Only the finest strawberries and organic Spanish lemon juice with jam sugar. Perfect.
STRAWBERRY JAM
ELECTIONS
So tomorrow many places will vote – the polls predict loses for Labour and Conservatives whilst Reform are winners. Presumably Labour polls have sussed this out already. What will their responce be? Please God do not let the Labour right wing shift it further to the right. There is more at stake here with the UK under economic attack from Trump, misleading naratives regarding migrants and the EU. Positive statements are needed, not appeasement.
Also of great interest will be the demographics of those who vote. Are the younger ones turned off completely by politics? Will the grey parade triumph with facist tendencies? Will the non-white section vote at all? Will there be a geographical split? It seems that the Conservatives may take a bigger hammering than Labour with Reform leaching their gammons!
Up early today, greenhouse opened to the warm weather and watered, hanging baskets watered – rosemary transplanted out although whether they survive is doubtful as I could not get into the soil so topped up with grow bag stuff! Strawberries hulled for the next round of jamjam making, washing done and out. Tried to go to Post Office again – but fucking shut again! it has a 4 day week yet serves approx 10 thousand people!
Should I celebrate Carney’s win in Canada – I suppose it is better than the Conservative, but …. Interesting geography again! Prairie states with oil were conservative whilst urban areas mainly Liberal (centre right). Quebec Indepence low, as were the socialists and Greens.
ADVERTISING
I want to ban it! Most of it is an affront to the senses. Yes there have been some good ones e.g. Nescafe neighbour; Guiness; Renault “papa”! but most are terrible. Fortunately I am not someone who notices them in papers/magazines or TV, although radio ones annoy me. But it ois not just for their overall banality and shitness, there are stronger reasons for banning them.
Ever been in a womans clothes shop? Unfortunately I have .. my daughter insisted that I accompany her on shopping trips. Despite my protestations that she could call me to pay whilst I sat in a cafe with a coffee and the paper – oh no – I had to pass judgement even though I tried the tactic of stating that her arse looked fat in those jeans, etc.. I also ended up standing outside changing rooms for hours before I would notice that I was standing in the middle of the bras and knickers section – then red faced move to stand by the door in case I needed to make a quick exit. Anyway, the hours of boredom made be observe that there were only a few colours available in the whole shop. My teenager and others were being manipulated into buying sub standard clothing, probably made by even younger and exploited girls in far away countries. Then the following year the colours would change and the must have clothing discarded. Fortunately we were not rich enough, or my children fashion obseessed enough for this to be an issue for us. However it is an issue for society.
SPRING
Wow – sunny and eventually warm. i just went and got jam strawberries from Draycott – they had none so picked a tray for me so I now have over 2kg of strawberries to hull and make into jam. Last weeks strawberries were bordering on orgasmic, these are just as good. i woke up early and was sad – it was quiet outside – I was hoping for a rousing dawn chorus. I only live 100m from woods but all was quiet until the blackbird and some doves started a duet.
Weather looks fair for next week, 10% chance of rain later, but 10% is like a heavy dew, right? So I will be watering every day from now until October! garden is rioting and out of control – brilliant! My yellow rose bush might have over a hundred blooms, I will wait and see how the newest arrivals do – a mearly black rose would be good if it can grow a little. Shropshire Lady rose is already in bloom (pink) and red rose not yet. But there are 8 others of various sizes and scents and blooms! I might take some to the shop – see what happens? On which – tomato plants were £4.50 each at Draycott. I know this is expensive but I have already promised most of my 50 seedlings away. I will plant a few more in greenhouse – 4 pots so maybe 8 plants and then save a few for braving the patio and front garden.
FOOTBALL
I have not mentioned the beautiful game for some time! liverpool have deservedly one the league but now have some key figures to start planning to reolace as they get older. man City are in a similar but worse position. Arsenal should be second but mathematically there are 9 teams who could qualify for Europe. Surprise teams of the year are Nottingham Forest, Fulham, Brighton and Bournemouth; with Crystal Palace and Brentford putting a good show. Disasters are ManU and Spurs and also WHU. The 3 promoted teams last year have gone straight down again, will the same fate await Burnley and Leeds and whoever wins the playoffs.
POLITICS – WHERE AM I?
Well I am not sure! I have always wanted to vote Labour but have resorted to Lib Dems to keep Tories out at times. It seems like socialism is my natural home although Green Party is appealing, or would be if it stood a chance. I was even part of a Green Party campaign in Lewes back in 1980’s. Blair was OK but Iraq was a disaster then we had austerity and Tory mismanagement and corruption. Corbyn was brilliant in many areas but made too many diplomatic mistakes – I apologise for criticising a politican for speaking his mind, however Jeremy had the Labour Party in the right place, even if he did not possess the charisma necessary to carry his views forward against the combined wrath of ALL the major newspapers (yes I enclude my beloved Guardian here). Starmer is the very opposite to Corbyn – he got riled by Tories commenting that he worked for Corbyn, whilst he should have relished those comments. Starmer appears to revel in being a statesman whilst appearing to be berefit of ideas at home – the very opposite of JC. Ultimately it seemed that the 270000 jews in the UK were instrumental in bringing Corbyn down. Their covert influence is immense – and I am not being anti-semitic in saying this – The BBC and media generally are very sympathetic to Israel.
So here I am – waiting for Sir Keir Starmer (why did he accept a knighthood? (staus and power?)). The Green Party needs to find a voice.
OMG
I have just had my first Cheddar strawberries of the year – OMG how can a fruit be so … sweet, pretty, scrumptious? It is an hours round trip for me to get to Draycott – is it worth it? Do bears shit in the woods? Will you need a sprinkling of caster sugar? Definitely not. Personally I would not diminish the flavour hit on the palette with cream, maybe authentic Cornish clotted cream if you must. They are so …. ridiculously fantastic that I am not scoffing them – just saviouring each one and then contemplating when to have the next!
RECIPES
Some ideas for a bbq!
A lentil burger which I may adapt!
Spicy chick peas recipe
Cypriot afelia – pork marinated in red wine with coriander seeds +
Feta and potato, sweet potatoes.
Fried sesame cheese bites
Spanaki recipe
TOMATO PLANTS
I have just planted up into big pots the first 8. A second lot will be done early next week – I will see how these get on. Lemon coriander and nasturtium doing ok. Chillies not so good. hanging baskets slow but it has been chilly at night. Apple blossom good, vine has leaves, as do the mulberry trees in the front. Apricot not flowering this year – maybe next. Wisteria in bloom – lovely. Lily is doing ok after mouse attack just one of three destroyed. Bulbs do not like me so summer collection have not sprouted – yet?
Yet to plant are coriander and basil. I might try a wild flower mix in the paper/card trays that have come with pots in the post. If I plant them in the greenhouse, then put out on the grass when they start to fall apart, the roots should grow through the board? Worth a try?
LABOUR
What a disappointment they have turned out to be. Water companies continue to pollute our water and make profits and dividends and bonus’; small companies are penalised with NI increases; benefits are cut; child poverty increases; NHS reforms are so far just ideas?; Defence spending is up; dissent on the streets is increasingly being penalised and dragonised; DOGE style cuts are being made; Starmer seems to be giving in to Trump at every turn; tax relief for American Tech giants; Only Ed Miliband seems to be holding the line regarding the environment.
And Reform with the horrid slug in charge is dictating the narrative. I voted labour in the belief that it had a socialist heart rather than the cowardly blue one that Starmer epitomises. Fuck financial restraints – socialist investment in green infrastructure can boost the economy and offer hope to the young and disenfranchised. Stop pandering to the right wing wrinkles – of course unearned housing in value ncrease should be taxed if it means making housing more affordable for children. Come back Jeremy Corbyn! All is not forgiven but your country needs some radical imput to stop the rot from the right spreading!