This is a new programme called the Munsters do a TV quiz. Not really! Kris Collins, Martyn Cox, me,Gavin McEwan and Jack Shamash did BBC2's Eggheads.
1. Went to Hampton Court Flower Show the other day. Couldn't get in because had the boy with me-no under 16s on build-up days. Did a nice Lego story you may see in papers. My garden idea also failed to get in. It was for a wildlife-friendly garden to attract foxes, badgers and squirrels. Somewhere for the fox to bask, the squirrel to climb and the badger to nuzzle. Despite Nick Clegg saying he wants to get rid of laws saying you have to report grey squirrels in your garden, wildlife -friendly gardens aren't really that popular in the current climate. Not that any gardeners did report their squirrels. They just trapped them.
2. Went to RHS Hampton Court launch at Gary Rhodes’ resto near Marble Arch the other day. Met two real horticulture types, Barry Locke, head gardener at Shakespeare Birthplace Trust and Jon Wheatley, who is building the half acre home grown feature at Hampton Court. Most of the hacks there were called Camilla. There was three chefs there but no food except the odd croissant that I put in my pocket.
3. I like Tom Turner’s gardening blog. He was at University of Greenwich landscape architecture show the other day. Peter Wilder gave a talk that seemed to dismiss landscape architects work up to this point as 'decorative', causing some consternation in the crowd. Good people there and well organised by student committee including Amber Wells who asked me. Dan Pearson was stuck in traffic and didn’t show to make his speech. Lots of people supplying Olympics there, some yet to announce formally. John Hopkins there too.
4. Went to Metropolitan Public Gardens Association event the same day-a contrast in its more old schoolness. Mark Lane from Buckingham Palace invited me. Lord Birkett is president.
5. Giles Coren said in Times the other day that food bloggers always use loads of pics but they look rubbish, like a café with pics of its grub in the window. Garden bloggers always use loads of pics and they look ok. It’s just the writing that sucks. And why do they all like cats so much?
6. Talking of Times, countryside/consumer editor Val Elliott is being made redundant. This is a shame as she writes well about gardening. Enviro editor Ben Webster has no interest. VE is not being replaced.
7. In Telegraph I was amused to see a turf story saying grass has gone brown. It then went though old HW stories ending up with Geoff Dixon’s piece published in HW last year and picked up by DT shortly after. DT readers love negative lawn stories.
8. Ursula Buchan: “This fair country of ours.” RHS mag. Beats: “you, dear reader.” Just.
9. “We’re being held hostage by foxes living in our garden” Evening Standard headline 28 June. Wimbledon lawyer says foxes in her garden mean she can’t go out. If you go out they will go away-that’s what I’d say. And if they don’t, then watch their lovely ways.
10. Butlins are holding a load of gigs. Kim Wilde headlines at Minehead on 5-8 November. The holiday camps are cashing in on the nu-folk boom at Skegness from 3 December with a bill that includes Kate Rusby, the Dylan Project, Sandi Thom and, er, Richard Digance. Is this too ironic for me? My colleague For Folk’s sake founder Lynn Roberts should have a word.
11. Monty Don mourned the loss of Mastercrafts and Dream farm at the Hay festival recently. He said MC is not going to be repeated or renewed and Dream farm will be “done without me”.
12. Alan Titchmarsh afternoon show attracted 301 complaints this year. He caused controversy in an item on sex toys. And one on violence in video games. Really.
13. Charles Spencer (pure theatrical Viagra man) filled a page in the Daily Telegraph with a visit to Kew recently. He said the tree top walkway was new *(was in 2008) and that Kew costs too much. And the lift doesn’t work. Thanks for those insights.
14. Sean Bean would like to be a landscape gardener if he was not an actor. Saw him in Coach once with a young actress. Prob his wife.
15. Nicholas Marshall, James Barnes and Ed Conroy go woodcock shooting in Ireland.
16. I’ve invented another food to go with my Boozli ™, the healthy breakfast that gets you drunk. It’s crappacino, a soya and instant coffee frappe mixed in a jam jar and ideal for festivals. You pay a deposit on the jam jar. V refreshing.
17. Talking of festivals, Alys Fowler is appearing at Jimmy’s (ie Jimmy Docherty-Jamei Oliver’s farmer mate) festival in East Anglia in September. This is the first time a TV gardener will appear at a festival of this nature. AF is fourth on the bill. Top is Hairy Bikers and Newton Faulkner. River Cottage have done festivals before, but that’s more food innit.
18. Blind item:
Who stipulates no hard questions if they are to do an interview?
19. Spotted: Janet Ellis in Hammersmith. Also Richard Herring-looked like a wino.
20. Students from the Welsh School of Architecture will construct “Nomadic Allotments” for Borough Market and the Bankside community from reclaimed materials such as pallets and packaging provided onsite by Borough Market, offering a variety of growing, eating and seating areas for market-goers, local visitors and residents alike, during the Borough Market’s pop up Food Exchange.
