Taken from Lynne’s weekly column ‘Green Scene’ for the Western Mail
15th June 2024
Fastest Wheelbarrow in the West
I was impressed to read that a Pembrokeshire man had recently set a Guinness World Record for the fastest wheelbarrow. He’s not even a gardener, but I’m chuffed that he’s Welsh! Mechanic Dylan Phillips clocked speeds of 52mph (84km/h) in his (empty) wheelbarrow during Straightliners Speed Week, at Elvington Airfield in Yorkshire.
Better known for hosting superbikes, Aston Martins, Ferraris and McLarens, Dylan debuted his homemade speed machine at Speed Week, much to the amusement of other motor enthusiasts.
Spannerman Dylan said, “I’ve always just sort of built mad stuff and just I ended up building the wheelbarrow for fun – and after a conversation in a pub. In a little practice run, messing about, I got 37 mph and then the question got asked if there was a land speed record for it. So it was just a case of finding out that the record existed – it did and was 46 mph – so then I decided to actually do something with this idiotic thing that I’d built.”
After building the record breaker – part wheelbarrow, part scrap scooter – in his shed in Crymych, Pembrokeshire, the 38-year-old said snaffling the record had felt ‘fun and surreal but also uncomfortable and terrifying.’
Apparently slowing down is the issue – as it’s only got brakes at the front. And as suspension was considered a bit of a luxury, Dylan admitted, ‘it just rattles you to bits.’
Like all good engineers, he is thinking about his next project, explaining, “At the moment I’m just happy with it as it is, but that’s the thing with being an engineer – you start to dream bigger.” And surprisingly he would love his own record to be broken, “I’d be over the moon to be honest, because it just encourages innovation and it would probably motivate me to go and try again and go faster.”
I won’t be ordering a ‘record breaking barrow’ from Dylan – although I must admit all gardeners could probably use a faster wheelbarrow at this time of year, I think I’ll stick with the one I’ve got.
Midsummer Day’s Dream
The summer solstice occurs on Thursday, 20 June at 21:50.
Whilst most people think of the summer solstice to be a day, it is in reality an exact moment in time that falls during that day. It is however, also midsummer and the longest day (and shortest night) of the year. On this day, the number of daylight hours are at their maximum, while the number of hours of night are at their minimum. The exact moment of the summer solstice, is actually when one of Earth’s poles is at its maximum tilt towards the Sun and it’s the longest day of the year, or the day that we experience the most daylight, because the Sun travels the longest path through the sky on the day of the summer solstice.
Whilst Midsummer’s Day is a national holiday in some countries, I’ll just be happy with it heralding some sort of summer.
Sun and Shadows
If we do ever get any prolonged sunshine, I was recently told about a lovely ‘shadow rule’ for sun protection.
‘A rule of thumb is – when shadows are shorter than the objects making them, it’s best to avoid direct sunlight. When shadows and objects are of equal length then restrict sun exposure to half an hour, and when shadows are twice the length of the objects causing them, an hour in the sun is permissible.’
Piggy Projects
I still miss my two pet pigs very much and love reading about any positive piggy happenings.
Recently several Hungarian hogs, called Mangalitsas, have been deployed in Devon to create the perfect habitat for the UK’s most endangered butterfly. The curly haired hogs rootle around in a way that improves the soil and encourages the growth of dog violets which is the sole plant eaten by the caterpillars of the rare high brown fritillary.
Most pigs are great at clearing overgrown ground and turning over the soil as they search for earthworms and grubs. I must have been the only pig owner that had to strim my piggy paddock as my porcine pair were far too well looked after to go rooting around for their own food.
Natural Health Service
Despite making a great recovery after rupturing both cruciate ligaments four years ago (and 6 months apart), Yogi (now nearly 15 years young) has recently been having a bit of trouble with arthritis in her knees. Four years on and she still has hydrotherapy with Sue at Four Seasons in Tredegar, which has resulted in ‘great muscle tone’, (the vet’s very words) but she was obviously finding the steps in the garden at the cottage difficult, jumping up on the sofa tricky and was just not her usual cheerful self.
So after a bit of advice from Vince the Vet, she has been taking his Joint Support plus Recuperation and Joint Powder for the last 6 weeks. I have been an impatient ‘paw-rent’ but I have definitely noticed a difference in Yogi’s mobility in the last week or so. Our sniffari’s are getting a little longer and she is much more comfortable when sitting down.
Founder of ‘Vince the Vet’, Dr. Vince MacNally BVSc VetMFHom MRCVS is the UK’s leading natural nutrition vet, and the only veterinary surgeon to have formulated and produced a complete, integrated range of natural supplements, remedies and raw food. He offers numerous other supplements that will support and improve the health and wellbeing of your dog – and cat and horse – and is absolutely brilliant at answering questions via email or via a pre-booked consultation. More details at www.vincethevet.co.uk
Yogi has recently started his new PEA supplement too. PEA (Palmitoylethanolamide) is a natural painkiller that the body naturally produces to cope with pain and inflammation, but if the pain is ‘too much’ then the natural PEA is used up too quickly. I’m hoping the supplement will help Yogi even more and as it ‘reduces pain and swelling in the body’ I am also considering taking it myself, to ease the pain and inflammation in my own joints.
Vince explains, “Our PEA is produced by a human natural supplement manufacturer from the finest quality ingredients. In one study involving 610 people with chronic pain, for example, all experienced a reduction in intensity of pain and without side-effects.
He added, “We’ve just happened to highjack it for pets because we believe they deserve the best!”
And in my opinion, that’s not only the best kind of medicine but the best kind of attitude!
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