7/7

I listened with interest to the Memorial speeches made by Tessa Jowell and Prince Charles at the unveiling of the 52 steel columned sculpture in Hyde Park today. The nameless pillars represent the 52 killed by the terrorist bombing of the tube and bus in the summer of 2005 and I found the whole ceremony to be a profoundly moving and well judged affair . I must also add that Charles' speech was particularly well balanced and appropriate , he obviously deliberated long and hard over his words and unlike the more flowery and Hollywood phrases spoken by Jowell, his speech was simple and personal

Peas, peas and more peas

All the hard work on the allotment is now literally baring fruit as most meals are being harvested directly from our land. This afternoon I have made a cauliflower cheese with my own cauli and the three pea trellises are literally heaving under the weight of pea pods.
Tomorrow I will dig and sack up the rest of my potatoes and I will prepare cabbage and the rest of my peas for the freezer
There are just not enough hours in the day

Helen's Fox attack survivors

Helen from the feed shop now has only five laying hens left. Persistent fox attacks (often in broad daylight) has meant that most of her 30 odd girls have been taken.

I have never (so far!) lost a hen to a fox, but I have lost 2 after a dog attack last year, so I understand how disheartened she feels.Today I have agreed to take her survivors onto my field and the first three were transported over to their new hen house this afternoon.

I will pick the remaining two that eluded our efforts to catch them tomorrow

The new girls are called Shiela,Jenny and Faye (don't ask)

Bizet - L'Arlesienne Suite No.2

Although you cannot get up a true lick of speed in the old Berlingo, I did feel as though I was flying along when listening to Bizet's L'Ariesienne. this morning
It's a lovely piece of music!

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!