gasworks choir

Steve and I don't normally make parallel posts, but we've done it two days running now! We went yesterday afternoon to listen to the Gasworks Choir performing at St Michael & All Angels Church in Gloucester Road. Our friend Gareth was singing and that was our reason for going, but I think I can say that we will be Gasworks Groupies from now on! It was exuberant, colourful and joyful and importantly for me I could hear and understand what was going on. In recent times I have had some very disappointing experiences at concerts because of my hearing loss so it was wonderful to go to something that I could completely engage with.

like ground force - but much more fun

Our garden got the growzone treatment today! Growzones are an initiative of Earth Abbey to encourage a group in our area to start growing food in our back gardens and allotments. Steve has previously blogged about growzones and so has Gareth and today was our turn. Some of the gardens we have visited are quite substantial; ours is tiny – about 5m square and I would never have thought we could grow veg in it until I started to hear about permaculture.

In the space of three hours this morning eight people did a huge amount of work. A large pyrocantha bush was cut down and shredded preparatory to creating a veg bed just outside the back door.

On the other side of the garden pavers were lifted to expose the soil and then re-laid to create a small wall edging for a raised bed. This was then filled with manure, compost and topsoil ready for planting.

Three strips of guttering were attached to the wall to create salad beds.

And down in the basement light well a water collection system was set up.

It was all enormous fun and we enjoyed a very sociable lunch together afterwards. This would simply never have happened if it had been left to Steve and me, but because we all got together to help each other we have all benefited. I can’t express how pleased and excited I am by it all. I have planted up the raised bed with stuff I have grown from seed: peas, courgettes, tomatoes, swiss chard and have popped some shallots in there as well.

There are still some tomatoes and chillies to go in and our bag grown potatoes are looking very healthy.

Thank you Bruce, Chris, Bobby, Sara, Alan and Elaine!

copy cat

I'm such a copy cat! I noticed that Roobeedoo was making the Simple yet Effective shawl and she directed our eyes here to the one that Soulemama made. I loved it. I wanted it. I asked for the yarn for my birthday. Hey presto! Here's my Simple yet Effective.

It has to be said, that it's on the small side - dainty really, but gorgeous yarn and lovely to work.

And while I'm doing show and tell, don't you just love that acid green euphorbia?