Sunday, April 15, 2012
Tulips
First visit to Hampton Court for a while today. Daffodils a little past their best but still plenty of life yet - and plenty of variety. One wonders how many varieties there are. But any shortcoming on the daffodil front was more than made up for by the mixed displays of tulips with spring bedding plants. Lots and lots of them - probably more than Polesden Lacey wheel out for their tulip festival. And I think I prefer this mixed display format. Pure tulip is all very well, particularly for the relatively short time when the tulips are at their best, but mixed gives the designer a bit more scope to show off his skill.
Sunken gardens and the privy garden were in good form with this last having lots of spots of bright colour added to the usual rhapsody on green. Furthermore, the privy garden seemed particularly animated today, with all the evergreen spikes and balls on stalks seeming to move around as their relative positions changed as one walked across the head of the garden.
We also came across a plaque to one Captain Sir Donald Gosling, RNR, generous donor of the golden jubilee fountain at the end of the long water. We were curious as to who he might be and it turned out that he was a if not the main man in National Car Parks. He had also served in the navy in the closing years of the war and has been heavily involved in navy flavoured good works since, in addition to fountains.
Back home to another go at cheese scones, with one left of the twelve as I type. I don't suppose it will last much longer, if for no other reason than their being a lot better fresh than the following morning. Long live the simple pleasures!
BH took her scones with a pale yellow margarine from what to me was an unappetising white tub called 'pure' with 'soya' in slightly smaller letters underneath. Closer inspection reveals that despite the 'goodness of soya for everyday enjoyment', the soya is enhanced with water, other vegetable oils and entirely natural flavours. Clever business the making up and packaging of food. Not too sure about the goodness either, given that Wikipedia points out that 'raw soybeans, including the immature green form, are toxic to humans, swine, chickens, and in fact, all monogastric animals'.
I have also renewed my acquaintance with digestive biscuits, part of working back up to wholemeal bread. As I recall, they used to be in favour with polar explorers as the things both kept and packed the calories in, being made with lard in those days. The ones we have now admit to regular flour, vegetable oil, wholemeal flour and sugar. So they will be OK for those of faiths which do not care for pig. But they do not taste quite like I had remembered: a bit dry and thin. Perhaps they will be better when the packet has been open for a bit and they have gone a little stale. Or perhaps the recipe has been changed, despite being called McVitie's originals.
Sunken gardens and the privy garden were in good form with this last having lots of spots of bright colour added to the usual rhapsody on green. Furthermore, the privy garden seemed particularly animated today, with all the evergreen spikes and balls on stalks seeming to move around as their relative positions changed as one walked across the head of the garden.
We also came across a plaque to one Captain Sir Donald Gosling, RNR, generous donor of the golden jubilee fountain at the end of the long water. We were curious as to who he might be and it turned out that he was a if not the main man in National Car Parks. He had also served in the navy in the closing years of the war and has been heavily involved in navy flavoured good works since, in addition to fountains.
Back home to another go at cheese scones, with one left of the twelve as I type. I don't suppose it will last much longer, if for no other reason than their being a lot better fresh than the following morning. Long live the simple pleasures!
BH took her scones with a pale yellow margarine from what to me was an unappetising white tub called 'pure' with 'soya' in slightly smaller letters underneath. Closer inspection reveals that despite the 'goodness of soya for everyday enjoyment', the soya is enhanced with water, other vegetable oils and entirely natural flavours. Clever business the making up and packaging of food. Not too sure about the goodness either, given that Wikipedia points out that 'raw soybeans, including the immature green form, are toxic to humans, swine, chickens, and in fact, all monogastric animals'.
I have also renewed my acquaintance with digestive biscuits, part of working back up to wholemeal bread. As I recall, they used to be in favour with polar explorers as the things both kept and packed the calories in, being made with lard in those days. The ones we have now admit to regular flour, vegetable oil, wholemeal flour and sugar. So they will be OK for those of faiths which do not care for pig. But they do not taste quite like I had remembered: a bit dry and thin. Perhaps they will be better when the packet has been open for a bit and they have gone a little stale. Or perhaps the recipe has been changed, despite being called McVitie's originals.
# posted by Jim @ 11:38 AM 
