Great news today from Natural England that cash is to be given towards the conservation of rare natterjack toads in Cumbria. Check with our general news section for the full story.ort.

This video shows young natterjacks and the common newt crawling out of the water.

A little self indulging on my own birthday today - I give you the king, the greatest, my all-time favourite singer Dion.

There were dozens to pick from but I remember having to wait weeks for this one to come into Mrs Kovary's at Cockermouth. I thinkl she was sick of me going in asking if it had come in yet.

I think, if memory serves, records then were 6 shillings and eight pence. They seemed to be that for a long time. I wonder how much that would equate to in today's prices.

A quiz question tonight sparked a search for the Teddy Bears. The question was something like - "To know him is to love him" was written afrter an engraving on a tombstone had inspired someone - whom?

Well the answer apparently was Phil Spector and Wikipedia tells us, by way of confirmation,that following graduation from Fairfax high school in Los Angeles, California, Spector became obsessed with a song, "To Know Him Is to Love Him", he had written for his group, The Teddy Bears.

After a hasty audition at ERA Records who offered to finance a studio session, The Teddy Bears - Spector, Marshall Leib, lead singer Annette Kleinbard, and last minute recruit, drummer Sandy Nelson - recorded the song at Gold Star Studios at a cost of $75. Released on ERA's Dore label in August 1958, it took two months before "To Know Him Is to Love Him" began to get airplay.

The record stayed in the Billboard Hot 100 for 23 weeks, in the Top Ten for 11 of those weeks, and commanded the number 1 chart position for three weeks. A

t 17, Spector had written, arranged, played, sung, and produced the best-selling record in the country. Although subsequent releases by the Teddy Bears on the Imperial label were well-recorded soft pop, they did not sell, and within a year of the debut, Spector disbanded the group.

Spector was not the only Teddy Bear who went on to a career after the group broke up. Annette Kleinbard continued to write and record songs, and changed her name to Carol Connors. Among her credits are the Rip Chords hit "Hey Little Cobra" and the Academy Awards nominated Rocky theme song "Gonna Fly Now," co-written with Ayn Robbins.

Bobby Vee (born Robert Thomas Velline, April 30, 1943, Fargo, North Dakota, United States) is an American pop music singer. According to Billboard magazine Vee has had 38 Hot 100 chart hits, 10 of which hit the Top 20.

Vee's 1961 summer release "Take Good Care of My Baby" went to No.1 on the Billboard U.S. listings and number 3 in the UK Singles Chart. Known primarily as a performer of Brill Building pop material, he went on to record a string of international hits in the 1960s, including "Devil or Angel" (U.S. 6), "Rubber Ball" (1961) (U.S. 6), "More Than I Can Say" (1961), "Run To Him" (1961) (U.S. 2), "The Night Has a Thousand Eyes" (1963) (U.S. 3), and "Come Back When You Grow Up" (U.S. 3).

Vee recently concluded a long running engagement at Dick Clark's American Bandstand Theatre in Branson, Missouri. He performed in the 8:00pm 'Original Stars at American Bandstand' show along with Fabian, Chris Montez, Brian Hyland, and The Chiffons.

In October 2007 he was on tour performing in 'The Last of the Big Rock Shows' along with Lesley Gore and Billy "Crash" Craddock in Australia.

Whenever I hear this record I think of Juke Box Jury. It was a record which, I believe, was given a big hooter on the show and went on to become Faith's first hit in 1960.

He was unaware his surname was Nelhams-Wright until he applied for a passport and obtained his birth certificate. He was known as Terry Nelhams.

Adam Faith became one of Britain's significant early pop stars. At the time, he was distinctive for his hiccupping glottal stops and exaggerated pronunciation.

He did not write his own material, and much of his early success was through partnership with John Barry and songwriter Les Vandyke, whose arrangements were inspired by Don Costa's pizzicato arrangements for Buddy Holly's "It Doesn't Matter Anymore".

Faith's twee pop became less popular in the mid-1960s in competition from The Beatles. After a final single in 1968 he parted company with EMI and concentrated on acting.

While a musician he had appeared in films such as Beat Girl (1961), Never Let Go, and television dramas such as Rediffusion's, No Hiding Place, but now he concentrated on repertory theatre. After a number of small parts, he was given a more substantial role in Night Must Fall, playing opposite Dame Sybil Thorndike. In autumn 1969 he took the lead in a touring production of Billy Liar.

In the 1970s, he went into music management, managing Leo Sayer among others.

He starred as the eponymous hero in the 1970s television series Budgie, about an ex-convict, but his career declined after a car accident in which he almost lost a leg. He restarted with a role as the manipulative manager of rock star David Essex, in Stardust. He was nominated for a BAFTA award. In 1980 he starred with Roger Daltrey in McVicar and appeared with Jodie Foster in Foxes.

From 1992-1994, Faith appeared in another TV series, Love Hurts starring with Zoe Wanamaker, and in 2002 he appeared in the BBC series, The House That Jack Built.

In 1986, he was hired as a financial journalist, by the Daily Mail and its sister paper The Mail on Sunday.

He had had heart problems since 1986 when he had open heart surgery.

In the 1980s, Faith became a financial investments advisor. He had a financial involvement with television's 'Money Channel'. But the channel proved unsuccessful and closed in 2001. Faith was declared bankrupt owing a reported £32 million.

He became ill after his stage performance in the touring production of Love And Marriage at Stoke-on-Trent on the Friday evening, and died at North Staffordshire Hospital of a heart attack early on Saturday 8 March 2003.

British tabloid newspapers reported his last words as "Channel Five is all shit, isn't it? Christ, the crap they put on there. It's a waste of space". Although it is not certain these were his words, it has become a popular myth.

No arguments this had to be the clip of the day - September 29th, 2008 is my dad's 90th birthday. A western fan since way back, a Desert Rat wounded in 1941 at the Battle of Sidi Rezegh, a travelling salesman for West Cumberland Farmers for over 40 years; as politically incorrect as you can be (and none the worse for that) and a top man. This is his choice today.

I actually got him the Magnificent Seven collection - four DVD's on a boxed set so I imagine they'll get some hammer.

He's looking for Joel McCrae next so that's my target over the next few weeks, tracking down a few DVD's by Joel.

Some top performers in this band - The Yardbirds from 1965 with a number they borrowed from Herman's Hermits.

The Yardbirds are noted for starting the careers of three of rock's most famous guitarists: Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck and Jimmy Page. A blues-based band whose sound evolved into experimental rock, they had a string of hits including “For Your Love”, “Over, Under, Sideways, Down” and “Heart Full Of Soul”. They were a crucial link between British R&B and psychedelia.

The Yardbirds were pioneers in almost every guitar innovation of the '60s: fuzz tone, feedback, distortion, backwards echo, improved amplification. They were one of the first to put an emphasis on complex lead guitar parts and experimentation.

The bulk of the band's conceptual ideas, as well as their songwriting, came from the quartet of singer/harmonica player Keith Relf, drummer Jim McCarty, rhythm guitarist/bassist Chris Dreja, and bassist/producer Paul Samwell-Smith, all of whom co-wrote the Yardbirds' original hits and constituted the core of the group.

The band's musical foundation would also lay the groundwork for the formation of the 1970s rock band Led Zeppelin.

There have been many band memers over the years but they did re-form agaon in 1992 right through to the present day.

According the Total Rock website, Jeff Beck and Jimmy Page are to possibly rejoin the Yardbirds for a reunion tour some time in 2008.

Lead vocalist John Idan would retain his front man position. Ben King would also remain as lead guitarist as any reunion with Page and Beck would be temporary.

A classic track from a 1973 Top of the Pops show. Mott the Hoople, good roockers in anyone's book.

Mott the Hoople were a 1970's English rock band with strong R&B roots and known for being part of the popular glam rock scene of the early to mid-70's. They are best known for the song "All the Young Dudes", which was written for them by their fan David Bowie which appeared on the 1972 album of the same name. I muvch prefer this one however.

And what of the name? Although the group toured and recorded in Italy as The Doc Thomas Group, their gigs in the UK were played first as The Shakedown Sound, and later as Silence.

Silence recorded demos at Rockfield Studios in Monmouth, Wales, which were shopped to EMI, Polydor, Immediate, and Apple with no success.

In early 1969 the group came to the attention of Guy Stevens at Island Records, who liked the group but not with Stan Tippins as lead singer. Advertisements were placed ("Singer wanted, must be image-minded and hungry"), and Ian Hunter was eventually selected as lead singer and piano player. Tippins assumed the role of road manager.

Stevens changed the band's name to "Mott the Hoople" from a novel of the same name by Willard Manus; the book is about an eccentric who works in a circus freak show. T

heir debut album, Mott the Hoople (1969), was a cult success, and their repertoire included cover versions of "Laugh at Me" (Sonny Bono), and an instrumental cover of "You Really Got Me" (The Kinks).

I used to love this record. Thought it was great and very surprised when my dad said it was an old song.

Clarence "Frogman" Henry (born March 19, 1937, Algiers, New Orleans, Louisiana) is an American rhythm and blues singer.

Fats Domino and Professor Longhair were young Henry's main influences while growing up. When Henry played in talent shows, he dressed like Longhair and wore a wig with braids on both sides.

His trademark croak, utilized to the maximum on his 1956 debut hit "Ain't Got No Home," earned Henry his nickname and jump-started a career that endures to this day. "You Always Hurt the One You Love" and "(I Don't Know Why) But I Do", both from 1961, were his other big hits.

Henry opened eighteen concerts for The Beatles across the U.S. and Canada in 1964, but his main source of income came from the Bourbon Street strip in New Orleans, where he played for nineteen years.

His name could still draw hordes of tourists long after his hit-making days had ended. Clarence Henry's pioneering contribution to the genre has been recognized by the Rockabilly Hall of Fame.

In April 2007, The Louisiana Music Hall Of Fame honored "Frogman" for his contributions to Louisiana music by inducting him into The Louisiana Music Hall Of Fame.

The Temperance Seven had this big hit in 1961 and gave the world whispering Paul McDowell.

 The three founder members were Paul McDowell who originally played trombone, Philip Harrison (originally played banjo) and Brian Innes who got together at Christmas 1955.

 Gradually the band evolved into a nine-piece ensemble with a light-hearted and humorous performing style, although they were all serious musicians. The name "Temperance Seven" was suggested from Douggie Albert, of the Albert's fame. The Albert's were cult figures in the art scene in the mid 1950's and were fore-runners to the sort of humour that became Monty Python. The Temperance Seven was a subtle play on words — the number seven being "one under the eight". That there were nine members or "one over the eight" implied intemperance.

It was in 1961 that the Temperance Seven achieved national fame with the number 1 hit "You're Driving Me Crazy" Arranged by Frank Skinner, which was produced by George Martin, quickly followed by "Pasadena" which reached No 4 in the charts.

They toured Britain widely that year and their performances acquired a set routine beginning with the last few bars of "Pasadena" (which became their signature tune) and ending with the stirring strains of the "Gaumont-British News". By the summer of 1961 their fame was such that they appeared at the London Palladium.

During this memorable performance, when opening with the first few bars of "Pasadena" the band members seemed distracted and uneasy: there were only eight of them on stage.

It had been rumoured by the host — Bruce Forsyth — that there had been a dressing room fall-out with vocalist Paul MacDowell. Just as the band reached the point of the vocal, a cloud of smoke saw a megaphone-wielding MacDowell propelled upwards via a trapdoor, to begin his refrain bang on cue. The audience was mesmerised only to be further caught out by Pasadena's legendary double false-ending.

The Temperance Seven came to popularity during the resurgent Jazz era of the early 1960s. Their unique sound, coupled with their musicianship and ingeniously humorous compositions, set them apart from their contemporaries; however, they arrived at the cusp of that era and as popular tastes changed with the emergence of Elvis and The Beatles, the Temperance Seven gradually slipped into obscurity although the Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band and Bob Kerr's Whoopee Band attempted to wear their mantle for several years whilst claiming no affiliation.

The original Temperance Seven were dissolved in the late 1960s, but the band continues to perform with new personnel. From time to time original members make guest appearances. Many members of the original band reunited for a BBC radio programme about the group in 2003.