Happy Friday all!
Back in South Africa, shopping tends to be divided along wealth lines. Those with cash tend to shop in plush indoor malls where the stores are very specialized. There, you are highly unlikely to find garden tools and hardware in the kitchen shop, like I've seen at a gorgeous store in Bourne, my closest town here in England.
And as for the high streets in most South African towns . . . well, they have largely been given over to open air street vendors, (know locally as spaza shops) catering to the poorer folk where you can buy anything from chewing gum to airtime to deodorant. So it has been quite an adjustment getting used to shopping here in England.
But one of the things that really struck me this week as I trawled the stores were the snippets of conversations I overhead. It seems harvest festivals are uppermost in people's mind. I guess that makes sense with it being Autumn and all. So, getting into the spirit of things, I decided to share some pics I took a few years ago when I came to England on holiday and visited a small town harvest festival with my brother Tom (long before living here had even hit the radar screen).
Some of the veggies had to be seen to be believed, like this giant leek, held by Tom, or the onions, almost as big as his hand . . .
How they get them that size is anybody's guess, although I'm told the recipes are highly guarded, almost subject to the special secrets act. I think it highly unlikely I'll ever need the info, but who knows? Stranger things have happened. You might just find me of an afternoon, digging over my allotment, tending giant cabbages . . .
It's never going to happen!
Have a great weekend everyone.
Cheers
Gwynn
