TheVillageOctober 2005

Village Interiors
Interior designer Mary
barber Fray outlines
the season’s trends.
Autumn is traditionally the time
when our thoughts turn to home,
and we look to update our
interiors to reflect the new season.
even small touches, such as new
cushions, throws or a rug, can uplift a
room instantly.
There is plenty of inspiration in this
season’s new collections. saturated
colours and extravagant patterns,
which we would never have imagined
a couple of years ago, are flourishing.
Chocolate, deep olive, moss, burnt
orange, deep turquoise, amethyst,
ruby and lots of black abound, often
in unexpected colour combinations.
black and white as a combination is
also much in evidence.
Fabrics are luxurious and
sumptuous. Flocked silks, velvets
and linens appear in many guises:
damasks, bold oriental patterns,
geometric florals and graphic designs.
Texture, as ever, is important, with
unusual tweeds, soft chenilles and
small-scale weaves providing a
counterpoint to the more daring and
confident patterns around.
This season’s wallcoverings are
even bolder than those we saw in
spring, with lots of flocked papers on
metallic grounds, and similarly bold
and graphic patterns on a dramatic
scale. These are a real blessing
to those of us who are tired of
“variations on the theme of neutral”,
Opulent autumn
even if used just on a feature wall.
Mirrored and lacquered furniture
with Art Deco-inspired lines, clear
and coloured glass Murano lamps
and cascading chandeliers continue
the theme of opulence and drama,
often mixed with antique pieces.
underfoot, deep, soft rugs or carpets,
often with dramatic or graphic
patterns, add to the sense of luxury.
You’ll see the new autumn
collections from major design houses
over the coming months, so be
prepared to be inspired!
Mary Barber Fray Interior Design
The Coppice, 23 Plymouth Road,
Barnt Green, Birmingham B45 8JF
Tel: 0121 445 6500
www.marybarberfray.co.uk
In March I was introduced to the
idea of an earthwatch expedition
via an e-mail from Newman College
of Higher education, where I am
studying to become a primary school
teacher. like many people I had spoken
to, I had not heard about earthwatch
and the work that they do.
earthwatch engages people worldwide
in scientific research and education
to promote the understanding and
action necessary for a sustainable
environment. It is a registered charity
committed to conserving the diversity
and integrity of life on earth for current
and future generations.
There are more than 280 earthwatch
scientists working tirelessly to
protect the world’s richest biological
and cultural heritage. volunteers
– people with vision, commitment and
enthusiasm – are critical to the success
of earthwatch.
The daily demands of our lives keep
us from really living; seeing the sights
we long to see and experiencing a
diversity of cultures and environments.
earthwatch expeditions offer the
chance to explore parts of the world
you might not otherwise see, amaze
yourself by the things that you can do
and get your hands dirty in the name
of making the world a better place.
I chose to go on the spanish Dolphins
expedition in Almeria. The trip
focuses on the common dolphins in
the Alboran sea, which are not as
common as they once were.
Over the past few decades these
wonderful mammals have experienced
a dramatic decline. Protecting critical
habitat, such as the nutrient-rich waters
off the beautiful southern
coast of spain, could
mean the difference
between their
survival and extinction.
biologists
Ana Canadas
and ricardo
sagarminaga
van bruiten
were chosen
by the european
Commission and
spanish agencies to
create management and monitoring
schemes for protected areas in the
Alboran sea, after four years of earthwatch
research.
I spent my time in spain aboard the
Toftevaag, a beautiful 1910 Norwegian
vessel built for fishing herring in
the North Atlantic. Modern research
equipment has been integrated into
the ship, offering you a trip back in
time. every hour, following the rhythm
of the ship’s bell, each volunteer
would change watch, discovering
all aspects of the research
project.
The hourly jobs included
steering the
ship, looking out for
cetaceans, listening
on the hydrophone
for dolphin whistles,
analysing the sea
every 20 minutes
for salt, oxygen and
chlorophyll, checking
the fish finder and echosounder,
filling in notes,
entering data into the computer and
plotting positions on the chart.
We were in the company of common,
striped and bottle-nosed dolphins
as well as fin whales and pilot
whales most days. The dolphins were
very playful and loved to bow-ride the
ship, especially the common dolphins.
They were intrigued by our presence
and we gained good photo identification
of the individuals.
I enjoyed every aspect of my expedition
and met some fantastic people
from all over the world. I am planning
to do a different earthwatch expedition
next year. A huge thank you to
my parents, family and friends for
their support and help in fundraising.
I received sponsorship from
barclay’s bank, who matched pond
for pound the money from my fundraising
party and gave a donation of
£750. Thanks also to lA Fitness, barnt
Green Inn, brMb, sainsbury’s and
Morrison’s for the raffle prizes they
donated, and to Newman College’s
principal and staff for support.
26 The Village October 2005 The Village October 2005 27
Village
20-year-old Katie
Adams, from
Cofton Hackett,
is just back from
a very special
expedition.
Village People
Friend of the earth