Horticultural Gem

I spent a pleasant time this afternoon at the Essex Wildlife Trust Blackwater Wild Food Festival in the grounds of their Abbotts Hall Farm, Great Wigborough, which is not far from Colchester.

I was interested to hear about coppicing and enjoyed some banter with the guys who were wood turning and carving. Someone was selling English truffles and strange fungi with medicinal properties. Lots of heritage apples on display. My favourite was a gorgeous blushing cooker called Lane's Prince Albert. I'm interested in apples as my maternal grandparents were apple growers after he retired from the Police and she from teaching.

I had one delicious fresh oyster and brought some natives home for MrQ. Shame the trailer being towed around the estate had enclosed sides that were no good for togging. Shame that because the tractors were operating the walks mentioned couldn't take place. 

My pic is of a Howard Gem rotavator which an enthusiast had brought along. I identified it immediately, having been born into horticulture. The other pic is my father, cigarette in his mouth, using his Howard in the fifties when I was child. 

I married into horticulture and MrQ used to use a Howard in the early days.

After the festival I went to Abberton reservoir and photographed my first ruff, well in the distance and got a spoonbill in flight. Weird how they hold their legs. In my, very distant, pics it looks like they are flapping. :)