Official

So now it is official. Spring this year has been the coldest for 50 years and things are about 3 weeks late.
 These last couple of days along the East Coast the weather has been dreadful, my central heating coming on each day.
 One of the reporters showed a large polytunnel with strawberries. This was down I think Hereford way. Remember what I said about strawberries being grown in a polytunnel.  They are not as sweet as the ones grown naturally in the open. Of course they are about 3 weeks later though.
 My New Potatoes though still have the same flavour as the ones grown outside and are about 3 weeks earlier.
 Having my heating on bought back to mind when we were young. We, like the majority of people had open coal fires and it was always the way. My Mother would have the chimney swept in early May and we were not allowed a coal fire until early September. Generally when one is young  the cold doesn't seem to affect you the same as it does when you get to my age. Extremes in temperatures seems to affect me a lot more than it did 20 years ago.
 By the way, the very dull cold weather has stopped my strawberries from ripening. When it gets warmer I will, once again have a taste of strawberries.
 I thought my Asparagus had finally given in to age. They say that you can harvest spears for about 20 years from planting. Mine have been in about 19 years. With the warm couple of days though, there were signs of some spears appearing, this has now come once again to a halt.
 Last year we had a very warm March but the weather went downhill after that. It did mean that I had Asparagus in early April. This year I have had 2 meals and it is the end of May. Let us hope it will get warmer soon as it will affect everyone who eats fresh vegetables.
 It was an old beachcomber who told me many years ago that where the wind is in the quarter days is where the wind will predominately be for the next 3 months. Unfortunately the wind has been off the North Sea for a year. I keep my fingers crossed that towards the 21st June the wind will swing round to a westerly. More soon.