Forum Replies Created
- Posts
Gamble is not meant to be understood by mere mortals.
Who would be so foolish as to ask Picasso what made him paint that way?
Bit disappointing that they changed the release date last year from mid-September to mid-October, but looking forward to it all the same.
Channel 4’s first visit to Cheltenham is on 16 October, though this is overshadowed by Newmarket’s Champion Day.
Ha!
Good one, Phil!
Drone, my good man – it is surely evidence of a benign creator, that He/She/It giveth us Jumps racing throughout the winter, and gardening throughout the summer when there’s nothing else going on.
Your warning re the corn is noted. Thruth be told, I’m ready to hack the best one off, and eat it right now, but my father-in-law – who is well versed in such matters – has told me to leave it until Saturday a.m.
All good things come to those who wait, with any luck.
So far, we have had no grief with rats. The neighbours told us there was a frightful infestation a few years back, when the previous incumbents of our drum used the compost heap as a tipping ground for all manner of household waste. Fortunately, it was so bad that the exterminators were called in.
Presumably, these intelligent creatures have passed knowledge of the killing fields down through the generations, and they are giving my perch a body-swerve. Either that, or foxes eat rats, because that ginger ba*stard swans round the parish as if he pays the bleedin’ mortgage.
Oh yes – and sh*teloads of courgettes, lettuce, spinach, blueberries, rocket, coriander, dill, mint, oregano, chives and parsley.
Not updated this for a while – been too busy getting digitus verdus.
Fruit
Ok, so we’ve basically eaten all of the strawberries, but we have masses of brambles (been picking a new batch every night for a week now), and the plums on the little tree are now edible. The cider apples should be ready in a week or so, at which point we will borrow next-doors press and demijohn’s, and have a bash at making some hooch. The cheery tree was ransacked nightly by birds unknown. We’ve still got some more raspberries to come though the yield is not great, but given we’ll be knee-deep in brambles, it’s no great loss.Legumes
All the onions are now dug-up – about 20 each of white and red. purple-sprouting broccoli is massive, but no crop as yet – same with the butternut-squash. We’ve had copious amounts of mange-tout, French beans and broad beans, and 2/3 of the potato bed is now dug-up yielding about 8-10 large spuds per shaugh (sp?). We’ve had upmteen beetroots, and any number of carrots too – many of which wouldn’t look out of place in Bugs Bunny’s hip pocket. My pride of joy, however, is my corn. Six plants, seven-feet-tall, and as straight as an Amish bookie. We’ve lost a couple of cobs, but we probably have around 20 left that look in reasonable shape. We reckon another couple of weeks, and we’ll be able to pick one to test-drive.Greenhouse
We’ve had around 15 large cucumbers…ooer….from our two plants – one of which is now shagged-out (Ithink
that’s the technical term). Our six tomato plants – both cherry and normally-aspirated – are in great nick, and have started to field fruit We’ve seen more tom’s than an Al-Qaeda latrine over the last three weeks. Our three bell peppers all have fruit, as do the cayenne, lantern and jalapeno chilli’s – though none are ready for picking yet. The three aubergines are also in grand fettle, and we picked the first couple last week.
Throw in a complete overhaul of the compost heap (not quite finished, but getting there), cutting nearly 1/2 an acre of grass every two weeks with an ironically-named B&Q "self-propelled" mower, trimming about 250ft of hedge, and strimming and weeding the *******, I can honestly say I’ve never worked as hard in my mortal.
Top, top fun though, and highly recommended.
If I can figure out how to do it, I’ll try and add some before and after shots.
Prince Oui Oui in staying novice chases, though likely he’ll only run over here if someone uk or Irish-based buys him.
Favourite Racecourse?
Kelso
Favourite Race?No particular preference, but the Hennessey, the Totesport Trophy and the Coral Cup would all be up there
What sort of races do you prefer?National Hunt
Favourite Ever Jockey?T. R Dunwoody
Favourite Ever Horse?Remittance Man
First Racecourse you ever went to?Musselburgh
What you like about racing?The majesty of a really great steeplechaser, the bravery of horses involved at all levels, the intellectual puzzle that it provides, and the type of people you generally encounter.
What you dont like about racing?The Flat. We are still searching for the word which does my contempt justice.
Favourite ever Trainer?NJ Henderson
Favourite type of bet(if you do)?Win single
Favourite Ever Race Commentator?Holt when he’s on it – Hoiles all other times.
Favourite Other Sports?F1 racing for betting.
Best Race ever seen?2004 Tingle Creek – the greatest race of all time, imo
If you could improve racing and the racing experience by doing one thing what would it be?Establishment of a Tote betting exchange (and publication of horseweights after arrival at the track).
Heard any Laura Nyro GH?
Plenty on youtube
Similarities with King, not least the plaintive voice
I haven’t, Drone, but will make enquiries.
How long can a man hibernate for?
Not sure exactly. How many days are there between Punchestown and the Kerry National?
The fact that Alex Steedman is a Jambo, already fully qualifies him as a "first-class anchor".
I met Alex briefly with rory at Cheltenham in March, and Broomhouse tinker-ism apart, he was a thoroughly pleasant chap, with absolutely zero airs-and-graces about him – unlike delargy who, as you can probably imagine, was thoroughly hateful and snooty the entire time.
I realise this thread is about something else entirely, but no harm Cav knowing that the man behind the "racing personality" seemed perfectly human.
There has never been an online forum yet, where the Newbies didn’t feel a certain condescension from the Oldies. It’s the nature of the beast. What tends to happen is that the Newbies who stick around long enough eventually become Oldies, and will wander what all the fuss is about when the next batch of Newbies start posts like this.
What’s pretty-much encumbent on everyone, is to try and makes posts reasonably interesting…..or informative….or entertaining. These are the ultimate arbiters of a threads worth, and those that don’t deliver on at least one of them, tend to drift off the page fairly readily. Whilst endless "Jockey X is bent" posts don’t really help achieve the quality we would all like, they would only ever be moderated away if Corm thought the discussion placed TRF in a difficult spot – otherwise they are free to continue.
It’s the same with Oldie versus Newbie threads. Mildly entertaining in a spleen-venting way (as a Moderator, I’m compelled by Corm to don a blazer, flannels and a rather splendid false-moustace whenever I’m about to read one), but the arguments – for what they are – fizzle out quickly, as everyone gets to understand each other a little better…..or choose who they will and won’t ignore.
This thread is a seasonal storm-in-a-tea-cup – nothing more.
Now….will all the good guys please line up on the right, and all the wan*kers please line up on the left….so we know who everyone is. Ithangyew.
On a friends recommendation, I’ve recently tooled myself up with some Carole King.
I hadn’t realised how many genuinely excellent tunes she has written over the years, and she has a voice like a doleful angel spooning honey into my lug-hole.
I’m more than happy to pass on the recommendation.
