h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Hi AR1, for the second time this evening . As I said in the Ash forum you can shorten my name to whatever you like, though I usually use 'Waz'. I haven't had quite as much h2 time this last week as I'd have liked or I would have got back to you sooner. The africam web site reopening hasn't helped. Have you been to their cam sites? I'm afraid I spend a fair bit of time there.

I've seen the henge website. I spent a lot of time there one afternoon looking at the Aberdeen stone circles, partly to see if one I've been to was there and partly because because I love that countryside. The circle wasn't but there were very similar ones. I think he only records stone circle type monuments. The only thing I've put in my Ash related entries that might be in his time period would be the bronze age burial on Prees Heath which is no longer marked on the OS map and I haven't seen any visible trace of it.

I hope that wasn't a first sign of decrepitude that you had. Quite often if I've been at work and someone says it's been a nice day I find myself staring at them and trying to remember if I looked out the window and noticed or not. I usually work three days a week - I always notice the weather on the other four days . I was at work today, I honestly can't remember what the weather was like but I know it was trying to rain this evening going to and from my tai chi class.

I know what you mean about swimming. I felt it make a big difference to me when I first started. Without the swimming I have chronic problems with a hip joint. The first time it happened I had three days not being able to walk at all and a week not being able to go further than about 50 yards. It certainly made me appreciate being mobile again, as does your mentioning being in a wheelchair. If I swim half a mile breaststoke, most weeks, I have no problem at all, even with a bit of hill climbing.

My garden has suffered since I got this computer - I must get it sorted out this spring, I'm beginning to get looks from the neighbours. Can I ask where you lived for your first 64 years and what flora and fauna it was you learnt there? Just remembered I used to have budgies named Flora and Fauna. They were green of course. I haven't thought about them in ages. Thanks for that memory.
Waz

(PS I hope you don't mind my coming over to your homespace.)

Hi Waz, thanks for your nice newsy letter. You seem to have been dashing around a lot of sites! I am not sure what you mean when you say the africam site.I saw that you had been exploring on the Jurassic site. I was born and lived in South and Central Africa for the first 64 years of my life. I always dreamt of researching and writing a book on the flora of Zimbabwe. When I lived there - from 1949 until 1970 there was still a dearth of information on the wild flowers of Zim. For a year I had a gardening programme on the local TV. It was a real amateur job with me being the presenter of the gardening section of the programme, the writer of the gardening script etc. etc. It was all done in good spirit, and I made so many friends doing it. I met Percy Thrower when I came over to Chelsea one year and introduced him to a wonderful friend of mine who hybridised bouganvilliae. The flowers I love are the fowers of the Western Cape. In the 19th century it was said by a botanist - for the life of me I cannot remember his name -(could it have been Linnaeus?) that the Cape had the finest indigenous collection of flora in the world. There are a great many of our flowers such a gladioli,freesias, many other bulbs and a host of other flowers such as gerbera are hybrids of their humble South African ancestors. I have a great many interests, and although I am wheelchair bound still find so much to learn and so much I want to know. I started a course last night on Ignatian Spirituality. It is a very demanding course and I am going to have to cut down on my time on the computer. But one of the things which we were asked to do as part of our "homework" was to take "snapshots" of our very young days. When I woke up in the early hours of this morning I lay in bed thinking what I could actually remember. I was quite astonished when I recalled walks in the "veld" around the farm where we lived and seeing the quite glorious blue of the indigenous lobelia.I do not think that I could have been more thatn three or four at the time. And certainly there is no actual phtograph to remind me of this. So now I am very pleased to have found the root of my interest in gardening anf flowers!!. I must stop rambling. Affectionate from your friend AR1

Good evening AR1,
Ignatian Spirituality sounds demanding although I won't pretend I understand what it means. The furthest I've studied in that line was the Anglican Bishops Certificate course. Which is not very far - no written work required .

Africam is a web site which provides pictures, updated every 30 seconds, from waterholes, a safari vehicle, and viewpoints in a South African game reserve. I was watching yesterday and saw hippos, jaccanas, elephants bathing, and a panoramic view of an african plain. It's a free site at present, though you have to register, so I don't think it's commercial and I'll try putting the URL here http://www.africam.com/ in case you're interested. The game drive camera does sometimes send pictures of flora as well as fauna. Maybe it would bring back more memories.

Where were you in Zimbabwe? I was there as a teenager from 1968 to 1973, mainly in Harare but also, for a few months, in Chiredzi. Unfortunately we never had a TV while we were there so I can't have seen your programme. I didn't get to know much of the plantlife out there - as you said, there wasn't much information around. We had the 'Bundu' books but they're not comprehensive. I did get to know many of the birds however, using my father's 'Birds of Southern Africa' book. He bought that during his time in Kenya where I spent my first six years. I don't remember much of Kenya but one very vivid memory of an evening in Tsavo came back some years ago and its still very clear in my mind. I wish I could remember more of it. Maybe waking up early would help.

I'll stop there as it's my swimming night ,
Waz

Hi Waz, Thank you for the super web site. When I get to know how to use it it will be marvellous. At the moment I am very statis watching one bird all the tinme!!. But it took me ages to register. I always rush in and start with the wrong thing. Anyway, I am now logged correctly, I have printed the page so I shall remember the password and I hope that my son and I shall have a wonderful time looking at the birds of Zim. Actually we lived in Borrowdale in Harare. The TV programme was only for a year in about 1963 I think. My sons were at school at Plumtree and my second son, who sadly had a massive breakdown whilst studying for his Masters degree at UCT absolutely loved the bush I am hoping to be able to navigate him around the vaious game parks. I tried to get onto a bird picture this morning but with no success. It is so difiicult to get onto the web at the weekend that I do not think that I shall try again until Monday. Isn't the world a small place? I am really so pleased to meet you. And of course it was because I loved your articles. Have a great weekend and will talk to you again soon. Thanks again. An affectionate AR1

Hi Waz, Not a peep from you for over a week.! I hope that you are alright. I've had a busy week doing various necessary things before (hopefully) my cataract op. on Monday. My right eye still seems a bit odd but I hope that they will not turn me down again..I shall be pleasd to get it over and done with. I have not yet mastered the waterhole technique. Does one stay there until an animal comes past and then take a photo and post it? I have just received the latest Garden journal from the RHS and am having great fun planning my visits(which will probably not materialise) to the various gardens in the country. A friend, my son and myself are hoping to go to Bordes Place tomorrow and have a picnic. I have just seen a documentary about a super monastery on an island and it did not give the web site. So now I must try and find it through the Open University web site. Do let me know how you are and any interesting places you have been to. an affectionate AR1

Hi AR1, I'm fine - I haven't posted here recently because I let work take over these last few days. It will be back in its proper place in life by the week after next at the latest.

I do hope everything goes well on Monday.

At the waterholes it is a case of watching until something comes along. That's part of why I like it - because it feels such a priviledge to see them then. I have seen very little recently but I did see a group of nyala appear one evening. They were beautiful - I submitted a picture of them. You have a better chance of seeing animals if you choose the safari cam but it's out of action at the moment and it only goes out on game drives twice a day. Another way to help your chance of seeing something is to look at previous days highlights and check if certain animals are appearing at certain times. It looks to me as if elephants tend to come to Vuyatela at around 3.00 to 3.30 pm, and babboons at 5.00 to 5.30 pm, our time.

I think we used to go through Borrowdale on days out to Domboshawa. Did you ever go there? It was a favourite place of mine. We lived in Marlborough, I went to Mableriegn Girl's High with its unforgettable royal blue and bright yellow uniform .

I haven't been anywhere interesting lately, other than my journey to work. Which takes me on a drive through north Shropshire and Shrewsbury which I do appreciate. The river Severn is very high and quite impressive just now. It has actually flooded enough to close the Welsh bridge through the town twice in the last fortnight. On the first occasion I could see the water approaching up the road from Frankwell car park as I left the bridge. Local shopkeepers were loading stuff into into their cars and piles of sandbags were out on the pavement. The flood defence work got fooded out and is now behind schedule!

I don't know Bordes Place, did you get there for your picnic?

All the best again for the eye op on Monday.
Waz

Dear Waz. thank you for your reply. It is 4 a.m. and I am feeling very sorry for myself.!! When they took the shield off on Tuesday morning I burst into tears because I could see so beautifully. Unfortunately my eye started swelling on Tuesday evening and has gone on swelling. Yesterday afternoon I went to the hospital and they think that it is because I am allergic to the medication. However if if is not better by this morning i.e. in about three or four hours time I have to go back and see the surgeon because it might be a complication. Well it is still swollen and I can hardly see my screen. Blast!! I have still so much to do . I lived in Shrewsbury for nearly two years after my open heart op. I absolutely loved it as I was able to go to concerts of the BSO regularly because I joined the Concert Club. This was such a bonus as I love music. I also met super friends and people in Shropshire. Yes I knew Domboshawa well. |It was one of the first places I visited when I first went to Zim in 1947!! Many moons ago. I hope that next time I write I shall have good news. An affectionate AR1

AR I'm really sorry to hear things haven't gone smoothly. You have my best wishes and prayers that it all works out well. Let me know when you can how its going.

Waz

Hi Waz, Thanks for your prayers and good wishes. Thank goodness the medication and the new eye drops are taking effect and I can see again out of both eyes. I must say the op was a huge success and the "new"eye is quite wonderful in what it can see and the colours and focus are so sharp and bright!!. I suppose you have been keeping an ear and an eye on the elections. I still have so many friends - now very old and many of them born there, who are really desperate about things. Just pray it turns out alright. What is that saying "Power corrupts etc.etc."
I managed to get into my tiny patio garden the the other day and found some quite beautiful hellebores flowering and also a few yellow aconites. Neither of which grew in Zim. Did you ever see the beautiful Gloriosa Superba? My second son Keith used to bring me in a bunch every Christmas morning which he had collected in the veld around us in Borrowdale. I must try and get some tubers but I have no greenhouse. Do you go to the wonderful Shrewsbury Show. I went when I lived there. It really is superb. It seems that Percy Thrower used to live in Shrewsbury and many of the gardens there are a tribute (and a wonderful memorial) to him. It was quite nostalgic to hear you talking about Welsh bridge. We did not get to Bordes Place but went instead to Nymans. This quite beautiful garden - it was full of daffies, snowdrops (many different kinds) and lots of other plants peeping through. and of course the wonderful herbaceous borders will be marvellous in summer. This used to be the home of Oliver Messel who was a wellknown designer in the 50's and 60's and his sister I think she was called the Countess of Rosse. It is very wheelchair friendly so we shall be able to go back during the season to see the garden at various times. There is another beautiful Spring garden near here called Emmetts garden which was the home of Octavia Hill who was a well known gardener in the 19th century. Kent is as lovely as Shropshire I think. Well my dear I must end. I send you an affectionate and take care . The venerable and mobile AR1

Glad to hear it turned out successfully in the end, AR1. It must make such a difference to see clearly again. Don't overdo it and tire them out!!

And some good news is very welcome, I've been keeping half an eye on the elections, I'm afraid I haven't expected much of them. I was talking to someone last night who lives there but regularly returns here. They are unsure about going back this time. She was saying what a terrible effect inflation has had on people's pensions out there. And that there are food shortages.

It's depressing to watch, which is why I only keep half an eye on what is going on. It hurts to see pictures showing how the country seems to be disintegrating. I keep reminding myself how Britain was in Dicken's time, which really isn't that long ago, and hoping time is all that's needed for these new democracies too.

But as you say, "Power corrupts" - we still have that here. And I wonder sometimes just what sort of character it takes to succeed in politics.


To happier things; I have some pink/mauve hellebores flowering too, no aconites, but the quince has some buds, the daffodils are out and my winter flowering cherry is looking good. None of them are as stunning as flame lillies however! I have seen flame lillies in the wild twice. I saw some at the arboretum near Harare and then again at the side of a track in the Masai Mara. It's almost unbelievable that something can grow that shape and colour naturally. And to do it in the dry dusty veld too!

There are pretty stunning plants at the Shrewsbury Flower Show . It's well worth visiting. Have you ever been to the Chelsea Flower Show? It looks good from the TV screen.

I spent a summer holiday in Kent, in Cranbrook, back around 1967. I thought it was beautiful. We were living in Glasgow at the time, Cranbrook's white boarded houses, windmill and hop fields were quite a contrast!

'til next time,
Waz

Hi Waz, Thanks for your interesting reply. Where is the Masai Mara? It sounds like it is in Kenya. Then that means that Gloriosa Superba also grows there!! And I thought it was indigenous to Zim I have seen them growing in the wild near Troubeck and they were about eight feet tall growing up through the long grass and into the trees. Amazing plants. I loved the Shrewsbury Flower show. and yes I have been to Chelsea. The first time was when I was doing the gardening programme on Zim TV, "Through the garden gate"(highly original name)!! Then I have been a couple of times since my return to England. But now it is too tiring and I just enjoy it on TV. It is a glorious day and I am hoping that my son Keith will come round and we can go out. I saw the specialist yesterday and he said I could drive again which is great news. Your garden sounds beautiful. I think that that is just about the thing I miss most being wheelchair bound. Not being able to go out and garden when I want to. But then I also miss going to concerts. Oh dear. An affectionate AR1 the venerable but mobile

Hi AR1, is that Troutbeck in the Inyanga highlands? We had a holiday there but not staying at the Troutbeck, although I think I remember seeing it. I didn't see any Gloriosa Superba there but there were a lot of what we called everlasting flowers. Mainly brown and gold but a few tinged with pink on Inyangani. I still have a few!

The Masai Mara is in Kenya. I had a look on the internet to see if it said anything about where flame lillies were indigenous. I came up with "Native to tropical jungles of Africa. Related species are found in Asia." "Tropical jungles" . That was on an American website, I think they'd been watching too much Tarzan. But I also found sites that implied it was indigenous in Kenya, Botswana, Swaziland, Namibia, Mozambique and SA. All of which I didn't know either.


Good to hear you're able to drive. I would find it very difficult not to be able to drive. By the way I'm not sure most people would refer to my garden as 'beautiful', it's too untidy. And I neglected it a bit last year. Part of the untidyness is intended. I leave things to grow where they wish, within limits , and I leave dead wood over the winter for cover. Buddliea heads, for example, as so many ladybirds seem to hibernate in them. This style of gardening is not shared by my neighbours . Are you a tidy or an untidy gardener?

It was Sunday when I started this, now it's Monday and I have to get off, I have to work tomorrow. And I need to leave early as they've dug up half of Shrewsbury's streets which means going round the dreaded bypass. Speak to you again soon, Waz

Very dear Waz, I cannot believe that it is a fortnight since I received your letter. Apologies for having taken so long. I do hope that you had a super Easter. Did you go away? Where is it you live that you travel through Shrewsbury every day.? I think I have already told you that I have such happy wonderful memories of Shrewsbury. I loved it there, and particularly going to the BSO nearly every week through the wonderful organisation the Concert Club.
You have no idea how much I have pondered about your question about a tidy or untidy garden. What have I? And what do I like? I think I like a mixture really. I like a nice lawn, but I also never ever pulled volumteers up. In fact I am thrilled when I see plants volunteering around the garden. I see you have buddleia. I do not have any as I now have a very very small garden and there is just no room. I generally try and grow plants that I could not grow in Zim. I am thrilled because I have five varieties of hellebores and all five have flowers on them. I am still waiting for the lily of the valley to appear. I have never yet been able to grow them. I love fragrant flowers,trees and shrubs. A rose or a carnation without a frangrance is really like holding a plastic flower. I have now planted four different varieteis of honeysuckle to try and find the one that grew wild in Aix en Provence where we used to visit our maternal grandparents, and still no success. Your garden sounds fascinating particularly if you are obviously interested in having a "holistic" garden with all the various little beetles, grubs etc. We used to call them "goggas" in South Africa. Do you remember the centipede - that used to grow to enormous proportions. Also those dreadful cutworms that could decimate a newly planted bed overnight.
I have seen some super new hybrids of aquilegia which are supposed to be fragrant in the RHS journal. Also a standard wistaria. I shall try and find the website for the glorioso superba. A pilot friend of ours used to grow them and I believe export the tubers abroad many moons ago. Well, dear friend, I must end. With affectionate good wishes AR1

Very dear Waz Where are you? And how are you? It is ages since I heard from you. Hope that you are well. Isn't the countryside looking beautiful. Incidentally is Leominster near Shrewsbury? Much affection AR1 ly swimming with her

Hi AR1, I'm fine, very much so, I was away on holiday on the Costa del Sol. I've been swimming in the Mediterranean and walking in the Andalucian foothills. You would have appreciated the plants, butterflies and birds we saw. Bougainvillea, hibiscus, jacaranda and syringa trees, bananas, palms, jasmine and roses on the coast. Rosemary, lavenders, thyme, rock roses, pines, lillies, orchids in the hills. Not to mention the blue pimpernels and the avocado, lemon, olive and custard apple groves. Then there were swallowtail butterflies, painted ladies, red admirals, green hairstreaks.... booted and bonelli's eagles, stonechat shrikes, sardinian warblers, terns, shearwaters, flocks of greenfinches and goldfinches. And sun. Though I believe you've had lots of sun here too.

I hope you had a good easter. I enjoyed mine, staying at home before going off to Spain. I actually managed to mow the grass (note that I don't call it a lawn ) before I went. It needs doing again now. The garden is at its best in spring I think. I missed the spring bulbs most in Zimbabwe. Like you I don't like discouraging volunteers. My most prolific volunteer is garden rocket, they're just beginning to reappear now. And geums, for some reason, keep appearing in the gravel drive.

Leominster is about thirty miles south of Shrewsbury, but on a very scenic route, going through the South Shropshire hills, via Ludlow and Church Stretton. I live on the much less scenic Shropshire plain, north of Shrewsbury. Although I also work on the northern side of Shrewsbury, the River Severn's almost completely encircling the town means I have to drive right through, or take the bypass right round to get to work. I need a new bridge!
Speak again soon,
Waz

Very dear Waz I am positively green with - no I won't say it but you know what!. What a wonderful holiday you have had. So glad you had such a great time. I do not know much about butterflies I am afraid. But the plants in the Andaluscian foothills sounded quite breathtakingly beautiful. I had another friend who went to Switzerland and the same time as you were away and she also saw some super Alpines. That is somethign I miss, but even with two new hips how will I know thatI shall be able to do all these lovely things which I can no longer do. Sadly my joint problem is not just plain ordinary arthritis but psioritic arthropophy -. the only other person I know who had it was Denis Potter the playright.muito peniblo! But fortunately it seems to have eased off a bit now although I fear my fingers and nails are in a dire state. Oh dear! But your wonderful description lifted my spirit. Yesterday I had a friend and she helped me to plant out some pelargnoiums. geraniums, doronicums and osteospermums in four troughs which I had bought. I see that my dahlia tubers which I had hidden in my study have started sprouting so I must get them into some soil. I send you warm greetings and I am so glad that you had a great holiday. AR1 also known as the Dowager Queen - a super new enterprise in tandem with a real live King in Australia!! Great fun!!

Good morning AR, just a quick post before going out to cut the grass.

I wanted to tell you that I went on a dawn chorus walk on Sunday, at Hawkestone Park. It drizzled a bit but we heard all sorts of birds, including their ravens and a pied flycatcher just arrived back from Africa. We climbed to the tops of the sandstone outcrops and had a brief tour of the roman copper mines up there. Also the druids chapel where they tried to imprison the dragon spirit of King Arthur. The scratch marks the dragon made on the walls and ceiling as he flew round and round, faster and faster in his escape were clearly visible .

Off to dig the mower out of the shed now,
Waz

PS A real Australian King??

Hi dear Waz How good to hear from you. Your dawn walk sounded quite wonderful. I can never recognise bird calls although Keith my son has several tapes of both Zim and south African birds. I was wondering about all those "ruins" that you saw. I was under the impression that that part of the world was well known for their "Follies" In fact the first time that I ever heard about them was when I went to Hawkstone. I used to walk every day, by myself most of the time, and even went up the side of the hill. I remember slipping on the wet dung of a sheep (it was raining at the time) I came down heavily literally four months after my open heart op. And I got a big fright!!. But what a glorious place. I would have loved to have got a lecturiong or tutoring job there but I think I was too much of a renegade for them. Although I was the first secular student they ever had, and I simply loved my time there. I have suddenly remembered the market place at Shrewsbury. Is it still there? Well, my dear, my King is a self styled King. He is also a very authoritarian King and I have a hard time with him. Still it keeps me on my toes. The only problem is that where I want to build my tree house there are crocodiles in the swamp. And I am mortally afraid of crocs, both real and imaginary!!. I have the first bud on my lily of the valley. Unfortunately the bed is up a flight of steps and I am not going to be able to see them. Silly me, having them planted there. Have you done any more research into archaeological sites lately? I must end now. With love and a fond AR1 sometimes reluctant DD to the King CB of the great Australian Pine Forest (upright alias Pinetree)

Hi Waz Not a peep from you I wonder what you have been up to? I found a super nursery this week. Unfortunately on a slope so I could not go and choose the plants myself. Howeve I have a good friend who came with me and now the hanging baskets are full of trailing geraniums and I actually have an edelweiss in one of the planters surrounded by minature white dianthus, a hosta and some other bi-color dianthus. I am going to go and eavesdrop on your site and wee what you have been up to. Affectionately AR1
PS I have given up my ideas of antipodean royalty. Too difficult to build a tree house!! I also hate crocodiles.