Fereday during the off-season....

I don't know if it's just me, but the 'off-season' seems longer and colder this year. Although I had three weeks off for Christmas, it seems that was simply ages ago... meanwhile, Fereday's long sojourn in the home continues, and I find myself coming home to him proudly preening like a winter robin at the backdoor ready to declaim the full litany of his household activities during the day. Considering that winter can be a fairly depressing time of year, he's managed to keep himself quite busy, thank you very much.In early January, he finally fulfilled a long-held ambition and joined White Rose Morris. He now goes dancin' ("you know, really dancin" as the meerkats in the advert would say) with a like-minded group of other fellows every Wednesday evening - all consenting adults! He's yet to get his bells and baldrick, but it can't be far off, so, stretching before me like the long walk to Damascus is a summer full of country fairs and other such events where one can purchase pseudo-ethnic knick-knacks like hand-knitted honey, watch demonstrations of the ancient art of formation goat-shoeing, and get bladdered on homemade nettle and earwig wine. Personally, I wanted him to become the world's first guerilla Morris Man, jumping in to join troupes (or 'sides' as I am reliably informed...) at random, but he's playing it by the rules because he doesn't fancy being chased by large men with sticks through the streets of small villages in the hot summer sun (or rain).At about 10:30 on a Wednesday night I now get a recital of Morris dancing by a solo Morrisman.... complete with his own brand of technical terms to describe various moves.... my favourite is the 'whompie whompie woo'.... who said there's no excitement in the bedroom after over a decade together!!!His agent has also been keeping him hopping - Fereday is registered with an agency for work as an extra. There's been calls for both Corrie and Emmerdale.... sadly neither came through, so we'll have to hold on for Fereday's screen debut. The Corrie role had me emailing round my friends (the 'oestrogen mafia') for a Metallica tee-shirt... a commodity which appears rarer than rocking horse poo among my contacts. I was somewhat thankful when it wasn't required in the end. Though we did have an interesting demonstration of "Heavy Metal Morris" complete with headbanging....Aside from spending the winter as a small screen soap star (in waiting) and Morris dancer (also in waiting - he has to be formally nominated to the side).... last week, Fereday did a turn as a 'lady who lunches', taking a close friend of our's who has recently suffered a stroke into Leeds for the day and winding up sucking down wine and duck salad in Harvey Nichols....I'm seriously thinking that I should start my own business as a professional gardener... the downtime looks great fun!

"Throttle screws and move the governor spring across a hole.Takes less than five minutes. Can't say I have had any complaints about noise but then again I have customers I have worked for for years and never even met!"

Hi AllWhat are member's experiences of magnetic signage gor vans. I appreciate that the name and nature of the business will be free advertising but the flip side of this is advertising a cache of gardening tools available to plunder. Will this…

"Thanks Adam, an interesting counter-argument! 2 questions- 1) is this just the throttle-stop screw, and 2) are they then very noisy? We do seem to have some very noise-averse customers!"

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Phil Voice February 3, 2009 at 4:44pm

"homemade nettle and earwig wine" - Love it:)

Maybe if Fereday cannot get work on Corrie or Emmerdale he could apply to be a stunt double on the Flowerpot Men?
Cat Fereday February 3, 2009 at 4:46pm

As long as he doesn't need to be a Flowerpot man who likes Metallica, we're okay!
Kerrie John-The garden design Co February 3, 2009 at 7:17pm

I know Frededay is a wizz with a duck, Harvey Nicks, Morris Dancing and making questionable wine, but is he showing any talent for cooking fish?

My elderly mother bought some fish from a traveling fish van today, well actually not just some fish, THREE HUNDRED POUNDS WORTH OF FISH, she doesn't even like FISH! All authorities have been informed.

Any freezeable recipes would be helpful.

Best regards
The fish mongers daughter
Kerrie John-The garden design Co February 3, 2009 at 8:06pm

Jonathan,
I will sort my mothers borders thank you! As for wealth and my inheritance, it's all in the freezer.
Cat Fereday February 3, 2009 at 8:11pm

Oh god - it had better be loads of fish or at least 50 sturgeon fillets for that amount of money! The only thing we can think of is a fish pie - but we don't have a recipe, we just know Fereday Senior makes it from time to time and freezes it. There are regulations against this kind of thing - I think it would be around high pressure selling - assume you've contacted Trading Standards? Your poor Mum!
Kerrie John-The garden design Co February 3, 2009 at 8:33pm

Afraid it's Lemon Sole and Dover Sole, not something to make a fish pie with. Please to know that she had great taste!

Just spoken to her and demanded that she finds a really good fish chef to cook said fish for the foreseeable future. This could turn out to be many fabulous fish Fridays for the family!

No harm done and it's no good crying over a bit of wet fish.

After the shock I am quite proud of her really.
Cat Fereday February 3, 2009 at 9:18pm

No, it's not really fish pie stuff.... It would last a while in the freezer - Christmas gifts for friends who live nearby, maybe?
Nicky @ GardenImprovements.com February 4, 2009 at 1:20am

Cat you're a bloody blogging genius - i love it!

Kerrie - take the fish to KFC; that's all they do apparently, Sole Food!

I know, i know...it is late at night in my defence!
Kerrie John-The garden design Co February 4, 2009 at 7:17pm

Leave this plaice now Nicky with no floundering and carping on.
Cat Fereday February 4, 2009 at 7:23pm

Oh great - 'pun-wars'