Grey or Red

We had a couple of visitors yesterday who decided that they liked the taste of hawthorne berries. There were two cheeky squirells who spent the afternoon filling themsleves up. I was really surprised by their colouring as they were both grey with red heads and backs. They looked like youngsters to me so I am surprised that we haven't had more damage to the bird feeders as a family of squirrels would soon strip their way throught a feeder.

Maybe they keep their distance from the ducks.

Back to the snow

For the second time this year we have snow. This time we are well off compared to many areas of the country as we only have about 6 inches.

I have been distracted from working all day but a cheeky blackbird who found the apples tht we had left hanging on the tree.

He has munched his way through most of the apply by returning every few minutes. He did take a break in the middle of the day but was back to fill up before sun down.

So sweet

One bonus from the allotment is some carrots that I sewed in July. Waiting this late means that they don't get carrot fly but they don't get time to get very big. They are soooooo sweet though.

This is just a small part of the row so lots more where these came from.

Deralict allotment

This is the allotment when we got there yesterday. It certainly looks as though it has been abandoned. Quite a depressing sight but it didn't take us long to get started clearing. As it was cold and dry the weeds came up easily and it was lovely diffing.

We only managed about an hour before it got too cold and was starting to get dark (about 3.45) so we packed out tools away and came home to a lovely warm fire which had been burning since about midday.







Back again today. After another hour it is a very different sight. We have cleared one side of 52 and as we are giving up 51 in the Spring we will just strim all the weeds back, take down the netting and frame and clear everything away. The other side of 52 should take us another couple one hour sessions and then we can make a start of 53.

A good job done (so far)

Getting bigger

My quilt is getting bigger. I intend to add one more round and stop there.

We are off to the allotment this afternoon as it is sunny but soooooooooooo cold. Update to follow although it won't be pretty as it is a long time since we have been there.

Keeping me busy sewing

I had a mad moment and joined an online sewing group to ultimately make this quilt. It starts with a block in the middle and then grows with 12 different borders.
















I had made the centre block that I found on another group on the internet. I am already up to round 5 and there are over 1,000 pieces of fabric. I have cut for round 6, 7 and 8 so more sewing over the next few days and regular updats to follow.

Which religious holiday is it?

Is it a Christmas Cactus? Is it an Easter Cactus? No..... it is an October Cactus.

The plant looked very boring one day and the next time I looked it had burst into flower. Strange considering it hasn't been watered for a month. Maybe the flowers were a plee to get moved to a place of prominance next to a supply of running water.

Little surprises

We haven't been able to get to the allotment for a while but I had been doing some tidying up in the garden and planting spring bulbs. I sewed some beetroot seeds in a pot so that we could use them as salad leaves but as the season progressed they got a bit woody so I consigned the pot to behind the shed. I dragged it out at the weekend and found a lovely bowl full of baby beetroot.

Eaten warm, they were a burst of taste and didn't quite make it to the plate as I had demolished the lot as I was skinning them.

The bowl was in a box of assorted item that came from an auction and it is currently my favourite bowl.

Not quite bird watching

While I was working at home yesterday a butterfly decided that I needed help and landed on the edge of the window right next to me. I was really surprised and it was complete coincidence that I had the camera on the desk.

I hope he/she survived the night as it was very chilly and late in the season to see them.

You can tell I am not a butterful expert as I don't even know what sort it is.


p.s. Happy Birthday Cliff

Brilliant design

I love it when I find something that is a different take on a utility item. Bike locks serve their purpose but why are they so boring.

Not anymore thants to sono mocci

A rainy day out

A couple of weeks ago the weekend was forcast to rain, and true to its forecast we woke up to rain having planned the day at the allotment. Instead we took a trip down the A303 to Shipton Bellinger to Mays Auctions where they had a general auction. It was a lovely morning out and we got to see what life is like in a true auction house rather than one which takes over a village hall for the weekend. We had a good look round, marked which lots we wanted to bid on, found a comfy seat and had bacon rolls and tea for brunch.

After loading up with our buys (more on this later) the weather had cheared up and we took the scenic route home past Wilton Windmill. We had forgotten that it was heritage weekend and it was open free for the day. By then the sun had come out and it was a lovely surprise to get to see it working as there was a good breeze aswell.





Now for the auction, among the things we bought were two project which I will keep you updated on their progress. The first was a pretty ugly show box. The front flaps down and there are shelves inside. Lot number 83 isn't much at the moment but it has now today its place on the bench in my shed, been stripped and sanded and is on its way to a pretty amazing transformation.












Lot number 105 was a bit of an impulse and certainly a longer term project. A bargain at £10 plus commission and I can see its potential.

I admit that it needs tidying up a bit and has seen better days but the wood is sound with no sign of woodworm. It has obviously had a few recoverings as there are so many staple and nail holes around the edge of the fabric and the webbing and springs are in reasonable condition.

This is it when we unloaded it from the car.







This is it an hour later.

It has a label on it from a previous auction which looks decades old and the base canvas looks good so that can stay as it is secure and the shaping for the back. I have taken photographs throughout its stripdown so hope, once the wood is refurbished that I will be able to make patterns and recover.









The next day, still being heritage weekend, we went to Bramshill house which was a once only open to the public. It was fascinating to see inside the house we lived near for so long, and remember my childhood years walking the dog around the grounds. Unfortunately it was not designed for step free access so was a bit waring for some people. It was well presented and great to see how the house has been used through its life and a fantasti history of the police force both in the UK and visiting forces from worldwide. After looking round at the history of the house we did at least get a chance to sit down and have an ice cream before the walk back to the car.

Apple harvest

The apple harvest is in full swing and we have the best crop from the cider apples, although Nick loves them as eating apples but that might be because he is depriving himself of cider to drink.

It isn't a very big tree but we got a whole bucketfull.



The oooking apples are huge a well so I might have to find a recipe that used squash and apple.

Thats what I call a pumpkin

We haven't had great success at the allotment this year but with all the rain we have had in the last few weeks the squash have filled out a bit. I am not sure what I am going to do with it as I couldn't actually pick it up, but I think I will get a saw out of the garage and cut in into sections, get a mass of pastry and make a load of pumpkin pies.

We have another not quite as big as this as well and a couple of butternut squash.

Prototype

I decided that I needed more carrying space on my bike so the obvious solution was paniers. I was so disappoined to find that the fabric I used for my basket cover is no longer available so decided to go for something very different.









This is the prototype and I already have many changes that I will made. Firstly the pocket covers could be shorter, the handle needs to go the other way round, I would use ties instead of velcro for the bag closings and I would make it a bit narrower so that it fits inside the carrier on the back of the bike rather than overhanging at the back.









It attaches to the bike with velcro strips that attach at the back and front of the carrier and I will also add a tie which is long enough to go around the saddle stem to stop the risk of it slipping backwards.

I might swap the two fabrics around a bit as well so watch this space for version 2.

Autumn

It is sad to see the trees losing their leaves and the plants looking a bit shabby but there is one good thing about Autumn and I think Angel will agree.

We went to Scatts today and stocked up on coal and firelighters as well as a bag of logs until the delivery this week. The fire is blazing beautifully so we are nice and toasty.

Neglect

We have been guilty of neglect this year so have made a decision that the allotment will have a new lease of life for next year. We are going to start closing down for the year and spend the rest of the Autumn and Winter preparing for a bumper harvest next year. We are going with our harvesting baskets next weekend to collect apples for storing and the cider apples and windfalls to start making cider ready for Christmas.

Far too much allotment time has been spent selling on ebay and unfortunately this has a knock on effect on our time as we then have to send far too much time wrapping and Monday and Thursday evenings are a trip to the post office.

Pond update

As we got home with two days before going back to work, the priority was finishing the pond. Nick finished shaping the hole and we put in a few layers of padding before the liner. We seeemed to have slightly overestimated but it is better to have too much than too little.

Angel was fascinated by the water going into the hole in the ground that she had been patrolling for the last couple of weeks.









We also had a little helper who was determined to get to any grups and worms before the ducks were let out.












We let the ducks out expecting them to be straight in the water, but they were more interested in the pile of new soil on the ground as there were rich pickings to be had. Fennel was the first to realise what they were missing and the others soon followed. It wasn't long before they were all in, dive bombing, swimming underwater and getting the cleanest I have ever seen them.


We still have to decide what to do with the edge but the intention is to have quite a wide paved strip all the way around to hopefully stop them dragging too much mud and muck into the pond.

We are definately going to need a pump and filter but I don't think there will be any need for an aerator.





I am hoping that once we have the paving in place, the pond will look smaller as it looks huge at the moment. Before that though we have a lot of clearing up today as we have eight tubs full of soil to take to the allotment. I don't think we will have any problem filling the raised bed.

While in Gloucestershire

Our trip to Gloucestership happened to coincide with a general auction at Phillip Serrell Acution rooms so we took a trip north to Great Malvern for a viewing on the first day, calling in at Gloucester on the way, and on our second day, spent the morning at the auction and then travelled back to Tortworth through Wales and across the Severn Bridge (not the crossing that is the M4).

We just went along to view but couldn't resist some bidding and came home with some wonderful items.







It was a great morning and seeing Phillip in action was great. I must say that he doesn't have a TV persona and is the same person on and off screen, behind and infront of the rostrum.

We had two dramas during the sale, the first when somebody fell off their stool and another when a young girl collapsed. The man himself was on hold to help the girl to a chair and call and ambulance so I hope she is OK although she was very very pale.









The best buys of the day we some Sylvac dogs, a box of crested china, a signed Worcester 2010 cricket team bat, and my favourites - two old metal advertising signs. They are shown here together but not to scale as the Wall's sign is much bigger than the NGK. I think they might be up on the wall in the office when we refit it.

A few days away

We treated ourselves to a few days away last week. It was a lovely break and to an area tht neither of us had visited before ....... or so we thought.

The hotel was Tortworth Court in South Gloucestershire. When we got there we found out some of this history of the building and it had quite a history. It was an american air base at one time andthey built a hospital in the grounds. This hospitl was then taken over and became Leyhill Prison, a place where Nick spent some time in his erly days!

The house lay as a ruin for many years until a consortium took it over and renovated it to its former glory. It is a magnificent building and has been very sympathetically extended and turned into wonderful 4* hotel.

Now for an explanation - the time that Nick spent as Leyhill prison was the first few years of his life as his father was Prison Governor at the time that he was born so he spent his first few years of life there (not as an inmate).

The allotment

Now that we have decided to gut down the allotment size we have a much more positive attitude to be able to manage it and keep it looking like a space to be proud of, we have started in prepration for next year. The first step is to build the first raised bed which will also give us somewhere to put the soil out the duck pond hole.

As I don't agree with spending money for anything on an allotment (other than plants or seeds) we are using up all the wood we have, which includes some heavyweight planks which have been lying around for a long time.

More to come later as we try to work out how we are going to fill it as it is going to take tons of soil.

Pashley Poppy in Pink

This is the reason why Katy called to visit. Last week, Rebecca got a beautiful new bike from 'Brian's Bikes' of Tonbridge. When she was there she spotted a pink bike and knowing that her sister had been looking for a bike Matt mentioned it to her.

As we were going to Kent to the Sissinghurst Smallholders Fayre this weekend we said that we would pop in and have a look.

As you can see, once we got there and saw it, a quick phone call to Katy meant that it was soon paid for and in the back of the car.

She is now the proud owner of the Rolls Royce of bicycles - a Pashley. This model is Poppy and it could have been designed especially for Katy.

Trying saying it 10 times quickly - Pashley Poppy in Pink.

Katy's plums

Katy visited today (I will tell you why some other time) and brought a bowl of surplus plums from her tree. I think they are Victoria. The taste is the most beautiful I have ever experienced in a plum.

After removing the stalks I weighed them and there was exactly 3 pounds. There may have been 4 when she brought them but I may have eaten quite a few between then and now.

They are now in a pan to make a few jars of Pyotts Products Katy's plum jam.

Figs

How about these boys.

We have already had two figs from the fig tree (not sure which other trees have figs) but there were also some hidden that I found when they were slightly over ripe. I don't think it would do Nick's digestive system good to eat this number of plums in a few days so I have been searching for a recipe for fig rolls.











While searching I found a recipe for Fig and Almond tart which should look like this. Here is the recipe from BBC Good Food:

1.Preheat the oven to fan 180C/ conventional 200C/gas 6. Roll out pastry on a lightly floured surface and use to line a shallow loose-bottomed 25cm flan tin (watch our video to see how to do this. Make sure the pastry comes above the rim - it may shrink in baking and the filling could spill. Chill for 30 minutes.
2.Meanwhile, cut the figs in half lengthways and sit them cut side up on a roasting tray. Mix the orange juice and honey in a bowl, pour over the figs and roast for 10-12 minutes until just soft. Drain off any juice into a saucepan and reserve.
3.Prick the base of the chilled pastry case all over with a fork, then line with greaseproof paper and fill with baking beans. Bake blind for 15 minutes. Remove the paper and beans and bake for a further 5-10 minutes until the pastry is golden. Remove from the oven and reduce the temperature to fan 130C/conventional 150C/ gas 2. Leave the pastry case to cool slightly before filling.
4.Cream butter and sugar in a food processor or with an electric beater until smooth and pale. Tip in the ground almonds and zest and whizz briefly to combine. Add egg yolks and 1 tbsp of the reserved fig juice and whizz again until smooth. Spread evenly over the pastry case.
5.Gently press the figs cut side up into the almond mixture. Bake for 11⁄4 hours or until it's golden all over (don't worry if the centre still seems soft - a little gooeyness is good). Leave in the tin for 15 minutes, then remove sides and transfer on its base to a wire rack to cool.
6.Before serving, take the tart off its base and transfer to a flat platter or board. If you have juice left from roasting the figs, bring it to the boil and simmer for 1-2 minutes until sticky and syrupy. Brush this over the figs and serve as soon as possible, while the syrup is still glossy on the figs (it will start to seep through into the filling if you leave it too long).

http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/1460/honey-roasted-fig-and-almond-tart

Year of the fruit

It is definately a fruit year. We went to the allotment to get every tub and bin we could find for the spare soil out of the pond hole. We will use this to fill a raised bed (one we get round to building the raised bed.

We have decided to give up 51 as we have the duck compound of 53 to use for growing so will have a much more managable space and will get organised with making it easier to work - wtch this space for updates.

While we were there I picked some blackberries, raspberries and blueberries to eaer that day and realised that there was a glut of raspberries ready to pick. Unfortunately there wasn't a container in sight but..... I did have some large flower pots which would hold plums so we collected the reasonable ones that had faller and picked the ready plums on the trees.

Two big flowerpots later I realised that I was going to have to do something with them and as I was in Southampton on Tuesday and London on Wednesday, they had to be kept cool until today. That means today is officially named - Plum Jam Day.

Once again, good in theory but I didn't have a pan big enought for all of them so they are being done in two batches. Here is the first.

Busy sewing

I might not be doing a lot at the allotment at the moment but I have been busy in the sewing room. As I am working at home I allow myself a 1/2 hour lunch break one day to cut and the next day to sew. I have been following a sew-along where instructions for two different blocks are published every Tuesday. After 6 weeks there were enough blocks to make a quilt top.









I couldn't decide on which fabric range to use so I made two versions. All I have to do now is trim them so that they are the same size, sew them together, choose a backing, sew the three layers together with the wadding, bind the edge and then keep warm under it. Easy peasy.

Major excavations

Yesterday was duck pond digging day. All started well for the first foot but I soon found out why I had trouble growing well in the garden when the soil stopped and it became stone. Brian had to resort to pickaxe rather than spade but after an exellent work out there is a fantastic hole ready for the liner (which is now on order).

The pond is approxc 12 x 7 feet and just under 2 feet deep with a slope at one end for the ducks who like to just paddle. We are going to lay paving slabs around the edge on all sides which will hopefully go some way towards saving the lawn.






The ducks have done an excellent job of clearing all the soil of worms and grubs and Angel has done her inspection. It shows that she is taller sitting down than standing up.

You can see the quality of the ground behind where the stones are piled up. There is a small layer of just soil and then the stones start.

After the expense of the liner, the next on the agenda is a pump and filter and then a lorry load of topsoil for the garden.

Another birthday present

For my birthday Katy made me a beautiful mosaic bird . I haven't seen any birds bathing in it yet but it makes a wonderful drinking bowl.

The shed

You will see from the title that there is a bit of an ownership issue with the new shed. I call it my shed but Angel thinks otherwise. Whenever I am working in the shed she keeps guard outside the door and when I leave she goes in and checks her various sleeping positions to make sure I haven't disturbed anything.

Anyway.... I have been busy on the outside and wanted to put a flower bed in front of the shed but found that the ground was so solid that I couldn't even get a spade in. As a temporary measure, I used the blocks that are still staked up from when we took down the raised bed and put some lovely big flower pots on them. It is a bit late to plant them up but I have put some perenials in so next year they should be lovely.

I also put up two of the bird houses that I got for my birthday and hope that being under the tree and near one of the feeding stations that I will seen get neighbours.

The third house is going up on the side of the duck compound as this is also near a tree but out of cat reach.

As a special treat I will also show you the inside of the shed. There is a Lloyd loom chair, a tall cabinet with small drawers and some shelves near the door that you can't see. I have two bins one for rubbish and one for fabric scraps. I have also marked Angel's sleeping spots. It seems to vary depending on time of day, termperature and how much of a look out she needs.

Don't be fooled by the sewing machine on the bench, this is just for show as there is no power so I have to cut in the shed and sew in the sewing room.

Allotment clear up

A couple of weeks ago we had a very special treat when Matt and Rebecca visited in that Matt was spared to spend some time at our allotment. The main job that the boys tasked themselves with was having a big clear up - mainly No 53 and the area next to the little greenhouse on No 52.

Both areas look fantastic but one of the things that it brought home is what a fantastic job the ducks did of keepingthe weeds and grass down in No 53 (now known as the orchard). This is the bag of weeds and cuttings that Matt put in a bag.

One big problem is that he has now gone back to his own allotment leaving us with this bag which is so heavy we can't move it, so it is going to stay where it is and be a permanant feature for greenery that can't be composted and as it rots down we will just keep adding to it.

Bonus.