David Bellamy

David Bellamy
OBE
Bellamy in 1981
Born David James Bellamy
(1933-01-18) 18 January 1933
London, England
Education Sutton County Grammar School; Chelsea College of Science and Technology (now part of King's College London); Bedford College (now part of Royal Holloway, University of London)
Employer Durham University
Known for botanist, author, broadcast presenter, environmental campaigner
Spouse(s)
Rosemary Froy (m. 1959)
Children 5

David James Bellamy OBE (born 18 January 1933) is an English author, broadcaster, environmental campaigner and botanist. He has lived in County Durham since 1960.[1]

Early life

Bellamy went to school in London, attending Chatsworth Road Primary School Cheam, Cheam Road Junior School and Sutton County Grammar School, where he initially showed an aptitude for English Literature and History; he then found his vocation because of an inspirational science teacher, studying Zoology, Botany, Physics and Chemistry in the sixth form.[2] He gained an honours degree in Botany at Chelsea College of Science and Technology (now part of King's College London) and a PhD at Bedford College in 1960.[3]

Scientific career

His first work in a scientific environment was as a laboratory assistant at Ewell Technical College[4] before he studied for his BSc at Chelsea. In 1960 he became a lecturer in the Botany department of Durham University.[5] The work that brought him to public prominence was his environmental consultancy on the Torrey Canyon oil spill in 1967, about which he wrote a paper in the leading scientific journal, Nature.[6]

Bellamy published many scientific papers and books between 1966 and 1986 (see #Bibliography). Many books were associated with TV series that he worked on. During the 1980s he replaced Big Chief I-Spy as the figurehead of the I-Spy range of children's books, to whom completed books were sent to get a reward. In 1980 he released a single written by Mike Croft with musical arrangement by Dave Grosse to coincide with the release of the I-Spy title I Spy Dinosaurs (about dinosaur fossils) entitled "Brontosaurus Will You Wait For Me?" (backed with "Oh Stegosaurus"). He performed it on Blue Peter wearing an orange jump suit. It reached number 88 in the charts.[7]

Promotional and conservation work

The New Zealand Tourism Department, a government agency, became involved with the Coast to Coast adventure race in 1988 as they recognised the potential for event tourism. They organised and funded foreign journalists to come and cover the event. One of those was Bellamy, who did not just report from the event, but decided to compete. While in the country, Bellamy worked on a documentary series Moa's Ark that was released by Television New Zealand in 1990.[8][9]

Bellamy is the originator, along with David Shreeve and the Conservation Foundation (which he also founded), of the Ford European Conservation Awards.

Broadcasting career

After his TV appearances concerning the Torrey Canyon disaster, his exuberant and demonstrative presentation of science topics made him a very popular presenter on programmes such as Don't Ask Me along with other scientific personalities such as Magnus Pyke, Miriam Stoppard and Rob Buckman. He has written, appeared in or presented hundreds of television programmes on botany, ecology, environmental and other issues. His television series included Bellamy on Botany, Bellamy's Britain, Bellamy's Europe and Bellamy's Backyard Safari.[10] He was regularly parodied by impersonators such as Lenny Henry on Tiswas with a "grapple me grapenuts" catchphrase. His distinctive voice has been used in advertising.[11]

Chronology of TV appearances and radio broadcasts[12][13]

  • Life in Our Sea (1970–71)
  • Wildlife Spectacular (1971–72)
  • Bellamy on Botany (1972)
  • For Schools, Colleges: Exploring Science (1973)
  • The Animal Game (1973–74)
  • Don't Ask Me (1974-5)
  • What on Earth...are we doing: The Urban Spaceman (1974)
  • Bellamy's Britain (1974)
  • For Schools, Colleges: Exploring Science: Food Technology (1974)
  • For Schools, Colleges: Exploring Science: Soil (1975)
  • Choices for Tomorrow (1975-6)
  • This Is Your Life (1975)
  • Horizon: The Sickly Sea (1975)
  • The World About Us (1975)
  • Bellamy - on Botany! (1975)
  • It's Patently Obvious (1976)
  • Bellamy's Europe (1976)
  • Multi-Coloured Swap Shop (1976)
  • Any Questions? (1976)
  • The Book Programme (1976)
  • Multi-Coloured Swap Shop (1977)
  • Bellamy's Britain (1977) check
  • BBC: LONDON (1977)
  • Woman's Hour (1978)
  • Desert Island Discs (1978)
  • This Is Your Life [as the subject](1978)
  • BBC: LONDON (1979)
  • It Figures (1979–80)
  • We're Going Places (1979)
  • Parkinson (1979)
  • Blankety Blank (1979)
  • Go with Noakes (1979)
  • Multi-Coloured Swap Shop (1979–81)
  • Up a Gum Tree (1979–80)
  • Pebble Mill at One (1979)
  • The Countryside at Christmas (1979)
  • Woman's Hour (1980)
  • Through My Window (1980)
  • Wildlife (1980)
  • The Living World (1980)
  • Any Questions? (1980)
  • Ask Aspel (1981)
  • Bellamy's Backyard Safari (1981)
  • With Great Pleasure (1981)
  • David Bellamy [C of E Children's Society charity appeal] (1981)
  • For Schools, Colleges: Food, Food, Glorious Food (1981)
  • Pebble Mill at One (1981–82)
  • BBC: LONDON (1982–83)
  • Blue Peter (1982)
  • The Four Great Seasons (1982)
  • Just After Four (1983)
  • Wogan (1983)
  • Week's Good Cause (1983)
  • Countryside in Summer (1983)
  • Bellamy's New World (1983)
  • Rainbow Safari (1983)
  • Blue Tits and Bumble Bees (1983)
  • Saturday Superstore (1984–87)
  • Grange Hill (1984)
  • What on Earth...? (1984)
  • BBC: NORTH EAST (1984)
  • Give Us A Conch (1984)
  • Speak Out (1984)
  • Captain Noah and His Floating Zoo (1984)
  • You Can't See the Wood... (1984)
  • John Dunn (1984)
  • Nature (1984)
  • British Social History: The Motor Car (1984)
  • Starting Out (1984)
  • The Lenny Henry Show (1984)
  • Songs of Praise (1984)
  • Week's Good Cause (1985–86)
  • The Kenny Everett Show (1985)
  • Soundings (1985)
  • Heroes (1985)
  • Bellamy's Seaside Safari (1985)
  • Q.E.D. (1985)
  • For Schools: Contact Spring (1986)
  • The Kenny Everett Television Show (1986)
  • What on Earth...? (1986-8)
  • Star Memories (1986)
  • Roger RoyleGood Morning Sunday (1987)
  • Scene: Fido, Friend or Foe? (1987)
  • My Dog: My Rules - Adventures with Peanut Butter (1987)
  • It's Wicked! (1987)
  • With Great Pleasure (1987)
  • The Natural History Programme (1987)
  • Windmill (1987)
  • Nature (1988)
  • Woman's Hour (1988)
  • The New Battle for Britain (1988)
  • Umbrella (1988)
  • Penguins and Plum Puddings (1988)
  • It's Patently Obvious (1989)
  • Philip Schofield live from Kew Gardens (part of Green Week) (1989)
  • Questions: What Is a Person (1990)
  • The Leading Edge (1990)
  • The Media Show (1990)
  • Moa's Ark (1990)
  • Tomorrow's World Christmas Quiz (1990)
  • Bellamy on the Heathland (1991)
  • Bellamy Rides Again (1991)
  • Safari UK (1991)
  • Masterchef (1991)
  • The Garden Party (1991)
  • The Living World (1991)
  • TV: Six journeys through colour. (1991)
  • Bruce Forsyth's Children In Need Generation Game (1991)
  • The Clothes Show (1992)
  • Summer Scene (1992)
  • Wish You Were Here (1992)
  • Teaching Today (1992)
  • Blooming Bellamy (1993)
  • Children in Need (1993)
  • Sunday Half Hour Lights Shining in the Darkness (1993)
  • The Third Age (1993)
  • Family Affairs (1994)
  • Bellamy's Singapore (1994)
  • Will's World (1995)
  • Body Counts (1995)
  • Blue Peter (1995)
  • Big Day Out (1995)
  • Don Maclean (1996)
  • Upstream with Bellamy (1996)
  • Turning Points (1996)
  • In Celebration (1996)
  • Week's Good Cause (1997)
  • On the Scouting Trail (1997)
  • Christmas at the Castle (1997)
  • Don Maclean (1998)
  • Esther (1998)
  • Water Week (1998)
  • Songs of Praise (1998-9)
  • Fully Booked (1998)
  • Summer Disneytime (1998)
  • Geoff Hamilton: a Man and His Garden (1998)
  • Radio 4 Appeal (1999)
  • This Is Your Life (2000)
  • Time Bank - Celebrity Challenge (2000)
  • Breakfast (2001)
  • Kelly (2002)
  • This Is Your Life (2002)
  • On the Brink (2003)
  • Richard & Judy (2003-4)
  • Bee in Your Bonnet (2004)
  • Gardeners' World (2004)
  • Hell's Kitchen (2004)
  • The Way We Went Wild (2004)
  • The Heaven and Earth Show (2004)
  • The Daily Politics (2005)
  • Channel 4 News (2005)
  • The Swish of the Curtain (2007)
  • Tiswas Reunited (2007)
  • Lenny Henry's Perfect Night In (2007)
  • The Secret Life of the Motorway (2007)
  • Francesco's Mediterranean Voyage (2008)
  • Toy Stories (2009)
  • The Funny Side of (2009)

Activism

In 1983 he was imprisoned for blockading the Australian Franklin River in a protest against a proposed dam. On the 18 of August 1984, he leapt from the pier at St Abbs Harbour into the North Sea. In the process he officially opened Britain's first Voluntary Marine Reserve, the St. Abbs and Eyemouth Voluntary Marine Reserve. In the late 1980s he fronted a campaign in Jersey, Channel Islands, to save Queens Valley, the site of Bergerac's cottage, from being turned into a reservoir because of the presence of a rare type of snail, but was unable to stop it. In 1997 he stood unsuccessfully at Huntingdon against the incumbent Prime Minister John Major for the Referendum Party. Bellamy credits this campaign with the decline in his career as a popular celebrity and television personality, stating in 2002:[14]

"In some ways it was probably the most stupid thing I ever did because I'm sure that if I have been banned from television, that's why. I used to be on Blue Peter and all those things, regularly, and it all, pffffft, stopped."

He is a prominent campaigner against the construction of wind farms in undeveloped areas. This is despite appearing very enthusiastic about wind power in the educational video Power from the Wind[15] produced by Britain's Central Electricity Generating Board.

David Bellamy is the President of the British Institute of Cleaning Science (BICSc) and is a strong supporter of the BICSc plan to educate young people to care for and protect the environment. The David Bellamy Awards Programme is a competition designed to encourage schools to be aware of, and act positively towards, environmental cleanliness. Bellamy also is a patron of the British Homeopathic Association, and the UK plastic recycling charity Recoup since 1998.

Views on global warming

In his foreword to the 1989 book The Greenhouse Effect,[16] Bellamy wrote:

The profligate demands of humankind are causing far reaching changes to the atmosphere of planet Earth, of this there is no doubt. Earth's temperature is showing an upward swing, the so-called greenhouse effect, now a subject of international concern. The greenhouse effect may melt the glaciers and ice caps of the world causing the sea to rise and flood many of our great cities and much of our best farmland.

Bellamy's later statements on global warming indicate that he subsequently changed his views completely. In 2004, he wrote an article in the Daily Mail in which he described the theory of man-made global warming as "poppycock".[17] A letter he published on 16 April 2005 in New Scientist asserted that a large percentage (555 of 625) of the glaciers being observed by the World Glacier Monitoring Service were advancing, not retreating.[18] George Monbiot of The Guardian tracked down Bellamy's original source for this information and found that it was Fred Singer's website. Singer claimed to have obtained these figures from a 1989 article in the journal Science, but no such article exists.[19] Bellamy has since accepted that his figures on glaciers were wrong, and announced in a letter to The Sunday Times in 2005 that he had "decided to draw back from the debate on global warming",[20] although Bellamy jointly authored a paper with Jack Barrett in the refereed Civil Engineering journal of the Institution of Civil Engineers, entitled "Climate stability: an inconvenient proof" in May 2007.[21]

His opinions have changed the way in which some organisations view Bellamy. The Royal Society of Wildlife Trusts stated in 2005 "We are not happy with his line on climate change",[22] and Bellamy was succeeded as president of the Wildlife Trusts by Aubrey Manning in November 2005. Bellamy has complained that his views on global warming have resulted in the rejection of programme ideas by the BBC.[23]

Recognition

Bellamy also holds or has held these positions:

President of:

Vice president of:

Trustee, patron or honorary member of:

Honours and awards

Bellamy has been awarded an Honorary Dr. of Science, degree from Bournemouth University. He is the recipient of a number of other awards:

In 2013, Professor Chris Baines gave the inaugural David Bellamy Lecture at Buckingham Palace to honour Bellamy's 80th birthday.[41] A second David Bellamy Lecture was given by Pete Wilkinson at the Royal Geographic Society in 2014.[42]

Bibliography

Bellamy has written at least 45 books:

  • Bellamy on Botany (1972) ISBN 0-563-10666-2
  • Peatlands (1973)
  • Bellamy's Britain (1974)
  • Life Giving Sea (1975)
  • Green Worlds (1975)
  • The World of Plants (1975)
  • It's Life (1976)
  • Bellamy's Europe (1976)
  • Botanic Action (1978)
  • Botanic Man (1978)
  • Half of Paradise (1978)
  • Forces of Life (1979)
  • Bellamy's Backyard Safari (1981)
  • The Great Seasons (with Sheila Mackie, illustrator; Hodder & Stoughton, 1981)
  • Il Libro Verde (1981)
  • The Mouse Book (1983)
  • Bellamy's New World (1983)
  • The Queen's Hidden Garden (1984)
  • I Spy (1985)
  • Bellamy's Bugle (1986)
  • Bellamy's Ireland (1986)
  • Turning The Tide (1986)
  • Bellamy's Changing Countryside (1987)
  • England's Last Wilderness (1989)
  • England's Lost Wilderness (1990)
  • Wilderness Britain? (1990, Oxford Illustrated Press, ISBN 1-85509-225-5)
  • Moa's Ark (with Brian Springett and Peter Hayden, 1990)
  • How Green Are You? (1991)
  • Tomorrow's Earth (1991)
  • World Medicine: Plants, Patients and People (1992)
  • Blooming Bellamy (1993)
  • Trees of the World (1993)
  • The Bellamy Herbal(2003)
  • Fabric Live: Bellamy Sessions (2004)
  • Jolly Green Giant (autobiography, 2002, Century, ISBN 0-7126-8359-3)
  • A Natural Life (autobiography, 2002, Arrow, ISBN 0-09-941496-1)
  • Conflicts in the Countryside: The New Battle for Britain (2005), Shaw & Sons, ISBN 0-7219-1670-8

Discovering the Countryside with David Bellamy

Bellamy was "consultant editor and contributor" for this series, published by Hamlyn in conjunction with the Royal Society for Nature Conservation:

  • Coastal Walks (1982; ISBN 0-600-35588-8)
  • Woodland Walks (1982; ISBN 0-600-35658-2)
  • Waterside Walks (1983; ISBN 0-600-35636-1)
  • Grassland Walks (1983; ISBN 0-600-35637-X)

Forewords

Bellamy has contributed forewords or introductions to:

  • It's Funny About the Trees a collection of light verse by Paul Wigmore [Autolycus Press], ISBN 0 903413 96 5 (1998)
  • Chris Packham's Back Garden Nature Reserve New Holland Publishers, Chris Packham, (2001) ISBN 1-85974-520-2
  • The Cosmic Fairy Arthur Atkinson [pseudonym for Arthur Moppett] [Colin Smythe Limited Publishers], 1996, ISBN 0-86140-403-3
  • British Naturalists Association Guide to Woodlands J L Cloudsley-Thompson
  • While the Earth Endures Creation, Cosmology and Climate Change Philip Foster [St Matthew Publishing Ltd]. (2008)
  • Marine Fish and Invertebrates of Northern Europe Frank Emil Moen & Erling Svensen [KOM Publishing]. ISBN 0-9544060-2-8 (2004)
  • "The Lost Australia of François Péron" Colin Wallace [Nottingham Court Press], ISBN 0-906691-96-6 (1984)
  • Populate and Perish?, R. Birrell, D. Hill and J. Nevill, eds., Fontana/Australian Conservation Foundation (1984), ISBN 0 00 636728 3

See also

References

  1. ↑ Thompson, Elspeth (3 May 2006). "Counties of Britain: Durham by David Bellamy". The Daily Telegraph. London.
  2. ↑ Daily Mail, 14 April 2012, Weekend Magazine p.12.
  3. ↑ Professor David Bellamy OBE. "Professor David Bellamy OBE". www.royalholloway.ac.uk. Retrieved 15 October 2017.
  4. ↑ Salter, Jessica (19 November 2009). "Eco hero: David Bellamy, botanist and campaigner". Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 27 May 2014.
  5. ↑ Bellamy, David (2001). A Natural Life. Century.
  6. ↑ Bellamy, D.J.; Clarke, P.H.; John, D.M.; Jones, D.; Whittick, A. (1 December 1967). "Effects of Pollution from the Torrey Canyon on Littoral and Sublittoral Ecosystems". Nature. 216 (5121): 1170–1173. Bibcode:1967Natur.216.1170B. doi:10.1038/2161170a0.
  7. ↑ "ChartArchive - The Chart Archive". www.chartstats.com. Retrieved 10 January 2018.
  8. ↑ McKerrow, Bob; Woods, John (1994). Coast to Coast: The Great New Zealand Race. Christchurch, New Zealand: Shoal Bay Press. p. 77. ISBN 978-0-908704-22-4.
  9. ↑ "Moa's Ark". NZ on Screen. Retrieved 27 May 2017.
  10. ↑ Bellamy's Backyard Safari at Wild Film History. Retrieved 1 July 2014
  11. ↑ Ribena UK Ltd. "Ribena". Retrieved 14 October 2017.
  12. ↑ IMDb. "David Bellamy". www.imdb.com. Retrieved 14 October 2017.
  13. ↑ "Genome". genome.ch.bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 14 October 2017.
  14. ↑ Hattenstone, Simon (30 September 2002), The Green Man, London: The Guardian, retrieved 7 November 2008
  15. ↑ Jenkins, N. (September 1990), "European Wind Energy", The Environmentalist, 10 (3): 230–231, doi:10.1007/BF02240360.
  16. ↑ Boyle, Stewart; Ardill, John (1989), The Greenhouse Effect, London?: New English Library, ISBN 0-450-50638-X
  17. ↑ Global Warming? What a load of poppycock! by David Bellamy, Daily Mail 9 July 2004.
  18. ↑ "Glaciers are cool". Retrieved 10 January 2018.
  19. ↑ Monbiot, George (10 May 2005), Junk Science, London: Guardian.co.uk, retrieved 7 November 2008
  20. ↑ Bellamy, David (29 May 2005), In an Adverse Climate, London: Times Online, retrieved 7 November 2008
  21. ↑ Bellamy, David; Barrett, David (1 May 2007), "Climate stability: an inconvenient proof", Civil Engineering, Thomas Telford Journals, 160 (2): 66, doi:10.1680/cien.2007.160.2.66, archived from the original on 15 September 2012
  22. ↑ Leake, Jonathan (15 May 2005), Wildlife Groups Axe Bellamy as Global Warming 'Heretic', London: Times Online, retrieved 7 November 2008
  23. ↑ David Bellamy, The price of dissent on global warming, The Australian 25 November 2008
  24. ↑ "British Chelonia Group - For tortoise, terrapin and turtle care and conservation". www.britishcheloniagroup.org.uk. Retrieved 10 January 2018.
  25. ↑ "All aboard for a heritage trip down memory lane". Sunderland Echo newspaper. 27 April 2005. Retrieved 27 May 2014.
  26. ↑ Science biography. "Science biography". www.coralcay.org. Retrieved 15 October 2017.
  27. ↑ Environmental Education. "Environmental Education". naee.org.uk. Retrieved 15 October 2017.
  28. ↑ Cleanzine. "David Bellamy OBE steps down as President of BICSc". www.bics.org.uk. Retrieved 15 October 2017.
  29. ↑ "東京脱毛サロン脱毛士の美肌促進ブログ". www.hhasoc.org. Retrieved 10 January 2018.
  30. ↑ "Club History". www.campingandcaravanningclub.co.uk. 8 June 2016. Retrieved 10 January 2018.
  31. ↑ "Our Team - Presidents, Trustees and Staff - Young People's Trust For the Environment". Young People's Trust For the Environment. Retrieved 10 January 2018.
  32. ↑ "Governance". The Conservation Volunteers. Retrieved 27 May 2014.
  33. ↑ "Nature in Art – Trust". Nature in Art Trsut. Retrieved 23 March 2010.
  34. ↑ http://www.nationalgamekeepers.org.uk/about-national-gamekeepers-organisation/ngo-moorland-branch
  35. ↑ The Living Landscape Trust. "The Living Landscape Trust". opencharities.org. Retrieved 15 October 2017.
  36. ↑ "Patrons". Butterfly World Project. Archived from the original on 11 June 2014. Retrieved 27 May 2014.
  37. ↑ "Project AWARE Homepage - Project AWARE". www.projectaware.org. Retrieved 10 January 2018.
  38. ↑ "Trees and Us - Professor David Bellamy". www.treeappeal.co.uk. Retrieved 10 January 2018.
  39. ↑ "Duke of Edinburgh's Prize - British Sub-Aqua Club". British Sub-Aqua Club. Retrieved 2017-10-26.
  40. ↑ "Colin Mcleod Award". British Sub Aqua Club. Retrieved 10 March 2013.
  41. ↑ "David Bellamy". www.bna-naturalists.org. Retrieved 2017-10-26.
  42. ↑ "Veteran green says emissions aren't the only danger - Climate News Network". Climate News Network. 2014-10-16. Retrieved 2017-10-26.
Non-profit organization positions
Preceded by
New position		 President of Plantlife
1990–2005		 Succeeded by
Adrian Darby
Preceded by
?		 President of the Wildlife Trusts
?–2005		 Succeeded by
Aubrey Manning
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