WHAT ATTRACTED YOUR ATTENTION TODAY?

[Tizer]

Our supermarket had no bags of wheat flour recently. Then on the next visit there was a pallet load of them standing in the aisle.

[Tripps]

The sudden vegetable shortage crisis made me think of Stanley - and thank goodness he shopped on Friday, and we hope is secure.

Rather timely was this BBC programme that I watched yesterday. Spalding auction market It reminded me of a similar one I used to go to in Sandwich Kent, which used a similar method.

I read that salad items are rationed now in some supermarkets. Seems the limit for cucumbers is three.

When did anyone buy more than one at a time?

[Big Kev]

I read that salad items are rationed now in some supermarkets. Seems the limit for cucumbers is three.

When did anyone buy more than one at a time?

Can't remember the last time I bought a whole one, Aldi were selling half at one time which was enough for two

[Big Kev]

Just to relieve the potential panic

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[Tripps]

It's my duty to panic - I'm out of cucumber and tomato - I will go to Tesco and report back. :smile

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PS - It's true - not a tomato or cucumber of any description in the whole store.

Plenty of bananas and pineapples though.

[Big Kev]

It's my duty to panic - I'm out of cucumber and tomato - I will go to Tesco and report back. :smile

****************
PS - It's true - not a tomato or cucumber of any description in the whole store.

Plenty of bananas and pineapples though.

[Stanley]

It's quite right to say that the present shortage of salad veggies from Morocco and surrounding areas is due to unseasonable weather and will correct itself shortly but this is only the tip of a much larger iceberg. As I have been warning for a while now, many farmers are looking at the shortage of seasonal workers, the low prices the supermarkets are contracting at, and deciding that that doesn't pay the overheads and not planting. This will show up increasingly later in the year when these crops would have been harvested. We know now that many main crop potato crops haven't gone in and there are many other examples. (It applies to other foods as well. Look at the egg shortage and ask yourselves what happens if they can't be sourced abroad?)
The bottom line is that we are relying on imported food in an uncertain world in full knowledge that we are going to be let down. How stupid can a policy get?

[Stanley]

DPD have delivered the next engine castings.....

[Tripps]

the present shortage of salad veggies from Morocco and surrounding areas is due to unseasonable weather and will correct itself shortly but this is only the tip of a much larger iceberg.

Iceberg indeed. Is my memory false or was there a time when no tomatoes were available in the Winter and they crept back in around Easter time at an initial huge price. I associate that with my time in Dover which would be the mid 1980's.

Speaking of Icebergs (lettuce) - do I recall a time when they were a fairly standard price of £1 each - until Lidl and Aldi came along and exposed the price fixing racket.

I don't know if this is true or not, but it was inevitable that a conspiracy would emerge from this situation. Too many old geezers with too much time to waste.

No tomatoes.jpg

[Stanley]

That map could well be true David. Suppose shortages in supermarkets are due to a policy of putting extreme pressure on all suppliers and this is what has choked off contracts with growers, just as happened to eggs and milk and is happening to other lines now. Their excuse is that they are striving to help customers, the truth is they want the lowest prices to keep their sales up in what is a cut throat competition war.
No shortage of any of the affected veggies at Chaudrey's yesterday. They are supplied via the wholesale market at Smithfield in Manchester and the buyers there simply pay the market price. That's why Chaudrey's had plenty of tomatoes but very dear because of a shortage due to severe weather in the growing areas.
The veggies are there and good quality but less of them and the supermarkets won't pay the market price.
You make a good point about seasonality David.When shipping costs were low I saw onions from New Zealand. I have no doubt there were plenty here but the NZ price was lower.

[Tripps]

Fuuny old world isn't it?

I take a passing interest in this place and find their onion situation is severe. Whoever heard of smuggled onions

PS It might be not be a bad time to make friends with a kind soul who had a pen with a few hens for eggs and a big poly tunnel for tomatoes. Do we know anyone in that happy situation?

[Stanley]

I had exactly the same thought yesterday David. People like Wendy will be very popular!
Another consequence is that supermarket buyers are going to be less picky about standards of fruit and veggies and we will learn that may don't need peeling, just washing with cold water..
Later at 05:45. I am happy to report that I am listening to the last ever episode of my least favourite radio programme, '4Thought' which of late has deteriorated into a procession of people telling us bleeding obvious facts about everyday matters. I know this is harsh, but it's how I see the programme. Good riddance as far as I am concerned....

[Tizer]

`Badger rescued from concrete ledge on M5 in Somerset' LINK

`Earthquake: Brynmawr, Cardiff and valleys feel tremors' LINK

[Cathy]

One of your locals has been in the news.

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[PanBiker]

Aye, Jack is a keen on astro photography, Nice and dark up at Moor Close. It's also where our lad Jack has his bees.

[Stanley]

That was well spotted Cathy!
What grabbed me was the fact that, as usual, I finished my cooking for the week. I have 4 pans of cooked veggies and a roast chicken in the fridge. 4 minutes on high in the Microwave for each hot meal for the rest of the week.

[Tizer]

Lots of pics of Banksy's artwork on walls in Ukraine. Well done Banksy....
`Ukraine's Banksy stamps feature art of Putin in judo match' LINK

[Stanley]

If all goes well standards will be raised today with a new carpet in the living end of the kitchen!

[Tizer]

You don't see this very often!...
`Teddy bears rain down on pitch during football match' LINK

[Tripps]

Continued the quest at Aldi today.

Problem is - what I really wanted to do, was to take Therese Coffey's advice and get some delicious seasonal turnips.

Not one to be seen.

However - they had a good supply of Moroccan tomatoes so I had to settle for them. I also got a cucumber and some peppers with no trouble. There were plenty of strawberries from that country too. From one 'third (world?) country' to another - the joy of the freedom of not being in the EU.

Out of eggs though.

[Big Kev]

Continued the quest at Aldi today.

Problem is - what I really wanted to do, was to take Therese Coffey's advice and get some delicious seasonal turnips.

Not one to be seen.

However - they had a good supply of Moroccan tomatoes so I had to settle for them. I also got a cucumber and some peppers with no trouble. There were plenty of strawberries from that country too. From one 'third (world?) country' to another - the joy of the freedom of not being in the EU.

Out of eggs though.

I've never been able to find turnips in Aldi, they did have plenty of eggs earlier today though

[Stanley]

With a bit of help from Susan and Mick and a good 2 hours by Liam the carpet fitter we now have a dust and cobweb free corner with a splendid new carpet and underlay. Worth the hassle but glad it's done. And I got the computer right first time.

[Big Kev]

With a bit of help from Susan and Mick and a good 2 hours by Liam the carpet fitter we now have a dust and cobweb free corner with a splendid new carpet and underlay. Worth the hassle but glad it's done. And I got the computer right first time.

Good stuff Liam is a good lad, he's done a few for me.

[Stanley]

He went right through school with Janet. They were very close. You're right, he is a good lad!

[Stanley]

PS. Liam told me there have been burglaries in the town over the weekend, he mentioned the C-op and Barlic Bites.....