Sunday 29 June 2008

Stick your own...


This morning, Mrs S and I took JRT for a long stroll in the woods, as we usually do on a Sunday.
About this time of year, we have pangs for the cherry season, and we deliberately avoid buying them before, when they seem to come from Uzbeckistan or perhaps Cuba, because, where we live, there are cherry trees coming out of our ears, and they are beginning to look great in the local orchards.
So after the walk in the woods, at about 9.30am, we decided to pop down to one of the local farm shops for a cherry panic-buying spree...
After a few miles, we had passed three stalls, all closed, and had people waiting outside. The garden shop was open but only sold them loose and they were looking pretty much like they were last week's old tat. The next two roadside stalls were shut too!
So we said "sod 'em" (actually we said "F*** 'em", but this is a family show...), and went home to pick our own wild strawberries, raspberries and blackcurrants and that's what happens when lazy sods can't be arsed to get up early on a warm day in the best season of the year, and sell their own crops for what they want to charge. We'd have happily paid a few quid to get the fresh stuff, and the season is only a few weeks long.
No wonder the supermarkets get them by the throat.

16 comments:

Anonymous said...

P'raps elfun safety won't let them open on Sunday - you know, the avoid the danger of, like, getting customers and stuff. How fratefully annoying for you!

PS: Hope you managed to get the dents in your car sorted out. (viz Mr L's place)

Electro-Kevin said...

People are being turned into automatons by modern life.

None more than me, I'm afraid.

Daisy said...

i remember going out and picking berries when i was young...unfortunately because of progress...those places are now condos...are we really progressing?

Sen. C.R.O'Blene said...

'fternoon Taters...

Elfun safety definitely it ain't! What with petrol at one zillion splonders a pint, and JRT (and Mrs S) wanting to get home, the whole debacle was an absoute suicide mission just waiting for a press of the switch!

No blasted cherries! In Kent! In June!

Thanks for solace on said dents in Company Pork Cajun Sports van. I'd rather have them than Trubes getting cross with me; I know it makes sense...

Lakers has started a huge debate which I will now forget forever...

Sen. C.R.O'Blene said...

Elecs; you can hardly say you're an automaton; everyone knows you're not!

It's only those you don't hear about which are, and we're all the better for it.

Sen. C.R.O'Blene said...

Daisers, you are luckier because you can get blueberries much cheaper than we can over here!

I have to admit that I've never picked a condo before - it must be my age...

Tuscan Tony said...

Fruit round here are like Opsprey nests - one does not let on where they are, lest tiny Tuscan paws untimely rip them from their moorings.

lilith said...

I know Scrobs, we've had no apples in Somerset in October. Bizarre.

TT, it's only a matter of time before they come back looking like they've been chewing on beetroot with tummy ache...and the aftermath....fun fun fun!

Sen. C.R.O'Blene said...

Tuscs, No grapes round there then? We had one bunch on our vines this year, and some blasted insect has finished them off already!

Agree about hiding them though, I've got a favourite stretch of blackberry brambles which is on a private road to a water-works, and the gate's always locked.

When I get home, my hands look klike they've done ten rounds with Mike Tyson...

Sen. C.R.O'Blene said...

No apples Lils?

They used to pick cider apples with a shovel round here, until Tesco et al decided that all we needed was French Golden Delicious, so here, in Kent, we have to fight to get our local apples every time - hence the visit to farm shops - hence the strangled moan in above post!

Oh I hate Gordon Brown - and Ed Balls as well.

Daisy said...

scroblene...you do make me chuckle...thank you...and yes blueberries, blackberries, strawberries, raspberries are all very cheap here...actually i used to grow strawberries and blackberries...i had all i wanted...for free :)

Electro-Kevin said...

Did you hear about the pick-your-own strawberry farmer ?

Fat people going onto his farm with bowls and cartons of cream and stuffing themselves silly ???

So he's stopped doing it as it has become economically unsustainable.

Personally I think he should employ Eastern Europeans ...

... to kidnap and beat the thieving fuckers.

Sen. C.R.O'Blene said...

Elecs - that's marvellous!

There was an article on TV recently about thieving from allotments, which is becoming a problem.

Isn't it strange that the sort of people who nick vegetables from some poor bloke who's worked hard all year, are the same breed who wouldn't go near anything healthy unless it had been deep fried with lard.

Daisy said...

scroblene...went out and picked some blackberries yesterday and made a pie...thought of you :)

Sen. C.R.O'Blene said...

Daisers..

I think you're an even lovelier lady for that!

Anonymous said...

Elfun Safety just phoned to say you are forbiddden to pick raspberries (like what I used to grow thousands of in my garden and deep freeze them for dessert on Christmas Day) as the thorns are considered highly dangerous. You may of course choose to ignore these berks at your peril.