Bizarre Fruit

A few days ago, I popped out to water my potatoes and was really surprised to notice some tomato style fruits growing.  The plants had recently flowered and the "tomatoes" had appeared from the flower buds.  As this is only the second year I have grown potatoes, I still don't have much idea about them.

The more I looked at them, I suddenly remembered my growing attempts last year.  Having brushed against the plants a bit too much, I developed a really bad, itchy rash on my arms.  When I went to the chemist, the pharmacist told me that potatoes belong to the nightshade family which also includes, amongst others, tomatoes, aubergine and deadly nightshade.  Obviously, some are more toxic than others!

Suddenly the fact that my potatoes were growing tomatoes made perfect sense.  Obviously we view the bulbous root of potatoes as the vegetable but the plant also sometimes produces small green, tomato like fruit as well.  Having investigated further, apparently the potato fruit has quite high concentrations of poisonous solanine, so best avoided.

The Blackbird

Out of all the visitors to my garden,  the blackbird has always been one of my favourites.  With dark brown plumage for the females or black for the males, they aren't the most eye catching birds and they certainly can't compete with the finches, blue tits and great tits.  I just like them though.

At my old house, I had a pair of blackbirds nesting in my jasmine.  In the spring I would hear the cheeping of chicks in the nest and see the mother flying in and out to feed them.  Now I like watching them in the autumn flying up and down, stripping the honeysuckle of its berries.

Whenever I see a blackbird, I always remember evenings spent in a village pub near Winchester where the landlady would sit at an old piano and lead the assembled drinkers in a raucous singing session.  My favourite song, which was a regular in her repertoire, was "The Blackbird" by the West Country band The Wurzels.  I will never forget the rousing chorus with the landlady singing at the top of her lungs.  Happy days!

[Chorus]Where be it Blackbird to? I know where he be,
He be up yon Wurzel tree, And I be after he!
Now I sees he, And he sees I,
Bugger’d if I don’t get ‘en
Wit a girt big stick I’ll knock ‘im down
Blackbird I’ll ‘ave he!
La la la la la la
La la la la la la
‘Ow’s ‘E Father?
(Audience Answer) Allright!
All me life I’m on the farm, Workin’ for me keep
Tendin’ pigs and chickens, and they cows and sheep
But everywhere I’m workin’, there’s one who always mocks me
He hidin' somewhere in the trees, blackbird I’ll ‘ave he!
[Chorus]
Underneath the open sky in spring we loves to dine
We likes to ‘ear the flappin’ of the missus washin’ line
We listens to a tuneful song, a blackbird or a tit,
But on me vest and underpants he scored a direct hit!
[Chorus]
If I goes out poachin’, a creepin’ through the fields,
With me old retriever, a followin’ at me heels.
If I aim me shotgun at a pheasant in the hay
That bloody blackbird starts his row and frightens him away!
[Chorus]
No longer can I sleep at night, get peace of any kind,
That bird’ll be the death of me, he’s prayin’ on me mind!
If I chase him long enough, I’ll get ‘en by and by,
And celebrate me vict’ry with a girt big blackbird pie!
[Chorus]