Search found 1212 matches

by grahamhobbs
Sat Jun 14, 2014 10:22 pm
Forum: The ish Local - (Chat)
Topic: Where is everyone?New post section perhaps?
Replies: 45
Views: 20908

Re: Where is everyone?New post section perhaps?

Well I made it in. Tried numerous times on my iPad to post a reply but nine times out of ten i would just go around in a loop, logging in, going back to the topic and trying to post a reply but immediately asked to loggin in again, very frustrating.
by grahamhobbs
Tue Nov 13, 2012 6:49 pm
Forum: Allotments, Veg Patches and Container Gardening
Topic: Growing grapes for raisins
Replies: 8
Views: 5527

Re: Growing grapes for raisins

Diggernotdreamer, yes you no need some framework - a simple solution I have seen is a 9" pot with 3 bamboo canes about 4' long pushed in, with a plastic water pipe 'ring' formed at the top with holes in the bottom to accept the tops of the canes. The vines were then grown to this height and the...
by grahamhobbs
Tue Nov 13, 2012 5:42 pm
Forum: Allotments, Veg Patches and Container Gardening
Topic: Growing grapes for raisins
Replies: 8
Views: 5527

Re: Growing grapes for raisins

Safronsue, do you know what variety your grapes were? I understand that the grapes actually need to be reasonably sized and with good water content to start with. The main variety traditionally used is Thompsons Seedless, but there are newer seedless varieties suitable, Dovine, Flame, and Perlette. ...
by grahamhobbs
Tue Nov 13, 2012 5:33 pm
Forum: The ish Local - (Chat)
Topic: Neighbours
Replies: 6
Views: 3459

Re: Neighbours

Now that is a brilliant scheme and I hope he makes some nice rustic sourdough occasionally. As for the infamous French bureaucracy, I once went to the local town hall for our village in France to find out about a planning application. Although it was a reasonable sized village, there was one person ...
by grahamhobbs
Tue Nov 13, 2012 4:00 pm
Forum: Herbs and Vegetables
Topic: November salads
Replies: 1
Views: 2212

Re: November salads

Agree, especially the growing of lamb's lettuce. We were first introduced to it in France, foraged in the fields after the corn had been harvested. Now it just appears each year in our allotment and is an endless salad throughout the winter.
by grahamhobbs
Tue Nov 13, 2012 3:53 pm
Forum: Allotments, Veg Patches and Container Gardening
Topic: Growing grapes for raisins
Replies: 8
Views: 5527

Growing grapes for raisins

Haven't got space for a vineyard on my allotment, but have been thinking about growing seedless grapes to eat but also to mainly make into raisins. Thinking to grow them outside in pots, moving them into the polytunnel in late August (once the sweetcorn are out of the way) to give that extra bit of ...
by grahamhobbs
Thu Nov 08, 2012 6:06 pm
Forum: Bring back the Goodlife - and other Television and Radio related things
Topic: Food in England BBC tv
Replies: 9
Views: 18715

Re: Food in England BBC tv

Thanks, programme not that great, but link to her books very useful.
by grahamhobbs
Thu Nov 08, 2012 3:38 pm
Forum: But what can I do?
Topic: Alternative to double glazing
Replies: 11
Views: 11456

Re: Alternative to double glazing

I remember my friend years ago having padded curtains that instead of hanging from the top like blinds, were folded up (similar to the blinds shown) on the shelf below, they had thick walls so the shelf below the window was quite deep in most cases, so acting as a cushion during the day and were the...
by grahamhobbs
Thu Nov 08, 2012 3:30 pm
Forum: The ish Local - (Chat)
Topic: 39 steps to a better SELFSUFFICIENTish life
Replies: 28
Views: 12675

Re: 39 steps to a better SELFSUFFICIENTish life

Following on from the earlier post, what non-academic things should we teach young people? ......... I think we should teach them that practical skills are as important if not more important than academic things. I spent years learning academic subjects at school (and was very good at many of them,...
by grahamhobbs
Thu Nov 08, 2012 3:12 pm
Forum: How do I??
Topic: insulating a concrete floor.
Replies: 13
Views: 18863

Re: insulating a concrete floor.

If going for lino, which is sensible and cheap, I would at least put hardboard underneath. Again reasonably cheap and will add a little insulation (at least no draughts through floorboards) and will prevent the lino wearing out very quickly as the floorboards will inevitably show through otherwise. ...
by grahamhobbs
Tue Nov 06, 2012 12:41 pm
Forum: Allotments, Veg Patches and Container Gardening
Topic: Perpetual onions
Replies: 10
Views: 7704

Re: Perpetual onions

Odsox, I plant my onions at the beginning of March and lift them in August. This year it was the wettest and most dismal for many a long year, but my onions were fine and I expect them to keep until February or so. My shallots were however rubbish, with the majority rotten. So my experience seems to...
by grahamhobbs
Fri Oct 26, 2012 9:34 am
Forum: I read the news today, oh boy.
Topic: Argument for gun sports?
Replies: 28
Views: 15626

Re: Argument for gun sports?

The Riff Raff element wrote "I've never been on a driven shoot. For a start it's rather outside my price bracket and in any case I'm not sure it's exactly "real." I have, a 'wild' boar hunt in France, I didn't carry a gun I was just observing. It was in an enclosed woodland, obviously...
by grahamhobbs
Thu Oct 25, 2012 11:38 am
Forum: I read the news today, oh boy.
Topic: Argument for gun sports?
Replies: 28
Views: 15626

Re: Argument for gun sports?

"Hunting for food is perfectly aceptable. Its hunting for sport i strongly dissagree with. If you are going to kill an animal the least you can do it take it home and have it for dinner. Life should not be wasted." I completely agree with the sentiments but in practice whether it's the ric...
by grahamhobbs
Tue Oct 23, 2012 2:27 pm
Forum: I read the news today, oh boy.
Topic: Argument for gun sports?
Replies: 28
Views: 15626

Argument for gun sports?

Read in the paper today, that 13 people have been shot dead in the first month of the game shooting season in Italy. They didn't mention the number of deer, boar and small birds.
by grahamhobbs
Mon Oct 22, 2012 11:00 am
Forum: What's in the pot? Recipes and anything about Cooking
Topic: Well over 80 percent of the garlic sold worldwide comes from
Replies: 29
Views: 13898

Re: Well over 80 percent of the garlic sold worldwide comes

Ok, so who can grow a really good crop of garlic in the British Isles. This autumn I almost decided not to plant garlic. The cloves from my garlic are really too small to plant (it was a particularly bad year). But even in good years they are not that big and if they are not big, then the following ...