Taken from Lynne’s weekly column ‘Green Scene’ for the Western Mail
12th August 2023
Summer of Discontent
One of my favourite books was written by two local authors, Robert Penn and Antony Woodward. ‘The Wrong Kind of Snow’ chronicles the most amazing weather history in diary form and being obsessed with the weather, I find myself referring to it often to see how ‘mad’ the weather was years ago, not just now.
The summer of 1956 was deemed one of the worst since weather records began with continuous rainfall and gales in southern England taking lives of people and established trees. August Bank Holiday of that year also recorded 4 feet (1.2 metres) of hail fall in Tunbridge Wells.
So maybe this summer isn’t so bad after all – though let’s see what the Bank Holiday delivers!
Weed ’em and Reap
The Anglo-Saxons called August ‘Weod Monath’ meaning Weed Month, as it is the month where weeds grow the quickest. I’m not sure I entirely agree, I think they have exceeded the ‘weed limit’ for most of the spring and summer. But it is probably the month that they’re all going to seed the quickest so it’s worth trying to pull them up before they explode and create next year’s chores. As the saying goes, ‘one year’s seed equals 7 years weed’.
Similarly, lots of herbaceous plants will be setting seed now and if you don’t want them to multiply then simply deadhead before they drop their seed, or gather the seed heads to dry and simply sow where you want them to grow as opposed to letting them self seed in paths and patios. Spending time removing seed-heads now will save you a lot more time weeding next year. Little envelopes of hand-gathered seeds also make lovely little gifts, and you can seed-swap with friends and neighbours.
‘Saving seeds’ seems to have gone out of fashion. As a child I remember watching an elderly neighbour saving the ‘pips’ out of her tomato salad. She would carefully remove the gelatinous coating before putting the ‘naked’ seeds to dry on paper and saving them to sow the following year. It’s a fantastic memory to have.
The gel that coats the tomato seeds contains a germination inhibitor to ensure the seeds don’t sprout prematurely. A fruit that has fallen to the ground will naturally ferment and dissolve that gel organically. How clever is that?
Sweet Memories
Another fabulous memory I was reminded of whilst picking my sweet peas last week, was the young lad who had grown his own scented flowers for a competition I was judging.
Getting a little frustrated when he couldn’t recall the name of the flowers, he blurted out, ‘I know – sweet beans’.
I have referred to them as that ever since.
And don’t forget to keep picking your ‘sweet beans’ to ensure continued flowering. If you let them go to seed, they will think their work is done and stop flowering.
Bog Standard
With all the ‘summer rain’ we’ve had there should be a good depth of ‘bog’ for the annual World Bog Snorkelling Championships at Llanwrtyd Wells on the 27th August. Described by Lonely Planet as ‘one of the top 50 must do’s’, the renowned Welsh event attracts around nearly 200 entrants from Australia, Belgium, Canada, China, Eire, Finland, Poland, South Africa and USA to Waen Rhydd bog on the outskirts of Llanwrtyd Wells.
The bizarre bog event was created back in 1985, by a few fellas drinking in the Neward Arms, and discussing ideas to raise money for charity. They came up with the idea of digging a trench in their local bog and timing people to swim up and down it – as you do! The first event nearly, 40 years ago, was attended by just a handful of curious people. It has since developed to include a Bog Triathlon, which takes place on the Saturday before the Bog Snorkelling Championships. It consists of an 8-mile run, followed by a 12-mile Mountain Bike ride, followed by a 60 yd (one length) bog snorkel. There is also a ‘bite-size’ Triathlon consisting of a 3-mile run, followed by a 6-mile Mountain Bike ride, followed by a 60 yd bog snorkel for those who just want to ‘dip their toe’ in the muddy madness.
And then on the Sunday it’s the turn of the renowned event, where competitors are required to paddle or swim (you are not allowed to use your arms) around 60 metres in a peaty ditch. Snorkels, masks and flippers are provided or you can bring your own and fancy dress has become a popular option too.
The current (and 3 times) World Champion and World Record holder is Neil Rutter, who achieved a time of 1 minute 18.82 seconds in 2018. I was intrigued as to how you would train for the event and found that Neil generously shares his tips on a podcast, “It’s all about good leg strength and the secret is to swim in a straight line. The first time I competed I probably swam 10 metres more than I needed to by bumping into the bank all the time. When I was invited back to defend my title, I went down to the local lake and just started closing my eyes and trying to aim for a buoy in the distance. The first time I tried it, I thought I’m not going to look at all I’m gonna swim 50 kicks and I’m gonna open my eyes and see where I am. I swam this giant arc and I was like where’s the buoy gone? Ah the buoys over there. In terms of actual hours, there’s not a great deal of time gone into it. It was more a case of can I swim in a straight line and maintain my leg strength.”
So now you know – just in case you want to hone your bog snorkelling skills before the end of the month. And if you are still keen, apparently the rules are:
- You get one of two bogs assigned at registration – this is not negotiable.
- You must snorkel 2 lengths of the bog (110 meters in total – although I’m sure it used to be 60 yards/metres) and touch the turn post above the water level.
- You are only allowed to swim ‘soggy paddle’ with arms, no breaststroke or front crawl.
- You must swim with your face in the water but can look occasionally to adjust direction.
- You may use fins but no mono-fins.
- You can’t use webbed gloves or full face snorkel masks.
- If you are slower than 2 minutes for the first length of the bog, you cannot continue to do the second length.
- Fancy dress is optional but encouraged.
Online entries close next weekend but I am assured that you can still enter on the day. The site is signposted from the town for those who don’t mind about a mile walk, and there is also a shuttle bus running from the town square to the bog and back throughout the day, beginning soon after 9.00 am for a 10.00 am start. There are food and drink stalls, crafts, a bouncy castle, live music and a real ale and cider bar on the site, so there’s lots to do even if you don’t fancy getting ‘bogged down’. Entry fees are £20 for over 16 year olds and £12 for under 16’s.
For category details and online entries go to https://www.green-events.co.uk/?wbs_main
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