2022 Stash & Grab Virtual Pub

[rcperryls]

Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear.

Regards,

Richard

Indeed!

Carole

[Serinde]

Ureka!!

[Serinde]

I've strung up the lights, have filled vases with daffodils and forget-me-nots, champagne is in the coolers, smoked salmon and cucumber sandwiches (no crusts, naturally).

[Mabel Figworthy]

Are we celebrating Richard and Tracy's anniversary? I think a cake is in order too

[Serinde]

Good one, Mabel.

[richardandtracy]

Think I'll give the cake a miss. The cream gets stuck in my mustache and it's a very distracting odour for the rest of the day...

Regards,

Richard

[Mabel Figworthy]

Ah, but my cake is a moist yoghurt-based almond and raspbery traybake without any cream at all, so unless you have a nut allergy you should be all right

[Serinde]

And it's nearly all gone!

[richardandtracy]

That's OK then, Ill take a slice if there are any left.

My only nut allergy refers to Dormice. I'm allergic to them eating ALL my hazelnuts every autumn, but there's nothing I can do about it. As a result I get zero hazelnuts despite having 9 very productive clumps in the garden. On a calm autumn day I can go into the nuttery and HEAR gnawing coming from every side!!!

Dormice have a very distinctive gnaw shape, and every shell shows that. It's, it's INFURIATING, and really rather nice.

Regards,

Richard

[Serinde]

You could always mimic the Romans and eat your hazelnuts vicariously...

[Mabel Figworthy]

You could always mimic the Romans and eat your hazelnuts vicariously...

[richardandtracy]

Dormice & Edible Dormice are somewhat different.

The Dormouse is protected in this country, so naturally Fluffy brought us one as a 'Thank You' after recovering from his collapsed lungs. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hazel_dormouse
The Edible Dormouse is a lot bigger & we don't have any in the garden. Not sure they are endemic to the UK. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/European_edible_dormouse

Regards,

Richard

[rcperryls]

I don't think we have dormice. Except in copies of Alice in Wonderland and/or Through the Looking Glass? I'm not sure if that is where I encountered a dormouse? or was it in Beatrix Potter's works?? (I think I had a bit too much to drink at the anniversary party).

Carole

[richardandtracy]

Just fully read that Wikipedia article.
The plant species they rely on:

• Hazel - yep.
• Oak - huge one in the garden and several others
• Honeysuckle - lots.
• Bramble - it's a weed all over and we're fighting a losing battle against it.
• Alder Buckthorn - none, too dry.
• Willow - too dry.
• Birch - three 30ft high ones close to the hazel nuttery.
• Hawthorn - lots in the hedges. We have planted over 1000 of these as hedging plants.
• Blackthorn - lots in the hedges and seedlings everywhere as my multi-perforated wellington boot soles can attest to.
• Ash - we have one.
• Sycamore - small one in a hedge
• Vibernum - Yes, one. Self seeded.
• Broom - lots at the top of the garden. It's a weed and we try to contain it to the top 1/3 of the garden. 'Try' being the operative word.
• Yew - several self-seeded in the garden. Two are just getting big enough to fruit.
• Sweet Chestnut - wretched things are a weed, and the village is named after them.

Seems as if we have everything they need in the garden, so I'm never going to get any hazelnuts, am I? Ah well.

Carole, I'm not familiar with a Dormouse in Beatrix Potter, but there may be one. They are dear, sweet little rodents with a very hairy tail which they tuck around themselves when sleeping. They curl up in the cutest of ways, often holding their tail over their foreheads with both front paws. Very sleepy and not at all busy like most mice.

Regards,

Richard

[wendywombat]

Dormice & Edible Dormice are somewhat different.

The Dormouse is protected in this country, so naturally Fluffy brought us one as a 'Thank You' after recovering from his collapsed lungs. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hazel_dormouse
The Edible Dormouse is a lot bigger & we don't have any in the garden. Not sure they are endemic to the UK. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/European_edible_dormouse

Regards,

Richard

We had the Edible Dormice in France. So pretty, also protected BUT they ate through out phone wires, (we had the bill for that as it was the house side of the connection ) They occupied our roof space with all the resulting mess and noise! They were especially noisy during the Mating Season...above our bedroom!
They might have been 'edible' but our Fat Cat refused to eat one that he had caught in the house!

[richardandtracy]

Wendy, you didn't cook it properly, that's why..!

Regards,

Richard

[wendywombat]

Aha! so that's where I went wrong!

[fccs]

I had to look at pictures…they are super cute. I believe there was a dormouse in Alice in Wonderland. Didn’t it keep falling asleep at the table?

[Mabel Figworthy]

Yes, and in the teapot.

(Incidentally the dormouse in the Tenniel illustrations is much larger than the one in the Disney version)

[Mabel Figworthy]

I'm celebrating the success of our first Cake & Craft - we had about 18 people and there was a lovely buzz, people getting to know each other and helping each other with their crafts! And we made some money for the church Building Fund as well (the building is in use, but there are still things that need doing to it, and there are loans to pay off....)