Yesterday was Christmas eve, digging up Christmas dinner day and poo trailer day. I went up to the lottie and harvested Christmas dinner, Spuds, Sprouts, Parsnips, Leeks and some Beetroot. The soil is in lovely condition. The plants just pulled out. I topped and tailed the veg that needed it and cleaned up the others. All the trimmings went into the compost bin. The wind was bitter but the work easy so I did not get hot and sweaty. Not getting sweaty meant I did not get cold as soon as I stop moving as usually happens. I did have to swap my new Trilby for my beany because my ears were freezing off. It was quite nice trimming away watching the cows in the fields watch me. A shooting party strolled through the adjacent field blasting at mythical birds and having their dogs run all over. I had a chat with one of the beaters. It was not a very well planned event. I sorted out a basket full of veg for the stable owners and trundled off to get the poo trailer.
The last act before I left the lottie was to get my hip flask out and drink a little toast to the lottie. In time honoured fashion I splashed I bit of the Sloe Gin on each of the plots. A low key wassail if ever there was one.
The trailer run was uneventful. I saw Angie & Chris to wish them seasons greetings and pass on the basket of veg. They had just turned up from a ride out. We had a chat about the horses and I had a close look at their tack. I ran the trailer back to the lottie to empty to it and then ran it back to the stables. Degsy is running beautifully. I went over the Swad to get this months ration of petrol and to pump up the tyres. I think I have a slow puncture in the nearside rear. I will have to do somethings about that.
Sunday, December 25, 2011
Tuesday, December 13, 2011
Wet whips
Sunday was work party day. 1pm was the appointed hour. I collected the poo trailer in good time and trundled over to the lottie. I topped up my muck bin then top dressed the Rhubarb patch.
Steve and two other lottie holders turned up just as I was dressing the Rhubarb. They went off to see what the remained to be done after the planting up of the new bund. The society was given a 200+ three old whips by the county council. They were very nicely grown. During the past few weeks a couple some of the lottie holders have taken on the job of planting up the new bund with whips. Steve went to sort out some bricks, Pete, Mr W and I took the 30+ left over oaks and organised ourselves to dig the holes, plant the trees and put the rabbit guards round them. I dug the hole, well stabbed the spade in the ground and opened up a slit. Mr W put the whip in and firmed the roots in. Pete fitted the guards. Now this was not a hard job except that as soon as we started it began to rain cold hard rain. We pushed on and got finished. As we finished the rain stopped but its work was done. We were soaked. We decided that an hour in the cold rain on cold and dark December Sunday was worth two or more hours at any other time of the year. And with that we went home. However I had to run the trailer back to the stables.
Steve and two other lottie holders turned up just as I was dressing the Rhubarb. They went off to see what the remained to be done after the planting up of the new bund. The society was given a 200+ three old whips by the county council. They were very nicely grown. During the past few weeks a couple some of the lottie holders have taken on the job of planting up the new bund with whips. Steve went to sort out some bricks, Pete, Mr W and I took the 30+ left over oaks and organised ourselves to dig the holes, plant the trees and put the rabbit guards round them. I dug the hole, well stabbed the spade in the ground and opened up a slit. Mr W put the whip in and firmed the roots in. Pete fitted the guards. Now this was not a hard job except that as soon as we started it began to rain cold hard rain. We pushed on and got finished. As we finished the rain stopped but its work was done. We were soaked. We decided that an hour in the cold rain on cold and dark December Sunday was worth two or more hours at any other time of the year. And with that we went home. However I had to run the trailer back to the stables.
Sunday, December 04, 2011
Harvesting spuds
Today got a chance to go the lottie. I got wrapped up but as soon as I started working I got too hot. The first job I tackled was to tidy up the patio. I had left some brassica stalks to dry out on the patio. I got a couple of bags out of my lottie store and bagged up the remaining stalks. The wheelbarrow was full of Huckleberry plants that I dug up on my last visit. I bagged them too. Next I went to brassicas bed [Bed3] and dug up the remaining cabbage and broccoli plants. I trimmed the leafy bits off into the compost bin. The stalks went to the bags. I have given up on the wormry at the lottie. I shovelled the contents of the wormry into the adjacent compost bin. It was good stuff but very few worms in it. It topped the compost bin up nicely.
The last but most important job was to harvest the last nine rows of spuds. The haulms had died back months ago but the straw like remain marked the rows. I worked along each row. Despite the rain we have had the soil was still quite dry a few inches below the surface. The spuds came out clean. The soil is light and dry so I was able to rifle through the it for the spuds. I put the harvest into trays and the tray in the back of Degsy.
It had started to rain, slowly at first but getting steadily harder. The trays were in Degsy, then I put in the bags of stalks in. They are going in my green recycling bin at home. I put the kettle on whilst I secured everything. The patio area of the lottie looks nice a tidy. The beds are covered in weeds. I have decided to leave it that way for the winter. My idea is that the weeds will hold onto the nutrients. When I prepare the beds in the spring I will put the weeds in the compost bins which will recycle the nutrients. The compost now in the bins will end up in bean and pea trenches next year. I have lots of manure cooking down which, depending how I feel, will be spread over or dug into certain beds over the winter. If the weather is mild I might get a head start of the spring digging.
The last but most important job was to harvest the last nine rows of spuds. The haulms had died back months ago but the straw like remain marked the rows. I worked along each row. Despite the rain we have had the soil was still quite dry a few inches below the surface. The spuds came out clean. The soil is light and dry so I was able to rifle through the it for the spuds. I put the harvest into trays and the tray in the back of Degsy.
It had started to rain, slowly at first but getting steadily harder. The trays were in Degsy, then I put in the bags of stalks in. They are going in my green recycling bin at home. I put the kettle on whilst I secured everything. The patio area of the lottie looks nice a tidy. The beds are covered in weeds. I have decided to leave it that way for the winter. My idea is that the weeds will hold onto the nutrients. When I prepare the beds in the spring I will put the weeds in the compost bins which will recycle the nutrients. The compost now in the bins will end up in bean and pea trenches next year. I have lots of manure cooking down which, depending how I feel, will be spread over or dug into certain beds over the winter. If the weather is mild I might get a head start of the spring digging.
Monday, October 24, 2011
Next Year
I have decided upon the special crop for next year...Barley. All the reading I had done over the summer on beer has inspired me to see if I can brew my own beer. Beer needs Barley. I draw the line at growing hops. I found a chap in Ormskirk that sells Barley seed in small quantities. It should be in my hands tomorrow. There are two questions that I have to resolve:
A. Can I sow the seed this autumn?
B. Which bed do give over to the crop?
This time next year I should be drinking a clear crisp bitter.
A. Can I sow the seed this autumn?
B. Which bed do give over to the crop?
This time next year I should be drinking a clear crisp bitter.
Saturday, October 22, 2011
True then, True now.
Two centuries ago John Stuart Mill declared that there had never been a labour saving device invented that saved anyone a minute's labour.
True then, true now.
True then, true now.
Thursday, October 20, 2011
Literary Appreciation
Today I had a lie in so I was up at 9am. I had my usual breakfast. I read my book a while. I came to a decision on what I would do today. The poo trailer was still at the lottie, I had a number plate in the garage and spuds in the ground. There's a plan. I went to the lottie and emptied the poo trailer and in the process buggered up my back. I soldiered on very annoyed with myself. I had decided to to dig up the remaining Charlotte spuds. Bending down did not hurt my back so I plugged on. The soil is still on the dry side of moist. The spuds came up clean. I dug the three rows up which leaves nine rows of Cara left to be dug up. I went round the Calebrese one last time and found another dinner worth of heads to harvest. They are pretty much spent. The Calebrese have performed very well over the year giving me three harvests. I will be planting them again next year.
I dropped back in at the house. I removed the number plate off the trailer. Using the old number plate as a template I drilled holes in the new number plate. Holes sorted I screwed the number plate back on the trailer. The trailer now has the number plate of Degsy. I had picked up a trailer safety strap at Melton market the last time I was there. The "strap" is a plastic coated steel cable with ring at one end and a carabinar at the other. I just had the loop the wire through the ring to secure cable to the trailer. The carabiner hooks onto Degsy when the trailer is hooked up to Degsy.
I have been reading a book by Pete Brown about beer. I have come to appreciate the pub, its history and even the unspoken rituals more than ever. I had run the trailer back up the the stables. Whilst in the area I popped over to see the Bees. H came with me for the ride. The Bees were flying freely despite the colder nights we have been having. On the way back we spotted that the front door of the Railway Inn was open so we stopped. We sat in and had a pint, me a Guinness and H had half a Pedigree. Just in the sense of literary appreciation you understand.
I dropped back in at the house. I removed the number plate off the trailer. Using the old number plate as a template I drilled holes in the new number plate. Holes sorted I screwed the number plate back on the trailer. The trailer now has the number plate of Degsy. I had picked up a trailer safety strap at Melton market the last time I was there. The "strap" is a plastic coated steel cable with ring at one end and a carabinar at the other. I just had the loop the wire through the ring to secure cable to the trailer. The carabiner hooks onto Degsy when the trailer is hooked up to Degsy.
I have been reading a book by Pete Brown about beer. I have come to appreciate the pub, its history and even the unspoken rituals more than ever. I had run the trailer back up the the stables. Whilst in the area I popped over to see the Bees. H came with me for the ride. The Bees were flying freely despite the colder nights we have been having. On the way back we spotted that the front door of the Railway Inn was open so we stopped. We sat in and had a pint, me a Guinness and H had half a Pedigree. Just in the sense of literary appreciation you understand.
paaaand a bowl
I have been off work this week. I have to use up my holiday entitlement or loose it. Tuesday H and I went to Melton Mowbray to the Livestock market. There is a general market on that day as well. You can buy, at auction, anything from a Hereford Bull to a Matchbox toy car by way of; Pigs, Sheep, work clothes, animal foodstuffs, feeders of every kind and every sundry item that could be needed. There is a general market to where there is all manner of delights. It is like a massive car boot sale but more professional. Then there is the "Fur and Feather" auction. There is game such as Hare, Rabbit, Pheasant, Partridge and Quail. Live ferrets, fancy birds [budgies, finches and parrots to name to ones I recognised], and all kinds of fowl, chickens, ducks and geese. It is an assault on the senses but a great morning out. We had a wonder round the town as well. Market day there too. We found a super little cafe over looking the market. A quintessentially English Tea room, Tea served on a China service, two tier cake stands, waitresses in black and white livery and service with a smile. No wonder it was voted the best Tea room in Leicestershire for 2011.
Yesterday H and I went to Oakham. Malc & Penny bought us a afternoon Tea as an anniversary present so we decided yesterday would be the day. But first we went to Barnsdale. Barnsdale is five miles the far side of Oakham so having got up at a reasonable hour and had a nice breakfast we trundled over to Barnsdale. Geoff Hamilton was a TV presenter of Gardener's World from 1979. Click HERE for his obituary. In a change to TV production the BBC made Geoff the main presenter. Geoff used his garden at Barnsdale to show the TV audience how to set out gardens and how to do all manner of garden related tasks. The gardens are still there and that is what we went to see. Not the best time of year to see garden...never mind, we had the place to ourselves, more or less. I don't know if it was the weather or time of year but the gardens had a quite sad feeling. It was like a memorial to Geoff. Still, he gave us gardening TV as we know it. Gardener's World remains a firm favorite with many people. Geoff cottoned on the a more natural way of gardening, we call it organic. Geoff was an early promoter of the idea. After we had had a look round the nursery we came inside for a brew in the very nice cafe. Geoff's DVD were playing on the TV. It was a bit surreal. Still, worth a trip.
Afternoon Tea was booked for 3.30 at The Whipper Inn, Oakham. We got to Oakham a couple of hours early and took a spin round the town. It a splendid little town. THe market was on in Butter market right in the middle of town as it has always been. There were good stalls. The great fish stall but all I wanted was the brown shrimp. If had been able to find some quality butter I would have bought the shrimp and made potted shrimp. It would not be as good as Morecombe Bay potted shrimp but I am sure it would serve. I got a turned wooden wedge for a quid. H got a loaf from the baker's stall. The veg man was having a hard time, " paaaand a bowl", any offers, paaand a bowl". In Leicestershire vegetable stalls have a system were they have shallow stainless steel bowls and in the bowls is produce. The bowl has a price for whatever is in the bowl but all the bowls are the same price. Oakham market the bowls had fruit or veg or what I call stew mix ups, any combination of carrot, parsnip, potato, swede. There is enough for a good stew from the contents of the bowl. On Oakham stalls a bowl was a "paaand" [one pound]. The previous day in Melton the bowl has all the same things as Oakham but also bowls of Strawberries, another of mushrooms and so on. Melton bowls were two quid. Same stuff just different price. That is the perfect market for you.
One of the stalls at Oakham sold hats. All kinds of hats. I ended up getting a crushable felt Trilby. I blame Nick Crane. I read his book "Clear Waters Rising". He wore a crushable felt Trilby on his travels. I got one for the same reasons, more or less. The brim keeps the sun out of my eyes and it keeps my head warm. I hope that if I should be outdoors went to rains it will shed the rain off instead of soaking it up as my wooly beeny hat does. The only thing it does not do is keep my ears warm. Perhaps if the ears are cold I should retire indoors or get out the beeny. The Whipper Inn is on the market place so it was the shortest of walks to the front door.Click HERE for there website. It is a Inn of two halves. The main entrance and main room is dark and timbered and looks like it has been there forever, which it probably has. The other room is a modern bistro. We sat in the old bit and ordered a couple of Sherries from the Hungarian waitress. We read our books for a while then tucked into our afternoon Tea. Sandwiches with crust cut off, seed cake and scones and off course Tea. It was quite nice. Thanks M & P.
Yesterday H and I went to Oakham. Malc & Penny bought us a afternoon Tea as an anniversary present so we decided yesterday would be the day. But first we went to Barnsdale. Barnsdale is five miles the far side of Oakham so having got up at a reasonable hour and had a nice breakfast we trundled over to Barnsdale. Geoff Hamilton was a TV presenter of Gardener's World from 1979. Click HERE for his obituary. In a change to TV production the BBC made Geoff the main presenter. Geoff used his garden at Barnsdale to show the TV audience how to set out gardens and how to do all manner of garden related tasks. The gardens are still there and that is what we went to see. Not the best time of year to see garden...never mind, we had the place to ourselves, more or less. I don't know if it was the weather or time of year but the gardens had a quite sad feeling. It was like a memorial to Geoff. Still, he gave us gardening TV as we know it. Gardener's World remains a firm favorite with many people. Geoff cottoned on the a more natural way of gardening, we call it organic. Geoff was an early promoter of the idea. After we had had a look round the nursery we came inside for a brew in the very nice cafe. Geoff's DVD were playing on the TV. It was a bit surreal. Still, worth a trip.
Afternoon Tea was booked for 3.30 at The Whipper Inn, Oakham. We got to Oakham a couple of hours early and took a spin round the town. It a splendid little town. THe market was on in Butter market right in the middle of town as it has always been. There were good stalls. The great fish stall but all I wanted was the brown shrimp. If had been able to find some quality butter I would have bought the shrimp and made potted shrimp. It would not be as good as Morecombe Bay potted shrimp but I am sure it would serve. I got a turned wooden wedge for a quid. H got a loaf from the baker's stall. The veg man was having a hard time, " paaaand a bowl", any offers, paaand a bowl". In Leicestershire vegetable stalls have a system were they have shallow stainless steel bowls and in the bowls is produce. The bowl has a price for whatever is in the bowl but all the bowls are the same price. Oakham market the bowls had fruit or veg or what I call stew mix ups, any combination of carrot, parsnip, potato, swede. There is enough for a good stew from the contents of the bowl. On Oakham stalls a bowl was a "paaand" [one pound]. The previous day in Melton the bowl has all the same things as Oakham but also bowls of Strawberries, another of mushrooms and so on. Melton bowls were two quid. Same stuff just different price. That is the perfect market for you.
One of the stalls at Oakham sold hats. All kinds of hats. I ended up getting a crushable felt Trilby. I blame Nick Crane. I read his book "Clear Waters Rising". He wore a crushable felt Trilby on his travels. I got one for the same reasons, more or less. The brim keeps the sun out of my eyes and it keeps my head warm. I hope that if I should be outdoors went to rains it will shed the rain off instead of soaking it up as my wooly beeny hat does. The only thing it does not do is keep my ears warm. Perhaps if the ears are cold I should retire indoors or get out the beeny. The Whipper Inn is on the market place so it was the shortest of walks to the front door.Click HERE for there website. It is a Inn of two halves. The main entrance and main room is dark and timbered and looks like it has been there forever, which it probably has. The other room is a modern bistro. We sat in the old bit and ordered a couple of Sherries from the Hungarian waitress. We read our books for a while then tucked into our afternoon Tea. Sandwiches with crust cut off, seed cake and scones and off course Tea. It was quite nice. Thanks M & P.
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