Preparedness for when

jk0

You know a lot of things are available from milkmen nowadays. I ordered some compost from mine the other day to save lugging it back from B&Q.

http://www.milkandmore.co.uk/home

[Deleted User]

There may have been BOB but I've a recollection of taking a gallon can down to the local seed merchant/ironmonger for paraffin when we needed it. One thing I do remember is the knife sharpener coming round twice a year and doing the scissors and garden shears and the travellers coming in the spring selling whittled clothes pegs and those wonderfully garish chrysanthemums made from wood shavings on a stick, Mum always got a few and had them in a vase on the table.

We did it was the Esso Blue Man!!!

GreyQueen

Evening all.

I think that the mass ownership of cars and women going out to work was pretty much the death knell for van deliveries in most places. Time was, you couldn't get out to the shops, so the shops came to you.

Mum's first job on leaving school in the mid-fifties was as a shop assistant in a small grocers/ fishmongers in the market town. They did deliveries by van and customers had two notebooks. They'd mark off what they wanted for the following week in one and hand it over when that week's box was delivered.

The boss always used to tell Mum that if they hadn't specified a size of whatever, to give them the biggest one. Some few customers used to come and collect their pre-boxed order, but mostly they were delivered.

Wouldn't suit our modern supermarketeers at all, would it? All that pre-planning and lack of spontanaity.

In my sojourn on the Outer Hebrides a few years ago, I noticed that travelling shops seemed to be buzzing about the place. It may well be that the wheel turns again and that it becomes the custom to get your groceries delivered to your door.

I've also come across travelling barbers in villages in my area, as well as shops with interesting sidelines in trades not related to their primary purpose. Why, there's a hippy-dippy shop I know which does a roaring trade in non-conventional pharmaceuticals as well as tie-dyed clothing.

One would never have paired those as likely retail opportunities..... Hmm, wonder if Alan Sugarpuff would've ever thought of that?

VJsMum, my Mum used to sing Little Boxes to us as well. I hadn't realised what a wee short song it was until today. I always think of it when I see the early scenes of Edward Scissorhands, when all the pastel coloured cars are reversing away from the pastel coloured houses in the pastel suburb. I'm sure the designer was having a Seegar Moment.

ETA ; They seem to have a rat problem in the Palace of Westminster ;http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2490071/Are-mutant-super-rats-taking-Commons-Parliament-spends-6-000-month-tackling-pests-fears-grow-poison-resistant-vermin.html

Hint to pest control officers; the ones in the suits aren't yet immune to your poisons.

ArthriticOldThing

Oh the memories you've all brought back to me of the bakers van, the butchers van, the wet fish man, the mobile groceries service, the chip van etc. And I was brought up in a small town/large village in the middle of Co. Durham mining area.
I only remember going to shops when I was small and we needed clothes or shoes or things that meant a bus ride to the local proper town.
Seems like a completely different life.
Now I have to trek out for the smallest thing and its a pain!!:mad:

[Deleted User]

GreyQueen wrote: »

It may well be that the wheel turns again and that it becomes the custom to get your groceries delivered to your door.

It's heading that way now, with the introduction of online supermarket shopping.

mardatha

We have a milkman 3 times a week, fish van once a week, library van once a month, and a mobile post office twice a week. Used to be a mobile bank but it's long gone. Prescription meds you get from the doctor's surgery.

VJsmum

I can still smell that grocery delivery van.....

I made a buddy burner today. It isn't very pretty

[Deleted User]

paidinchickens wrote: »

Afternoon everyone

I'm so exited as we have finally had an offer come through for an allotment :j:j

We had a choice of a double plot which is up and running or a half a plot which resembles the Amazon but not as pretty. The double plot is £9 a year more but I shall throw caution to the wind and to hell with the extravagance.

The plan is to be more self sufficient and spend a little more time outdoors.

I would like to be as chemical free as possible but hey I know nothing and I will be reliant on the "people who know" who have managed to grow things up there for years.

Luckily we have a shed already on there and a sort of greenhouse. The only thing I need to know is where to start. Is this time of year just for tidying up??

Off to googly step by step allotments for beginners if there is such a thing

PiC x

Paidinchickens, you can plant garlic at this time of the year. I was planning to put mine in last month, but the weekend weather hasn't been too good lately. I've got next week off so I'm planning to get mine in then. Garlic needs a cold spell to help it get going.

Also bareroot fruit trees can go in now (blackberries, gooseberries, raspberry canes etc.)

Some people plant broad beans at this time of year, but I haven't had much success with starting mine at this time of the year. I live in a very windy spot and any new shoots that get going end up getting cut down during stormy weather.

Congratulations on getting your allotment :T You are going to have so much fun I learnt a lot from the Grow Your Own forum.

craigywv

BOB what is the name of the batteries you have been using in your lantern please ta very much.

GreyQueen

:T Oh fantastic news on the lottie, PIC. You'll love it up there.

The window of opportinity for autumn-sown broad beans has pretty much passed, I'm afraid. You're looking at mid Sept to end Oct for those. You're supposed to sow Aquadulce but I just use the same old Anonymous Grandad Beans that I sow in Spring. Mine are up and about 5 inches tall and will stay unchanged now until about March when they start growing again.

You can't get away with autumn sown BBs in all parts of the country, or in all years, regardless. I've had them survive a few days with little snowy hats on before but a prolonged spell of vicious cold weather will prolly see them off.

I use this time of the year for digging, tidying up and manuring, so that you're all ready to go once the Spring is here. Good time to build raised beds, treat shed if it's dry enough and bits and pieces like that.

Plus to sit drooling over gardening books and seed catalogues and imagining what your Little Piece of Heaven will look like in June 2014.