Still muggy

The first two photos show how my plum tomatoes are ripening well. I select them because they have very few seeds and with my dentures it is a lot easier to eat them than the normal tomato. The third photo does show the normal round tomato. I found that last year at the local Supermarket, all it said was vine tomatoes from Holland. My late Mother used to say that Dutch tomatoes were far better than early English tomatoes and to be honest, they are the best tomato I have had and I don't know what variety they are, all I can say is that they are not an F1. If they had been they would not have come true as you can not save any F1 variety and get the same sort of vegetable.
 It has still been rather hot and muggy but we are promised cooler weather. No doubt it will go from being too hot to being cold. As I am writing this blog I notice that we are getting some rain, it is light at the moment but it is forecast to be a good amount of rain. We will see.
 Yesterday I got out my Mantis tiller. It is an electric sort of rotovator. I decided to get it to work on where I had the early potatoes, most of which were useless.
  I started to get ready and then got the rotovator out, when I was fully prepared I started, it was hard work and I only managed to get just over half done when it stopped, obviously it had over heated and the safety button had come into force. I gave it about 20 minutes then proceeded to finish the raised bed. It had been hard work for me, I guess I am getting old. Still raining. More soon.

Not all a success

As you can see, not all is great in my garden this year. On the plus side I am picking runner beans every day, also having plenty of climbing french beans although they are beginning to become  less frequent. I have done well for broad beans which is a surprise as the severe gales we had for a week over Spring Bank Holiday knocked them back. My peas have done reasonably well and one of my marrow plants is producing plenty of small marrows which I can use if I so desire as courgettes. The other marrow plant is not good at all, it seems to be completely different although both seeds came from the same packet.
 As for the new potatoes which I set on Good Friday, the traditional day for planting potato tubers. Unfortunately for several weeks after planting the weather here was dreadful with my garden being under water for several weeks. With this in mind, the first time with the weather staying fine for a while I decided to lift the potatoes up. Toe be honest I expected to have a few rot in the ground and also expected some to be eaten by eel worm(slugs) but I didn't expect the extent of the damage that was done especially as the plot which I set the potatoes is a raised bed so it should have been a lot less waterlogged.
 If one enlarges the photo which shows the potatoes worth saving it shows almost all of the potatoes were damaged to a minor or major extent.
 I do have some main crop potatoes which if all goes well will leave them in the ground for a month with the hope that they will store well.
 In the greenhouse I am picking the odd tomato, I was surprised because I watched a little of Gardener's World and the presenter  Monty Donn stated that although he hadn't got any tomatoes ripe yet he would soon have some ready. So I beat him. My garden soil is dreadful as it is compacted I guess I will rotovate it in the Autumn and see what happens. I guess I will have to add some compost to improve the soil. More soon.

Definitely wilting

On Monday afternoon the lad from next door came to see me, he wished me to look at his broad beans so off we went round to his place.
 It is sheltered from the winds and it was hot. I finished up doing most of the weeding and sorting out myself although he is very willing. The broad beans are looking very well and within a week will be ready for the pot.
 before we went round I dug up a couple of potatoes that I had given him, mind you he did absolutely nothing since I showed him how to plant them. He was excited at seeing the potatoes and his carer thanked me for giving them to her. I informed her that it was the lad's potatoes and there were a couple more in the ground.
 To be honest, I didn't know what to expect as the ones I set at Easter had been very poor, a vast majority had been attacked by eel worm also several had rotted in the ground as my garden had been flooded several times.
 Anyway when I eventually returned home I was absolutely shattered.
  The next day which was Tuesday it was even hotter. I looked at my indoor and outdoor thermometer, the outside was showing at 11. 30.am. 29c. I immediately thought of my American friend who has these sorts of temperatures regular. I couldn't keep cool and it was not much better overnight.
 yesterday, Wednesday my Sister and her Husband came to see me, she told me it was too hot for them although there was a sea breeze blowing and at that time it was not too hot. they stayed for about 90 minutes then made their way back to Skegness where they were staying.
 I had decided in advance to have a salad so when they left I prepared my salad. I noticed that the wind had dropped but it had cloudied over but it turned very muggy. The sweat was pouring off me so I had another look at my thermometer. It read 29.6c. How people can stand the hot weather baffles me. I am absolutely drained of energy.
 The good thing is, I am getting a few fresh vegetables namely broad beans, climbing french beans, the odd cauliflower a few runner beans and some peas. In the greenhouse I have had a couple of plum tomatoes so I guess some good has come out of this oppressive weather. More soon.

Appointment

On Sunday the lad came round, he wanted to look at my garden then later he asked me if I would go and look at his which I readily agreed.
 Off we went and his very small flower garden looked a treat, his broad beans are coming on nicely and I think will be harvesting them in about 3 weeks. He then took me in the greenhouse where he has his tomato, this too is coming on nicely with small tomatoes on but this year has been very poor so everything is well behind.
 I suggested that we plant out a few more leeks that the Carers Father-in-Law had given them. I told him that first we must get rid of some weeds, unfortunately he doesn't know what to pull out so leaves everything. When I show him what to pull up he is enthusiastic.  We then planted some small leeks. We noticed his Carer so I went to have a word with her. I mentioned that on Tuesday I was going to Louth Hospital so would call at Aldi on my way home. My mate had shown me the quick was on leaving the Hospital to get to Aldi. With that she told me that they had been to Aldi but all the vegetables they had was Kale. I asked her when this was and she said it was late February, adding that she was somewhat disappointed.
  My mate had informed me that Aldi was similar to Lidl and there was a large car park there so I decided to go with an open mind.
 Well on Tuesday I had planned it all, first I would put my repeat prescription in at the Surgery then go and get my Pension, get my T.V. paper then off to Hospital.
 I arrived at Louth Hospital  15 minutes before my allotted time but noticed several cars going round and round looking for a space to park.  I made my way to the rear of the car park and luckily found a space available, so went to the machine, got my ticket and paid the fee.
 I made my way to the Centre where I was to go going through the Accident and emergrncy part which I think they have renamed Urgent Care. No sooner had I walked in when a Nurse came to see me and asked if I had come to see the Ulcerative Colitis clinic. I told her I had and she informed me that someone would see me soon.
 After 15 minutes a Nurse called me in, I asked her who she was and she told me, I then asked what had happened to the other Nurse, she told me that she had left as her Husband had been posted to Cyprus and she would be taking over. She then told me that my original Consultant had retired, they all had tried to get him to stay but he said no. She then told me that a Consultant from Lincoln was now in charge. Incidentally she told me that she was based at Lincoln but came over here one day a week.
 I told her that the parking was a problem here but she then told me that it was nothing like Lincoln, it was dreadful and she found it a pleasure parking at Louth but of course she arrived very early, when she came to leave she often had trouble getting in her car due to the close parking hence great difficulty in opening the car door to get in.
 I could see that she was much better than the previous Nurse, I soon found out, her Husband has the same illness as me but has to take even more medication.
 Anyway she told me that she would send the comments with a contact number in case of problems, with that I left.
 Off I went with my mate's direction in my head, it was perfect and soon I was outside Aldi. The car park was the best I have ever seen for a Supermarket, plenty of room and ample parking space.
 I picked up a trolley and in I went, to be honest I was very pleasantly surprised as it was very roomy. I half expected the place to be crowded but it was nice, not too many folk so one could peruse without being nudged and jostled about. There was a large selection of fruit, to be honest I didn't look for vegetables but I got round well. My mate had told me that to get Virgin Olive Oil was expensive so I saw that they had some there for £2. 19p. so I bought one. I also bought some meat among other things. I finally found the milk. I had been Online to see what they sold and advertised they sold 2 ltr. bottles of skimmed milk. My mate told me that they sold it in 4 pints. Naturally he was correct. Anyway I found it a most enjoyable place to be, let's face it I spent over £40 so I must have been satisfied.
 Mind you after getting back home, I had to go to the Bank so I didn't get my dinner till late and to be honest I was worn out. I know I am getting old. More soon.

Daydreams

It was the mention of Leeds that started me off daydreaming. I went back to around 1954 when I was on the Railway. I started as a cleaner in 1952. There were rumors that a Driver who was nicknamed as Nubby. Not that any of his colleagues called him that, it was in general us Railway cleaners who called him that.
 It must be remembered that in the 50s  most of the cigarettes did not have any filter tips, the one exception was a variety called Craven A cork tipped. There were three popular cheap cigarettes, they were Woodbine's Park Drive and Players Weights. The more expensive ones were beside Craven A were Players Medium Navy Cut, Senior Service, the two most popular but one or two others, namely Capstan and Piccadilly. remember they were complete cigarettes with no filters.
 Well the rumor was that Nubby  went round and picked up the cigarette ends, commonly known as nub ends and filled his pipe with the cigarette ends.
  It was one day that a fellow colleague of our cleaning group saw him out on the main street and he was seen to pick up several cigarette ends and put them in his pocket. So we were all certain that he did in fact pick up and use cigarette ends in his pipe.
 Isn't it funny one can remember the names of people who do unusual things.
 Well one Summer day I was rostered to go with this Sam, the one we had nicknamed nubby on a journey to Leeds. We only had a couple of jobs that took us to Leeds as the main Railway Station was I think called Leeds Central , this was the London Midland Scottish line and we were Eastern Region. The Station we went to was I think Leeds Kirkgate. The line finished there.
 Well I had never met or spoken to Sam before as he was around 60, in the Top Link which meant he was on the Main Line all the time. I was just learning my trade and was in a rather low link, this meant I was generally doing local runs and the odd ironstone run. He introduced himself to me and told me to call him Sam, I was known as Dick, although this was not my real name and I asked him to call me that. He then asked me if I had been to Leeds before and I told him I had not, with that he told me not to worry as he would give me all the information I would need. He told me from Doncaster we turned off to Leeds which was a little over 30 miles. He had a strong northern accent and was blunt but for all of that he made me feel comfortable.
 Off we went and true to form he was a good driver and when we left Doncaster he kept me informed as to what was to be expected.
 Eventually we steamed in to Leeds, he called me over and as we were only doing about 30 mph it was not noisy in the cab. He pointed out a building and said to me "You see that building there with the Bell Tower, that's Armley Jail and in the Bell Tower that where they hang um."
 I didn't know what to say but to be honest I looked up to him a little more as he seemed a nice fellow, albeit for his strange hobby of picking up cigarette ends. He did in fact light his pipe while I was with him and smoke something but it didn't bother me one little bit.
 Incidentally I never had the pleasure of working or speaking to him again.
 The only other thing I could remember of that one and only journey to Leeds was a Station called Fitzwilliam.  Years later I noticed that Geoffrey Boycott was born there. More soon.

Beans

After heavy overnight rain, once again many parts of my garden were standing in water I did manage to pick a few broad beans for my dinner tomorrow.
 The photos show my beans also how my tomatoes are getting on and where I have put my shallots to dry. I was fortunate as I listened to the weather forecast and it suggested that there may be rain, heavy in places so I moved them from outside to inside. To be honest they are on the small side and everything is late this year. Shallots should be lifted on the longest day of the year, give or take a week but I decided to lift mine up a couple of days ago because I was concerned just hoe wet the ground was.
  Last year I had a few tomatoes ready by this time and by the way they look it will be about 2 weeks before they ripen. Still they look O.K. mind you they are inside so they have the best chance of success.
 I have done well with cauliflowers but of course they were grown in the polytunnel. My potatoes grown there have been disappointing, not much taste and almost impossible to scrape. I will have used them all within 2 weeks so will find out how the outdoor potatoes have done. More soon.

Mate called

 

My mate called today and bought me a lot of food stuffs. It was good of him to do so as Lidl had closed rather suddenly at Mablethorpe so I had not got a lot of food stuffs in.
 I have an appointment in Louth Hospital next week so I will call at Aldi so hopefully get some more food in.
 As you can see the photo shows  a couple of cauliflowers, as is normal they all grow at the same sort of rate. I gave my mate one to take home, I also took one round to next door commenting on the cutting down of some trees. She told me that they intended to move the pigeon lofts to the bottom of the garden and that they were thinking of having a concrete base so that they could dry out the logs which had been produced by cutting a few trees down. I suggested to her that instead of having a concrete base why didn't they use a spare pigeon loft to store the logs and letting them dry.
 We had roast pork for dinner with cauliflower which I must admit was very nice and tasty. Naturally I saved the dripping and put it in a carton for my mate to take home. I also gave him a few cauliflower seeds and a tiny plant for him. He really loves cauliflower. More soon.