Coastal Gardening Society: September 2011

Friday 30 September 2011

Thursday 29 September 2011

Grand Parade and Wish Tower Eastbourne postcard 1929


photo copyright Coastal Gardening Society 2011

Again this postcard has no publisher or other details on it. The postmark is 4 am 12 July 1929 and Amelia tells Alf that the weather has been lovely, there's a nice breeze today and she's had a good rest.

The reason I've collected postcards all my life, is that they show changing landscapes, other parts of the world and a brief glimpse into past lives. As a resource for Coastal Gardening Society they could be quite useful in showing amenity horticulture by the sea, for example so I've donated all the seaside ones.

East Beach Bournemouth postcard July 1931


photo copyright Coastal Gardening Society 2011

There's no copyright or publisher information on this postcard sent 2.15PM 29 July 1931. Evidently, Bert and Ethel were going on a boat trip later that day, to Swanage. They wrote that the weather had been dull.

Children at Coastal Gardening Society events

I will have to check the wording of our own public liability insurance policy when I get it, but I am becoming aware that many policies don't cover children, should they be abused/injured by anyone within a club/association/society or anyone admitted to a club/association/society event. Worrying - Coastal Gardening Society cannot afford to be sued and neither can I.

Children can be a PITA. Running around screaming, having tantrums. If children cannot behave themselves in public they shouldn't be out there. I was walking around in the town centre of Ashford, Kent once and a kid of about 10 shot me in the face with a water pistol at close range and ran off, leaving me smelling of pond water.

If I can arrange an event or two specifically for children at a venue with child cover on behalf of Coastal Gardening Society then I will ie beach safari.

I do feel that children are the gardeners of the future.At RHS Wisley there were lots of school parties of young children having a fantastic time and I want to include them where possible but they shouldn't be allowed to destroy the enjoyment of a day out for everyone else and I'm not going to insist that all adults are CRB-checked to include children under insurance.

So not sure what will happen on that

Wednesday 28 September 2011

Mystery of the Folkestone Triangle

Day Trip to France

Next Summer..because my mother demands it. Talk on a ferry could work on a non-landing trip possibly. Maybe with dinner - SeaFrance does the best food bien entendu. Worth going just for the soupe aux poissons. Bring back Duty Free !

www.seafrance.com

Powell's of Portland

Powell's in Portland, Oregon is the biggest independent bookstore in the world and they ship worldwide too. I discovered them because I was watching an Entertainment Tonight interview on You Tube with R Pattz, aka Robert Pattinson aka Edward Cullen and he enthused. Have to say that if someone twisted an arm behind my back and said choose, I'd be Team Jackson because I like 100 Monkeys !!!

Anyway back to the books, I want to try putting Powell's bookshelves from the partner program on the website because I've used them myself and think they are good. In the meantime, here's the link www.powells.com

I'm really keen that Coastal Gardening Society should have principles, which is why I want to support charities with the public events. I'm not going to monetise this blog or have GoogleAds on the website either. I won't flog mailing lists and I won't recommend stuff I don't like/believe in. OK I'll get off the soapbox now..and yeah what is it with laundry detergents and French ? Persil = parsley in French yet the name remains the same in French supermarkets. Lidl stocks Formil, which means ant. How did someone decide ant was a good name for a washing powder? And what the heck had they been drinking ??

Craig Sheridan

CRAIG SHERIDAN MUSIC (TIMES CHANGE) - YouTube

CRAIG SHERIDAN MUSIC (TIMES CHANGE) - YouTube

This is Craig Sheridan who came to my notice via www.kentunsigned.com and he has agreed to do something with Coastal Gardening Society so we're looking at ideas. How cool is that ???
You can find Craig Sheridan (musician) on Facebook and he has his own website www.craigsheridan.com Seriously lurve Craig's music

Cote d'Azur pix

Good news, my mother has agreed to let Coastal Gardening Society have the copyright on all her 80s and 90s photographs of the Cote d'Azur which I will collect, sort to find suitable ones and scan.

Boulogne sur Mer trois

This was taken from the Captain's bridge leaving Boulogne - note French seagull. One time I complained about the red wine being too cold and the barman obviously thought: " I've got a right one here" and arranged for me to spend the journey to and from Boulogne on the bridge. The English Channel aka La Manche is surprisingly shallow in places and the route across has to navigate the world's busiest shipping lanes plus a huge number of wrecks and plenty of shallow bits. The captain rashly let me have a go at steering but since it became obvious that I didn't know Port from Starboard I didn't have much of a go, to avoid grounding on sandbanks.

If you are ever on a cross channel ferry and hear the announcement 'Point Echo' made over the PA system, this is to tell the crew and shop staff that they have to close the bars and pack up as 10 mins from port. Sometimes they just give a ping over the PA, it depends on the ship.

And yes a ferry is a ship because it has boats on it. If you are in or on a vessel without boats you're on a boat.

Arriving Folkestone August 1990, so this may be taken from a SeaCat. Many people hated these but I loved them. Folkestone to Boulogne in 55 mins meant being able to nip over for lunch :)

So hmm.. day trip to France, I shall investigate....

Boulogne sur Mer deux

Boulogne-sur-Mer 1990s and earlier


copyright Coastal Gardening Society 2011

This photo was taken in the 80s I would guess when I had a little 110 pocket camera and I think it's a Sealink ferry from Folkestone, which was the family's preferred route for day trips as you walk from ferry to town.

Taken with the same camera, this crane shows that some freight was still coming through the port.

For day trippers, this was the first cafe after negotiating the port, bridge and busy crossroads (to the left in the photo)

Tuesday 27 September 2011

Fishing at Samphire Hoe during visit 5 May 2012

I checked with my contact at Samphire Hoe and it's possible to park a reluctant partner to fish there, ticket payable at Samphire Hoe on the day from the Tea Kiosk. www.samphirehoe.com while you take the guided walk or even leave him/her (?) there all day to be picked up later.

Monday 26 September 2011

The five most haunted places of Romney Marsh, Kent - Romney Marsh Times

Trains, trains and whirly things

The fastest way to reach the coast from London, is to take a Hitachi Javelin train down High Speed One (HS1) from London St Pancras International to Folkestone Central.

For a complete contrast, if you get off the high speed service at Ashford International and cross to Platform 1, the Marsh Link train above will chug you across the wide open landscape of Romney Marsh, reclaimed from the sea. The two car diesel trains run by Southern can get quite busy on Thursday (market day in Rye) and on Summer weekends. If you wish you can go all the way to Brighton, or stop off at Eastbourne, Hastings, St Leonard's on Sea or Rye.

Here's the wind farm in Romney Marsh, taken from the Marsh Link train earlier this month.

Sadness

My father died a year ago last Wednesday and the idea of Coastal Gardening Society came about in July this year. So as I'm busily trying to fix up events at the moment I feel sad that Pa won't see them happen. I think he really would have enjoyed talking to me about the things and coming up with ideas.

Friday 23 September 2011

Beach Hut Picture - The Merchant Chandler

Coastal style ? The beach creeps in..

The framed photograph is of an old dredger in Boulogne harbour, framed by a shop in Rye.


photo copyright Coastal Gardening Society 2011, Country Living brand red/white stripe ticking photograph frame from K Mart in Sears International online sale.

photo copyright Coastal Gardening Society 2011, doll from Nouvelles Galeries, Nice

photo copyright Coastal Gardening Society 2011, Indonesian marble footed bowl, Laura Ashley; pebble collection blogger's

and yet more china..

Not sure this is all of it either ! I have a big thing for alfresco food and Provencale cuisine in particular.

Must look in the jug cupboard, have at least two I think.. one is shaped like a lemon !

Yes more china OMG

I think I have enough here for a buffet..

Mediterranean style china..

Mediterranean fiesta..

I'm thinking Mediterranean style coastal summer party.. yep, food is never far from my thoughts.. ratatouille..tian..herbes de Provence..soupe au pistou..gazpacho..olives..all that herby, garlicky, olive oily goodness..

Just so happens that I collect the china..


copyright Coastal Gardening Society 2011

Coastal Gardening Society