Mark Sowerby battles bad feelings by tackling brutal channel crossings – the Oceans Seven – around the world

The title of this invigorating documentary about open-water swimming seems at first to be a wry note-to-self regarding something competitors essentially have no control over: the possibility of becoming shark food. But, as practised by Australian waterman Mark Sowerby, it turns out to a surprisingly deep and empowering maxim about choosing to accept apprehensions and fears, and not being picked off by one’s inner vulnerabilities.

Sowerby is that oft-spotted species: the investment banker seeking redemption. Adrift among the 1%, he pivots to long-distance swimming and makes a traumatic crossing of the English Channel in 2015. Then his company becomes chum for short-sellers. His self-esteem in tatters, depression swallows him up. Realising he can process the trauma with intensive pool time, Sowerby decides that completing the other six stages of the “Oceans Seven” – a set of brutal channel crossings around the globe – is the tonic he needs.

Mark Sowerby battles bad feelings by tackling brutal channel crossings – the Oceans Seven – around the world

The title of this invigorating documentary about open-water swimming seems at first to be a wry note-to-self regarding something competitors essentially have no control over: the possibility of becoming shark food. But, as practised by Australian waterman Mark Sowerby, it turns out to a surprisingly deep and empowering maxim about choosing to accept apprehensions and fears, and not being picked off by one’s inner vulnerabilities.

Sowerby is that oft-spotted species: the investment banker seeking redemption. Adrift among the 1%, he pivots to long-distance swimming and makes a traumatic crossing of the English Channel in 2015. Then his company becomes chum for short-sellers. His self-esteem in tatters, depression swallows him up. Realising he can process the trauma with intensive pool time, Sowerby decides that completing the other six stages of the “Oceans Seven” – a set of brutal channel crossings around the globe – is the tonic he needs.

Mark Sowerby battles bad feelings by tackling brutal channel crossings – the Oceans Seven – around the world

The title of this invigorating documentary about open-water swimming seems at first to be a wry note-to-self regarding something competitors essentially have no control over: the possibility of becoming shark food. But, as practised by Australian waterman Mark Sowerby, it turns out to a surprisingly deep and empowering maxim about choosing to accept apprehensions and fears, and not being picked off by one’s inner vulnerabilities.

Sowerby is that oft-spotted species: the investment banker seeking redemption. Adrift among the 1%, he pivots to long-distance swimming and makes a traumatic crossing of the English Channel in 2015. Then his company becomes chum for short-sellers. His self-esteem in tatters, depression swallows him up. Realising he can process the trauma with intensive pool time, Sowerby decides that completing the other six stages of the “Oceans Seven” – a set of brutal channel crossings around the globe – is the tonic he needs.

Recording of humpback whale from 1949 could also provide new understanding of how the huge animals communicate

A haunting whale song discovered on decades-old audio equipment could open up a new understanding of how the huge animals communicate, according to researchers who say it’s the oldest such recording known.

The song is that of a humpback whale, a marine giant beloved by whale watchers for its docile nature and spectacular leaps from the water, and was recorded by scientists in March 1949 in Bermuda, said researchers at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution in Falmouth, Massachusetts.

Recording of humpback whale from 1949 could also provide new understanding of how the huge animals communicate

A haunting whale song discovered on decades-old audio equipment could open up a new understanding of how the huge animals communicate, according to researchers who say it’s the oldest such recording known.

The song is that of a humpback whale, a marine giant beloved by whale watchers for its docile nature and spectacular leaps from the water, and was recorded by scientists in March 1949 in Bermuda, said researchers at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution in Falmouth, Massachusetts.

Recording of humpback whale from 1949 could also provide new understanding of how the huge animals communicate

A haunting whale song discovered on decades-old audio equipment could open up a new understanding of how the huge animals communicate, according to researchers who say it’s the oldest such recording known.

The song is that of a humpback whale, a marine giant beloved by whale watchers for its docile nature and spectacular leaps from the water, and was recorded by scientists in March 1949 in Bermuda, said researchers at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution in Falmouth, Massachusetts.

Architect whose cultural projects included the Royal Exchange theatre in Manchester and the remodelling of St Luke’s church for the LSO

When men first walked on the moon in 1969, “space age” design began to percolate into mainstream architecture. One of the most literal and dramatic interpretations of this futuristic trend was the Royal Exchange theatre in Manchester, a heptagonal theatre-in-the-round contained in an ultra-modern structure of tubular steel and glass inspired by Nasa’s lunar lander. A key member of its design team was Axel Burrough, of Levitt Bernstein Architects, who has died aged 79.

The theatre module, which Burrough designed with David Levitt and Malcolm Brown, squats within the imposing neo-classical confines of the historic Royal Exchange . When the Exchange finally ceased trading in 1968, its grade two listed status ruled out conventional uses and refurbishment strategies, but it could be made to accommodate a building-within-a-building, conjuring a compelling visual and experiential contrast between old and new.

Architect whose cultural projects included the Royal Exchange theatre in Manchester and the remodelling of St Luke’s church for the LSO

When men first walked on the moon in 1969, “space age” design began to percolate into mainstream architecture. One of the most literal and dramatic interpretations of this futuristic trend was the Royal Exchange theatre in Manchester, a heptagonal theatre-in-the-round contained in an ultra-modern structure of tubular steel and glass inspired by Nasa’s lunar lander. A key member of its design team was Axel Burrough, of Levitt Bernstein Architects, who has died aged 79.

The theatre module, which Burrough designed with David Levitt and Malcolm Brown, squats within the imposing neo-classical confines of the historic Royal Exchange . When the Exchange finally ceased trading in 1968, its grade two listed status ruled out conventional uses and refurbishment strategies, but it could be made to accommodate a building-within-a-building, conjuring a compelling visual and experiential contrast between old and new.

Architect whose cultural projects included the Royal Exchange theatre in Manchester and the remodelling of St Luke’s church for the LSO

When men first walked on the moon in 1969, “space age” design began to percolate into mainstream architecture. One of the most literal and dramatic interpretations of this futuristic trend was the Royal Exchange theatre in Manchester, a heptagonal theatre-in-the-round contained in an ultra-modern structure of tubular steel and glass inspired by Nasa’s lunar lander. A key member of its design team was Axel Burrough, of Levitt Bernstein Architects, who has died aged 79.

The theatre module, which Burrough designed with David Levitt and Malcolm Brown, squats within the imposing neo-classical confines of the historic Royal Exchange . When the Exchange finally ceased trading in 1968, its grade two listed status ruled out conventional uses and refurbishment strategies, but it could be made to accommodate a building-within-a-building, conjuring a compelling visual and experiential contrast between old and new.