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It is great talking to real countrymen and perhaps a gamekeeper is not the best example. But give them their due,they are close to the land and use their knowledge of it to an advantage. Few understand them and yet that knowledge is unquestionable.
Cor Blimey it’s October and before the first frosts have arrived I find myself moving to pastures new. The Jerusalem artichokes were dug up and laid out for me to retrieve on one of my final visits to the allotment yesterday.
King Solomon was a very wise chap. Only he could come with “chop the child in half and let the two women share it.”
Not quite as wise, the local Town Council split my good sized patch in two between men.
King Solomon was alive and breathed. That’s the only connection between the good folk of the town council and the great man. One made great fair and wise decisions, the other just made decisions based on “LCD” the less hassle based lowest common denominator.
One thing both plot holders will enjoy is tons and tons of additional black and incredible soil which several years of repeat layering of permaculture have been added to the numerous no dig beds I’d set.
Both plotsmen were my neighbouring plot holders and both had designs on my plot.
One in a friendly upfront way the other not. Envy is not a nice thing admiration is.
Allotment holders have one thing in common. We are temporary and won’t have a plot for ever even if we may imagine we will.
My grandad was probably one of the best farmers of his generation. Based on a tiny rugged hilly area on the idyllic Caribbean island of Nevis. Josiah Maynard lived to a ripe old age low 90’s and tended livestock and arable and supplied not just the entire island, but shipped his animals and produce off to Saint Kitts as well. He had time to father six girls and two boys for which I am immensely grateful. Having held a variety of jobs Department store Furniture Salesman, Customs Officer, Fishmonger and Gardener, it’s taken a while for his genes to come through but here they are and blessed with his easy going nature and tried and tested thought process I’m happy to leave my beautiful plot behind and look ahead to another challenge.
You can take nothing with you except what you can carry. I’m not one for rotavating under any circumstances but I do know once the artichokes were dug and lifted the new incumbent will have switched on his machine and chopped up his soil to a fine tilthe.
Like the iceberg that sank the titanic the artichokes accumulate rapidly and push downwards and unless you carefully dig them out they will continue to push down and outwards for a year and a day and there will be forever a patch of my old allotment that will be always be Jerusalem.As sone of you know I’ve had a bit of a summer. All seemed to be going well with the trip to Cheltenham courtesy of Big G and an enjoyable day out for the Gold Cup.
But then, there was to put it simply, a relationship breakdown which led to me finding myself homeless from June to September. I continued working and tried to continue my various projects. Above all else I held on to my Volunteer post as a gardener at Helmingham Hall which has been been a wonderful assignment. I’m still there and have developed several good friendships while learning lots and lots each time I’ve been there.
The first thing I found myself doing as a homeless person ironically was to write poetry. Being outside a lot more than usual gave me a better insight into nature’s beauty and writing it down sent me to a very good place. I’ll put up a few nature related poems on here.Here’s a poem I’ve written recently. It concerns a mate who has an allotment in a different part of town.
Live poetry
Felixstowe Suffolk
Walton parish
Written 0600- 0645
Friday October 4th 2024Dan’s Chilli’s
Dan my allotment friend is far far away
In fact in a hospital bed he lays.
He’s asked me to go to his veg patch this day,
Watch over his produce and take some away.
He’s worried all his labour will be ferried away by neer do wells and miscreants who often do go
Who steal what they never tended
Nor what they did sow.
I attended in failing light later that day
Sunset had passed light falling away
I picked squashes and tomatoes at Dan’s specific request
Those he’d transfixed on I left most of the rest
The pumpkin peppers and potatoes will all come up next
But I’ll leave for instructions which will come by text.
Like Churchill directing from his hospital bed,
Our Dan’s like a general so I’ve done what he’s said.
He can rest easy the jobs all in hand.
I’ve run them to his mother and she understands.
Dan’s Mum is amazing and she takes the crate
But its her cannine connection to which I relate.
She’s a poem for another day a poem I’ll relate about the foxes 🦊 of Foxgrove and the lady who feeds them.
But for now I’ll just say if you only could see em, it’s a tale I’ll soon tell on its own for good reason….
In addition to his squashes and toms which were ripe, his bright red chillies also caught my eye
I decided to pick four to take home and try.
It was the tiniest slither to go in my dinner
But the strength of Dan’s chilli 🌶 meant it was a winner.
It helped put me in the right frame of mind,
To leave the allotment shenanigans a long way behind.
There are more important things with which to be concerned.
It’s a product of humanity,
Which shows you have learned.
It’s Friday now so get a move on.
You’ve got a million and one jobs which all need to be “won”.
Sometimes drawbacks take the wind out of one’s sails.
A positive outlook protects you from fails.
You’ve had racism, bullying and all that goes with it corruption for good measure as greed tries to swing it.
When you encounter these imposters
Always say “ bring it”.
Show your integrity will alway stand tall.
The ability to take on and stand up to it all.
You are not perfect and you’ll sometimes fail.
But if you’ve stood by your principles, over these obstacles you’ll sail.
You’ve proved you are truer than all whom have challenged you.
You’ve come up with solutions which they could not do.
And despite their best efforts,
They’ve not stood up to you.
And that is because all your principles are true.
You’ve walked away from trouble
You’ve even turned your cheek
Instead of roaring loudly
You’ve been humble and meek
You walk tall and proudly
Of your name they’ve had to speak.
Now back away and be quiet and work on your plans.
You’ve made all your fight backs and all of your stands.
Now it’s time for reflection, disappear into the night.
So long as you win the war
You don’t need to win every fight.
You’ve poetry to compose and books to produce.
Shows to direct and directions to choose.
Concentrate on being creative and you’ll never lose.Sam, I’ve only just realised you were back writing in The Tree. What
an absolute delight. I loved your simile with King Solomon, you just
have a way with words that us mere mortals can only look on in admiration.Dan is lucky to have a friend like you. I can’t wait to hear about the
cannine connection with his Mum. I’ll be keeping a loukout from now on
Hey sporting Sam nice to see you back
sorry to hear your had difficult few months
Onwards and upwards VF x
Hello Big and Viking Flagship. VF you have a wonderful moniker! What a mighty racehorse. I spent a few pounds on that horse.
Thank you both for your kind words. Since writing Dan’s poem, weeks have passed and so much has happened. Readers of the enjoyable Meydan thread will know I’ve been preoccupied with a big piece of work concerning the recent lost Baby awareness week in mid October.
By chance I’d bumped into a friend setting up a service concerning the events for the week taking place all. Over the country. I was keen for personal reasons to write a poem to mark this event. Spontaneity has been the trademark of my work so trying it “by demand” was a different challenge. The resultant poem worked well and the different conditions still allowed for impulse writing as I’d waited until the day of the service and the result is on the meydan thread round about the 12/10/24.
As for Dan, he’s back up on his feet active and doing well. I’m working out where I fit into the things I’ve been doing and how they reckon with past present and future activities. It isn’t easy trying to find a balance without overloading and sometimes it feels like I’m doing way too much. I’m working T different things on different levels with different people and I’m enjoying what I do right now. I’m finding a place for my poetry and it keeps on coming. My garden projects are important to me and I run a scheme called café ole which collects kitchen’s food waste and gets it back into the food chain at the composting stage.Poetry….
That is something I never thought would be an extra string to my bow. But life is a funny old thing. I knew I liked gardening, and my GrandFather was an exceptionally good arable and livestock farmer in the Caribbean…. and although it took the genes a good while to work their way through from him it’s been worth the wait! Poetry found its way into my life isas a teenager and as a bit of a misfit puberty didn’t come knocking for a long time and that translated itself into all manner of teenage woes but poetry from the safety of the bedroom was a good valve to sound off about these teeny problems that could not be shared. Love and all that goes with it was often the starting point for a heartfelt verse or two and little did I know that it would be a distant forerunner for June this year when I rediscovered myself and wrote down some half decent verse.Oh yes SS Viking Flagship certainly never went down without a fight, As I child he caught my attention and my uncle put little bets on for me.
How’s the gardening going been mild up until last couple nights, we still had perennials in flower And the grass still growing VF x
Vf I’m still readjusting to writing on the forum. It’s great being a fully fledged gardener and the exhibition reinforced that in no uncertain terms back in January. The remote installation trail was a big success and lots of people took up the challenge to do the course in all manner of modes including by wheelchair on foot or by bike in addition to driving round. I’m not sure if anyone did it on horseback but the option has been there!!
As for the weather, it has been very mild. I’ve resisted any thought of swimming although the mild going makes it perfectly feasible and plenty of my friends continue to swim.
The amber continues to wash up on the tides and after a long spell of not being to spot it for distinct reasons around my eventual homelessness. The drought for me disappated with a few succinct and necessary adjustments to my personal life. This enabled to look at things with a clear eye and the amber soon followed again. All pieces I’ve found I’ve given away to a close friend on her 55th and then on the same night to an elderly lady out celebrating her 90 th with her 70 year old Daughter. A vital lesson taught me there is no need to aimlessly hang on to the semi precious resin as hoarding it doesn’t make sense or give enjoyment so enjoying giving it to strangers is as rewardingSo, that was over a week ago and with two decent frosts, and winter just about here,two and a half relatively dry days have been cast aside and even the Deben Peninsula with it’s quite unique weather patterns and temperate climate is under an inch or more of rain this morning. I’m up with the lark for many reasons. My life is much more complex simply than it has ever been. I’ve had a restless sleepless night.
The party is over for the winter gardener yesterday’s mild weather has been replaced by torrential rain ☔️.
My awareness through the night first of the pitter patter tap tap of the open chords of rainfall was sharpened by my own current anxieties. I can’t speak of them all but I’m relaxed 😎 usual old Sam horizontal laid back but something was lost yesterday.
Two songs stuck in my mind this morning morning to most is 6:30 as light begins thinking about presenting itself on the next hour or so.
The other song wasZZTop I need you tonight quite fitting as the lyric “it’s three o’clock in the morning and the rain begins to fall”.
It’s not the title of the Eagles Ballard Wasted Time, that grabs me, but the magnificent pitch of the lyrics hugely reflective and sung with operatic concert authority. It’s sheer energy captivates me, lifts me up and makes my heart sing. Two issues have come to me, all men my age particularly those of us who covert the outdoor life have to be fully up to speed with all of our health Checks. We not at deaths door but over sixty means you are going gradually up the conveyor belt!
My particular concern and it’s not a huge one as I’m fit as a butchers dog who doesn’t feel great when they are at “their peak”. I’m not at my peak that was around thirty or so years ago. But at 61 I’m doing well. Wanting to pee on a regular basis is not on the face of a huge cause for concern but wanting to pee again straight after is and struggling make it can also cause issues even to the outdoor man.
So to nip things in the bud I booked up pronto. Last week I went on a wonderful day out in the Suffolk countryside way up the Deben valley into Sutton Hoo country with a dear friend who’d really looked out for me this summer. Jackie is an avid walker and on one of her route marches which took in Felixstowe ferry, she called in on me at my magnificent houseboat temporarily my shelter for three days on the magnificent mudflats straddling the entrance to the Deben a time capsule would have put you in pole position to see the forefathers of this land row and sail up the river Deben in search of the mystical Sutton Hoo Valley where the conquering kings of this great land would be buried in their longboat stuffed with treasures for the next life.
So last Monday we were walking through Rendlesham Forest and Butley wood en route to the great oak woods Staveton Thicks where there are many many row upon row of four hundred year old nobbly oak trees. I say “Nobbly” because each and every one of them were pollarded. It was a breathtaking sight row upon row of old woods and if I ever work for a film location company, this is one Suffolk secret I’d keep Stumn on. So the significance of this walk in the woods with my dear friend Jackie an accomplished walker? Every mile and I mean each and every one of those six miles involved me stopping for a pee. I made rather light of it but knew this wasn’t me and I wasn’t really enjoying calling a pee stop every twelve minutes. Open land was a nightmare and while I took in this beautiful walk and all that it had to offer spotting jays birds of prey long tailed tits great and blue and hearing many more and seeing a multitude of wildlife I knew I had a problem which needed looking into. It came exactly one week later and of course poo 💩 came into the conversation with my GP. Somehow be it ten year old horse manure or good old compost on a myriad no dig beds that I’m aiming to maintain through my burgeoning “ cafe Ole “ scheme Poo is never far from my conversation. Something is up Dave but we need to check for a far few things. Despite my fitness I’m aware you can be that fit as a butcher’s dog person and still fall foul of the worst ailments but I’ve been pretty on good form since January when I had a bad chest infection and I have a very healthy appetite I had no idea what a Digital Rectal Examination and like an innocent cat at the vets o was rather bright eyed and bushy tailed and fearless when my GP explained what it entailed and it necessity. But it still came as a shock and very alien feeling as the probe probably her middle finger was inserted into my Anus all the jokes she’d heard before so I offered none. Except when she asked if I’d like a chaperone I replied “no would you like one?”. It was very professional and silent save for a quiet tiny whelp and what women go through with smears regularly and childbirth mean I am but a softee in the range of intimate medical exam. There may be a slight reaction to this intrusion and a squeaky squishy bum is I guess the least of my worries and the ensuing runs I’m not sure about but I’m looking into it. Much much more pertinent was the crushing news of the suicide of a good friend. A young mother who’d slid into a terrifying spiral of depression and anxiety took her own life last week and I’d bumped into her Buddy Russell a fellow care worker who I’d gone through school with in Ipswich. He was devastated and like anyone close to someone who fails to find a way out back to fitness and happiness there are always always the nagging guilt ridden questions you ask they never go away I’m afraid and this poor mother was riding in my car with her young son their house backs on to the allotment job I’ve been doing for ever now in old Felixstowe.It’ll be a masterpiece when I’ve done but the owner will be relieved to get it back.
Even giving her a lift in the Land Rover along with her son was fraught with worry and anxiety and although the motor is a mess, the little lad enjoyed being high off the road in a Landy. It’s the next best thing to a tractor with most contents inside you’d expect to find in a field too! When I dropped them off the boy ran into the house and was straight on the sofa with his mobile phone. But an hour later my friend called me and asked if I could search the landy for his phone because neither of them could find it. I recalled seeing him with I told her but to be sure I agreed to go through the car ( no mean feat such is it’s untidiness) I reassured her again and said it would turn up at home. It did eventually but not for a few hours and I understood the complexities of anxiety, but not clearly the huge depth of my dear friends despair. The news came yesterday at the end of a productive working day and I took Hugo the landlords German pointer where I currently live out to the shop at Levington. The Guinness was lovely and as always just like my dear Labrador wellington ( who I no longer see at all
) I sat alone and smile at Hugo’s many admirers but I wasn’t holding court and no one got my eyes 👀.
Home last night and I’ve left my rotovator in the field uncovered it’ll dry eventually but hopefully we’ll get back to relatively dry come Friday and I can hand back the plot to my boss.
Jackie bless her takes an organised group on what will be a demanding hike in this weather but they are all waterproofed up even I am considering putting on a pair of Rohan leggings for the first time this year to cover my legs for work. I said I’m considering it not doing it!! So I’ve got a stool kit but a sample is not viable just now. I’ll try and get solid again with breakfast and plenty of fluids. Im giving myself a massive reduction in the Guinness glass pints of tea Im known to be rather partial to, famed for actually. I’ve found an illustrative artist to work with me on my book an Anthology of my poems that I’ve made this summer since June. She is young and highly talented and has already read through a quarter of my poetry.
Tomorrow we will both go along to a first meeting with the publisher and printer. The entire team and the whole project is in house I am even going to do some manual work for the owner to cover all the costs of printing production promotion everything. I don’t want greedy middlemen involved at this stage or any stage to be fair the bookmarking industry is broken as fair as I can tell and my experience with a local bookseller an independent one told me I can promote and do everything around my book myself as he wanted 40% even though I have already decided 10% would be going to the homeless charity SHELTER. “Oh, we can just pass my additional costs on to the customer!” he arrogantly told me. “ No you can’t,
and I won’t be selling my book in your shop thank you bye!!” My first forage into capitalism was over! I resolved to find another way…
Meanwhile I was wide awake at theee am this morning and indeed for most of the night I’m not worried about my prostrate overly it can worry about itself. But I feel deflated over the loss of the girl I couldn’t help. We weren’t particularly close but we were friends and I strived to help her when I could. We’d both attended Russell and his twin brothers 60 th birthday party in Ipswich and our mutual friend was there to say she was racing away and fit and full of life would be an understatement. She arrived later than me some feat and left the party early in search of more excitement in Ipswich town centre on a Saturday night. She was on top of her game and looking forward to a new challenge running a cafe in the surrounding villages to Felixstowe on one of our many greens leaving the comfort of her care home job and also moving out of town to old town was the seat of her worries. I can only wish she has some peace now.
It raining and it’s time to drink some Robinson’s or something healthy and probably decaf tea and eat toast then think about breakfast the storm really is raging but Hugo wants feeding and walking. If the sea is calm later I’m going to swim for the first time this month. I’m alive and lucky 🍀 and I count my blessings each and every day…I’ll put both songs in on my next post I cannot imagine anyone reading this lengthy epistle, but delve into these waters and occasionally you find pearls.
Keep fit and healthy Sam and keep getting those regular checks from your Doctor. You know your own body so never take no for an answer get all the tests you can
My husband beat stage 3 bowel cancer 8 years ago but you can never say it will never return so regular checks are essential. Thankfully after a recent scare he has had a good result but stress and worry made him very ill, he’s getting back to his old self now and we are looking forward to Christmas with the Grandkids. Great Thread..I don’t know where you find the time to write all this, you are amazing Sam 👏
JacThings turn out best for those who make the best of how things turn out...Thank you Viking and Triptych.
A good day yesterday but leaves which I’m clearing all the time can be a bane, but nothing goes to waste I’ve taken two big bags of them to the “ leafman of Felixstowe “. This gentleman is a fellow allotmenteer at my old site and as a fisherman and an organic gardener (no dig too) we have a lot in common and get on well. He has a huge leaf store on his plot using corrugated metal sheets for supports and carpet for insulation.
After a couple of years he has beautiful compost as black as your hat 🎩. I’m in the process of setting one up on waste ground by one of my regular jobs until then I take excess leaves to him as he collects his leaves by bicycle too my three or four builder’s bags multiplies his stores quickly and he’s most appreciative. He gives sound advice and I always listen. Like typical Suffolk fellows,we do like to chew the cud and the time flies by when we converse.
But no time to talk today two jobs then this afternoon myself and my illustrator or going to meet my publisher/ printer to iron out what’s needed to get my book off the press and into people’s hands.
My illustrator is a third year art student and multi talented and I’m looking forward eagerly to this meeting.
There is time I think in between my work to head down to Amber beach a ten minute stroll after sunset gave me three pieces washed up and “stranded” in the abundance of green seaweed. Todays usual in the sunlight should be even better. I’m feeling much much better today and am off the tea but taking on lots of fluids and pleased to be feeling so good the sun is shining strongly and although another hard frost it is warm.
All three pieces already had “ homes” lined up. I’d promised Becky Kirstie and a newly married couple Lena and Vicky holidaying in Felixstowe in a beautiful Winnebago on their Honeymoon a piece of Amber as soon as I’d found it. I’d also read the happy couple “ The perfect Rose 🌹 too and it was great to see in their eyes too people so happy and so much in love.
Finding the amber and not unduly holding on to it is both sensible and rewarding. It is also incredibly therapeutic to me.
In gardening you discover something new each and every day and life should mirror that learning and discovery process.
Tomorrow is another big day and it’s my day in the sticks volunteer gardening at Helmingham Hall. I’ve reserved time off work to be there so all jobs have to be spot on by end of play today.That’s me read all your reports now Dave, it;s just brillient stuff
Not just that, I thoroughly enjoyed your spats, telling the bookmaker where to
shove his 40%. I had a good laugh at that. Here’s hoping all your tests come back
and are as clean as a whistle;I hope all goes well at Helmingham Hall, I know you love the place.
All the very best as always
Your good pal
G.Morning Graham you’ve not quite read it all I’ve edited my latest posta little as there was a little more to write about finding amber and how giving the forty million years old relic to the next good person is much more rewarding than hanging on to it like Scrooge or Gollam!!
Good to be back in touch with old friend(s) and it is also to be back in the tree 🌲. They are comprehensive yet fleeting visits which I enjoy immensely almost as much as my poetry and prose.
Yes forty percent he actually sounds like a bookie from those dark days! But of course he’s a bookseller!!
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