Stardust Memories

This week surfers in Cornwall found a dead Thresher shark.

In 2007 a trawler fisherman caught a 16ft thresher shark off the coast off Land’s End, Cornwall.

I went to the zoo on Friday andmy favourite creatures were the sealions. They had a ‘training session’ where Clare their keeper delivered a speach with the monotony of an air stewardess explaining that the sealions could hold up each flipper and open their mouths so that they could be inspected by the vet.

I was reminded of a story I heard a few years ago about a talking sealion (I thought-actually a seal)’Hoover’ who was looked after by a couple in Maine. Hoover didn’t start to talk until he was given away an then he said mostly “Get outa here Hoover”. Edinburgh University is researching seal speach at the moment and lucky students spend their days talking to them.

Hoover (1971? – July 25, 1985) was a harbor seal who was able to imitate basic human speech.

Hoover was an orphan when he was found by George and Alice Swallow in Maine in 1971. George and Alice decided to take him home. At first the baby seal didn’t want to eat, but soon he ate at the pace of a vacuum cleaner (hence his name). When Hoover outgrew the bathtub, he was transferred to the pond outside their house where he began to imitate people’s voices. Again he was moved, this time to the New England Aquarium, where he told visitors to “Get outta here!” in a thick New England accent.

Thanks to this, he became famous, and appeared in publications like Reader’s Digest and The New Yorker and television programs like Good Morning America.

Hoover died on July 25, 1985 due to complications during his annual molt. His obituary was published in The Boston Globe.

None of Hoover’s six pups (daughters Joey, Amelia, and Trumpet and sons Lucifer, Cinder, and Spark) spoke, but his grandson Chacoda (or “Chucky”) has shown an ability to be guided in his vocalizations. As of 2007, Chucky remains vocal but has not shown an ability to mimic human speech. Aquarium staff continue to work with him.

Hi Annabel,

I have searched everywhere for details of the “Grotto” that you describe. The only one I can fin is mentioned on an “enjoyengland” page and that grotto is in Margate. The page also has a text link to the Isle of Wight. Other than that I am at a loss.

Regards,

Kevin Daniells

[email protected] wrote:

Attention: General Support
Message: Please can you tell me about the grotto wall in the Isle of Wight I am trying to find information about it. All the very best
Annabel Dover

Hi there,

Kevin Daniells
isleofwight.com/

Dear Kevin

There is a wall that was made i think in the 1930s and has shells and bits of broken china ornaments and domestic tools. About three years ago i spoke to a man at the Isle of Wight Tourist Information and he told me where it was but now i have forgotten.

All the very best

Annabel Dover

Barabara Jones writes in Follies & Grottoes on the Isle of wight:

Incredibly little. Certainly the Island did not become fashionable until Queen Victoria built Osborne, but there were some big houses in the 18th century, and the chines could have sheltered plenty of conceits. There are obelisks at Appledurcombe and Bembridge, a castellated cowshed at Norris Castle, a swiss Cottage at Osborne and a tower to tennyson near farringford.

Blackgang Chine

The entertainments include:a skeleton of a whale, a gnome village and distorting mirrors.

Ryde

Appley Tower on the sea wall. The gardens are noe municipal but when it was a private house King George and Queen Mary liked to have tea there.

St Catherine’s Down

A pillar most beautifully situated. There is a stone ball on top and the column is dark with moss. It commemorates the visit of the Czar to Britain: in 1857 another tablet was added to the allied dead of the Alma, inckerman and Sebastopol.

I just tried to ring my sister and as I put the telephone to my ear I heard the a deep Welsh man’s voice talking all I heard was: ‘No words found…’ terrified I put the telephone down and now I regret it.