On yer bike son.

 So the good weather has given away to storms and rain for the next few days. We were mercifully spared any thunderstorm action here it did get awfully close over the past few days, enough for me to think about not hanging round at work and think about getting off early. 

The upshot of this was borrowing a Lime Bike I found dumped out (a common occurrence) to speed on to and off site, only to find that this was actually some dudes daily driver, he'd bought! Literally didn't know you could own one and thought they were rental only*.  Most of the time its marshalling them to a main road for pick up or using to get around if I'm pushed for time. 

My storm phobia goes back to being caught in a storm in Greenwich park with my mum as a kid and probably goes into autism stuff as well as I also hate fireworks too. So me driving round on a Ebike so I can avoid a storm is peak me. 

* So it turns out you can't actually buy one and just rent it to get around, in fact this all you can do with this which makes me feel much better. Sorry not sorry. 

Google Lensman

 Been having a good time at the boot sale. Picked up a few things that required Google Lens to look over it. A tape by Mostafa Mdawi aka Mustafa Modawi a Sudanese Keyboardist and Singer. Titled Al Soudaneia Agmal Al Aganie or Al Fanane if you look on the spine, its a few synthy Arab language tracks on tape. I have no way of adding Arabic script so it won't be on Discogs anytime soon but I'll scan the J card and put it up here if anyone wants to translate properly. 

With Google Lens installed I did the Persian singer tape I found a while back and found its Googoosh. Not done the whole tape yet and she has a sort of bob cut in one song that makes her look a bit like an Iranian Victoria Wood. They're mostly ballads and love songs and can remember having an upbeat disco track of hers downloaded from Youtube a while back.

Finally for scanning is a portable modem from 1989, it has a floppy and a parallel port for adding to what ever computer you choose. My guessing Amiga / ST or more likely PC. 

 

Left most in that pic but kept the Manual, it'll be up on Archive.org when I have time. But in the meantime have a better shot courtesy of the Science museum.

Nolina at Lullingstone

 So via the BCSS eNews letter we only learned about this on Tuesday when July's newsletter was emailed out. 

Tom Hart Dyke's World Garden, has the first flowering of Nolina hibernica  A big non spiky relative of Agave, along with Dasylirion (more later) makes up most of the succulent flora of Mexico and the Southern US states.

Donated by Paul Spracklin (who, not mentioned in the article, has his own cactus garden in Essex) it was collected from the mountains of Mexico. And as the hot weekend in September falls when we're away next, is most definitely worthy of a field trip.

Wish I'd have known it was flowering from May as when I visited it was past it's prime, still impressive but would love to see it in all its glory. 

A few things I'd mention before getting to the point, there is a new footpath leading down from Shoreham road via the farm ending up at the Roman Villa. It cuts off the need to go down the increasingly busy road and cut through the woods. The other thing is the main Cafe at county park seems to be gone now. Unless I'm being blind and stupid as usual, your only chance for a cuppa is in Lullingstone castle grounds.

Hogweed along the river.

Anyway it doesn't matter that the Nolina had flowered, there was much better stuff to make up for it. Looking around the church at the tombs and memorials, I notice that the Elizabethan equivalent of the current owner was also a well travelled man. Would like to know more about Sir George Hart Knight, but find no info online. 

Sir George Hart Knight

The main World garden is of course well worth a visit along with the Hot and Spiky greenhouse. Where as I've mentioned several times that the Nolina had flowered it seemed that several things adjacent to it were also in bloom. This includes a Cylindropuntia and Dasylirion berlandieri which is coming into bloom. 

 

As for the Nolina well after talking about it judge for yourself.  

Still impressive though. 

We had a look around the hot and spiky greenhouse before catching the train back home. All in all well worth it. 

Steel coloured Eryngo