Oliver Rackham - one of my heroes - has died

Sad to read today that Oliver Rackham, the ethno-botanist, has died.

Many years I go I went on a course he led for the Field Studies Centre at Flatford Mill on "History & Ecology of Trees and Woodland" which I thoroughly enjoyed and found really interesting. I have several of his books and have been planning to get his recent on on the ash tree.

We were out visiting woods during the day, then talks in the evening. Oliver was full of energy and enthusiasm, it was we the students who got tired despite our interest. "Please, Oliver, can we go to bed now?"

He was a great believer in going back to original sources and working out how things really operated back then, not just copying what historians had written since. In medieval times dogs in Forests (an area reserved for hunting, not necessarily wooded) were not maimed as stated in the Forest law. You paid a fee at the manor court not to  have to maim your dog - an early form of dog licence.

This might not seem very relevant to a blog on green and country living in the city, but trees are important in the city, and give me great pleasure. Also I have the ancient Epping Forest a bus/tube ride away, and Wick Wood, a new wood, a cycle ride down the Lea Navigation tow path.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/11417959/Professor-Oliver-Rackham-historical-ecologist-obituary.html

marmelade gin - could have done a double bottle

Marmalade gin was a success last year so have started a batch off today.

It is one bottle gin, one jar marmalade, 4oz (100g+) sugar, a teaspoon of vanilla essence (and also some juniper seeds which I didn't use). The recipe (from Pretty Nostalgic) says decant after 4-6 weeks and then it is ready.

No! Like most flavoured spirits you then need to leave it another 9 months or so. Last year the gin after 3 months wasn't particularly interesting. Another six months it was lovely!

I might get another bottle of gin and another jar of marmalade next week and add them to the jar - there's room!

Sorry, can't get picture to upload!

I have trouble spelling marmalade - I want to spell it marmelade, as my father called it "chicken jam" - "Ma me laid". My father and all my friend's fathers had jokes of similar standard. Do men with that type of humour become fathers, or is it something that happens after men have children!?

wetlands to wetlands greenway

I have just voted on www.london.gov.uk/biggreenpoll in the hope of getting money from the Mayor of London's Big Green Fund to create a safe, green, 3km corridor passing through parks and quiet roads between the new nature reserves planned for Walthamstow and Hackney - "wetland to wetland greenway". Voting closes 2 March.

I was really looking forward to visiting the new wetlands site (due to open next year) in Walthamsow. But the chance to then cycle to another wetland reserve in Hackney is a real bonus!

fox cushion done, robin cushion next

I've just finished my applique cushion using an old purple dressing gown, an old orange t-shirt, some white candlewick, a bit of black velvet and two buttons.

I am about to start an applique robin cushion - too late for this Christmas, but should be ready by next Christmas!

Transition Japan in Leytonstone

Ros Bedlow, founder member and extremely active member of Transition Leytonstone used to work in Japan. When she visited friends there recently (travelling there by train and boat) she also visited 4 Transitions towns.

This evening 17 of us squeezed into her sitting room to see pictures and hear about her experiences. She had come back very enthused with lots of ideas.

I knew over half the people in the room to a greater or lesser extent. One person I don't know very well, but we are often at the same places. This week she was at Stowtellers (local storytelling club) on Monday and storytelling at Waterstones Piccadilly on Tuesday. At the bring and share supper afterwards was the first time we had actually got talking.

Lovely evening with interesting local people just over a mile from home.

Short detour on my bike to old haunts

I only had a short ride on my bike Sunday morning, down between the old River Lea and the football pitches on Hackney Marsh. But as it hadn't started to rain and I had made good time on the way back so,  instead of going along Marsh Lane, I made a short detour along the new path alongside Orient Way (the Ruckholt Relief Road) to see where it took me.

No undergrowth yet, and the sound of the traffic only yards away, I still enjoyed the ride.

It took me to the section of the section of the Dagenham Brook where I used to go blackberrying. Every now and then a car or motorbike would be dumped and set alight. This kept the path open, but the putting up of a style made it impassible.

There was also a plum tree. I think there was only one person other than myself also blackberrying along there, and some years he (though it could have been a she!) beat me to the plums and sometimes I go there first. The plum tree was on the edge of the steep bank above the Dagenham Brook  so a lot of the plums were left as it was too dangerous to try to reach them!

I made blackberry and plum jam. The blackberries didn't have to be strained like one has to when making blackberry jam. The one and only time I made blackberry jam I got splashes of blackberry juice everywhere - I swear it managed to pass through solid objects!

Slow picking sloes for sloe gin

After a visit to Waltham Abbey with friends for King Harold Day I was dropped off at Chingford Plain so  could go looking for sloes.

Quite a bit of walking and pressing into sloe bushes to get enough berries as they were scattered.

I did wonder if someone had been before me and these were their left overs, but I think there would be more high up, out of reach, if that had happened. With all the programmes, books and articles it seems strange to think that only I have wanted to pick sloes at such a popular walking spot.

Pricking them now to use my neighbour's recipe: one part sugar, two parts fruit, three parts alcohol.

Two bushes full of crab apples, but I don't like crab apple jelly.