The Hottest Place on Earth

[Kath Mulligan]

Did anyone else watch this fantastic documentary programme from Ethiopia on BBC1 tonight? I obviously missed the first part last Sunday as I was too busy enjoying myself in Cornwall! I sat watching in awe as that mad scientist was lowered right into the bowl of an active volcano! :roll:

If you missed it, do try to catch it on BBCi because it is well worth viewing.

And what an excellent presentation team Kate Humble and Steve Leonard make. Kate is so good and Bill Oddie really irritates me on the Springwatch and Autumnwatch programmes when he belittles her and talks over her all the time.

Kath

[gloria townsin]

I have done the reverse as I missed this weeks but saw a bit of last weeks sitting in bed (to keep warm) at Bryher. But I seemed to miss chunks of it so my guess is I fell asleep......... :D

[Kath Mulligan]

Janet and I were sitting in the lounge at Camilla House watching Dancing On Ice final last week which is why I missed the first part.

Kath

[Janet Swan]

Sorry, didn't see the Hottest Place programme, although I do wish I had watched all of the Yellowstone programmes. I caught last night's and was most impressed.

Oh yes, Steve Leonard :wink: . But poor old Bill Oddie was back in hospital recently due his recurring depression problems, so I wonder if he will be doing Springwatch this year. Kate seems to cope with him quite well though, and I do like his enthusiasm ... eccentricity and enthusiasm is a great combination :lol: . Anyway, I do hope he gets well soon.

Janet

[Kath Mulligan]

Yes, I read that he was back in hospital again because of his depression, and I seem to remember seeing that he will be missing Springwatch this year. It should be on again before too long, I should think.

Kath

[Linda]

I too thoroughly enjoyed the programme...fascinating and scary too. Imagine walking down into that centre and getting nearer to the lava...and a bonus to boot was helping those two children.

Gosh it makes me feel as though there are things like this I should have done in life...

Making programmes like this is something the BBC are always good at and I hope they never lose it.

[Sparky]

I had no idea that Bill Oddie suffered from depression. I have always admired his passion for nature and birds in particular and Springwatch and Autumnwatch are both unmissable for me if I am back 'home' in England when they are on.

[gloria townsin]

Bill Oddie took part in 'Who do you think you Are', he appeared to have a strange childhood, his Mother was often absent, although his Father sounded a very caring man, and didn't realise until he was grown up that his Mother had severe depression and was in a mental hospital for most of his childhood and in the end never returned home, if I remember correctly. When he began suffering from depression he didn't at first see the connection but the programme led him to discover what was wrong with his Mother as it hadn't been spoken about, there was a lost child and other factors at home that seemed not to help her condition, he freely said he suffered the same way and had for several years suffered recurring depression. You often don't suspect it in someone who has made comedy programmes, but Spike Milligan was manic depressive so what you see is not always what the person is actually feeling. The kind of manic, hyperactive behaviour can hide a multitude of things it seems. Although I'm not a major fan I have got used to him presenting Spring-Watch and I will miss him.
Like lots of people I have 'down' days and say 'I'm so depressed' but I think down days are a long way off real, deep depression. Unfortunately to tell someone with true depression to 'pull themselves together' is of no use whatsoever it is an illness and needs careful nursing. Hope he is well soon.

[Sparky]

Thanks for the information,Gloria. I agree,real depression is certainly as much of a disease as any other but is thankfully now recognised as such and treatable to a degree.

I wish him well,too.

[Dex Cameron]

Like lots of people I have 'down' days and say 'I'm so depressed' but I think down days are a long way off real, deep depression. Unfortunately to tell someone with true depression to 'pull themselves together' is of no use whatsoever it is an illness and needs careful nursing. Hope he is well soon.

While I agree it is no use simply saying that, Gloria, I do believe you can still help people to do just that. There may be certain types of depression, such as manic or bipolar that need expert help but I think what I would describe as clinical depression, which can last years, can in the end only be beaten by the affected person getting hold of it and dealing with it in their own mind - not with medication for instance. The mind is so powerful it can deal with most things I believe.

[Dex Cameron]

By the way, to lighten the mood, wasn't the following a Tommy Cooper joke?

'I went to the doctor and I said "Doctor, I feel like I'm a set of curtains" The doctor said "For Heaven's sake man, pull yourself together"'