Miniature Jungle

 In October 2022, we bought three small (actually, very small) flowering cherries (Kojo-no-mai) from Thompson & Morgan. The plants arrived in 9 cm pots and were upgraded to 12 cm pots after a month or so. By the following March (2023), two of the three shrubs were flowering (Photo 1) but one...

A Trip to the Country

It was a warm, sunny September day - ideal for a trip out into the Herefordshire countryside. The first port of call was the North Herefordshire village of Brampton Bryan ...Photo 1: Brampton Bryan villageThe village, itself, is very picturesque but we were visiting for another purpose: Aardvark Books...

Air Frying - Value for money or Hype

 A little late to the party but we have bought an air fryer ...Photo 1: Air Fryer, 11L, £89, ArgosI've yet to be convinced it is as cost-effective as it is claimed to be but Mary has been convinced by several family testimonials. I noticed cost savings claimed in the publicity material are around...

In Search of Pure Water ... (Part 2)

 In Part 1, I discussed the type of trace contaminants found in potable water and, specifically, Hereford tap water processed by the Broomy Hill Water Treatment Works. I also reported on some analytical tests performed at home that confirmed the concentration of some of these trace materials.In...

In Search of Pure Water ... (Part 1)

There are times when a cheap and ready supply of 'pure' water would be handy. For example, watering indoor plants, topping up the car window-wash reservoir and radiator, cleaning and storage of cuvettes used for river water analysis, cleaning/rinsing conductivity and pH meters, and replenishing/topping-up...