Monthly Archives: February 2024

Big shout to all the IFJ crew in Japan

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A big hi goes out to Stevyn from the great fanzine/website Iron Feather Journal for sending us this picture above of the first issue of Steroid Abuse up on the wall of his Nandalow Bookshop in Hokkaido, Japan. “The pic is a view into the bookshop, notice at the top of the door (top left) a poetry paper scroll, also featured in the drawing of the inside view (pic below)” “The pictures hanging include the old late King of Thailand who loved dogs and Richard Francis Burton’s tomb in Kew Gardens”. We love that duck!

Do have a look a the Iron Feather Journal Website here for all sorts of interesting stuff. Thanks Stevyn as well for all of the support for Weeds, Madtone and Steroid Abuse over the years!

Also here’s a wonderful couple of tunes that were on a free record with Iron Feather Journal 17 many moons ago which we’re sure we bought at Atlas Records in Soho. We could be wrong as it could have been by mail order but it was a long long time ago and our memory is a bit shot here. Both great tunes but we do love that Laura track.

Also a mention of the great project Stevyn is also involved in which is the Pink Floyd Breakfast Remix here on Towne Club Records, Japan. Cheers for all your support and big up IFJ, the Nandalow Radio show and the bookshop!

A tune from yesteryear

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While searching through those old gramaphone records the other night for a forthcoming shortwave mix we came across this tune called Texas Yellow by Urchin which we had well forgotten about. It’s a long one but a tune that you can really get lost in. It was nice to rediscover it and there’s even a Aquilegia named after it too!

Local seed event alert

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Thanks to Ruth for getting in touch about this great event on Sunday 25th February 2024 from 1-4pm held at the AFRIL allotment of refuge at One Tree Hill Allotments SE23 3NP. It looks well interesting, there’s a bit of a seed swap, a free vegan lunch, a tour of the garden and at 2.30pm talks, a workshop and a Q&A session. It’s free and more details and tickets can be obtained here. Thanks for letting us know Ruth!

And this is a pic of a scarecrow at One Tree Allotments from a couple of years ago. We think that the coat has been changed for a yellow one now but it is still there and still creeps us out when we’re passing by. It’s those hands placed casually in the pockets that does it.

Songs to sow seeds to

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A big thanks to Gerry Hectic for supplying us with our first ever guest mix. It’s only three tracks but it really is a lovely mix and goes out to all of the early seed sowers out there. Here’s the tracks:

Gerry Hectic presents
“A packet of three (Seed Varieties) for Weeds up to me Knees”
Fug – From Little Seeds We Grow (4hero Folk Soul – Vocal/Instrumental)
Paris Smith Quintet – Thought Seeds
Seeds Of The Earth – Planting Seeds

So get those seed catalogues out, bang this on the stereo and chill out to this great mix. Thanks a lot Gerry! We welcome all mixes in a gardening style by the way.

Stop those Monday morning blues

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Big shout to the one and only Rhythm Doctor for playing One Deck & Popular‘s “Enrico” from many moons ago (at 30.56) on his excellent Monday morning “Rhythm Doctor’s Waiting Room” radio show last week on IDA Radio (Tallinn). Cheers!

Tune in tomorrow morning at 9am UK time for the finest in Reggae, Dub, Downbeat, Ambient, Jazz and other great tunes!

Don’t cast a clout until March is out…

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Big thanks to Gerry Hectic for letting us know that he’s started sowing some seeds too. He found his old B&Q incubator (above, which looks great!) and used up some of last years’ seeds in it and also sowed some broad beans in the pots and that are all down in the shed. Great stuff, with this present weather he should see some results in the next couple of weeks. Yes we know it’s a little early but with this strange weather we’re having (we even saw snowdrops flowering in Horniman Gardens yesterday!) we may as well take advantage of it.
And other great news in is that Gerry has spotted some frogspawn in his pond. Excellent stuff! Cheers for also sending is this great track from Fug with From Little Seeds We Grow (4hero Folk Soul Remix). Do keep in touch with how things get on Gerry!

Psychic TV meets Frederick Horniman at SE23

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We popped into Hornimans today and had a butchers at their garden and their collection of herbs and healing plants (well it was more about reading the plant labels as most of them were still in hibernation but very interesting all the same.)

After being outside we took a trip into the music room and saw the Yamaha DX7 synth in there with the Psychic TV sticker on it again. It’s been there for years but we forgotten all about it until today but does anyone know anything about its origins?

The sowing starts here

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We’ve made a start on the seed sowing today. We found our propagator and its lid plus another seed tray the other day and earlier this morning popped to B&Q and got some seed sowing compost for £6 and some of those great pots that allow roots to grow through.

It’s mainly chilli peppers we’ve sown but there’s also some tomatoes too. It’s probably a tad early for the tomatoes but they mention on the chilli seed packets to start them early as possible. With all of this nice weather at this time of year we may as well take advantage of it. We’ll keep you posted when they germinate. Anyone else started yet?

 

What month is it?

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Today has been a nice day 8 degrees and sunny, you wouldn’t think it’s the first day of February.  Thanks to Debby H for getting in touch with a picture taken last week of a cherry tree which had already started to blossom in Southgate. The blossom is on the water sprouts at the bottom of the tree. As she said  “I never ever recall seeing cherry blossom in January before.” She’s right!
Even the Lldl bargain bulbs we bought in the autumn are starting to sprout at the moment. It certainly has been mild of late but you know what this weather is like, God only knows what’s around the corner. Here’s to good weather!