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Sheffields Flora and Fauna


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A beautiful and meditative film about wildlife and snow on Sheffield's canal,

running from the basin at Victoria Quays up to Tinsley Flight.

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This pig looks like a coconut mat on legs,

I had never seen a pig with a fleece before.

Most pigs have hair or bristles which are quite firm and rough so "coconut mat" is probably a more accurate description than "fleece"

The extent and thickness of the fleece depend upon the breed of pig.

Do we know what breed of pig this is?

If this is in Sheffield is it at Graves Park Rare Breeds Centre?

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Most pigs have hair or bristles which are quite firm and rough so "coconut mat" is probably a more accurate description than "fleece"

The extent and thickness of the fleece depend upon the breed of pig.

Do we know what breed of pig this is?

If this is in Sheffield is it at Graves Park Rare Breeds Centre?

No not Graves Park,

the pig is an 'Eastern European Mangalitsa'

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No not Graves Park,

the pig is an 'Eastern European Mangalitsa'

Not come across that breed before Steve, but presumably a very "hairy" pig breed.

Not Graves Park :huh: , could it be Heeley farm then by any chance? <_<

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Not come across that breed before Steve, but presumably a very "hairy" pig breed.

Not Graves Park :huh: , could it be Heeley farm then by any chance? <_<

Yes you are spot on Dave,

Heeley City Farm is due to celebrate it's thirtieth year,

and is branching out into the rare breeds.

Also back in November the farm has released it's first ever newsletter ..

http://www.heeleyfarm.org.uk/images/info/news01.pdf

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Yes you are spot on Dave,

Heeley City Farm is due to celebrate it's thirtieth year,

and is branching out into the rare breeds.

Also back in November the farm has released it's first ever newsletter ..

http://www.heeleyfarm.org.uk/images/info/news01.pdf

I last visited Heeley Farm last April with my wife, daughter, son in law and baby grandson.

At the time it looked a bit run down and "lacking" but the poor weather on the day we went didn't help.

I got the impression that something was happening and they were in the process of change.

Perhaps they were getting ready to start with the rare breeds.

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No not Graves Park,

the pig is an 'Eastern European Mangalitsa'

Presumably part of the Walter Wall "I Love Carpets and pork me" range of edible floor-coverings, buy one get seven-siblings free, 70% polyester, 25% pork-pie, 8% crackling for round the edges and 16% Bacon Fat (fine song) - prices adjusted for the VAT increase - dose of Swine-flu and carpet/bacon grip included in every purchase. Chips extra.

Offers close 5th January, Terms and Conditions apply.

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Presumably part of the Walter Wall "I Love Carpets and pork me" range of edible floor-coverings,

Offers close 5th January, Terms and Conditions apply.

I was joint owner of this shop at Page Hall in the 80's

I eventually sold my share to my partner who later moved premises to Dronfield.

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Tried a new seed mix on the bird table this week, had some interesting visitors, but didn't expect this one!

Looks like a pheasant to me Bayleaf.

I bet it makes itself scarce before 12th August lol

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Another rare breed from Heeley City Farm,

a Bagot goat.

And baby Bagot.

Wiki link

Nice to know Heeley City Farm is still going.

Went down there a year or two ago and it looked very run down with not many animals and not a deal being done.

If they are getting new goats that's got to be a step in the right direction.

However, - if it's RARE BREEDS you are looking for in the local area then the rare breeds centre at Graves park takes some beating.

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Anybody know about tomatoes ?

They are a vine tomato called Sweetie. It says I should "Pinch them out" below the first truss when it appears.

I assume that a truss is the flowers but what does "Pinch them out" mean.

I've looked at a few websites but they all seem to assume that I know what the term means.

can someone explain by means of the photo ?

Not a very good picture, my phone was on the wrong setting.

I can take a better one if this isn't good enough.

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Anybody know about tomatoes ?

They are a vine tomato called Sweetie. It says I should "Pinch them out" below the first truss when it appears.

I assume that a truss is the flowers but what does "Pinch them out" mean.

I've looked at a few websites but they all seem to assume that I know what the term means.

can someone explain by means of the photo ?

Not a very good picture, my phone was on the wrong setting.

I can take a better one if this isn't good enough.

Hi vox

It means gently nip off with your finger and thumb. Good luck I hope you get plenty of tommies.

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Hi vox

It means gently nip off with your finger and thumb. Good luck I hope you get plenty of tommies.

"Pinching out" means exactly what UKL says, nipping off the growing shoot with a finger and thumb.

However a "truss" is a main sideways growing branch which will eventually produce small yellow flowers and, when pollenated, a bunch of green tomato fruits. Do NOT pinch off the flowers!! No flowers means no tomatoes. What you pinch out are the growing tips which produce extra branches too close to the main ones causing the plant to produce a lot of leaves and not many tomatoes.

The growing tips to pinch out are at the end of the truss where it joins the main stem.

There is also a "main shoot" at the top of the plant which makes the stem grow taller. This is often pinched out when the plant reaches a height of 3 to 5 trusses (depending on variety) to stop the plant growing too tall and straggly.

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"Pinching out" means exactly what UKL says, nipping off the growing shoot with a finger and thumb.

However a "truss" is a main sideways growing branch which will eventually produce small yellow flowers and, when pollenated, a bunch of green tomato fruits. Do NOT pinch off the flowers!! No flowers means no tomatoes. What you pinch out are the growing tips which produce extra branches too close to the main ones causing the plant to produce a lot of leaves and not many tomatoes.

The growing tips to pinch out are at the end of the truss where it joins the main stem.

There is also a "main shoot" at the top of the plant which makes the stem grow taller. This is often pinched out when the plant reaches a height of 3 to 5 trusses (depending on variety) to stop the plant growing too tall and straggly.

You explained it better than me Dave, I would have wanted to be there to show him.

I used to grow my own everything, tomatoes, carrots, beetroot, courgetts, strawberries , kidney beans my speciallity.

But you find the freezer is full , you giving most of it away , then you haven't got got the time and lastly. . you do find

it a bit hard going, should I say it. . .as you get older. But I do miss the home grown stuff. Dig for victory , that's what

I say vox. lol

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You explained it better than me Dave, I would have wanted to be there to show him.

I used to grow my own everything, tomatoes, carrots, beetroot, courgetts, strawberries , kidney beans my speciallity.

But you find the freezer is full , you giving most of it away , then you haven't got got the time and lastly. . you do find

it a bit hard going, should I say it. . .as you get older. But I do miss the home grown stuff. Dig for victory , that's what

I say vox. lol

My wife, MrsH, is the expert on this sort of stuff and she does all the gardening.

She has her own allotment and greenhouses and likewise we grow loads of stuff for ourselves.

...and also likewise as we are getting older she is finding it increasing hard going to keep it up.

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Thanks. I now have enough information to sally forth and "pinch out"

Rainbow Ffooly - Sallies Forth

legendary psychedelic album from '68. obviously influenced by Parlophone label mates BEATLES. A psychedelic delight.

(RB edit).

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You explained it better than me Dave, I would have wanted to be there to show him.

Here you go vox, Link not UKL, but at least British!

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Here you go vox, Link not UKL, but at least British!

Good video link there Bayleaf, explains it well and shows you how to do it.

I don't think vox can go far wrong with those instructions.

Unless he like WOW! tries to do it all LIKE, pscychodelically MAN!!!

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Good video link there Bayleaf, explains it well and shows you how to do it.

I don't think vox can go far wrong with those instructions.

Unless he like WOW! tries to do it all LIKE, pscychodelically MAN!!!

You mean he might try smoking the prunings?

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You mean he might try smoking the prunings?

Hmmmm....

If Walter Raleigh brought back both tobacco and tomatoes from the Americas, it makes you wonder why they decided that the tobacco plant leaves were good for drying and smoking while the tomato plant fruit was better for eating, rather than the other way round! <_<

Of course he also brought back potatoes, which are the same type of plant as tomatoes (solenaceious plants), but with potatoes you eat the swollen root tubers (spuds) which tomatoes do not seem to have. However, potatoes will flower and form green, very tomato like fruits. Under no circumstances eat the potato fruits, - they may look like unripe tomatoes but they are also highly toxic.

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Good video link there Bayleaf, explains it well and shows you how to do it.

I don't think vox can go far wrong with those instructions.

Unless he like WOW! tries to do it all LIKE, pscychodelically MAN!!!

Nope - I just did it LIKE - WOW - like you suggested MAN.

The video confirms that I got it right. - phew !

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