Walking the Ouse

The Sussex Ouse Path: Stage II (Stage I was not very memorable)
No sign of the river until reaching the viaduct that carries the train down to Brighton. Eleven million bricks went into its construction (this is probably not the exact number) but the structure is best admired from underneath, as there is a bifurcation in each arch, as in the photo. Enough of the walk - the whole point is being able to justify cake and a large pot of tea. We stopped at a newly opened, genteel establishment at Cuckfield. It can be recommended for carrot cake and the conversation of the friendly owner, who takes an interest in the fortunes of Norwich football club.

There has been bean failure

Hmm - it was suggested to me that runner beans with white flowers were not pecked at by sparrows. Wrong! Even dangling CDs didn't put them off. Using them as frisbees might have been better. So, dragged in their pots to the fruit cage, where the beans with the red flowers are. It's therefore a bit of a race, the motley red flowered plants growing in near rock-hard clay v the white flowered equivalent in pots with decent compost but well-pecked.

Still, have to remain positive, next year the strawberry crop is bound to be better than this year - 4 (berries that is, not kilos).

A mirage in France?

There we were, driving north close to Le Mans when we went past a camel in a field. I'll give you that France is slightly more south than the UK but this seemed a bit extreme. Fair enough, I thought, goat's cheese is a big thing in France, perhaps this is the next step. Or maybe it's for new, healthier milk - for cups of tea, brings a variation on sugar cubes, one hump or two?

Given the high temperatures and lack of water in April, camels might start to feel quite at home. And camel trains would be a welcome sight compared with the average camion. So, this is obviously the start of something big, a far-sighted investment in a low-carbon, high-quality cheese lifestyle except that the next field had the rest of the circus parked there.

Breakfast in France

Brittany Ferries do a very passable Full English Breakfast- although the sausages might not be authentically English as there may be some meat in them. What a tasty treat as the boat surfed into St Malo for our early Jan lets-check-the-house visit. I do find however that I need very little justification for these jaunts, lets-take-a-spare-eggcup-there-just-in-case does it for me just as well.

The lawn was cut, the garden furniture was got out and cups of tea were partaken. What a delight in Jan in the Vendee. All too short sadly but we did spend an further night in Nantes on the return, the Ibis, http://www.accorhotels.com/gb/hotel-0855-ibis-nantes-la-beaujoire/index.shtml, very recommendable and provides suitable comparison material for the Full French Breakfast.

The season of Scrooge is upon us

In the summer, we bought a flip-over desk calendar with a picture for each day of the year, of the Vendee. They were all taken from the air, hopefully using a telephoto lens otherwise there's been a lot of very low flying going on. Being financially prudent we have delighted in the fact that we'll be able to use it next year and the year after etc...... Hopefully with a year gap we'll have forgotten the picture and it will seem new to us. Sadly analogous to the goldfish, reputed to have forgotten by the time he swims the circuit of the bowl.

The shop where we bought it has already gone out of business. I can see something wrong with the business model of selling calendars that last forever.

Huffing and Puffing

Tough luck on Googlers who arrive here wondering what the (headstone?) saying Win Cole 1940 is all about. I don't know either. It's in the middle of a wood, in the middle of Hampshire, just north of Winchester, close by St Swithun's Way. But now you are here, welcome to read on...

So last Sunday was the most excellent of days, wall-to-wall blue stuff and the opportunity to conquer another section of St Swithun's Way.

Started awkwardly, parked outside ancient church in middle of tiny village, got told to shift the car by an elderly aristocrat. It's a public road, we'll park where we like we thought, whatever happened to christian charity etc. Does he think he owns the village - then we thought he actually might, so we parked at the bottom of the hill by a stream. And what a stream - feeds into watercress beds....how do they harvest the stuff? The Mid Hants railway http://www.watercressline.co.uk/Home was huffing and puffing a few fields away. Those trains are noisy in the extreme.

So when we've all learned how to teleport ourselves, Startrek fashion, will Heathrow be run by enthusiasts who spend their Sundays taxying highly polished Boeing 747s?

Not quite the Harvest Festival

As Growing Season reaches the finale of the 2010 tour, before autumn is on stage, what have I to plan for the 2011 performance?

1, Find some celery that grows properly, that looks like something out of Sainsburys rather than some spiky starfish. Still, only 132 plants left - more soup anyone?

2, Avoid planting haricot verts at the end of July. Why did I do that?

3, Definite lack of photons in the garden this year - some trees will be axed - sad but you can't eat wood.

4, 2011 will be the Year of The Large Net. Sorry to the lads who sit on the branches and squawk but you'll just have to stick to the stuff on your bird table.

The 2010 performance did not receive critical acclaim but there's still chance for a success - the pepper harvest is yet to commence!