Going Up In the World (Safely), He is Hilarious He’s My Brother, Plum In Your Mouth, Fit For Purpose & Clever Cuckoo

Taken from Lynne’s weekly column ‘Green Scene’ for the Western Mail
4^th September 2021

Going Up In the World (Safely)

It’s ‘ladder time’ of year as hedges and some large shrubs are in need of a bit of TLC. I’ve never been a great fan of going up a ladder, especially step ladders, but since I’ve had my Henchman tripod ladder I’m volunteering to go to greater heights.  All three legs of my Henchman tripod are adjustable (not all are) making it incredibly safe and sturdy.  It’s also lovely and light to move around, and it’s now an absolute pleasure to have to go up a ladder – it also means if you’re the one up the ladder, you are not on the ground clearing up.  Top tip.

My brother has an 8ft version of the same ladder, but I opted for the 6ft one as that’s lofty enough for me. I think any higher than that and someone else can do the job – and I’ll clear up.

A shocking amount of ladder related accidents happen each year.  As www.brownsladders.co.uk advise on their website, ‘Falls from ladders account for an average of 14 deaths per year.  According to HSE statistics, falls from ladders account for almost a third of all injuries and cost the UK economy £60 million every year, as well as being the number one cause of workplaces deaths.’

Browns Ladders have a great range of ladders ‘for all occasions’ (although for gardening I think the fully adjustable tripod one is absolutely the best) and are a great company to deal with – you can even get to speak to a person.  Tel: 01282 615 517.

He is Hilarious, He’s My Brother

This week’s witticism from my brother came as I unloaded my Henchman from my truck. He asked, “Is that your step ladder – or your real ladder?”

Plum In Your Mouth

There is a noticeable lack of apples in the orchards this year, but whilst nature hasn’t given a toffee about the apples she has certainly been banging the plum drum.  The plum trees are laden with fruit and I have been supporting some of the more vulnerable boughs with wooden braces to avoid the branches splitting away from the tree trunks under the extra weight of fruit.

Plums are mostly associated with sweet recipes and dishes but there are a number of delicious savoury dishes that can utilise them too.  A friend makes a gorgeous pizza with a goats cheese and plum topping, plums can be included in Chinese favourites like sweet and sour chicken (or Quorn), and I use mine chopped up in a salad with fried Halloumi.  Plum and ginger chutney is delicious and do have a look for membrillo and plum fruit leather recipes.  Membrillo is a bit like a very set and firm sweet jelly to go with cheese. It’s more usually made with quince and is often and confusingly referred to as a ‘cheese’ itself.  Plum fruit leather is much more palatable than it sounds and is a lovely healthy snack. It can also be used to add flavour to stews and soups. And of course there’s plum gin – I think a glut of plums could be ‘just the tonic’.

Fit For Purpose

Funny how life goes.  12 years ago I designed and created The Really Fit Garden for the RHS Cardiff Show. As well as including bespoke outdoor fitness equipment, we showcased how you could use different things in the garden to help you keep fit.  Following the show garden’s success, I went on to work with the WAG to create outdoor fitness trials at a variety of locations throughout Wales to promote keeping fit outdoors.

An essential part of any exercise is stretching – something I have also learned in the last 12 years. I now always insisted on stretching before starting work – much to the amusement of any lads on site.  If you watch your dog when they get up from resting, they will instinctively stretch before doing anything else. We can learn a lot from our four legged friends. Although I also know a ‘mature’, well known vegetable grower who does the same.

I am still a huge advocate for exercising outdoors in the fresh air whenever possible, although research shows that 53.3% of UK consumers bought workout products to use in ‘home gyms’ since the pandemic began.  I suspect most of the kettle bells are now being used as doorstops.

Anyway, fast forward 12 years from my medal-winning Really Fit Show Garden and I am actually going to college to get qualified in fitness instruction and personal training.

Lots of people have retrained as a result of the pandemic and whilst I never expected to be one of those people I’m really looking forward to it. I will be attending Usk College (part of Coleg Gwent) part time so it won’t be too disruptive to my work and other commitments.  Although I am looking forward to learning something new and a couple of days a week in the warm and dry, I was slightly apprehensive about going into a college and peopley environment.  Let’s face it I couldn’t wait to leave education at 17. I needn’t have worried, the staff at the college have been absolutely amazing – hugely supportive and helpful – even when I couldn’t manage to log into my own student account.  I did wonder if it was a test and it proved I was too stupid to actually do the course, but after a reassuring phone call it obviously wasn’t the case.

I begin the courses on the 14^th and there is actually still time to sign up if you are interested. There are still a few spaces left for the YMCA level 2 fitness instructing, which is a FREE (yes, free as in nothing to pay) 34 week course starting next week. The course also includes additional awards in instructing circuit training and indoor cycling.  The college also offers several short courses in fitness, some of which also have a few spaces left.

For more details contact cerys.rees@coleggwent.ac.uk or Christine.jenkins@coleggwent.ac.uk

Clever Cuckoo

So we are now in meteorological autumn.  As a kid I couldn’t understand why August wasn’t an autumn month as the first two letters suggest.  An ‘oversight’ according to my dad.

Although August definitely felt more like autumn than summer this year.  Even the cuckoo, who arrived late, returned to west Africa early having had enough of the cold weather.

If it’s any consolation, the astronomical autumn starts even later – the 22^nd of September this year.  So technically the ‘astronomical’ amongst us still have a few weeks of summer left to enjoy.  Try telling the cuckoo that.