valentines Day gift of chocolates.

Elle Lei makes bonbons in small batches out of Chicago; they sell out fast. Sugoi partnered with fellow Chicago small business Aya Pastry on festive Halloween bonbons and is doing the same for Valentines Day. That collaboration is available for local pickup and delivery, but stay tuned for more options available directly from Sugoi, and in the meantime, peruse the usual offerings in flavors like beer pretzel, Chicago corn, and cotton candy pop rock, all decorated with bright pops of color.

Houston-based Cacao and Cardamom recognizes the jewel-like appeal of the bonbon, which here come in a variety of shapes, packaged in gold-lined boxes. As the shops name implies, spices take a starring role in chocolatier Annie Rupanis flavors: theres strawberry szechuan peppercorn, garam masala pistachio, five spice praline, and cardamom rose, just to name a few.

The Valentines Day offerings at Dallas-based chocolatier Kate Weiser combine my desire for quality, fancy chocolate with the gaudy Valentines Day imagery I unironically love. Just look at those pink hearts!

In Tucson, Monsoon Chocolate puts together boxes of bonbons that showcase a variety of aesthetic styles with flavors that reflect the southwestern setting, such as chiltepn pepper, prickly pear caramel, and Sonoran sea salt dark chocolate. Like Exquisito Chocolate and Vesta Chocolate, Monsoon is a bean-to-bar operation.

Atlanta-based Jard Chocolates is particularly well suited to the fruit lover. For Valentines Day, pastry chef Jocelyn Gragg is putting together a four-piece set of bonbons; flavors include liquid cherry cordial, pia colada, passionfruit and vanilla marshmallow, and a heart-shaped blood orange caramel.

At And Sons in Los Angeles, second-generation chocolate makers carry on the family tradition with elegant bonbons and other chocolate confections. If youre looking to give chocolate hearts for Valentines Day, look no further. In fact, And Sons makes a giant heart-shaped bonbon (giant, at three inches) filled with cinnamon hazelnut gianduja, salted vanilla caramel, and hazelnut praline, along with smaller heart-shaped bonbons.

Bon Bon Bons bonbons might not have the typical domed shape, but the flavors take full advantage of the anything-goes spirit of the bonbon. The Detroit shops Valentines Day collection is especially, um, spirited, including flavors with names like cherry pop (candied Luxardo cherry confiture, toasted poppy seed ganache, and dried Michigan cherries), family jewels (banana ganache, hazelnut praline ganache, hazelnut croquant, and pearl sugar), and S&M (strawberry and mascarpone). And while the Valentines Day pre-orders are sold out, mystery boxes-o-bons are available and likely just as fun.

Shopping intel and product picks for food lovers

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The Best Valentine's Day Gift Is A Box of Bonbons - Eater

Experts at a business forecast event in Rogers on Friday gave their thoughts and predictions on the state of the world, nation and Arkansas economies nearly two years into the coronavirus pandemic.

Amid inflation concerns and the omicron variant surge, economists remain cautiously optimistic about the road to recovery.

Juhi Dhawan, the senior managing director for Wellington Management, said she believes the current wave of the virus will peak in the coming months, and places like Europe and Asia will begin to recover as lockdowns ease and activity returns to normal.

"The world will become less divergent in 2022," she said. Vaccinations are the best tool to overcome the virus and the good news is that people are becoming more receptive to them, she said.

The University of Arkansas Business Forecast Luncheon, hosted by the Center for Business and Economic Research in Fayetteville, was held at the Rogers Convention Center. Attendees were required to wear masks.

Other factors affecting the global economy include less accommodating banks and fiscal policy as the Federal Reserve signals interest-rate increases in March, the evolution to more digital supply chains and the transition to renewable energies amid climate change. Meanwhile, the prices of everyday household items continue to rise.

[CORONAVIRUS: Click here for our complete coverage arkansasonline.com/coronavirus]

According to the personal consumption expenditures price index, the U.S. last recorded inflation levels this high in the early 1980s.

David Altig, executive vice president and director of research at the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta, said about 70% of the items in the consumer market basket have increased more than 3% so far. Almost half of those items increased more than 5%, he said.

The Fed has said an acceptable target rate of inflation averages 2% over time. Between 2012 and 2020 when the pandemic hit, inflation was soft, begging the question: "Are we just making up for lost ground?" Altig said. "The answer is yeah, kind of."

Fed Chairman Jerome Powell on Wednesday predicted a strong labor market with low unemployment and increased wages.

Altig elaborated on Powell's comments, clarifying that the labor markets are improved but no broad sector has recovered from the pandemic. He said the jobs are there but they cannot be filled as workers retire or search for jobs that reduce the risk of contracting the virus. Many foreign workers that the country relied on went home during the pandemic and single mothers with young children left their jobs to take care of their children.

"Is this going to turn around soon?," Altig said. "It may change as covid conditions develop for the better."

A good sign for Arkansas is that a number of jobs lost because of the pandemic are coming back.

Nonfarm employment increased by 27,000 jobs last year, said Mervin Jebaraj, director of the Center for business and Economic Research in Fayetteville. However, the state lost some 38,000 jobs over the course of the past two years, resulting in a net decline of 11,000 jobs.

Of the jobs added last year, Jebaraj said most were in the professional business services, leisure and hospitality and manufacturing sectors, among others. A decline in jobs were seen in the construction and government sectors, in large part attributed to staff reductions at public schools.

According to state data, Fort Smith, Hot Springs, Jonesboro and Little Rock all recorded job gains over the last year, but net declines since 2020. Of the metropolitan areas in the state, Northwest Arkansas had the only increase in jobs since the pandemic.

Looking ahead, Jebaraj said he believes the coronavirus won't be completely gone this year. Small and large businesses alike will continue to be affected by the virus, he said.

The state's employment population ratio declined about 1.5% from 2020 to 2021. This happened for a number of reasons, Jebaraj said, including increased retirement rates, single mothers quitting their jobs and people getting sick or taking care of people who are sick. Workers are also leaving jobs at smaller businesses for higher paying jobs at larger companies or to start their own companies. He said the number of business applications has surged in the past year.

Overall, Jebaraj had a pretty positive outlook on the economy of Arkansas.

"Hopefully there isn't another variant or surge, and if there is, hold on to those masks," he said.

The event, which draws more than 1,000 people each year, was sponsored and made possible in part by Walmart and Sam's Club, Greenwood Gearhart financial advisers and RMP law firm, Cox Communications, Regions Bank and other business partners.

See more here:

Experts express views on recovery - Arkansas Online

Radio listening remained fairly static for Q4, 2021 but some stations enjoyed bigger gains than others.

And although weve now got some comparable data this quarter, most stations report yearly or half-yearly rather than quarterly so please be aware of this as we present the figures against those of three months earlier.

Here are the main headlines weve found in the latest data for Q4, 2021:

Heres how the top 5 commercial stations in London looks, in terms of weekly reach:

Interestingly, LBC has taken over Magic in terms of number of listeners. LBC has a market share of 8% and 16m, making it the biggest in London in terms of share and hours once again.

If you spot any other major spikes up or down, email news@radiotoday.co.uk.

Quotes

Charlotte Moore, BBC Chief Content Officer, said: Im delighted that millions of people choose to start their day with our most popular music breakfast shows and their brilliant hosts Greg and Zoe, who continue to entertain and amuse listeners as they go about their morning routines. And congratulations to Rick and Rachel whose new Radio 5 Live breakfast show seems to be a hit with audiences!

These figures show the important role that BBC Radio plays in peoples lives, with 34.5m tuning in to listen live each week to our much loved stations. We also continue to see on-demand listening grow for both our radio programmes and podcasts, as audiences come to BBC Sounds to discover content to listen to whenever they want to.

Ashley Tabor-King OBE, Founder & Executive President of Global, said: With RAJAR now fully back with enhanced measurement, Im delighted this has translated into record audiences for our brands and shows. To not only hold our position as the leading commercial radio group, but to continue to grow is incredible and down to our brilliant teams and globallers. Its a great privilege to know that millions are turning to us for news and analysis, feel good entertainment, hit music, relaxation, whatever it may be, and its a responsibility we dont take lightly. What lies ahead this year is incredibly exciting as Classic FM celebrates 30 years on air, Andrew Marr joins the LBC family and we see the return of live events. As always, well keep innovating at Global and building out our brands.

James Rea, Director of Broadcasting & Content at Global, said: Im immensely proud of the Global team for achieving our best ever figures. The fact that our brands have continued to grow in these challenging times is testament to the skill of those delivering world class content. From Capital Dance doubling its audience, to Radio X leaping over 2 million listeners and LBC achieving its highest ever figures, through to Smooth with a record- breaking 6 million listeners Im delighted that commercial radio continues to play such a vital role in peoples lives each day.

Dee Ford CBE, Group Managing Director, Bauer Media Audio UK said I am so proud that we have actively encouraged digital listening through delivering world class content that our listeners can access however they want. Three quarters of our audience now listen via a digital device this market leading performance sets us up perfectly for the future.

Ben Cooper, Chief Content and Music Officer, Bauer Media Audio UK said Rock fans have done us proud giving us record figures for Planet Rock, Absolute Classic Rock and amazing hours on Kerrang! we salute you. Absolute Radio also broke records with over 5million listeners including, for the first time, over a million tuning in to Absolute Radio 90s. Simon Mayo took Greatest Hits Radio from strength to strength as the successful move to FM in London continued to drive huge increases. And KISS anticipated its listeners changing lifestyle as Jordan and Perris new start time on Breakfast grew audiences to over a million.

News UK Broadcasting CEO, Scott Taunton said: Another round of record results for News UK Broadcastings national radio stations is testament to the brilliant work of our teams, delivering best-in-class radio to millions every week. talkSPORTs superb GameDay coverage, coupled with a wide range of sports rights means the network has secured itself as the destination for live sport on the radio. Virgin Radio UK home to both Chris Evans and Graham Norton delivered record listening hours.

Times Radio is undoubtedly the unrivalled home of high quality news and current affairs. Our highly-engaged listeners are listening for longer; and with 71% ABC1 make up, Times Radio offers an unparalleled route to reach a high value and hard-to reach-audience. Meanwhile talkRADIO continues to drive both record reach & listening hours and innovation; gaining more and more viewers across its growing video platforms. With TalkTV coming this spring, we will continue to innovate, driving consumer choice across the UK and introducing a new voice in news and current affairs, led by the inimitable Piers Morgan.

Aled Haydn Jones, Head of BBC Radio 1, said: The Radio 1 Breakfast Show has such a strong connection with young people across the country, were so pleased to see an increase in listeners enjoying Greg and the team. The stability of Radio 1s figures is encouraging, along with further increases across YouTube, iPlayer and socials, clearly indicating how important the station is for our audience.

David Hamilton at Boom Radio, said: Clearly, Baby Boomers are united in their love for what we are providing. Weve been able to create a successful national radio station that smashes predictions and tops the growth tables in less than one year, on a virtual shoestring compared to our BBC rival Radio 2 and other national stations.

We launched to speak directly to the growing discontent felt among the Baby Boomer generation an audience on which the BBC has turned its back and the results speak for themselves. Outside RAJAR, our own listener polls tell us almost three quarters of our listeners are former R2 stalwarts who are listening less to the BBC.

Dick Stone, Group Content Manager for JACK Media, commented: While were still feeling the impact of the pandemic and having seen an interesting shift in radio consumption patterns, were delighted to be able to now provide tangible figures that demonstrate strong growth across our national radio brands, which are reaching almost a quarter of a million listeners each week.

Having been without full figures to demonstrate the impact of our national portfolio for a while, we can now stand loud and proud in saying that listeners are clearly enjoying our mix of British-only music and comedy, and we have exciting plans in place to keep delivering great radio for them to continue to enjoy.

To see our RAJAR Graphs visit RadioToday.co.uk/rajar and see all the latest RAJAR news here.

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Around the radio stations facts and figures for RAJAR Q4 2021 - Radio Today

The Irish Whale and Dolphin Group (IWDG) says it supports the call for a moratorium on military exercises within Irelands Exclusive Economic Zone.

Both the Irish South and West Fish Producers Organisation (IS&WFPO) and the Irish Fish Processors and Exporters Association (IFPEA) have appealed for the Government to introduce a 10-year halt on any future manoeuvres within the area, according to The Skipper.

It follows Russias decision, as a gesture of goodwill, to relocate live-fire drills that had been planned for this week in international waters but within the Irish EEZ, some 240km off the Cork coast.

The outcome was hailed as a victory for diplomacy on the part of Irelands fishing industry, with the EU fisheries commissioner paying tribute at the weekend.

There had been fears of confrontation between Irish trawlers and Russian naval vessels in the Atlantic as long-standing fishing grounds on the continental shelf adjoin the area previously earmarked for the military exercises.

I think the Russian have set a precedent nowthat we need to bring in a 10-year moratorium to stop all military exercises in the Irish EEZ, IFPEA chief executive Brendan Byrne told Highland Radio.

We cant bring in an outright ban [due to international law] but we have have the rightto bring in the moratorium based on the eco-sensitivity of the area, based on the biological importance of it to [the] sea fishery which is mackerel, in this case, or nephrops and the entire environmental argument, notwithstanding the displacement of fishing.

The IWDG said it supports fishers right to work without feeling threatened by military exercises and that additionally such a moratorium would also greatly reduce the threat these exercises pose to whales and dolphins.

It added: While on this occasion the Russian navy notified the State of their intentions, UK and NATO vessels regularly carry out naval exercises within the Irish EEZ.

They have also been known to use active sonar within the Irish EEZ and such events have been linked to the mass mortality of deep-diving whale species in Irish waters, most recently in 2018 with an unusual mortality event of Cuviers beaked whales in Ireland and Scotland.

Mass strandings and inshore sightings of northern bottlenose whales and Sowerbys beaked whales, which occurred in 2020, may also have been linked to naval activity.

In light of this, the IWDG is proposing four additional Marine Protected Areas for deep-diving cetaceans along the slopes of the Rockall Canyon, Porcupine Seabight and Whittard Canyon System.

The marine wildlife charity also expressed its fears that the Northeast Atlantic has become a global hotspot for beaked whale strandings, which appear to be increasing in both magnitude and frequency.

It adds: Given the vulnerability of beaked whales to underwater noise, supported by significant advances in our understanding of the impacts of military sonar on these animals, it appears ever more likely that military sonars used in or adjacent to important beaked whale habitats are a significant factor in these mortalities.

Meanwhile, concerns remain among environmentalists for marine wildlife in the vicinity of wherever Russia moves its planned naval and air force drills.

Speaking to Claire Byrne on RT Radio 1s Today programme, Ken OSullivan, the documentary maker behind Irelands Deep Atlantic, said: Exploding bombs in the ocean is never a good thing to do, for many reasons.

RT Radio 1 has the full interview HERE.

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IWDG Supports Fishing Industry's Call for 10-Year Moratorium on Military Exercises in Irish EEZ - Afloat

When DerRic Starlight learned the reboot of one of his favourite childhood shows, Fraggle Rock, was starting production in Calgary in January 2021, you could say it was his destiny to work on it.

But you wouldn't know it givenhis first crack at a position.

"They got back to me and said, you know, the auditions for Fraggle Rock passed two weeks ago,"Starlight said.

To really understand Starlight's connection to the series, you have to start from the beginning.

Starlight was a small child at his grandmother's house on Tsuut'ina Nation, overlooking the city of Calgary.He was convinced Sesame Street wasin downtown Calgary.

"I used to ask my mother, 'Can we go downtown? Cookie Monster is down there, Big Bird and Bert and Ernie are down there!'" he recalled.

Starlight asked for puppets for Christmas when he was only three or four years old.

When he received the cast of The Muppet Show in puppet form, his grandmother would tell him to perform in front of their large family at special occasions.

"'Get up there and do your Muppet Show,'and I would do my own Muppet Show. That's how it all started,"Starlight said.

Growing up on the reserve in the 1980s, Starlight said his television schedule revolved around their three channels andthe CBC on Sunday evenings in particular.

"I think every Canadian will probably remember on the CBC,The Wonderful World of Disney would come on television, then The Muppet Show would air after that, then Fraggle Rock," Starlight said.

His passion for puppetry continued through school andhis teachers would ask him to do his shows for the class.

"I learned how to do, like, all the voices, down to a 'T' every single one of them,"Starlight said.

After attending Vancouver Film School, he made his own puppets and assigned unique characters to them.

Starlight said he made a name for himself as a comedian and puppeteer with Indigenous audiences.

"Jim Henson called his'The Muppets' because they're half marionettes and half puppets. Mine are 'nuppets'half native and half puppet,"Starlight said.

So, to get back to that "destiny" part the individualshiring for Fraggle Rock: Back to the Rock researched Starlight's workand offered him a live audition and yes. He got the job.

He worked as a puppeteer on 13 new episodes of Fraggle Rock: Back to the Rock, all of which were produced at the Calgary Film Centre between January and June 2021.

"I poked a hole through a door for other Indigenous puppeteers saying, 'Hey, Idid this, now it's your turn,'"Starlight said.

As for Starlight's full circle moment?

"I can now tell my mothersee? I told you The Muppetswere in downtown Calgary."

Here is the original post:

Puppeteer born in Tsuut'ina Nation says work on Fraggle Rock reboot a dream come true - CBC.ca

Time on Rock: A Climbers Route into the Mountains

Anna Fleming

Canongate, pp. 272, 16.99

In her memoir Time on Rock, Anna Fleming charts her progress from terrified novice to competent leader as she scales rocky vertical routes with names such as the Inaccessible Pinnacle and the Savage Slit. There is poetry in the vocabulary of climbing, with its gritstone, gabbro and basalt and its slopers, artes, underclings, heel hooks and, my personal favourite, the thrutch a kind of hip wiggle that can get a climber out of a tight squeeze. There is nothing elegant in a thrutch, we are told.

One element of the book that distinguishes it from most climbing literature is its female perspective. Fleming initially compares herself unfavourably with her male counterparts: I saw their height and armspan and told myself that climbing was easier for men, since they generally have a longer reach. She admired the brawny masculine strength that could never be hers.

This changes when she observes two women climbers in Greece who seemed untroubled by their female bodies: they blazed up routes and moved fluently, using imaginative sequences to reach holds that lay beyond them. They had... exceptional technique. Watching them pull off move after move, Fleming realises that the female body is not a barrier to top-class climbing. But the masculine bias of the sport rears up in unexpected places. In Moray, a chunk of rocky Scottish coast north of the Cairngorms, Fleming is faced with climbing Thatchers Crack, Special Brew, Horny Beast, Legover Wall or Primitive Thoughts About Modern Girls.

Her fascination with language infuses her descriptions of the textures of various stones and the mountains they form. In this regard, Time on Rock can take its place next to Nan Shepherds The Living Mountain. Written in the 1940s, but only published in 1977, that book explores the authors intimate, passionate relationship with the Cairngorms. It is Shepherd who reminds Fleming to eschew the competitive, goal-oriented need to bag a mountain. Returning to her words again and again, Fleming writes:

I saw how one could go more openly into the hills, taking a wider perspective for a deeper experience. Influenced by eastern philosophy and Zen Buddhism, Shepherd sought to dissolve the ego and reach a state of oneness with the world.

A oneness Fleming reaches for in Time on Rock.

Perhaps because her eye is unwaveringly trained on climbing the tenuous footholds, the razor-sharp slits into which she winches her fingers, the mental acuity needed to avoid injury or death Fleming doesnt tackle environmental issues head on. During a climb in the Cairngorms in July 2018, she notes that there had been no rain for months:

Wildfires raged over tinder-dry peat bogs, fields, gorse thickets and forests. Across the Cairngorms, farmers and crofters were struggling. With so little water around, grass and crops grew slowly; some perished. To keep livestock going they turned to deep water sources, drawing on seldom used wells and reservoirs, hoping they wouldnt run dry.

Then she adds: While day after day of cloud-free skies created difficult conditions for many, some rejoiced.

The conditions she refers to are failed crops, soil erosion, dehydrated livestock and extreme drought. She carries on: Routes that normally seeped and oozed water had completely dried out. We expected rain to come and spoil our fun, but it never did. This slightly odd tonal shift (having fun in a deadly drought) raises a big question: how can we write joyfully about the landscape during this era of environmental devastation? With her focus firmly on rock, Fleming is able to tune out the disappearing snow on the Cairngorms and other worrying climatic shifts. She concentrates on the now, and invites us to think for ourselves about what may or may not be there for much longer.

Paradoxically for a book about ascending to great heights, Time on Rock comes most alive when Fleming digs deep into geology and history. At Dinorwig, a mountain of slate in Snowdonia, she reminds us of the ubiquity of this rock: All the rented terraces, flats, cottages and tenements of my twenties, almost every house I have lived in across the UK, has been roofed by slate. The men who mined it risked their lives by clambering deep inside mountains, and their hard labour has shaped this part of Wales. Fleming beautifully merges history with her own present:

Clinging to the rungs, my mind is with the quarrymen. Where my hands are now fingers wrapped tight around the sturdy, cold iron theirs must also have been countless times before. I think of the calloused textures of those hands transformed by so much exposure to rock, tools, ropes, chains and weather.

Flemings book is full of awe and wonder:

The self is poured into the stone, the rock flows through the body. In this state of being, boundaries loosen... A surface becomes an opening. Rocks gain depth, history and character.

The reader is encouraged to marvel at how the Earth can move us, and how we can move through its fragile and sometimes dangerous spaces as sentient beings:

From the rock face, where a climbing body plunges in and out of ancient matter, things feel different. Reaching into the core in these moments of searing intimacy the world reveals itself. Nothing is static. This place is an immense unfolding of dazzling vitality.

As vital as the book she has given us.

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Scaling the heights: a woman's experience of mountain climbing - Spectator.co.uk

Tributes have been paid to a Hessle Road boxing legend whose fans included international star Muhammad Ali.

Ken Dry was not only a hugely successful boxer, but also had an international career as referee for the sport that spanned nearly four decades.

He featured regularly in the Hull Daily Mail and also shared his views with the paper on Muhammad Ali after meeting the boxer for the second time in 2010, saying he still thought of him as "the greatest artist there has ever been".

To read more tribute stories, click here

Ken died peacefully on Friday, January 14. He was 87.

His eldest son Jeremy Dry has spoken to Hull Live for a special tribute to his dad and revealed how he got into boxing.

Jeremy said: "He was coming home from school and some boy stole his hat.

"His dad told him to go out and not come back until he got the hat back, which he did.

"That was the day he swore he would protect himself."

Ken joined Hull Boys' Club that year, in 1945, at the age of 11.

"His first bout his mother didn't know he was competing in. Tommy Smith of the Seamen's Mission called him up because they were short of boxers."

It was the start of a highly successful boxing career with Ken winning the prize of a nine-and-half pence autograph book from Woolworth's that day.

Ken's family grew up in Emily Grove, near Hessle Road.

Jeremy said: "His mother used to mend fishing nets in the front room.

"He was the first one to buy his own house."

Ken won the local schoolboy championship in 1948 but shot to fame locally at the age of 15 when he fought at the London Wembley Arena in the Junior Amateur Boxing Association's Championship of Great Britain.

There were thousands of people in attendance and it was one of the earliest sporting events broadcast live by the BBC.

Ken was a featherweight amateur boxer and made the final of the senior Amateur Boxing Association (ABA) championship twice, in 1956 and 1957.

He fought 218 times and was defeated on only 14 occasions.

In his early twenties, Ken became a referee in the sport and quickly became one of the most respected arbiters in the sport.

He joined the World Panel of boxing referees in 1977, when it consisted of only 12 referees and travelled the globe to referee bouts.

In 1990, he went to New Zealand for the Commonwealth Games, where he met Muhammad Ali.

The renowned heavyweight boxer is alleged to have said to Ken Dry: "By god, you're a strict referee, you are! I don't think we'll have you!"

The following year, Ken Dry officiated at the World Championships in Peru.

"He was a very modest guy," said Jeremy.

"He lived by the motto, 'Play the Game' - it was ingrained in him as a little boy for his entire life."

The motto was painted on a wall at Hull Boys' Club, which opened in 1902 and closed in 2015.

Jeremy also mentioned the support of Ken's second wife, Lesley: "She was a rock all the way through his second marriage, supporting him through everything."

England Boxing has a tribute to Ken Dry and comments remembering him have flowed on tributes to him on social media.

Ken also taught basketball classes at Hull Boys' Club, which has been remembered by some.

"A true gentleman and a great trainer," said one. "Everyone looked up to Ken."

"A wonderful gentleman who was always firm but fair, he will be sadly missed by all who knew him."

A funeral service is being held for Ken at Haltemprice Crematorium in Willerby on Friday, February 11 at 3.30pm.

Members of the public are welcome to attend.

He is survived by his wife, Lesley, two sons, Jeremy and Timothy, and five grandsons.

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Tributes to Hessle Road boxing legend Ken Dry who impressed Muhammad Ali - Hull Live