Summer

The first of the allotment sweet peas have just come into flower today, which is my marker that summer has in fact arrived.
We have had torrential rain showers today, and I have been soaked several times as I have moved the young hens from the rickety hen coop next to the buffs into the more substantial coop with the older hens' enclosure.
These hens are far too young to mix properly with the veterans so I have added an outdoor run to the coop door. In this way the older hens can see and interact with the teenagers but cannot bully or kill them (yeap it indeed does happen!)
Hopefully in a few weeks when I finally mix the flocks,a friendlier and more relaxed introduction will be made.
Each one of the small hens had to be checked over health wise and then treated for infestations with panomec, worm treatment I then added to their feed. Out of the 12 of them all looked fit and at least three look like cockerels.....perhaps my fellow henkeeper Bill from Llanasa can dispatch these three boys for me when they are sexed properly
This morning I have returned various cake tins and containers to their rightful owners and then delivered the raffle prizes that Ann had kindly donated yesterday. I dropped a thank you card in to Auntie Glad then came home to complete indoor chores,as the bad weather has closed in for the duration

Thank you

There are literally far too many people to thank for today's allotment open success, but I will endeavour to try.

Thanks to my sister Ann for manning the front gate,organising the raffle and running around with husband Tim to make sure the set up was organised seamlessly. Sister Janet, Aunt Judy and Janet Jones for doing a sterling job with Chris in the tea tent.
Thank you to Sister in Law Jayne for her plants and cakes and for being a general dogsbody with my brother Andrew.
Thanks for all the ladies (and Geoffrey of course) that made cakes for the day, Pat,Joanne,Auntie Gladys,Sylvia,Carole with her Ice Cream,Judy,and not forgetting Janet and the other unnamed ladies from the church with all their contributions.
I must add another thank you for Geoff's hard work helping to set up, to Mike and Viv for opening up their garden to my visitors and to Ewan for watching the dogs all day and finally a big thank you to the couple of hundred of people that made the effort to support the day by attending.
I was made up with the success of the allotment open (further photos of today--see below)

Allotment Open 2009

The first of the allotment open visitors arrived at 12 noon and the last ones left at around 7pm. It is an absolute guess but we had around 200 people through the gate throughout the afternoon and my initial worries about no one turning up were I know, totally unfounded!

A significant number of people were interested in buying and ordering chicks from me, here (above) I was chatting to a girl from a nearby village about how lovely Buffs are
some of the younger locals
My Brother Andrew on the gate

Several people loved the "old fashioned feel" to the afternoon, which I think was helped by the mass of homemade cakes, tea and the festoons of bunting

Below the ladies of the tea tent! (Chris, Judy Janet and Janet Jones!) I actually heard Janet (my sister) say to Canon Rowland "More tea Vicar???"-she was egged on by Chris no doubt

Above the allotment seemed pretty busy all afternoon, below stalwarts from the village like Auntie Glad (with her niece who follows the blog avidly I am told), didn't let us down!

Below ex Trelawnyd girl Hazel with Marie, one of the nicest of my work colleagues

Geoff's wife Chris and family

some of the donated cakes and fruit loaves

Below friend Helen who runs the animal feed shop in Lloc

One lady (below right with sister Ann -and forgive me for forgetting your name) drove all the way over from Mold to be with us. She is apparently a big allotment fan and wants to come over to help us with next year's open day!

Below Neighbours Pat and John

Below the prestatyn "affable despots"

The weather held up for the best part of the afternoon, and the mix of people that turned up was refreshing and welcomed, as it comprised of the older people from the village was well as a good proportion of the younger families, who I don't always get a chance to meet up with, we also had three vicars, a smattering of my work colleagues and the veteran vegetable expert Merion turned up! and he actually praised me for the size of my cauliflowers!...who could ask for more eh?

It has been a tiring day, but a satisfying one.

Late Home

I just couldn't be bothered completing last minute field jobs, especially after a whole day at work. I was up at 5.45am feeding and watering and got home at 8.30pm, so I have fed and watered the animals before bedding them down for the night.
Typically the hens have "risen" to tomorrow's occasion and have ripped to pieces one of my prize cabbages!, this capped my day! especially as some local teenage girls are having an extra loud party a few houses away!

Several of the villagers have called around with donations for tomorrow (those that cannot attend) whist others have dropped off tomato plants and a hypericum bush to sell on ! Auntie Glad, ladened down with homemade scones (all wrapped up and priced) also kindly called around and I still have cakes to be delivered from Hazel,Pat,Jayne,Geoff, Judy,Carole , Sylvia and my sisters
I hope we have a few people turn up tomorrow, especially as so many people have made such an effort to help out.
I have a strange feeling attendance will be pretty low!

Pug falling asleep - very funny!!

I know we have four dogs but I have had a fantasy today about our next pooch.......I would love a pug....
In the same vein as Jaws...."we need a bigger boat"!!! I mean cottage!

Condolences

Yesterday the village could hardly be seen from the West as the heat haze obscured much of the countryside and the Gop. Today the rain and mist has drawn in, and the miserable weather (typically arriving a day before the open day) has mirrored the mood of the village as two of the most well known village characters have suddenly died only yesterday.
One lady was the daughter and sister from a family I have got to know fairly well, and I think it is expected for people in small old fashioned communities like Trelawnyd to be "proactive" in their support in times like these.
Death seems to initiate paralysis in many people, especially I think in more recent times, whereas people born a generation or two ago seem to put in place a more face to face, "can I be of help?-I am very sorry for your loss" approach.
I think I fall in between two stools, I want to offer support but I don't want to intrude. Finally I bought a couple of cards, cut bunches of flowers from the garden and allotment and went round personally with my condolences..
What else could you do?

I am not a man.......I am Cant-on-a!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Looking for Eric works on so many levels that I dare anyone not to love every feelgood, heart warming and clever minute of it. It is a surprisingly original yet ever so old fashioned study of the mechanisms of coping and centres around a mental breakdown of an inner city middle aged postman Eric,(Steve Evets.)
Battling deep feelings for his first wife , two teenage stepsons who are going off the rails and his own mental health demons, Eric is helped along the way by his motley group of work colleagues and a recurring hallucination of his hero, the former Manchester United footballer Eric Cantona.
It doesn't sound compelling viewing, but under the benign wing of director Ken Loach, the whole film is a celebration of the power of ordinary people to overcome adversity and is incredibly powerful and moving viewing.
As in all of Loach's films good casting is the key to Looking for Eric's success. Evets makes for a moving and unlikely hero, comedy actor John Henshaw is energetically sympathetic as his brusque but loving best friend and Eric Cantona literally oozes power and charisma in a wonderfully tongue in cheek parody of himself.
I could see Cantona stealing a BAFDA for best supporting actor as he totally commands the audience's attention in every scene he is in. When he gives Evets a long stare during one of their "conversations" he states with typical Gallic intensity "I am NOT a man...I am Cant-on-a!!!!"----YOU BLOODY WELL BELIEVE HIM! In short he is totally mesmerising, strangely moving and is sexy as hell to boot. He actually makes the film.
Mind you there is plenty else to enjoy along the way, the northern working class banter is achingly funny, a tentative love affair is genuinely sweet and the sight of 50 postmen coming to the rescue dressed as Eric Cantona is bizarrely exciting. Loach also has time to lament the solidarity and support offered to/ by men on the football terraces and it is nice to see the more positive side of a much maligned sporting pastime
I loved it
9.5 out of 10
Go see it!

Preparation day

This morning I have turned into Laura Ingalls, I have collected Elder flowers to make cordial (Neighbour Della dropping in the recipe earlier) and I have just finished the first cake baking wave in preparation for Sunday!
Friends, family and a score of neighbours have all volunteered to bake for Sunday and Carole from down the lane is actually making ice cream to sale too! (I do hope the predicted rain will hold off!) People are so very kind.
I hope the character that tried to sabotage the day by anonymously contacting the council, will realise just how much good will and community spirit the "Open allotment" has generated. I wonder if they realise that only the Church and no one else will benefit financially from the day . People like my family, friends and all of my neighbours who have donated to it, actually will be the ones slightly out of pocket....to a man they are saddened by one person's efforts to scupper the day
Anyhow I am refusing to give the person another thought, but I do hope that they may be slightly shamed when they read this blog and understand just how their actions are perceived by the locals.
This afternoon I will completed the main weeding of the beds, do some more baking and hopefully will meet up with Hazel. We are hoping to go and see Looking for Eric