August is the month for dusting off the jam pan. So far the apples have started landing regularly on the lawn. Rather than waste these early fruits they have been transformed into ‘Spiced Apple Jelly’ with just a hint of the old favourite – Chilli! Without a greenhouse at the moment the chillies are slow and few, but the next project, since there are apples a plenty on the tree, is an apple press, it seems the best way to construct one is with a bottle jack and some stout timber, both of which are lying around in the shed! Whether cider is attempted or not rather depends on the juice – it might get drunk too quickly!
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Slow Sunday

Today is slow Sunday, a Resurgence phenomenon. Happily (for those able to go) it coincides with the Resurgence readers weekend – funny that! I’m not one of the lucky ones, instead we are preparing slow food and gearing up to run away to the wilds of the north west (wales.) The literary companion of the week is ‘Thirty Miles’ a book written around food sourced thirty miles from Aberdaron where Ian Walker – a chef stayed and browsed to local cuisine. Happily it mentions old friends, organic gardeners we knew when living there. – (but misses out Chalkies cheese – shame!)

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Last day in rural life!

The performance of ‘Jesus in the boot’ went down so well at Gladestry that we get a second engagement at Garth Primary School this school is larger and has a dedicated hall for assembly and lunch. The children were evidently overawed by our presence as they sat quietly through the song ‘Amarillo’, but enjoyed the performance of ‘Jesus in the boot’ After this we visited a project which was helped in its initiation by PAVO, Llanwrtyd and district Community Transport project. The project has been funded by the National lottery, Welsh Assembly Government and Powys County Council, but the funding for community transport schemes for the whole of Wales has recently been cut in half to £45,000. The project is only able to continue to run by getting contracts from the council and others business users. Arriva Trains has used this service to carry stranded passengers at short notice to their destination. Transport it seems, is one of the most emotive issues for rural life, it can be the difference between life and death. Across the road from the garage is the local community centre. An old church hall renovated for use by all of the community is home once [...]

August

writing on…

People and Places

Slow Sunday

Random College Entry

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