Everyone loves the sounds of nature - but nature can be such a pain in the neck to find!
As a city dweller, you have to get in your car, fight through the urban traffic, negotiate the sprawling housing estates in the 'burbs, bounce down some potholed back road, then finally locate nature itself. But then you notice that the Chemical Brothers CD blasting on your quadrophonic speakers from the open sun-roof of your bright red Lamborghini is quite possibly, by its very presence, despoiling nature; it's back to square one. Also, it could be raining out there, and you might get wet.
Now, however, you can say goodbye to those I-Love-Nature-But-I-Won't-Leave-The-House blues, with the Natural Sounds Radio. It works as a normal radio and alarm clock, but a secret button at the back lets you listen to the soothing sounds of nature.
You get a choice of four. You could go for the waves, lapping against the shore with the occasional seagull; or the frog in the pond; the birds chirping happily in the woods; or the crickets and other insects calling to one another at night.
The Maplin Natural Sounds Radio, £16 (€20.32), will be available from the new Maplin shop when it opens on July 17th at Jervis Street, Dublin, tel: (01) 878-2388.
