[/quote]
And to Liverpool from Tryweryn and the drowned community of Capel Celyn.[/quote]

Sorry, Alan.... how could I forget that one!

......but we can't send London any of the water as all our rivers in west Wales flow into the Irish sea and not downhill to London. And I don't suppose Dublin is short on the wet stuff! Don't we already send it to Liverpool and Birmingham from Clwedog and Vyrnwy? London could have some if it would ...

Exactly the same as GL. Although I have recently purchased a fascinating book, on the recommendation of my daughter who makes the most amazing breads, called The Bread Baker's Apprentice, but have yet to make the time to try out the methods and the recipes Will have to wait until we are not quite so...

Many thanks to everyone for your replies. I have spent the day following JB's recipe for compost as we do have a copious supply of comfrey, nettles and grass cuttings to add to the mix. We also had a number of shrub casualties in the recent high winds, so those shreddings have gone in too. Hopefully...

Hi All, My garden is being overrun with cleavers (goosegrass/sticky willy). Having supplied piles of it to the neighbours for their horses, who love the stuff, we still have enough left to supply the cavalry. Is it OK to put it on the compost heap if it has not started to seed? Although, having said...

It has been like Piccadilly Circus here today! We heard a lot of noise which turned out to be 3 pairs of starlings with at least 4 chicks each, all hustling to be fed. They stayed a few minutes then it was the turn of the sparrows, again all clamouring to be fed, at least a dozen of them and then th...

Geoff, your swallows are way ahead of ours. My neighbour's pair also have young like yours, but our pair are still building their nest. We are still watching them to-ing and fro-ing collecting mud from the river bank and the nest is still wet. Hopefully it isn't too late for them to raise a brood.

Morning Baz, This does seem to be a common practise everywhere. Companies do seem to spend more effort trying to persuade people to sign up for things with what can only be described as bribes but once hooked they are forgotten. BT is a prime example; they are constantly offering reduced rates for n...

Certainly not here today. Alan Refail must be feeling it a bit. According to the wind weather chart the wind is gusting between 60-70 mph in his neck of the woods. We have a somewhat brisk (40+mph) south westerly that seems to be blowing the rain around us. But it has knocked the stuffing out of my ...

Door openers are a great idea, hadn't thought of that one. My polytunnel doors are the other way round.... plastic outer and mesh inner. The mesh inner has larger square holes (about 15 cm across) cut out across the top to allow pollinating insects in and out. I have not had any trouble leaving the ...

I have the soil miller and it works well on my clay soil but I have found that the soil needs to be damp to get good results, otherwise the hard dry clay just rattles around the miller. Also, I had sown two of my beds with green manure and was having real problems digging it in but the miller worked...

Hi Colin, most of my raised beds are protected with frames made from 2x1 roofing batten, a bit like small fruit cages, fixed to the sides. I use butterfly netting, bird netting or enviromesh depending on what I am trying to protect, and from what. The tops and end covers are fixed but the sides have...

I use a Rentokil Fly Killer pen on my windows in the kitchen which works really well, is invisible in use and relatively cheap. As long as you don't object to brushing up the dead bodies as they accumulate on the window sill. I get mine from my local hardware store. m A warm conservatory is a big at...

We have a very humane trap! This little critter got into the bird peanuts box and couldn't get out.

Diane.

Hi Alan, re the Welsh Onion Cake; I often cook something very similar as a supper dish with added chopped and lightly fried bacon in the onion layer and some very finely sliced celeriac mixed with the potato. John, I don't know how Alan would view this recipe for Welsh Cakes but they are always requ...