Town communities/city communities

I had a day out to Lewes in Suffolk today, seeing lambs in the fields on the way down by train (country in the country, rather than country in the city!).

I went to take in a doll and two teddy bears to be cleaned and mended at the shop in the high street - www.suepearson.co.uk. It seems White Ted will emerge much cleaner than he is now, but not his original white. So he is probably destined for the bin when I die, but I'll enjoy him in his improved state in the meantime. Ugly (my father's choice of name reflecting his opinion of his looks and I, too young to know the meaning of the word, liked the sound of it) similarly will be much improved but not great. So not really being green, as I wouldn't be buying replacements, but it has been something I've been meaning to do for a while. And I am helping local craftspeople, even if not local to me!

It was interesting to see the number of notices for local events everywhere, several shops would have half a dozen or more. Here in Leyton there is just a notice or two in the newsagent, and the bookshop in the mall in Walthamstow High Street has a few, but there is not that feel of local community activity here in the city that I sensed in Lewes.

Friendly fox follows me round the garden

Yesterday afternoon I was weeding in the garden and a fox kept me company.

She often came as close as 4 feet away from me, and several times sat and watched me from about 10 feet away. Most of the cats who visit my garden are more timid than she was.

We didn't get the rain forecast for this morning, so I watered the pots and where I have sown stuff this evening.

Still getting a little frost in the mornings, so putting off sowing anything else for a week or two.

Community hub people

There are some people who are community hub people. My friends Bill and Maureen Measure are two of these. If I meet someone in the borough and we are trying to work out where we have met before, then I ask them if they know Bill and Maureen. Often the answer is yes, and it is at one of their parties we have met.

I first met Bill and Maureen through the local Green Party, but more often now I meet them at meetings that the local history group that Bill set up has organised.

At Bill's birthday party yesterday, I met Steve and Jean from the local Green Party, Laurie, who I meet at various public meetings, Dee-anna (spelling?) whom I met for the first time at a workshop the day before, Vi whom I've met at local history club events, and several people I met (again) at their Christmas/New Year party. And this was a small party as Bill and Maureen had been away. Normally I meet more people I know at their house.

They are special people.

Buying tomato plants taste blind

This morning I was at B&Q Leytonstone High Road to buy some tomato plants. The "Heritage Tomato" "Tigerella" is, according to the label: "heavy cropping variety produces small red and yellow striped early ripening fruits throughout the summer""

Spot the important bit of information missing: what the tomatoes taste of! Which I'd have loved to have known before I brought them. But then it was the only variety on display, so I didn't have any choice!

We are fobbed off with tasteless vegetables in the supermarket, and now in nurseries and garden centres, etc.

Two years ago I was at a garden centre hoping to buy strawberries and there was a selection of 5 different varieties. The labels for each variety mentioned the colour of the flowers, but not what the strawberries would taste of.

Even quite a few of the descriptions of vegetables and fruit in the Organic Gardening Catalogue don't mention taste, but some do and I choose one of those.

Unfortunately, as I am mean on heating my house, growing tomatoes from seed is not practical. For a few years I grew them on a window ledge beside my desk. But the new offices don't have suitable window ledges.

I just want the tomatoes I grow to taste of tomatoes. Time will tell.

I've potted them up into bigger pots and put them in the conservatory until May.

Trying to get my compost wet

I have black plastic compost bins that I got cheap from the council. They get quite a bit of sun, which is a shame as I'd prefer the vegetables to get that. But the shadiest bit of the garden is by the house (and on concrete).

The the compost dries out and is bone dry at the moment.

The weather forecast today was for rain in the afternoon so I took the lids off. We did have one very heavy shower, with rolls of thunder, but not enough to penetrate. I'll be leaving the lids off for a while longer, though significant rain not forecast until Monday. And the weather forecast, and the weather, could change a lot by then!

Walking and talking with the Walking Book Club

I recently found out about the Walking Book Club www.emilybooks.wordpress.com/the-walking-book-club  and went for my first walk today.

We started off from Daunt Bookshop in South End Road in Hampstead. The Book was Mr Pye by Melvyn Peake. Not keen on the book, but enjoyed the discussion, the people and the walk on the Heath in the sunshine.

I also saw male brimstone butterflies fluttering about.

Plan to go again. Next month's book is "The Enchanted April" by Elizabeth von Arnim, which I already have and will enjoy reading again.

Emily, our leader, encourages us to use independent bookshops and libraries to get our copies of the books each month.  I hope to do this, though not easy as no independent bookshop near home or work (except the bookshop at work, but they are bad at checking delivery against the order so if the book doesn't arrive it is not chased up promptly!).

Waxwings wrongly identified

A few weeks ago there were over a dozen birds on one of the cherry trees up the road from me. With there red crests I thought they were descendants of some escaped cage birds, like parakeets.

I've just seen a picture of a waxwing. They were waxwings. Waxwings in Leyton!

Will insects mean plums this year?

Despite a cold start both yesterday and today, we had what seems to be - at last - the start of spring. A lovely day. I saw a couple of bees and a butterfly (a tortoiseshell or a comma, flying to fast to see which). So hopefully some of my plum blossom got cross pollinated.

Almost springlike, while I plan for next winter

It was sunny this morning and the weather forecast good, so I hung the washing on the line, first time this year. As this was before 9 am in the morning my hands got cold. But washing almost dry now and I hope it will be completely dry when I go to bring it in.

Last of the logs from the log pile were brought in last weekend; not quite used up yet. Have some offcuts so, if weather does get warmer, then I should have enough.

Darrell at the kayaking club is planning to cut down his greengage tree (he gets only about a dozen greengages every other year) and says he will bring round the wood for my stove. This will then be stored for winter 2014/15

Trying to decide which wood store to get. Will then have to co-ordinate delivery with having Michael, my handyman, here as I don't think, with my back, I ought to risk carrying the bits through the house by myself.  I have several tasks for Michael, so I could have him here doing little jobs. If the store comes early he brings it through and puts it up. If it comes late, he brings it through and comes back another time to put it up.

I have to co-ordinate a day off as well.