185. (Some of) the chicks clear their throats . . .


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266. What's the difference between a ballerina and a minarette?

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One is born to do it, and the other has to be trained. I'm talking fruit trees; what else! Both are types of restricted fruit trees called columnar trees, and as that name suggests they are tall and thin. Really, they are just vertical cordons. Some trees grow like that naturally but they are unusual; one cultivar is Flamenco . However, any cultivar can be trained ie pruned to grow tall and thin. Pruning is the same as for cordons or espaliers:- Summer pruning, laterals to 3 buds above the basal cluster and sub-laterals to one bud above the basal cluster. This is my columnar tree, a cultivar called The Big Purple . (A minarette not a ballerina.)
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73. Stuck for something to read?

Try a William Boyd novel. They hook you from the start, have interesting and original plots and are not overly long. What's more there are lots of them, and relatively easy to find in second-hand bookshops. Perfect for a holiday read, if you are stuck on a difficult novel or just want something a bit different. His books sometimes feel like he has written them with the aid of a special book-kaleidoscope: twist it again, 10 bizarre plot-lines fall out and Boyd glues them together in 300 pages. Try one!
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18. Holiday on ice...

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Just back from an ice-climbing trip to La Grave (Les Ecrins in the French Alps). Good conditions for the first few days (early morning temperatures of about -10C), and some good ice. Probably our best climbing day was Goulotte de Muretouse (II/3+, 200m ***); this involved an approach up a narrowing gully that had seen a spectacular avalanche. The climb itself gave two good pitches. We saw no-one all day, and were home in time for tea and cake! No Ellson epics! But, by the end of the week, the temperatures had rsien (-2C in the morning), and the icefalls were dripping. This gave adrenaline-fuelled climbing but for the wrong reasons. All in all, a good (if not great) trip - no tears, no dropped screws (£50 a pop), lots of cake and baths, some frogs legs and even a little tripe.
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