NOT everyone could get legendary Last of the Summer Wine actor Peter Sallis involved in their business venture, but if anyone can it's Carl Obern and Margit Haurenherm.

They heard Sallis' voice on a Wallace and Gromit tape and wanted the actor for their own animated character, Professor Newton, who features on their new educational CD for schools.

The couple, now living in Langcliffe after years overseas, didn't even know who Peter Sallis was and were astounded to hear his fee would be around £2,000 a day. However, after hearing of their project, which puts the fun back into science, the actor joined the team for a fraction of the cost and a free taster CD is now being sent to 22,000 schools.

Originally from Leicester, Carl moved to Canada in 1976 where he became involved in conservation work while studying for a PhD in chemistry.

After joining a walking club he met fellow student Margit, originally from Germany. As the only chemists in the group, they were challenged to come up with a waterproofing solution which would protect boots and clothing.

Turning their cellar into a lab, the couple created a waterproofing wax which proved a hit with friends. The couple started a small scale business, but when a company producing logging boots for lumberjacks began ordering the product, they founded the Never Wet company which continues to flourish.

Leaving the company in the hands of Carl's sister, he and Margit went on holiday to South Carolina - and stayed five years!

They became involved in helping leatherback turtles on nearby Kiawah Island, safeguarding their nests from the island's high tides. A downside to beach life was the plagues of sandflies, but putting their chemistry into practice the pair created their own bug repellent. It was a hit on the beach and the couple decided to market it. "Nature Works" was born, producing natural cosmetics, soaps and repellents.

Most of the raw ingredients came from the West Indies and so the couple travelled to the British Virgin Islands researching plants such as aloe vera and cocoa butter.

Next they moved to Dominica where they learned how the locals used plants, e-mailing their ideas back to the company.

They also helped the locals to make their own soap and set up a co-operative, with Nature's Own paying the locals just above the world price for their raw materials. Similarly, Carl and Margit showed children how to use cocoa beans to make their own chocolate.

The couple then began making soap, bath bombs and chocolate making kits to be used in schools.

"We are trying to make science fun again for children because it can by so dreary," said Margit.

In 2000 the couple returned to the UK to further develop their educational kits.

"We wanted to produce the Rolls-Royce of a CD on beer money! We wanted it to be all singing, all dancing to put some of the magic back into lessons," says Margit. "We had taken our dog, Henry, with us into schools and he was a big hit, so we came up with the idea of an animated Professor Newton and his dog, Henry."

Friend Ricky Jones, a fireman, fulfilled his own dream of becoming an animator by creating the cartoon images, and the finishing touch was the voice of Peter Sallis, who plays Clegg in the long-running series Last of the Summer Wine.

"He read about our project and thought the philosophy behind it was fantastic," adds Margit. "He devised the voice and is now going to do three more projects with us."

Carl and Margit have produced soap-making science kits for both secondary and primary schools, complete with teaching plans and CD Roms. It ties in across the curriculum by teaching children where raw materials come from and about fair trade, business skills and IT through e-mail links with schools in the British Virgin Isles.

Carl said: "Our idea is to get the kids to make the soap, sell it at parent's night and get turned on to science and understand where ingredients come from. They can spend the £60 or £70 they make or use it to buy a kit for children in other countries."

Margit said: "We want to show the children that even though the rainforest is a completely different world, it's really not that far from here. Children have so many questions and thanks to the internet we can connect the two cultures."

Profits from sales of the CD will be invested in the Newton's Apple Foundation which will help schools around the world purchase educational equipment.

It was Peter Sallis himself who recommended the couple move to Yorkshire and a chance advert in our sister paper The Westmorland Gazette led to the couple renting the cottage at Langcliffe Hall, the home of Betsy and Robert Bell, where, coincidentally, Isaac Newton once stayed with his uncle.

"Yorkshire is a beautiful part of the world and it has a central location in the UK," said Carl. "Location isn't important for our work but we want nice people and a nice environment and that's what we've found in Langcliffe."

Schools wanting more information can contact Carl and Margit on 01729 822263.