Over the garden fence

[Cherry]

I am bad at figures grindle, but the forum has been a large part of my life and I learnt some of my poor computer skills on here. I joined when I had to give up gardening temporarily when my first pacemaker was fitted. I even got my avatar and password mixed up because I don’t like cherries. I have picked too many as I came from an orchard in Victoria. Grindle, you had to fix the picture of a cherry for me.

[geumgrower]

Managed a good long walk this morning. The sweet chestnuts are not ripe yet, but there was a lot of them on the floor. Don't know if they carry on ripening after falling like that. We will go again in a week or so and see.

[SueA]

It was originally Garden News who set up the first forum we joined then grindle, I think that must have been around about 2005 when I was writing a readers column for them & then in 2011 we started this one - a very long time ago! 😁

[grindle]

ah yes SueA I was writing for them as well, always left it until the last minute certainly has been a long time, even got to meet up with Steve

[seaburn]

Sept 27, 2024 5:13:58 GMT balc2 said:

Thanks for chipping in seaburn and thanks for the explanation of the "a" prefix!

It must be quite difficult for you to be the only female in a group of males! I didn't know the group was so big! You've often spoken of going out on motorbike rides with your husband but I think this is the first time you've mentioned the size of the group!

A typical run has between 10 and 20 riders but many meet up for tea and chat on a Friday lunch time at a bikers cafe 20 miles from us
.
I learnt all about engines with my 3 older brothers who never had bikes just cars. I have clear memories aged 6 using grinding paste to reseat valves for my dad.

My first meeting with Steve was on the first day at uni. it wasn't love at first sight though. I had a full driving license no car: he had a car and a provisional. Romantic not! But first date was on a bike [5/10/1977] and the rest is history.

[Cherry]

I wrote for Garden News as well and Geoff Stebbings of Garden Answers came to my place to start an article where he visited gardens on his motorbike. The magazine was never the same when he left to go to a large private garden.

[balc2]

I used to get 'Garden News' when it was in newspaper format - but that was before I went to Spain in 1972! I remember I liked it almost more than the gardening mags I used to buy!

[grindle]

I agree balc2 it was full of useful information

[Cherry]

I have spent the day in Cambridge today starting with an ECG at the magnificent Papworth Hospital, lunch at a Thai restaurant which was the old stately library then on to The Eagle pub where the breakthrough with DNA was discovered. Of course, I was shopping at John Lewis. I often come to Cambridge to the Fitzwilliam Museum and usually in June to the University Gardens. Toby Buckland worked here. It all looks so beautifully English to me, but oh my goodness, it really rained all day. Although I live in Norfolk, Cambridge is far closer than Norwich and is an easy commute by train.

[balc2]

Some interesting history in the last few posts! 👌

I didn't realise, Cherry that you lived so close to me! I sometimes thought your weather was very similar to what we get here, now I know why! 😂

[Cherry]

White House Farm was on the Norfolk/Suffolk border at Southery balc2, but my son now has the farm and I have moved to Downham Market, which is about 6 miles into Norfolk. It has the oldest population in the UK, but new houses are bringing younger people. We go to Ely a lot, yet the bus stops at Southery, so it is a short train journey from here.



Why did I put Norfolk/Suffolk border? It should have been Norfolk/Cambridgeshire border, but I wouldn’t be surprised if the computer just pleased itself again.

[balc2]

I looked up Downham Market in Wikipedia & I see you have a big black & white clock tower! I also noticed in some of the photos I found that the clock tower also has, or had, some nice flower displays around it! According to the last census, 2021, there were less than 1,000 people living there!

[Cherry]

RAF Downham Market was one of the biggest in UK during the war. The history is very interesting. Bexwell Church is worth looking up as it is the oldest in the area, and the one I attend. balc2 if you do look it up, go on to ‘more’ at the top of the page, which shows some history as this was at the edge of the huge airfield. Marham is just outside Downham Market and Southery is in its air space. There are planes, an airstrip and a hangar at White House Farm, and the engineer now lives in France, although he is here now. The airstrip is a lot quieter now, because my ex-husband has Alzheimers and there are not so many visitors. He used to fly Nimrods in the RAF.

[balc2]

Thanks Cherry. I found it very interesting!

[geumgrower]

Driving to Loughboorough tomorrow, all the way down the A5 so stay off that road! Not looking forward to it, I have not really done any long distance driving since before Covid.