Kitchen Garden Forum

Dear Johnboy, just in case you have a look on the forum today, may I wish you a very Happy Birthday indeed.

Keep safe....

Me also Johnboy.

A very happy birthday dear friend.

Happy Birthday. I see you did have a look to see if we remembered, of course we did and the early risers were in time. Pity you can't have one of trips out with the family. Keep safe and well!

Many happy returns JB, hope you have a good day, and the sun shines for you.

Many Happy Returns Johnboy. Hope you're keeping safe and well and having an indulgent day,

Goodness Johnboy - got the '9' in front of your age! Many, many congrats!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY! Might as well aim for the '1' again in front!

Dear OH,
Although I went down to read only I read almost every day and am happy that the forum which was my aim for many years was to get people interested in growing and assist those new to growing to get to understand what was needed. Because of my age and also my businesses and the Forum became too much for me. Now at 90 I am still working and began my growing in the middle of WW2 and now we are in another time of crisis. I actually think the this crisis in many ways is so much worse than the war. However yesterday I entered my 77th year a grower on my own account as my present from my Gandfather in 1943 was a pegged out a 60ft x 30ft plot in the corner of his old orchard. Well when it got to 100ft he said enough. My seed for my first crop of potatoes was to pick out smallish potatoes from the waste from and Italian prisoner of war camp destines for the swill to feed the pigs and these were King Edwards and these were too small to be peeled but ideal for seed. Tomato plants taken from the hundreds of seedlings from the local sewerage farm. My relations sent seed from Canada to my grandfather and he kindly shared with me. Dwarf French beans and several different brassicas seeds. So last night we opened a bottle of Bubbly and I toasted you all. Not much of a 90th birthday celebration but the cards and phone calls I got yesterday were amazing.
I thank you all for kindly remembering me on this occasion.
Sincerely,
JB.

Huge congratulations for yesterday, sorry I'm late.

Johnboy. You seem to be a bit off ahead of me , being in my 87 th year. Had half thought of giving my plot of 41 years up. But reading your letter you have spurred me on. In fact I feel a bit ashamed of thinking such thoughts.

Happy Birthday, Johnboy, belatedly but no less sincerely!

Dear Johnboy, you really have achieved so much in your life and especially in the field of horticulture. And personally, I can't thank you enough for your endless wealth of knowledge, that you have freely shared with not only me but, also the many members that have come and gone, over the years...yes, I know we haven't always seen eye to eye on every subject but, I really do hold you in the highest of esteem.
So i'm wishing you the best, not only for this year, but for many more to come...and I hope you are able to carry on doing what you are so good and still get lots of pleasure from it.

My kindest regards, OH.

Dear Johnboy, so lovely to read your memories in how you got started in growing. It seems that all those skills learnt so long ago are now needed again ins a somewhat different crisis. Fascinating to read about all your tomato seedlings from the sewage farm. I imagine getting any vegetable seeds during wartime was somewhat of a challenge I think those who enjoy growing vegetables will always rise to a challenge and find ways to doing things.
So keep on doing whatever youcan. We all need an incentive to get theough the current crisis and I think growing plants is more positive and productive than some of the other ways of relieving boredom which are currently being suggested to us.

Dear JB, wonderful to hear from you, Thankyou for taking the time to write us such a lovely letter. As Primrose says, fascinating to hear how things were done when times were hard. Wishing you another year of happy growing and harvesting. RP.

Johnboy, what a wonderful account, thank you for that. Well done and it is nice to hear from you.
Still running businesses, remarkable, you must love them. I relinquished work last year, at 62 but it would have been forced upon me this year anyway with the closedown of the live events, exhibition and theatre industry.
Many happy returns (belated).