According to old almanacs, today’s Plant of the Day is the Barbadou gooseberry; Cactus pereshkia, dedicated to St Peter Chrysologus. OK, so it’s not actually a gooseberry, but a type of cactus. A Chinese gooseberry isn’t a gooseberry either but a Kiwi Fruit. However, any excuse to present 10 things you might not know about gooseberries:
The Latin name for the Gooseberry is Ribes uva-crispa. There are also a number of local names for them including ‘Goosegog’, ‘Honey-blob’, ‘Wineberry’, ‘Feaps’ and ‘Fayberry’. The latter originated from an old myth which said Fairies would hide from danger in gooseberry bushes.
When children deemed too young to have “the talk” ask where babies come from, they are sometimes fobbed off with “they’re found under a gooseberry bush”. This might come from the fact that the blossom of the bush means “anticipation” in the Victorian language of flowers.
The cultivation of gooseberries in England was first recorded in 1276, however they were not widely grown until the early 1500s – a time when many fruits were popularised through trade with the Continent.
Gooseberry cultivation was at its peak in the 19th century, especially in the north of England. Gooseberry clubs were formed across the UK, with their members competing to grow the heaviest fruit. There was even a national publication for enthusiasts called ‘The Gooseberry Growers Register’, which in 1845 listed 171 separate gooseberry shows. Today, only two of these societies still exist; one in Cheshire and the Egton Bridge Show where official records go back to 1800.
For centuries ‘pennyweights’ and ‘grains’ were the traditional measure for the size of gooseberries. There are still strict rituals observed concerning the setting up of the weighing scales in the few gooseberry shows which still exist. The current world record for the heaviest gooseberry was set in 2013 at 64.49 grams (2.27oz). Which is about the size of a large hen’s Egg.
In the newspaper business the phrase “great gooseberry season” is used to describe a period where there isn’t much news, so there is room in the paper for a story about the prizewinning gooseberry.
‘Gooseberry’ was one of many historic names given to the devil, which is why an unwanted third person tagging along with a couple is known as a gooseberry.
In France gooseberries are called ‘le groseillier à maquereau’, which can be translated as ‘the mackerel currant’ as they were popularly eaten with mackerel.
A Jostaberry is a cross between a gooseberry and a blackcurrant.
On the Isle of Wight, a sprite known as the Gooseberry-wife was said to guard the unripe berries of the gooseberry bush, lurking there in the form of a large hairy caterpillar. She was a convenient means of scaremongering children so they wouldn’t eat the berries.
Character birthday
Obsidian's Ark
Teenage years bring no end of problems. Daniel Moran's include getting hold of computer games his parents don't think he should have; a full blown crush on the beautiful Suki from Zorostan; maintaining his status as a prefect and getting his homework done. He must also keep from his parents and sister the fact that he is a superhero with a sword from another world.
Trish wonders how to get science whizz Tom to notice her; how to persuade him that the best way to stand up to the school bully is to fight back. She doesn't want her friends, especially not Tom, to know she is a genetic variant with superpowers. Little does she know that Tom has secrets of his own.
Suki struggles to make friends at school when she cannot understand everyday cultural references, and they all suspect her of being a terrorist. She, too, has a secret, but is it what her classmates assume?
When Daniel stumbles upon a plot by an alliance of supervillains to plunge the world into war, he tries to alert the established superheroes, but none of them believe him. When the Prime Minister's only daughter, Yasmin Miller, is abducted, Daniel knows the villains' plan is underway. It seems humanity's only hope may be Daniel and the ragtag bunch of teenage superheroes he recruits. Can he pull together, not only his own team, but the older heroes as well, in a bid to save the Earth from a devastating war?
Trish wonders how to get science whizz Tom to notice her; how to persuade him that the best way to stand up to the school bully is to fight back. She doesn't want her friends, especially not Tom, to know she is a genetic variant with superpowers. Little does she know that Tom has secrets of his own.
No comments:
Post a Comment