Say Cheese

I was working at Sandown Park races on Saturday. While I was there I met a friend of mine who owns a few horses and she had one running that day.

Unfortunately the horse was not placed but still managed to smile for the picture that I took after the race.

I go racing once a year working for the same client and this was my 31st year.

In all that time I have never had a bet (to much of a bad loser) but on Saturday a horse was running called HOH HOH HOH and as it was also my birthday I had a bet on it each way. It came fourth.

I have not had much time recently to get to the plot to do any work,but I do go to the site each day. Yesterday one of my neighbors gave me a corn on the cob and Barbara ate it an hour later. It tasted sublime and I shall definitely be growing them next year.

On my wish list for next year is a Mantis Tiller. A couple of people on our site have one and they are brilliant. So if any of my family are reading this,could you please donate to my Tiller fund at Christmas as I have all the socks and handkerchiefs that I need.

C is for Cucumber

I do not think that this would pass the supermarket censor and make it to the shelves.

It will however taste SO much better than those insipid,tasteless ones that they sell.

Who cares that it is not straight?

Beauty and the beast

The beast does produce a nice flower though.

Friday Pictures

My favourite time on our site is early morning. I am probably a boring old fxxt but love to have the place to myself for a while. These are a few random pictures taken today.

Dahlias

We have been really pleased with the Dahlias this year. We just really let them fend for themselves. The tubers are never dug up so stay in the ground over winter and I just give them a bit of liquid tomato feed every ten days or so. We are going to try adding some different colours next year.

Bean Feast

I went to the plot today to pick a few runner beans for tea. Each time that I thought I had picked them all I found more hiding. We have decided to make chutney with them.

The old roller we found under all the undergrowth when we cleared the plot four years ago. Once upon a time it was some body's pride and joy.

Love them or hate them

Whether you love them or hate them you can't deny how stunning a healthy fox looks.

A wise head on young shoulders

I did not feel to well at the weekend so had to make quite an effort to go to the allotment. We intended to stay a short while just to tidy up a bit but ended up staying three hours.

We managed to harvest a fair bit as you can see in the picture. The jar is plum jam which our neighbour Ann kindly gave us from plums which we gave her last week. This is the second jar she has given us, the first one was really good.

Another of our new plotholders had made a sign for every plot showing the number and the name or names of the people working it. I think this is a great idea as I am useless at remembering names, so it is really good and helps to build a community spirit.

My grandson Rhys plays for his football team Langley Hawks ( a link to their website is on the side) he is seven and last season did really well in their league. He is really very good but also likes to play in goal so last week he went on a goalkeepers training course at Crystal Palace.

I used to play in goal when I was young so decided to pass on some of my "vast" knowledge of how to do it to him.

I asked him what was the most important thing about playing in goal , good positioning, eyes on the ball, concentration etc.

His reply was " the most important thing is to have fun"


I shall never get stressed over a weed or slug again but try to have fun.

Saturday Brunch

After all the rotten weather of late we took advantage of a beautiful day yesterday. The foxes turned up and were just lying in the shade among the trees.

We spent a lazy few hours just pottering and harvested, carrots,runner beans,beetroot,chard,turnips,courgettes and swede.

We used one of the courgettes straight from the plot and Barbara cooked us brunch. There is nothing quite like eating vegetables you have grown yourself.

So far we have made, beetroot chutney, courgette chutney and plum jam. Next to make is piccalilli.

More Sunday Pictures

Sunday extra pictures

Todays Pictures

Today on the allotment.

Today's Harvest

This is what we harvested today.

Enorma and Plums

We have never had so many flowers on our Runner Beans the variety is Enorma and it seems that we are in for a bumper crop.

I think that we should have thinned the Plums there are lots of them but seem a bit crowded. I have no idea what variety they are but they taste very good when fully ripe.

Who needs slug pellets

With all the wet weather I wondered why I had very few slugs on my plot. Now I know why.

Recent Pictures

Family Tree

My sister has been exploring our family tree on our Dad's side. She has got back to 1806 and we were then all living in Chiddingstone in Kent.

She and I went to Chiddingstone last week. It is a really beautiful village and we found the grave of what would have been our great great uncle who died aged 7 which is in the village church, that is 136 years since his death.

My name is James Nye and up until last week I did not know that there was a place in America called " Nye County " which was named after someone called James Nye. Fame at last!!!!

Sorry for lack of posts

First of all good luck to all that have been affected by the floods. We really hope that you are able to get back to some sort of normality very soon.

Very sorry for the lack of posts but very difficult when you cannot use the computer. The picture shows the bit that I spent so long digging in the early spring. I shall write more later.

It is good to be back.

City Garden

I was working at a city livery company a few nights ago which had a wonderful garden surrounded by concrete and glass office blocks.

The big square planter was a Victorian water cistern which was salvaged from a building in Threadneedle Street.

It was an oasis, just feet away from the rush and noise of the city.

And then there were eight

Meant to post this a few days ago.

So Far So Good

I have not seen the cubs for a few days, I think that they may have moved on.

The Great Tits seem to be doing well. Each time that I have been to the plot this week the parents have been coming and going all the time. The chicks make a real noise when being fed.

It has been quite windy on the plot this week. Have had some rain but could do with loads more but the Peony seems to be fine.

I thought that we were a bit behind other plot holders in what we had growing at the moment but when we had a count we have fourteen different things on the go and lots more to go in shortly.

Growing Fast

This is how much they have changed in one week. They are losing their baby fluff and getting their adult coats.

Awaiting the Beans

After a bit of a slog the bed is ready and awaiting the runner bean seeds.

The wind sock does not really do much but other plot holders who travel into town by train which runs alongside our site say they like to see it , especially on the return journey.

In a few days the small bundles of grey fluff have started to turn a foxy red, I have now counted seven cubs, mum has her work cut out to feed them all but is doing a grand job. I have not helped in any way in feeding them. I do not want them to rely on me for food.

Meet the Foxes

Our plot backs on to the railway line. I was having a well earned cup of coffee when out of the corner of my eye I saw my new neighbors offspring.

I grabbed a camera and got a few snatched pictures. Yesterday they all came out to play with mum, five cubs in all but I had no camera with me.

I think that they are wonderful and have as much right to be on my plot as I do.