TPMC Blog

A day off in the Surrey hills

Finally took a break and headed into the Surrey Hills with the Dish to enjoy some amazing views and stretch the calf muscles! About half way around our circular walk we arrived at a disused gunpowder mill which was random but fascinating.

I couldn't resist taking a photo of a pyracantha on a nearby cottage - the number and colour of berries looked amazing.

To get back to the car park we had a mission of a hill climb and paused to take in the view.
We walked at a fairly quick pace for over 4 hours so in our rule book we think that's 16 miles! Time for a beer!!

Return of the Polo Calendar!

As Nottingham Polo Club prepare for their 2012 Nude Calendar in support of Help for Heroes, check out the behind the scenes video for the 2011 edition! You Tube Video

Response when you're told you're too expensive!

It's unwise to pay too much, but it's unwise to pay too little. When you pay too much you lose a little money. That is all. When you pay too little, you sometimes lose everything, because the thing you bought was incapable of doing the thing you bought it to do. The common law of business prohibits paying a little and getting a lot. It can't be done. If you deal with the lowest bidder, it's well to add something for the risk you run. And if you do that, you will have enough money to pay for something better.

The Big Wildlife Garden

After looking into our chosen charity for this year, 'Plantlife' a bit more I came across an initiative called The Big Wildlife Garden . Its a fantastic idea. You are able to register your own garden and aim to add various wildlife friendly features to hopefully win an award. All the info is on the website, I hope you will give it a try!

 

Calendar ON SALE for limited time

Calendar Website

Our Link to the Just Giving Page for Plantlife

New Charity Chosen for 2011

This year we are going to be supporting 'Plantlife'. More information can be found out about the charity at www.plantlife.org.uk

If you would like to make a donation to this charity we have set up a fundraising page at http://www.justgiving.com/tpmc/

Once again, thanks to everyone who has supported us to date to enable us to give something back.

Here's to a great 2011!

£1,000 raised for RE*Generation UK

I am delighted to announce that we have been able to donate £1,000 to the Virgin Unite Initiative "RE*Generation UK".

Every year I try to do something that generates awareness of and/or raises money for different charities. 

2010 has been pretty good with £1,000 going to RE*Generation UK and the sponsoring of the Nottingham Polo Club 2011 Calendar enabling a greatly increased proportion of 50% to go the the chosen charity, this year Help for Heroes.

You can read more about this and other Virgin Unite Initiatives at virginunite.com or follow the link on our website under "About Us"

Id like to take this opportunity to thank our customers for the business they have given us over the last year and everyone who has supported us. Without this input we could not have supported these causes.

Im trying to decide which Initiative to support during 2011 - any suggestions would be gratefully received!

Mark

Old Wives Lore For Gardeners

PLANTING

Sartorial

It is curious how often in old herbals we are advised to sow not only when the moon is full but naked, ourselves, at the time. 'The best husband men' writes one, 'would have the seedsman of turnips or rapes to be naked when he sows them, and in sowing to protest that this which he doth is for himself and his neighbours. ' Presumably, it was hoped that the gods might look more kindly on the naked, innocent amateur than on the prosperous market gardener. Perhaps, though, the advice was not always given for purely magical reasons; we should not sow when the ground is too cold for the good of the seed and are less likely to do so if we are told we must be naked when we do it. We have heard that in Lincolnshire, to test whether the soil was in the right condition for sowing barley, farmers used to rake off their trousers and sit on the ground: if it was comfortable for them it would be comfortable for the barley. With the greater density of population the modern gardener will probably be content to test the soil with a bared elbow, as a mother does the water for a baby's bath.

Lore for Gardeners

This is the first entry in a series of lore for gardeners taken from the book "Old Wives Lore for Gardeners" by Maureen and Bridget Boland. They wanted to pass their knowledge to all those who are not afraid of finding a certain amount of superstition mingled with good sense.

We hope you enjoy reading this and the future entries.

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PLANTING

Consider The Moon

Every old wife will tell you to sow seed and to transplant only with a waxing, never a waning moon. The scientists have now caught up with this, discovering the effects of lunar rhythms on the earths magnetic field which in turn affect growth. They have established that all water everywhere, including that inside the tiniest living organism, moves in tides like the sea. The moon also affects the earths atmosphere so that statistically it is more likely to rain heavily ( just as you would like immediately after planting ) immediately after a full or new moon. They say that a potato grown at constant levels of heat and light under laboratory conditions will still show a growth rhythm that reflects the lunar pattern. The old wife, without laboratory conditions or statistical tables, learned from experience how best to get her plants off to a good start.

SOW SEED GENEROUSLY
One for the rook, One for the crow
One to die an one to grow