Hello again - too long away

Working, so poor neglected allotment is sadly abandoned for the winter.

Blog will be more about hard lines and less about soft greenery - but none the worse for that and it will probably mainly feature the walk from Waterloo, over the bridge to Charing Cross, through Soho to the bottom end of Charlotte St.

In fact, I may make it my next project...
Will try to keep it up as I seem to have missed months....

Another action packed day

Whatever made me think they were exhausted after the hectic last few days at school and plenty of cricket this morning?

Went for a relaxing hour or so in Richmond Park...

A rite of passage

Last days of junior school for Zander and friends.

So what better way to attend the leavers disco all dressed as the II8 chaps.

A great sight to see them running and singing the ad jingle at the tops of their voices through the Kingston streets - then jogging en masse into the disco.

Obviously not too concerned about the girls yet - dressed like that....

Luscious produce

Had my beautiful assistant Thomas helping on the allotment today - (I'll probably have to pay him - but he's good company, if a bit distracting) so managed to get some weeding done before the onslaught of yet more rain.

Those intense purples of the vegetables... and the sweetpea scent is summer day perfect. I should have put the pink radishes into the pile.

Shame the beans go green once cooked...

Happy Birthday to you...

...Happy Birthday to you,
Happy Birthday lovely Iain,
Happy Birthday to you...

It's Iains birthday today - but I've missed most of it as he's ahead in Sydney!

Hope you had a great day and get this before you go to bed.

Thomas wishing he was in Sydney right now - so do we all.

Our last junior sports day

What a hot one. The children used more energy pouring water on their heads than they did in the races.

I'm not even going to mention the cheating in the parents egg - sorry, potato - and spoon race.

Finally, I really wish I'd bought a proper pair of running shoes for Zander...

31 go camping

A fabulous weekend of camping was had by all - although there is some question on the wisdom of spending hours cooking, gathering and packing - only to gather and unpack and wash it all seemingly hours later.

Great and very hot day on the beach at Studland on Saturday, plus a bit more time on the sand on Sunday - if only to show off our strangely striped pink skin!

Reckon it was worth it...

Golden evening

Such a beautiful evening that we set off on our bikes at about 7.30. (Minus Thomas - apparently doing homework.)

Cycled through Richmond park past the bunnies sitting in the last of the sunlight, through to Richmond and back along the shiny river for a drink at Boaters in Kingston.

Bit of a crisp bribe for Zander to come with us...

An allotment helper and uninvited guests

Well, when I say helper... Zander was mainly involved in lounging on the allotment in a hammock watching a DVD - although I must admit that he got rid of a magpie feather that I couldn't remove without panicking. Worth spending an age untangling the hammock just for that.

Then, there are the blackfly also lounging, not on a hammock, but on all the green beans - they seem to have no intention of leaving.

And finally I love the tones and textures of this artichoke against the soft pattern of its backdrop.

Looking forward to Zander coming to help again...

Today...

...I will mostly be eating peppery french radishes.

Better sow some more...

Plus..

...the bindweed that is driving me insane - but is a perfect flower, the young teasels, blackberry blossom, even sunny marigolds - all posing beautifully and therefore successfully distracting me from the hideous blackfly over all the beans and spreading....

Allotment distractions

Just about managed to water a bit today and pot up a few chive seedlings, but the naturalised poppies all over the allotments kept beckoning.

What a lovely day

Cycled to Petersham nursery today with the lovely Nikki, which made up for not being able to go with Ma, Pa and Barney on Tuesday.

It's such a joy to visit - the fabulous cakes (recommend the almond and apricot), the creative planting ideas, the best wellies, in fact, eclectic loveliness everywhere.

Be a great and inspirational place for concepts - perhaps a bit far from W1?

So many blackcurrants

Managed to beat those enormous wood pigeons to the currants this year. Last year the fat birds snapped the branches because the plants were so young.

What to do with the blackcurrants though? Obviously something with mint...Keith rather handily found a recipe that uses blackcurrant leaves only - very helpful when I have loads of lovely fruit.

Sadly, some animal - probably fox - has run amok in my potatoes and now the potato patch looks like someone has been camping on it.

Maybe they have...