sonofgloin
Was it Vincent Serventy? He had a show, I think it was called Nature Walkabout, in the years before the Leyland brothers.

Poirot, Lexi
Yes, Human Planet was great. It showed what a pretty tough life our ancestors had and that many people in the world still have, making a living from the reluctant earth. One episode showed farmers in Ethiopia, trying to stop the baboons from eating their crop. Another one showed a bushman getting honey for his wife and children; this involved climbing this enormous giant of a tree attached by a vine-rope, and getting stung by hundreds of bees in the process. Another one showed little kids in South America catching, roasting and eating big spiders. Another one was a poor fisherman in Vietnam catching fish from this enormous torrent of a river, very dangerous. Another one showed a Tibetan or Nepali getting his children to school across a glacier, literally risking life and limb. It showed the great resourcefulness and courage of ordinary humans, and I liked it too, because it didn't have the slant that many nature documentaries have, of moaning about how terrible human life and resource use is.

Greetings Peter Hume, yes it was Vince Serventy, I also recall the background music to the series, a harmonica riff, probably by Horrie Dargie.

Lexi:>>Don't knock borscht for lunch or matjes - they add zest to life, especially borsht in winter - Yum. And as for pelmeni, piroschki, strogonov, even cabbage-rolls - my eyes are glassing over at the mere thought.

Lexi my Baltic jewel, one of the brothers in law is Latvian, and his mum, ma, has graced us with these culinary delights for decades, so you are preaching to the converted, no more three veg and steak for me.

Lexi & Peter Hume,

I caught only the last three episodes of Human Planet. I watched it with my nine year-old son. It was an extraordinary insight for him (and also for me) into the way it is for some people in this world.

Peter mentioned many of the things that were shown - and most of the things he mentioned stood out for me as well. There was a city on the east coast of Africa (can't remember which country) where the annual re-covering of the principle mosque with river mud is a uniting communal event. The mud has to be just the right consistency, and then the whole town partakes of the ritual, some carry the mud up from the river, some on ladders applying it to the walls - this mosque is very old and it requires this attention every year, but it's a "living" symbol of the unity of the community.

Another fascinating insight was people in the forests of New Guinea building a shelter high in the tree tops - something which took months with much cooperation between each member of the tribe. And when they were finished everyone climbed to the top on wooden ladders bound together with vine - the whole community including babies and dogs - extraordinary!

Lexi, it would be good to buy it for your family.

Dear Peter Hume,

Thanks for the write up of The Human planet.
My Birthdays coming up in July - so I'll treat myself
and the family. Sounds wonderful.

Dear SOG,

My recipes for the food I mentioned came from my
Russian Gran who taught me how to cook. No-one could make
Beef Strogonov like she did and as for her pastries -
deliciouso. I'm thrilled that you're a convert - but I've
got a confession to make - I also like home-made meat pies.
Especially Steak and Kidney and Shepherd's pie
is a family favourite.

Dear Poirot,

Thanks for confirming for me that I'm doing a good thing -
buying Human Planet. I can't wait to view it.

Lexi

I can confirm Poirot and Peter Hume, Human Planet is wonderful. Makes me wish I could go traveling off the beaten track again.