Here is a view of our factory yard. Not a great depth of snow but temperatures down to -9 mean the ice is treacherous.
It's obviously a quiet time of the year for me with any seed sowing at least a month away. However, in the next couple of weeks I need to collect my Pendle Improved leeks from Dave Metcalfe and will have to set up some form of growing chamber in my garage. This will also mean making sure my grolamp is working properly. More on that soon. I noticed a couple of days ago that the three long carrots I set down for seed in the greenhouse have started to send up fresh green leaves from the centre in spite of the cold weather, so they appear to be happy where they are.
In the last few days I've been told about three new bloggers and I have no hesitation in mentioning and linking to them here. First off is Darren, an experienced allotment gardener from Wiltshire who has decided to have a go at growing for show next season. His first aim is to try and beat his secretive local allotment champion which I can totally relate to. When I first started there was an abundance of people like this in my area who would not give you the steam off their piss if you asked them. They are the ones who moan about no new blood coming into the 'game' and yet they won't divulge their techniques, mixes and tips for love nor money. When you do start beating them it really winds them up which is huge fun believe me.
http://blickys.blogspot.com/
Adam Greathead is only 20 but has been showing for some time and appears to have a great showing future ahead of him. As I've said to both Darren and Adam you have to make regular postings to get the benefit of your blog in subsequent years so that you can look back and see what you've done well or badly. I always try and put the bad stuff on, not just for my own benefit but to show those less experienced that even those with several years knowledge under their belts can still cock up spectacularly from time to time.
http://babyface-growandshow.blogspot.com/
And finally it gives me great pleasure to advertise that my carrot and pea mentor Ian Stocks from chilly Scotland has also started a blog. If anyone wants to know how to grow long and stump carrots in particular then this will be the blog for you to follow next season. He also knows a thing or two about peas and is current National Champion, and will spend the next few months polishing the trophy in readiness for handing it over to me at Llangollen in August!
http://carrotgrower.blogspot.com/
With more snow forecast there won't be many postings during December so I will spend the next few weeks putting the final touches to my annual Smithyveg awards, to be announced on Christmas Eve amid much fanfare ......well, whilst I'm supping a pint of Newcastle Brown and munching on the wife's mince pies (that one wins best euphemism!). I already know there are one or two of you out there who should be very, very nervous!
In the meantime here is the latest pic of my gorgeous new grandson. I think you'll agree he's looking more and more like me every day!
12 comments:
He's definitely got your hairline!
He's still got more hair than you.......and he looks taller!
I would be more worried about the lack of customers at your work than the snow. as for the BMW its not even yours its the companies so stop moaning. Your grandson looks nothing like you fortunately
all the best Paul.
Thanks for the welcome mate
Just hope someday I can compete with the rest of you
I so know what you mean about BMW's in the snow. I have had 2 now and both were a nightmare, sliding all over the place in snow, (partly because they are rear wheel drive as I understand it. Pushes the front all over the place like a shopping trolley with dodgy wheels). Thankfully I changed to small RAV4 jeep when I last bought a car, and the difference is amazing, it pretty much copes with anything weatherwise.
I, like many my age, was bought up on rear wheel drive cars in the 60s and 70s, and then worked for a BMW dealer in the late 80s with the associated company demonstrator.
I think the problems stem back to the fact that anyone under the age of about 50, would have learnt their driving skills on front wheel drive vehicles which are, without doubt, simpler to handle in snow/icy conditions. There's nothing inherently wrong with the likes of BMW (and Mercedes. It's simply that the different skills needed to handle their particular characteristics in difficult conditions have either been lost or never taught in the first place.
Just to put the cat amongst the pigeons. I'm a firm believer that special lessons should be mandatory for four wheel drive owners - they were for all staff in some dealerships I worked for. Realising their potential takes yet another range of untaught, and little appreciated skills.
P.S. My Audi is front wheel drive!!!
That would be a good idea I reckon. It seems these days that too many 4x4's are driven by Mums just taking their kids to school. Not only are these cars unnecessarily large (bigger families simply used to buy an estate car to fit in more children) and environmentally very unfriendly, but the same people who own them still stop going out to work or doing the school run the moment an inch or so of snow falls, claiming the roads are too dangerous. Why on earth have a four wheel drive vehicle if you don't know how to utilise the benefits!
I saw a lot of this when I was a bus driver for London Transport, and it was incredibly frustrating.
When the Volvo XC90 was launched, the driving course I was sent on was the most rigourous and intensive I had ever experienced in 20 years in the trade. The pass rate was only about 60% (I passed) which highlighted the fact that a 4WD was more of a danger than an asset in bad conditions when in the hands of the inexperienced.
is this a veg blog or fucki*g top gear. lets face it Smithy is just a crap driver its a poor workman that blames his tools
Will you be blaming your tools when I beat you at Harrogate next year Bastow?
Will you be blaming your tools when I beat you at Harrogate next year Bastow?
No worries there then, Paul. BMW's aren't very good in the dry, so probably the roads will be impassable for him. You should clean up.
I do not show but can relate to the feeling of frustration when the "old Timers" do not pass on the tips they have. It was the same when i first started on the allotment they were all very friendly and welcoming but not forthcoming with any advice.
Best of luck for the coming year.
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