Two calls this afternoon in quick succession. The first was from a gentleman who wanted to sell me a sauna. I live in a London Borough in the County of Essex (yes, work that one out!) where today the temperature hovers over freezing, in a three bed-roomed house with an adequate garden. What would I want with a sauna? I had a sauna once, when the Sauna was installed at Gilwell Park, the Scout Centre in Chingford. The then Director of Training was a public school fellow who thought the new Editor of SCOUTING magazine was a pleb with little between his ears. He rang to explain that all those taking a sauna would be without clothing and as I would not know that, he felt it only fair to tell me in advance. I retorted that being naked in public was against my religion, which fazed him somewhat for he spent some time trying to persuade me. I entered the Sauna wearing nothing but my Woodbadge Beads on a leather bootlace around my neck - and they have been bleached ever since!
The second caller was a charming lady from BakkerSpalding, who supplied the Amaryllis bulbs referred to in the last post. My letter and photograph had arrived and the lady wanted me to know what a very fine photograph it was too. But, having spoken to colleagues the lady was unable to offer any explanation as to why the bulb planted in water was twice as big as the one in compost. A mystery - even to the experts at BakkerSpalding. So there it is. Earlier I consulted Val-across-the-Road, who had kindly given me the bowl at Christmas 2014 complete with Amaryllis (a different one). Val is as mystified as the lady at BakkerSpalding. There are now four huge blooms. I must take another photograph but it is raining at present so I do not want to venture into the garden for fear I might slip and that would be a disaster.
