The rise of the urban shepherd (The Guardian)

Strangely enough this is not a story about the shepherds having been forced out of the countryside by poverty / global warming, like the foxes becoming urbanised, and herding cats with their shepherds crook and sheep dogs.

Sorry I digressed into a somewhat surrealist landscape there.

Anyway if you cant sleep or just like to tend a flock but never wanted to become a vicar you can now become an urban shepherd.

Brighton having successfully deployed sheep (not in the Worms computer game method) in outlying areas are now bring them into the centre of Brighton. Yes, coming to a park near you is a flock of sheep. Obviously put a hoody on a sheep or a sheepskin coat on a member of the 'youth of today' and it might be difficult to tell them apart. Some but not all would have the same vacant look. They may also be able to converse with each other too.

Apparently this is environmentally friendly as well, sheep are not fuelled by petrol and so will not be affected by the meteoric rise in the oil price.

So if you want to be a shepherd and I certainly would like to be one, you can sign up for a one day introductory course on sheep welfare and then start keeping an eye on your local flock.

There is probably a zen holiday like experience to be had here too. Picture this, a lonely hillside with a shepherds hut, watching and tending the sheep.You could get a lot of thinking done on a hillside with a lot of health benefits.