How very English

The raspberry (plural, raspberries) is the edible fruit of a number of species of the genus Rubus. The name originally refers in particular to the European species Rubus idaeus, and is still used for that species as its standard English name in its native area.

Raspberries are very vigorous and can be invasive. They propagate using basal shoots (also known as suckers); extended underground shoots that develop roots and individual plants. They can sucker new canes some distance from the main plant. For this reason, raspberries spread well, and can take over gardens if left unchecked.

The fruit is harvested when it has turned a deep red and comes off the torus/receptacle easily. This is when the fruits are most ripe and sweetest. Excess fruit can be made into raspberry jam or frozen.

Raspberries contain significant amounts of polyphenol antioxidants, chemicals linked to promoting endothelial and cardiovascular health. Xylitol, a sugar alcohol alternative sweetener, can be extracted from raspberries. Raspberries are considered a high-fiber food at over 8 grams dietary fiber per cup. They are an excellent source of vitamin C and manganese, a good source of vitamin K and magnesium and contain some calcium and iron.

Raspberries rank near the top of all fruits for antioxidant strength, particularly due to their dense contents of ellagic acid (from ellagotannins), quercetin, gallic acid, anthocyanins, cyanidins, pelargonidins, catechins, kaempferol and salicylic acid. All these are polyphenolic antioxidants with promising health benefits under current research.

I hope you have all now learned something valuable about the rasberry but if you skimmed over most of the above the general gist is they are small, red and good for you so eat them.

Ye Olde York(e)

Let us take time to reflect on what the cobblestone streets that we walk on today, witnessed yesterday in another era..

The staccato echo of "clippity-clop"

Past butcher and baker and candlestick shop.

Over the cobblestone streets he did fly,

With heavy seen breath and fear in his eye.

The wagon wheels of wood did turn,

The flickering lattern barely did burn,

As he glanced behind beneath angular hat,

His heart did a-flutter, he shouldn't look back.

With one final burst he reached the place,

And flew up the stairs amid all his haste,

The woman she shrieked, as he began to stutter,

"H-h-here you are dear, I brought you your butter."

Her nostrils flared, her eyes opened wide,

She advanced on him, rolling pin at her side.

"I was baking this bread for you my love,"

"And this whole bloody time you've been at the pub!"

THWACK!

-Luke Mitchell

It is beautiful to think that no matter what part of history you look back on that domestic issues would have always been the same.

Don Wimble

Strawberries and cream, "Time please", covers on, covers off, Cliff Richard singing in the rain, grunt grunt grunt, all white, Henman hill, deucey deucey green grass, love forty is in the air, linesmen (and women) watching with hawkeyes, dunlop half-volleys, striking a let-cord, mixed doubles of Pimm's and lemonade, first serve, second serve, third serve and I'm a bit topspin lobbed, forehand, tie is broken during the tie-break, great touch at the net, backhand, C'mon, how ace, "New balls", unseeded, game, set, match, another Federer grand slam.

Laddies & Lassies, Ochs & Lochs

Spike and Angel were nowhere to be seen

Unfortunatley for Jill and Bob they never had any children to

make sure their joint grave was well maintained.

'Castle Greyskull'

(I know I'm a horrible boyfriend aren't I)

All she ever wanted was a little house with a white picket-fence

Tom's counseling had obviousling cleared up his erectile dysfunction

or was it simply 'Viagra'

Pretty eery huh?

'I am the music man and I come from far away...'

'Land-ho me hearties'

Casey's favourite past time - kicking balls

'Yes Andre your urethra appears to be completley clear'

Willy pre-immigration

How's the tartan...

Yep, so much tartan.

Now that's just showing off.

If you can't beat em' join em'

'Oh my purple scarf so does not match the greenery around here'

This was an oddly familiar feeling

'I was right I so should have worn green'

The money shot

Stressed on the Ness

Another day in ruins

The roof was definatley too low for the Vilage People

Another jumper Nessie had to talk down

Rapunzel took to climbing her own hair for thrills

'Highlander IV - The Slowening'

Home Sweet Home

It was a joyous occasion, the day we signed our lease. Of course it takes a further few days to process it, cross the t's, dot the i's, procrastinate some, talk about the latest episode of 'Ugly Betty' around the water cooler, scratch your genitals (girls do it too, they're just more subtle) and any other number of menial tasks before you can actually tell your tenants its ok to move in. But hey since moving to this country which don't get me wrong, I love dearly, I have noticed it takes so fucking long to organise anything and it only gets organised if you ring a minimum of 7 times to remind the people to do it and then half the time you have to ring the next person in the chain yourself. I mean come on people, I have no idea how your currency can be inversely proportional in strength to your work ethic! Now I apologise to any of the English citizens (or former English citizens, or those with dual citizenship too), I'm not trying to slight this great country of yours but you'd have to agree with me, it takes a shitload of time to get anything done around here.

O.K. enough whingeing (notice how I bit my tongue then and didn't make a reference to me being more 'pomish' with my large amount of whingeing, I'm really growing as an individual over here). We have a place to live, and what a little pad it is. With water views of the docks, a beautiful new kitchen where I can conjure up all kinds of gastronomical delights and a balcony just off of mine and Chesty's room ('The Robber' has ingeniusly figured out how to climb out through his window onto the balcony so he can suck down a quick lung dart or two). Plus we all chipped in and bought oursleves a nice high definiton LCD. Its nice to see we have our priorities straight isn't it?