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!

Dub on the buses

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Here’s a tune for this sunny but cold Sunday. It’s from a good few years ago from Delhi 2 Dublin and it’s called Get on The Bus. The tune was found last week whilst researching a shortwave mix. It’s a wonderful tune and very dubwise.

Talking of On the buses, we’ve been alerted to a really good cafe by Waterloo Bus Garage called The Bus Cafe. We’ve never been ourselves as we’ve only found out about it but we will, you can be sure of it. It looks great, meals are cheap, you will be sharing a table with a bus driver and if you’re that way inclined you can even play a game of pool with one (winner stays on, of course). As it says on Trip Advisor “Good food and (a) nice no-frills experience”, well if that ain’t a good enough recomendation we don’t know what is. Big up all the bus driver (and conductor) lunchtime crew.

Culture – Two Sevens Clash
“I take a ride sometimesOn Pennoverland and BranxAnd sometimes I ride on bus X-82, say what?”

“The bus reference is especially important, as the album’s liner notes say that (Joseph) Hill got the idea for Two Sevens Clash while riding public transportation.”
https://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20110529/ent/ent5.html

More about the Jamaica Omnibus Service (JOS) here.

 

 

Seems a bit milder out there…

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This morning while putting two tea bags in the compost heap (any excuse to get out there) we noticed it was quite mild weatherwise and also spotted what we think are some giant garlic bulbs (volunteers we reckon) resprouting. That’s a good sign but we won’t speak too soon as you never know it may snow next week (we hope not though!)

More radio fun

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This weekend the Imaginary Stations crew present another installment of WDWD – Off the Map Radio. Programme 2 in the series will be going out to Europe via the services of Shortwave Gold on Sunday 28th January 2024 at 1000/1400 hrs UTC on 6160 kHz and then at 2100 UTC on 3975 kHz (ionosphere permitting).

 

 

Enjoy more journey related tunes and some about locations and place names and the show also includes a mix from One Deck Pete called “You take the high road” including tunes by LJ SEB, Cornershop, Soul Sugar and Zeb The Spy from Cairo.

Then on early Monday 29th January 2024 there’s KPET for all pet lovers out there at 0300 UTC on 9395 kHz via WRMI. They’ll be songs for your cat, budgie and guinea pig alongside reviews of dry cat food, dog biscuits and hamster chews. It will be a great show so tune in.

(Imaginary) Radio is a (Electro) magnetic thing

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Imaginary Stations takes to the internet airwaves from his Monday on Electromagnic Radio. It looks a great station with lots of great shows here.

Times are Mondays at 2pm and on a Saturday at 7pm both UK time. Tune in and enjoy the first show which is Radio Lavalamp but that’s after exploring all the other musical possibilities that are on the site. Enjoy the diverse range of musical enjoyment on Electromagnetic Radio.

First Seed Swap in

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News just in of the first Seed Swap of 2024. It’s not south London but it’s in Hackney Wick at Hackney Herbal at Trowbridge Gardens, 1 Trowbridge Road Hackney Wick E9 5LD. It’s on Saturday March 16th from 2.30 to 4.30pm and Free. More on their Spring Equinox Seed Swap here. If we find out about any more Seed Swaps especially situated  the south side of the river we’ll let you know. If you hear of any do let us know too.

We’ve just found out they have an irregular radio show on the great Soho Radio called “Between 2 Parsleys” which is a show that “explore herbs through the interwoven stories of plants and people.” Sounds well interesting, more on the show here.

Outside suprises

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More cold weather is on its way but the parsley and the carrots we sowed late in the day outside are perservering. There’s also some oregano still out there hanging in despite the cold weather. What’s odd is that the pot of it inside on the kitchen windowsill isn’t doing as well. We really thought that those plants dislike the cold weather or prehaps they can tolerate them once they are on their way (until it gets to -4 as it’s supposed to tonight). Any thoughts?

Also we’ve just read about carrot tops (the green feathery leaves that grow above) are making a comeback as an edible addition to the plant. We’ve read in one of those Adam the Gardener books that you can lighty steam them and they taste like spinach supposedly. We’ve never tried them but it sounds good.

On a cold and frosty morning

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Another big thanks goes out to Rich R in the Lake District for sending us a pic of what the view was like from his front window earlier today. This picture was taken just after the morning snow stopped and he also told us minus 5 is on the cards for tonight. Brrrr, that’s all you need. Keep warm Rich!

By all accounts Forest Hill is supposedly having a couple of cold nights this week so BBC Weather reckons. Anyway here’s an apt named tune from Hoodish Recordings in Tokyo from an artist called MaL (PART2STYLE) and it’s called Powder Snow Dub and a nice tune it is!