The next Upton Coven will be held in the George & Dragon at the usual time
of 8pm on Thursday 8th April. (Note the date change)
Don’t forget that everyone is welcome so if you know somebody else who you
think might like to come along too ….do bring them with you.
Lesley
My early daffodils are open at last, the ones by my front fence, all the others are in various stages, from almost out, to just about 6 inches high and feeling cold! The Daphne is blossoming; it is one of my favourite scents in the garden, almost spicy! I have Pulmonaria out too; my Grandma always called it “bird dirt plant”, because of the spotty leaves! Bless her!
Apparently the talk on Hagbourne in Bloom was well attended and was very good, all villagers tried to make their own gardens and the village look really good, they succeeded I think!
Our next talk is on Wednesday 7th April, in Upton, I think its in the Methodist Hall, at 7.30pm, Brian Davis will be giving a talk on “Bulbs for all Year”, give me a ring on 850219, nearer the date and I will confirm whether it’s the Methodist Hall or the village hall (or if you need a lift)! One of my doggies is not very well, so I am a bit scatty at the moment!!
I also need to tell you about the forthcoming trip to Pam Lewis’ garden, near Devises, this is a lovely garden, with morning coffee, lunch, a flower arranging demo, with tea and cake before we leave, for those not interested in floral art, she is also a blacksmith, so a look round the workshop, or a snooze in the garden may be the answer!! The date is Saturday 12th June; cost is £25, with a small contribution to fuel costs if you need a lift with someone! To book, ring me on above no, or email karencbrooks@googlemail.com, or put a note into the post office in Blewbury, or to Maggie in Upton.
Happy Gardening
Karen Brooks
16/03/10
It was lovely to see some new faces at the February talk on growing vegetables’ in containers; he grew his carrots in polythene bags! Huge!! The next talk is on Wednesday 3rd March, in the Vale room, Blewbury, at 7.30pm, when Jenny Smith will tell us all about East Hagbournes’ recent success in the Britain in Bloom competition last year. Please ring if you need a lift, my phone is working again now, 850219.
The spring bulbs are making an appearance, snowdrop season is well under way and today I noticed some yellow crocus about to burst into bloom, I have seen mauve ones already out around the village, and I think I saw a bit of yellow on a miniature daffodil yesterday, in a pot!! I suppose I ought to show willing and go out and clear some of the frost blackened stalks of things I had left over from last year as today the sun is shining and the birds are nesting. I think the gardening year has just about started again, I will think about digging the veg plot, only thinking mind you!!! A friend has already planted his tomato seeds, because he will be too busy doing proper gardening soon, to get around to it!
Happy Gardening Karen Brooks
UPTON WINE CLUB MEETING
The February Wine Club meeting was an energetic and very informative evening by Simon on the wines of California.
During the early part of 20th century America had a very healthy wine industry nearly all concentrated in California, and then prohibition. The wine industry was decimated and there was a 94% reduction in wine production. Moonshine however did very well, as did organised crime. But the story has a happy ending and from the 1930’s through to the 1970’s wine production revived, and in many peoples opinion America has become one of the great producers, and consumers of wine.
Simon devised the evening so the members could taste two wines of the same grape variety and compare. The first was a Carltidge and Brown Chardonnay from the wine society, and a Brown Ranch Chardonnay. The first was very smooth and buttery with a hint of oak, and the second a much fresher and fruity product. Both of these wines where liked by the group. Then we hit the reds, and did they pack a punch. The two Zinfandel’s where both very palatable but the second, a Joseph Swann Stellwagen, was exceptionally powerful and should not be drunk near a naked flame, for fear of combustion - 15.5% proof!
The two Pinot Noir where good and the second of these, a Sainsbury Pinot Noir from Majestic, was favoured. The Cabernets where again considered to be very palatable, and strong on flavour with not too much tannin these were the wine society’s Sonoma Cabernet Sauvignon and a Mondavia Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon.
The evening was well received and we would all like to thank Simon for his hard work in producing such an insight into Californian wine. Next month it is Derek and the wines of Portugal.
Chris Traynor
MOSCOW STATE CIRCUS
Wyvern Theatre, Swindon, 7 February 2010
The circus. What does that conjure up in your mind? Animals doing tricks; clowns throwing buckets of water; jugglers; acrobats. The Moscow State Circus, a modern day circus, has no animals but the most versatile circus performers. For two hours we sat enthralled and amazed as we watched the incredible, innovative performers.
Wrapped around the stories and legends of Rasputin and his dreamworld Legenda, the acts pushed the boundaries of physical ingenuity to their limits. We saw gymnastics worthy of the Olympics; jugglers weaving patterns with 15 skittles in one go; acrobats who could balance on each other in a myriad of ways; trapeze artistes who wrapped silk ropes around their bodies plunging to the ground from great heights; an archer who shot arrows simultaneously to burst balloons and hit targets. Throughout, the clowns brought continuity and laughter as they displayed their skills of balance on a wire and a ladder.
The climax of the whole show was the illusionist who was brilliantly supported by his assistant who could change costume in the blink of an eye. The finale was amazing as she was levitated and then disappeared into thin air only to return from the back of the auditorium leaving us all gasping.
We would thoroughly recommend a visit to the Moscow State Circus. It is suitable for the whole family and is a sensational show that combines contemporary and classical circus at their very best.
Ann and Nick Parham
February 2010
THE THEATRE GROUP
The minibus for our trip to see the Moscow State Circus in Swindon will leave the Village Hall at 3.30 pm on Sunday 7 February.
The minibus for "Antony and Cleopatra" at the Courtyard Theatre, Stratford in June is also fully booked. I’m happy to add to a list of reserves if anybody is interested, and we’re still very open to suggestions for later in the year, about October time.
If you would like to be added to - or even removed from - our mailing list, please let me know.
Malcolm Wright (850705)
Hello and a happy new year to every one at the wine club and thanks again to the tremendous support, nearly 50 of you signed up for this months meeting, nice to see a few guests as well. The wines this month were from South Africa, and presented by Frankie and Kevin with aplomb, and plenty of vigour. We had 9 wines to taste from a Petit Blanc to a wonderful Shiraz. The first Wine of the evening was the Vondeling Petit Blanc, made by Mathew Copeland a very nice pleasant to drink white, unwooded and at £5.99 a bargain, followed by a wonderful Viognier, a good example of this grape but Viognier is not to everyone’s taste, and has a more complex taste, dry and fragrant but with a bitter after taste at times. I love it but not everyone does, but an excellent example of the grape variety.
The reds started off with a good Pinotage, an excellent example of the wine, not a complex wine but a pleasant taste, and I venture to say could even be served slightly chilled, for the summer similar to some Beaujolais’s.
The most expensive wine of the evening was the Sterhuis Astra Red at £21.99 this is a dear wine a blend of Merlot and Cabernet, I did not feel this was worth the price tag, expensive as so little is produced only 125 cases, but the general opinion was not worth the money.
The best wine of the evening by far in my opinion and several other peoples was the Manley Shiraz, produced in the Tulbagh region of the Cape, this is a deep complex wine with good lasting flavours and should be savoured, and at 14.6% a very alcoholic beverage. All the wines where sourced from the Naked Wine company, which is an online organisation, if you need to know more please speak to Kevin and Frankie.
See you all next month when Simon will be running away with the budget with Californian wines, hope to see you all there.
Chris Traynor
I have heard lots of villagers complaining about the snow, but I like it as it makes my garden look very lovely, and I can’t see all the bits that I should have cleared away in the autumn, which I had left as “over wintering places for small creatures”, my excuse and I’m sticking to it!
I did go and look, very briefly, at the veg plot, my onions are still hanging in there, but I was inside again with a cup of tea a bit smartish!! Brrr!
Our first talk of the New Year is on Wednesday 3rd Feb, in the Vale room, Blewbury, 7.30pm, when Robert Longstaff will be giving a talk on “Vegetable Growing in Containers”. I am a great fan of growing carrots in containers as the dreaded carrot fly can’t get to them, and tomatoes in a pot on the patio are much easier to pick!
The programme for the coming year is available in the Post Office, we are a very informal group of gardening enthusiasts, please came and join us for a cup of tea or coffee, and enjoy a talk when we can’t actually get out on the garden yet. We have a varied programme of talks and outings planned for the year, no membership forms to fill in, and free to join! Ring for a lift if you need one, Maggie 850126, as my phone doesn’t work at the moment!
Our love and best wishes go to our Chairman, Eileen, on the sad death of her mum.
Happy Gardening
Karen Brooks
BLEWBURY W.I.
The next Blewbury WI meeting may provide an answer to all your aches and pains (OK maybe not ALL of them)! Sue Huart is kindly giving us a talk about "Homeopathy" on Wednesday 24th February at 19.30 in The Vale room of Blewbury Village Hall. You can come for a "taster" as a visitor, make new friends and have lots of things to while away these dreary winter months - Theatre visits, pub lunches, walks, etc. If you need a lift please call Mrs Gettings on 851579. See you there!
Blewbury WI next meet at 1930 on Wednesday 27th January in the Vale room of the Blewbury Village Hall. The topic is "The Cutty Sark" and should be very interesting. If you would like an evening out please just come along and you’ll be made very welcome as a visitor, no pressure to join. Blewbury WI has something for everyone - walks, theatre visits, pub lunches, Scrabble, Mah Jong and most of all good company! Hope to see you there
