There’s a brill offer at Shannon’s Garden Centre in Forest Hill at the moment, they’re doing five herb plants for a fiver, that’s good isn’t it? It’s a great place, well stocked and the staff are always eager to help.
I was around there as soon as I found out about the offer and for my fiver I got a Mint (I needed some leaves for a kebab recipe that afternoon and there was none in our garden, far too cold!), Coriander, Lavender, Rosemary and the very odd Tree Onion (aka Egyptian Onion.) If you’re around the Forest Hill locality and want to take up the offer click here for the form to claim your herbal discount!
Here’s an old tune that came to mind out the blue this morning, a lovely number from the late great Hortense Ellis (sister of Alton Ellis another reggae great) “Unexpected Places”. I thought this was written by Jose Feliciano but turns out it was penned by Kim “Dickie Davies Eye’s” Carnes. Well I never! (Said in a husky female Rod Stewart type voice.)
A lovely chilled out drifter of a tune heard on Laurent Garnier’s excellent “It is what it is” radio show (number 24, 9th February 2013). In fact all of the show is worth listening to!
Jazzmin Tutum – Share the flame – Universal Egg A big shout to the dub poetess Jazzmin Tutum on her excellent new release on Zion Train’s Universal Egg Records called “Share the flame“. A great mix of bass heavy collaborations with Neil Perch (who also produces the tracks), Brain Damage, Hey o Hansen, Ralf Freudenberger and yours truly (Madtone). Respect to Jazzmin for working with “Calling live on channel” and “Message from Madtone”! A big thanks goes out to our good friend Dr Strangedub from KFAI’s excellent Echo Chamber for linking us up!
Heard on this weeks Echo Chamber, a lovely middle eastern inspired slow-mo bass heavy track with squelchy acid overtones and available as a free download too! A track to listen to while out in the back garden on a warm summers evening sipping on some char of the Moroccan variety.
It’s a shame it’s February and zero degrees outside, roll on the summer!
Horace Andy – In the light/In the light dub An excellent oldie but goodie heard again this week on an old episode of the Jahman Hi-Fi Roots Soundsystem podcast from New York. A lovely 70’s dub too!
The London Charity Potato Fair and Seed Exchange
Sunday 27th January 2013
11.00am-3.00pm
Sydenham School
Dartmouth Road
Forest Hill
London SE26 4RD
A last minute news flash about a seed swap event a stones throw from the weeds up to me knees HQ tomorrow. It looks a great day out and I’ll definitely be wandering up there if the weathers okay and I have a spare tenner in me pocket.
As it says about the event on the web: At all these events in addition to a huge range of seed potatoes, there will be our Heritage and Heirloom seeds, onion sets, shallots and garlic bulbs, fruit trees, soft fruit and other edible plants such as rhubarb and asparagus.
If you’re up there I’ll be the one trying to do deals with the stallholders with bags of small change and old washers!
Here’s a deep little mix to listen to while getting a little introspective reading the small print on the back of the seed catalogue/bank statements. A well ambient selection from the DJ who is also a secret radish grower so I’ve been told. Features a couple of nice tracks by Dustin O’Hallaran (above) and touches of Suicide and Morricone in there too, moody!
Carlton & Leroy – Not Responsible (Lord Koo’s)
An excellent seven inch from 1974 on the Lord Koo’s record label by Carlton (Patterson) & Leroy (Smith). The flip is an excellent version from the King (Tubby’s), “Psalms of Dub”. If it sounds familiar, it’s because it’s also the rhythm track of Mikey Dread’s “Love the Dread” released a few years later. Bought for a couple of quid years ago at the excellent Rat Records in Camberwell Green.
The above features versions of Keith Hudson’s Hot Stuff (and boy do we need something hot!)
I couldn’t believe it, the sun came out last Sunday so I moved the wormery (a bucket I found in the street perched upon an old xmas tree container which catches any liquid) into the garage as the forthcoming cold months outside won’t do the worms much good. I’ll pop in on a weekly basis and top up with kitchen peelings, tea bags etc and see if they are still okay. There was a good bit of liquid in the bottom bucket which I’ve drained off and will use as a great plant feed this summer comng. All for nothing by just keeping your kitchen waste!
The pots on the kitchen windowsill with the seeds I sowed just before xmas are coming along, the Corriander is looking a bit leggy but I’ll use the seedlings for cooking so nothings wasted, the Basil seeds did germinate but are very slow off the mark but that’s to be expected at this time of the year. Also I’m holding off a while with starting the Tomatoes indoors as last year I sowed them far too early and they were well lanky when finally put in the garden. A lesson learned, don’t be too keen!
For the second time now I got this great book from my library, The allotment keeper’s handbook (a down to earth guide to growing your own food) by Jane Perrone (The Guardian 2007). The first time I got it out, I renewed it to the max allowed as it was so informative, trouble is I dropped it into the bath by accident so had to return it with my head down in shame! On getting it out again a year later, it looks like someone has done the same and possibly dropped it out in the garden too! If you’re getting an allotment or thinking of starting to grow vegetables in the garden/patio at home this book is a must. It covers everything including composting, planning and preparation, heritage seeds, the magic of Comfrey and some mad tips too (starting seeds off in empty egg shells, I never thought of that one!) An informative read with some humour throw in to boot. A book not to read in the bath tho! Have a look a Jane’s blog which is great too.
I was around there as soon as I found out about the offer and for my fiver I got a Mint (I needed some leaves for a kebab recipe that afternoon and there was none in our garden, far too cold!), Coriander, Lavender, Rosemary and the very odd Tree Onion (aka Egyptian Onion.) If you’re around the Forest Hill locality and want to take up the offer click here for the form to claim your herbal discount!
Weeds up to me knees 