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If mangerton is around: In this month's Waitrose magazine there is an interview with KT Tunstall about food. She says her favourite comfort food is fish and chips - preferably from the fish bar in Anstruther!!
I've been a bit fed up with the BBC weather pundits this week announcing 'today will be the hottest day of the year ....' Well, Tuesday was perfect, Wednesday and Thursday the cloud didn't lift until mid-afternoon and fleeces or coats were needed due to chill and wind (Thursday didn't get above 10° until around 3pm, yesterday was the reverse and around 6.00pm some heavy spots of rain. Today has been just right from first light, climbing to high of 19° so still not the hottest day of the year.
I've been flat out today, I've planted up my windowbox plus two large tubs, repotted kitchen herbs and new windowsill geranium, planted and staked the tomato plants. I bought on impulse some bean plants but decided it was too windy to do anything with them. I've just hulled two punnets of English (Hampshire) strawberries - 30p a punnet in the market. They are cheap because they're too small to meet the grades wanted by the supermarkets, how ridiculous is that, they are really sweet and flavoursome so who cares if they're a bit small? Also got some Jersey Royals (we shall see, I gave up on them as lately they've been rubbish) to have with some salmon (which I'm going to bake in foil) and a watercress and mixed leaf salad - my perfect Summer dinner <yummy scrumptious> emoticon.
I envy you that market Anna. I can never any/enough fruit and veg. One very tired iceberg lettuce at grocer - the only place to attempt such things. I didn't buy it.
I must investigate delivered veg boxes but believe they are very expensive.
I hope you've vacuumed and dusted through too, Anna - the day is young
Well mercia ..... No is the answer because a) if you dust and vacuum you only have to do it again sometime in the future - and b) what could be nicer than messing around with compost and flowers in the sunshine to the sound of birdsong and the church bells? There have been two weddings today and the bells have been ding-donging merrily on high for all they're worth.
I envy you that market Anna. I can never any/enough fruit and veg. One very tired iceberg lettuce at grocer - the only place to attempt such things. I didn't buy it.
I must investigate delivered veg boxes but believe they are very expensive.
Saly, I think I've mentioned before we have a wonderful greengrocer here but on Fridays and Saturdays Keith the Fruit has bargains - I've never paid more than 50p for a cauliflower from him and his soft fruit is wonderful (he doesn't do Exotics though) just the basics. Never tried veg boxes, haven't had reason to and I'd rather decide what I want in the way of fruit and veg rather than someone elses choice.
In case anyone's out tomorrow - and with the permission of our very own scion of the House of Plantagenet - I can confirm that tomorrow is BBM's birthday...
Not sure whether it's the Amazon packages or the gottles of geer that will be opened with more enthusiasm by the birthday boy but in any case, let me get in first with a rousing:
Mnaanyy Ha aqppy Rrweetiurnnnms furry toboggan, BBM!!!!
"...the isle is full of noises,
Sounds and sweet airs, that give delight and hurt not.
Sometimes a thousand twangling instruments
Will hum about mine ears, and sometime voices..."
I've been a bit fed up with the BBC weather pundits this week
Yes, they've been hopeless in their forecasts this week, getting all excited about weather that would be passable in April but is nothing special for early June. On Wednesday morning they forecast blazing sunshine from the off but a glance out of the window would have been enough to see that that sort of cloud wasn't going to lift all day (as was the case). The ruinous strong wind has never had so much as a mention.
We have probably had no more than two or three truly calm days for the whole of this year in this corner of Central England and they were during that first batch of snow we had in January and later, the May Day Bank Holiday. The wind has been a constant and crucial feature but you wouldn't know it from the BBC forecasts.
"The sound is the handwriting of the conductor" - Bernard Haitink
In case anyone's out tomorrow - and with the permission of our very own scion of the House of Plantagenet - I can confirm that tomorrow is BBM's birthday...
Not sure whether it's the Amazon packages or the gottles of geer that will be opened with more enthusiasm by the birthday boy but in any case, let me get in first with a rousing:
Mnaanyy Ha aqppy Rrweetiurnnnms furry toboggan, BBM!!!!
Aqnd so sa;y all ofj uks!!
"The sound is the handwriting of the conductor" - Bernard Haitink
"...the isle is full of noises,
Sounds and sweet airs, that give delight and hurt not.
Sometimes a thousand twangling instruments
Will hum about mine ears, and sometime voices..."
The wind has been a constant and crucial feature but you wouldn't know it from the BBC forecasts.
I've never known such consistently windy days (ok guys, no obvious jokes perleese .....) but the truth is, if it were not for the wind we would have had a quite reasonably warm time lately. I await S_A to tell us why we've had such terrible wind .....
And happy returns to BBM, may your Shepherd Neame never disappoint and your tuba ring clear and true.
If mangerton is around: In this month's Waitrose magazine there is an interview with KT Tunstall about food. She says her favourite comfort food is fish and chips - preferably from the fish bar in Anstruther!!
I've been a bit fed up with the BBC weather pundits this week announcing 'today will be the hottest day of the year ....' Well, Tuesday was perfect, Wednesday and Thursday the cloud didn't lift until mid-afternoon and fleeces or coats were needed due to chill and wind (Thursday didn't get above 10° until around 3pm, yesterday was the reverse and around 6.00pm some heavy spots of rain. Today has been just right from first light, climbing to high of 19° so still not the hottest day of the year.
I've been flat out today, I've planted up my windowbox plus two large tubs, repotted kitchen herbs and new windowsill geranium, planted and staked the tomato plants. I bought on impulse some bean plants but decided it was too windy to do anything with them. I've just hulled two punnets of English (Hampshire) strawberries - 30p a punnet in the market. They are cheap because they're too small to meet the grades wanted by the supermarkets, how ridiculous is that, they are really sweet and flavoursome so who cares if they're a bit small? Also got some Jersey Royals (we shall see, I gave up on them as lately they've been rubbish) to have with some salmon (which I'm going to bake in foil) and a watercress and mixed leaf salad - my perfect Summer dinner <yummy scrumptious> emoticon.
Oh yes, I'm around, Anna. That would be because KTT was brought up in St Andrews, where her father was a lecturer at the Univ. The Anstruther fish bar is still there, and the offer's still open.
I can see you've been busy, and your dinner sounds delicious. You're quite right about the soft fruit racket. This part of Scotland produces vast amounts of soft fruit, and I know similar things go on. I note you staked your tomato plants. I haven't done that, but I'm shortly about to have some tomatoes with steak, which is quite similar. Probably.
I'll get my coat.....
Last edited by mangerton; 08-06-13, 17:40.
Reason: addition of a comma, to avoid possible ambiguity
Oh yes, I'm around Anna. That would be because KTT was brought up in St Andrews, where her father was a lecturer at the Univ. The Anstruther fish bar is still there, and the offer's still open.
I can see you've been busy, and your dinner sounds delicious. You're quite right about the soft fruit racket. This part of Scotland produces vast amounts of soft fruit, and I know similar things go on. I note you staked your tomato plants. I haven't done that, but I'm shortly about to have some tomatoes with steak, which is quite similar. Probably.
I'll get my coat.....
Ooh, we are still on for a fish supper in Anstruther? I imagine it as a sort of Brief Encounter - I get some home-brewed condiment in my eye, and you, tenderly, solicitiously, wipe it and gaze into my eyes and say ... will you be willing? I reply .... Braveheart, to what do you wish me to be willing? ... ......... to be continued!!
On-topic, Scottish raspberries ... the best ever, ditto Scottish Salmon and, you grow all those old varieties of potatoes like purple, blue and black. Why people don't try them I don't know.
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