The official video of the Heroes of She performing at the 02 is now up on the Muzu TV website- here’s the link- http://www.muzu.tv/liveandunsigned/heroes-of-she-heroes-of_she_o2_1-music-video/712137
Muzu TV have also compiled a chart of the best 5 acts in the Live and Unsigned Final- and the Heroes of She come in at No 3! This is what Muzu have to say:
“We feel that these bands have the chance to go the distance- so check them out!”
The video is good, but it doesn’t begin to capture the excitement, the energy and the amazing sound of the live performance. There’s only one thing for it- they’ll have to get another gig there.
Friday, July 23rd, 2010
Heroes of She at the 02
Saturday, July 17th, 2010
Slow Food’s Educational Mission
Catherine Gazzoli, who never wastes a single minute in any day, has recruited no fewer than three new assistants to help her in promoting Slow Food’s educational programme. They explained their mission in the very elegant surroundings of Prue Leith’s Cotswold home at Slow Food’s AGM today. Three missionaries are needed because one deals with tiny tots, one with school children and one with undergraduates. We were told that there is now firm scientific evidence that the food which a mother consumes during pregnancy can have lasting effects on a child’s well being and that this justifies a Slow Food campaign to educate expectant mothers on what they should or should not eat. The audience consisted mainly of “baby-boomers”, whose own mothers were blissfully unaware of ant of these strictures and who smoked and drank contentedly throughout their pregnancies. Ironically this is the same generation who are now accused of living too long and whose pensions are, apparently driving the country into bankruptcy as a result of their longevity. The same generation who have endured a succession of pious entreaties from the government as to what we should or should not eat, mostly to do with dairy products and animal fats, all of which has proved to be tosh. I’m sure that more than one member of the audience wondered whether the new “scientific” advice being handed out by Slow Food will suffer the dsame fate. “Good, clean and fair” is all I need to know.
The video show the Slow Food delegates enjoying a picnic lunch on the terrace in Prue Leith’s lovely garden.
Friday, July 16th, 2010
The Evesham Hotel
How does the owner of a 3 Star hotel make a go of it nowadays? In John Jenkinson’s case it’s by making sure that his guests never forget their stay. He owns the Evesham Hotel in Worcestershire. When I arrived after a five hour journey from Cumbria he greeted me wearing a duck tie- not a tie with a duck design on it, but a duck soft toy made into a tie. He grabbed my bags without asking ( a first in a 3 star hotel) and escorted me to my room, which was decorated in a “tropical fish” theme, which included a real aquarium under the basin in the bathroom. The key fob was a full sized teddy bear.
The whole hotel is quirky in a similar fashion and it was fun to stay in and I think it must be fun for the staff, as 14 of them have been there for more than 25 years. On this particular night there seemed to be more staff than guests, which may mean that fun comes at a price. But I’m sure that won’t worry the ebullient Mr Jenkinson one jot.
Thursday, July 15th, 2010
Our First Harvest of Cherries
Driving through the Kent countryside last week there were stalls every few hundred yards selling cherries, something you would never see in these parts. But even though growing conditions here in Cumbria aren’t ideal for cherries we’ve produced a very decent crop this year- our first. I planted the cherry trees three years ago, using dwarf rootstock, so that the trees won’t grow too large. The problem with most cherry trees is that, when they are mature, the crop can’t be harvested because it is out of reach, so it’s only good for the birds. Our small trees has branches which can be easily reached and which can also be netted easily if necessary. Which makes things easier for the Slow Life.
Wednesday, July 14th, 2010
Taking over the Sawry Hotel
The Sawrey Hotel is at Cuckoo Brow, about which Beatrix Potter wrote one of her tales, and although it calls itself a hotel, in reality its a pub with rooms, 19 of them. It has been serving beer for more than 300 years, the last 42 of them by the Brayshaw family, but from today by Dan Shrieber, who became the Landlord, in a joint venture with South Lakes Hotels. Soon after we had completed all the formalities of the purchase I got chatting with an elderly couple who were staying in the hotel. They told me that they had been coming to the Sawry Hotel for 55 years and stayed 8 times last year. I’m sure this makes them the Lake District’s most loyal customers- which says a lot for the Brayshaw family and gives Dan quite a lot to live up to.
Tuesday, July 13th, 2010
The first new potatoes
When I was a child I remember watching my grandfather sit down to a tea which consisted of nothing but new potatoes and butter. If the truth be told I thought this rather potty. I couldn’t have imagined that now I’m old enough to be a grandfather myself I’d be doing the exact same thing. I can now understand the pleasure which my grandfather got from digging the first new potatoes of the season, boiling them with a little salt and lots of mint and then eating them with no accompaniment at all except butter.
Saturday, July 10th, 2010
Heroes of She at the 02 Arena
It was a spectacular and triumphant night for the Heroes of She at the 02 Arena, where they performed an amazing set in the final of the Live and Unsigned competition. The panel of judges included Noddy Holder and Annie Nightingale who was the first female DJ on Radio one, and, since the death of John Peel, is the station’s longest serving broadcaster. Annie was asked if any of the acts stood out and she replied:
“I’m very impressed with the Heroes of She. They’ve really worked on their act. You can see them on the telly, I’m sure”.
The winners on the night though were The Lottery Winners, which is good news for us, as they are another band from the North West, who played with the Heroes of She in both the regional heats, when the two bands became good friends. They will almost certainly play a gig together soon, which is very good news.
Friday, July 9th, 2010
Great Dixter
If Christopher Lloyd wasn’t the greatest gardener of the last 50 years, he was certainly the greatest gardening writer. His writing was an inspiration to me long before I saw his garden at Great Dixter. I first got to know about the Echium Pininana from reading about it in a Christopher Lloyd book and straight away I ordered a packet of echium seeds. The echiums which I planted became some of the best plants in my garden and they now self-seed all over the place. When I last visited Great Dixter Christopher Lloyd was working away in the garden, as he did most days. I remember being rather surprised by how unkempt this famous garden was, but this didn’t worry the great man at all. These are some of the comments which he overheard while he was slaving away in the borders:
“You don’t know what a comfort it is for a gardener like me to see weeds in a garden like this”
“Did the owner die recently?”
“It must have been wonderful when the garden was kept up”.
Christopher Lloyd died four years ago and it’s good to see that the old adage that a garden dies with its owner doesn’t apply here. The place today is much as it was when I last visited, except that now it’s Fergus Garret working tirelessly away in the borders (in temperatures in the 90’s), no doubt wryly taking in what the tourists are saying, just as his old master did.
Tuesday, July 6th, 2010
Life in the Killing Fields
When I looked at the scene of desolation this February, after a miserably cold winter, I likened the scene to the Killing Fields. Someone suggested we put up a sign saying “In Memoriam. A Garden once existed here” Now, five months later it is difficult to imagine the despair we felt then- and in fact all of the main structural palnts and trees are not only alive but thriving. But below the big structural plants there have been many smaller casualties, among them a ten year old Dasylirion Serratifolium and an Aloe which made a lovely summer display as the picture above shows. There was no doubt about it, they had both copped it. At least, that is what I thought until today when I noticed tiny shoots emerging from the dead stems of the Aloe. Everything above the surface is dead, but the roots have survived and are throwing up new life. If I’d been a more diligent gardener I’d have thrown the lot away, months ago. As for the Dasylirion, no sign of life yet, but I think I’ll wait and see.
Monday, July 5th, 2010
Margaret rescues newborn ducklings
When I opened the bedroom curtains first thing this morning I heard a pitiful squalk from the duck which lives on our Japanese pool. I looked up and saw the duck watching plaintively as her newly born ducklings fell, one by one, over the infinity edge of the pool. The ducklings were too feeble to be able to swim against the gentle current and were being swept over the edge. This has happened before and we knew, although the poor duck didn’t, that the ducklings hadn’t fallen to their deaths, but had landed in the drainage channel just below the infinity edge. Margaret rushed out in her dressing gown and was able to fish the ducklings out and replace them safely in the pool. This video shows the ducklings swimming happily with their mother, an hour later, safely away from the edge.